非均匀网格时域伪谱算法在超宽带技术中的应用

 与传统时域有限差分算法相比，采用以伪谱方法离散Maxwell微分方程为基础的时域伪谱(PSTD)算法计算大的电尺度电磁场时域问题，将大大提高计算效率，降低内存需求。为了拓宽PSTD算法的应用，近年来，基于网格插值方法的非均匀时域伪谱算法得到了发展。研究的重点是算法中非均匀网格技术的实现及其在时域瞬态脉冲电磁场模拟和高功率超宽带脉冲技术方面的应用。以高斯脉冲为激励源，用该算法计算了多层介质的反射和透射，并通过超宽带脉冲穿墙实验对这一方法的应用进行了验证。模拟和实验结果具有较好的一致性。     

Cation disorder and structural studies on Bi4−x Nd x Ti3O12 (0.0≤x≤2.0)

Here we report the results of combined powder X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of Bi_4?x Nd _x Ti₃O₁₂ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) compositions. The parent Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ has an orthorhombic lattice (space group: B2cb) with unit cell parameters a = 5.4432(5) Å, b = 5.4099(5) Å and c = 32.821(2) Å, and V = 966.5(1) ų. This orthorhombic lattice is retained in all the studied compositions. The unit cell parameters gradually decrease with Nd³⁺ ion concentration with a discontinuity at x = 0.75. Orthorhombicity of the lattice decreases with increase in Nd³⁺ content in the lattice. The orthorhombic unit cell parameters for a representative Bi₂Nd₂Ti₃O₁₂ composition are: a = 5.3834(9), b = 5.3846(9) and c = 32.784(1) Å. The observed orthorhombic distortion at x = 2.0 is very small and thus the crystal structure apparently has a pseudo-tetragonal lattice. In addition, Nd³⁺ preferentially substitutes in the perovskite slab of the Aurivillius structure. The fraction of Nd³⁺ in the fluorite slab increases with increase in Nd³⁺ contents.     

Microstructural evolution of AZ31 magnesium alloy subjected to sliding friction treatment

Microstructural evolution and grain refinement mechanism in AZ31 magnesium alloy subjected to sliding friction treatment were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. The process of grain refinement was found to involve the following stages: (I) coarse grains were divided into fine twin plates through mechanical twinning; then the twin plates were transformed to lamellae with the accumulation of residual dislocations at the twin boundaries; (II) the lamellae were separated into subgrains with increasing grain boundary misorientation and evolution of high angle boundaries into random boundaries by continuous dynamic recrystallisation (cDRX); (III) the formation of nanograins. The mechanisms for the final stage, the formation of nanograins, can be classified into three types: (i) cDRX; (ii) discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation (dDRX); (iii) a combined mechanism of prior shear-band and subsequent dDRX. Stored strain energy plays an important role in determining deformation mechanisms during plastic deformation.     

High-order curvilinear mesh generation technique based on an improved radius basic function approach

A high-order curvilinear hybrid mesh generation technique is developed for high-order numerical method (eg, discontinuous Galerkin method) applications to improve the accuracy for problems with curve boundary. The grid generation technique is based on an improved radius basic function (RBF) approach by which the straight-edge mesh is converted into high-order curve mesh. Firstly, an initial straight-edge mesh is prepared by traditional grid generation software. Then, high-order interpolation points are inserted into the mesh entities such as edges, faces, and cells according to the final demand of mesh order. To preserve the original geometry, the inserted points on solid wall are then projected onto the CAD model using an open source tool “Open Cascade.” Finally, other inserted points in the field near the solid wall are moved to appropriate positions by the improved RBF approach to avoid tangled cells. If we use the original RBF approach, then the inserted points on the edge and face entities normal to the solid boundary in the region of boundary layer will move to improper positions. To overcome this problem, a weighting based on the local grid aspect ratio between normal direction and tangential direction is introduced into the baseline RBF approach. Three typical configurations are tested to validate the mesh generator. Meanwhile, a third-order solution of subsonic flow over an analytical 3D body of revolution in the second International Workshop on High-Order CFD Methods is supplied by a discontinuous Galerkin solver. These numerical tests demonstrate the potential capability of present technique for high-order simulations of complex geometries.     

