WorldWideScience

Sample records for dynamic visuomotor rotations

  1. The interference effects of non-rotated versus counter-rotated trials in visuomotor adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinder, Mark R; Walk, Laura; Woolley, Daniel G; Riek, Stephan; Carson, Richard G

    2007-07-01

    An isometric torque-production task was used to investigate interference and retention in adaptation to multiple visuomotor environments. Subjects produced isometric flexion-extension and pronation-supination elbow torques to move a cursor to acquire targets as quickly as possible. Adaptation to a 30 degrees counter-clockwise (CCW) rotation (task A), was followed by a period of rest (control), trials with no rotation (task B0), or trials with a 60 degrees clockwise (CW) rotation (task B60). For all groups, retention of task A was assessed 5 h later. With initial training, all groups reduced the angular deviation of cursor paths early in the movements, indicating feedforward adaptation. For the control group, performance at commencement of the retest was significantly better than that at the beginning of the initial learning. For the B0 group, performance in the retest of task A was not dissimilar to that at the start of the initial learning, while for the B60 group retest performance in task A was markedly worse than initially observed. Our results indicate that close juxtaposition of two visuomotor environments precludes improved retest performance in the initial environment. Data for the B60 group, specifically larger angular errors upon retest compared with initial exposures, are consistent with the presence of anterograde interference. Furthermore, full interference occurred even when the visuomotor environment encountered in the second task was not rotated (B0). This latter novel result differs from those obtained for force field learning, where interference does not occur when task B does not impose perturbing forces, i.e., when B consists of a null field (Brashers-Krug et al., Nature 382:252-255, 1996). The results are consistent with recent proposals suggesting different interference mechanisms for visuomotor (kinematic) compared to force field (dynamic) adaptations, and have implications for the use of washout trials when studying interference between

  2. Generalization of stochastic visuomotor rotations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hugo L Fernandes

    Full Text Available Generalization studies examine the influence of perturbations imposed on one movement onto other movements. The strength of generalization is traditionally interpreted as a reflection of the similarity of the underlying neural representations. Uncertainty fundamentally affects both sensory integration and learning and is at the heart of many theories of neural representation. However, little is known about how uncertainty, resulting from variability in the environment, affects generalization curves. Here we extend standard movement generalization experiments to ask how uncertainty affects the generalization of visuomotor rotations. We find that although uncertainty affects how fast subjects learn, the perturbation generalizes independently of uncertainty.

  3. Effect of visuomotor-map uncertainty on visuomotor adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saijo, Naoki; Gomi, Hiroaki

    2012-03-01

    Vision and proprioception contribute to generating hand movement. If a conflict between the visual and proprioceptive feedback of hand position is given, reaching movement is disturbed initially but recovers after training. Although previous studies have predominantly investigated the adaptive change in the motor output, it is unclear whether the contributions of visual and proprioceptive feedback controls to the reaching movement are modified by visuomotor adaptation. To investigate this, we focused on the change in proprioceptive feedback control associated with visuomotor adaptation. After the adaptation to gradually introduce visuomotor rotation, the hand reached the shifted position of the visual target to move the cursor to the visual target correctly. When the cursor feedback was occasionally eliminated (probe trial), the end point of the hand movement was biased in the visual-target direction, while the movement was initiated in the adapted direction, suggesting the incomplete adaptation of proprioceptive feedback control. Moreover, after the learning of uncertain visuomotor rotation, in which the rotation angle was randomly fluctuated on a trial-by-trial basis, the end-point bias in the probe trial increased, but the initial movement direction was not affected, suggesting a reduction in the adaptation level of proprioceptive feedback control. These results suggest that the change in the relative contribution of visual and proprioceptive feedback controls to the reaching movement in response to the visuomotor-map uncertainty is involved in visuomotor adaptation, whereas feedforward control might adapt in a manner different from that of the feedback control.

  4. The impact of augmented information on visuo-motor adaptation in younger and older adults.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Hegele

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Adjustment to a visuo-motor rotation is known to be affected by ageing. According to previous studies, the age-related differences primarily pertain to the use of strategic corrections and the generation of explicit knowledge on which strategic corrections are based, whereas the acquisition of an (implicit internal model of the novel visuo-motor transformation is unaffected. The present study aimed to assess the impact of augmented information on the age-related variation of visuo-motor adjustments. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants performed aiming movements controlling a cursor on a computer screen. Visual feedback of direction of cursor motion was rotated 75 degrees relative to the direction of hand motion. Participants had to adjust to this rotation in the presence and absence of an additional hand-movement target that explicitly depicted the input-output relations of the visuo-motor transformation. An extensive set of tests was employed in order to disentangle the contributions of different processes to visuo-motor adjustment. Results show that the augmented information failed to affect the age-related variations of explicit knowledge, adaptive shifts, and aftereffects in a substantial way, whereas it clearly affected initial direction errors during practice and proprioceptive realignment. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expectations, older participants apparently made no use of the augmented information, whereas younger participants used the additional movement target to reduce initial direction errors early during practice. However, after a first block of trials errors increased, indicating a neglect of the augmented information, and only slowly declined thereafter. A hypothetical dual-task account of these findings is discussed. The use of the augmented information also led to a selective impairment of proprioceptive realignment in the younger group. The mere finding of proprioceptive realignment in adaptation to a visuo-motor

  5. Estimating the implicit component of visuomotor rotation learning by constraining movement preparation time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leow, Li-Ann; Gunn, Reece; Marinovic, Welber; Carroll, Timothy J

    2017-08-01

    When sensory feedback is perturbed, accurate movement is restored by a combination of implicit processes and deliberate reaiming to strategically compensate for errors. Here, we directly compare two methods used previously to dissociate implicit from explicit learning on a trial-by-trial basis: 1 ) asking participants to report the direction that they aim their movements, and contrasting this with the directions of the target and the movement that they actually produce, and 2 ) manipulating movement preparation time. By instructing participants to reaim without a sensory perturbation, we show that reaiming is possible even with the shortest possible preparation times, particularly when targets are narrowly distributed. Nonetheless, reaiming is effortful and comes at the cost of increased variability, so we tested whether constraining preparation time is sufficient to suppress strategic reaiming during adaptation to visuomotor rotation with a broad target distribution. The rate and extent of error reduction under preparation time constraints were similar to estimates of implicit learning obtained from self-report without time pressure, suggesting that participants chose not to apply a reaiming strategy to correct visual errors under time pressure. Surprisingly, participants who reported aiming directions showed less implicit learning according to an alternative measure, obtained during trials performed without visual feedback. This suggests that the process of reporting can affect the extent or persistence of implicit learning. The data extend existing evidence that restricting preparation time can suppress explicit reaiming and provide an estimate of implicit visuomotor rotation learning that does not require participants to report their aiming directions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY During sensorimotor adaptation, implicit error-driven learning can be isolated from explicit strategy-driven reaiming by subtracting self-reported aiming directions from movement directions, or

  6. Robustness of muscle synergies during visuomotor adaptation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reinhard eGentner

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available During visuomotor adaptation a novel mapping between visual targets and motor commands is gradually acquired. How muscle activation patterns are affected by this process is an open question. We tested whether the structure of muscle synergies is preserved during adaptation to a visuomotor rotation. Eight subjects applied targeted isometric forces on a handle instrumented with a force transducer while electromyographic (EMG activity was recorded from 13 shoulder and elbow muscles. The recorded forces were mapped into horizontal displacements of a virtual sphere with simulated mass, elasticity, and damping. The task consisted of moving the sphere to a target at one of eight equally spaced directions. Subjects performed three baseline blocks of 32 trials, followed by six blocks with a 45° CW rotation applied to the planar force, and finally three wash-out blocks without the perturbation. The sphere position at 100 ms after movement onset revealed significant directional error at the beginning of the rotation, a gradual learning in subsequent blocks, and aftereffects at the beginning of the wash-out. The change in initial force direction was closely related to the change in directional tuning of the initial EMG activity of most muscles. Throughout the experiment muscle synergies extracted using a non-negative matrix factorization algorithm from the muscle patterns recorded during the baseline blocks could reconstruct the muscle patterns of all other blocks with an accuracy significantly higher than chance indicating structural robustness. In addition, the synergies extracted from individual blocks remained similar to the baseline synergies throughout the experiment. Thus synergy structure is robust during visuomotor adaptation suggesting that changes in muscle patterns are obtained by rotating the directional tuning of the synergy recruitment.

  7. Variance in exposed perturbations impairs retention of visuomotor adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canaveral, Cesar Augusto; Danion, Frédéric; Berrigan, Félix; Bernier, Pierre-Michel

    2017-11-01

    Sensorimotor control requires an accurate estimate of the state of the body. The brain optimizes state estimation by combining sensory signals with predictions of the sensory consequences of motor commands using a forward model. Given that both sensory signals and predictions are uncertain (i.e., noisy), the brain optimally weights the relative reliance on each source of information during adaptation. In support, it is known that uncertainty in the sensory predictions influences the rate and generalization of visuomotor adaptation. We investigated whether uncertainty in the sensory predictions affects the retention of a new visuomotor relationship. This was done by exposing three separate groups to a visuomotor rotation whose mean was common at 15° counterclockwise but whose variance around the mean differed (i.e., SD of 0°, 3.2°, or 4.5°). Retention was assessed by measuring the persistence of the adapted behavior in a no-vision phase. Results revealed that mean reach direction late in adaptation was similar across groups, suggesting it depended mainly on the mean of exposed rotations and was robust to differences in variance. However, retention differed across groups, with higher levels of variance being associated with a more rapid reversion toward nonadapted behavior. A control experiment ruled out the possibility that differences in retention were accounted for by differences in success rates. Exposure to variable rotations may have increased the uncertainty in sensory predictions, making the adapted forward model more labile and susceptible to change or decay. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The brain predicts the sensory consequences of motor commands through a forward model. These predictions are subject to uncertainty. We use visuomotor adaptation and modulate uncertainty in the sensory predictions by manipulating the variance in exposed rotations. Results reveal that variance does not influence the final extent of adaptation but selectively impairs the retention of

  8. Assessing visuospatial abilities in healthy aging: A novel visuomotor task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie eDe Bruin

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the efficacy of a novel reaching-and-grasping task in determining visuospatial abilities across adulthood. The task required male and female young (18-25 years and older adults (60-82 years to replicate a series of complex models by locating and retrieving the appropriate building blocks from an array. The task allows visuospatial complexity to be manipulated independently from the visuomotor demands. Mental rotation and spatial visualisation abilities were assessed. The results showed that the time taken to complete the tasks increased with increased mental rotation complexity. Patterns of hand use were also influenced by the complexity of the models being constructed with right hand use being greater for the less complex models. In addition, although older adults consistently performed the visuomotor tasks slower than the younger adults, their performance was comparable when expressed as the percent change in task demands. This is suggestive that spatial abilities are preserved in older adults. Given the ecologically validity, the described task is an excellent candidate for investigating (1 developmental, (2 sex-based and (3 pathology-based differences in spatial abilities in the visuomotor domain.

  9. Visuomotor adaptation in head-mounted virtual reality versus conventional training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anglin, J. M.; Sugiyama, T.; Liew, S.-L.

    2017-01-01

    Immersive, head-mounted virtual reality (HMD-VR) provides a unique opportunity to understand how changes in sensory environments affect motor learning. However, potential differences in mechanisms of motor learning and adaptation in HMD-VR versus a conventional training (CT) environment have not been extensively explored. Here, we investigated whether adaptation on a visuomotor rotation task in HMD-VR yields similar adaptation effects in CT and whether these effects are achieved through similar mechanisms. Specifically, recent work has shown that visuomotor adaptation may occur via both an implicit, error-based internal model and a more cognitive, explicit strategic component. We sought to measure both overall adaptation and balance between implicit and explicit mechanisms in HMD-VR versus CT. Twenty-four healthy individuals were placed in either HMD-VR or CT and trained on an identical visuomotor adaptation task that measured both implicit and explicit components. Our results showed that the overall timecourse of adaption was similar in both HMD-VR and CT. However, HMD-VR participants utilized a greater cognitive strategy than CT, while CT participants engaged in greater implicit learning. These results suggest that while both conditions produce similar results in overall adaptation, the mechanisms by which visuomotor adaption occurs in HMD-VR appear to be more reliant on cognitive strategies. PMID:28374808

  10. Playing Action Video Games Improves Visuomotor Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Li; Chen, Rongrong; Chen, Jing

    2016-08-01

    Can playing action video games improve visuomotor control? If so, can these games be used in training people to perform daily visuomotor-control tasks, such as driving? We found that action gamers have better lane-keeping and visuomotor-control skills than do non-action gamers. We then trained non-action gamers with action or nonaction video games. After they played a driving or first-person-shooter video game for 5 or 10 hr, their visuomotor control improved significantly. In contrast, non-action gamers showed no such improvement after they played a nonaction video game. Our model-driven analysis revealed that although different action video games have different effects on the sensorimotor system underlying visuomotor control, action gaming in general improves the responsiveness of the sensorimotor system to input error signals. The findings support a causal link between action gaming (for as little as 5 hr) and enhancement in visuomotor control, and suggest that action video games can be beneficial training tools for driving. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Stimulating the cerebellum affects visuomotor adaptation but not intermanual transfer of learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Block, Hannah; Celnik, Pablo

    2013-12-01

    When systematic movement errors occur, the brain responds with a systematic change in motor behavior. This type of adaptive motor learning can transfer intermanually; adaptation of movements of the right hand in response to training with a perturbed visual signal (visuomotor adaptation) may carry over to the left hand. While visuomotor adaptation has been studied extensively, it is unclear whether the cerebellum, a structure involved in adaptation, is important for intermanual transfer as well. We addressed this question with three experiments in which subjects reached with their right hands as a 30° visuomotor rotation was introduced. Subjects received anodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation on the trained (experiment 1) or untrained (experiment 2) hemisphere of the cerebellum, or, for comparison, motor cortex (M1). After the training period, subjects reached with their left hand, without visual feedback, to assess intermanual transfer of learning aftereffects. Stimulation of the right cerebellum caused faster adaptation, but none of the stimulation sites affected transfer. To ascertain whether cerebellar stimulation would increase transfer if subjects learned faster as well as a larger amount, in experiment 3 anodal and sham cerebellar groups experienced a shortened training block such that the anodal group learned more than sham. Despite the difference in adaptation magnitude, transfer was similar across these groups, although smaller than in experiment 1. Our results suggest that intermanual transfer of visuomotor learning does not depend on cerebellar activity and that the number of movements performed at plateau is an important predictor of transfer.

  12. Visuomotor cerebellum in human and nonhuman primates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voogd, Jan; Schraa-Tam, Caroline K L; van der Geest, Jos N; De Zeeuw, Chris I

    2012-06-01

    In this paper, we will review the anatomical components of the visuomotor cerebellum in human and, where possible, in non-human primates and discuss their function in relation to those of extracerebellar visuomotor regions with which they are connected. The floccular lobe, the dorsal paraflocculus, the oculomotor vermis, the uvula-nodulus, and the ansiform lobule are more or less independent components of the visuomotor cerebellum that are involved in different corticocerebellar and/or brain stem olivocerebellar loops. The floccular lobe and the oculomotor vermis share different mossy fiber inputs from the brain stem; the dorsal paraflocculus and the ansiform lobule receive corticopontine mossy fibers from postrolandic visual areas and the frontal eye fields, respectively. Of the visuomotor functions of the cerebellum, the vestibulo-ocular reflex is controlled by the floccular lobe; saccadic eye movements are controlled by the oculomotor vermis and ansiform lobule, while control of smooth pursuit involves all these cerebellar visuomotor regions. Functional imaging studies in humans further emphasize cerebellar involvement in visual reflexive eye movements and are discussed.

  13. Brain-computer interface analysis of a dynamic visuo-motor task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logar, Vito; Belič, Aleš

    2011-01-01

    The area of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) represents one of the more interesting fields in neurophysiological research, since it investigates the development of the machines that perform different transformations of the brain's "thoughts" to certain pre-defined actions. Experimental studies have reported some successful implementations of BCIs; however, much of the field still remains unexplored. According to some recent reports the phase coding of informational content is an important mechanism in the brain's function and cognition, and has the potential to explain various mechanisms of the brain's data transfer, but it has yet to be scrutinized in the context of brain-computer interface. Therefore, if the mechanism of phase coding is plausible, one should be able to extract the phase-coded content, carried by brain signals, using appropriate signal-processing methods. In our previous studies we have shown that by using a phase-demodulation-based signal-processing approach it is possible to decode some relevant information on the current motor action in the brain from electroencephalographic (EEG) data. In this paper the authors would like to present a continuation of their previous work on the brain-information-decoding analysis of visuo-motor (VM) tasks. The present study shows that EEG data measured during more complex, dynamic visuo-motor (dVM) tasks carries enough information about the currently performed motor action to be successfully extracted by using the appropriate signal-processing and identification methods. The aim of this paper is therefore to present a mathematical model, which by means of the EEG measurements as its inputs predicts the course of the wrist movements as applied by each subject during the task in simulated or real time (BCI analysis). However, several modifications to the existing methodology are needed to achieve optimal decoding results and a real-time, data-processing ability. The information extracted from the EEG could

  14. Neural Correlates of Expert Visuomotor Performance in Badminton Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hülsdünker, Thorben; Strüder, Heiko K; Mierau, Andreas

    2016-11-01

    Elite/skilled athletes participating in sports that require the initiation of targeted movements in response to visual cues under critical time pressure typically outperform nonathletes in a visuomotor reaction task. However, the exact physiological mechanisms of this advantage remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the neurophysiological processes contributing to superior visuomotor performance in athletes using visual evoked potential (VEP). Central and peripheral determinants of visuomotor reaction time were investigated in 15 skilled badminton players and 28 age-matched nonathletic controls. To determine the speed of visual signal perception in the cortex, chromatic and achromatic pattern reversal stimuli were presented, and VEP values were recorded with a 64-channel EEG system. Further, a simple visuomotor reaction task was performed to investigate the transformation of the visual into a motor signal in the brain as well as the timing of muscular activation. Amplitude and latency of VEP (N75, P100, and N145) revealed that the athletes did not significantly differ from the nonathletes. However, visuomotor reaction time was significantly reduced in the athletes compared with nonathletes (athletes = 234.9 ms, nonathletes = 260.3 ms, P = 0.015). This was accompanied by an earlier activation of the premotor and supplementary motor areas (athletes = 163.9 ms, nonathletes = 199.1 ms, P = 0.015) as well as an earlier EMG onset (athletes = 167.5 ms, nonathletes = 206.5 ms, P < 0.001). The latency of premotor and supplementary motor area activation was correlated with EMG onset (r = 0.41) and visuomotor reaction time (r = 0.43). The results of this study indicate that superior visuomotor performance in athletes originates from faster visuomotor transformation in the premotor and supplementary motor cortical regions rather than from earlier perception of visual signals in the visual cortex.

  15. Visuomotor mental rotation: the reaction time advantage for anti-pointing is not influenced by perceptual experience with the cardinal axes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neely, Kristina A; Heath, Matthew

    2010-03-01

    In the visuomotor mental rotation (VMR) paradigm, participants execute a center-out reaching movement to a location that deviates from a visual cue by a predetermined instruction angle. Previous work has demonstrated a linear increase in reaction time (RT) as a function of the amplitude of the instruction angle (Georgopoulos and Massey in Exp Brain Res 65:361-370, 1987). In contrast, we recently reported a RT advantage for an instruction angle of 180 degrees relative to a 90 degrees angle (Neely and Heath in Neurosci Lett 463:194-198, 2009). It is possible, however, that perceptual expertise with the cardinal axes, which are perceptually familiar reference frames, influenced the results of our previous investigation. To address this issue, we employed a VMR paradigm identical to that of our previous work, with the exception that the stimulus array was shifted 45 degrees from the horizontal and vertical meridians. Our results demonstrated that RTs were fastest and least variable when the instruction angle was 0 degrees, followed by 180 degrees, which in turn, was faster than 90 degrees. Such findings establish that the RT advantage for the 180 degrees instruction angle is not influenced by perceptual expertise with the cardinal axes. Moreover, the present results provide convergent evidence that RT is not determined by the angle of rotation; instead, they indicate that response latencies reflect computational differences in the complexity of response remapping.

  16. Influence of divergent and convergent thinking on visuomotor adaptation in young and older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Anja; Bock, Otmar

    2016-04-01

    Visuomotor adaptation declines in older age. This has been attributed to cognitive impairments. One relevant cognitive function could be creativity, since creativity is implicated as mediator of early learning. The present study therefore evaluates whether two aspects of creativity, divergent and convergent thinking, are differentially involved in the age-dependent decline of visuomotor adaptation. In 25 young and 24 older volunteers, divergent thinking was assessed by the alternative-uses-task (AUT), convergent thinking by the Intelligenz-Struktur-Test-2000 (IST), and sensorimotor-adaptation by a pointing task with 60° rotated visual feedback. Young participants outperformed older participants in all three tasks. AUT scores were positively associated with young but not older participants' adaptive performance, whereas IST scores were negatively associated with older but not young participants' adaptive performance. This pattern of findings could be attributed to a consistent relationship between AUT, IST and adaptation; taking this into account, adaptation deficits of older participants were no longer significant. We conclude that divergent thinking supports workaround-strategies during adaptation, but doesn't influence visuomotor recalibration. Furthermore, the decay of divergent thinking in older adults may explain most of age-related decline of adaptive strategies. When the age-related decay of divergent thinking coincides with well-preserved convergent thinking, adaptation suffers most. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Effects of aging on strategic-based visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfonso Uresti-Cabrera, Luis; Vaca-Palomares, Israel; Diaz, Rosalinda; Beltran-Parrazal, Luis; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2015-08-27

    There are different kinds of visuomotor learnings. One of the most studied is error-based learning where the information about the sign and magnitude of the error is used to update the motor commands. However, there are other instances where subjects show visuomotor learning even if the use of error sign and magnitude information is precluded. In those instances subjects could be using strategic instead of procedural adaptation mechanisms. Here, we present the results of the effect of aging on visuomotor strategic learning under a reversed error feedback condition, and its contrast with procedural visuomotor learning within the same participants. A number of measures were obtained from a task consisting of throwing clay balls to a target before, during and after wearing lateral displacing or reversing prisms. The displacing prism results show an age dependent decrease on the learning rate that corroborates previous findings. The reversing prism results also show significant adaptation impairment in the aged population. However, decreased reversing learning in the older group was the result of an increase in the number of subjects that could not adapt to the reversing prism, and not on a reduction of the learning capacity of all the individuals of the group. These results suggest a significant deleterious effect of aging on visuomotor strategic learning implementation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Long lasting attentional-context dependent visuomotor memory

    OpenAIRE

    Im, Hee Yeon; Bédard, Patrick; Song, Joo-Hyun

    2016-01-01

    Using a dual-task paradigm, we recently reported that visuomotor adaptation acquired under distraction of a secondary attention-demanding discrimination task could be remembered only when a similar distraction was present. In contrast, when tested without the distracting task, performance reverted to untrained levels (Song & Bédard, 2015). Here, we demonstrated that this newfound paradoxical benefits of consistent dual-task context lasts over one day, such that visuomotor memory retrieval is ...

  19. Cross-sectional evaluation of visuomotor tracking performance following subconcussive head impacts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brokaw, E B; Fine, M S; Kindschi, K E; Santago Ii, A C; Lum, P S; Higgins, M

    2018-01-01

    Repeated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been associated with increased risk of degenerative neurological disorders. While the effects of mTBI and repeated injury are known, studies have only recently started examining repeated subconcussive impacts, impacts that do not result in a clinically diagnosed mTBI. In these studies, repeated subconcussive impacts have been connected to cognitive performance and brain imaging changes. Recent research suggests that performance on a visuomotor tracking (VMT) task may help improve the identification of mTBI. The goal of this study was to investigate if VMT performance is sensitive to the cumulative effect of repeated subconcussive head impacts in collegiate men's lacrosse players. A cross-sectional, prospective study was completed with eleven collegiate men's lacrosse players. Participants wore helmet-mounted sensors and completed VMT and reaction time assessments. The relationship between cumulative impact metrics and VMT metrics were investigated. In this study, VMT performance correlated with repeated subconcussive head impacts; individuals approached clinically diagnosed mTBI-like performance as the cumulative rotational velocity they experienced increased. This suggests that repeated subconcussive impacts can result in measurable impairments and indicates that visuomotor tracking performance may be a useful tool for monitoring the effects of repeated subconcussive impacts.

  20. Age-related variations of visuo-motor adaptation beyond explicit knowledge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herbert eHeuer

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Visuo-motor adaptation suffers at older working age. The age-related decline of behavioural adjustments is accompanied by reduced explicit knowledge of the visuo-motor transformation. It disappears when explicit knowledge is kept constant across the age range, except for particularly high levels of explicit knowledge. According to these findings, at older adult age both the acquisition of explicit knowledge and its application for strategic corrections become poorer. Recently it has been posited that visuo-motor adaptation can involve model-free reinforcement mechanisms of learning in addition to model-based mechanisms. We tested whether age-related declines of reinforcement learning can also contribute to the age-related changes of visuo-motor adaptation. Therefore we enhanced the contribution of reinforcement learning to visuo-motor adaptation by way of introducing salient markers of success and failure during practice. With such modified practice conditions, there were residual age-related variations of behavioural adjustments at all levels of explicit knowledge, even when explicit knowledge was absent. The residual age-related variations were observed for practiced target directions only, but not for new target directions. These findings are consistent with an age-related decline of model-free reinforcement learning as a third factor in the age-related decline of visuo-motor adaptation. Under practice conditions, which spur model-free reward-based learning, this factor adds to the decrements of the acquisition of explicit knowledge and its use for strategic corrections.

