Biorthogonal decomposition techniques unveil the nature of the irregularities observed in the solar cycle

We present a biorthogonal decomposition of the temporal and latitudinal distribution of sunspots recorded since 1874. We show that the butterfly diagrams can be interpreted as the result of approximately constant amplitudes and phases of two oscillations with periods close to 22 years. Our analysis reveals clear evidence of the absence of low-dimensional chaos, at least for the time scales that can be analyzed with this database. This result suggests that the spatiotemporal irregularities observed in the solar cycle are due to the superposition of regular structures with a stochastic background.     

Coupled piezoelectric vibrations of quartz plates

The contributions of coupling with the electric field and mass of electrode coatings are taken into account in solutions of equations governing coupled thickness-shear, flexure and face-shear vibrational modes in rotated-Y-cut quartz plates.     

Solution of St. Venant's torsion problem by power series

It is shown how St. Venant's problem of torsion of elastic bars can be formulated so as to fit readily into the procedure for deriving approximate equations of motion of bars by expansion of the displacements in a double series of powers of the transverse coordinates. Applications are exhibited for bars with elliptic, equilateral triangular and rectangular cross-sections.     

Nonlinear waves in two-dimensions generated by variable pressure acting on the free surface of a heavy liquid

The development of nonlinear waves on the free surface of a heavy liquid initially at rest is treated analytically in cases where the external pressure force of limited power is distributed over a large area in the free surface but is otherwise arbitrary. In [1] approximate (up to small terms of higher order) solution of the problem is obtained in the form of functional series. In the present article the convergence theorems for the series are proved. When the pressure varies with time sinusoidally, the sums of the series are found in closed form. By passing to the limit in the solution as time goes to infinity, the form of the nonlinear steady-state wave is found. According to the solution, when the steady-state wave gets away from the variable pressure zone, a long chain of structures develops similar to so called Kelvin-Helmholtz billows. The existence of nonlinear standing waves is discovered, which have a finite number of nodes in the free surface infinite in extent, and the frequency spectrum and the form of these waves are found explicitly.     

The dynamical origin of physiological instructions used in birdsong production

In this work we report experimental measurements of pressure patterns used in canary song. We find that these patterns are qualitatively similar to the subharmonic solutions of a simple dynamical system. This is built to account for the activities of subpopulations of neurons arranged in a simple architecture compatible with anatomical observations. The consequences of Hebbian plasticity in the coupling between the driving and the driven systems are outlined.