A theoretical investigation of the influence of dislocation sheets on evolution of yield surfaces in single-phase B.C.C. polycrystals

Accurate and reliable predictions of yield surfaces and their evolution with deformation require a better physical representation of the important sources of anisotropy in the material. Until recently, the most physical approach employed in the current literature has been the use of polycrystalline deformation models, where it is assumed that crystallographic texture is the main contributor to the overall anisotropy. However, recent studies have revealed that the grain-scale mesostructural features (e.g. cell-block boundaries) may have a large impact on the anisotropic stress-strain behaviour, as evidenced during strain-path change tests (e.g. cross effect, Bauschinger effect).In previous papers, the authors formulated an extension of the Taylor-type crystal plasticity model by incorporating some details of the grain-scale mesostructural features. The main purpose of this paper is to study the evolution of yield surfaces in single-phase b.c.c. polycrystals during deformation and strain-path changes using this extended crystal plasticity model. It is demonstrated that the contribution of the grain-scale substructure in these metals on yield loci is comparable in magnitude to the effects caused by the differences in texture. Furthermore, it is shown that the shape of yield loci cannot be predicted accurately by the traditional polycrystalline deformation model with equal slip hardening. The trends predicted by the extended crystal plasticity model are in much better agreement with the experimental evidence reported in the literature than those represented in classical treatments by isotropic and kinematic hardening.     

Minimal underlying division rings of sets of points of a projective space

Let V be a vector space over a division ring K. Let P be a spanning set of points in Σ:=PG(V). Denote by K(P) the family of sub-division rings F of K having the property that there exists a basis B_F of V such that all points of P are represented as F-linear combinations of B_F. We prove that when K is commutative, then K(P) admits a least element. When K is not commutative, then, in general, K(P) does not admit a minimal element. However we prove that under certain very mild conditions on P, any two minimal elements of K(P) are conjugate in K, and if K is a quaternion division algebra then K(P) admits a minimal element.     

Delay analysis of a two-class batch-service queue with class-dependent variable server capacity

In this paper, we analyse the delay of a random customer in a two-class batch-service queueing model with variable server capacity, where all customers are accommodated in a common single-server first-come-first-served queue. The server can only process customers that belong to the same class, so that the size of a batch is determined by the length of a sequence of same-class customers. This type of batch server can be found in telecommunications systems and production environments. We first determine the steady state partial probability generating function of the queue occupancy at customer arrival epochs. Using a spectral decomposition technique, we obtain the steady state probability generating function of the delay of a random customer. We also show that the distribution of the delay of a random customer corresponds to a phase-type distribution. Finally, some numerical examples are given that provide further insight in the impact of asymmetry and variance in the arrival process on the number of customers in the system and the delay of a random customer.     

Hyperplanes and projective embeddings of dual polar spaces

This paper is based on the invited talk of the author at the Combinatorics 2010 conference which was held in Verbania (Italy) from June 27th till July 3rd 2010. It discusses hyperplanes and full projective embeddings of dual polar spaces, as well as some of their mutual connections. Many of the discussed results are very recent.     

50 dB parametric on-chip gain in silicon photonic wires

A pulsed mid-infrared pump at λ=2173 nm is used to demonstrate wideband optical parametric gain in a low-loss 2 cm long silicon photonic wire. Using dispersion engineering to obtain negative second-order (β2) and positive fourth-order (β4) dispersion, we generate broadband modulation instability and parametric fluorescence extending from 1911 nm-2486 nm. Using a cw probe signal to interrogate the modulation instability spectrum, we demonstrate parametric amplification >40 dB with an on-chip gain bandwidth wider than 580 nm, as well as narrowband Raman-assisted peak gain >50 dB.     

Quantum Axiomatics: Topological and Classical Properties of State Property Systems

The definition of ‘classical state’ from (Aerts in K. Engesser, D. Gabbay and D. Lehmann (Eds.), Handbook of Quantum Logic and Quantum Structures. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2009), used e.g. in Aerts et al. (http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0503083, 2010) to prove a decomposition theorem internally in the language of State Property Systems, presupposes as an additional datum an orthocomplementation on the property lattice of a physical system. In this paper we argue on the basis of the (ε,d)-model on the Poincaré sphere that a notion of topologicity for states can be seen as an alternative (operationally foundable) classicality notion in the absence of an orthocomplementation, and compare it to the known and operationally founded concept of classicality.     

Creating a collimated ultrasound beam in highly attenuating fluids

We have devised a method, based on a parametric array concept, to create a low-frequency (300-500 kHz) collimated ultrasound beam in fluids highly attenuating to sound. This collimated beam serves as the basis for designing an ultrasound visualization system that can be used in the oil exploration industry for down-hole imaging in drilling fluids. We present the results of two different approaches to generating a collimated beam in three types of highly attenuating drilling mud. In the first approach, the drilling mud itself was used as a nonlinear mixing medium to create a parametric array. However, the short absorption length in mud limits the mixing length and, consequently, the resulting beam is weak and broad. In the second improved approach, the beam generation process was confined to a separate “frequency mixing tube” that contained an acoustically non-linear, low attenuation medium (e.g., water) that allowed establishing a usable parametric array in the mixing tube. A low-frequency collimated beam was thus created prior to its propagation into the drilling fluid. Using the latter technique, the penetration depth of the low frequency ultrasound beam in the drilling fluid was significantly extended. We also present measurements of acoustic nonlinearity in various types of drilling mud.     

A Trefftz-based numerical modelling framework for Helmholtz problems with complex multiple-scatterer configurations

The aim of the work presented in this paper is the numerical solution of low- and mid-frequency time-harmonic acoustic multiple-scattering problem. A novel so-called ‘multi-level’ modelling approach is proposed which is applicable to the study of a configuration of well separated obstacles of arbitrary shape on which any type of acoustic boundary condition can be applied. The generic character of the method is obtained by embedding the superposition principle for the multiple-scattering influence in a state-of-the-art acoustic modelling technique, the so-called Wave Based Method. The resulting approach successfully alleviates the geometrical limitations of the underlying Trefftz-based method and preserves the method’s computational efficiency, resulting in a generic multiple-scattering modelling framework with a superior computational efficiency in the low- as well as the mid-frequency range. Several numerical validation examples show that the proposed approach is as accurate as the classical single-scattering Wave Based Method and illustrate the computational efficiency as compared to Boundary Element Methods.     

Use of the application of heterodyne laser interferometer in power ultrasonics

We are particularly interested in the measurement of nonlinear acoustic waves in air, within the range of the Raman-Nath diffraction regime. We used a heterodyne laser interferometric system with a Bragg cell frequency of 80 MHz. A harmonic power acoustic wave with a frequency in the range of 20 kHz was generated, but higher harmonics appear when nonlinear propagation occurs in restricted volumes or waveguides. This topic raises a number of interesting questions. The most complex problem arises when processing an extremely wide-band output signal from a photo-detector, where the signal contains a huge number of high amplitude harmonics in a measured acoustic signal. The wide-band output signal from nonlinear wave measurement was simulated by means of similar wide-band output signals obtained by measuring known dynamic mechanical displacements. Because the frequency band of common analog circuits used for signal processing is too narrow, the output signal from the interferometer was digitalized and processed. This paper discusses the results of these tests and provides estimates of the frequency restrictions of signal processing.