  1. The Effect of Spatial Working Memory Deterioration on Strategic Visuomotor Learning across Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uresti-Cabrera, Luis A; Diaz, Rosalinda; Vaca-Palomares, Israel; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of age-related cognitive changes in a visuomotor learning task that depends on strategic control and contrast it with the effect in a task principally depending on visuomotor recalibration. Participants performed a ball throwing task while donning either a reversing dove prism or a displacement wedge prism, which mainly depend on strategic control or visuomotor recalibration, respectively. Visuomotor performance was then analysed in relation to rule acquisition and reversal, recognition memory, visual memory, spatial planning, and spatial working memory with tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The results confirmed previous works showing a detrimental effect of age on visuomotor learning. The analyses of the cognitive changes observed across age showed that both strategic control and visuomotor recalibration had significant negative correlations only with the number of errors in the spatial working memory task. However, when the effect of aging was controlled, the only significant correlation remaining was between the reversal adaptation magnitude and spatial working memory. These results suggest that spatial working memory decline across aging could contribute to age-dependent deterioration in both visuomotor learning processes. However, spatial working memory integrity seems to affect strategic learning decline even after controlling for aging.

  2. The Effect of Spatial Working Memory Deterioration on Strategic Visuomotor Learning across Aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis A. Uresti-Cabrera

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the effect of age-related cognitive changes in a visuomotor learning task that depends on strategic control and contrast it with the effect in a task principally depending on visuomotor recalibration. Methods. Participants performed a ball throwing task while donning either a reversing dove prism or a displacement wedge prism, which mainly depend on strategic control or visuomotor recalibration, respectively. Visuomotor performance was then analysed in relation to rule acquisition and reversal, recognition memory, visual memory, spatial planning, and spatial working memory with tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB. Results. The results confirmed previous works showing a detrimental effect of age on visuomotor learning. The analyses of the cognitive changes observed across age showed that both strategic control and visuomotor recalibration had significant negative correlations only with the number of errors in the spatial working memory task. However, when the effect of aging was controlled, the only significant correlation remaining was between the reversal adaptation magnitude and spatial working memory. Discussion. These results suggest that spatial working memory decline across aging could contribute to age-dependent deterioration in both visuomotor learning processes. However, spatial working memory integrity seems to affect strategic learning decline even after controlling for aging.

  3. Effects of context on visuomotor interference depends on the perspective of observed actions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Bortoletto

    Full Text Available Visuomotor interference occurs when the execution of an action is facilitated by the concurrent observation of the same action and hindered by the concurrent observation of a different action. There is evidence that visuomotor interference can be modulated top-down by higher cognitive functions, depending on whether own performed actions or observed actions are selectively attended. Here, we studied whether these effects of cognitive context on visuomotor interference are also dependent on the point-of-view of the observed action. We employed a delayed go/no-go task known to induce visuomotor interference. Static images of hand gestures in either egocentric or allocentric perspective were presented as "go" stimuli after participants were pre-cued to prepare either a matching (congruent or non-matching (incongruent action. Participants performed this task in two different cognitive contexts: In one, they focused on the visual image of the hand gesture shown as the go stimulus (image context, whereas in the other they focused on the hand gesture they performed (action context. We analyzed reaction times to initiate the prepared action upon presentation of the gesture image and found evidence of visuomotor interference in both contexts and for both perspectives. Strikingly, results show that the effect of cognitive context on visuomotor interference also depends on the perspective of observed actions. When focusing on own-actions, visuomotor interference was significantly less for gesture images in allocentric perspective than in egocentric perspective; when focusing on observed actions, visuomotor interference was present regardless of the perspective of the gesture image. Overall these data suggest that visuomotor interference may be modulated by higher cognitive processes, so that when we are specifically attending to our own actions, images depicting others' actions (allocentric perspective have much less interference on our own actions.

  4. Coherent spin-rotational dynamics of oxygen superrotors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milner, Alexander A.; Korobenko, Aleksey; Milner, Valery

    2014-09-01

    We use state- and time-resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy to study the rotational dynamics of oxygen molecules in ultra-high rotational states. While it is possible to reach rotational quantum numbers up to N≈ 50 by increasing the gas temperature to 1500 K, low population levels and gas densities result in correspondingly weak optical response. By spinning {{O}2} molecules with an optical centrifuge, we efficiently excite extreme rotational states with N≤slant 109 in high-density room temperature ensembles. Fast molecular rotation results in the enhanced robustness of the created rotational wave packets against collisions, enabling us to observe the effects of weak spin-rotation coupling in the coherent rotational dynamics of oxygen. The decay rate of spin-rotational coherence due to collisions is measured as a function of the molecular angular momentum and its dependence on the collisional adiabaticity parameter is discussed. We find that at high values of N, the rotational decoherence of oxygen is much faster than that of the previously studied non-magnetic nitrogen molecules, pointing at the effects of spin relaxation in paramagnetic gases.

  5. When what's left is right: visuomotor transformations in an aged population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee A Baugh

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There has been little consensus as to whether age-related visuomotor adaptation effects are readily observable. Some studies have found slower adaptation, and/or reduced overall levels. In contrast, other methodologically similar studies have found no such evidence of aging effects on visuomotor adaptation. A crucial early step in successful adaptation is the ability to perform the necessary transformation to complete the task at hand. The present study describes the use of a viewing window paradigm to examine the effects of aging in a visuomotor transformation task. METHODS: Two groups of participants, a young adult control group (age range 18-33 years old, mean age = 22 and an older adult group (age range 62-74, mean age = 68 completed a viewing window task that was controlled by the user via a computer touchscreen. Four visuomotor "flip" conditions were created by varying the relationship between the participant's movement, and the resultant on-screen movement of the viewing window: 1 No flip 2 X-Axis and Y-axis body movements resulted in the opposite direction of movement of the viewing window. In each of the 3 Flip-X and 4 Flip-Y conditions, the solitary X- or Y-axes were reversed. Response times and movement of the window were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Older participants demonstrated impairments in performing a required visuomotor transformation, as evidenced by more complex scanning patterns and longer scanning times when compared to younger control participants. These results provide additional evidence that the mechanisms involved in visuomotor transformation are negatively affected by age.

  6. Statics and rotational dynamics of composite beams

    CERN Document Server

    Ghorashi, Mehrdaad

    2016-01-01

    This book presents a comprehensive study of the nonlinear statics and dynamics of composite beams and consists of solutions with and without active elements embedded in the beams. The static solution provides the initial conditions for the dynamic analysis. The dynamic problems considered include the analyses of clamped (hingeless) and articulated (hinged) accelerating rotating beams. Two independent numerical solutions for the steady state and the transient responses are presented. The author illustrates that the transient solution of the nonlinear formulation of accelerating rotating beam converges to the steady state solution obtained by the shooting method. Other key areas considered include calculation of the effect of perturbing the steady state solution, coupled nonlinear flap-lag dynamics of a rotating articulated beam with hinge offset and aerodynamic damping, and static and dynamic responses of nonlinear composite beams with embedded anisotropic piezo-composite actuators. The book is intended as a t...

  7. VMAT optimization with dynamic collimator rotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Qihui; O'Connor, Daniel; Ruan, Dan; Yu, Victoria; Nguyen, Dan; Sheng, Ke

    2018-04-16

    Although collimator rotation is an optimization variable that can be exploited for dosimetric advantages, existing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) optimization uses a fixed collimator angle in each arc and only rotates the collimator between arcs. In this study, we develop a novel integrated optimization method for VMAT, accounting for dynamic collimator angles during the arc motion. Direct Aperture Optimization (DAO) for Dynamic Collimator in VMAT (DC-VMAT) was achieved by adding to the existing dose fidelity objective an anisotropic total variation term for regulating the fluence smoothness, a binary variable for forming simple apertures, and a group sparsity term for controlling collimator rotation. The optimal collimator angle for each beam angle was selected using the Dijkstra's algorithm, where the node costs depend on the estimated fluence map at the current iteration and the edge costs account for the mechanical constraints of multi-leaf collimator (MLC). An alternating optimization strategy was implemented to solve the DAO and collimator angle selection (CAS). Feasibility of DC-VMAT using one full-arc with dynamic collimator rotation was tested on a phantom with two small spherical targets, a brain, a lung and a prostate cancer patient. The plan was compared against a static collimator VMAT (SC-VMAT) plan using three full arcs with 60 degrees of collimator angle separation in patient studies. With the same target coverage, DC-VMAT achieved 20.3% reduction of R50 in the phantom study, and reduced the average max and mean OAR dose by 4.49% and 2.53% of the prescription dose in patient studies, as compared with SC-VMAT. The collimator rotation co-ordinated with the gantry rotation in DC-VMAT plans for deliverability. There were 13 beam angles in the single-arc DC-VMAT plan in patient studies that requires slower gantry rotation to accommodate multiple collimator angles. The novel DC-VMAT approach utilizes the dynamic collimator rotation during arc

  8. Short-Term Plasticity of the Visuomotor Map during Grasping Movements in Humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safstrom, Daniel; Edin, Benoni B.

    2005-01-01

    During visually guided grasping movements, visual information is transformed into motor commands. This transformation is known as the "visuomotor map." To investigate limitations in the short-term plasticity of the visuomotor map in normal humans, we studied the maximum grip aperture (MGA) during the reaching phase while subjects grasped objects…

  9. Visual Motion Processing Subserves Faster Visuomotor Reaction in Badminton Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hülsdünker, Thorben; Strüder, Heiko K; Mierau, Andreas

    2017-06-01

    Athletes participating in ball or racquet sports have to respond to visual stimuli under critical time pressure. Previous studies used visual contrast stimuli to determine visual perception and visuomotor reaction in athletes and nonathletes; however, ball and racquet sports are characterized by motion rather than contrast visual cues. Because visual contrast and motion signals are processed in different cortical regions, this study aimed to determine differences in perception and processing of visual motion between athletes and nonathletes. Twenty-five skilled badminton players and 28 age-matched nonathletic controls participated in this study. Using a 64-channel EEG system, we investigated visual motion perception/processing in the motion-sensitive middle temporal (MT) cortical area in response to radial motion of different velocities. In a simple visuomotor reaction task, visuomotor transformation in Brodmann area 6 (BA6) and BA4 as well as muscular activation (EMG onset) and visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) were investigated. Stimulus- and response-locked potentials were determined to differentiate between perceptual and motor-related processes. As compared with nonathletes, athletes showed earlier EMG onset times (217 vs 178 ms, P < 0.001), accompanied by a faster VMRT (274 vs 243 ms, P < 0.001). Furthermore, athletes showed an earlier stimulus-locked peak activation of MT (200 vs 182 ms, P = 0.002) and BA6 (161 vs 137 ms, P = 0.009). Response-locked peak activation in MT was later in athletes (-7 vs 26 ms, P < 0.001), whereas no group differences were observed in BA6 and BA4. Multiple regression analyses with stimulus- and response-locked cortical potentials predicted EMG onset (r = 0.83) and VMRT (r = 0.77). The athletes' superior visuomotor performance in response to visual motion is primarily related to visual perception and, to a minor degree, to motor-related processes.

  10. A Simple and Efficient Numerical Method for Computing the Dynamics of Rotating Bose--Einstein Condensates via Rotating Lagrangian Coordinates

    KAUST Repository

    Bao, Weizhu

    2013-01-01

    We propose a simple, efficient, and accurate numerical method for simulating the dynamics of rotating Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in a rotational frame with or without longrange dipole-dipole interaction (DDI). We begin with the three-dimensional (3D) Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) with an angular momentum rotation term and/or long-range DDI, state the twodimensional (2D) GPE obtained from the 3D GPE via dimension reduction under anisotropic external potential, and review some dynamical laws related to the 2D and 3D GPEs. By introducing a rotating Lagrangian coordinate system, the original GPEs are reformulated to GPEs without the angular momentum rotation, which is replaced by a time-dependent potential in the new coordinate system. We then cast the conserved quantities and dynamical laws in the new rotating Lagrangian coordinates. Based on the new formulation of the GPE for rotating BECs in the rotating Lagrangian coordinates, a time-splitting spectral method is presented for computing the dynamics of rotating BECs. The new numerical method is explicit, simple to implement, unconditionally stable, and very efficient in computation. It is spectral-order accurate in space and second-order accurate in time and conserves the mass on the discrete level. We compare our method with some representative methods in the literature to demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy. In addition, the numerical method is applied to test the dynamical laws of rotating BECs such as the dynamics of condensate width, angular momentum expectation, and center of mass, and to investigate numerically the dynamics and interaction of quantized vortex lattices in rotating BECs without or with the long-range DDI.Copyright © by SIAM.

  11. Unbalance influence on the rotating assembly dynamics of a hydro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurcu, M.; Pădureanu, I.; Campian, C. V.; Haţiegan, C.

    2018-01-01

    The dynamics of the rotating parts of a hydro is characterized by the dynamic interaction between the rotor, the stator and the working fluid in order to operate the hydro. The main factors influencing the dynamics of the rotating parts of a hydro are: rotor unbalance, unbalanced magnetic pull, shaft misalignment and hydraulic flow regime. Rotor unbalanced is one of the most common factors influencing the dynamic stability of the rotating parts of a hydro. The unbalanced is determined by: uneven distribution of rotating masses, displacement of parts in the rotor during rotation, inhomogeneity of rotor component materials, expansion of the rotor due to heating, and rising speed during the transient discharge of the load. The mechanical imbalance of a rotor can lead to important forces, responsible for the vibration of the machine, which ultimately leads to a shorter operating time. Even a low unbalance can lead, in the case of high speed machines, to major unbalance forces that cause significant damage to the equipment. The unbalance forces cause additional vibrations in the bearings as well as in the foundation plate. To avoid these vibrations, it is necessary in the first stage to balance the static rotor in the construction plant and then to a dynamic rotation balancing.

  12. Consolidation through the looking-glass: sleep-dependent proactive interference on visuomotor adaptation in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urbain, Charline; Houyoux, Emeline; Albouy, Geneviève; Peigneux, Philippe

    2014-02-01

    Although a beneficial role of post-training sleep for declarative memory has been consistently evidenced in children, as in adults, available data suggest that procedural memory consolidation does not benefit from sleep in children. However, besides the absence of performance gains in children, sleep-dependent plasticity processes involved in procedural memory consolidation might be expressed through differential interference effects on the learning of novel but related procedural material. To test this hypothesis, 32 10-12-year-old children were trained on a motor rotation adaptation task. After either a sleep or a wake period, they were first retested on the same rotation applied at learning, thus assessing offline sleep-dependent changes in performance, then on the opposite (unlearned) rotation to assess sleep-dependent modulations in proactive interference coming from the consolidated visuomotor memory trace. Results show that children gradually improve performance over the learning session, showing effective adaptation to the imposed rotation. In line with previous findings, no sleep-dependent changes in performance were observed for the learned rotation. However, presentation of the opposite, unlearned deviation elicited significantly higher interference effects after post-training sleep than wakefulness in children. Considering that a definite feature of procedural motor memory and skill acquisition is the implementation of highly automatized motor behaviour, thus lacking flexibility, our results suggest a better integration and/or automation or motor adaptation skills after post-training sleep, eventually resulting in higher proactive interference effects on untrained material. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.

  13. Visuomotor Entrainment and the Frequency-Dependent Response of Walking Balance to Perturbations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franz, Jason R; Francis, Carrie; Allen, Matt; Thelen, Darryl G

    2016-08-26

    Visuomotor entrainment, or the synchronization of motor responses to visual stimuli, is a naturally emergent phenomenon in human standing. Our purpose was to investigate the prevalence and resolution of visuomotor entrainment in walking and the frequency-dependent response of walking balance to perturbations. We used a virtual reality environment to manipulate optical flow in ten healthy young adults during treadmill walking. A motion capture system recorded trunk, sacrum, and heel marker trajectories during a series of 3-min conditions in which we perturbed a virtual hallway mediolaterally with systematic changes in the driving frequencies of perceived motion. We quantified visuomotor entrainment using spectral analyses and balance deficits using trunk sway, gait variability, and detrended fluctuation analyses (DFA). ML kinematics were highly sensitive to visual perturbations, and instinctively synchronized (i.e., entrained) to a broad range of driving frequencies of perceived ML motion. However, the influence of visual perturbations on metrics of walking balance was frequency-dependent and governed by their proximity to stride frequency. Specifically, we found that a driving frequency nearest to subjects' average stride frequency uniquely compromised trunk sway, gait variability, and step-to-step correlations. We conclude that visuomotor entrainment is a robust and naturally emerging phenomenon during human walking, involving coordinated and frequency-dependent adjustments in trunk sway and foot placement to maintain balance at the whole-body level. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how the visuomotor control of walking balance is disrupted by visual perturbations and important reference values for the emergence of balance deficits due to age, injury, or disease.

  14. Electrophysiological evidence for right frontal lobe dominance in spatial visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, W; Lang, M; Kornhuber, A; Kornhuber, H H

    1986-02-01

    Slow negative potential shifts were recorded together with the error made in motor performance when two different groups of 14 students tracked visual stimuli with their right hand. Various visuomotor tasks were compared. A tracking task (T) in which subjects had to track the stimulus directly, showed no decrease of error in motor performance during the experiment. In a distorted tracking task (DT) a continuous horizontal distortion of the visual feedback had to be compensated. The additional demands of this task required visuomotor learning. Another learning condition was a mirrored-tracking task (horizontally inverted tracking, hIT), i.e. an elementary function, such as the concept of changing left and right was interposed between perception and action. In addition, subjects performed a no-tracking control task (NT) in which they started the visual stimulus without tracking it. A slow negative potential shift was associated with the visuomotor performance (TP: tracking potential). In the learning tasks (DT and hIT) this negativity was significantly enhanced over the anterior midline and in hIT frontally and precentrally over both hemispheres. Comparing hIT and T for every subject, the enhancement of the tracking potential in hIT was correlated with the success in motor learning in frontomedial and bilaterally in frontolateral recordings (r = 0.81-0.88). However, comparing DT and T, such a correlation was only found in frontomedial and right frontolateral electrodes (r = 0.5-0.61), but not at the left frontolateral electrode. These experiments are consistent with previous findings and give further neurophysiological evidence for frontal lobe activity in visuomotor learning. The hemispherical asymmetry is discussed in respect to hemispherical specialization (right frontal lobe dominance in spatial visuomotor learning).

  15. Rotationally resolved flurorescence as a probe of molecular photoionization dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poliakoff, E.D.; Kakar, S.; Choi, H.C.

    1993-01-01

    We present rotationally resolved data for N 2 (2σ u -1 ) photoionization in the excitation energy range 19 ≤ hν ≤ 35 eV. These are the first rotationally resolved measurements on the photoion over an extended spectral range above the ionization threshold. The requisite resolution is obtained by measuring rotationally resolved fluorescence from electronically excited photoions created by synchrotron radiation. This technique is useful for studying dynamical features embedded deep in the ionization continua and should supplement laser-based methods that are limited to probing near-threshold phenomena. The present study shows that the outgoing photoelectron can alter the rotational motion of the more massive photoion by exchanging angular momentum and this partitioning of angular momentum depends on the ionization dynamics. Thus, our data directly probe electron-molecule interactions and are sensitive probes of scattering dynamics. We are currently investigating dynamical features such as shape resonances and Cooper minima with rotational resolution for deciphering microscopic aspects of molecular scattering and these efforts will be discussed

  16. Deficits in Visuo-Motor Temporal Integration Impacts Manual Dexterity in Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobusako, Satoshi; Sakai, Ayami; Tsujimoto, Taeko; Shuto, Takashi; Nishi, Yuki; Asano, Daiki; Furukawa, Emi; Zama, Takuro; Osumi, Michihiro; Shimada, Sotaro; Morioka, Shu; Nakai, Akio

    2018-01-01

    The neurological basis of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is thought to be deficits in the internal model and mirror-neuron system (MNS) in the parietal lobe and cerebellum. However, it is not clear if the visuo-motor temporal integration in the internal model and automatic-imitation function in the MNS differs between children with DCD and those with typical development (TD). The current study aimed to investigate these differences. Using the manual dexterity test of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (second edition), the participants were either assigned to the probable DCD (pDCD) group or TD group. The former was comprised of 29 children with clumsy manual dexterity, while the latter consisted of 42 children with normal manual dexterity. Visuo-motor temporal integration ability and automatic-imitation function were measured using the delayed visual feedback detection task and motor interference task, respectively. Further, the current study investigated whether autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits, and depressive symptoms differed among the two groups, since these symptoms are frequent comorbidities of DCD. In addition, correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to extract factors affecting clumsy manual dexterity. In the results, the delay-detection threshold (DDT) and steepness of the delay-detection probability curve, which indicated visuo-motor temporal integration ability, were significantly prolonged and decreased, respectively, in children with pDCD. The interference effect, which indicated automatic-imitation function, was also significantly reduced in this group. These results highlighted that children with clumsy manual dexterity have deficits in visuo-motor temporal integration and automatic-imitation function. There was a significant correlation between manual dexterity, and measures of visuo-motor temporal integration, and ASD traits and ADHD traits and

  17. Visuomotor Dissociation in Cerebral Scaling of Size

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Potgieser, Adriaan R. E.; de Jong, Bauke M.

    2016-01-01

    Estimating size and distance is crucial in effective visuomotor control. The concept of an internal coordinate system implies that visual and motor size parameters are scaled onto a common template. To dissociate perceptual and motor components in such scaling, we performed an fMRI experiment in

  18. An integrative framework of stress, attention, and visuomotor performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel James Vine

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to present an integrative conceptual framework that depicts the effect of acute stress on the performance of visually guided motor skills. We draw upon seminal theories highlighting the importance of subjective interpretations of stress on subsequent performance and outline how models of disrupted attentional control might explain this effect through impairments in visuomotor control. We first synthesize and critically discuss empirical support for theories examining these relationships in isolation. We then outline our integrative framework that seeks to provide a more complete picture of the interacting influences of stress responses (challenge and threat and attention in explaining how elevated stress may lead to different visuomotor performance outcomes. We propose a number of mechanisms that explain why evaluations of stress are related to attentional control, and highlight the emotion of anxiety as the most likely candidate to explain why negative reactions to stress lead to disrupted attention and poor visuomotor skill performance. Finally, we propose a number of feedback loops that explain why stress responses are often self-perpetuating, as well as a number of proposed interventions that are designed to help improve or maintain performance in real world performance environments (e.g., sport, surgery, military, and aviation.

  19. Coarsening dynamics of binary liquids with active rotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabrina, Syeda; Spellings, Matthew; Glotzer, Sharon C; Bishop, Kyle J M

    2015-11-21

    Active matter comprised of many self-driven units can exhibit emergent collective behaviors such as pattern formation and phase separation in both biological (e.g., mussel beds) and synthetic (e.g., colloidal swimmers) systems. While these behaviors are increasingly well understood for ensembles of linearly self-propelled "particles", less is known about the collective behaviors of active rotating particles where energy input at the particle level gives rise to rotational particle motion. A recent simulation study revealed that active rotation can induce phase separation in mixtures of counter-rotating particles in 2D. In contrast to that of linearly self-propelled particles, the phase separation of counter-rotating fluids is accompanied by steady convective flows that originate at the fluid-fluid interface. Here, we investigate the influence of these flows on the coarsening dynamics of actively rotating binary liquids using a phenomenological, hydrodynamic model that combines a Cahn-Hilliard equation for the fluid composition with a Navier-Stokes equation for the fluid velocity. The effect of active rotation is introduced though an additional force within the Navier-Stokes equations that arises due to gradients in the concentrations of clockwise and counter-clockwise rotating particles. Depending on the strength of active rotation and that of frictional interactions with the stationary surroundings, we observe and explain new dynamical behaviors such as "active coarsening" via self-generated flows as well as the emergence of self-propelled "vortex doublets". We confirm that many of the qualitative behaviors identified by the continuum model can also be found in discrete, particle-based simulations of actively rotating liquids. Our results highlight further opportunities for achieving complex dissipative structures in active materials subject to distributed actuation.

