Phase boundaries as agents of structural change in macromolecules

We model long rod-like molecules, such as DNA and coiled-coil proteins, as one-dimensional continua with a multi-well stored energy function. These molecules suffer a structural change in response to large forces, characterized by highly typical force-extension behavior. We assume that the structural change proceeds via a moving folded/unfolded interface, or phase boundary, that represents a jump in strain and is governed by the Abeyaratne–Knowles theory of phase transitions. We solve the governing equations using a finite difference method with moving nodes to represent phase boundaries. Our model can reproduce the experimental observations on the overstretching transition in DNA and coiled-coils and makes predictions for the speed at which the interface moves. We employ different types of kinetic relations to describe the mobility of the interface and show that this leads to different classes of experimentally observed force-extension curves. We make connections with several existing theories, experiments and simulation studies, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the phase transitions-based approach in a biological setting.     

Micromechanical modelling of remanent properties of morphotropic PZT

The present paper investigates the capability of micromechanical material models to predict the ferroelectric behaviour of morphotropic PZT ceramics in a rate-independent approximation based on realistic microscopic material parameters. Starting point is a three-dimensional tetragonal model, which builds on the model of Pathak and McMeeking [2008. Three-dimensional finite element simulations of ferroelectric polycrystals under electrical and mechanical loading. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 56, 663-683]. Volume fractions of the crystallographic variants represent the domain structure inside the grains. Interactions between the grains are taken into account by means of a representative volume element of the grain compound. A simplified set of realistic microscopic material parameters of the lattice in terms of Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, dielectric constant, and spontaneous strain and polarisation is derived from experimental data and theoretical results given in the literature. The simulation of the macroscopic remanent polarisation and strain response due to two load cases shows explicitly that the tetragonal model is not capable to reproduce the behaviour of morphotropic PZT. Therefore, the model is extended by the rhombohedral phase, allowing a mixture of both phases with varying quantities inside the grains. A comparison of our results with experimental data shows a remarkably good agreement, revealing the capability of the extended model.     

Mechanics and chemical thermodynamics of phase transition in temperature-sensitive hydrogels

This paper uses the thermodynamic data of aqueous solutions of uncrosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) to study the phase transition of PNIPAM hydrogels. At a low temperature, uncrosslinked PNIPAM can be dissolved in water and form a homogenous liquid solution. When the temperature is increased, the solution separates into two liquid phases with different concentrations of the polymer. Covalently crosslinked PNIPAM, however, does not dissolve in water, but can imbibe water and form a hydrogel. When the temperature is changed, the hydrogel undergoes a phase transition: the amount of water in the hydrogel in equilibrium changes with temperature discontinuously. While the aqueous solution is a liquid and cannot sustain any nonhydrostatic stress in equilibrium, the hydrogel is a solid and can sustain nonhydrostatic stress in equilibrium. The nonhydrostatic stress can markedly affect various aspects of the phase transition in the hydrogel. We adopt the Flory-Rehner model, and show that the interaction parameter as a function of temperature and concentration obtained from the PNIPAM-water solution can be used to analyze diverse phenomena associated with the phase transition of the PNIPAM hydrogel. We analyze free swelling, uniaxially and biaxially constrained swelling of a hydrogel, swelling of a core-shell structure, and coexistent phases in a rod. The analysis is related to available experimental observations. Also outlined is a general theory of coexistent phases undergoing inhomogeneous deformation.     

A multi-axial, multimechanism based constitutive model for the comprehensive representation of the evolutionary response of SMAs under general thermomechanical loading conditions

We present a fully general, three dimensional, constitutive model for Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), aimed at describing all of the salient features of SMA evolutionary response under complex thermomechanical loading conditions. In this, we utilize the mathematical formulation we have constructed, along with a single set of the model’s material parameters, to demonstrate the capturing of numerous responses that are experimentally observed in the available SMA literature. This includes uniaxial, multi-axial, proportional, non-proportional, monotonic, cyclic, as well as other complex thermomechanical loading conditions, in conjunction with a wide range of temperature variations. The success of the presented model is mainly attributed to the following two main factors. First, we use multiple inelastic mechanisms to organize the exchange between the energy stored and energy dissipated during the deformation history. Second, we adhere strictly to the well established mathematical and thermodynamical requirements of convexity, associativity, normality, etc. in formulating the evolution equations governing the model behavior, written in terms of the generalized internal stress/strain tensorial variables associated with the individual inelastic mechanisms. This has led to two important advantages: (a) it directly enabled us to obtain the limiting/critical transformation surfaces in the spaces of both stress and strain, as importantly required in capturing SMA behavior; (b) as a byproduct, this also led, naturally, to the exhibition of the apparent deviation from normality, when the transformation strain rate vectors are plotted together with the surfaces in the space of external/global stresses, that has been demonstrated in some recent multi-axial, non-proportional experiments.     

