Sequential Upscaling Method

This paper presents a new method for scaling up multiphase flow properties which properly accounts for boundary conditions on the upscaled cell. The scale-up proposed does not require the simulation of a complete finely-gridded model, instead it calls for assumptions allowing the calculation of the boundary conditions related to each block being scaled up. To upscale a coarse block, we have to assume or determine the proper boundary conditions for that coarse block. To date, most scale-up methods have been based on the assumption of steady-state flow associated with uniform fractional flows over all the boundaries of the coarse block. However, such an assumption is not strictly valid when we consider heterogeneities. The concept of injection tubes is introduced: these are hypothetical streamtubes connecting the injection wellbore to all inlet faces of the fine grid cells constituting the block to be scaled up. Injection tubes allow the capturing of the fine-scale flow behavior of a finely-gridded model at the inlet face of the coarse block without having to simulate that fine grid. We describe how to scale up an entire finely-gridded model sequentially using injection tubes to determine the boundary conditions for two-phase flow. This new scale-up method is able to capture almost exactly the fine-scale two-phase flow behavior, such as saturation distributions, inside each isolated coarse-grid domain. Further, the resultant scaled-up relative permeabilities reproduce accurately the spatially-averaged performance of the finely-gridded model throughout the simulation period. The method has been shown to be applicable not only to viscous-dominated flow but also to flow affected by gravity for reasonable viscous-to-gravity ratios.     

Switching on a two-dimensional time-harmonic scalar wave in the presence of a diffracting edge

This paper concerns the switching on of two-dimensional time-harmonic scalar waves. We first review the switch-on problem for a point source in free space, then proceed to analyse the analogous problem for the diffraction of a plane wave by a half-line (the ‘Sommerfeld problem’), determining in both cases the conditions under which the field is well-approximated by the solution of the corresponding frequency domain problem. In both cases the rate of convergence to the frequency domain solution is found to be dependent on the strength of the singularity on the leading wavefront. In the case of plane wave diffraction at grazing incidence the frequency domain solution is immediately attained along the shadow boundary after the arrival of the leading wavefront. The case of non-grazing incidence is also considered.     

Absorption spectra and magneto-optic figures of merit in the Bi x Sm3-x Fe5-y Ga y O12 system

The absorption (α) and Faraday rotation (θ) spectra of 14 garnets belonging to the series Bi _x Sm_3-x Fe_5-y Ga _y O₁₂ (0<x<1.05, 0.8<y<1.15) have been measured between 15 000 cm⁻¹ and 19 000 cm⁻¹. The figure of merit (θ/α) at 17 850 cm⁻¹ (560 nm) increases linearly with increasing bismuth concentration up tox∼0.6 where it begins to increase less rapidly. For operation of magneto-optic display devices at 17 850 cm⁻¹ there is no advantage in using garnets in this series withx>0.8. The Faraday rotation at 17 850 cm⁻¹ increases linearly with bismuth concentration whereas the absorption coefficient increases more rapidly. The presence of Bi³⁺ increases the intensity of all Fe³⁺ pair transitions in the garnet system as a result of the increased superexchange induced by Bi³⁺. This is in keeping with the observation that the intensity of the⁶A_1g (S)→⁴T_1g (G) transition in (RE)₃Fe₅O₁₂ (RE=Er, Y, Dy, Gd, Eu) increases on traversing the above RE series as do the Curie temperatures of these iron garnets.     

A comparative study of magnetic resonance venography techniques for the evaluation of the internal jugular veins in multiple sclerosis patients

Background and Purpose

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the vascular nature of diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is a growing field of research. This work reports on the application of MR angiographic (MRA) and venographic (MRV) techniques in assessing the extracranial vasculature in MS patients.

Materials and Methods

A standardized MRI protocol containing 2D TOF-MRV and dynamic 3D contrast-enhanced (CE) MRAV was run for 170 MS patients and 40 healthy controls (HC). The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) was measured at three neck levels in all subjects for both MRV techniques to determine the presence of venous stenoses. All data were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

For the values where both methods showed signal, the 3D method showed larger CSA measurement values compared to 2D methods in both IJVs, in both MS and HC subjects which was confirmed with student paired t-tests. Of the 170 MS patients, 93 (55%) in CE-MRAV and 103 (61%) in TOF-MRV showed stenosis in at least one IJV. The corresponding numbers for the 40 HC subjects were 2 (5%) and 4 (10%), respectively. Carotid ectasias with IJV stenosis were seen in 26 cases (15%) with 3D CE-MRAV and were not observable with 2D TOF-MRV. Carotid ectasias were not seen in the HC group. In the 2D TOF-MRV data, banding of the IJVs related to slow flow was seen in 58 (34%) MS cases and in no HC cases. MS patients showed lower average CSAs than the HC subjects.

Conclusion

The 3D CE MRAV depicted the vascular anatomy more completely than the 2D TOF-MRV. However, the 3D CE MRAV does not provide any information about the flow characteristics which are indirectly available in the 2D TOF-MRV in those cases where there is slow flow.     

Development of arc ion sources for heavy ion fusion

An overview of the development of arc ion sources for heavy ion fusion is presented. Two approaches to heavy ion fusion (HIF)-the RF linac-storage ring approach and the induction linac approach-are described. RF linac schemes require low emittance and moderate current levels, because the beam is accumulated in storage rings before being focused on target. The induction linac approach requires low emittance and high current, because this is a single-pass approach to HIF and one wishes to limit the number of beams in the machine. The RF scheme generally uses long pulse sources together with a buncher of RFQ. The induction linac approach requires sources in the microsecond pulse length range, with good optics being maintained during the pulse. Emphasis is on the induction linac approach pursued at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory     

The Darwin Direct Implicit Particle-in-Cell (DADIPIC) Method for Simulation of Low Frequency Plasma Phenomena

We describe a new algorithm for simulating low frequency, kinetic phenomena in plasmas. Darwin direct implicit particle-in-cell (DADIPIC), as its name implies, is a combination of the Darwin and direct implicit methods. Through the Darwin method the hyperbolic Maxwell's equations are reformulated into a set of elliptic equations. Propagating light waves do not exist in the formulation so the Courant constraint on the time step is eliminated. The direct implicit method is applied only to the electrostatic field with the result that electrostatic plasma oscillations do not have to be resolved for stability. With the elimination of these constraints spatial and temporal discretization can be much larger than that possible with explicit, electrodynamic PIC. We discuss the algorithms for pushing the particles and solving for the fields in 2D cartesian geometry. We also detail boundary conditions for conductors and dielectrics. Finally, we present two test cases, electron cyclotron waves and collisionless heating in inductively coupled plasmas. For these test cases DADIPIC shows agreement with analytic kinetic theory and good energy conservation characteristics.