  20. Impact of Parkinson's Disease and Dopaminergic Medication on Adaptation to Explicit and Implicit Visuomotor Perturbations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mongeon, David; Blanchet, Pierre; Messier, Julie

    2013-01-01

    The capacity to learn new visuomotor associations is fundamental to adaptive motor behavior. Evidence suggests visuomotor learning deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the exact nature of these deficits and the ability of dopamine medication to improve them are under-explored. Previous studies suggested that learning driven by large and…

  1. Visual but not motor processes predict simple visuomotor reaction time of badminton players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hülsdünker, Thorben; Strüder, Heiko K; Mierau, Andreas

    2018-03-01

    The athlete's brain exhibits significant functional adaptations that facilitate visuomotor reaction performance. However, it is currently unclear if the same neurophysiological processes that differentiate athletes from non-athletes also determine performance within a homogeneous group of athletes. This information can provide valuable help for athletes and coaches aiming to optimize existing training regimes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the neurophysiological correlates of visuomotor reaction performance in a group of skilled athletes. In 36 skilled badminton athletes, electroencephalography (EEG) was used to investigate pattern reversal and motion onset visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) as well as visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) during a simple reaction task. Stimulus-locked and response-locked event-related potentials (ERPs) in visual and motor regions as well as the onset of muscle activation (EMG onset) were determined. Correlation and multiple regression analyses identified the neurophysiological parameters predicting EMG onset and VMRT. For pattern reversal stimuli, the P100 latency and age best predicted EMG onset (r = 0.43; p = .003) and VMRT (r = 0.62; p = .001). In the motion onset experiment, EMG onset (r = 0.80; p badminton players while motor-related processes, although differentiating athletes from non-athletes, are not associated simple with visuomotor reaction performance.

  2. Mapping shape to visuomotor mapping: learning and generalisation of sensorimotor behaviour based on contextual information.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loes C J van Dam

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Humans can learn and store multiple visuomotor mappings (dual-adaptation when feedback for each is provided alternately. Moreover, learned context cues associated with each mapping can be used to switch between the stored mappings. However, little is known about the associative learning between cue and required visuomotor mapping, and how learning generalises to novel but similar conditions. To investigate these questions, participants performed a rapid target-pointing task while we manipulated the offset between visual feedback and movement end-points. The visual feedback was presented with horizontal offsets of different amounts, dependent on the targets shape. Participants thus needed to use different visuomotor mappings between target location and required motor response depending on the target shape in order to "hit" it. The target shapes were taken from a continuous set of shapes, morphed between spiky and circular shapes. After training we tested participants performance, without feedback, on different target shapes that had not been learned previously. We compared two hypotheses. First, we hypothesised that participants could (explicitly extract the linear relationship between target shape and visuomotor mapping and generalise accordingly. Second, using previous findings of visuomotor learning, we developed a (implicit Bayesian learning model that predicts generalisation that is more consistent with categorisation (i.e. use one mapping or the other. The experimental results show that, although learning the associations requires explicit awareness of the cues' role, participants apply the mapping corresponding to the trained shape that is most similar to the current one, consistent with the Bayesian learning model. Furthermore, the Bayesian learning model predicts that learning should slow down with increased numbers of training pairs, which was confirmed by the present results. In short, we found a good correspondence between the

  3. Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cansiz, A; Hull, J R; Gundogdu, Oe

    2005-01-01

    The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet

  4. Discordant tasks and motor adjustments affect interactions between adaptations to altered kinematics and dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fritzie Arce

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Motor control and adaptation are multi-determinate processes with complex interactions. This is reflected for example in the ambiguous nature of interactions during sequential adaptation of reaching under kinematics and dynamics perturbations. It has been suggested that perturbations based on the same kinematic parameter interfere. Others posited that opposing motor adjustments underlie interference. Here, we examined the influence of discordances in task and in motor adjustments on sequential adaptations to visuomotor rotation and viscous force field perturbations. These two factors – perturbation direction and task discordance – have been examined separately by previous studies, thus the inherent difficulty to identify the roots of interference. Forty-eight human subjects adapted sequentially to one or two types of perturbations, of matched or conflicting directions. We found a gradient of interaction effects based on perturbation direction and task discordance. Perturbations of matched directions showed facilitation while perturbations of opposite directions, which required opposing motor adjustments, interfered with each other. Further, interaction effects increased with greater task discordance. We also found that force field and visuomotor rotation had mutual anterograde and retrograde effects. However, we found independence between anterograde and retrograde interferences between similar tasks. The results suggest that the newly acquired internal models of kinematic and dynamic perturbations are not independent but they share common neuronal resources and interact between them. Such overlap does not necessarily imply competition of resources. Rather, our results point to an additional principle of sensorimotor adaptation allowing the system to tap or harness common features across diverse sensory inputs and task contexts whenever available.

  5. Earth Rotation Dynamics: Review and Prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Benjamin F.

    2004-01-01

    Modem space geodetic measurement of Earth rotation variations, particularly by means of the VLBI technique, has over the years allowed studies of Earth rotation dynamics to advance in ever-increasing precision, accuracy, and temporal resolution. A review will be presented on our understanding of the geophysical and climatic causes, or "excitations", for length-of-day change, polar motion, and nutations. These excitations sources come from mass transports that constantly take place in the Earth system comprised of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, mantle, and the cores. In this sense, together with other space geodetic measurements of time-variable gravity and geocenter motion, Earth rotation variations become a remote-sensing tool for the integral of all mass transports, providing valuable information about the latter on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Future prospects with respect to geophysical studies with even higher accuracy and resolution will be discussed.

  6. Dynamical heterogeneities of rotational motion in room temperature ionic liquids evidenced by molecular dynamics simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usui, Kota; Hunger, Johannes; Bonn, Mischa; Sulpizi, Marialore

    2018-05-01

    Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have been shown to exhibit spatial heterogeneity or structural heterogeneity in the sense that they form hydrophobic and ionic domains. Yet studies of the relationship between this structural heterogeneity and the ˜picosecond motion of the molecular constituents remain limited. In order to obtain insight into the time scales relevant to this structural heterogeneity, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a series of RTILs. To investigate the relationship between the structures, i.e., the presence of hydrophobic and ionic domains, and the dynamics, we gradually increase the size of the hydrophobic part of the cation from ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), via propylammonium nitrate (PAN), to butylammonium nitrate (BAN). The two ends of the organic cation, namely, the charged Nhead-H group and the hydrophobic Ctail-H group, exhibit rotational dynamics on different time scales, evidencing dynamical heterogeneity. The dynamics of the Nhead-H group is slower because of the strong coulombic interaction with the nitrate counter-ionic anions, while the dynamics of the Ctail-H group is faster because of the weaker van der Waals interaction with the surrounding atoms. In particular, the rotation of the Nhead-H group slows down with increasing cationic chain length, while the rotation of the Ctail-H group shows little dependence on the cationic chain length, manifesting that the dynamical heterogeneity is enhanced with a longer cationic chain. The slowdown of the Nhead-H group with increasing cationic chain length is associated with a lower number of nitrate anions near the Nhead-H group, which presumably results in the increase of the energy barrier for the rotation. The sensitivity of the Nhead-H rotation to the number of surrounding nitrate anions, in conjunction with the varying number of nitrate anions, gives rise to a broad distribution of Nhead-H reorientation times. Our results suggest that the asymmetry of the cations and the

  7. Handwriting, visuomotor integration, and neurological condition at school age

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hoorn, Jessika F.; Maathuis, Carel G. B.; Peters, Lieke H. J.; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

    2010-01-01

    Aim The study investigated the relationships between handwriting, visuomotor integration, and neurological condition. We paid particular attention to the presence of minor neurological dysfunction (MND). Method Participants were 200 children (131 males, 69 females; age range 8-13y) of whom 118

  8. High-frequency TRNS reduces BOLD activity during visuomotor learning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catarina Saiote

    Full Text Available Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS and transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS consist in the application of electrical current of small intensity through the scalp, able to modulate perceptual and motor learning, probably by changing brain excitability. We investigated the effects of these transcranial electrical stimulation techniques in the early and later stages of visuomotor learning, as well as associated brain activity changes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. We applied anodal and cathodal tDCS, low-frequency and high-frequency tRNS (lf-tRNS, 0.1-100 Hz; hf-tRNS 101-640 Hz, respectively and sham stimulation over the primary motor cortex (M1 during the first 10 minutes of a visuomotor learning paradigm and measured performance changes for 20 minutes after stimulation ceased. Functional imaging scans were acquired throughout the whole experiment. Cathodal tDCS and hf-tRNS showed a tendency to improve and lf-tRNS to hinder early learning during stimulation, an effect that remained for 20 minutes after cessation of stimulation in the late learning phase. Motor learning-related activity decreased in several regions as reported previously, however, there was no significant modulation of brain activity by tDCS. In opposition to this, hf-tRNS was associated with reduced motor task-related-activity bilaterally in the frontal cortex and precuneous, probably due to interaction with ongoing neuronal oscillations. This result highlights the potential of lf-tRNS and hf-tRNS to differentially modulate visuomotor learning and advances our knowledge on neuroplasticity induction approaches combined with functional imaging methods.

  9. Dynamics of Tidally Locked, Ultrafast Rotating Atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Xianyu; Showman, Adam P.

    2017-10-01

    Tidally locked gas giants, which exhibit a novel regime of day-night thermal forcing and extreme stellar irradiation, are typically in several-day orbits, implying slow rotation and a modest role for rotation in the atmospheric circulation. Nevertheless, there exist a class of gas-giant, highly irradiated objects - brown dwarfs orbiting white dwarfs in extremely tight orbits - whose orbital and hence rotation periods are as short as 1-2 hours. Spitzer phase curves and other observations have already been obtained for this fascinating class of objects, which raise fundamental questions about the role of rotation in controlling the circulation. So far, most modeling studies have investigated rotation periods exceeding a day, as appropriate for typical hot Jupiters. In this work we investigate the dynamics of tidally locked atmospheres in shorter rotation periods down to about two hours. With increasing rotation rate (decreasing rotation period), we show that the width of the equatorial eastward jet decreases, consistent with the narrowing of wave-mean-flow interacting region due to decrease of the equatorial deformation radius. The eastward-shifted equatorial hot spot offset decreases accordingly, and the westward-shifted hot regions poleward of the equatorial jet associated with Rossby gyres become increasingly distinctive. At high latitudes, winds becomes weaker and more geostrophic. The day-night temperature contrast becomes larger due to the stronger influence of rotation. Our simulated atmospheres exhibit small-scale variability, presumably caused by shear instability. Unlike typical hot Jupiters, phase curves of fast-rotating models show an alignment of peak flux to secondary eclipse. Our results have important implications for phase curve observations of brown dwarfs orbiting white dwarfs in ultra tight orbits.

  10. Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cansiz, A [Electric-Electronic Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey); Hull, J R [Energy Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States); Gundogdu, Oe [Mechanical Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey)

    2005-07-01

    The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet.

  11. Blade dynamic stress analysis of rotating bladed disks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kellner J.

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with mathematical modelling of steady forced bladed disk vibrations and with dynamic stress calculation of the blades. The blades are considered as 1D kontinuum elastic coupled with three-dimensional elastic disk centrally clamped into rotor rotating with constant angular speed. The steady forced vibrations are generated by the aerodynamic forces acting along the blade length. By using modal synthesis method the mathematical model of the rotating bladed disk is condensed to calculate steady vibrations. Dynamic stress analysis of the blades is based on calculation of the time dependent reduced stress in blade cross-sections by using Hubert-Misses-Hencky stress hypothesis. The presented method is applied to real turbomachinery rotor with blades connected on the top with shroud.

  12. On the dynamics of slowly rotating stellar systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davoust, E.

    1989-01-01

    Kinematical observations are now available for stellar systems which might rotate slowly. The study of periodic orbits in model stellar systems shows that a mean motion in epicyclic or circular orbits contributes to balance the centrifugal force, in addition to the velocity dispersions. Two dynamical models, the generalized Toomre and Plummer models, are adapted to the case of slow rotation. They are applied to two globular clusters, M 3 and 47 Tucanae, and 12 clusters of galaxies. 47 Tucanae is found to rotate, but none of the clusters of galaxies has any significant mean motion, except SC 316-44. 34 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs. (author)

  13. Visuomotor learning in cerebellar patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmann, D; Shimansky, Y; Larson, P S; Wunderlich, D A; Stelmach, G E; Bloedel, J R

    1996-11-01

    The aim of the present study was to demonstrate that patients with pathology affecting substantial regions of the cerebellum can improve their performance in a series of two-dimensional tracing tasks, thus supporting the view that this type of motor behavior can be acquired even when the integrity of this structure is compromised. Eight patients with chronic, isolated cerebellar lesions and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls were tested. Three patients had mild, five had moderate upper limb ataxia. The experiment was divided into two parts. In the first, subjects traced an irregularly shaped outline over 20 consecutive trials ('Trace 1' task). Next, subjects were asked to redraw the object without any underlying template as a guide ('Memory 1' task). In the second part of the study, subjects were asked to trace a different, irregularly shaped outline over 20 consecutive trials ('Trace 2' task). Next, they were required to redraw it by memory with its axis rotated 90 degrees ('Memory 2' task). In each of the memory tasks the template was placed over the drawn image after each trial and shown to the subjects. The error of performance was determined by calculating three different measurements, each focused on different aspects of the task. Based on these measurements, the cerebellar patients showed improvement in both memory tasks. In the 'Memory 1' task the calculated error decreased significantly for the patients with mild ataxia. In the 'Memory 2' task all cerebellar patients improved their performance substantially enough to reduce significantly the magnitude of all three error measurements. The experiments demonstrate that patients with cerebellar lesions are capable of improving substantially their performance of a complex motor task involving the recall of memorized shapes and the visuomotor control of a tracing movement.

  14. Visuomotor Integration and Executive Functioning Are Uniquely Linked to Chinese Word Reading and Writing in Kindergarten Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Kevin Kien Hoa; Lam, Chun Bun; Cheung, Ka Chun

    2018-01-01

    This cross-sectional study examined the associations of visuomotor integration and executive functioning with Chinese word reading and writing in kindergarten children. A total of 369 Chinese children (mean age = 57.99 months; 55% of them were girls) from Hong Kong, China, completed tasks on visuomotor integration, executive functioning, and…

  15. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 neurodegeneration differentially affects error-based and strategic-based visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaca-Palomares, Israel; Díaz, Rosalinda; Rodríguez-Labrada, Roberto; Medrano-Montero, Jacqeline; Vázquez-Mojena, Yaimé; Velázquez-Pérez, Luis; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2013-12-01

    There are different types of visuomotor learning. Among the most studied is motor error-based learning where the sign and magnitude of the error are used to update motor commands. However, there are other instances where individuals show visuomotor learning even if the sign or magnitude of the error is precluded. Studies with patients suggest that the former learning is impaired after cerebellar lesions, while basal ganglia lesions disrupt the latter. Nevertheless, the cerebellar role is not restricted only to error-based learning, but it also contributes to several cognitive processes. Therefore, here, we tested if cerebellar ataxia patients are affected in two tasks, one that depends on error-based learning and the other that prevents the use of error-based learning. Our results showed that cerebellar patients have deficits in both visuomotor tasks; however, while error-based learning tasks deficits correlated with the motor impairments, the motor error-dependent task did not correlate with any motor measure.

  16. Ageing dynamics of translational and rotational diffusion in a colloidal glass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabbari-Farouji, Sara; Eiser, Erika; Wegdam, Gerard H; Bonn, Daniel

    2004-01-01

    We study the dynamics of translational and rotational diffusion during the ageing of a colloidal glass of Laponite using polarized and depolarized dynamic light scattering. The dynamics are qualitatively similar between the two degrees of freedom. The short-time diffusion is independent of the time elapsed since the sample preparation. The intermediate- and long-time diffusion, on the other hand, slows down by several orders of magnitude during the ageing. The slowing down of the rotational diffusion is found to be much faster than that of the translational diffusion. (letter to the editor)

  17. Exploring Visuomotor Priming Following Biological and Non-Biological Stimuli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gowen, E.; Bradshaw, C.; Galpin, A.; Lawrence, A.; Poliakoff, E.

    2010-01-01

    Observation of human actions influences the observer's own motor system, termed visuomotor priming, and is believed to be caused by automatic activation of mirror neurons. Evidence suggests that priming effects are larger for biological (human) as opposed to non-biological (object) stimuli and enhanced when viewing stimuli in mirror compared to…

  18. Rotational dynamics of propylene inside Na-Y zeolite cages

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We report here the quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) studies on the dynamics of propylene inside Na-Y zeolite using triple axis spectrometer (TAS) at Dhruva reactor, Trombay. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations performed on the system had shown that the rotational motion involves energy larger than that involved ...

  19. A Simple and Efficient Numerical Method for Computing the Dynamics of Rotating Bose--Einstein Condensates via Rotating Lagrangian Coordinates

    KAUST Repository

    Bao, Weizhu; Marahrens, Daniel; Tang, Qinglin; Zhang, Yanzhi

    2013-01-01

    We propose a simple, efficient, and accurate numerical method for simulating the dynamics of rotating Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in a rotational frame with or without longrange dipole-dipole interaction (DDI). We begin with the three

  20. Handwriting, Visuomotor Integration, and Neurological Condition at School Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Hoorn, Jessika F.; Maathuis, Carel G. B.; Peters, Lieke H. J.; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

    2010-01-01

    Aim: The study investigated the relationships between handwriting, visuomotor integration, and neurological condition. We paid particular attention to the presence of minor neurological dysfunction (MND). Method : Participants were 200 children (131 males, 69 females; age range 8-13y) of whom 118 received mainstream education (mean age 10y 5mo, SD…

  1. Design of rotating mirror for ultra-high speed camera based on dynamic characteristic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chunbo; Chai Jinlong; Liang Yexing; Liu Chunping; Wang Hongzhi; Yu Chunhui; Li Jingzhen; Huang Hongbin

    2011-01-01

    A systematic design method has been proposed for studying the dynamic design of rotating mirror for ultra-high speed camera. With the finite element software, the numerical analyses of static, modal, harmonic responses and natural frequency sensitivity for the preliminary-designed rotating mirror were done based on the static and dynamic theories. Some experiments were done to verify the results. The physical dimensions of the rotating mirror were modified repeatedly according to the results for designing a new rotating mirror. Then simulation and experiments of fatigue life for the new rotating mirror under alternating force were done. The results show that the maximum static stress is less than the yield stress of the rotating mirror material, which proves the new rotating mirror will not be subjected to static strength failure. However, the results of modal and harmonic response analyses indicate that the dynamic characteristic of the new rotating mirror can not meet the design requirement for the first critical speed is less than the service speed. In all the physical dimensions of the rotating mirror, the circum radius of mirror body and natural frequency are negatively correlated and the degree of correlation is maximal. The first-order natural frequency in- creases from 459.4 Hz to 713.6 Hz, the rate of change is 55.3%, the first critical speed is up to 42 816 r/min, avoiding resonance successfully, and the fatigue strength of the new rotating mirror can meet the design requirement. (authors)

  2. Representing tools as hand movements: early and somatotopic visuomotor transformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartoli, Eleonora; Maffongelli, Laura; Jacono, Marco; D'Ausilio, Alessandro

    2014-08-01

    The term affordance defines a property of objects, which relates to the possible interactions that an agent can carry out on that object. In monkeys, canonical neurons encode both the visual and the motor properties of objects with high specificity. However, it is not clear if in humans exists a similarly fine-grained description of these visuomotor transformations. In particular, it has not yet been proven that the processing of visual features related to specific affordances induces both specific and early visuomotor transformations, given that complete specificity has been reported to emerge quite late (300-450ms). In this study, we applied an adaptation-stimulation paradigm to investigate early cortico-spinal facilitation and hand movements׳ synergies evoked by the observation of tools. We adapted, through passive observation of finger movements, neuronal populations coding either for precision or power grip actions. We then presented the picture of one tool affording one of the two grasps types and applied single-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to the hand primary motor cortex, 150ms after image onset. Cortico-spinal excitability of the Abductor Digiti Minimi and Abductor Pollicis Brevis showed a detailed pattern of modulations, matching tools׳ affordances. Similarly, TMS-induced hand movements showed a pattern of grip-specific whole hand synergies. These results offer a direct proof of the emergence of an early visuomotor transformation when tools are observed, that maintains the same amount of synergistic motor details as the actions we can perform on them. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. Weed populations and crop rotations: exploring dynamics of a structured periodic system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mertens, S.K.; Bosch, F. van den; Heesterbeek, J.A.P.

    2002-01-01

    The periodic growing of a certain set of crops in a prescribed order, called a crop rotation, is considered to be an important tool for managing weed populations. Nevertheless, the effects of crop rotations on weed population dynamics are not well understood. Explanations for rotation effects on

  4. Elastic dynamic research of high speed multi-link precision press considering structural stiffness of rotation joints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Feng Feng; Sun, Yu; Peng, Bin Bin [School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing (China)

    2016-10-15

    An elastic dynamic model of high-speed multi-link precision press considering structural stiffness of rotation joints was established by the finite element method. In the finite element model, rotation joint was established by four bar elements with equivalent stiffness, and connected link was established by beam element. Then, the elastic dynamics equation of the system was established, and modal superposition method was used to solve the dynamic response. Compared with the traditional elastic dynamic model with perfect constraint of the rotation joints, the elastic dynamic response value of the improved model is larger. To validate the presented new method of elastic dynamics analysis with stiffness of rotation joints, a related test of slider Bottom dead center (BDC) position in different speed was designed. The test shows that the model with stiffness of rotation joints is more reasonable. So it provides a reasonable theory and method for dynamic characteristics research of such a multi-link machine.

  5. Mini-Mental State Examination subscores indicate visuomotor deficits in Alzheimer's disease patients: A cross-sectional study in a Dutch population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer, Casper; Mattace-Raso, Francesco; van der Steen, Johannes; Pel, Johan J M

    2014-10-01

    In diagnostics of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) questionnaire is frequently used to test cognitive decline. The final subtest of the MMSE, in which patients have to copy two interlocking pentagons, tests a variety of visuomotor functions. Recent imaging studies suggest that visuomotor function could decline in early stage AD, as a result of degeneration of the brain networks involved. The goal of the present study was to compare memory and visuomotor function in AD patients, reflected by the MMSE subscores for orientation, recall and interlocking pentagons. The MMSE subscores for orientation, recall and interlocking pentagons of 125 AD patients was extracted from their medical history. Patients were divided into three groups based on disease duration. Using related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, the performance between subtests using normalized subscores was compared within each group. In all three groups, the subscores of recall and interlocking pentagons were significantly lower than orientation. No differences were found between the subscores of recall and interlocking pentagons. The presented data suggest that memory function and visuomotor function are equally impaired in the present study population. This could indicate that visuomotor dysfunction might be a more important clinical feature of AD than is currently assumed. This knowledge can be used to develop new tests and markers for AD reflecting deficits in visuomotor functions, such as quantification of eye and hand movements. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  6. The functional role of dorso-lateral premotor cortex during mental rotation: an event-related fMRI study separating cognitive processing steps using a novel task paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamm, Claus; Windischberger, Christian; Moser, Ewald; Bauer, Herbert

    2007-07-15

    Subjects deciding whether two objects presented at angular disparity are identical or mirror versions of each other usually show response times that linearly increase with the angle between objects. This phenomenon has been termed mental rotation. While there is widespread agreement that parietal cortex plays a dominant role in mental rotation, reports concerning the involvement of motor areas are less consistent. From a theoretical point of view, activation in motor areas suggests that mental rotation relies upon visuo-motor rather than visuo-spatial processing alone. However, the type of information that is processed by motor areas during mental rotation remains unclear. In this study we used event-related fMRI to assess whether activation in parietal and dorsolateral premotor areas (dPM) during mental rotation is distinctively related to processing spatial orientation information. Using a newly developed task paradigm we explicitly separated the processing steps (encoding, mental rotation proper and object matching) required by mental rotation tasks and additionally modulated the amount of spatial orientation information that had to be processed. Our results show that activation in dPM during mental rotation is not strongly modulated by the processing of spatial orientation information, and that activation in dPM areas is strongest during mental rotation proper. The latter finding suggests that dPM is involved in more generalized processes such as visuo-spatial attention and movement anticipation. We propose that solving mental rotation tasks is heavily dependent upon visuo-motor processes and evokes neural processing that may be considered as an implicit simulation of actual object rotation.

  7. THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXERCISES OF GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS ON VISUO-MOTOR COORDINATION OF THE CEREBRAL PALSY CHILDREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almira Mujkić

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Visuomotor coordination is reffered to eye coordination and to various parts of the body in different activities and games. The aim of the research was to establish the influence of the exercises of gross and fine motor skills on visuomotor coordination of the cerebral palsy children. The sample was the case study where a male person of 3 and a half years old was an examinee. Measuring instrument used was the Test of visuomotor coordination of the gross motor skills of the dominant hand. Data were analyzed by t-test.

  8. Rotation in the dynamic factor modeling of multivariate stationary time series.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Molenaar, P.C.M.; Nesselroade, J.R.

