Generalized Empirical Interpolation Method With H1 Regularization: Application to Nuclear Reactor Physics

The generalized empirical interpolation method (GEIM) can be used to estimate the physical field by combining observation data acquired from the physical system itself and a reduced model of the underlying physical system. In presence of observation noise, the estimation error of the GEIM is blurred even diverged. We propose to address this issue by imposing a smooth constraint, namely, to constrain the H1 semi-norm of the reconstructed field of the reduced model. The efficiency of the approach, which we will call the H1 regularization GEIM (R-GEIM), is illustrated by numerical experiments of a typical IAEA benchmark problem in nuclear reactor physics. A theoretical analysis of the proposed R-GEIM will be presented in future works.

Error propagation dynamics of PIV-based pressure field calculation (3): What is the minimum resolvable pressure in a reconstructed field?

An analytical framework for the propagation of velocity errors into PIV-based pressure calculation is established. Based on this framework, the optimal spatial resolution and the corresponding minimum field-wide error level in the calculated pressure field are estimated. This minimum error is viewed as the smallest resolvable pressure. We find that the optimal spatial resolution is a function of the flow features, geometry of the flow domain, and the type of the boundary conditions, in addition to the error in the PIV experiments, making a general statement about pressure sensitivity is difficult. The minimum resolvable pressure is affected by competing effects from the experimental error due to PIV and the truncation error from the numerical solver. This means that PIV experiments motivated by pressure measurements must be carefully designed so that the optimal resolution (or close to the optimal resolution) is used. Flows (Re=1.27 × 104 and 5×104) with exact solutions are used as examples to validate the theoretical predictions of the optimal spatial resolutions and pressure sensitivity. The numerical experimental results agree well with the analytical predictions.

A Mathematical Model to Assess Occupant Compartment Intrusion on Rear Occupant Responses in Rear Crashes

Rear occupant protection in rear crashes is a complex issue. Structural intrusion has been shown to be a significant factor in the injury mechanism of second-row children. In this study, a new model was developed to help quantify dynamic second-row intrusion, in terms of displacement, velocity, and acceleration, and assess its effect on rear occupant responses as a function of time. A mathematical model was developed using crash test data based on two reconstructed field accidents involving two different rear-ended vehicles with second-row children. The model also used the corresponding FMVSS 301R-type rear barrier tests of a similar vehicle. The crash test pulse data and videos from FMVSS 301R-type tests were analyzed to determine the timing and magnitude of second-row intrusion. Crash tests that had been conducted to simulate the field accidents were then used to validate the model. These tests included instrumented ATDs (Anthropometric Test Device) seated in the second-row area of the struck vehicles. The biomechanical responses were used to assess the validity of the mathematical model. Comparison between the mathematical model and the test data showed good agreement. For example, the model correctly showed that the dynamic second-row intrusion was greater than residual/static intrusion/displacement. The model also predicted accelerations that were in good agreement with the test data. Video analysis and head/chest acceleration time histories of the ATD’s indicated that intrusion occurred early and was an important factor in the occupant responses. Both the extent and velocity of dynamic intrusion also influenced the biomechanical responses. The model predicted head and chest accelerations that were greater than the overall vehicle accelerations due to localized structural intrusion. The mathematical model developed in this study is a first to assess the dynamic effect of second-row intrusion on rear occupant responses. Identifying factors that influence injury mechanisms are important when assessing the potential effectiveness of countermeasures.

How many proxy are necessary to reconstruct the temperature of the last millennium?

<p><span>Decades of scientific fieldwork have provided extensive sets of paleoclimate records to reconstruct the climate of the past at local, regional, and global scales. Within this context, the paleoclimate community is continuously undertaking new measuring campaigns to obtain long and reliable proxies. However, as most paleoclimate archives are restricted to land regions of the Northern Hemisphere, increasing the number of proxy records to improve the skill of climate field reconstructions might not always be the best strategy. </span></p><p> </p><p><span>By generating pseudo-proxies from several model ensembles at the locations matching the records of the PAGES-2k network, we show how biologically-inspired artificial intelligence can be coupled with reconstruction methods to find the set of representative locations that minimizes the bias in global temperature field reconstructions induced by the non-homogeneous distribution of proxy records. </span></p><p> </p><p><span>Our results indicate that small sets of perfect pseudo-proxies situated over key locations of the PAGES-2k network can outperform the reconstruction skill obtained with all available records. They highlight the importance of high latitudes and major teleconnection areas to reconstruct temperature fields at annual timescales. However, long-term temperature variations are better reconstructed by records situated at lower latitudes. According to our experiments, a careful selection of proxy locations should be performed depending on the targeted time scale of the reconstructed field.</span></p>

Miniaturized beamsplitters realized by X-ray waveguides

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of X-ray waveguide beamsplitters. The waveguide channels were manufactured by electron-beam lithography, reactive ion etching and wafer bonding techniques, with an empty (air) channel forming the guiding layer and silicon the cladding material. A focused synchrotron beam is efficiently coupled into the input channel. The beam is guided and split into two channels with a controlled (and tunable) distance at the exit of the waveguide chip. After free-space propagation and diffraction broadening, the two beams interfere and form a double-slit interference pattern in the far-field. From the recorded far-field, the near-field was reconstructed by a phase retrieval algorithm (error reduction), which was found to be extremely reliable for the two-channel setting. By numerical propagation methods, the reconstructed field was then propagated along the optical axis, to investigate the formation of the interference pattern from the two overlapping beams. Interestingly, phase vortices were observed and analysed.

Drought resistance at the seedling stage in the promising fodder plant tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata)

The perennial legume Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirt. var. albomarginata (tedera) has been identified as a promising fodder plant for the southern Australian wheatbelt, but little is known about its drought resistance as a seedling. This study was conducted to (i) examine physiological and morphological responses to water stress of seedlings of tedera, in comparison with lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.) and Afghan melon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.), and (ii) investigate drought adaptation mechanisms of tedera seedlings. Seedlings were grown in a reconstructed field soil profile in pots in a glasshouse. By 25 days after sowing (DAS), plants of all species in the drought-stressed (DS) treatment had experienced water stress, with an average leaf relative water content (RWC) of 66% in DS compared with 79% in well-watered (WW) plants. Tedera, biserrula and Afghan melon maintained a higher RWC than lucerne. At 25 DAS, reductions in shoot dry matter in the DS treatment differed between species: 52% for Afghan melon, 36% for biserrula, 27% for lucerne, and no significant reduction for tedera. Paraheliotropic leaf angles of biserrula, lucerne and tedera were all higher in the DS treatment than in the WW treatment at 25, 32 and 52 DAS. This study revealed significant differences in rooting depth and stomatal conductance between the three legume species when under water stress, with tedera being the most drought-resistant. Traits that may allow tedera to survive a dry period following opening rains include vigorous seedling growth, early taproot elongation, effective stomatal control and paraheliotropic leaf movements.