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At least 523 records · Page 29

A Physical Model to Study the Effects of Nozzle Design on Dispersed Two-Phase Flows in a Slab Mold Casting Ultra-Low-Carbon Steels

The effects of nozzle design on dispersed, two-phase flows of the steel-argon system in a slab mold are studied using a water-air model with particle image velocimetry and ultrasound probe velocimetry techniques. Three nozzle designs were tested with the same bore size and different port geometries, including square (S), special bottom design with square ports (U), and circular (C). The meniscus velocities of the liquid increase two- or threefold in two-phase flows regarding one-phase flows using low flow rates of the gas phase. This effect is due to the dragging effects on bubbles by the liquid jets forming two-way coupled flows. Liquid velocities (primary phase) along the narrow face of the mold also are higher for two-phase flows. Flows using nozzle U are less dependent on the effects of the secondary phase (air). The smallest bubble sizes are obtained using nozzle U, which confirms that bubble breakup is dependent on the strain rates of the fluid and dissipation of kinetic energy in the nozzle bottom and port edges. Through dimensionless analysis, it was found that the bubble sizes are inversely proportional to the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy, ε{sup 0.4}. A simple expression involving ε, surface tension, and density of metal is derived to scale up bubble sizes in water to bubble sizes in steel with different degrees of deoxidation. The validity of water-air models to study steel-argon flows is discussed. Prior works related with experiments to model argon bubbling in steel slab molds under nonwetting conditions are critically reviewed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The cosmic waltz of Coma Berenices and Latyshev 2 (Group X)

Context. Open clusters (OCs) are fundamental benchmarks where theories of star formation and stellar evolution can be tested and validated. Coma Berenices (Coma Ber) and Latyshev 2 (Group X) are the second and third OCs closest to the Sun, making them excellent targets to search for low-mass stars and ultra-cool dwarfs. In addition, this pair will experience a flyby in 10–16 Myr, making it a benchmark to test pair interactions of OCs. Aims. We aim to analyse the membership, luminosity, mass, phase-space (i.e. positions and velocities), and energy distributions for Coma Ber and Latyshev 2 and test the hypothesis of the mixing of their populations at the encounter time. Methods. We developed a new phase-space membership methodology and applied it to Gaia data. With the recovered members, we inferred the phase-space, luminosity, and mass distributions using publicly available Bayesian inference codes. Then, with a publicly available orbit integration code and members’ positions and velocities, we integrated their orbits 20 Myr into the future. Results. In Coma Ber, we identified 302 candidate members distributed in the core and tidal tails. The tails are dynamically cold and asymmetrically populated. The stellar system called Group X is made of two structures: the disrupted OC Latyshev 2 (186 candidate members) and a loose stellar association called Mecayotl 1 (146 candidate members), and both of them will fly by Coma Ber in 11.3 ± 0.5 Myr and 14.0 ± 0.6 Myr, respectively, and each other in 8.1 ± 1.3 Myr. Conclusions. We study the dynamical properties of the core and tails of Coma Ber and also confirm the existence of the OC Latyshev 2 and its neighbour stellar association Mecayotl 1. Although these three systems will experience encounters, we find no evidence supporting the mixing of their populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Precise radial velocity measurements for Kepler giants hosting planetary candidates: Kepler-91 and KOI-1894

We present results of radial-velocity follow-up observations for the two Kepler evolved stars Kepler-91 (KOI-2133) and KOI-1894, which had been announced as candidates to host transiting giant planets, with the Subaru 8.2 m telescope and the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS). By global modeling of the high-precision radial-velocity data taken with Subaru/HDS and photometric data taken by the Kepler mission accounting for orbital brightness modulations (ellipsoidal variations, reflected/emitted light, etc.) of the host stars, we independently confirmed that Kepler-91 hosts a transiting planet with a mass of 0.66 M{sub Jup}(Kepler-91b), and newly detected an offset of ∼20 m s{sup −1} between the radial velocities taken at ∼1 yr interval, suggesting the existence of an additional companion in the system. As for KOI-1894, we detected possible phased variations in the radial velocities and light curves with 2–3σ confidence level, which could be explained as a reflex motion and ellipsoidal variation of the star caused by a transiting sub-Saturn-mass (∼0.18 M{sub Jup}) planet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Surfatron acceleration of protons by an electromagnetic wave at the heliosphere periphery