    2001-01-01

    A special rotation procedure is proposed for the exploratory dynamic factor model for stationary multivariate time series. The rotation procedure applies separately to each univariate component series of a q-variate latent factor series and transforms such a component, initially represented as white

  9. Online Adaptation and Over-Trial Learning in Macaque Visuomotor Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Daniel A.; Aertsen, Ad; Paz, Rony; Vaadia, Eilon; Rotter, Stefan; Mehring, Carsten

    2011-01-01

    When faced with unpredictable environments, the human motor system has been shown to develop optimized adaptation strategies that allow for online adaptation during the control process. Such online adaptation is to be contrasted to slower over-trial learning that corresponds to a trial-by-trial update of the movement plan. Here we investigate the interplay of both processes, i.e., online adaptation and over-trial learning, in a visuomotor experiment performed by macaques. We show that simple non-adaptive control schemes fail to perform in this task, but that a previously suggested adaptive optimal feedback control model can explain the observed behavior. We also show that over-trial learning as seen in learning and aftereffect curves can be explained by learning in a radial basis function network. Our results suggest that both the process of over-trial learning and the process of online adaptation are crucial to understand visuomotor learning. PMID:21720526

  10. Development and application of a dynamic stall model for rotating wind turbine blades

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, B F; Yuan, Y; Wang, T G

    2014-01-01

    In unsteady conditions of wind turbines, both the dynamic stall phenomenon and the three-dimensional (3D) rotational effect affect the rotor aerodynamics. The dynamic stall mechanism for rotating wind turbine blades is first investigated. Through the comparison of the aerodynamic data between the rotating blade and the two-dimensional (2D) airfoil, the normal force slope in the attached flow and the separation point expression in the separated flow are modified in the Beddoes-Leishman (B-L) dynamic stall model for rotating NREL wind turbine blades. The modified model is validated by the comparison between the calculation results and the experimental results of the lift and drag coefficients at different radial positions. Both the hysteresis loop shapes and the calculation values are closer to the experiment than the 2D dynamic stall model. The present dynamic stall model is then coupled to a free vortex wake model. The coupled model is used to calculate the unsteady blade aerodynamic loads and the low speed shaft torque of the NREL wind turbine in a yawed condition. The accuracy is greatly improved by the corrections presented in the paper

  11. Coupled rotational dynamics of Jupiter's thermosphere and magnetosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. G. A. Smith

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe an axisymmetric model of the coupled rotational dynamics of the thermosphere and magnetosphere of Jupiter that incorporates self-consistent physical descriptions of angular momentum transfer in both systems. The thermospheric component of the model is a numerical general circulation model. The middle magnetosphere is described by a simple physical model of angular momentum transfer that incorporates self-consistently the effects of variations in the ionospheric conductivity. The outer magnetosphere is described by a model that assumes the existence of a Dungey cycle type interaction with the solar wind, producing at the planet a largely stagnant plasma flow poleward of the main auroral oval. We neglect any decoupling between the plasma flows in the magnetosphere and ionosphere due to the formation of parallel electric fields in the magnetosphere. The model shows that the principle mechanism by which angular momentum is supplied to the polar thermosphere is meridional advection and that mean-field Joule heating and ion drag at high latitudes are not responsible for the high thermospheric temperatures at low latitudes on Jupiter. The rotational dynamics of the magnetosphere at radial distances beyond ~30 RJ in the equatorial plane are qualitatively unaffected by including the detailed dynamics of the thermosphere, but within this radial distance the rotation of the magnetosphere is very sensitive to the rotation velocity of the thermosphere and the value of the Pedersen conductivity. In particular, the thermosphere connected to the inner magnetosphere is found to super-corotate, such that true Pedersen conductivities smaller than previously predicted are required to enforce the observed rotation of the magnetosphere within ~30 RJ. We find that increasing the Joule heating at high latitudes by adding a component due to rapidly fluctuating electric fields is unable to explain the high equatorial temperatures. Adding a component of Joule

  12. Modeling dynamic stall on wind turbine blades under rotationally augmented flow fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guntur, S. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schreck, S. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sorensen, N. N. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark); Bergami, L. [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark)

    2015-04-22

    It is well known that airfoils under unsteady flow conditions with a periodically varying angle of attack exhibit aerodynamic characteristics different from those under steady flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as dynamic stall. It is also well known that the steady aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils in the inboard region of a rotating blade differ from those under steady two-dimensional (2D) flow conditions, a phenomenon commonly known as rotational augmentation. This paper presents an investigation of these two phenomena together in the inboard parts of wind turbine blades. This analysis is carried out using data from three sources: (1) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI experimental data, including constant as well as continuously pitching blade conditions during axial operation, (2) data from unsteady Delayed Detached Eddy Simulations (DDES) carried out using the Technical University of Denmark’s in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D, and (3) data from a simplified model based on the blade element momentum method with a dynamic stall subroutine that uses rotationally augmented steady-state polars obtained from steady Phase VI experimental sequences, instead of the traditional 2D nonrotating data. The aim of this work is twofold. First, the blade loads estimated by the DDES simulations are compared to three select cases of the N sequence experimental data, which serves as a validation of the DDES method. Results show reasonable agreement between the two data in two out of three cases studied. Second, the dynamic time series of the lift and the moment polars obtained from the experiments are compared to those from the dynamic stall subroutine that uses the rotationally augmented steady polars. This allowed the differences between the stall phenomenon on the inboard parts of harmonically pitching blades on a rotating wind turbine and the classic dynamic stall representation in 2D flow to be

  13. Dynamic ocean-tide effects on Earth's rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickman, S. R.

    1993-01-01

    This article develops 'broad-band' Liouville equations which are capable of determining the effects on the rotation of the Earth of a periodic excitation even at frequencies as high as semi-diurnal; these equations are then used to predict the rotational effects of altimetric, numerical and 32-constituent spherical harmonic ocean-tide models. The rotational model includes a frequency-dependent decoupled core, the effects of which are especially marked near retrograde diurnal frequencies; and a fully dynamic oceanic response, whose effects appear to be minor despite significant frequency dependence. The model also includes solid-earth effects which are frequency dependent as the result of both anelasticity at long periods and the fluid-core resonance at nearly diurnal periods. The effects of both tidal inertia and relative angular momentum on Earth rotation (polar motion, length of day, 'nutation' and Universal Time) are presented for 32 long- and short-period ocean tides determined as solutions to the author's spherical harmonic tide theory. The lengthening of the Chandler wobble period by the pole tide is also re-computed using the author's full theory. Additionally, using the spherical harmonic theory, tidal currents and their effects on rotation are determined for available numerical and altimetric tide height models. For all models, we find that the effects of tidal currents are at least as important as those of tide height for diurnal and semi-diurnal constituents.

  14. Studying rotational dynamics with a smartphone—accelerometer versus gyroscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braskén, Mats; Pörn, Ray

    2017-07-01

    The wide-spread availability of smartphones makes them a valuable addition to the measurement equipment of both the physics classroom and the instructional physics laboratory, encouraging an active interaction between measurements and modeling activities. Two useful sensors, available in most modern smartphones and tablets, are the 3-axis acceleration sensor and the 3-axis gyroscope. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of each type of sensor and use them to study the rotational dynamics of objects rotating about a fixed axis. Care has to be taken when interpreting acceleration sensor data, and in some cases the gyroscope will allow for rotational measurements not easily replicated using the acceleration sensor.

  15. Mass Distribution in Rotating Thin-Disk Galaxies According to Newtonian Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Q. Feng

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available An accurate computational method is presented for determining the mass distribution in a mature spiral galaxy from a given rotation curve by applying Newtonian dynamics for an axisymmetrically rotating thin disk of finite size with or without a central spherical bulge. The governing integral equation for mass distribution is transformed via a boundary-element method into a linear algebra matrix equation that can be solved numerically for rotation curves with a wide range of shapes. To illustrate the effectiveness of this computational method, mass distributions in several mature spiral galaxies are determined from their measured rotation curves. All the surface mass density profiles predicted by our model exhibit approximately a common exponential law of decay, quantitatively consistent with the observed surface brightness distributions. When a central spherical bulge is present, the mass distribution in the galaxy is altered in such a way that the periphery mass density is reduced, while more mass appears toward the galactic center. By extending the computational domain beyond the galactic edge, we can determine the rotation velocity outside the cut-off radius, which appears to continuously decrease and to gradually approach the Keplerian rotation velocity out over twice the cut-off radius. An examination of circular orbit stability suggests that galaxies with flat or rising rotation velocities are more stable than those with declining rotation velocities especially in the region near the galactic edge. Our results demonstrate the fact that Newtonian dynamics can be adequate for describing the observed rotation behavior of mature spiral galaxies.

  16. No Enhancement of 24-Hour Visuomotor Skill Retention by Post-Practice Caffeine Administration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara J Hussain

    Full Text Available Caffeine is widely consumed throughout the world and appears to indirectly facilitate learning and memory through effects on attention and motivation. Animal work indicates that post-training caffeine administration augments inhibitory avoidance memory, spatial memory, and object memory. In humans, post-training caffeine administration enhances the ability to discern between familiar images and new, similar images. However, the effect of post-training caffeine administration on motor memory has not been examined. Therefore, we tested two groups of low caffeine consumers (average weekly consumption ≤500 mg in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving acquisition of a continuous isometric visuomotor tracking skill. On Day 1, subjects completed 5 blocks (150 repetitions of training on the continuous isometric visuomotor skill and subsequently ingested either 200 mg of caffeine or placebo. On day 2, subjects completed an additional 5 blocks of training. Day 1 mean performance and performance variability were both similar between groups, suggesting that both groups acquired the motor skill similarly. For mean performance on Day 2, patterns of re-learning, mean performance learning magnitudes, mean performance learning rates, and mean performance retention magnitudes were all similar between groups. For performance variability on Day 2, there was a small trend towards increased variability in the caffeine group during re-learning, but performance variability learning magnitudes and performance variability retention magnitudes did not differ between groups. Because motor skill acquisition can also be conceptualized as a reduction in performance variability, these results suggest that there may be a small negative effect of post-practice caffeine administration on memory of a newly-learned visuomotor skill. Overall, we found no evidence to suggest that post-training caffeine administration enhances 24-hour retention of a newly

  17. No Enhancement of 24-Hour Visuomotor Skill Retention by Post-Practice Caffeine Administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Sara J; Cole, Kelly J

    2015-01-01

    Caffeine is widely consumed throughout the world and appears to indirectly facilitate learning and memory through effects on attention and motivation. Animal work indicates that post-training caffeine administration augments inhibitory avoidance memory, spatial memory, and object memory. In humans, post-training caffeine administration enhances the ability to discern between familiar images and new, similar images. However, the effect of post-training caffeine administration on motor memory has not been examined. Therefore, we tested two groups of low caffeine consumers (average weekly consumption ≤500 mg) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving acquisition of a continuous isometric visuomotor tracking skill. On Day 1, subjects completed 5 blocks (150 repetitions) of training on the continuous isometric visuomotor skill and subsequently ingested either 200 mg of caffeine or placebo. On day 2, subjects completed an additional 5 blocks of training. Day 1 mean performance and performance variability were both similar between groups, suggesting that both groups acquired the motor skill similarly. For mean performance on Day 2, patterns of re-learning, mean performance learning magnitudes, mean performance learning rates, and mean performance retention magnitudes were all similar between groups. For performance variability on Day 2, there was a small trend towards increased variability in the caffeine group during re-learning, but performance variability learning magnitudes and performance variability retention magnitudes did not differ between groups. Because motor skill acquisition can also be conceptualized as a reduction in performance variability, these results suggest that there may be a small negative effect of post-practice caffeine administration on memory of a newly-learned visuomotor skill. Overall, we found no evidence to suggest that post-training caffeine administration enhances 24-hour retention of a newly-learned continuous visuomotor

  18. No Enhancement of 24-Hour Visuomotor Skill Retention by Post-Practice Caffeine Administration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Sara J.; Cole, Kelly J.

    2015-01-01

    Caffeine is widely consumed throughout the world and appears to indirectly facilitate learning and memory through effects on attention and motivation. Animal work indicates that post-training caffeine administration augments inhibitory avoidance memory, spatial memory, and object memory. In humans, post-training caffeine administration enhances the ability to discern between familiar images and new, similar images. However, the effect of post-training caffeine administration on motor memory has not been examined. Therefore, we tested two groups of low caffeine consumers (average weekly consumption ≤500 mg) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving acquisition of a continuous isometric visuomotor tracking skill. On Day 1, subjects completed 5 blocks (150 repetitions) of training on the continuous isometric visuomotor skill and subsequently ingested either 200 mg of caffeine or placebo. On day 2, subjects completed an additional 5 blocks of training. Day 1 mean performance and performance variability were both similar between groups, suggesting that both groups acquired the motor skill similarly. For mean performance on Day 2, patterns of re-learning, mean performance learning magnitudes, mean performance learning rates, and mean performance retention magnitudes were all similar between groups. For performance variability on Day 2, there was a small trend towards increased variability in the caffeine group during re-learning, but performance variability learning magnitudes and performance variability retention magnitudes did not differ between groups. Because motor skill acquisition can also be conceptualized as a reduction in performance variability, these results suggest that there may be a small negative effect of post-practice caffeine administration on memory of a newly-learned visuomotor skill. Overall, we found no evidence to suggest that post-training caffeine administration enhances 24-hour retention of a newly-learned continuous visuomotor

  19. A possible correlation between performance IQ, visuomotor adaptation ability and mu suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anwar, Muhammad Nabeel; Navid, Muhammad Samran; Khan, Mushtaq; Kitajo, Keiichi

    2015-04-07

    Psychometric, anatomical and functional brain studies suggest that individuals differ in the way that they perceive and analyze information and strategically control and execute movements. Inter-individual differences are also observed in neural correlates of specific and general cognitive ability. As a result, some individuals perceive and adapt to environmental conditions and perform motor activities better than others. The aim of this study was to identify a common factor that predicts adaptation of a reaching movement to a visual perturbation and suppression of movement-related brain activity (mu rhythms). Twenty-eight participants participated in two different experiments designed to evaluate visuomotor adaptation and mu suppression ability. Performance intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed using the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Performance IQ predicted adaptation index of visuomotor performance (r=0.43, p=0.02) and suppression of mu rhythms (r=-0.59; pIQ were faster at adapting to a visuomotor perturbation and better at suppressing mu activity than participants with low performance IQ. We found a possible link between performance IQ and mu suppression, and performance IQ and the initial rate of adaptation. Individuals with high performance IQ were better in suppressing mu rhythms and were quicker at associating motor command and required movement than individuals with low performance IQ. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Modeling dynamic stall on wind turbine blades under rotationally augmented flow fields

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guntur, Srinivas; Sørensen, Niels N.; Schreck, Scott

    2016-01-01

    a reduced order dynamic stall model that uses rotationally augmented steady-state polars obtained from steady Phase VI experimental sequences, instead of the traditional two-dimensional, non-rotating data. The aim of this work is twofold. First, the blade loads estimated by the DDES simulations are compared...... Experiment Phase VI experimental data, including constant as well as continuously pitching blade conditions during axial operation; (2) data from unsteady delayed detached eddy simulations (DDES) carried out using the Technical University of Denmark’s in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D; and (3) data from...... with those from the dynamic stall model. This allowed the differences between the stall phenomenon on the inboard parts of harmonically pitching blades on a rotating wind turbine and the classic dynamic stall representation in two-dimensional flow to be investigated. Results indicated a good qualitative...

  1. Rotation in the Dynamic Factor Modeling of Multivariate Stationary Time Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Peter C. M.; Nesselroade, John R.

    2001-01-01

    Proposes a special rotation procedure for the exploratory dynamic factor model for stationary multivariate time series. The rotation procedure applies separately to each univariate component series of a q-variate latent factor series and transforms such a component, initially represented as white noise, into a univariate moving-average.…

  2. Nonlinearity in the rotational dynamics of Haidinger's brushes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothmayer, Mark; Dultz, Wolfgang; Frins, Erna; Zhan, Qiwen; Tierney, Dennis; Schmitzer, Heidrun

    2007-10-01

    Haidinger's brushes are an entoptic effect of the human visual system that enables us to detect polarized light. However, individual perceptions of Haidinger's brushes can vary significantly. We find that the birefringence of the cornea influences the rotational motion and the contrast of Haidinger's brushes and may offer an explanation for individual differences. We have devised an experimental setup to simulate various phase shifts of the cornea and found a switching effect in the rotational dynamics of Haidinger's brushes. In addition, age related macular degeneration reduces the polarization effect of the macula and thus also leads to changes in the brush pattern.

  3. Visuomotor Dissociation in Cerebral Scaling of Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potgieser, Adriaan R E; de Jong, Bauke M

    2016-01-01

    Estimating size and distance is crucial in effective visuomotor control. The concept of an internal coordinate system implies that visual and motor size parameters are scaled onto a common template. To dissociate perceptual and motor components in such scaling, we performed an fMRI experiment in which 16 right-handed subjects copied geometric figures while the result of drawing remained out of sight. Either the size of the example figure varied while maintaining a constant size of drawing (visual incongruity) or the size of the examples remained constant while subjects were instructed to make changes in size (motor incongruity). These incongruent were compared to congruent conditions. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) revealed brain activations related to size incongruity in the dorsolateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex, pre-SMA / anterior cingulate and anterior insula, dominant in the right hemisphere. This pattern represented simultaneous use of a 'resized' virtual template and actual picture information requiring spatial working memory, early-stage attention shifting and inhibitory control. Activations were strongest in motor incongruity while right pre-dorsal premotor activation specifically occurred in this condition. Visual incongruity additionally relied on a ventral visual pathway. Left ventral premotor activation occurred in all variably sized drawing while constant visuomotor size, compared to congruent size variation, uniquely activated the lateral occipital cortex additional to superior parietal regions. These results highlight size as a fundamental parameter in both general hand movement and movement guided by objects perceived in the context of surrounding 3D space.

  4. Coupled jump rotational dynamics in aqueous nitrate solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Puja; Yashonath, Subramanian; Bagchi, Biman

    2016-12-21

    A nitrate ion (NO 3 - ) with its trigonal planar geometry and charges distributed among nitrogen and oxygen atoms can couple to the extensive hydrogen bond network of water to give rise to unique dynamical characteristics. We carry out detailed atomistic simulations and theoretical analyses to investigate these aspects and report certain interesting findings. We find that the nitrate ions in aqueous potassium nitrate solution exhibit large amplitude rotational jump motions that are coupled to the hydrogen bond rearrangement dynamics of the surrounding water molecules. The jump motion of nitrate ions bears certain similarities to the Laage-Hynes mechanism of rotational jump motions of tagged water molecules in neat liquid water. We perform a detailed atomic-level investigation of hydrogen bond rearrangement dynamics of water in aqueous KNO 3 solution to unearth two distinct mechanisms of hydrogen bond exchange that are instrumental to promote these jump motions of nitrate ions. As observed in an earlier study by Xie et al., in the first mechanism, after breaking a hydrogen bond with nitrate ion, water forms a new hydrogen bond with a water molecule, whereas the second mechanism involves just a switching of hydrogen bond between the two oxygen atoms of the same nitrate ion (W. J. Xie et al., J. Chem. Phys. 143, 224504 (2015)). The magnitude as well as nature of the reorientational jump of nitrate ion for the two mechanisms is different. In the first mechanism, nitrate ion predominantly undergoes out-of-plane rotation, while in the second mechanism, in-plane reorientation of NO 3 - is favourable. These have been deduced by computing the torque on the nitrate ion during the hydrogen bond switching event. We have defined and computed the time correlation function for coupled reorientational jump of nitrate and water and obtained the associated relaxation time which is also different for the two mechanisms. These results provide insight into the relation between the

  5. Is rotating between static and dynamic work beneficial for our fatigue state?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luger, T.; Bosch, T.; Hoozemans, M.J.M.; Veeger,D.H.E.J.; Looze, M.P. de

    2016-01-01

    Shoulder disorders comprise a large part of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Risk factors, such as repetitiveness and monotony, may cause muscle fatigue and be attenuated by task rotation. We investigated rotation between a dynamic box-lifting task and a relatively static pick-and-place task

  6. Nonlinear dynamics of rotating shallow water methods and advances

    CERN Document Server

    Zeitlin, Vladimir

    2007-01-01

    The rotating shallow water (RSW) model is of wide use as a conceptual tool in geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD), because, in spite of its simplicity, it contains all essential ingredients of atmosphere and ocean dynamics at the synoptic scale, especially in its two- (or multi-) layer version. The book describes recent advances in understanding (in the framework of RSW and related models) of some fundamental GFD problems, such as existence of the slow manifold, dynamical splitting of fast (inertia-gravity waves) and slow (vortices, Rossby waves) motions, nonlinear geostrophic adjustment and wa

  7. Visuomotor Dissociation in Cerebral Scaling of Size.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriaan R E Potgieser

    Full Text Available Estimating size and distance is crucial in effective visuomotor control. The concept of an internal coordinate system implies that visual and motor size parameters are scaled onto a common template. To dissociate perceptual and motor components in such scaling, we performed an fMRI experiment in which 16 right-handed subjects copied geometric figures while the result of drawing remained out of sight. Either the size of the example figure varied while maintaining a constant size of drawing (visual incongruity or the size of the examples remained constant while subjects were instructed to make changes in size (motor incongruity. These incongruent were compared to congruent conditions. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8 revealed brain activations related to size incongruity in the dorsolateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex, pre-SMA / anterior cingulate and anterior insula, dominant in the right hemisphere. This pattern represented simultaneous use of a 'resized' virtual template and actual picture information requiring spatial working memory, early-stage attention shifting and inhibitory control. Activations were strongest in motor incongruity while right pre-dorsal premotor activation specifically occurred in this condition. Visual incongruity additionally relied on a ventral visual pathway. Left ventral premotor activation occurred in all variably sized drawing while constant visuomotor size, compared to congruent size variation, uniquely activated the lateral occipital cortex additional to superior parietal regions. These results highlight size as a fundamental parameter in both general hand movement and movement guided by objects perceived in the context of surrounding 3D space.

  8. Visuomotor competencies and primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in prepubertal aged children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esposito M

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Maria Esposito,1 Beatrice Gallai,2 Lucia Parisi,3 Michele Roccella,3 Rosa Marotta,4 Serena Marianna Lavano,4 Giovanni Mazzotta,5 Giuseppina Patriciello,1 Francesco Precenzano,1 Marco Carotenuto1 1Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy; 2Unit of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, University of Perugia, Italy; 3Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychology, University of Palermo, Italy; 4Department of Psychiatry, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy; 5Unit of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, AUSL Umbria 2, Terni, Italy Background: Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE is a common problem in the developmental ages; it is the involuntary loss of urine during the night in children older than 5 years of age. Several clinical observations have suggested an association between bedwetting and developmental delays in motricity, language development, learning disability, physical growth, and skeletal maturation. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence of fine motor coordination and visuomotor integration abnormalities in prepubertal children with PMNE. Methods: The study population included 31 children (16 males, 15 females; mean age 8.14 years ± 1.36 years, and the control group comprised 61 typical developing children (32 males, 29 females; mean age 8.03 years ± 1.44 years. The whole population underwent a clinical evaluation to assess total intelligence quotient level, visuomotor integration (VMI skills, and motor coordination performance (using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, or M-ABC. Results: No significant differences between the two study groups were found for age (P = 0.725, gender (P = 0.886, z-body mass index (P = 0.149, or intellectual abilities (total intelligence quotient (P = 0.163. The PMNE group showed a higher prevalence of borderline performance on M

  9. Dynamics of a vortex ring moving perpendicularly to the axis of a rotating fluid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eisenga, A.H.M.; Verzicco, R.; Heijst, van G.J.F.

    1998-01-01

    The dynamics of a vortex ring moving orthogonally to the rotation vector of a uniformly rotating fluid is analysed by laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. In the rotating system the vortex ring describes a curved trajectory, turning in the opposite sense to the system's anti-clockwise

  10. Presynaptic control of group Ia afferents in relation to acquisition of a visuo-motor skill in healthy humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perez, Monica A.; Lungholt, Bjarke K.S.; Nielsen, Jens Bo

    2005-01-01

    Sensory information continuously converges on the spinal cord during a variety of motor behaviours. Here, we examined presynaptic control of group Ia afferents in relation to acquisition of a novel motor skill. We tested whether repetition of two motor tasks with different degrees of difficulty......, a novel visuo-motor task involving the ankle muscles, and a control task involving simple voluntary ankle movements, would induce changes in the size of the soleus H-reflex. The slope of the H-reflex recruitment curve and the H-max/M-max ratio were depressed after repetition of the visuo-motor skill task...... of the monosynaptic Ia facilitation of the soleus H-reflex evoked by femoral nerve stimulation. The D1 inhibition was increased and the femoral nerve facilitation was decreased following the visuo-motor skill task, suggesting an increase in presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents. No changes were observed...

