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At least 991 records · Page 55

Finite-time response function of uniformly accelerated entangled atoms

We examine the transition probability from the ground state to a final entangled state of a system of uniformly accelerated two-level atoms weakly coupled with a massless scalar field in Minkowski vacuum. Using time-dependent perturbation theory we evaluate the finite-time response function and we identify the mutual influence of atoms via the quantum field as a coherence agent in each response function terms. The associated thermal spectrum perceived by the atoms is found for a finite time interval. By considering modifications of specific parameters of our setup, we also analyze how the transition probabilities are affected by the smoothness of the switching of the atom–field coupling. In addition, we study the mean life of the symmetric maximally entangled state for different accelerations. Our calculations reveal that smooth switching is more efficient than sudden switching concerning the reduction of the decay of the entangled state. The possible relevance of our results is discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Effects of the CPT-even and Lorentz violation on the Bhabha scattering at finite temperature

In this paper a Lorentz-violating CPT-even non-minimal coupling term is considered. A new interaction term between fermions and photons emerges. In this context, the differential cross-section for Bhabha scattering at finite temperature is calculated. The temperature effects are introduced using the Thermo-Field Dynamics (TFD) formalism. It is shown that the differential cross-section is changed due to both effects, Lorentz violation and finite temperature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

IR-finite thermal acceleration radiation

A charge accelerating in a straight line following the Schwarzschild–Planck moving mirror motion emits thermal radiation for a finite period. Such a mirror motion demonstrates quantum purity and serves as a direct analogy of a black hole with unitary evolution and complete evaporation. Extending the analog to classical electron motion, we derive the emission spectrum, power radiated, and finite total energy and particle count, with particular attention to the thermal radiation limit. In conclusion, this potentially opens the possibility of a laboratory analog of black hole evaporation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

An isogeometric finite element formulation for phase transitions on deforming surfaces

This paper presents a general theory and isogeometric finite element implementation for studying mass conserving phase transitions on deforming surfaces. The mathematical problem is governed by two coupled fourth-order nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) that live on an evolving two-dimensional manifold. For the phase transitions, the PDE is the Cahn–Hilliard equation for curved surfaces, which can be derived from surface mass balance in the framework of irreversible thermodynamics. For the surface deformation, the PDE is the (vector-valued) Kirchhoff–Love thin shell equation. Both PDEs can be efficiently discretized using C 1 -continuous interpolations without derivative degrees-of-freedom (dofs). Structured NURBS and unstructured spline spaces with pointwise C 1 -continuity are utilized for these interpolations. The resulting finite element formulation is discretized in time by the generalized-α scheme with adaptive time-stepping, and it is fully linearized within a monolithic Newton–Raphson approach. A curvilinear surface parameterization is used throughout the formulation to admit general surface shapes and deformations. The behavior of the coupled system is illustrated by several numerical examples exhibiting phase transitions on deforming spheres, tori and double-tori.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Three-dimensional explicit finite element formulation for shear localization with global tracking of embedded weak discontinuities

Shear localization is a damage mechanism characterized by the concentration of plastic deformation within thin bands of materials, often observed as a precursor to failure in metals. In this study, we present a three-dimensional explicit finite element formulation with embedded weak discontinuities for the treatment of shear localization under dynamic loading conditions. In this formulation, the onset of localization is detected via a material stability analysis suitable for rate-sensitive materials, and the continuity of propagating shear bands is ensured using a global tracking strategy involving a heat-conduction type boundary value problem, solved for a scalar level set function over the global domain of the problem. In addition, we propose a modified quadrature rule that is used to compute the contribution of an individual element to the global finite element arrays, taking into account the position of the embedded shear band within that element.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A finite micro-rotation material point method for micropolar solid and fluid dynamics with three-dimensional evolving contacts and free surfaces

This paper introduces an explicit material point method designed specifically for simulating the micropolar continuum dynamics in the finite deformation and finite microrotation regime. The material point method enables us to simulate large deformation problems while circumventing the potential mesh distortion without remeshing. To eliminate rotational motion damping and loss of angular momentum during the projection, we introduce the mapping for microinertia and angular momentum between particles and grids through the affine particle-in-cell approach. The microrotation and the curvature at each particle are updated through zero-order forward integration of the microgyration and its spatial gradient. We show that the microinertia and the angular momentum are conserved during the projections between particles and grids in our formulation. We verify the formulation and implementation by comparing with the analytical dispersion relation of micropolar waves under the small strain and small microrotation, as well as the analytical soliton solution for solids undergoing large deformation and large microrotation. Additionally we also demonstrate the capacity of the proposed computational framework to handle a wide spectrum of simulations that exhibit size effects in the geometrical nonlinear regime through three representative numerical examples, i.e., a cantilever beam torsion problem, a fragment-impact penetration problem, and a micropolar fluid discharging problem.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A better understanding of the mechanics of borehole breakout utilizing a finite strain gradient-enhanced micropolar continuum model

