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At least 829 records · Page 46

Organizing bacterial vortex lattices by periodic obstacle arrays

Recent experiments have shown that the complex spatio-temporal vortex structures emerging in active fluids are susceptible to weak geometrical constraints. This observation poses the fundamental question of how boundary effects stabilize a highly ordered pattern from seemingly turbulent motion. Here we show, by a combination of continuum theory and experiments on a bacterial suspension, how artificial obstacles guide the flow profile and reorganize topological defects, which enables the design of bacterial vortex lattices with tunable properties. To this end, the continuum model is extended by appropriate boundary conditions. Beyond the stabilization of square and hexagonal lattices, we also provide a striking example of a chiral, antiferromagnetic lattice exhibiting a net rotational flow, which is induced by arranging the obstacles in a Kagome-like array. Recent experiments showed that weak geometrical constraints can organize topological defects in turbulent bacterial suspensions. Here, the authors use a continuum model to study the connection between symmetry and stability of emergent vortex patterns and the geometry of constraining pillar arrays.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Upward shift of the vortex solid phase in high-temperature-superconducting wires through high density nanoparticle addition

Here, we show a simple and effective way to improve the vortex irreversibility line up to very high magnetic fields (60T) by increasing the density of second phase BaZrO 3 nanoparticles. (Y 0.77 ,Gd 0.23 )Ba 2 Cu 3 O y films were grown on metal substrates with different concentration of BaZrO 3 nanoparticles by the metal organic deposition method. We find that upon increase of the BaZrO 3 concentration, the nanoparticle size remains constant but the twin-boundary density increases. Up to the highest nanoparticle concentration (n ~ 1.3 × 10 22 /m 3 ), the irreversibility field (H irr ) continues to increase with no sign of saturation up to 60 T, although the vortices vastly outnumber pinning centers. We find extremely high H irr , namely H irr = 30 T (H||45°) and 24 T (H||c) at 65 K and 58 T (H||45°) and 45 T (H||c) at 50K. The difference in pinning landscape shifts the vortex solid-liquid transition upwards, increasing the vortex region useful for power applications, while keeping the upper critical field, critical temperature and electronic mass anisotropy unchanged.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dust-ion-acoustic solitary waves in dusty plasma with arbitrarily charged dust and vortex-like electron distribution

The nonlinear propagation of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) waves in a dusty plasma containing trapped electrons following vortex-like distribution, cold mobile ions, and arbitrarily charged static dust is theoretically investigated. The properties of small but finite amplitude DIA solitary waves (SWs) are studied by employing the reductive perturbation technique. It is found that owing to the departure from the Maxwellian electron distribution to a vortex-like one, the dynamics of such DIA SWs is governed by a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation. The basic features (amplitude, width, speed, etc.) of such DIA SWs, which are found to be significantly modified by the vortex-like electron distribution and dust polarity, are also examined. The implications of our results to space and laboratory dusty plasmas are briefly discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a current-vortex sheet at a 3D magnetic null

We report here, for the first time, an observed instability of a Kelvin-Helmholtz nature occurring in a fully three-dimensional (3D) current-vortex sheet at the fan plane of a 3D magnetic null point. The current-vortex layer forms self-consistently in response to foot point driving around the spine lines of the null. The layer first becomes unstable at an intermediate distance from the null point, with the instability being characterized by a rippling of the fan surface and a filamentation of the current density and vorticity in the shear layer. Owing to the 3D geometry of the shear layer, a branching of the current filaments and vortices is observed. The instability results in a mixing of plasma between the two topologically distinct regions of magnetic flux on either side of the fan separatrix surface, as flux is reconnected across this surface. We make a preliminary investigation of the scaling of the system with the dissipation parameters. Our results indicate that the fan plane separatrix surface is an ideal candidate for the formation of current-vortex sheets in complex magnetic fields and, therefore, the enhanced heating and connectivity change associated with the instabilities of such layers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Strong vortex core pinning and Barkhausen-free magnetization response in thin Permalloy disks induced by implantation of 1 × 10{sup 4} Ga{sup +} ions

Artificial vortex core pinning sites are induced in thin Permalloy disks by point exposure to as few as 10 000 ions from a focused Ga{sup +} beam. These pinning sites yield a first-order change in the magnetization response of the disk. A single site can keep the vortex core pinned over an applied field range comparable to the vortex annihilation field of the unaltered disk. Several widely separated sites can work together to keep the core pinned in one place, while the Barkhausen effect is eliminated from the magnetization curve over a range approaching the saturation moment of the disk.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Vortex reconnections between coreless vortices in binary condensates