  11. Exploiting the gain-modulation mechanism in parieto-motor neurons: application to visuomotor transformations and embodied simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahé, Sylvain; Braud, Raphaël; Gaussier, Philippe; Quoy, Mathias; Pitti, Alexandre

    2015-02-01

    The so-called self-other correspondence problem in imitation demands to find the transformation that maps the motor dynamics of one partner to our own. This requires a general purpose sensorimotor mechanism that transforms an external fixation-point (partner's shoulder) reference frame to one's own body-centered reference frame. We propose that the mechanism of gain-modulation observed in parietal neurons may generally serve these types of transformations by binding the sensory signals across the modalities with radial basis functions (tensor products) on the one hand and by permitting the learning of contextual reference frames on the other hand. In a shoulder-elbow robotic experiment, gain-field neurons (GF) intertwine the visuo-motor variables so that their amplitude depends on them all. In situations of modification of the body-centered reference frame, the error detected in the visuo-motor mapping can serve then to learn the transformation between the robot's current sensorimotor space and the new one. These situations occur for instance when we turn the head on its axis (visual transformation), when we use a tool (body modification), or when we interact with a partner (embodied simulation). Our results defend the idea that the biologically-inspired mechanism of gain modulation found in parietal neurons can serve as a basic structure for achieving nonlinear mapping in spatial tasks as well as in cooperative and social functions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Nonlinear dynamics and anisotropic structure of rotating sheared turbulence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salhi, A; Jacobitz, F G; Schneider, K; Cambon, C

    2014-01-01

    Homogeneous turbulence in rotating shear flows is studied by means of pseudospectral direct numerical simulation and analytical spectral linear theory (SLT). The ratio of the Coriolis parameter to shear rate is varied over a wide range by changing the rotation strength, while a constant moderate shear rate is used to enable significant contributions to the nonlinear interscale energy transfer and to the nonlinear intercomponental redistribution terms. In the destabilized and neutral cases, in the sense of kinetic energy evolution, nonlinearity cannot saturate the growth of the largest scales. It permits the smallest scale to stabilize by a scale-by-scale quasibalance between the nonlinear energy transfer and the dissipation spectrum. In the stabilized cases, the role of rotation is mainly nonlinear, and interacting inertial waves can affect almost all scales as in purely rotating flows. In order to isolate the nonlinear effect of rotation, the two-dimensional manifold with vanishing spanwise wave number is revisited and both two-component spectra and single-point two-dimensional energy components exhibit an important effect of rotation, whereas the SLT as well as the purely two-dimensional nonlinear analysis are unaffected by rotation as stated by the Proudman theorem. The other two-dimensional manifold with vanishing streamwise wave number is analyzed with similar tools because it is essential for any shear flow. Finally, the spectral approach is used to disentangle, in an analytical way, the linear and nonlinear terms in the dynamical equations.

  13. Rotational dynamics in supercooled water from nuclear spin relaxation and molecular simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qvist, Johan; Mattea, Carlos; Sunde, Erik P; Halle, Bertil

    2012-05-28

    Structural dynamics in liquid water slow down dramatically in the supercooled regime. To shed further light on the origin of this super-Arrhenius temperature dependence, we report high-precision (17)O and (2)H NMR relaxation data for H(2)O and D(2)O, respectively, down to 37 K below the equilibrium freezing point. With the aid of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we provide a detailed analysis of the rotational motions probed by the NMR experiments. The NMR-derived rotational correlation time τ(R) is the integral of a time correlation function (TCF) that, after a subpicosecond librational decay, can be described as a sum of two exponentials. Using a coarse-graining algorithm to map the MD trajectory on a continuous-time random walk (CTRW) in angular space, we show that the slowest TCF component can be attributed to large-angle molecular jumps. The mean jump angle is ∼48° at all temperatures and the waiting time distribution is non-exponential, implying dynamical heterogeneity. We have previously used an analogous CTRW model to analyze quasielastic neutron scattering data from supercooled water. Although the translational and rotational waiting times are of similar magnitude, most translational jumps are not synchronized with a rotational jump of the same molecule. The rotational waiting time has a stronger temperature dependence than the translation one, consistent with the strong increase of the experimentally derived product τ(R) D(T) at low temperatures. The present CTRW jump model is related to, but differs in essential ways from the extended jump model proposed by Laage and co-workers. Our analysis traces the super-Arrhenius temperature dependence of τ(R) to the rotational waiting time. We present arguments against interpreting this temperature dependence in terms of mode-coupling theory or in terms of mixture models of water structure.

  14. Enhanced visuomotor processing of phobic images in blood-injury-injection fear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberkamp, Anke; Schmidt, Thomas

    2014-04-01

    Numerous studies have identified attentional biases and processing enhancements for fear-relevant stimuli in individuals with specific phobias. However, this has not been conclusively shown in blood-injury-injection (BII) phobia, which has rarely been investigated even though it has features distinct from all other specific phobias. The present study aims to fill that gap and compares the time-course of visuomotor processing of phobic stimuli (i.e., pictures of small injuries) in BII-fearful (n=19) and non-anxious control participants (n=23) by using a response priming paradigm. In BII-fearful participants, phobic stimuli produced larger priming effects and lower response times compared to neutral stimuli, whereas non-anxious control participants showed no such differences. Because these effects are fully present in the fastest responses, they indicate an enhancement in early visuomotor processing of injury pictures in BII-fearful participants. These results are comparable to the enhanced processing of phobic stimuli in other specific phobias (i.e., spider phobia). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Estimation of the Rotational Terms of the Dynamic Response Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Montalvão

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The dynamic response of a structure can be described by both its translational and rotational receptances. The latter ones are frequently not considered because of the difficulties in applying a pure moment excitation or in measuring rotations. However, in general, this implies a reduction up to 75% of the complete model. On the other hand, if a modification includes a rotational inertia, the rotational receptances of the unmodified system are needed. In one method, more commonly found in the literature, a so called T-block is attached to the structure. Then, a force, applied to an arm of the T-block, generates a moment together with a force at the connection point. The T-block also allows for angular displacement measurements. Nevertheless, the results are often not quite satisfactory. In this work, an alternative method based upon coupling techniques is developed, in which rotational receptances are estimated without the need of applying a moment excitation. This is accomplished by introducing a rotational inertia modification when rotating the T-block. The force is then applied in its centroid. Several numerical and experimental examples are discussed so that the methodology can be clearly described. The advantages and limitations are identified within the practical application of the method.

  16. Individual differences in explicit and implicit visuomotor learning and working memory capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christou, Antonios I; Miall, R Chris; McNab, Fiona; Galea, Joseph M

    2016-11-08

    The theoretical basis for the association between high working memory capacity (WMC) and enhanced visuomotor adaptation is unknown. Visuomotor adaptation involves interplay between explicit and implicit systems. We examined whether the positive association between adaptation and WMC is specific to the explicit component of adaptation. Experiment 1 replicated the positive correlation between WMC and adaptation, but revealed this was specific to the explicit component of adaptation, and apparently driven by a sub-group of participants who did not show any explicit adaptation in the correct direction. A negative correlation was observed between WMC and implicit learning. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that when the task restricted the development of an explicit strategy, high WMC was no longer associated with enhanced adaptation. This work reveals that the benefit of high WMC is specifically linked to an individual's capacity to use an explicit strategy. It also reveals an important contribution of individual differences in determining how adaptation is performed.

  17. Relationship between the quality of children's handwriting and the Beery Buktenica developmental test of visuomotor integration after one year of writing tuition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duiser, Ivonne H F; van der Kamp, John; Ledebt, Annick; Savelsbergh, Geert J P

    2014-04-01

    We examined whether the three subtests of the Beery Buktenica developmental test of visuomotor integration predicted quality of handwriting across and within groups of boys and girls classified as proficient, at risk or non-proficient writers according to the Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting. The Beery Buktenica developmental test of visuomotor integration and the Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting tests were administered to 240 grade 2 children. Proficient writers scored better on the visuomotor integration subtest than non-proficient writers, while proficient and at risk writers scored better than non-proficient writers on the motor coordination subtest. No differences were found on the visual perception subtest. Girls were more often classified as proficient writers than boys, and they scored better on the motor coordination subtest. Across groups, regression indicated that gender and both the visuomotor integration subtest and the motor coordination subtest were significant predictors for the quality of handwriting (i.e., accounted for 17% of the variance). After one year of writing tuition, the visuomotor integration subtest (and to a lesser extent the motor coordination subtest) but not the visual perception subtest significant relates to quality of children's handwriting as measured with the Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting. However, the relatively little variance explained also points to other abilities and/or task constraints that underlie quality of handwriting. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  18. The viscous dynamics of a rotating plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James, B.W.; Simpson, S.W.

    1978-01-01

    The rotational velocity of a high-density, partially-ionized neon plasma has been calculated as a function of time using a dynamical model in which J x B and viscous forces act on the plasma. The calculation of appropriate transport coefficients is discussed in detail. The model is used to predict measured voltages in a plasma centrifuge experiment. Observations of neon isotope separation in this experiment have been reported in a previous paper (James and Simpson 1976). (author)

  19. Dynamics of molecular rotors confined in two dimensions: transition from a 2D rotational glass to a 2D rotational fluid in a periodic mesoporous organosilica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogelsberg, Cortnie S; Bracco, Silvia; Beretta, Mario; Comotti, Angiolina; Sozzani, Piero; Garcia-Garibay, Miguel A

    2012-02-09

    The motional behavior of p-phenylene-d(4) rotators confined within the 2D layers of a hierarchically ordered periodic mesoporous p-divinylbenzenesilica has been elucidated to evaluate the effects of reduced dimensionality on the engineered dynamics of artificial molecular machines. The hybrid mesoporous material, characterized by a honeycomb lattice structure, has arrays of alternating p-divinylbenzene rotors and siloxane layers forming the molecularly ordered walls of the mesoscopic channels. The p-divinylbenzene rotors are strongly anchored between two adjacent siloxane sheets, so that the p-phenylene rotators are unable to experience translational diffusion and are allowed to rotate about only one fixed axis. Variable-temperature (2)H NMR experiments revealed that the p-phenylene rotators undergo an exchange process between sites related by 180° and a non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of the dynamics, with reorientational rates ranging from 10(3) to 10(8) Hz between 215 to 305 K. The regime of motion changes rapidly at about 280 K indicating the occurrence of a dynamical transition. The transition was also recognized by a steep change in the heat capacity at constant pressure. As a result of the robust lamellar architecture comprising the pore walls, the orientational dynamic disorder related to the phase transition is only realized in two dimensions within the layers, that is in the plane perpendicular to the channel axis. Thus, the aligned rotors that form the organic layers exhibit unique anisotropic dynamical properties as a result of the architecture's reduced dimensionality. The dynamical disorder restricted to two dimensions constitutes a highly mobile fluidlike rotational phase at room temperature, which upon cooling undergoes a transition to a more rigid glasslike phase. Activation energies of 5.9 and 9.5 kcal/mol respectively have been measured for the two dynamical regimes of rotation. Collectively, our investigation has led to the discovery of an

  20. BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Influences Visuomotor Associative Learning and the Sensitivity to Action Observation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taschereau-Dumouchel, Vincent; Hétu, Sébastien; Michon, Pierre-Emmanuel; Vachon-Presseau, Etienne; Massicotte, Elsa; De Beaumont, Louis; Fecteau, Shirley; Poirier, Judes; Mercier, Catherine; Chagnon, Yvon C.; Jackson, Philip L.

    2016-01-01

    Motor representations in the human mirror neuron system are tuned to respond to specific observed actions. This ability is widely believed to be influenced by genetic factors, but no study has reported a genetic variant affecting this system so far. One possibility is that genetic variants might interact with visuomotor associative learning to configure the system to respond to novel observed actions. In this perspective, we conducted a candidate gene study on the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism, a genetic variant linked to motor learning in regions of the mirror neuron system, and tested the effect of this polymorphism on motor facilitation and visuomotor associative learning. In a single-pulse TMS study carried on 16 Met (Val/Met and Met/Met) and 16 Val/Val participants selected from a large pool of healthy volunteers, Met participants showed significantly less muscle-specific corticospinal sensitivity during action observation, as well as reduced visuomotor associative learning, compared to Val homozygotes. These results are the first evidence of a genetic variant tuning sensitivity to action observation and bring to light the importance of considering the intricate relation between genetics and associative learning in order to further understand the origin and function of the human mirror neuron system. PMID:27703276

  1. Controlling the quantum rotational dynamics of a driven planar rotor ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Archana Shukla

    †Dedicated to the memory of late Professor Charusita Chakravarty. To a large extent the ..... study the long time quantum dynamics using only the one cycle propagator. .... distributions, including the short time rotational rain- bow features and ...

  2. Performance of a visuomotor walking task in an augmented reality training setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haarman, Juliet A.M.; Choi, Julia T.; Buurke, Jaap H.; Rietman, Johan S.; Reenalda, Jasper

    2017-01-01

    Visual cues can be used to train walking patterns. Here, we studied the performance and learning capacities of healthy subjects executing a high-precision visuomotor walking task, in an augmented reality training set-up. A beamer was used to project visual stepping targets on the walking surface of

  3. Magneto-elastic dynamics and bifurcation of rotating annular plate*

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Yu-Da; Piao Jiang-Min; Li Wen-Qiang

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, magneto-elastic dynamic behavior, bifurcation, and chaos of a rotating annular thin plate with various boundary conditions are investigated. Based on the thin plate theory and the Maxwell equations, the magneto-elastic dynamic equations of rotating annular plate are derived by means of Hamilton’s principle. Bessel function as a mode shape function and the Galerkin method are used to achieve the transverse vibration differential equation of the rotating annular plate with different boundary conditions. By numerical analysis, the bifurcation diagrams with magnetic induction, amplitude and frequency of transverse excitation force as the control parameters are respectively plotted under different boundary conditions such as clamped supported sides, simply supported sides, and clamped-one-side combined with simply-anotherside. Poincaré maps, time history charts, power spectrum charts, and phase diagrams are obtained under certain conditions, and the influence of the bifurcation parameters on the bifurcation and chaos of the system is discussed. The results show that the motion of the system is a complicated and repeated process from multi-periodic motion to quasi-period motion to chaotic motion, which is accompanied by intermittent chaos, when the bifurcation parameters change. If the amplitude of transverse excitation force is bigger or magnetic induction intensity is smaller or boundary constraints level is lower, the system can be more prone to chaos. (paper)

  4. Nonlinear quantum dynamics in diatomic molecules: Vibration, rotation and spin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Ciann-Dong; Weng, Hung-Jen

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► This paper reveals the internal nonlinear dynamics embedded in a molecular quantum state. ► Analyze quantum molecular dynamics in a deterministic way, while preserving the consistency with probability interpretation. ► Molecular vibration–rotation interaction and spin–orbital coupling are considered simultaneously. ► Spin is just the remnant angular motion when orbital angular momentum is zero. ► Spin is the “zero dynamics” of nonlinear quantum dynamics. - Abstract: For a given molecular wavefunction Ψ, the probability density function Ψ ∗ Ψ is not the only information that can be extracted from Ψ. We point out in this paper that nonlinear quantum dynamics of a diatomic molecule, completely consistent with the probability prediction of quantum mechanics, does exist and can be derived from the quantum Hamilton equations of motion determined by Ψ. It can be said that the probability density function Ψ ∗ Ψ is an external representation of the quantum state Ψ, while the related Hamilton dynamics is an internal representation of Ψ, which reveals the internal mechanism underlying the externally observed random events. The proposed internal representation of Ψ establishes a bridge between nonlinear dynamics and quantum mechanics, which allows the methods and tools already developed by the former to be applied to the latter. Based on the quantum Hamilton equations of motion derived from Ψ, vibration, rotation and spin motions of a diatomic molecule and the interactions between them can be analyzed simultaneously. The resulting dynamic analysis of molecular motion is compared with the conventional probability analysis and the consistency between them is demonstrated.

  5. Visuomotor adaptability in older adults with mild cognitive decline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaffert, Jeffrey; Lee, Chi-Mei; Neill, Rebecca; Bo, Jin

    2017-02-01

    The current study examined the augmentation of error feedback on visuomotor adaptability in older adults with varying degrees of cognitive decline (assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment; MoCA). Twenty-three participants performed a center-out computerized visuomotor adaptation task when the visual feedback of their hand movement error was presented in a regular (ratio=1:1) or enhanced (ratio=1:2) error feedback schedule. Results showed that older adults with lower scores on the MoCA had less adaptability than those with higher MoCA scores during the regular feedback schedule. However, participants demonstrated similar adaptability during the enhanced feedback schedule, regardless of their cognitive ability. Furthermore, individuals with lower MoCA scores showed larger after-effects in spatial control during the enhanced schedule compared to the regular schedule, whereas individuals with higher MoCA scores displayed the opposite pattern. Additional neuro-cognitive assessments revealed that spatial working memory and processing speed were positively related to motor adaptability during the regular scheduled but negatively related to adaptability during the enhanced schedule. We argue that individuals with mild cognitive decline employed different adaptation strategies when encountering enhanced visual feedback, suggesting older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may benefit from enhanced visual error feedback during sensorimotor adaptation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Dynamical role of Ekman pumping in rapidly rotating convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stellmach, Stephan; Julien, Keith; Cheng, Jonathan; Aurnou, Jonathan

    2015-04-01

    The exact nature of the mechanical boundary conditions (i.e. no-slip versus stress-free) is usually considered to be of secondary importance in the rapidly rotating parameter regime characterizing planetary cores. While they have considerable influence for the Ekman numbers achievable in today's global simulations, for planetary values both the viscous Ekman layers and the associated secondary flows are generally expected to become negligibly small. In fact, usually the main purpose of using stress-free boundary conditions in numerical dynamo simulations is to suppress unrealistically large friction and pumping effects. In this study, we investigate the influence of the mechanical boundary conditions on core convection systematically. By restricting ourselves to the idealized case of rapidly rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection, we are able to combine results from direct numerical simulations (DNS), laboratory experiments and asymptotic theory into a coherent picture. Contrary to the general expectation, we show that the dynamical effects of Ekman pumping increase with decreasing Ekman number over the investigated parameter range. While stress-free DNS results converge to the asymptotic predictions, both no-slip simulations and laboratory experiments consistently reveal increasingly large deviations from the existing asymptotic theory based on dynamically passive Ekman layers. The implications of these results for core dynamics are discussed briefly.

  7. Dynamical stability of the one-dimensional rigid Brownian rotator: the role of the rotator’s spatial size and shape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeknić-Dugić, Jasmina; Petrović, Igor; Arsenijević, Momir; Dugić, Miroljub

    2018-05-01

    We investigate dynamical stability of a single propeller-like shaped molecular cogwheel modelled as the fixed-axis rigid rotator. In the realistic situations, rotation of the finite-size cogwheel is subject to the environmentally-induced Brownian-motion effect that we describe by utilizing the quantum Caldeira-Leggett master equation. Assuming the initially narrow (classical-like) standard deviations for the angle and the angular momentum of the rotator, we investigate the dynamics of the first and second moments depending on the size, i.e. on the number of blades of both the free rotator as well as of the rotator in the external harmonic field. The larger the standard deviations, the less stable (i.e. less predictable) rotation. We detect the absence of the simple and straightforward rules for utilizing the rotator’s stability. Instead, a number of the size-related criteria appear whose combinations may provide the optimal rules for the rotator dynamical stability and possibly control. In the realistic situations, the quantum-mechanical corrections, albeit individually small, may effectively prove non-negligible, and also revealing subtlety of the transition from the quantum to the classical dynamics of the rotator. As to the latter, we detect a strong size-dependence of the transition to the classical dynamics beyond the quantum decoherence process.

  8. Dynamic Models of Instruments Using Rotating Unbalanced Masses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, John Y.; Gallaspy, Jason M.; Bishop, Carlee A.

    1998-01-01

    The motion of telescopes, satellites, and other flight bodies have been controlled by various means in the past. For example, gimbal mounted devices can use electric motors to produce pointing and scanning motions. Reaction wheels, control moment gyros, and propellant-charged reaction jets are other technologies that have also been used. Each of these methods has its advantages, but all actuator systems used in a flight environment face the challenges of minimizing weight, reducing energy consumption, and maximizing reliability. Recently, Polites invented and patented the Rotating Unbalanced Mass (RUM) device as a means for generation scanning motion on flight experiments. RUM devices together with traditional servomechanisms have been successfully used to generate various scanning motions: linear, raster, and circular. The basic principle can be described: A RUM rotating at constant angular velocity exerts a cyclic centrifugal force on the instrument or main body, thus producing a periodic scanning motion. A system of RUM devices exerts no reaction forces on the main body, requires very little energy to rotate the RUMS, and is simple to construct. These are significant advantages over electric motors, reaction wheels, and control moment gyroscopes. Although the RUM device very easily produces scanning motion, an auxiliary control system has been required to maintain the proper orientation, or pointing of the main body. It has been suggested that RUM devices can be used to control pointing dynamics, as well as generate the desired periodic scanning motion. The idea is that the RUM velocity will not be kept constant, but will vary over the period of one RUM rotation. The thought is that the changing angular velocity produces a centrifugal force having time-varying magnitude and direction. The scope of this ongoing research project is to study the pointing control concept, and recommend a direction of study for advanced pointing control using only RUM devices. This

  9. High-Frequency Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in the Nuclear Rotating Frame

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farrar, C. T.; Hall, D. A.; Gerfen, G. J.

    2000-01-01

    A proton dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR signal enhancement (ϵ) close to thermal equilibrium, ϵ = 0.89, has been obtained at high field (B0 = 5 T, νepr = 139.5 GHz) using 15 mM trityl radical in a 40:60 water/glycerol frozen solution at 11 K. The electron-nuclear polarization transfer...... is performed in the nuclear rotating frame with microwave irradiation during a nuclear spin-lock pulse. The growth of the signal enhancement is governed by the rotating frame nuclear spin–lattice relaxation time (T1ρ), which is four orders of magnitude shorter than the nuclear spin–lattice relaxation time (T1n......). Due to the rapid polarization transfer in the nuclear rotating frame the experiment can be recycled at a rate of 1/T1ρ and is not limited by the much slower lab frame nuclear spin–lattice relaxation rate (1/T1n). The increased repetition rate allowed in the nuclear rotating frame provides an effective...

  10. Visuomotor Tracking Abilities of Speakers with Apraxia of Speech or Conduction Aphasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robin, Donald A.; Jacks, Adam; Hageman, Carlin; Clark, Heather M.; Woodworth, George

    2008-01-01

    This investigation examined the visuomotor tracking abilities of persons with apraxia of speech (AOS) or conduction aphasia (CA). In addition, tracking performance was correlated with perceptual judgments of speech accuracy. Five individuals with AOS and four with CA served as participants, as well as an equal number of healthy controls matched by…

  11. Rotational coherence spectroscopy at FLASH. Toward dynamic studies in nanosuperfluids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kickermann, Andreas

    2013-07-15

    The field of molecular physics, which is focusing on molecular motion in the transition states of physical, chemical, and biological changes, is a wide-spread research area. It strives to reveal the structural and functional properties of molecules, the chemical bonds between atoms and the time evolution. Many processes occurring in nature upon electronic excitation proceed on the ultrafast femtosecond timescale and can be triggered by modern ultrashort femtosecond-laser sources under laboratory conditions. In the present thesis pump-probe studies were performed to follow molecular motion using ultrashort light pulses in the nanometer wavelength range provided by an XUV freeelectron laser (FEL). In detail, alignment of molecular species in space under field-free conditions was investigated. In the specific case of rotational wave packets in molecules the rotational dynamics shows characteristic temporal features, which contain a wealth of information on molecular structure and give insight into molecular coupling mechanisms, i.e. rotational constants and transition frequencies. Within this thesis, Rotational Coherence Spectroscopy (RCS) reveals wave-packet motion observed by subsequent Coulomb explosion of Raman excited carbon monoxide, which results in a time-dependent asymmetry of spatial fragmentation patterns. With the method presented here, the time resolution to elucidate the fast dynamics of strong couplings can be pushed toward a single rotational period even for the fastest rotors. This is due to large pump-probe delays with small subpicosecond step size. This kind of spectroscopy can also be expanded to molecular species, which are not accessible by other powerful spectroscopic methods, such as Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy (FTMW). Furthermore, it allows to measure weak molecular couplings on a long timescale (large pump-probe delays), e.g. couplings of molecules in a solution or molecules dissolved in quantum fluids. This is valuable to

  12. Rotational coherence spectroscopy at FLASH. Toward dynamic studies in nanosuperfluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kickermann, Andreas

    2013-07-01

    The field of molecular physics, which is focusing on molecular motion in the transition states of physical, chemical, and biological changes, is a wide-spread research area. It strives to reveal the structural and functional properties of molecules, the chemical bonds between atoms and the time evolution. Many processes occurring in nature upon electronic excitation proceed on the ultrafast femtosecond timescale and can be triggered by modern ultrashort femtosecond-laser sources under laboratory conditions. In the present thesis pump-probe studies were performed to follow molecular motion using ultrashort light pulses in the nanometer wavelength range provided by an XUV freeelectron laser (FEL). In detail, alignment of molecular species in space under field-free conditions was investigated. In the specific case of rotational wave packets in molecules the rotational dynamics shows characteristic temporal features, which contain a wealth of information on molecular structure and give insight into molecular coupling mechanisms, i.e. rotational constants and transition frequencies. Within this thesis, Rotational Coherence Spectroscopy (RCS) reveals wave-packet motion observed by subsequent Coulomb explosion of Raman excited carbon monoxide, which results in a time-dependent asymmetry of spatial fragmentation patterns. With the method presented here, the time resolution to elucidate the fast dynamics of strong couplings can be pushed toward a single rotational period even for the fastest rotors. This is due to large pump-probe delays with small subpicosecond step size. This kind of spectroscopy can also be expanded to molecular species, which are not accessible by other powerful spectroscopic methods, such as Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy (FTMW). Furthermore, it allows to measure weak molecular couplings on a long timescale (large pump-probe delays), e.g. couplings of molecules in a solution or molecules dissolved in quantum fluids. This is valuable to

  13. Effects of postural control manipulation on visuomotor training performance: comparative data in healthy athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigsby, Kathryn; Mangine, Robert E; Clark, Joseph F; Rauch, Joseph T; Bixenmann, Benjamin; Susaret, Antonia W; Hasselfeld, Kimberly A; Colosimo, Angelo J

    2014-08-01

    Visuomotor ability is an important parameter for neurologic function and effective sport performance. Adding a balance challenge during a structured eye-hand coordination task, such as hitting lights on a light board (Dynavision™), has not been previously reported. Using Division I football players, the aim of this study was to determine normative data on a dual-task performance regimen combining a visuomotor light board task with a balance task. The intent is to use such normative data and baseline data as part of a concussion management program. Division I college football team members, n=105, were consented. Subjects first performed Dynavision™ D2™ Visuomotor Training Device (D2™) eye-hand coordination tasks, the A* and the RT; they then performed the same tasks with an added balance challenge, standing on a BOSU® ball. Ninety-four athletes completed the full testing procedure on the D2™ system. The mean score of the A* test was 93 ± 11.0 hits per minute; and the mean on the A* test with the added BOSU® balance challenge was 83.7 ± 9.2 hits per minute. The mean RT time was 0.33 ± 0.036 seconds. Mean reaction time increased to 0.38 ± 0.063 while the subject stood on the BOSU® ball. Performance on the D2™ A* and RT were both statistically significantly different in the dual task condition (pmanagement program. III.

