Ignition delay times of methane and hydrogen highly diluted in carbon dioxide at high pressures up to 300 atm

The need for more efficient power cycles has attracted interest in super-critical CO₂ (sCO₂) cycles. However, the effects of high CO₂ dilution on auto-ignition at extremely high pressures has not been studied in depth. As part of the effort to understand oxy-fuel combustion with massive CO₂ dilution, we have measured shock tube ignition delay times (IDT) for methane/O₂/CO₂ mixtures and hydrogen/O₂/CO₂ mixtures using sidewall pressure and OH* emission near 306?nm. Ignition delay time was measured in two different facilities behind reflected shock waves over a range of temperatures, 1045–1578?K, in different pressures and mixture regimes, i.e., CH₄/O₂/CO₂ mixtures at 27–286 atm and H₂/O₂/CO₂ mixtures at 37–311 atm. The measured data were compared with the predictions of two recent kinetics models. Fair agreement was found between model and experiment over most of the operating conditions studied. For those conditions where kinetic models fail, the current ignition delay time measurements provide useful target data for development and validation of the mechanisms.     

Enhanced gauge symmetry in 6D F‐theory models and tuned elliptic Calabi‐Yau threefolds

We systematically analyze the local combinations of gauge groups and matter that can arise in 6D F‐theory models over a fixed base. We compare the low‐energy constraints of anomaly cancellation to explicit F‐theory constructions using Weierstrass and Tate forms, and identify some new local structures in the “swampland” of 6D supergravity and SCFT models that appear consistent from low‐energy considerations but do not have known F‐theory realizations. In particular, we classify and carry out a local analysis of all enhancements of the irreducible gauge and matter contributions from “non‐Higgsable clusters,” and on isolated curves and pairs of intersecting rational curves of arbitrary self‐intersection. Such enhancements correspond physically to unHiggsings, and mathematically to tunings of the Weierstrass model of an elliptic CY threefold. We determine the shift in Hodge numbers of the elliptic threefold associated with each enhancement. We also consider local tunings on curves that have higher genus or intersect multiple other curves, codimension two tunings that give transitions in the F‐theory matter content, tunings of abelian factors in the gauge group, and generalizations of the “E₈” rule to include tunings and curves of self‐intersection zero. These tools can be combined into an algorithm that in principle enables a finite and systematic classification of all elliptic CY threefolds and corresponding 6D F‐theory SUGRA models over a given compact base (modulo some technical caveats in various special circumstances), and are also relevant to the classification of 6D SCFT's. To illustrate the utility of these results, we identify some large example classes of known CY threefolds in the Kreuzer‐Skarke database as Weierstrass models over complex surface bases with specific simple tunings, and we survey the range of tunings possible over one specific base.     

R andRτ ratios at the five-loop level of perturbative QCD

We study perturbative QCD at the five-loop level. In particular we considerR = _tot(e ⁺ e ^– hadrons)/(e ⁺ e ^{– + –}) andR = ( v+hadrons)/( ev). We use our method to estimate the five-loop coefficients. As a result, we obtain _s (M _z ) = 0.1186(11) and _s (34 GeV) = 0.1396(16), which are accurate at the 1% level. We also findR = 3.8350(18), which is consistent withR and is accurate to 0.05%.     

Large number hypothesis

Dirac's large number hypothesis (LNH) and the Whitrow-Randall-Sciama relation are related to some cosmological models. The LNH and Whitrow-Randall-Sciama relations are neither equivalent nor consistent in general relativity, but they may both be valid in the Brans-Dicke theory and in another theory considered in this paper.     

Amplification of terahertz radiation in carbon nanotubes

We investigate theoretically the feasibility of amplification of terahertz radiation in aligned achiral carbon nanotubes, a zigzag (12,0) and an armchair (10,10) in comparison with a superlattice using a combination of a constant direct current (dc) and a high-frequency alternate current (ac) electric fields. The electric current density expression is derived using the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation with a constant relaxation time. The electric field is applied along the nanotube axis. Analysis of the current density versus electric field characteristics reveals a negative differential conductivity behavior at high frequency, as well as photon assisted peaks. The photon assisted peaks are about an order of magnitude higher in the carbon nanotubes compared to the superlattice. These strong phenomena in carbon nanotubes can be used to obtain domainless amplification of terahertz radiation at room temperature.     

