Bouncing with shear: implications from quantum cosmology

We consider the introduction of anisotropy in a class of bouncing models of cosmology. The presence of anisotropy often spells doom on bouncing models, since the energy density due to the anisotropic stress outweighs that of other matter components, as the universe contracts. Different suggestions have been made in the literature to resolve this pathology, classically. Here, we introduce a family of bouncing models, in which the shear density can be tuned to either allow or forbid classical bouncing scenarios. Following which, we show that quantum cosmological considerations can drastically change the above scenario. Most importantly, we find that quantum effects can enable a bounce, even when the anisotropic stress is large enough to forbid the same classically. We employ the solutions of the appropriate mini-superspace Wheeler-deWitt equation for homogeneous, but anisotropic cosmologies, with the boundary condition that the universe is initially contracting. Intriguingly, the solution to the Wheeler-deWitt equation exhibit an interesting phase transition-like behaviour, wherein, the probability to have a bouncing universe is precisely unity before the shear density reaches a critical value and then starts to decrease abruptly as the shear density increases further. We verified our findings using the tools of the Lorentzian quantum cosmology, along with the application of the Picard-Lefschetz theory. In particular, the semi-classical probability for bounce has been re-derived from the imaginary component of the on-shell effective action, evaluated at the complex saddle points. Implications and future directions have also been discussed.

Fluid Gauge Theory

According to the general gauge principle, Fluid Gauge Theory is presented to cover a wider class of flow fields of a perfect fluid without internal energy dissipation under anisotropic stress field. Thus, the theory of fluid mechanics is extended to cover time dependent rotational flows under anisotropic stress field of a compressible perfect fluid, including turbulent flows. Eulerian fluid mechanics is characterized with isotropic pressure stress fields. The study is motivated from three observations. First one is experimental observations reporting large-scale structures coexisting with turbulent flow fields. This encourages a study of how such structures observed experimentally are possible in turbulent shear flows, Second one is a theoretical and mathematical observation: the ”General solution to Euler’s equation of motion” (found by Kambe in 2013) predicts a new set of four background-fields, existing in the linked 4d-spacetime. Third one is a physical query, ”what symmetry implies the current conservation law ?”. The latter two observations encourage a gauge-theoretic formulation by defining a differential one-form representing the interaction between the fluid-current field jμand a background field aμ.

On the uniqueness for weak solutions of steady double-phase fluids

We consider a double-phase non-Newtonian fluid, described by a stress tensor which is the sum of a p-Stokes and a q-Stokes stress tensor, with 1 < p<2 < q<∞. For a wide range of parameters (p, q), we prove the uniqueness of small solutions. We use the p < 2 features to obtain quadratic-type estimates for the stress-tensor, while we use the improved regularity coming from the term with q > 2 to justify calculations for weak solutions. Results are obtained through a careful use of the symmetries of the convective term and are also valid for rather general (even anisotropic) stress-tensors.

Anisotropic stress softening of residually stressed solids

Residual stress in purely elastic solids has been extensively studied in the literature. However, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the influence of residual stresses on anisotropic Mullins materials has not been studied. Hence, the aim of this paper is to propose an anisotropic phenomenological model to describe the Mullins phenomena for residually stressed elastomers; taking note that most materials are not purely elastic and some of them exhibit an anisotropic stress-softening phenomenon widely known as the Mullins effect. The anisotropic model is based on the use of direction-dependent damage parameters and a set of anisotropic spectral invariants presented recently in the literature by the author. The spectral invariants have a clear physical meaning that is useful in aiding the design of a rigorous experiment to construct a specific form of constitutive equation. Since boundary value results for residually stressed Mullins material are not found in the literature, the effect of residual stresses on the Mullins phenomena in simple tension, torsion and equibiaxial deformations is discussed in this paper.