The trapping and subsequent efficient surfatron acceleration of weakly relativistic protons by an electromagnetic wave propagating across an external magnetic field in plasma at the heliosphere periphery is considered. The problem is reduced to analysis of a second-order time-dependent nonlinear equation for the wave phase on the particle trajectory. The conditions of proton trapping by the wave, the dynamics of the components of the particle momentum and velocity, the structure of the phase plane, the particle trajectories, and the dependence of the acceleration rate on initial parameters of the problem are analyzed. The asymptotic behavior of the characteristics of accelerated particles for the heliosphere parameters is investigated. The optimum conditions for surfatron acceleration of protons by an electromagnetic wave are discussed. It is demonstrated that the experimentally observed deviation of the spectra of cosmic-ray protons from standard power-law dependences can be caused by the surfatron mechanism. It is shown that protons with initial energies of several GeV can be additionally accelerated in the heliosphere (the region located between the shock front of the solar wind and the heliopause at distances of about 100 astronomical units (a.u.) from the Sun) up to energies on the order of several thousands of GeV. In order to explain the proton spectra in the energy range of ∼20–500 GeV, a two-component phenomenological model is proposed. The first component corresponds to the constant (in this energy range) galactic contribution, while the second (variable) component corresponds to the heliospheric contribution, which appears due to the additional acceleration of soft cosmic-ray protons at the heliosphere periphery. Variations in the proton spectra measured on different time scales between 1992 and 2008 in the energy range from several tens to several hundred GeV, as well as the dependence of these spectra on the heliospheric weather, can be explained by surfatron acceleration of protons in the heliosphere.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Scaling of the detonation product state with reactant kinetic energy

Chemical explosives provide one of the most high-power and energy-dense storage materials available. During detonation, transfer of this energy to adjacent materials is governed by the detonation product equation of state. No accurate methodology exists for prediction of this thermodynamic relationship and equation-of-state data continues to be experimentally characterized for each new formulation or charge density. Here we present a universal detonation product equation of state derived from several newly discovered empirical correlations in prior condensed-phase detonation product measurements. This model depends only on initial charge density and detonation velocity as inputs, dramatically simplifying the calibration process relative to existing models, which require measurement of up to seven formulation-specific parameters. This new result implies the product energy density scales with reactant kinetic energy density, which is the product of the explosive initial density and detonation velocity squared, for all condensed-phase energetic materials and that explosive microstructural or chemical details only influence the product energy density though these two parameters.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

SNe Ia keep memory of their progenitor metallicity

The ultimate understanding of SNe Ia diversity is one of the most urgent issues to exploit thermonuclear explosions of accreted White Dwarfs (WDs) as cosmological yardsticks. In particular, we investigate the impact of the progenitor system metallicity on the physical and chemical properties of the WD at the explosion epoch. We analyze the evolution of CO WDs through the accretion and simmering phases by using evolutionary models based on time-dependent convective mixing and an extended nuclear network including the most important electron captures, beta decays, and URCA processes. We find that, due to URCA processes and electron-captures, the neutron excess and density at which the thermal runaway occurs are substantially larger than previously claimed. Moreover, we find that the higher the progenitor metallicity, the larger the neutron excess variation during the accretion and simmering phases and the higher the central density and the convective velocity at the explosion. Hence, the simmering phase acts as an amplifier of the differences existing in SNe Ia progenitors. When applying our results to the neutron excess estimated for the Tycho and Kepler young supernova remnants, we derive that the metallicity of the progenitors should be in the range Z=0.030--0.032, close to the average metallicity value of the thin disk of the Milky Way. As the amount of {sup 56}Ni produced in the explosion depends on the neutron excess and central density at the thermal runaway, our results suggest that the light curve properties depend on the progenitor metallicity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Transmission electron microscopy of the rapid solidification microstructure evolution and solidification interface velocity determination in hypereutectic Al-20at.%Cu after laser melting