  14. Is effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on visuomotor coordination dependent on task difficulty?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Hyun Kwon

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS, an emerging technique for non-invasive brain stimulation, is increasingly used to induce changes in cortical excitability and modulate motor behavior, especially for upper limbs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of tDCS of the primary motor cortex on visuomotor coordination based on three levels of task difficulty in healthy subjects. Thirty-eight healthy participants underwent real tDCS or sham tDCS. Using a single-blind, sham-controlled crossover design, tDCS was applied to the primary motor cortex. For real tDCS conditions, tDCS intensity was 1 mA while stimulation was applied for 15 minutes. For the sham tDCS, electrodes were placed in the same position, but the stimulator was turned off after 5 seconds. Visuomotor tracking task, consisting of three levels (levels 1, 2, 3 of difficulty with higher level indicating greater difficulty, was performed before and after tDCS application. At level 2, real tDCS of the primary motor cortex improved the accurate index compared to the sham tDCS. However, at levels 1 and 3, the accurate index was not significantly increased after real tDCS compared to the sham tDCS. These findings suggest that tasks of moderate difficulty may improve visuomotor coordination in healthy subjects when tDCS is applied compared with easier or more difficult tasks.

  15. Transient Dynamic Response of Delaminated Composite Rotating Shallow Shells Subjected to Impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Karmakar

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a transient dynamic finite element analysis is presented to study the response of delaminated composite pretwisted rotating shallow shells subjected to low velocity normal impact. Lagrange's equation of motion is used to derive the dynamic equilibrium equation and moderate rotational speeds are considered wherein the Coriolis effect is negligible. An eight noded isoparametric plate bending element is employed in the finite element formulation incorporating rotary inertia and effects of transverse shear deformation based on Mindlin's theory. To satisfy the compatibility of deformation and equilibrium of resultant forces and moments at the delamination crack front a multipoint constraint algorithm is incorporated which leads to unsymmetric stiffness matrices. The modified Hertzian contact law which accounts for permanent indentation is utilized to compute the contact force, and the time dependent equations are solved by Newmark's time integration algorithm. Parametric studies are performed in respect of location of delamination, angle of twist and rotational speed for centrally impacted graphite-epoxy composite cylindrical shells.

  16. The robot hand illusion: inducing proprioceptive drift through visuo-motor congruency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Daniele; Caffa, Elisa; Hernandez-Arieta, Alejandro; Brugger, Peter; Maravita, Angelo

    2015-04-01

    The representation of one's own body sets the border of the self, but also shapes the space where we interact with external objects. Under particular conditions, such as in the rubber hand illusion external objects can be incorporated in one's own body representation, following congruent visuo-tactile stroking of one's own and a fake hand. This procedure induces an illusory sense of ownership for the fake hand and a shift of proprioceptive localization of the own hand towards the fake hand. Here we investigated whether pure visuo-motor, instead of visuo-tactile, congruency between one's own hand and a detached myoelectric-controlled robotic hand can induce similar embodiment effects. We found a shift of proprioceptive hand localization toward the robot hand, only following synchronized real hand/robot hand movements. Notably, no modulation was found of the sense of ownership following either synchronous or asynchronous-movement training. Our findings suggest that visuo-motor synchrony can drive the localization of one's own body parts in space, even when somatosensory input is kept constant and the experience of body ownership is maintained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Dynamic characterization, monitoring and control of rotating flexible beam-mass structures via piezo-embedded techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Steven H.-Y.

    1992-01-01

    A variational principle and a finite element discretization technique were used to derive the dynamic equations for a high speed rotating flexible beam-mass system embedded with piezo-electric materials. The dynamic equation thus obtained allows the development of finite element models which accommodate both the original structural element and the piezoelectric element. The solutions of finite element models provide system dynamics needed to design a sensing system. The characterization of gyroscopic effect and damping capacity of smart rotating devices are addressed. Several simulation examples are presented to validate the analytical solution.

  18. Dual-Tasking Alleviated Sleep Deprivation Disruption in Visuomotor Tracking: An fMRI Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazes, Yunglin; Rakitin, Brian C.; Steffener, Jason; Habeck, Christian; Butterfield, Brady; Basner, Robert C.; Ghez, Claude; Stern, Yaakov

    2012-01-01

    Effects of dual-responding on tracking performance after 49-h of sleep deprivation (SD) were evaluated behaviorally and with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Continuous visuomotor tracking was performed simultaneously with an intermittent color-matching visual detection task in which a pair of color-matched stimuli constituted a…

  19. SLOWLY ROTATING GAS-RICH GALAXIES IN MODIFIED NEWTONIAN DYNAMICS (MOND)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J.; Martínez-García, E. E.; Hidalgo-Gámez, A. M.

    2013-01-01

    We have carried out a search for gas-rich dwarf galaxies that have lower rotation velocities in their outskirts than MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) predicts, so that the amplitude of their rotation curves cannot be fitted by arbitrarily increasing the mass-to-light ratio of the stellar component or by assuming additional undetected matter. With presently available data, the gas-rich galaxies UGC 4173, Holmberg II, ESO 245-G05, NGC 4861, and ESO 364-G029 deviate most from MOND predictions and, thereby, provide a sample of promising targets in testing the MOND framework. In the case of Holmberg II and NGC 4861, we find that their rotation curves are probably inconsistent with MOND, unless their inclinations and distances differ significantly from the nominal ones. The galaxy ESO 364-G029 is a promising target because its baryonic mass and rotation curve are similar to Holmberg II but presents a higher inclination. Deeper photometric and H I observations of ESO 364-G029, together with further decreasing systematic uncertainties, may provide a strong test to MOND.

  20. Rotations with Rodrigues' vector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pina, E

    2011-01-01

    The rotational dynamics was studied from the point of view of Rodrigues' vector. This vector is defined here by its connection with other forms of parametrization of the rotation matrix. The rotation matrix was expressed in terms of this vector. The angular velocity was computed using the components of Rodrigues' vector as coordinates. It appears to be a fundamental matrix that is used to express the components of the angular velocity, the rotation matrix and the angular momentum vector. The Hamiltonian formalism of rotational dynamics in terms of this vector uses the same matrix. The quantization of the rotational dynamics is performed with simple rules if one uses Rodrigues' vector and similar formal expressions for the quantum operators that mimic the Hamiltonian classical dynamics.

  1. Tokamak turbulence in self-regulated differentially rotating flow and L-H transition dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terry, P.W.; Carreras, B.A.; Sidikman, K.

    1992-01-01

    An analytical study of turbulence in the presence of turbulently generated differentially rotating flow is presented as a paradigm for fluctuation dynamics in L- and H-mode plasmas. Using a drift wave model, the role of both flow shear and flow curvature (second radial derivative of the poloidal ExB flow) is detailed in linear and saturated turbulence phases. In the strong turbulence saturated state, finite amplitude-induced modification of the fluctuation structure near low order rational surfaces strongly inhibits flow shear suppression. Suppression by curvature is not diminished, but it occurs through a frequency shift. A description of L-H mode transition dynamics based on the self-consistent linking of turbulence suppression by differentially rotating flow and generation of flow by turbulent momentum transport is presented. In this model, rising edge temperature triggers a transition characterized by spontaneous generation of differentially rotating flow and decreasing turbulence intensity

  2. Rotational dynamics with Tracker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eadkhong, T; Danworaphong, S; Rajsadorn, R; Jannual, P

    2012-01-01

    We propose the use of Tracker, freeware for video analysis, to analyse the moment of inertia (I) of a cylindrical plate. Three experiments are performed to validate the proposed method. The first experiment is dedicated to find the linear coefficient of rotational friction (b) for our system. By omitting the effect of such friction, we derive I for a cylindrical plate rotated around its central axis from the other two experiments based on the relation between torque and angular acceleration of rotational motion and conservation of energy. Movies of the rotating plate and hung masses are recorded. As a result, we have the deviation of I from its theoretical value of 0.4% and 3.3%, respectively. Our setup is completely constructed from locally available inexpensive materials and the experimental results indicate that the system is highly reliable. This work should pave the way for those who prefer to build a similar setup from scratch at relatively low cost compared to commercial units. (paper)

  3. Visual feedback alters force control and functional activity in the visuomotor network after stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek B. Archer

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Modulating visual feedback may be a viable option to improve motor function after stroke, but the neurophysiological basis for this improvement is not clear. Visual gain can be manipulated by increasing or decreasing the spatial amplitude of an error signal. Here, we combined a unilateral visually guided grip force task with functional MRI to understand how changes in the gain of visual feedback alter brain activity in the chronic phase after stroke. Analyses focused on brain activation when force was produced by the most impaired hand of the stroke group as compared to the non-dominant hand of the control group. Our experiment produced three novel results. First, gain-related improvements in force control were associated with an increase in activity in many regions within the visuomotor network in both the stroke and control groups. These regions include the extrastriate visual cortex, inferior parietal lobule, ventral premotor cortex, cerebellum, and supplementary motor area. Second, the stroke group showed gain-related increases in activity in additional regions of lobules VI and VIIb of the ipsilateral cerebellum. Third, relative to the control group, the stroke group showed increased activity in the ipsilateral primary motor cortex, and activity in this region did not vary as a function of visual feedback gain. The visuomotor network, cerebellum, and ipsilateral primary motor cortex have each been targeted in rehabilitation interventions after stroke. Our observations provide new insight into the role these regions play in processing visual gain during a precisely controlled visuomotor task in the chronic phase after stroke.

  4. Visuomotor contribution to force variability in the plantarflexor and dorsiflexor muscles

    OpenAIRE

    Tracy, Brian L.

    2007-01-01

    The visual correction employed during isometric contractions of large proximal muscles contributes variability to the descending command and alters fluctuations in muscle force. This study explored the contribution of visuomotor correction to isometric force fluctuations for the more distal dorsiflexor (DF) and plantarflexor (PF) muscles of the ankle. Twenty-one healthy adults performed steady isometric contractions with the DF and PF muscles both with (VIS) and without (NOVIS) visual feedbac...

  5. Dynamics of a discrete geotropic sensor subject to rotation-induced gravity compensation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silver, I.L.

    1976-01-01

    A clinostat achieves gravity compensation by providing circular rotation with uniform speed, about a horizontal axis. The dynamics of an assumed, discrete and free-moving subcellular gravity receptor, subject to clinostat rotation, is analyzed. The results imply that there is an optimum rotation rate; higher speeds result in circular motions with diameters more comparable to thermal noise fluctuations, but with greater linear velocities due to increasing centrifugal forces. An optimizing function is proposed. The nucleolus and mitochondrion is chosen as a gravity receptor for illustrating the use of this theory. The characteristics of their clinostat-induced motions are incorporated with experimental results on Avena plant shoots in an illustrative example.

  6. The distribution of cerebral activity related to visuomotor coordination indicating perceptual and executional specialization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, BM; Frackowiak, RSJ; Willemsen, ATM; Paans, AMJ

    The distribution of increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) related to visuomotor coordination was studied by means of positron emission tomography (PET) in normal subjects. An experimental condition, in which a vertically presented zigzag figure had to be copied in a horizontal orientation,

  7. Effects of combat training on visuomotor performance in children aged 9 to 12 years - an eye-tracking study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Yan-Ying; Liu, Yen-Hsiu; Cheng, Chih-Hsiu; Lee, Yu-Lung; Chang, Shih-Tsung; Sun, Chi-Chin; Cheng, Hsin-Yi Kathy

    2018-02-07

    Data on visuomotor performance in combat training and the effects of combat training on visuomotor performance are limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a specially designed combat sports (CS) training program on the visuomotor performance levels of children. A pre-post comparative design was implemented. A total of 26 students aged 9-12 years underwent 40-min CS training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks during their physical education classes. The CS training program was designed by a karate coach and a motor control specialist. The other 30 students continued their regular activities and were considered as a control group. Each student's eye movement was monitored using an eye tracker, whereas the motor performance was measured using a target hitting system with a program-controlled microprocessor. The measurements were taken 8 weeks before (baseline), 1 day before (pretest), and 1 week after (posttest) the designated training program. The task used for evaluating these students was hitting or tracking random illuminated targets as rapidly as possible. A two-way analysis of variance [group(2) × time(3)] with repeated measures of time was performed for statistical analysis. For the children who received combat training, although the eye response improvement was not significant, both the primary and secondary saccade onset latencies were significantly earlier compared to the children without combat training. Both groups of students exhibited improvement in their hit response times during the target hitting tasks. The current finding supported the notion that sports training efforts essentially enhance visuomotor function in children aged 9-12 years, and combat training facilitates an earlier secondary saccade onset.

  8. Simple Models for the Dynamic Modeling of Rotating Tires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.C. Delamotte

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Large Finite Element (FE models of tires are currently used to predict low frequency behavior and to obtain dynamic model coefficients used in multi-body models for riding and comfort. However, to predict higher frequency behavior, which may explain irregular wear, critical rotating speeds and noise radiation, FE models are not practical. Detailed FE models are not adequate for optimization and uncertainty predictions either, as in such applications the dynamic solution must be computed a number of times. Therefore, there is a need for simpler models that can capture the physics of the tire and be used to compute the dynamic response with a low computational cost. In this paper, the spectral (or continuous element approach is used to derive such a model. A circular beam spectral element that takes into account the string effect is derived, and a method to simulate the response to a rotating force is implemented in the frequency domain. The behavior of a circular ring under different internal pressures is investigated using modal and frequency/wavenumber representations. Experimental results obtained with a real untreaded truck tire are presented and qualitatively compared with the simple model predictions with good agreement. No attempt is made to obtain equivalent parameters for the simple model from the real tire results. On the other hand, the simple model fails to represent the correct variation of the quotient of the natural frequency by the number of circumferential wavelengths with the mode count. Nevertheless, some important features of the real tire dynamic behavior, such as the generation of standing waves and part of the frequency/wavenumber behavior, can be investigated using the proposed simplified model.

  9. Sleep benefits consolidation of visuo-motor adaptation learning in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantua, Janna; Baran, Bengi; Spencer, Rebecca M C

    2016-02-01

    Sleep is beneficial for performance across a range of memory tasks in young adults, but whether memories are similarly consolidated in older adults is less clear. Performance benefits have been observed following sleep in older adults for declarative learning tasks, but this benefit may be reduced for non-declarative, motor skill learning tasks. To date, studies of sleep-dependent consolidation of motor learning in older adults are limited to motor sequence tasks. To examine whether reduced sleep-dependent consolidation in older adults is generalizable to other forms of motor skill learning, we examined performance changes over intervals of sleep and wake in young (n = 62) and older adults (n = 61) using a mirror-tracing task, which assesses visuo-motor adaptation learning. Participants learned the task either in the morning or in evening, and performance was assessed following a 12-h interval containing overnight sleep or daytime wake. Contrary to our prediction, both young adults and older adults exhibited sleep-dependent gains in visuo-motor adaptation. There was a correlation between performance improvement over sleep and percent of the night in non-REM stage 2 sleep. These results indicate that motor skill consolidation remains intact with increasing age although this relationship may be limited to specific forms of motor skill learning.

  10. Effect of Target Location on Dynamic Visual Acuity During Passive Horizontal Rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appelbaum, Meghan; DeDios, Yiri; Kulecz, Walter; Peters, Brian; Wood, Scott

    2010-01-01

    The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) generates eye rotation to compensate for potential retinal slip in the specific plane of head movement. Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) has been utilized as a functional measure of the VOR. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in accuracy and reaction time when performing a DVA task with targets offset from the plane of rotation, e.g. offset vertically during horizontal rotation. Visual acuity was measured in 12 healthy subjects as they moved a hand-held joystick to indicate the orientation of a computer-generated Landolt C "as quickly and accurately as possible." Acuity thresholds were established with optotypes presented centrally on a wall-mounted LCD screen at 1.3 m distance, first without motion (static condition) and then while oscillating at 0.8 Hz (DVA, peak velocity 60 deg/s). The effect of target location was then measured during horizontal rotation with the optotypes randomly presented in one of nine different locations on the screen (offset up to 10 deg). The optotype size (logMar 0, 0.2 or 0.4, corresponding to Snellen range 20/20 to 20/50) and presentation duration (150, 300 and 450 ms) were counter-balanced across five trials, each utilizing horizontal rotation at 0.8 Hz. Dynamic acuity was reduced relative to static acuity in 7 of 12 subjects by one step size. During the random target trials, both accuracy and reaction time improved proportional to optotype size. Accuracy and reaction time also improved between 150 ms and 300 ms presentation durations. The main finding was that both accuracy and reaction time varied as a function of target location, with greater performance decrements when acquiring vertical targets. We conclude that dynamic visual acuity varies with target location, with acuity optimized for targets in the plane of motion. Both reaction time and accuracy are functionally relevant DVA parameters of VOR function.

  11. Dynamic Three-Dimensional Shoulder Mri during Active Motion for Investigation of Rotator Cuff Diseases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Tempelaere

    Full Text Available MRI is the standard methodology in diagnosis of rotator cuff diseases. However, many patients continue to have pain despite treatment, and MRI of a static unloaded shoulder seems insufficient for best diagnosis and treatment. This study evaluated if Dynamic MRI provides novel kinematic data that can be used to improve the understanding, diagnosis and best treatment of rotator cuff diseases.Dynamic MRI provided real-time 3D image series and was used to measure changes in the width of subacromial space, superior-inferior translation and anterior-posterior translation of the humeral head relative to the glenoid during active abduction. These measures were investigated for consistency with the rotator cuff diseases classifications from standard MRI.The study included: 4 shoulders with massive rotator cuff tears, 5 shoulders with an isolated full-thickness supraspinatus tear, 5 shoulders with tendinopathy and 6 normal shoulders. A change in the width of subacromial space greater than 4mm differentiated between rotator cuff diseases with tendon tears (massive cuff tears and supraspinatus tear and without tears (tendinopathy (p = 0.012. The range of the superior-inferior translation was higher in the massive cuff tears group (6.4mm than in normals (3.4mm (p = 0.02. The range of the anterior-posterior translation was higher in the massive cuff tears (9.2 mm and supraspinatus tear (9.3 mm shoulders compared to normals (3.5mm and tendinopathy (4.8mm shoulders (p = 0.05.The Dynamic MRI enabled a novel measure; 'Looseness', i.e. the translation of the humeral head on the glenoid during an abduction cycle. Looseness was better able at differentiating different forms of rotator cuff disease than a simple static measure of relative glenohumeral position.

  12. Numerical simulation of 3D unsteady flow in a rotating pump by dynamic mesh technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, S; Guo, J; Yang, F X

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the numerical simulation of unsteady flow for three kinds of typical rotating pumps, roots blower, roto-jet pump and centrifugal pump, were performed using the three-dimensional Dynamic Mesh technique. In the unsteady simulation, all the computational domains, as stationary, were set in one inertial reference frame. The motions of the solid boundaries were defined by the Profile file in FLUENT commercial code, in which the rotational orientation and speed of the rotors were specified. Three methods (Spring-based Smoothing, Dynamic Layering and Local Re-meshing) were used to achieve mesh deformation and re-meshing. The unsteady solutions of flow field and pressure distribution were solved. After a start-up stage, the flow parameters exhibit time-periodic behaviour corresponding to blade passing frequency of rotor. This work shows that Dynamic Mesh technique could achieve numerical simulation of three-dimensional unsteady flow field in various kinds of rotating pumps and have a strong versatility and broad application prospects

  13. Mathematical problems of the dynamics of incompressible fluid on a rotating sphere

    CERN Document Server

    Skiba, Yuri N

    2017-01-01

    This book presents selected mathematical problems involving the dynamics of a two-dimensional viscous and ideal incompressible fluid on a rotating sphere. In this case, the fluid motion is completely governed by the barotropic vorticity equation (BVE), and the viscosity term in the vorticity equation is taken in its general form, which contains the derivative of real degree of the spherical Laplace operator. This work builds a bridge between basic concepts and concrete outcomes by pursuing a rich combination of theoretical, analytical and numerical approaches, and is recommended for specialists developing mathematical methods for application to problems in physics, hydrodynamics, meteorology and geophysics, as well for upper undergraduate or graduate students in the areas of dynamics of incompressible fluid on a rotating sphere, theory of functions on a sphere, and flow stability.

  14. TE-TM dynamics in a semiconductor laser subject to polarization-rotated optical feedback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heil, T.; Uchida, A.; Davis, P.; Aida, T.

    2003-01-01

    We present a comprehensive experimental characterization of the dynamics of semiconductor lasers subject to polarization-rotated optical feedback. We find oscillatory instabilities appearing for large feedback levels and disappearing at large injection currents, which we classify in contrast to the well-known conventional optical-feedback-induced dynamics. In addition, we compare our experiments to theoretical results of a single-mode model assuming incoherence of the optical feedback, and we identify differences concerning the average power of the laser. Hence, we develop an alternative model accounting for both polarizations, where the emission of the dominant TE mode is injected with delay into the TM mode of the laser. Numerical simulations using this model show good qualitative agreement with our experimental results, correctly reproducing the parameter dependences of the dynamics. Finally, we discuss the application of polarization-rotated-feedback induced instabilities in chaotic carrier communication systems

  15. Determination of a sagittal plane axis of rotation for a dynamic office chair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, C M; Rast, F M; Böck, C; Kuster, R P; Baumgartner, D

    2018-10-01

    This study investigated the location of the axis of rotation in sagittal plane movement of the spine in a free sitting condition to adjust the kinematics of a mobile seat for a dynamic chair. Dynamic office chairs are designed to avoid continuous isometric muscle activity, and to facilitate increased mobility of the back during sitting. However, these chairs incorporate increased upper body movement which could distract office workers from the performance of their tasks. A chair with an axis of rotation above the seat would facilitate a stable upper back during movements of the lower back. The selection of a natural kinematic pattern is of high importance in order to match the properties of the spine. Twenty-one participants performed four cycles of flexion and extension of the spine during an upper arm hang on parallel bars. The location of the axis of rotation relative to the seat was estimated using infrared cameras and reflective skin markers. The median axis of rotation across all participants was located 36 cm above the seat for the complete movement and 39 cm for both the flexion and extension phases, each with an interquartile range of 20 cm. There was no significant effect of the movement direction on the location of the axis of rotation and only a weak, non-significant correlation between body height and the location of the axis of rotation. Individual movement patterns explained the majority of the variance. The axis of rotation for a spinal flexion/extension movement is located above the seat. The recommended radius for a guide rail of a mobile seat is between 36 cm and 39 cm. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of a Rotating Composite Hollow Shaft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aldemir Ap Cavalini Jr

    Full Text Available Abstract In the present paper, a simplified homogenized beam theory is used in the context of a numerical investigation regarding the dynamic behavior of a rotating composite hollow shaft. For this aim, a horizontal flexible composite shaft and a rigid disc form the considered simple supported rotating system. The mathematical model of the rotor is derived from the Lagrange’s equation and the Rayleigh-Ritz method, which is obtained from the strain and kinetic energies of the disc and shaft, and the mass unbalance. In this case, a convergence procedure is carried out in terms of the vibration modes to obtain a representative model for the rotor system. Therefore, the proposed analysis is performed in both frequency and time domains, in which the frequency response functions, the unbalance responses, the Campbell diagram, and the orbits are numerically determined. Additionally, the instability threshold of the rotor system is obtained. This study illustrates the convenience of the composite hollow shafts for rotor dynamics applications.

  17. Arc dynamics of a pulsed DC nitrogen rotating gliding arc discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Fengsen; Zhang, Hao; Li, Xiaodong; Wu, Angjian; Yan, Jianhua; Ni, Mingjiang; Tu, Xin

    2018-03-01

    In this study, a novel pulsed direct current (DC) rotating gliding arc (RGA) plasma reactor co-driven by an external magnetic field and a tangential gas flow has been developed. The dynamic characteristics of the rotating gliding arc have been investigated by means of numerical simulation and experiment. The simulation results show that a highly turbulent vortex flow can be generated at the bottom of the RGA reactor to accelerate the arc rotation after arc ignition, whereas the magnitude of gas velocity declined significantly along the axial direction of the RGA reactor. The calculated arc rotation frequency (14.4 Hz) is reasonably close to the experimental result (18.5 Hz) at a gas flow rate of 10 l min-1. In the presence of an external magnet, the arc rotation frequency is around five times higher than that of the RGA reactor without using a magnet, which suggests that the external magnetic field plays a dominant role in the maintenance of the arc rotation in the upper zone of the RGA reactor. In addition, when the magnet is placed outside the reactor reversely to form a reverse external magnetic field, the arc can be stabilized at a fixed position in the inner wall of the outer electrode at a critical gas flow rate of 16 l min-1.