Borehole breakout denotes the failure in rock mass subjected to drilling, caused by stress concentrations exceeding the material strength. Depending on the material properties, the preexisting in situ stress state, and the borehole dimensions, different types of borehole breakout, such as spiral-shaped breakout or v-shaped breakout, are distinguished in the literature. In the present work, we address the influence of the material properties on the predicted borehole breakout mode in a comprehensive finite element study. To this end, herein we employ a gradient-enhanced micropolar damage-plasticity model based on the Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion, formulated in the finite strain regime, which is calibrated based on experimental results from plane strain compression tests on Red Wildmoor sandstone. In the numerical study, the influence of the in situ stress state, the material friction angle, plastic dilation, post peak residual strength, and the inherent material length scale parameters are investigated. Thereby, we demonstrate that depending on the material parameters, substantially different failure modes, characterized by strongly localized shear bands or diffuse failure zones, are predicted. It is shown that in particular the brittleness of the material in the post peak regime has a major influence on the predicted breakout type. Moreover, a statistical validation of the results is obtained by considering different random field distributions of the initial material strength.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Detailed analysis of the effects of stencil spatial variations with arbitrary high-order finite-difference Maxwell solver

Due to discretization effects and truncation to finite domains, many electromagnetic simulations present non-physical modifications of Maxwell's equations in space that may generate spurious signals affecting the overall accuracy of the result. Such modifications for instance occur when Perfectly Matched Layers (PMLs) are used at simulation domain boundaries to simulate open media. Another example is the use of arbitrary order Maxwell solver with domain decomposition technique that may under some condition involve stencil truncations at subdomain boundaries, resulting in small spurious errors that do eventually build up. In each case, a careful evaluation of the characteristics and magnitude of the errors resulting from these approximations, and their impact at any frequency and angle, requires detailed analytical and numerical studies. To this end, we present a general analytical approach that enables the evaluation of numerical discretization errors of fully three-dimensional arbitrary order finite-difference Maxwell solver, with arbitrary modification of the local stencil in the simulation domain. The analytical model is validated against simulations of domain decomposition technique and PMLs, when these are used with very high-order Maxwell solver, as well as in the infinite order limit of pseudo-spectral solvers. Results confirm that the new analytical approach enables exact predictions in each case. It also confirms that the domain decomposition technique can be used with very high-order Maxwell solver and a reasonably low number of guard cells with negligible effects on the whole accuracy of the simulation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Controlling the numerical Cerenkov instability in PIC simulations using a customized finite difference Maxwell solver and a local FFT based current correction

In this study we present a customized finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) Maxwell solver for the particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm. The solver is customized to effectively eliminate the numerical Cerenkov instability (NCI) which arises when a plasma (neutral or non-neutral) relativistically drifts on a grid when using the PIC algorithm. We control the EM dispersion curve in the direction of the plasma drift of a FDTD Maxwell solver by using a customized higher order finite difference operator for the spatial derivative along the direction of the drift (1ˆ direction). We show that this eliminates the main NCI modes with moderate |k 1 |, while keeps additional main NCI modes well outside the range of physical interest with higher |k 1 |. These main NCI modes can be easily filtered out along with first spatial aliasing NCI modes which are also at the edge of the fundamental Brillouin zone. The customized solver has the possible advantage of improved parallel scalability because it can be easily partitioned along 1ˆ which typically has many more cells than other directions for the problems of interest. We show that FFTs can be performed locally to current on each partition to filter out the main and first spatial aliasing NCI modes, and to correct the current so that it satisfies the continuity equation for the customized spatial derivative. This ensures that Gauss’ Law is satisfied. Lastly, we present simulation examples of one relativistically drifting plasma, of two colliding relativistically drifting plasmas, and of nonlinear laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) in a Lorentz boosted frame that show no evidence of the NCI can be observed when using this customized Maxwell solver together with its NCI elimination scheme.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Reducing the complexity of finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo

The auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFMC) method is a powerful and widely used technique for ground-state and finite-temperature simulations of quantum many-body systems. Here we introduce several algorithmic improvements for finite-temperature AFMC calculations of dilute fermionic systems that reduce the computational complexity of most parts of the algorithm. This is principally achieved by reducing the number of single-particle states that contribute at each configuration of the auxiliary fields to a number that is of the order of the number of fermions. Our methods are applicable for both the canonical and grand-canonical ensembles. We demonstrate the reduced computational complexity of the methods for the homogeneous unitary Fermi gas.