The evolution of rapid solidification (RS) microstructure and solidification interface velocity has been studied experimentally by in-situ transmission electron microscopy and postmortem characterization for hypereutectic Al-20at.%Cu (37 wt.%Cu) after laser melting. Four morphologically distinct regions formed via growth modes changing from θ-Al 2 Cu phase dendrites to eutectic cell growth, possibly α-Al dendrite growth (α-cell), banded growth, and α-Al plane front growth. Tendency for faceting and low capacity for solute trapping limited the θ-phase dendrite growth to solidification interface velocity v < 0.07 m/s. Consequently, formation of pro-eutectic micro-constituent was suppressed, and RS microstructure formation was dominated by eutectic, α-cell, and banded morphology grains for the Al-20at.%Cu alloy. Eutectic growth operated for interface velocity of 0.1 m/s ≤ v < 0.3 m/s, with a transition from regular lamellar, 2-λ and 1-λ mode to a dense irregular morphology dominated by α-phase at v = 0.3 m/s. Interface temperature calculations indicated feasibility of α-cell growth mode for 0.3 m/s ≤ v < 0.7 m/s. Banded growth occurred for 0.7 m/s ≤ v < 1.3 m/s. Plane front α-phase growth was evident for interface velocities v ≥ 1.3 m/s. Previous work on rapid solidification microstructure development in hypereutectic Al-Cu alloys reported a regime of α-cell growth subsequently to eutectic and prior to transition to banded growth for Al-19at.%Cu (36 wt.%Cu), while for Al-22at.%Cu (40 wt.%Cu) eutectic growth transitioned directly to α-plane front growth without emergence of a banded regime. Finally, based on the current study the disappearance of the banded growth regime occurs for a composition larger than 20at.%Cu.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantitative In Situ Studies of Dynamic Fracture in Brittle Solids Using Dynamic X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging

Here, we demonstrate the use of X-ray phase contrast imaging with sub-microsecond temporal resolution to obtain quantitative visualization of dynamic fracture processes in brittle solids. We examine an amorphous solid (fused silica), a ceramic single crystal (single-crystal quartz), and a polycrystalline ceramic (boron carbide), in the form of single-edge notched specimens loaded using a three-point apparatus at nominal strain rates up to ~800 s -1 . We observe that the crack tip speed for boron carbide is relatively independent of mode I stress intensity factor rate ($\dot{K}$ I ) for these rates of loading, while that of fused silica and single-crystal quartz increases with $\dot{K}$ I . Further, for the amorphous and single crystal cases, we observe the development of a crack tip instability in the form of crack branching as the crack tip speed approaches 45% of the Rayleigh wave speed. This suggests that strain-rate-dependent mechanisms contribute to crack branching. Such mechanisms may, in turn, affect the macroscopic fracture properties of these materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Measurement of interfacial structures in horizontal air-water bubbly flows

In order to predict multi-dimensional phenomena in nuclear reactor systems, methods relying on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are essential. However, to be applicable in assessing thermal-hydraulic safety, these codes must be able to accurately predict the development of two-phase flows. Therefore, before practical application these codes must be assessed using experimental databases that capture multi-dimensional phenomena. While a large database exists that can be employed to assess predictions in vertical flows, the available database for horizontal flows is significantly lacking. Therefore, the current work seeks to develop an additional database in air-water horizontal bubbly flow through a 38.1 mm ID test section with a total development length of approximately 250 diameters. The experimental conditions are chosen to cover a wide range of the bubbly flow regime based upon flow visualization using a high-speed video camera. A database of local time-averaged void fraction, bubble velocity, interfacial area concentration, and bubble Sauter mean diameter are acquired throughout the pipe cross-section using a four-sensor conductivity probe. To investigate the evolution of the flow, measurements are made at axial locations of 44, 116, and 244 diameters downstream of the inlet. In the current work, only measurements obtained at L/D = 244 are presented. It is found that increasing the liquid superficial velocity tends to reduce both the bubble size and the degree of bubble packing near the upper wall. However, it is observed that the position of the maximum void fraction value remains nearly constant and is located approximately one bubble diameter away from the upper wall. It is also found that the bubble velocity exhibits a power law behavior resembling a single phase liquid turbulent velocity profile. Moreover, the local bubble velocity tends to decrease as the local void fraction increases. Conversely, increasing the gas superficial velocity is found to have little effect on the bubble size or velocity, but increases the bubble packing near the upper pipe wall. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

A Model of Intermittent Ballistic-Brownian Particle Transport and Its Asymptotic Approximation