A study of properties of adaptive quadratic grids for three-dimensional near-surface field computations

Curved geometries and the corresponding near-surface fields typically require a large number of linear computational elements. High-order numerical solvers have been primarily used with low-order meshes. There is a need for curved, high-order computational elements. Typical near-surface meshes consist of hexahedral and/or prismatic elements. The present work studies the employment of quadratic meshes that are relatively coarse for field simulations. Directionally quadratic high-order elements are proposed for the near-surface field regions. The quadratic meshes are compared with the conventional low-order ones in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The cases considered include closed surface volume calculations, as well as computation of gradients of several analytic fields. A special method of adaptive local quadratic meshes is proposed and evaluated. Truncation error analysis for quadratic grids yields comparison with the conventional linear hexahedral/prismatic meshes, which are subject to typical distortions such as stretching, skewness, and torsion.     

A new endocytic model based on the co-rotational grid method

Endocytosis plays important roles in many cellular physiological processes, such as metabolism and immune. Many theoretical models have been proposed to study the endocytic process, but little has considered the tensile deformation of the membrane and the actin forces. In this paper, a new endocytic model is proposed based on the co-rotational grid method. Our model gives a direct estimation of the in-plane strain of the plasma membrane and provides a basis for the calculation of further scission process of the vesicle. The results fit well with experimental data in the literature. Moreover, it is suggested that the active forces of actin at the endocytic site is the main mechanism driving the invagination of the plasma membrane.     

Characteristic behaviour of plasma fluctuations inside a plasma bubble in presence of a magnetic field due to the formation of a potential well

Experiments were carried out to observe the effect of a magnetic field and grid biasing voltage in presence of a plasma bubble in a magnetized, filamentary discharge plasma system. A spherical mesh grid of 80% optical transparency was negatively biased and introduced into the plasma for creating a plasma bubble. Diagnostics via an electrical Langmuir probe and a hot emissive probe were extensively used for scanning the plasma bubble. Plasma floating potential fluctuations were measured at three different positions of the plasma bubble. The instability in the pattern showed the dynamic transition from periodic to chaotic for increasing magnetic fields. Time scale analysis using continuous wavelet transform was carried out to identify the presence of non‐linearity from the contour plots. The mechanisms of the low‐frequency instabilities along with the transition to chaos could be qualitatively explained. Non‐linear techniques such as fast Fourier transform, phase space plot, and recurrence plot were used to explore the dynamics of the system appearing during plasma fluctuations. In order to demonstrate the observed chaotic phenomena in this study, characteristics of chaos such as the Lyapunov exponent were obtained from experimental time series data. The experimentally observed potential structure is confirmed with numerical analysis based on fluid hydrodynamics.     

Hierarchical 3D micro flower-like Co3O4 structures for NO2 detection at room temperature

Micro flowers-like Co₃O₄ structures have been synthesized by a low-cost single-step hydrothermal route. The XRD pattern and Raman spectra confirmed the cubic crystal structure of Co₃O₄ and FESEM images displayed that the synthesized Co₃O₄ attained a flower-like morphology. The higher sensor response ∼22% was recorded for hierarchical 3D flower-like Co₃O₄ structures at room temperature for 60 ppm NO₂ exposure with response (recovery) time of the order of ∼25 (70) s respectively. The flower-like Co₃O₄ structures attained a reversible, highly stable and selective response towards NO₂ at room temperature.     

Stability of a general adaptive immunity virus dynamics model with multistages of infected cells and two routes of infection

This paper studies an (n+4)-dimensional nonlinear virus dynamics model that characterizes the interactions of the viruses, susceptible host cells, n-stages of infected cells, B cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells. Both viral and cellular infections have been incorporated into the model. The infected-susceptible and virus-susceptible infection rates as well as the generation and removal rates of all compartments are described by general nonlinear functions. Five threshold parameters are computed, which insure the existence of the equilibria of the model under consideration. A set of conditions on the general functions has been established, which is sufficient to investigate the global dynamics of the model. The global asymptotic stability of all equilibria is proven by utilizing Lyapunov function and LaSalle's invariance principle. The theoretical results are illustrated by numerical simulations of the model with specific forms of the general functions.