Vortex reconnections plays an important role in the turbulent flows associated with the superfluids. To understand the dynamics, we examine the reconnections of vortex rings in the superfluids of dilute atomic gases confined in trapping potentials using Gross-Petaevskii equation. Further more we study the reconnection dynamics of coreless vortex rings, where one of the species can act as a tracer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Strongly enhanced vortex pinning from 4 to 77 K in magnetic fields up to 31 T in 15 mol.% Zr-added (Gd, Y)-Ba-Cu-O superconducting tapes

Applications of REBCO coated conductors are now being developed for a very wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields and it is not yet clear whether vortex pinning strategies aimed for high temperature, low field operation are equally valid at lower temperatures and higher fields. A detailed characterization of the superconducting properties of a 15 mol.% Zr-added REBCO thin film made by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, from 4.2 to 77 K under magnetic fields up to 31 T is presented in this article. Even at a such high level of Zr addition, T-c depression has been avoided (T-c = 91 K), while at the same time an exceptionally high irreversibility field H-irr approximate to 14.8 T at 77 K and a remarkably high vortex pinning force density F-p approximate to 1.7 TN/m(3) at 4.2 K have been achieved. We ascribe the excellent pinning performance at high temperatures to the high density (equivalent vortex matching field similar to 7 T) of self-assembled BZO nanorods, while the low temperature pinning force is enhanced by large additional pinning which we ascribe to strain-induced point defects induced in the REBCO matrix by the BZO nanorods. Our results suggest even more room for further performance enhancement of commercial REBCO coated conductors and point the way to REBCO coil applications at liquid nitrogen temperatures since the critical current density J(c)(H//c) characteristic at 77 K are now almost identical to those of fully optimized Nb-Ti at 4 K. (C) 2014 Author(s).

Xu, A↗

Scattering of electromagnetic waves by vortex density structures associated with interchange instability: Analytical and large scale plasma simulation results

The presence of plasma turbulence can strongly influence propagation properties of electromagnetic signals used for surveillance and communication. In particular, we are interested in the generation of low frequency plasma density irregularities in the form of coherent vortex structures. Interchange or flute type density irregularities in magnetized plasma are associated with Rayleigh-Taylor type instability. These types of density irregularities play an important role in refraction and scattering of high frequency electromagnetic signals propagating in the earth ionosphere, in high energy density physics, and in many other applications. We will discuss scattering of high frequency electromagnetic waves on low frequency density irregularities due to the presence of vortex density structures associated with interchange instability. We will also present particle-in-cell simulation results of electromagnetic scattering on vortex type density structures using the large scale plasma code LSP and compare them with analytical results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Decay of helical Kelvin waves on a quantum vortex filament

We study the dynamics of helical Kelvin waves moving along a quantum vortex filament driven by a normal fluid flow. We employ the vector form of the quantum local induction approximation (LIA) due to Schwarz. For an isolated filament, this is an adequate approximation to the full Hall-Vinen-Bekarevich-Khalatnikov dynamics. The motion of such Kelvin waves is both translational (along the quantum vortex filament) and rotational (in the plane orthogonal to the reference axis). We first present an exact closed form solution for the motion of these Kelvin waves in the case of a constant amplitude helix. Such solutions exist for a critical wave number and correspond exactly to the Donnelly-Glaberson instability, so perturbations of such solutions either decay to line filaments or blow-up. This leads us to consider helical Kelvin waves which decay to line filaments. Unlike in the case of constant amplitude helical solutions, the dynamics are much more complicated for the decaying helical waves, owing to the fact that the rate of decay of the helical perturbations along the vortex filament is not constant in time. We give an analytical and numerical description of the motion of decaying helical Kelvin waves, from which we are able to ascertain the influence of the physical parameters on the decay, translational motion along the filament, and rotational motion, of these waves (all of which depend nonlinearly on time). One interesting finding is that the helical Kelvin waves do not decay uniformly. Rather, such waves decay slowly for small time scales, and more rapidly for large time scales. The rotational and translational velocity of the Kelvin waves depend strongly on this rate of decay, and we find that the speed of propagation of a helical Kelvin wave along a quantum filament is large for small time while the wave asymptotically slows as it decays. The rotational velocity of such Kelvin waves along the filament will increase over time, asymptotically reaching a finite value. These decaying Kelvin waves correspond to wave number below the critical value for the Donnelly-Glaberson instability, and hence our results on the Schwarz quantum LIA correspond exactly to what one would expect from prior work on the Donnelly-Glaberson instability.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Modification of vortex dynamics and transport properties of transitional axisymmetric jets using zero-net-mass-flux actuation

