An evolutionary method for optimization of plate buckling resistance

Optimization of plate buckling resistance is very complicated, because the in-plane stress resultants in the prebuckled state of a plate are functions of thickness distribution. This paper discusses the problem of finding the optimum thickness distribution of isotropic plate structures, with a given volume and layout, that would maximise the buckling load. A simple numerical method using the finite-element analysis is presented to obtain the optimum thickness distribution. Optimum designs of compression-loaded rectangular plates with different boundary conditions and plate aspect ratios are obtained by using the proposed method. Optimum designs from earlier studies and the methods of buckling analysis used to attain these results are discussed and compared with the designs from the proposed method. This paper also examines the reliability of the optimality criterion generally used for plate buckling optimization, which is based on the uniform strain energy density.     

Seven novel seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes from the pericarps of Illicium merrillianum

Seven new seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes were isolated from the methanol extract of the pericarps of Illicium merrillianum. Their structures were elucidated as 3-deoxypseudoanisatin (1), 2beta-hydroxy-3,6-dedioxypseudoanisatin (2), 8alpha-hydroxy-10-deoxycyclomerrillianolide (3), 10beta-hydroxypseudoanisatin (4), 10beta-hydroxycyclopseudoanisatin (5), 1,6-dihydroxy-3-deoxyminwanensin (6), and 8-deoxymerrilliortholactone (7) by analyses of their spectroscopic data and chemical transformation. Compounds 4 and 5 as well as 6 and 7 coexist as a keto/acetal equilibrated mixture in methanol solution.     

Inclusive production of vector mesons in π+ p interactions at 250 GeV/c

We report on a study of ρ⁰, ρ⁺, ω, \(\bar K^{*0} (892)\) andK ^*0 (892) inclusive production in π⁺ p interactions at 250 GeV/c, for ρ⁺, \(\bar K^{*0} (892)\) for the first time in a π⁺ p experiment. The data are compared withK ⁺ p data in the same experiment, with results of other experiments and with quark-parton models. Interesting differences are found between ρ^+,0 and ω production.     

A study of a possible unified potential model

The various properties of quarkonium systems have been studies in the framework of a recently proposed potential model, which combines the asymptotic freedom at the largeQ ₂ and the multigluon effect at the lowerQ ₂ regions with the confinement at the large distance. Good agreements with experiments are found, including \(c\bar c\) and \(b\bar b\) energy levels, leptonic decay widths, and in particular the fine and hyperfine splittings. We also analyze the Lorentz structure of the confinement potential with reference to the charmonium and bottomium fine and hyperfine splittings. Our analyses conclude that almost pure scalar confinement is favored. The properties of \(t\bar t\) spectroscopies are studied over a wide range of \(M_{t\bar t}\) values (from 80 GeV to 200 GeV).     

Low noise 80–115 GHz quasiparticle mixer with small Nb/Al-Oxide/Nb tunnel junctions

Millimeter-wave characterization of a heterodyne receiver using (2 m²) Nb/Al-Ox/Nb Superconducting-Insulator-Superconducting (SIS) junctions arrays is reported. The fabrication of the Nb/Al-Ox/Nb SIS junction arrays as a heterodyne mixer is described. The leakage current of these junctions is below 2A at 4.2K and unmeasurable at 2.5K. The receiver gave a noise temperature Double Side Band (DSB) between 63K and 187K over the frequency range 80 to 115 GHz at the first conversion peak. The results are comparable to those obtained with SIS receivers using well researched lead junctions. Contrary to the lead junctions, our mixer using all Nb junctions have proven remarkably stable with respect to thermal cycling, characteristics which are required for space applications. To our knowledge, this is the most reliable low noise receiver operating in this frequency range.     

Stochastic algorithms with armijo stepsizes for minimization of functions

Stochastic algorithms for optimization problems, where function evaluations are done by Monte Carlo simulations, are presented. At each iteratex _i, they draw a predetermined numbern(i) of sample points from an underlying probability space; based on these sample points, they compute a feasible-descent direction, an Armijo stepsize, and the next iteratex _i+1. For an appropriate optimality function , corresponding to an optimality condition, it is shown that, ifn(i) , then (x _i) 0, whereJ is a set of integers whose upper density is zero. First, convergence is shown for a general algorithm prototype: then, a steepest-descent algorithm for unconstrained problems and a feasible-direction algorithm for problems with inequality constraints are developed. A numerical example is supplied.