The cochlear amplifier as a standing wave: "squirting" waves between rows of outer hair cells?

This paper draws attention to symmetric Lloyd-Redwood (SLR) waves-known in ultrasonics as "squirting" waves-and points out that their distinctive properties make them well-suited for carrying positive feedback between rows of outer hair cells. This could result in standing-wave resonance-in essence a narrow-band cochlear amplifier. Based on known physical properties of the cochlea, such an amplifier can be readily tuned to match the full 10-octave range of human hearing. SLR waves propagate in a thin liquid layer enclosed between two thin compliant plates or a single such plate and a rigid wall, conditions found in the subtectorial space of the cochlea, and rely on the mass of the inter-plate fluid interacting with the stiffness of the plates to provide low phase velocity and high dispersion. The first property means SLR wavelengths can be as short as the distance between rows of outer hair cells, allowing standing wave formation; the second permits wide-range tuning using only an order-of-magnitude variation in cochlear physical properties, most importantly the inter-row spacing. Viscous drag at the two surfaces potentially limits SLR wave propagation at low frequencies, but this can perhaps be overcome by invoking hydrophobic effects.     

Multiphonon vibrations at high angular momentum in 182 Os

Evidence is presented for multiphonon excitations based on a high-spin (25 Planck) intrinsic state in the deformed nucleus 182 Os. Angular momentum generation by this mode competes with collective rotation. The experimental data are compared with tilted-axis cranking calculations, supporting the vibrational interpretation. However, the lower experimental energies provide evidence that more complex interactions of states are playing a role.     

Electrical currents and liquid flow rates in micro-reactors

For micro-reactor devices in which liquids are pumped by electro-osmotic flow (EOF), in situ monitoring of the electrical currents in the channel networks provides a valuable diagnostic tool. We demonstrate here that the voltage-current characteristics of a micro-reactor channel network can be accurately modelled using measurements of the full 3-D geometry of the channel network, the liquid conductivity and the channel wall-liquid surface conductivity. It is shown that surface conductivity provides a significant contribution to the overall measured electrical currents in channel networks for which the ratio of surface area to volume is high. Following correction for surface conductivity, the electrical currents are proportional to the liquid volumetric flow rates measured in the different branches of the channel network. The constant of proportionality is related to the zeta potential of the channel wall-liquid surface. Measurements of the variation of electrical currents and volumetric flow rates as a function of the applied voltages allows the determination of the surface conductivity and zeta potential within the micro-reactor which enables the prediction of the voltages required to produce the desired flow rates in any channel section. In situ logging of the electrical currents, incorporated within the control system, allows continuous monitoring of the liquid flow rates during micro-reactor operation.     

Focusing in microlenses close to a wavelength in diameter

Light focused from air into a spherical microlens is affected by diffraction at the lens surface as its diameter approaches the wavelength of light. Through an extension of Mie theory, we show that a converging wave that is incident upon a Si microlens with a diameter less than approximately 4lambda creates a spot as much as 25% smaller than predicted with vector diffraction theory. Si microlenses only a wavelength in diameter are shown to be virtually insensitive to variations in the maximum illumination angle, and changes in index of refraction are not found to cause the proportional changes in spot size that would be expected from vector diffraction theory.     

Progress in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion research at the laboratory for laser energetics

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is expected to demonstrate high gain on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the next decade and is a leading candidate for inertial fusion energy production. The demonstration of high areal densities in hydrodynamically scaled cryogenic DT or D₂ implosions with neutron yields that are a significant fraction of the “clean” 1-D predictions will validate the ignition-equivalent direct-drive target performance on the OMEGA laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). This paper highlights the recent experimental and theoretical progress leading toward achieving this validation in the next few years. The NIF will initially be configured for X-ray drive and with no beams placed at the target equator to provide a symmetric irradiation of a direct-drive capsule. LLE is developing the “polar-direct-drive” (PDD) approach that repoints beams toward the target equator. Initial 2-D simulations have shown ignition. A unique “Saturn-like” plastic ring around the equator refracts the laser light incident near the equator toward the target, improving the drive uniformity. LLE is currently constructing the multibeam, 2.6-kJ/beam, petawatt laser system OMEGA EP. Integrated fast-ignition experiments, combining the OMEGA EP and OMEGA Laser Systems, will begin in FY08.     

Assessment of an Eulerian CFD model for prediction of dilute droplet dispersion in a turbulent jet

The turbulent dispersion of non-evaporating droplets in an axisymmetric round jet issuing from a nozzle is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental data set has a well-defined inlet boundary with low turbulence intensity at the nozzle exit, so that droplet dispersion is not affected by the transport of nozzle-generated fluctuating motion into the jet, and is influenced solely by turbulence in the gas phase produced in the shear layer of the jet. This data set is thus ideal for testing algebraic models of droplet fluctuating motion that assume local equilibrium with the turbulence in the gas phase. Moreover, the droplet flux measurements are sufficiently accurate that conservation of the total volume flow of the droplet phase has been demonstrated. A two-fluid turbulence modelling approach is adopted, which uses the k–ε turbulence model and a simple algebraic model that assumes local equilibrium to predict the fluid and droplet turbulent correlations, respectively. We have shown that the k–ε turbulence model lacks generality for predicting the spread of momentum in jets with and without a potential core. However, in general, the model predicts the radial dispersion of droplets in the considered turbulent jet with reasonable accuracy over a broad range of droplet sizes, once deficiencies in the k–ε turbulence model are taken into account.     

Zur Darstellung von Schwefelwasserstoffgas

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