  18. Descending projections of the hamster intergeniculate leaflet: relationship to the sleep/arousal and visuomotor systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Lawrence P.; Blanchard, Jane H.

    2005-01-01

    The intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), homolog of the primate pregeniculate nucleus, modulates circadian rhythms. However, its extensive anatomical connections suggest that it may regulate other systems, particularly those for visuomotor function and sleep/arousal. Here, descending IGL-efferent pathways are identified with the anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin, with projections to over 50 brain stem nuclei. Projections of the ventral lateral geniculate are similar, but more limited. Many of the nuclei with IGL afferents contribute to circuitry governing visuomotor function. These include the oculomotor, trochlear, anterior pretectal, Edinger-Westphal, and the terminal nuclei; all layers of the superior colliculus, interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus, supraoculomotor periaqueductal gray, nucleus of the optic tract, the inferior olive, and raphe interpositus. Other target nuclei are known to be involved in the regulation of sleep, including the lateral dorsal and pedunculopontine tegmentum. The dorsal raphe also receives projections from the IGL and may contribute to both sleep/arousal and visuomotor function. However, the locus coeruleus and medial vestibular nucleus, which contribute to sleep and eye movement regulation and which send projections to the IGL, do not receive reciprocal projections from it. The potential involvement of the IGL with the sleep/arousal system is further buttressed by existing evidence showing IGL-efferent projections to the ventrolateral preoptic area, dorsomedial, and medial tuberal hypothalamus. In addition, the great majority of all regions receiving IGL projections also receive input from the orexin/hypocretin system, suggesting that this system contributes not only to the regulation of sleep, but to eye movement control as well.

  19. Inferior frontal gyrus links visual and motor cortices during a visuomotor precision grip force task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadelis, Christos; Arfeller, Carola; Erla, Silvia; Nollo, Giandomenico; Cattaneo, Luigi; Braun, Christoph

    2016-11-01

    Coordination between vision and action relies on a fronto-parietal network that receives visual and proprioceptive sensory input in order to compute motor control signals. Here, we investigated with magnetoencephalography (MEG) which cortical areas are functionally coupled on the basis of synchronization during visuomotor integration. MEG signals were recorded from twelve healthy adults while performing a unimanual visuomotor (VM) task and control conditions. The VM task required the integration of pinch motor commands with visual sensory feedback. By using a beamformer, we localized the neural activity in the frequency range of 1-30Hz during the VM compared to rest. Virtual sensors were estimated at the active locations. A multivariate autoregressive model was used to estimate the power and coherence of estimated activity at the virtual sensors. Event-related desynchronisation (ERD) during VM was observed in early visual areas, the rostral part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the right IFG, the superior parietal lobules, and the left hand motor cortex (M1). Functional coupling in the alpha frequency band bridged the regional activities observed in motor and visual cortices (the start and the end points in the visuomotor loop) through the left or right IFG. Coherence between the left IFG and left M1 correlated inversely with the task performance. Our results indicate that an occipital-prefrontal-motor functional network facilitates the modulation of instructed motor responses to visual cues. This network may supplement the mechanism for guiding actions that is fully incorporated into the dorsal visual stream. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Translational and rotational dynamics of water in mesoporous silica materials: MCM-41-S and MCM-48-S

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faraone, Antonio; Liu Li; Mou, C.-Y.; Shih, P.-C.; Copley, John R.D.; Chen, S.-H.

    2003-01-01

    We investigated the translational and rotational dynamics of water molecules in mesoporous silica materials MCM-41-S and MCM-48-S using the incoherent quasielastic neutron scattering technique. The range of wave vector transfers Q covered in the measurements was from 0.27 to 1.93 Aa -1 broad enough to detect both the translational and rotational contributions to the scattering. We used the relaxing-cage models for both translational and rotational motions which we developed earlier, to analyze the QENS spectra and investigated water dynamics in a supercooled range from 250 to 280 K. The results show a marked slowing down of both the translational and rotational relaxation times, and an increasing effect of confinement on the translational motion, as the temperature is lowered

  1. Multibody dynamic analysis using a rotation-free shell element with corotational frame

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jiabei; Liu, Zhuyong; Hong, Jiazhen

    2018-03-01

    Rotation-free shell formulation is a simple and effective method to model a shell with large deformation. Moreover, it can be compatible with the existing theories of finite element method. However, a rotation-free shell is seldom employed in multibody systems. Using a derivative of rigid body motion, an efficient nonlinear shell model is proposed based on the rotation-free shell element and corotational frame. The bending and membrane strains of the shell have been simplified by isolating deformational displacements from the detailed description of rigid body motion. The consistent stiffness matrix can be obtained easily in this form of shell model. To model the multibody system consisting of the presented shells, joint kinematic constraints including translational and rotational constraints are deduced in the context of geometric nonlinear rotation-free element. A simple node-to-surface contact discretization and penalty method are adopted for contacts between shells. A series of analyses for multibody system dynamics are presented to validate the proposed formulation. Furthermore, the deployment of a large scaled solar array is presented to verify the comprehensive performance of the nonlinear shell model.

  2. Changes in corticospinal drive to spinal motoneurones following visuo-motor skill learning in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perez, Monica A.; Jensen, Jesper Lundbye; Nielsen, Jens Bo

    2006-01-01

    learning. Here we investigated the effect of visuo-motor skill training involving the ankle muscles on the coupling between electroencephalographic (EEG) activity recorded from the motor cortex (Cz) and electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded from the left tibialis anterior (TA) muscle in 11 volunteers...... between cortex and muscle as part of the motor learning process....

  3. Parallel processing for nonlinear dynamics simulations of structures including rotating bladed-disk assemblies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Shang-Hsien

    1993-01-01

    The principal objective of this research is to develop, test, and implement coarse-grained, parallel-processing strategies for nonlinear dynamic simulations of practical structural problems. There are contributions to four main areas: finite element modeling and analysis of rotational dynamics, numerical algorithms for parallel nonlinear solutions, automatic partitioning techniques to effect load-balancing among processors, and an integrated parallel analysis system.

  4. Electroencephalographic (eeg coherence between visual and motor areas of the left and the right brain hemisphere while performing visuomotor task with the right and the left hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Brežan

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Unilateral limb movements are based on the activation of contralateral primary motor cortex and the bilateral activation of premotor cortices. Performance of a visuomotor task requires a visuomotor integration between motor and visual cortical areas. The functional integration (»binding« of different brain areas, is probably mediated by the synchronous neuronal oscillatory activity, which can be determined by electroencephalographic (EEG coherence analysis. We introduced a new method of coherence analysis and compared coherence and power spectra in the left and right hemisphere for the right vs. left hand visuomotor task, hypothesizing that the increase in coherence and decrease in power spectra while performing the task would be greater in the contralateral hemisphere.Methods: We analyzed 6 healthy subjects and recorded their electroencephalogram during visuomotor task with the right or the left hand. For data analysis, a special Matlab computer programme was designed. The results were statistically analysed by a two-way analysis of variance, one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc t-tests with Bonferroni correction.Results: We demonstrated a significant increase in coherence (p < 0.05 for the visuomotor task compared to control tasks in alpha (8–13 Hz in beta 1 (13–20 Hz frequency bands between visual and motor electrodes. There were no significant differences in coherence nor power spectra depending on the hand used. The changes of coherence and power spectra between both hemispheres were symmetrical.Conclusions: In previous studies, a specific increase of coherence and decrease of power spectra for the visuomotor task was found, but we found no conclusive asymmetries when performing the task with right vs. left hand. This could be explained in a way that increases in coherence and decreases of power spectra reflect symmetrical activation and cooperation between more complex visual and motor brain areas.

  5. Machine-specific quality assurance procedure for stereotactic treatments with dynamic couch rotations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Byron; Gete, Ermias

    2017-12-01

    We present a method in which the treatment couch's accuracy is measured using the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and a phantom of our own construction. Using this phantom, we were able to quantify the treatment couch walkout, and the rotation angle accuracy for both static and dynamic couch treatments. These measurements were used to provide an accurate measure of the treatment couch isocenter as well as to verify the couch rotation angle recorded in the trajectory log. The phantom was constructed using a polystyrene slab in which five ball bearings of 4 mm diameter are placed on the same plane at varying radii (0, 2.8, 4.4, 5.6, and 6.7 cm). The couch was rotated through its full extent (-90, 90 degrees) while MV images were acquired continuously. The couch rotational accuracy was calculated using a least squares minimization which fit the locations of the BBs to their expected locations relative to reference setup conditions. Using this approach, rotation angle and isocenter walkout was calculated in three dimensions. These measurements were used to quantify the accuracy of the couch as well as to validate the Varian TrueBeam trajectory logs. Additionally, a method for an EPID-based couch star-shot measurement was developed and compared with the traditional film-based method. The measured couch center of rotation consisted of a cloud of points clustered around the room isocenter within 0.7 mm distance. The trajectory log couch angle values agreed with those recorded in the DICOM header of the EPID images to the third significant digit and the couch rotation angles recorded in the trajectory log and DICOM header agreed with the calculated values to 0.08 degrees. Comparison of couch star-shot measurement developed in this study with film-based star-shot measurements gave an agreement to within 0.2 mm. We have developed a quality assurance method for the treatment couch which is simple, accurate, and enables the user to access a multitude of consistent data

  6. Large eddy simulation of spanwise rotating turbulent channel flow with dynamic variants of eddy viscosity model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhou; Xia, Zhenhua; Shi, Yipeng; Chen, Shiyi

    2018-04-01

    A fully developed spanwise rotating turbulent channel flow has been numerically investigated utilizing large-eddy simulation. Our focus is to assess the performances of the dynamic variants of eddy viscosity models, including dynamic Vreman's model (DVM), dynamic wall adapting local eddy viscosity (DWALE) model, dynamic σ (Dσ ) model, and the dynamic volumetric strain-stretching (DVSS) model, in this canonical flow. The results with dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) and direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used as references. Our results show that the DVM has a wrong asymptotic behavior in the near wall region, while the other three models can correctly predict it. In the high rotation case, the DWALE can get reliable mean velocity profile, but the turbulence intensities in the wall-normal and spanwise directions show clear deviations from DNS data. DVSS exhibits poor predictions on both the mean velocity profile and turbulence intensities. In all three cases, Dσ performs the best.

  7. From strings to coils: Rotational dynamics of DNA-linked colloidal chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuei, Steve; Garza, Burke; Biswal, Sibani Lisa

    2017-10-01

    We investigate the dynamical behavior of deformable filaments experimentally using a tunable model system consisting of linked paramagnetic colloidal particles, where the persistence length lp, the contour length lc, and the strength and frequency of the external driving force are controlled. We find that upon forcing by an external magnetic field, a variety of structural and conformational regimes exist. Depending on the competition of forces and torques on the chain, we see classic rigid rotator behavior, as well as dynamically rich wagging, coiling, and folding behavior. Through a combination of experiments, computational models, and theoretical calculations, we are able to observe, classify, and predict these dynamics as a function of the dimensionless Mason and magnetoelastic numbers.

  8. Ultrafast internal rotational dynamics of the azido group in (4S)-azidoproline: Chemical exchange 2DIR spectroscopic investigations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Kyung-Koo; Park, Kwang-Hee; Joo, Cheonik; Kwon, Hyeok-Jun; Han, Hogyu [Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Jeong-Hyon [Multidimensional Spectroscopy Laboratory, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sungnam, E-mail: spark8@korea.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Multidimensional Spectroscopy Laboratory, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Minhaeng, E-mail: mcho@korea.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Multidimensional Spectroscopy Laboratory, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-02

    Graphical abstract: Internal rotational dynamics of the azido group in SA (Ac-(4S)-Azp-NHMe) was studied in real time by using ultrafast 2DIR spectroscopic method. The time constant of the internal rotation around the C{sup {gamma}}-N{sup {delta}} bond in SA was determined to be {tau}{sub ir} = 5.1 ps, which is found to be much faster than that around the C-C bond in ethane. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Femtosecond two-dimensional IR spectroscopy of internal rotational dynamics. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stereo-electronic effects of azido group in azido-derivatized proline peptide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The timescale of the azido group internal rotation is about 5.1 ps. - Abstract: The azido group in 4-azidoproline (Azp) derivative, SA (Ac-(4S)-Azp-NHMe), can form an intramolecular electrostatic interaction with the backbone peptide in the s-trans and C{sup {gamma}}-endo conformations of SA. As a result, the azido group exists as two forms, bound and free, which are defined by the presence and absence of such interaction, respectively. The bound and free azido forms are spectrally resolved in the azido IR spectrum of SA in CHCl{sub 3}. Using the two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) and polarization-controlled IR pump-probe methods, we investigated the internal rotational and orientational relaxation dynamics of the azido group and determined the internal rotational time constant of the azido group to be 5.1 ps. The internal rotational motion is found to be responsible for the early part of the orientational relaxation of the azido group in SA. Thus, the femtosecond 2DIR spectroscopy is shown to be an ideal tool for studying ultrafast conformational dynamics of SA.

  9. A method, device and application for the dynamic balancing of a rotating component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voinis, P.

    1995-01-01

    The dynamic balancing method is based on the detection of the vibrations generated by an unbalance; two satellites are then displaced in order to create a counter-unbalance and their position is measured. Their position is then adjusted so as the unbalance and counter-unbalance phases and intensities differences are inferior to predetermined reference values in order to balance dynamically the rotating component. Application to superpower turbogenerator shafting systems. 4 fig

  10. GOE-TYPE ENERGY-LEVEL STATISTICS AND REGULAR CLASSICAL DYNAMICS FOR ROTATIONAL NUCLEI IN THE INTERACTING BOSON MODEL

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    PAAR, [No Value; VORKAPIC, D; DIERPERINK, AEL

    1992-01-01

    We study the fluctuation properties of 0+ levels in rotational nuclei using the framework of SU(3) dynamical symmetry of the interacting boson model. Computations of Poincare sections for SU(3) dynamical symmetry and its breaking confirm the expected relation between dynamical symmetry and classical

  11. Time-dependent dynamical behavior of surface tension on rotating fluids under microgravity environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, R. J.; Tsao, Y. D.; Hong, B. B.; Leslie, F. W.

    1988-01-01

    Time dependent evolutions of the profile of free surface (bubble shapes) for a cylindrical container partially filled with a Newtonian fluid of constant density, rotating about its axis of symmetry, have been studied. Numerical computations of the dynamics of bubble shapes have been carried out with the following situations: (1) linear functions of spin-up and spin-down in low and microgravity environments, (2) step functions of spin-up and spin-down in a low gravity environment, and (3) sinusoidal function oscillation of gravity environment in high and low rotating cylinder speeds.

  12. Development and applications of single particle orientation and rotational tracking in dynamic systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Kuangcai [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2016-02-19

    The goal of this study is to help with future data analysis and experiment designs in rotational dynamics research using DIC-based SPORT technique. Most of the current studies using DIC-based SPORT techniques are technical demonstrations. Understanding the mechanisms behind the observed rotational behaviors of the imaging probes should be the focus of the future SPORT studies. More efforts are still needed in the development of new imaging probes, particle tracking methods, instrumentations, and advanced data analysis methods to further extend the potential of DIC-based SPORT technique.

  13. Task-specificity of unilateral anodal and dual-M1 tDCS effects on motor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karok, Sophia; Fletcher, David; Witney, Alice G

    2017-01-08

    Task-specific effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor learning were investigated in 30 healthy participants. In a sham-controlled, mixed design, participants trained on 3 different motor tasks (Purdue Pegboard Test, Visuomotor Grip Force Tracking Task and Visuomotor Wrist Rotation Speed Control Task) over 3 consecutive days while receiving either unilateral anodal over the right primary motor cortex (M1), dual-M1 or sham stimulation. Retention sessions were administered 7 and 28 days after the end of training. In the Purdue Pegboard Test, both anodal and dual-M1 stimulation reduced average completion time approximately equally, an improvement driven by online learning effects and maintained for about 1 week. The Visuomotor Grip Force Tracking Task and the Visuomotor Wrist Rotation Speed Control Task were associated with an advantage of dual-M1 tDCS in consolidation processes both between training sessions and when testing at long-term retention; both were maintained for at least 1 month. This study demonstrates that M1-tDCS enhances and sustains motor learning with different electrode montages. Stimulation-induced effects emerged at different learning phases across the tasks, which strongly suggests that the influence of tDCS on motor learning is dynamic with respect to the functional recruitment of the distributed motor system at the time of stimulation. Divergent findings regarding M1-tDCS effects on motor learning may partially be ascribed to task-specific consequences and the effects of offline consolidation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Dynamic characteristics of rotating pretwisted clamped-clamped beam under thermal stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Bo; Li, Yueming; Lu, Wei Zhen

    2016-01-01

    Effects of thermal stress on the vibration characteristics, buckling limit and critical speed of a rotating pretwisted beam clamped to rigid hub at a stagger angle were investigated. By considering the work done by thermal stress, the thermal influence on stiffness matrix was introduced in the dynamic model. The motion equations were derived based on Lagrange equation by employing three pure Cartesian deformation variables combined with nonlinear von Karman strain formula. Numerical investigations studied the modal characteristics of the beam. Numerical results calculated from a commercial finite element code and obtained with the present modeling method were in good agreement with the previous results reported in the literature. The combined softening effects due to the thermal stress and the rotation motion were observed. Furthermore, it is shown that the inclusion of thermal stress is necessary for blades operating under a high temperature field. Buckling thermal loads and the critical rotating speed were calculated through solving the corresponding nonlinear equations numerically, and some pertinent conclusions are outlined. It is also found that the peak value position of the first mode shape approaches to the tip of blade with the increment of rotating speed and hub radius. However, the variation in the environment temperature causes only a slight alteration in the mode shape

  15. Dynamic characteristics of rotating pretwisted clamped-clamped beam under thermal stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Bo; Li, Yueming [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Control for Flight Vehicle, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong UniversityXi' an (China); Lu, Wei Zhen [Dept. of Civil and Architectural Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)

    2016-09-15

    Effects of thermal stress on the vibration characteristics, buckling limit and critical speed of a rotating pretwisted beam clamped to rigid hub at a stagger angle were investigated. By considering the work done by thermal stress, the thermal influence on stiffness matrix was introduced in the dynamic model. The motion equations were derived based on Lagrange equation by employing three pure Cartesian deformation variables combined with nonlinear von Karman strain formula. Numerical investigations studied the modal characteristics of the beam. Numerical results calculated from a commercial finite element code and obtained with the present modeling method were in good agreement with the previous results reported in the literature. The combined softening effects due to the thermal stress and the rotation motion were observed. Furthermore, it is shown that the inclusion of thermal stress is necessary for blades operating under a high temperature field. Buckling thermal loads and the critical rotating speed were calculated through solving the corresponding nonlinear equations numerically, and some pertinent conclusions are outlined. It is also found that the peak value position of the first mode shape approaches to the tip of blade with the increment of rotating speed and hub radius. However, the variation in the environment temperature causes only a slight alteration in the mode shape.

  16. Measurement of rotational dynamics by the simultaneous nonlinear analysis of optical and EPR data.

    OpenAIRE

    Hustedt, E J; Cobb, C E; Beth, A H; Beechem, J M

    1993-01-01

    In the preceding companion article in this issue, an optical dye and a nitroxide radical were combined in a new dual function probe, 5-SLE. In this report, it is demonstrated that time-resolved optical anisotropy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data can be combined in a single analysis to measure rotational dynamics. Rigid-limit and rotational diffusion models for simulating nitroxide EPR data have been incorporated into a general non-linear least-squares procedure based on the Marq...

  17. Energy harvester for rotating environments using offset pendulum and nonlinear dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roundy, Shad; Tola, Jeffry

    2014-01-01

    We present an energy harvester for environments that rotate through the Earth’s gravitational field. Example applications include shafts connected to motors, axles, propellers, fans, and wheels or tires. Our approach uses the unique dynamics of an offset pendulum along with a nonlinear bistable restoring spring to improve the operational bandwidth of the system. Depending on the speed of the rotating environment, the system can act as a bistable oscillator, monostable stiffening oscillator, or linear oscillator. We apply our approach to a tire pressure monitoring system mounted on a car rim. Simulation and experimental test results show that the prototype generator is capable of directly powering an RF transmission every 60 s or less over a speed range of 10 to 155 kph. (paper)

  18. Energy harvester for rotating environments using offset pendulum and nonlinear dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roundy, Shad; Tola, Jeffry

    2014-10-01

    We present an energy harvester for environments that rotate through the Earth’s gravitational field. Example applications include shafts connected to motors, axles, propellers, fans, and wheels or tires. Our approach uses the unique dynamics of an offset pendulum along with a nonlinear bistable restoring spring to improve the operational bandwidth of the system. Depending on the speed of the rotating environment, the system can act as a bistable oscillator, monostable stiffening oscillator, or linear oscillator. We apply our approach to a tire pressure monitoring system mounted on a car rim. Simulation and experimental test results show that the prototype generator is capable of directly powering an RF transmission every 60 s or less over a speed range of 10 to 155 kph.

  19. Feasibility of using PZT actuators to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk due to rotor-stator interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presas, Alexandre; Egusquiza, Eduard; Valero, Carme; Valentin, David; Seidel, Ulrich

    2014-07-07

    In this paper, PZT actuators are used to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk structure due to rotor-stator interaction excitation. The disk is studied with two different surrounding fluids-air and water. The study has been performed analytically and validated experimentally. For the theoretical analysis, the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the rotating disk in air and water are obtained with the Kirchhoff-Love thin plate theory coupled with the interaction with the surrounding fluid. A model for the Rotor Stator Interaction that occurs in many rotating disk-like parts of turbomachinery such as compressors, hydraulic runners or alternators is presented. The dynamic behavior of the rotating disk due to this excitation is deduced. For the experimental analysis a test rig has been developed. It consists of a stainless steel disk (r = 198 mm and h = 8 mm) connected to a variable speed motor. Excitation and response are measured from the rotating system. For the rotating excitation four piezoelectric patches have been used. Calibrating the piezoelectric patches in amplitude and phase, different rotating excitation patterns are applied on the rotating disk in air and in water. Results show the feasibility of using PZT to control the response of the disk due to a rotor-stator interaction.

  20. Feasibility of Using PZT Actuators to Study the Dynamic Behavior of a Rotating Disk due to Rotor-Stator Interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Presas

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, PZT actuators are used to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk structure due to rotor-stator interaction excitation. The disk is studied with two different surrounding fluids—air and water. The study has been performed analytically and validated experimentally. For the theoretical analysis, the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the rotating disk in air and water are obtained with the Kirchhoff-Love thin plate theory coupled with the interaction with the surrounding fluid. A model for the Rotor Stator Interaction that occurs in many rotating disk-like parts of turbomachinery such as compressors, hydraulic runners or alternators is presented. The dynamic behavior of the rotating disk due to this excitation is deduced. For the experimental analysis a test rig has been developed. It consists of a stainless steel disk (r = 198 mm and h = 8 mm connected to a variable speed motor. Excitation and response are measured from the rotating system. For the rotating excitation four piezoelectric patches have been used. Calibrating the piezoelectric patches in amplitude and phase, different rotating excitation patterns are applied on the rotating disk in air and in water. Results show the feasibility of using PZT to control the response of the disk due to a rotor-stator interaction.

  1. A conveyor belt task for assessing visuo-motor coordination in the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): effects of diazepam, chlorpromazine, pentobarbital and d-amphetamine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Mello, G D; Duffy, E A; Miles, S S

    1985-01-01

    A conveyor belt task for assessing visuo-motor coordination in the marmoset is described. Animals are motivated by apple, a preferred food, under a state of minimal food deprivation. The apparatus used was designed to test animals within their home cages and not restrained in any way, thus avoiding possible confounding factors associated with restraint stress. Stable baseline levels of performance were reached by all animals in a median of 24 sessions. Performance was shown to be differentially sensitive to the effects of four psychoactive drugs. Moderate doses of diazepam, chlorpromazine and pentobarbital disrupted visuo-motor coordination in a dose-related manner. The possibility that disruption of performance observed at higher doses may have resulted from non-specific actions of these drugs such as decreases in feeding motivation were not supported by results from ancillary experiments. Changes in performance characteristic of high dose effects were similar in nature to changes observed when the degree of task difficulty was increased. Doses of d-amphetamine up to and including those reported to produce signs of stereotypy failed to influence performance. The potential of the conveyor belt task for measuring visuo-motor coordination in both primate and rodent species is discussed.

