On demonstrating cooperative phenomena

The benefits of computer simulation can be enhanced by including animated displays showing the behavior of the systems under study together with the capability for responding immediately to parameter changes and other modifications requested by the observer. A modern computer graphics interface is used to facilitate user interactivity at a highly intuitive level. While hardware capability still limits the nature of problems that can be treated in this manner, the approach provides a much richer simulation environment than previously available. A number of examples of relevance to statistical physics are discussed, the majority of which are associated with cooperative behavior in interacting many-body systems.Dedicated to Cyril Domb-teacher and colleague-on his 70 th birthday.     

Application of the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm to thermal convective instability problems

The problem of the thermal stability of a horizontal incompressible fluid layer with linear and nonlinear temperature distributions is solved by using the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm developed for optimal control problems. The hydrodynamic boundary conditions for the layer include a rigid or free upper surface and a rigid lower surface. The resulting disturbing equations are solved as a Bolza problem in the calculus of variations. The results of the study are compared with the existing works in the literature.The authors acknowledge valuable discussions with Dr. A. Miele.     

The synthesis and self‐assembly of ABA amphiphilic block copolymers containing styrene and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate in dilute aqueous solutions: Elevated cloud point temperatures for thermoresponsive micelles

A series of ABA amphiphilic triblock copolymers possessing polystyrene (PS) central hydrophobic blocks, one group with “short” PS blocks (DP = 54–86) and one with “long” PS blocks (DP = 183–204) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The outer hydrophilic blocks were various lengths of poly(oligoethylene glycol methyl ether) methacrylate, a comb‐like polymer. The critical aggregation concentrations were recorded for certain block copolymer samples and were found to be in the range circa 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ for short PS blocks and circa 10⁻¹² mol L⁻¹ for long PS blocks. Dilute aqueous solutions were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and demonstrated that the short PS block copolymers formed spherical micelles and the long PS block copolymers formed predominantly spherical micelles with smaller proportions of cylindrical and Y‐branched cylindrical micelles. Dynamic light scattering analysis results agreed with the TEM observations demonstrating variations in micelle size with PS and POEGMA chain length: the hydrodynamic diameters (D_H) of the shorter PS block copolymer micelles increased with increasing POEGMA block lengths while maintaining similar PS micellar core diameters (D_C); in contrast the values of D_H and D_C for the longer PS block copolymer micelles decreased. Surface‐pressure isotherms were recorded for two of the samples and these indicated close packing of a short PS block copolymer at the air–water interface. The aggregate solutions were demonstrated to be stable over a 38‐day period with no change in aggregate size or noticeable precipitation. The cloud point temperatures of certain block copolymer aggregate solutions were measured and found to be in the range 76–93 °C; significantly these were ∼11 °C higher in temperature than those of POEGMA homopolymer samples with similar chain lengths. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7739–7756, 2008     

The Quantum Interference Computer: Error Correction and an Experimental Proposal

An error correcting mechanism is proposed in the context of the Quantum Interference Computer along with an experimental proposal to test the interference aspects of this approach.     

Multi-scale HPC system for multi-scale discrete simulation-Development and application of a supercomputer with 1 Petaflops peak performance in single precision

mputing mode. The preliminary applications of this machine in areas of multi-phase flow, molecular dynamics and so on are reported, demonstrating the supercomputer as a paradigm of green computation in new architecture.     

Variational Quantum Chemistry Programs in JaqalPaq

We present example quantum chemistry programs written with JaqalPaq, a python meta-programming language used to code in Jaqal (Just Another Quantum Assembly Language). These JaqalPaq algorithms are intended to be run on the Quantum Scientific Computing Open User Testbed (QSCOUT) platform at Sandia National Laboratories. Our exemplars use the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) quantum algorithm to compute the ground state energies of the H2, HeH+, and LiH molecules. Since the exemplars focus on how to program in JaqalPaq, the calculations of the second-quantized Hamiltonians are performed with the PySCF python package, and the mappings of the fermions to qubits are obtained from the OpenFermion python package. Using the emulator functionality of JaqalPaq, we emulate how these exemplars would be executed on an error-free QSCOUT platform and compare the emulated computation of the bond-dissociation curves for these molecules with their exact forms within the relevant basis.     