Self-phase-locked degenerate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrated a stable degenerate synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (SPOPO) as a divide-by-2 subharmonic generator. The SPOPO exhibited passive all-optical self-phase-locking between the pump and signal/idler and thus required no external electronic feedback to produce the phase-locked subharmonic. We employed a type I phase-matched, 1-mm-long, periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3 crystal as the nonlinear gain element and an 80 MHz mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser with 180 fs pulses tuned at 775 nm as the pump. The SPOPO generated transform-limited 70 fs phase-locked output pulses centered at 1550 nm. The self-phase-locking operation was confirmed by separate beat-note measurement techniques with respect to the pump laser and with respect to an external cw laser.     

Applications of electronic speckle interferometry (ESI) techniques for spacecraft structural components

Laser-based electronic speckle interferometry (ESI) techniques, viz., electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) and electronic speckle shearographic interferometry (ESSI) are used for testing of spacecraft structural components. The combined ESPI and ESSI system developed in house was successfully used for the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of honeycomb sandwich panels and propellant tanks of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Debonds between face sheet and the honeycomb core were identified using (i) thermal and (ii) dual vacuum stressing methods. On-line NDE of the propellant tanks under internal pressure loading for identification of the minute cracks and thickness reduction areas were successfully implemented by ESI.     

Nonperturbative gadget for topological quantum codes

Many-body entangled systems, in particular topologically ordered spin systems proposed as resources for quantum information processing tasks, often involve highly nonlocal interaction terms. While one may approximate such systems through two-body interactions perturbatively, these approaches have a number of drawbacks in practice. In this Letter, we propose a scheme to simulate many-body spin Hamiltonians with two-body Hamiltonians nonperturbatively. Unlike previous approaches, our Hamiltonians are not only exactly solvable with exact ground state degeneracy, but also support completely localized quasiparticle excitations, which are ideal for quantum information processing tasks. Our construction is limited to simulating the toric code and quantum double models, but generalizations to other nonlocal spin Hamiltonians may be possible.     

Fabrication of durable hydrophobic surfaces through surface texturing

Low surface energy polymer thin-films can be applied to surfaces to increase hydrophobicity and reduce friction for a variety of applications. However, wear of these thin films, resulting from repetitive rubbing against another surface, is of great concern. In this study, we show that highly hydrophobic surfaces with persistent abrasion resistance can be fabricated by depositing fluorinated carbon thin films on sandblasted glass surfaces. In our study, fluorinated carbon thin films were deposited on sandblasted and as-received smooth glass using deep reactive ion etching equipment by only activating the passivation step. The surfaces of the samples were then rubbed with FibrMet abrasive papers in a reciprocating motion using an automatic friction abrasion analyzer. During the rubbing, the static and kinetic friction forces were also measured. The surface wetting properties were then characterized using a video-based contact angle measuring system to determine the changes in water contact angle as a result of rubbing. Assessment of the wear properties of the thin films was based on the changes in the water contact angles of the coated surfaces after repetitive rubbing. It was found that, for sandblasted glass coated with fluorinated carbon film, the water contact angle remained constant throughout the entire rubbing process, contrary to the smooth glass coated with fluorinated carbon film which showed a drastic decrease in water contact angle with the increasing number of rubbing cycles. In addition, the static and kinetic friction coefficients of the sandblasted glass were also much lower than those of the smooth glass.     

Emulator with inverse trend in first-order and second-order polarisation mode dispersion

We design a polarisation mode dispersion (PMD) emulator through subdividing a polarisation maintaining fibre (PMF) of 22 m in length. The aim of this emulator design is to show that first-order and second-order PMD can be inversely proportional to each other. Furthermore, the emulator is also used to show that the magnitude of PMD is independent to whether its statistics approach theoretical distributions or not, of most importance is the degree of mode coupling. The same (as former) applies to its autocorrelation function (ACF). The PMD control mechanism for the emulator is not in real time.