Defect branes

We discuss some general properties of “defect branes”, i.e. branes of co-dimension two, in (toroidally compactified) IIA/IIB string theory. In particular, we give a full classification of the supersymmetric defect branes in dimensions 3?D?10 as well as their higher-dimensional string and M-theory origin as branes and a set of “generalized” Kaluza-Klein monopoles. We point out a relation between the generalized Kaluza-Klein monopole solutions and a particular type of mixed-symmetry tensors. These mixed-symmetry tensors can be defined at the linearized level as duals of the supergravity potentials that describe propagating degrees of freedom. It is noted that the number of supersymmetric defect branes is always twice the number of corresponding central charges in the supersymmetry algebra.     

Suspension plasma sprayed composite coating using amorphous powder feedstock

Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ composite coatings were deposited by the suspension plasma spray process using molecularly mixed amorphous powders. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the as-sprayed coating is composed of α-Al₂O₃ and tetragonal ZrO₂ phases with grain sizes of 26 nm and 18 nm, respectively. The as-sprayed coating has 93% density with a hardness of 9.9 GPa. Heat treatment of the as-sprayed coating reveals that the Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ phases are homogeneously distributed in the composite coating.     

Sentence recognition in noise promoting or suppressing masking release by normal-hearing and cochlear-implant listeners

Normal-hearing (NH) listeners maintain robust speech understanding in modulated noise by "glimpsing" portions of speech from a partially masked waveform--a phenomenon known as masking release (MR). Cochlear implant (CI) users, however, generally lack such resiliency. In previous studies, temporal masking of speech by noise occurred randomly, obscuring to what degree MR is attributable to the temporal overlap of speech and masker. In the present study, masker conditions were constructed to either promote (+MR) or suppress (-MR) masking release by controlling the degree of temporal overlap. Sentence recognition was measured in 14 CI subjects and 22 young-adult NH subjects. Normal-hearing subjects showed large amounts of masking release in the +MR condition and a marked difference between +MR and -MR conditions. In contrast, CI subjects demonstrated less effect of MR overall, and some displayed modulation interference as reflected by poorer performance in modulated maskers. These results suggest that the poor performance of typical CI users in noise might be accounted for by factors that extend beyond peripheral masking, such as reduced segmental boundaries between syllables or words. Encouragingly, the best CI users tested here could take advantage of masker fluctuations to better segregate the speech from the background.     

A fast mesh deformation method using explicit interpolation

A novel mesh deformation algorithm for unstructured polyhedral meshes is developed utilizing a tree-code optimization of a simple direct interpolation method. The algorithm is shown to provide mesh quality that is competitive with radial basis function based methods, with markedly better performance in preserving boundary layer orthogonality in viscous meshes. The parallelization of the algorithm is described, and the algorithm cost is demonstrated to be O(n log n). The parallel implementation was used to deform meshes of 100 million nodes on nearly 200 processors demonstrating that the method scales to large mesh sizes. Results are provided for a simulation of a high Reynolds number fluid–structure interaction case using this technique.     

Femtosecond laser ablation of neurons in <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>. <Emphasis Type="Italic">elegans</Emphasis> for behavioral studies

In this paper, the interaction between the inhomogeneous and anisotropic cloak covered infinitely long PEC circular cylinder and the parallel electric-line-source is investigated in detail. First, the permittivity and permeability tensors of the cloak are defined according to Pendry’s model, then the wave equation in the metamaterial cloak is derived; second, the far/near properties of the model are investigated, and using the boundary conditions the electromagnetic fields of the whole region are calculated analytically; finally, based on the analytical expressions, the electric fields of the whole region are demonstrated through numerical results which show the effects of invisibility. Finally, the effects of loss on the performance of the invisible cloak are investigated.     

Technical Reports: Time-Resolved Activities at the Advanced Photon Source Requiring the Pulsed Structure of the X-ray Beam

Scientific research in the time domain using the pulsed structure of the X-ray beams from a third-generation synchrotron source, such as the Advanced Photon Source (APS), has become a major interest among synchrotron users. The traditional material science, chemistry, and biology communities are getting an early glimpse of the potential impact of fast time-resolved X-ray studies. The scientific disciplines that have benefited from these studies include atomic and molecular physics, biology, chemical science, condensed matter physics, engineering science, environmental science, material science, and nuclear science. Technically, the turn-key-type femtosecond (fs) optical lasers with high peak power, used as pumps in many X-ray pump-probe experiments, have only recently become available.     

Unusual nucleation and growth of γ′ iron nitride upon nitriding Fe–4.75 at.% Al alloy

The influence of substitutionally dissolved Al in ferritic Fe–4.75 at.% Al alloy on the nucleation and growth of γ′ iron nitride (Fe₄N_{1? x} ) was investigated upon nitriding in NH₃/H₂ gas mixtures. The nitrided specimens were characterised employing optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction. As compared to the nitriding of pure ferrite (α-Fe), where a layer of γ′ develops at the surface, upon nitriding ferritic Fe–4.75 at.% Al an unusual morphology of γ′ plates develops at the surface, which plates deeply penetrate the substrate. In the diffusion zone, nano-sized precipitates of γ′ and of metastable, cubic (NaCl-type) AlN occur, having, with the ferrite matrix, a Nishiyama–Wassermann orientation relationship and a Bain orientation relationship, respectively. The γ′ plates contain a high density of stacking faults and fine ε iron nitride (Fe₂N_{1? z} ) precipitates, although the formation of ε iron nitride is not expected for the employed nitriding parameters. On the basis of dedicated nitriding experiments it is shown that the unusual microstructural development is a consequence of the negligible solubility of Al in γ′ and the obstructed precipitation of the thermodynamically stable, hexagonal (wurtzite-type) AlN in ferrite.