A mean-field model of intermittent transport of particles, molecules or organelles is proposed. A particle may be in one of two phases: the first is a ballistic (active) phase, when the particle runs with constant velocity in some direction, and the second is a Brownian (passive) phase, when the particle diffuses freely. The particle can instantly change the phase of motion. The distribution of the duration of the passive phase (the free path distribution) is exponential, while that of the active phase is arbitrary. In the case that transitions between the phases are very frequent an approximation to the model is derived. An example is given which shows that the use of the exponential distribution of free paths, when it is actually non-exponential, may lead to significant errors in solutions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Multiscale Interaction of Turbulence, Temperature, and Soot Formation: Measurements for Critical Assessments of Chemical Kinetics and Mechanisms

This program targeted an improved understanding of how turbulence affects soot formation chemistry (directly and indirectly) with a particular focus on detailing the multiscale coupling between flow turbulence, mixing, thermal transport, and soot formation kinetics in gas-phase reacting systems. In this project, simultaneous, quantitative multi-dimensional velocity, soot volume fraction, and gas-phase temperature measurements in turbulent non-premixed sooting flames were developed. These new diagnostics tools can be used to elucidate the relative effects of fluid kinematics, mixing, thermal processes, and turbulence/scalar time/length scales on soot formation chemistry and topology. Simultaneous multi-parameter measurements were acquired within a series of flames with different Reynolds numbers and spatial locations to investigate the inter-dependence of soot, temperature, and turbulence within the soot inception, growth, and oxidation region. Preliminary assessment of the results has been completed at the project end and detailed analysis is planned following the completed program.

02 PETROLEUM↗

A Coincidence Velocity Map Imaging Spectrometer for Ions and High-Energy Electrons to Study Inner-Shell Photoionization of Gas-Phase Molecules

We report on the design and performance of a double-sided coincidence velocity map imaging spectrometer optimized for electron-ion and ion-ion coincidence experiments studying inner-shell photoionization of gas-phase molecules with soft X-ray synchrotron radiation. The apparatus employs two microchannel plate detectors equipped with delay-line anodes for coincident, time- and position-resolved detection of photoelectrons and Auger electrons with kinetic energies up to 300 eV on one side of the spectrometer and photoions up to 25 eV per unit charge on the opposite side. We demonstrate its capabilities by measuring valence photoelectrons and ion spectra of neon and nitrogen and by studying channel-resolved photoelectron and Auger spectra along with fragment-ion momentum correlations for chlorine 2 p inner-shell ionization of cis - and trans -1,2-dichloroethene.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Arp 58 and Arp 68: two M 51-type systems

ABSTRACT We study two M 51-type systems Arp 68 and Arp 58, which strongly differ by their stellar masses, gas content, and environment. Long-slit spectral observations obtained at the Russian 6-m telescope were used to trace the distributions of a line-of-sight (LOS) velocity and a gas-phase oxygen abundance along the spectral cuts. Two systems are compared by their observed properties. We found a very strong large-scale non-circular motion of gas in both systems and a kpc-size saw-edged velocity profile along the tidal spiral arm of Arp 68, probably caused by the gas outflow due to the stellar feedback. A deep decrease of LOS velocity is also found in the ‘hinge’ region in Arp 58, where the inner spiral arm transforms into the tidal spiral arm, which was predicted earlier for M 51-type galaxies. Local sites of star formation and the satellites are compared with the evolutionary models at the colour–colour diagrams. Unlike the spiral galaxy Arp 58, the main galaxy in Arp 68 system is experiencing an ongoing burst of star formation. Gas-phase metallicity estimates show that Arp 58 has a higher metal abundance and reveals a shallow negative radial gradient of the gas-phase oxygen abundance. The emission gas in Arp 68 has noticeably lower metallicity than it is expected for a given luminosity of this galaxy, which may be connected with its space position in the local void.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Amorphization of hard crystalline materials by electrosprayed nanodroplet impact

A beam of electrosprayed nanodroplets impacting on single-crystal silicon amorphizes a thin surface layer of a thickness comparable to the diameter of the drops. The phase transition occurs at projectile velocities exceeding a threshold, and is caused by the quenching of material melted by the impacts. This article demonstrates that the amorphization of silicon is a general phenomenon, as nanodroplets impacting at sufficient velocity also amorphize other covalently bonded crystals. In particular, we bombard single-crystal wafers of Si, Ge, GaAs, GaP, InAs, and SiC in a range of projectile velocities, and characterize the samples via electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy to determine the aggregation state under the surface. InAs requires the lowest projectile velocity to develop an amorphous layer, followed by Ge, Si, GaAs, and GaP. SiC is the only semiconductor that remains fully crystalline, likely due to the relatively low velocities of the beamlets used in this study. The resiliency of each crystal to amorphization correlates well with the specific energy needed to melt it except for Ge, which requires projectile velocities higher than expected.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The phase space of z∼1.2 SpARCS clusters: Using Herschel to probe dust temperature as a function of environment and accretion history