67.85.Lm↗

High order finite difference methods with subcell resolution for advection equations with stiff source terms

A new high order finite-difference method utilizing the idea of Harten ENO subcell resolution method is proposed for chemical reactive flows and combustion. In reaction problems, when the reaction time scale is very small, e.g., orders of magnitude smaller than the fluid dynamics time scales, the governing equations will become very stiff. Wrong propagation speed of discontinuity may occur due to the underresolved numerical solution in both space and time. The present proposed method is a modified fractional step method which solves the convection step and reaction step separately. In the convection step, any high order shock-capturing method can be used. In the reaction step, an ODE solver is applied but with the computed flow variables in the shock region modified by the Harten subcell resolution idea. For numerical experiments, a fifth-order finite-difference WENO scheme and its anti-diffusion WENO variant are considered. A wide range of 1D and 2D scalar and Euler system test cases are investigated. Studies indicate that for the considered test cases, the new method maintains high order accuracy in space for smooth flows, and for stiff source terms with discontinuities, it can capture the correct propagation speed of discontinuities in very coarse meshes with reasonable CFL numbers.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Eulerian adaptive finite-difference method for high-velocity impact and penetration problems

Owing to the complex processes involved, faithful prediction of high-velocity impact events demands a simulation method delivering efficient calculations based on comprehensively formulated constitutive models. Such an approach is presented herein, employing a weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) method within an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) framework for the numerical solution of hyperbolic partial differential equations. Applied widely in computational fluid dynamics, these methods are well suited to the involved locally non-smooth finite deformations, circumventing any requirement for artificial viscosity functions for shock capturing. Application of the methods is facilitated through using a model of solid dynamics based upon hyper-elastic theory comprising kinematic evolution equations for the elastic distortion tensor. The model for finite inelastic deformations is phenomenologically equivalent to Maxwell s model of tangential stress relaxation. Closure relations tailored to the expected high-pressure states are proposed and calibrated for the materials of interest. Sharp interface resolution is achieved by employing level-set functions to track boundary motion, along with a ghost material method to capture the necessary internal boundary conditions for material interactions and stress-free surfaces. The approach is demonstrated for the simulation of high velocity impacts of steel projectiles on aluminium target plates in two and three dimensions.

Barton, Philip T.↗

Coupled numerical approach combining finite volume and lattice Boltzmann methods for multi-scale multi-physicochemical processes

A coupled (hybrid) simulation strategy spatially combining the finite volume method (FVM) and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), called CFVLBM, is developed to simulate coupled multi-scale multi-physicochemical processes. In the CFVLBM, computational domain of multi-scale problems is divided into two sub-domains, i.e., an open, free fluid region and a region filled with porous materials. The FVM and LBM are used for these two regions, respectively, with information exchanged at the interface between the two sub-domains. A general reconstruction operator (RO) is proposed to derive the distribution functions in the LBM from the corresponding macro scalar, the governing equation of which obeys the convection–diffusion equation. The CFVLBM and the RO are validated in several typical physicochemical problems and then are applied to simulate complex multi-scale coupled fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transport, and chemical reaction in a wall-coated micro reactor. The maximum ratio of the grid size between the FVM and LBM regions is explored and discussed. -- Highlights: •A coupled simulation strategy for simulating multi-scale phenomena is developed. •Finite volume method and lattice Boltzmann method are coupled. •A reconstruction operator is derived to transfer information at the sub-domains interface. •Coupled multi-scale multiple physicochemical processes in micro reactor are simulated. •Techniques to save computational resources and improve the efficiency are discussed.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Solution of 3D inverse scattering problems by combined inverse equivalent current and finite element methods

An approach combining boundary integral and finite element methods is introduced for the solution of three-dimensional inverse electromagnetic medium scattering problems. Based on the equivalence principle, unknown equivalent electric and magnetic surface current densities on a closed surface are utilized to decompose the inverse medium problem into two parts: a linear radiation problem and a nonlinear cavity problem. The first problem is formulated by a boundary integral equation, the computational burden of which is reduced by employing the multilevel fast multipole method (MLFMM). Reconstructed Cauchy data on the surface allows the utilization of the Lorentz reciprocity and the Poynting's theorems. Exploiting these theorems, the noise level and an initial guess are estimated for the cavity problem. Moreover, it is possible to determine whether the material is lossy or not. In the second problem, the estimated surface currents form inhomogeneous boundary conditions of the cavity problem. The cavity problem is formulated by the finite element technique and solved iteratively by the Gauss–Newton method to reconstruct the properties of the object. Regularization for both the first and the second problems is achieved by a Krylov subspace method. The proposed method is tested against both synthetic and experimental data and promising reconstruction results are obtained.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Wave propagation in anisotropic elastic materials and curvilinear coordinates using a summation-by-parts finite difference method