Parallelizing Nonlinear Least-Squares Regression with Application to Analyses of Microalgae

Nonlinear least-squares regression is a valuable tool for gaining chemical insights into complex systems. Yet, the success of nonlinear regression as measured by residual sum of squares (RSS), correlation, and reproducibility of fit parameters strongly depends on the availability of a good initial solution. Without such, iterative algorithms quickly become trapped in an unfavorable local RSS-minimum. For determining an initial solution, a high-dimensional parameter space needs to be screened, a process that is very time-consuming but can be parallelized. Another advantage of parallelization is equally important: After determining initial solutions, the used processors can be tasked to each optimize an initial guess. Even if several of these optimizations become stuck in a shallow local RSS-minimum, other processors continue and improve the regression outcome. A software package for parallel processing-based constrained nonlinear regression (RegressionLab) has been developed, implemented, and tested on a variety of hardware configurations. As proof-of-principle, microalgae to environment interactions have been studied by infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy. Additionally, light microscopy has been used to monitor cell production. It is shown that spectroscopic data sets with 10,000?s of data points and >1000 nonlinear model parameters as well as imaging data with 100,000s of data points and >2000 nonlinear model parameters may now be investigated by constrained nonlinear regression. Acceleration factors of up to 8.1 have been obtained which is of high practical relevance when computations take weeks on single-processor machines. Solely using parallel processing, the RSS values may be improved up to a factor of 5.5.     

Equilibrium phase behavior of aqueous two-phase systems containing 17R4/L64 and citrates

The cloud points (CPs) of the copolymers 17R4 and L64 were first measured, and then the effects of salts ((NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇, K₃C₆H₅O₇) on 17R4 and L64 were researched. After finishing the work described above, the temperature (278.15, 283.15, and 288.15) K of aqueous two-phase systems was determined, which consist of 17R4-(NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇, 17R4-K₃C₆H₅O₇, L64-(NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇, and L64-K₃C₆H₅O₇. Finally, the liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of binodal curve and the tie line for 17R4-(NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇ aqueous two- phase systems (ATPSs) 17R4-K₃C₆H₅O₇ ATPSs, L64-(NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇ ATPSs, and L64-K₃C₆H₅O₇ ATPSs were obtained. Nonlinear fitting of the empirical equation was used for making the diagram. The results showed that the change in the size of the two-phase areas increases with the increase of temperature. The capacity of the salts to induce phase segregation follows the Hofmeister series, that is, K₃C₆H₅O₇?>?(NH₄)₃C₆H₅O₇. In addition, the findings also showed that the phase separation ability of 17R4 is better than that of L64.     

THE PREPARATION OF CLOUD TEACHING MATERIALS OF ENGINEERING MECHANICS AND NEW ENGINEERING CONCEPT1)

新工科的人才培养目标使混合式教学模式成为高校教学改革的重要趋势。云教材是与混合式教学模式相契合的教学资源。工程力学云教材的建设贯彻以成果为导向的教育理念,明确学习目标,集成富媒体数字出版、云服务和移动学习三大领域的前沿技术,为工程力学混合式教学提供配套的教学资源。实践应用表明,工程力学云教材提高了学生的学习兴趣和自主学习能力,助力新工科的建设。     

超高速冲击铝双层板的熔化效应

对超高速冲击铝双层板的熔化效应进行了实验研究和数值模拟，用扫描电镜观察后板的弹坑发现：当弹丸碰撞速度超过５ｋｍ／ｓ时，后板出现熔坑；随着弹丸碰撞速度的增加，后板熔坑数目亦随之增加，碎片云对后板的破坏明显减弱。数值模拟表明，击波加热和塑性功加热是熔化的两种机制，有关熔化主要特征的数值模拟结果与实验结果基本吻合。