We present a five-band Herschel study (100–500 μm) of three galaxy clusters at z∼1.2 from the Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey. With a sample of 120 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members, we investigate the role of environment on galaxy properties utilizing the projected cluster phase space (line-of-sight velocity versus clustercentric radius), which probes the time-averaged galaxy density to which a galaxy has been exposed. We divide cluster galaxies into phase-space bins of (r/r{sub 200})×(Δv/σ{sub v}), tracing a sequence of accretion histories in phase space. Stacking optically star-forming cluster members on the Herschel maps, we measure average infrared star formation rates, and, for the first time in high-redshift galaxy clusters, dust temperatures for dynamically distinct galaxy populations—namely, recent infalls and those that were accreted onto the cluster at an earlier epoch. Proceeding from the infalling to virialized (central) regions of phase space, we find a steady decrease in the specific star formation rate and increase in the stellar age of star-forming cluster galaxies. We perform a probability analysis to investigate all acceptable infrared spectral energy distributions within the full parameter space and measure a ∼4σ drop in the average dust temperature of cluster galaxies in an intermediate phase-space bin, compared to an otherwise flat trend with phase space. We suggest one plausible quenching mechanism which may be consistent with these trends, invoking ram-pressure stripping of the warmer dust for galaxies within this intermediate accretion phase.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Crystal plasticity including a phase-field deformation twinning model for the high-rate deformation of cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine

A new finite strain thermomechanical model for the high-rate deformation of the β-polymorph of cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (β-HMX) has been developed and applied to simulations of plate impact experiments. The crystal plasticity model is based on a model developed previously for RDX (Luscher et al. 2017), which is extended to incorporate deformation twinning. Twinning during normal plate impacts is simulated with a phase-field twin model. First, material parameters governing the kinetics of dislocation slip are calibrated on the subset of simulations which had negative Schmid factors for the twin system. Second, a parametric study of the twin material parameters was performed to find suitable values. Overall, the results of the simulations with the phase-field twinning model are reported for impacts on several crystal orientations. We find that the twin growth decreases with increasing distance from the impact surface because of dissipation of the shock front via dislocation-mediated plasticity, and that the simulated interface velocity with and without phase-field twinning do not show appreciable differences. These modeling results suggest that the significance of twinning in β-HMX cannot be determined with traditional loading configurations and diagnostics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Probing interfacial momentum closures in two-phase bubbly flow with machine learning-aided methods

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach has already reached a high level of maturity for single-phase flows, however the development of closure models for two-phase flow requires additional attention. Multiphase CFD (M-CFD) methods resolve the conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy while differing in the approaches and strategies adopted in the physical closure models. The most widely adopted framework for M-CFD is the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid approach which assumes that all phases are co-existing inside each computational cell. For each fluid, the full set of conservation equations is solved; therefore, each fluid has a different velocity field. For adiabatic two-phase flow, the mechanisms of the interfacial momentum transfer are modeled by the interfacial forces representing different physical mechanisms. One of the crucial issues in the development and application of two-fluid model is the understanding of the interfacial momentum closures which determines the bubble distribution and migration behaviors. Dedicated experiments are performed to support the physical understanding and drive the closures’ development. However, limitations exist due to the uncertainties in the experimental measurement and the simplified analytical assumptions which have difficulties on representing the complex non-linear flow fields. In this paper, a data-driven approach, Feature Similarity Measurement (FSM), is developed and proposed to resolve the challenges of modeling the interfacial forces closures. Case study is performed with two-phase flow scenarios where the high-fidelity experimental data is available. Within the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid framework, only momentum equations for gas and liquid phases are solved and reduced-order interfacial momentum closures are aided with FSM. Predictions of void fraction and velocity fields are analyzed and demonstrate the potential of machine learning-driven interfacial forces closures.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