We study the near field of a zero-net-mass-flux (ZNMF) actuated round jet using direct numerical simulations. The Reynolds number of the jet Re{sub D} = 2000 and three ZNMF actuators are used, evenly distributed over a circle, and directed towards the main jet. The actuators are triggered in phase, and have a relatively low momentum coefficient of C{sub μ} = 0.0049 each. We study four different control frequencies with Strouhal numbers ranging from St{sub D} = 0.165 to St{sub D} = 1.32; next to that, also two uncontrolled baseline cases are included in the study. We find that this type of ZNMF actuation leads to strong deformations of the near-field jet region that are very similar to those observed for non-circular jets. At the end of the jet's potential core (x/D = 5), the jet-column cross section is deformed into a hexagram-like geometry that results from strong modifications of the vortex structures. Two mechanisms lead to these modifications, i.e., (i) self-deformation of the jet's primary vortex rings started by distortions in their azimuthal curvature by the actuation, and (ii) production of side jets by the development and subsequent detachment of secondary streamwise vortex pairs. Further downstream (x/D = 10), the jet transforms into a triangular pattern, as the sharp corner regions of the hexagram entrain fluid and spread. We further investigate the global characteristics of the actuated jets. In particular when using the jet preferred frequency, i.e., St{sub D} = 0.33, parameters such as entrainment, centerline decay rate, and mean turbulent kinetic energy are significantly increased. Furthermore, high frequency actuation, i.e., St{sub D} = 1.32, is found to suppress the mechanisms leading to large scale structure growth and turbulent kinetic energy production. The simulations further include a passive scalar equation, and passive scalar mixing is also quantified and visualized.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Comment on “General rotating quantum vortex filaments in the low-temperature Svistunov model of the local induction approximation” [Phys. Fluids 26, 065105 (2014)]

Van Gorder considers a formulation of the local induction approximation, which allows the vortex to move in the direction of the reference axis [“General rotating quantum vortex filaments in the low-temperature Svistunov model of the local induction approximation,” Phys. Fluids 26, 065105 (2014)]. However, in his analytical and numerical study he does not use it. A mistake in the torsion of a helical vortex is also corrected.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Generation of cylindrically polarized vector vortex beams with digital micromirror device

We propose a novel technique to directly transform a linearly polarized Gaussian beam into vector-vortex beams with various spatial patterns. Full high-quality control of amplitude and phase is implemented via a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) binary holography for generating Laguerre-Gaussian, Bessel-Gaussian, and helical Mathieu–Gaussian modes, while a radial polarization converter (S-waveplate) is employed to effectively convert the optical vortices into cylindrically polarized vortex beams. Additionally, the generated vector-vortex beams maintain their polarization symmetry after arbitrary polarization manipulation. Due to the high frame rates of DMD, rapid switching among a series of vector modes carrying different orbital angular momenta paves the way for optical microscopy, trapping, and communication.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Giant increase of critical current density and vortex pinning in Mn doped K{sub x}Fe{sub 2−y}Se{sub 2} single crystals

We report a comparative study of the critical current density (J{sub c}) and vortex pinning among pure and Mn doped K{sub x}Fe{sub 2−y}Se{sub 2} single crystals. It is found that the J{sub c} values can be greatly improved by Mn doping and post-quenching treatment when comparing to pristine pure sample. In contrast to pure samples, an anomalous second magnetization peak (SMP) effect is observed in both 1% and 2% Mn doped samples at T = 3 K for H∥ab but not for H∥c. Referring to Dew-Hughes and Kramer's model, we performed scaling analyses of the vortex pinning force density vs magnetic field in 1% Mn doped and quenched pristine crystals. The results show that the normal point defects are the dominant pinning sources, which probably originate from the variations of intercalated K atoms. We propose that the large nonsuperconducting K-Mn-Se inclusions may contribute to the partial normal surface pinning and give rise to the anomalous SMP effect for H∥ab in Mn doped crystals. These results may facilitate further understanding of the superconductivity and vortex pinning in intercalated iron-selenides superconductors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Self-assembled magnetic nanospheres with three-dimensional magnetic vortex

We report the electron holography images of spin configurations in peculiar assemblies of soft magnetic nanoparticles in single-, double-, triple-, or quadruple-sphere geometrical arrangements, in which each particle has a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic-vortex structure. Micromagnetic numerical calculations reveal that the uniqueness of the nanoparticles' 3D vortex structure plays a crucial role in their assembly, especially in terms of the contrasting contributions of the exchange and dipolar interactions to their binding energies. The results represent physical insights into the assembly of 3D-vortex-structure magnetic nanoparticles in different geometrical configurations and offer a practical means of controlling those assemblies.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of injected spins with different polarized orientations on the vortex phase transition in La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4} heterostructure