Harnack and HWI inequalities on infinite-dimensional spaces

In this paper, the dimensional-free Harnack inequalities are established on infinite-dimensional spaces. More precisely, we establish Harnack inequalities for heat semigroup on based loop group and for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semigroup on the abstract Wiener space. As an application, we establish the HWI inequality on the abstract Wiener space, which contains three important quantities in one inequality, the relative entropy “H”, Wasserstein distance “W”, and Fisher information “I”.     

一种EAS扫频信号源的设计与实现

电子商品防盗系统的不断优化与升级对扫频信号源的性能和特色提出了更高的要求。在硬件模块升级的同时,提出了一种频率可锁定的扫频信号源的的设计方案并成功实现。首先分析了正弦波的合成原理,并对系统使用芯片进行简要介绍;然后对系统的硬件设计方案展开论述,包括电源、时钟、JTAG调试端口以及接口设计,并给出了电路图;最后,详细介绍系统软件设计,并给出了程序流程图与详细代码。测试结果表明:设计输出的正弦波频率精确度高,幅度稳定,相位噪声较小,尤其是其所具有的锁频功能,更有利于标签的正确检测和识别。     

基于级联式偏置锁相环的低相噪宽带频率合成器*

为提高锁相环的相位噪声性能,本文设计了一种级联式偏置锁相环来实现宽带低相噪频率合成器,通过理论分析得到其相位噪声模型,证明了该技术能够有效地降低锁相环路中鉴相器的噪声基底,并且混频交互调产生的所有杂散可由环路滤波器抑制,从而将窄带高频谱纯度信号扩展为宽带高频谱纯度信号。基于该技术提出了2GHz ~5GHz 的低相噪宽带频率合成器方案,并对其相位噪声指标进行了分析。理论与实验结果表明,相比于传统的小数分频式锁相环方案,该方案的带内相位噪声有明显改善。     

一种慢跳频系统频率跳变时刻同步算法

提出一种盲接收环境下的慢跳频（SFH）系统频率跳变时刻同步算法。该算法针对慢跳频系统中1跳数据包含多个调制符号的特征,通过非线性变换得到包含离散谱线的信号。利用跳频信号在每1跳内能量恒定的特性,将1跳信号均匀划分为2段,提取分段信号非线性变换后离散谱线能量差异,作为调整频率跳变时刻的判决量,通过反馈环路实现盲接收环境下频率跳变时刻的精确同步。对典型慢跳频DPSK（SFH/DPSK）系统在盲接收环境下的同步性能进行仿真,在Eb/N0大于16 dB时,算法同步性能接近10-3,验证了算法的有效性。     

Analysis of alternating current driven electroluminescence in organic light emitting diodes: A comparative study

The alternating current (AC) responses of double-injection and double-insulated organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were investigated and compared. To reveal the electroluminescent (EL) processes in these devices, the AC voltage and frequency dependence of the EL intensity and capacitive current were studied in the time domain with a focus on phase difference analysis. It was found that the voltage-dependent transit time and frequency-dependent carrier distribution were important for the AC-driven performance of the double-injection OLEDs. In contrast, although the double-insulated OLEDs shared some similarities with the double-injection OLEDs, they had some unique characteristics, which were the absence of resistive current and phase shift of EL profiles. It was revealed that the EL in the double-insulated OLEDs was driven by the displacement current generated by the ionization of the doped layers, which, however, formed space charge regions and undermined the EL emission. The space charge redistributed the electric field across the devices after the initiation of EL, making the EL maintain for a limited time interval. This effect was significant under low frequency and high AC voltage. Comparing the phase difference between both devices, it was indicated that the space charge effect was responsible for the observed EL phase shift and the asymmetric EL profiles at low frequency and high AC voltage in the double-insulated OLEDs. The proposed model was also of help to understand the EL saturation phenomena with AC frequency and voltage in those devices.     

Model and Simulation of Multipath Error in DLL for GPS Receiver

Although different multipath error models of Delay lock loop （DLL） used in GPS receiver are established, they have never been put together for comparison. Furthermore, no universal simulation method is developed to get a fair comparison among these models. A new model with implicate expression is hence proposed for the coherent DLL and the noncoherent Dot-product （DOT） power mode DLL. Meanwhile, a new simulation method based on the anonymous function in Matlab, which is especially suitable for models with implicit expressions is also proposed to compare the new model with the existing ones. The theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the existing models are the special case of the proposed one. The new simulation method can be used for the comparison of different multipath error models and the multipath error analysis of other DLLs for which only the implicit model is available.