We develop a fourth order accurate finite difference method for solving the three-dimensional elastic wave equation in general heterogeneous anisotropic materials on curvilinear grids. The proposed method is an extension of the method for isotropic materials, previously described in the paper by Sjögreen and Petersson (2012) [11]. The method we proposed discretizes the anisotropic elastic wave equation in second order formulation, using a node centered finite difference method that satisfies the principle of summation by parts. The summation by parts technique results in a provably stable numerical method that is energy conserving. Also, we generalize and evaluate the super-grid far-field technique for truncating unbounded domains. Unlike the commonly used perfectly matched layers (PML), the super-grid technique is stable for general anisotropic material, because it is based on a coordinate stretching combined with an artificial dissipation. Moreover, the discretization satisfies an energy estimate, proving that the numerical approximation is stable. We demonstrate by numerical experiments that sufficiently wide super-grid layers result in very small artificial reflections. Applications of the proposed method are demonstrated by three-dimensional simulations of anisotropic wave propagation in crystals.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Single-cone finite difference scheme for the (2+1)D Dirac von Neumann equation

An explicit finite difference scheme is presented for the von Neumann equation for (2+1)D Dirac fermions. It is founded upon a staggered space–time grid which ensures a single-cone energy dispersion and performs the time-derivative in one sweep using a three-step leap-frog procedure. It enables a space–time-resolved numerical treatment of the mixed-state dynamics of Dirac fermions within the effective single-particle density matrix formalism. Energy-momentum dispersion, stability and convergence properties are derived. Elementary numerical tests to demonstrate stability properties use parameters which pertain to topological insulator surface states. A method for the simulation of charge injection from an electric contact is presented and tested numerically. Potential extensions of the scheme to a Dirac–Lindblad equation, real-space–time Green's function formulations, and higher-order finite-difference schemes are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

High-order asynchrony-tolerant finite difference schemes for partial differential equations

Synchronizations of processing elements (PEs) in massively parallel simulations, which arise due to communication or load imbalances between PEs, significantly affect the scalability of scientific applications. We have recently proposed a method based on finite-difference schemes to solve partial differential equations in an asynchronous fashion – synchronization between PEs is relaxed at a mathematical level. While standard schemes can maintain their stability in the presence of asynchrony, their accuracy is drastically affected. In this work, we present a general methodology to derive asynchrony-tolerant (AT) finite difference schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy, which can maintain their accuracy when synchronizations are relaxed. We show that there are several choices available in selecting a stencil to derive these schemes and discuss their effect on numerical and computational performance. We provide a simple classification of schemes based on the stencil and derive schemes that are representative of different classes. Their numerical error is rigorously analyzed within a statistical framework to obtain the overall accuracy of the solution. Results from numerical experiments are used to validate the performance of the schemes.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A three dimensional field formulation, and isogeometric solutions to point and line defects using Toupin's theory of gradient elasticity at finite strains

In this study, we present a field formulation for defects that draws from the classical representation of the cores as force dipoles. We write these dipoles as singular distributions. Exploiting the key insight that the variational setting is the only appropriate one for the theory of distributions, we arrive at universally applicable weak forms for defects in nonlinear elasticity. Remarkably, the standard, Galerkin finite element method yields numerical solutions for the elastic fields of defects that, when parameterized suitably, match very well with classical, linearized elasticity solutions. The true potential of our approach, however, lies in its easy extension to generate solutions to elastic fields of defects in the regime of nonlinear elasticity, and even more notably for Toupin's theory of gradient elasticity at finite strains (Toupin Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 11 (1962) 385). In computing these solutions we adopt recent numerical work on an isogeometric analytic framework that enabled the first three-dimensional solutions to general boundary value problems of Toupin's theory (Rudraraju et al. Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 278 (2014) 705). We first present exhaustive solutions to point defects, edge and screw dislocations, and a study on the energetics of interacting dislocations. Then, to demonstrate the generality and potential of our treatment, we apply it to other complex dislocation configurations, including loops and low-angle grain boundaries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