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with spin injection were investigated for the epitaxial La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4} heterostructure rotated from H//c to H//ab in magnetic fields up to 14 T. It is found that all the I-V curves in various magnetic fields can be scaled with a three dimensional (3D) vortex glass model, and the spin injection can induce a better 3D scaling behavior, which is closely related to the decrease of the anisotropy parameter. A vortex phase diagram for the evolution of vortex glass transition field (H{sub g}) and upper critical field (H{sub c2}) indicates that both H{sub g} and H{sub c2} are suppressed by spin injection, and this effect becomes more obvious in the case of H//ab, which probably originates from the different suppression on the superconducting pairing strength by different injected spins' orientations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spontaneous formation of circular and vortex ferroelectric domain structure in hexagonal YMnO{sub 3} and YMn{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 0.1}O{sub 3} prepared by low temperature solution synthesis

We report an experimental study of the domain structure of ferroelectric YMnO{sub 3} and YMn{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 0.1}O{sub 3} using polycrystalline samples prepared by direct hydrothermal crystallisation at 240 °C, well below their structural phase transition temperatures. Powder X-ray diffraction shows the expected P6{sub 3}cm space group for both samples with an increase in a and a small decrease in c with Fe incorporation, consistent with an adjustment of MnO{sub 5} tilting, while XANES spectra at the Mn and Fe K edges show the oxidation state of both metals are maintained at +3 in the doped sample. High resolution TEM shows that curved stripe, annular and vortex domains can all be observed in the YMnO{sub 3} crystals, proving that the structural phase transition is not the only driving force for the occurrence of the annular and vortex domains. Furthermore, the absence of the annular and vortex domains in YMn{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 0.1}O{sub 3} indicates that the tilting state of MnO{sub 5} bipyramids plays an important role in the domain formation. Atomic resolution STEM images confirm that the ferroelectric domain walls correspond to structural antiphase boundaries similar to the crystals made via high temperature solid-state reactions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A comparative numerical analysis of linear and nonlinear aerodynamic sound generation by vortex disturbances in homentropic constant shear flows

Aerodynamic sound generation in shear flows is investigated in the light of the breakthrough in hydrodynamics stability theory in the 1990s, where generic phenomena of non-normal shear flow systems were understood. By applying the thereby emerged short-time/non-modal approach, the sole linear mechanism of wave generation by vortices in shear flows was captured [G. D. Chagelishvili, A. Tevzadze, G. Bodo, and S. S. Moiseev, “Linear mechanism of wave emergence from vortices in smooth shear flows,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 3178-3181 (1997); B. F. Farrell and P. J. Ioannou, “Transient and asymptotic growth of two-dimensional perturbations in viscous compressible shear flow,” Phys. Fluids 12, 3021-3028 (2000); N. A. Bakas, “Mechanism underlying transient growth of planar perturbations in unbounded compressible shear flow,” J. Fluid Mech. 639, 479-507 (2009); and G. Favraud and V. Pagneux, “Superadiabatic evolution of acoustic and vorticity perturbations in Couette flow,” Phys. Rev. E 89, 033012 (2014)]. Its source is the non-normality induced linear mode-coupling, which becomes efficient at moderate Mach numbers that is defined for each perturbation harmonic as the ratio of the shear rate to its characteristic frequency. Based on the results by the non-modal approach, we investigate a two-dimensional homentropic constant shear flow and focus on the dynamical characteristics in the wavenumber plane. This allows to separate from each other the participants of the dynamical processes — vortex and wave modes — and to estimate the efficacy of the process of linear wave-generation. This process is analyzed and visualized on the example of a packet of vortex modes, localized in both, spectral and physical, planes. Further, by employing direct numerical simulations, the wave generation by chaotically distributed vortex modes is analyzed and the involved linear and nonlinear processes are identified. The generated acoustic field is anisotropic in the wavenumber plane, which results in highly directional linear sound radiation, whereas the nonlinearly generated waves are almost omni-directional. As part of this analysis, we compare the effectiveness of the linear and nonlinear mechanisms of wave generation within the range of validity of the rapid distortion theory and show the dominance of the linear aerodynamic sound generation. Finally, topological differences between the linear source term of the acoustic analogy equation and of the anisotropic non-normality induced linear mechanism of wave generation are found.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Vortex breakdown in closed containers with polygonal cross sections

The vortex breakdown bubble in the confined flow generated by a rotating lid in closed containers with polygonal cross sections was analysed both experimentally and numerically for the height/radius aspect ratio equal to 2. The stagnation point locations of the breakdown bubble emergence and the corresponding Reynolds number were determined experimentally and in addition computed numerically by STAR-CCM+ CFD software for square, pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal cross section configurations. The flow pattern and the velocity were observed and measured by combining the seeding particle visualization and the temporal accuracy of laser Doppler anemometry. The vortex breakdown size and position on the container axis were determined for Reynolds numbers, ranging from 1450 to 2400. The obtained results were compared with the flow structure in the closed container of cubical and cylindrical configurations. It is shown that the measured evolution of steady vortex breakdown is in close agreement with the numerical results.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