  2. Improvement of a new rotation function for molecular replacement by designing new scoring functions and dynamic correlation coefficient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Fan; Ding, Wei

    2010-10-01

    A previously published new rotation function has been improved by using a dynamic correlation coefficient as well as two new scoring functions of relative entropy and mean-square-residues to make the rotation function more robust and independent of a specific set of weights for scoring and ranking. The previously described new rotation function calculates the rotation function of molecular replacement by matching the search model directly with the Patterson vector map. The signal-to-noise ratio for the correct match was increased by averaging all the matching peaks. Several matching scores were employed to evaluate the goodness of matching. These matching scores were then combined into a single total score by optimizing a set of weights using the linear regression method. It was found that there exists an optimal set of weights that can be applied to the global rotation search and the correct solution can be ranked in the top 100 or less. However, this set of optimal weights in general is dependent on the search models and the crystal structures with different space groups and cell parameters. In this work, we try to solve this problem by designing a dynamic correlation coefficient. It is shown that the dynamic correlation coefficient works for a variety of space groups and cell parameters in the global search of rotation function. We also introduce two new matching scores: relative entropy and mean-square-residues. Last but not least, we discussed a valid method for the optimization of the adjustable parameters for matching vectors.

  3. Improvement of a new rotation function for molecular replacement by designing new scoring functions and dynamic correlation coefficient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, Jiang; Wei, Ding

    2010-01-01

    A previously published new rotation function has been improved by using a dynamic correlation coefficient as well as two new scoring functions of relative entropy and mean-square-residues to make the rotation function more robust and independent of a specific set of weights for scoring and ranking. The previously described new rotation function calculates the rotation function of molecular replacement by matching the search model directly with the Patterson vector map. The signal-to-noise ratio for the correct match was increased by averaging all the matching peaks. Several matching scores were employed to evaluate the goodness of matching. These matching scores were then combined into a single total score by optimizing a set of weights using the linear regression method. It was found that there exists an optimal set of weights that can be applied to the global rotation search and the correct solution can be ranked in the top 100 or less. However, this set of optimal weights in general is dependent on the search models and the crystal structures with different space groups and cell parameters. In this work, we try to solve this problem by designing a dynamic correlation coefficient. It is shown that the dynamic correlation coefficient works for a variety of space groups and cell parameters in the global search of rotation function. We also introduce two new matching scores: relative entropy and mean-square-residues. Last but not least, we discussed a valid method for the optimization of the adjustable parameters for matching vectors. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

  4. A rotated Dynamic Nelson-Siegel model with macro-financial applications

    OpenAIRE

    Nyholm, Ken

    2015-01-01

    A factor rotation scheme is applied to the well-known Dynamic Nelson-Siegel model facilitating direct parametrization of the short rate process. The model-implied term structure of term premia is derived in closed-form, and macroeconomic variables are included in a Taylor-rule- type fashion. Four empirical experiments are performed on US data covering the period from 1990 to 2014. It is found that macroeconomic variables impact the evolution of the short rate until 2002, after which their eff...

  5. Dynamical behavior of surface tension on rotating fluids in low and microgravity environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, R. J.; Tsao, Y. D.; Hong, B. B.; Leslie, F. W.

    1989-01-01

    Consideration is given to the time-dependent evolutions of the free surface profile (bubble shapes) of a cylindrical container, partially filled with a Newtonian fluid of constant density, rotating about its axis of symmetry in low and microgravity environments. The dynamics of the bubble shapes are calculated for four cases: linear time-dependent functions of spin-up and spin-down in low and microgravity, linear time-dependent functions of increasing and decreasing gravity at high and low rotating cylinder speeds, time-dependent step functions of spin-up and spin-down in low gravity, and sinusoidal function oscillation of the gravity environment in high and low rotating cylinder speeds. It is shown that the computer algorithms developed by Hung et al. (1988) may be used to simulate the profile of time-dependent bubble shapes under variations of centrifugal, capillary, and gravity forces.

  6. Vestibuloocular reflex dynamics during high-frequency and high-acceleration rotations of the head on body in rhesus monkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huterer, Marko; Cullen, Kathleen E

    2002-07-01

    For frequencies >10 Hz, the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) has been primarily investigated during passive rotations of the head on the body in humans. These prior studies suggest that eye movements lag head movements, as predicted by a 7-ms delay in the VOR reflex pathways. However, Minor and colleagues recently applied whole-body rotations of frequencies unity (1.1 at 5 Hz vs. 1.2 at 25 Hz), and phase lag increased only slightly with frequency (from 2 degrees at 5 Hz to 11 degrees at 25 Hz, a marked contrast to the 63 degrees lag at 25 Hz predicted by a 7-ms VOR latency). Furthermore, VOR response dynamics were comparable in darkness and when viewing a target and did not vary with peak velocity. Although monkeys offered less resistance to the initial cycles of applied head motion, the gain and phase of the VOR did not vary for early versus late cycles, suggesting that an efference copy of the motor command to the neck musculature did not alter VOR response dynamics. In addition, VOR dynamics were also probed by applying transient head perturbations with much greater accelerations (peak acceleration >15,000 degrees /s(2)) than have been previously employed. The VOR latency was between 5 and 6 ms, and mean gain was close to unity for two of the three animals tested. A simple linear model well described the VOR responses elicited by sinusoidal and transient head on body rotations. We conclude that the VOR is compensatory over a wide frequency range in monkeys and has similar response dynamics during passive rotation of the head on body as during passive rotation of the whole body in space.

  7. Rotational and frictional dynamics of the slamming of a door

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Pascal; Müller, Andreas; Gröber, Sebastian; Molz, Alexander; Kuhn, Jochen

    2017-01-01

    A theoretical and experimental investigation of the rotational dynamics, including friction, of a slamming door is presented. Based on existing work regarding different damping models for rotational and oscillatory motions, we examine different forms for the (angular) velocity dependence (ωn, n = 0, 1, 2) of the frictional force. An analytic solution is given when all three friction terms are present and several solutions for specific cases known from the literature are reproduced. The motion of a door is investigated experimentally using a smartphone, and the data are compared with the theoretical results. A laboratory experiment under more controlled conditions is conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the movement of a slammed door. Our findings provide quantitative evidence that damping models involving quadratic air drag are most appropriate for the slamming of a door. Examining this everyday example of a physical phenomenon increases student motivation, because they can relate it to their own personal experience.

  8. Dynamics of gas in a rotating galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulder, W.A.

    1985-01-01

    This thesis contains a series of papers that deal with some aspects of the gas-dynamics in a disk galaxy. The dissertation is divided in three parts. In the first part, the three dimensional response to the rotating barred potential is studied. Here, the strongest simplication is made: the pressure is neglected. This turns the problem from a global into a local one and leaves the equations of motion for a star or test particle. What if the pressure term is included. It turned out that no efficient numerical methods for computing steady gas flows with strong shocks were available. The key assumption of the second part of this thesis is the existence of a stationary solution. In that case, significant short-cuts over time-dependent integration schemes must be attainable. The various steps that lead to an efficient numerical method are described. In the third part of this dissertation, a two-dimensional code was developed. Technical aspects of the computer program are described as well as the properties of the computed quasi-steady solution. An initial global gas dynamical model for our Galaxy is constructed from one of the solutions. Here the main problem is the determination of the position of the sun in the model. (Auth.)

  9. Emotion processing fails to modulate putative mirror neuron response to trained visuomotor associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgibbon, Bernadette M; Kirkovski, Melissa; Fornito, Alex; Paton, Bryan; Fitzgerald, Paul B; Enticott, Peter G

    2016-04-01

    Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that activation of the putative human mirror neuron system (MNS) can be elicited via visuomotor training. This is generally interpreted as supporting an associative learning account of the mirror neuron system (MNS) that argues against the ontogeny of the MNS to be an evolutionary adaptation for social cognition. The current study assessed whether a central component of social cognition, emotion processing, would influence the MNS activity to trained visuomotor associations, which could support a broader role of the MNS in social cognition. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we assessed repetition suppression to the presentation of stimulus pairs involving a simple hand action and a geometric shape that was either congruent or incongruent with earlier association training. Each pair was preceded by an image of positive, negative, or neutral emotionality. In support of an associative learning account of the MNS, repetition suppression was greater for trained pairs compared with untrained pairs in several regions, primarily supplementary motor area (SMA) and right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). This response, however, was not modulated by the valence of the emotional images. These findings argue against a fundamental role of emotion processing in the mirror neuron response, and are inconsistent with theoretical accounts linking mirror neurons to social cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Rotating flow

    CERN Document Server

    Childs, Peter R N

    2010-01-01

    Rotating flow is critically important across a wide range of scientific, engineering and product applications, providing design and modeling capability for diverse products such as jet engines, pumps and vacuum cleaners, as well as geophysical flows. Developed over the course of 20 years' research into rotating fluids and associated heat transfer at the University of Sussex Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre (TFMRC), Rotating Flow is an indispensable reference and resource for all those working within the gas turbine and rotating machinery industries. Traditional fluid and flow dynamics titles offer the essential background but generally include very sparse coverage of rotating flows-which is where this book comes in. Beginning with an accessible introduction to rotating flow, recognized expert Peter Childs takes you through fundamental equations, vorticity and vortices, rotating disc flow, flow around rotating cylinders and flow in rotating cavities, with an introduction to atmospheric and oceanic circul...

  11. Testes visuomotores em crianças com estrabismo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Alberto F. Caldeira

    1970-09-01

    Full Text Available Em 43 crianças estrábicas nas quais foi determinado o quociente intelectual foram aplicados os testes visuomotores de Goldstein-Scheerer, Bender-Santucci, lateralidade e estereognosia. Os resultados foram comparados com os obtidos em 44 controles dos mesmos grupos etários e sócio-econômicamente semelhantes. Sugere-se o prosseguimento desta pesquisa com o estudo comparativo entre o teste de Goldstein-Scheerer e o "visual retention test" de Benton (1963 nos quais a análise do fator memória visual pode ser útil para averiguar dificuldades relacionadas com a prontidão para a alfabetização. Sugere-se, também, o estudo de um grupo de crianças em idade escolar com e sem perturbações da motilidade ocular extrínseca para avaliar a influência da escolaridade nos resultados dos testes.

  12. Demonstration of a dynamic clearance seal in a rotating test facility.

    OpenAIRE

    Messenger, Andrew; Williams, Richard; Ingram, Grant; Hogg, Simon; Tibos, Stacie; Seaton, Jon; Charnley, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    The successful demonstration of the “Aerostatic Seal” in a half scale rotating facility is described in this paper. The Aerostatic seal is a novel dynamic clearance seal specifically designed for steam turbine secondary gas path applications. The seal responds to radial rotor excursions, so a reduced clearance can be maintained compared to conventional labyrinth seal without damage to the seal. This enables increased turbine performance through reduced leakage and increased tolerance of turbi...

  13. The Wibbly-Wobbly Moon: Rotational Dynamics of the Moon After Large Impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keane, J. T.; Johnson, B. C.; Matsuyama, I.; Siegler, M.

    2017-12-01

    The spins of planets are not constant with time; they continuously evolve in response to both external and internal forces. One of the most dramatic ways a planet's spin can change is via impacts. Impacts change the planet's angular momentum, energy, and moments of inertia. These changes can have important consequences for the geology of the planet. For the well-studied case of the Moon, these repercussions include everything from changing the orientation of the magnetic field, controlling the geometry of fault networks, and altering the stability of volatiles (e.g. water ice) in permanently shadowed regions. While previous studies have investigated the dynamical effects of impacts on the Moon, most use simplistic models for the impact basin formation process—often only considering the impulsive change in the Moon's angular momentum, and occasionally the change in the Moon's moments of inertia from a simplified basin geometry (e.g. a cylindrical hole surrounded by a cylindrical ejecta blanket). These simplifications obscure some of the subtler and more complicated dynamics that occur in the aftermath of an impact. In this work, we present new model results for the rotational dynamics of the Moon after large, basin-forming impacts. We couple iSALE hydrocode simulations with the analytical and numerical formalisms of rotational dynamics. These simulations allow us to quantitatively track how different impact processes alter the Moon's moments of inertia, including basin formation, mantle uplift, impact heating, and ejecta-blanket emplacement. This unique combination of techniques enables us to more accurately track the spin of the Moon in the aftermath of these impacts, including periods of non-synchronous and non-principal-axis rotation, libration, and long-term reorientation (true polar wander). We find that the perturbation of the Moon's moments of inertia immediately after impact is several times larger than what is expected based on the present-day gravity

  14. Dynamic Chiral Magnetic Effect and Faraday Rotation in Macroscopically Disordered Helical Metals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, J; Pesin, D A

    2017-03-10

    We develop an effective medium theory for electromagnetic wave propagation through gapless nonuniform systems with a dynamic chiral magnetic effect. The theory allows us to calculate macroscopic-disorder-induced corrections to the values of optical, as well as chiral magnetic conductivities. In particular, we show that spatial fluctuations of the optical conductivity induce corrections to the effective value of the chiral magnetic conductivity. The absolute value of the effect varies strongly depending on the system parameters, but yields the leading frequency dependence of the polarization rotation and circular dichroism signals. Experimentally, these corrections can be observed as features in the Faraday rotation angle near frequencies that correspond to the bulk plasmon resonances of a material. Such features are not expected to be present in single-crystal samples.

  15. Characterization of dynamic loads on the LMFBR rotating shield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, E.

    1979-01-01

    The rotating shields structure is a potential weak point of some current designs of primary containment against postulated whole core explosions. The calculation of the effect of transient loads on this structure, resulting from such an explosion, is therefore important in developing a safety case. The transient loads are usually calculated by computer codes such as ASTARTE, SEURBNUK, REXCO or ICECO and the effect of these loads on the structure by a suitable finite element code. Such procedure can be lengthly and costly. The present paper proposed a procedure which allows the consequences of changes in the transient loads, resulting from design changes for example, to be quickly and simply gauged. The load-impulse method of characterizing dynamic response of a structural system is well established. Provided loads with a similar temporal variation are compared, it can be shown that the dynamic response depends on only two features of the load, an average load and a time intregrated load or impulse. The scope of this approach has been extended by Youngdahl who has shown, for structures which deform in a rigid-plastic manner, that complex laoding histories can be equated to a rectangular form of loading, in a precise manner for simple structures and in an approximate manner for more complicated structures. This paper proposes that the failure characteristics of the rotating shields for which extensive plastic deformation is involved, be calculated for rectangular type loadings. The complex transient loadings calculated for various explosions and various changes in the primary vessel design can then be reduced to an equivalent rectangular form and the consequencial response of the shields structure deduced. (orig.)

  16. Interplay of domain walls and magnetization rotation on dynamic magnetization process in iron/polymer–matrix soft magnetic composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dobák, Samuel, E-mail: samuel.dobak@student.upjs.sk [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Füzer, Ján; Kollár, Peter [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Fáberová, Mária; Bureš, Radovan [Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 043 53 Košice (Slovakia)

    2017-03-15

    This study sheds light on the dynamic magnetization process in iron/resin soft magnetic composites from the viewpoint of quantitative decomposition of their complex permeability spectra into the viscous domain wall motion and magnetization rotation. We present a comprehensive view on this phenomenon over the broad family of samples with different average particles dimension and dielectric matrix content. The results reveal the pure relaxation nature of magnetization processes without observation of spin resonance. The smaller particles and higher amount of insulating resin result in the prevalence of rotations over domain wall movement. The findings are elucidated in terms of demagnetizing effects rising from the heterogeneity of composite materials. - Highlights: • A first decomposition of complex permeability into domain wall and rotation parts in soft magnetic composites. • A pure relaxation nature of dynamic magnetization processes. • A complete loss separation in soft magnetic composites. • The domain walls activity is considerably suppressed in composites with smaller iron particles and higher matrix content. • The demagnetizing field acts as a significant factor at the dynamic magnetization process.

  17. A direct comparison of spine rotational stiffness and dynamic spine stability during repetitive lifting tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Ryan B; Brown, Stephen H M

    2012-06-01

    Stability of the spinal column is critical to bear loads, allow movement, and at the same time avoid injury and pain. However, there has been a debate in recent years as to how best to define and quantify spine stability, with the outcome being that different methods are used without a clear understanding of how they relate to one another. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to directly compare lumbar spine rotational stiffness, calculated with an EMG-driven biomechanical model, to local dynamic spine stability calculated using Lyapunov analyses of kinematic data, during a series of continuous dynamic lifting challenges. Twelve healthy male subjects performed 30 repetitive lifts under three varying load and three varying rate conditions. With an increase in the load lifted (constant rate) there was a significant increase in mean, maximum, and minimum spine rotational stiffness (pstiffness (pstiffness and a non-significant decrease in local dynamic stability (p>0.05). Weak linear relationships were found for the varying rate conditions (r=-0.02 to -0.27). The results suggest that spine rotational stiffness and local dynamic stability are closely related to one another, as they provided similar information when movement rate was controlled. However, based on the results from the changing lifting rate conditions, it is evident that both models provide unique information and that future research is required to completely understand the relationship between the two models. Using both techniques concurrently may provide the best information regarding the true effects of (in) stability under different loading and movement scenarios, and in comparing healthy and clinical populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Testing multiple coordination constraints with a novel bimanual visuomotor task.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helene M Sisti

    Full Text Available The acquisition of a new bimanual skill depends on several motor coordination constraints. To date, coordination constraints have often been tested relatively independently of one another, particularly with respect to isofrequency and multifrequency rhythms. Here, we used a new paradigm to test the interaction of multiple coordination constraints. Coordination constraints that were tested included temporal complexity, directionality, muscle grouping, and hand dominance. Twenty-two healthy young adults performed a bimanual dial rotation task that required left and right hand coordination to track a moving target on a computer monitor. Two groups were compared, either with or without four days of practice with augmented visual feedback. Four directional patterns were tested such that both hands moved either rightward (clockwise, leftward (counterclockwise, inward or outward relative to each other. Seven frequency ratios (3∶1, 2∶1, 3∶2, 1∶1, 2∶3. 1∶2, 1∶3 between the left and right hand were introduced. As expected, isofrequency patterns (1∶1 were performed more successfully than multifrequency patterns (non 1∶1. In addition, performance was more accurate when participants were required to move faster with the dominant right hand (1∶3, 1∶2 and 2∶3 than with the non-dominant left hand (3∶1, 2∶1, 3∶2. Interestingly, performance deteriorated as the relative angular velocity between the two hands increased, regardless of whether the required frequency ratio was an integer or non-integer. This contrasted with previous finger tapping research where the integer ratios generally led to less error than the non-integer ratios. We suggest that this is due to the different movement topologies that are required of each paradigm. Overall, we found that this visuomotor task was useful for testing the interaction of multiple coordination constraints as well as the release from these constraints with practice in the presence of

  19. CALCULATING ROTATING HYDRODYNAMIC AND MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC WAVES TO UNDERSTAND MAGNETIC EFFECTS ON DYNAMICAL TIDES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Xing, E-mail: xing.wei@sjtu.edu.cn [Institute of Natural Sciences and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China); Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2016-09-01

    To understand magnetic effects on dynamical tides, we study the rotating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow driven by harmonic forcing. The linear responses are analytically derived in a periodic box under the local WKB approximation. Both the kinetic and Ohmic dissipations at the resonant frequencies are calculated, and the various parameters are investigated. Although magnetic pressure may be negligible compared to thermal pressure, the magnetic field can be important for the first-order perturbation, e.g., dynamical tides. It is found that the magnetic field splits the resonant frequency, namely the rotating hydrodynamic flow has only one resonant frequency, but the rotating MHD flow has two, one positive and the other negative. In the weak field regime the dissipations are asymmetric around the two resonant frequencies and this asymmetry is more striking with a weaker magnetic field. It is also found that both the kinetic and Ohmic dissipations at the resonant frequencies are inversely proportional to the Ekman number and the square of the wavenumber. The dissipation at the resonant frequency on small scales is almost equal to the dissipation at the non-resonant frequencies, namely the resonance takes its effect on the dissipation at intermediate length scales. Moreover, the waves with phase propagation that is perpendicular to the magnetic field are much more damped. It is also interesting to find that the frequency-averaged dissipation is constant. This result suggests that in compact objects, magnetic effects on tidal dissipation should be considered.

  20. Geophysical fluid dynamics understanding (almost) everything with rotating shallow water models

    CERN Document Server

    Zeitlin, Vladimir

    2018-01-01

    The book explains the key notions and fundamental processes in the dynamics of the fluid envelopes of the Earth (transposable to other planets), and methods of their analysis, from the unifying viewpoint of rotating shallow-water model (RSW). The model, in its one- or two-layer versions, plays a distinguished role in geophysical fluid dynamics, having been used for around a century for conceptual understanding of various phenomena, for elaboration of approaches and methods, to be applied later in more complete models, for development and testing of numerical codes and schemes of data assimilations, and many other purposes. Principles of modelling of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic flows, and corresponding approximations, are explained and it is shown how single- and multi-layer versions of RSW arise from the primitive equations by vertical averaging, and how further time-averaging produces celebrated quasi-geostrophic reductions of the model. Key concepts of geophysical fluid dynamics are exposed and inte...

  1. Crop rotations and poultry litter impact dynamic soil chemical properties and soil biota long-term

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dynamic soil physiochemical interactions with conservation agricultural practices and soil biota are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to quantify long-term (12-yr) impacts of cover crops, poultry litter, crop rotations, and conservation tillage and their interactions on soil physiochemica...

  2. Predictive factor analysis for successful performance of iris recognition-assisted dynamic rotational eye tracking during laser in situ keratomileusis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, Gaurav; Ashok Kumar, Dhivya; Agarwal, Amar; Jacob, Soosan; Sarvanan, Yoga; Agarwal, Athiya

    2010-02-01

    To analyze the predictive factors associated with success of iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking on a laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) platform with active assessment and correction of intraoperative cyclotorsion. Interventional case series. Two hundred seventy-five eyes of 142 consecutive candidates underwent LASIK with attempted iris recognition and dynamic rotational tracking on the Technolas 217z100 platform (Techolas Perfect Vision, St Louis, Missouri, USA) at a tertiary care ophthalmic hospital. The main outcome measures were age, gender, flap creation method (femtosecond, microkeratome, epi-LASIK), success of static rotational tracking, ablation algorithm, pulses, and depth; preablation and intraablation rotational activity were analyzed and evaluated using regression models. Preablation static iris recognition was successful in 247 eyes, without difference in flap creation methods (P = .6). Age (partial correlation, -0.16; P = .014), amount of pulses (partial correlation, 0.39; P = 1.6 x 10(-8)), and gender (P = .02) were significant predictive factors for the amount of intraoperative cyclodeviation. Tracking difficulties leading to linking the ablation with a new intraoperatively acquired iris image were more with femtosecond-assisted flaps (P = 2.8 x 10(-7)) and the amount of intraoperative cyclotorsion (P = .02). However, the number of cases having nonresolvable failure of intraoperative rotational tracking was similar in the 3 flap creation methods (P = .22). Intraoperative cyclotorsional activity depends on the age, gender, and duration of ablation (pulses delivered). Femtosecond flaps do not seem to have a disadvantage over microkeratome flaps as far as iris recognition and success of intraoperative dynamic rotational tracking is concerned. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Rotation of small clusters in sheared metallic glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delogu, Francesco

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: When a Cu 50 Ti 50 metallic glass is shear-deformed, the irreversible rearrangement of local structures allows the rigid body rotation of clusters. Highlights: → A shear-deformed Cu 50 Ti 50 metallic glass was studied by molecular dynamics. → Atomic displacements occur at irreversible rearrangements of local structures. → The dynamics of such events includes the rigid body rotation of clusters. → Relatively large clusters can undergo two or more complete rotations. - Abstract: Molecular dynamics methods were used to simulate the response of a Cu 50 Ti 50 metallic glass to shear deformation. Attention was focused on the atomic displacements taking place during the irreversible rearrangement of local atomic structures. It is shown that the apparently disordered dynamics of such events hides the rigid body rotation of small clusters. Cluster rotation was investigated by evaluating rotation angle, axis and lifetimes. This permitted to point out that relatively large clusters can undergo two or more complete rotations.

  4. The method of the gas-dynamic centrifugal compressor stage characteristics recalculation for variable rotor rotational speeds and the rotation angle of inlet guide vanes blades if the kinematic and dynamic similitude conditions are not met

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanyashov, A. D.; Karabanova, V. V.

    2017-08-01

    A mathematical description of the method for obtaining gas-dynamic characteristics of a centrifugal compressor stage is proposed, taking into account the control action by varying the rotor speed and the angle of rotation of the guide vanes relative to the "basic" characteristic, if the kinematic and dynamic similitude conditions are not met. The formulas of the correction terms for the non-dimensional coefficients of specific work, consumption and efficiency are obtained. A comparative analysis of the calculated gas-dynamic characteristics of a high-pressure centrifugal stage with experimental data is performed.

  5. Counter-rotating effects and entanglement dynamics in strongly coupled quantum-emitter-metallic-nanoparticle structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iliopoulos, Nikos; Thanopulos, Ioannis; Yannopapas, Vassilios; Paspalakis, Emmanuel

    2018-03-01

    We study the spontaneous emission of a two-level quantum emitter next to a plasmonic nanoparticle beyond the Markovian approximation and the rotating-wave approximation (RWA) by combining quantum dynamics and classical electromagnetic calculations. For emitters with decay times in the picosecond to nanosecond time regime, as well as located at distances from the nanoparticle up to its radius, the dynamics with and without the RWA and the transition from the non-Markovian to the Markovian regime are investigated. For emitters with longer decay times, the Markov approximation proves to be adequate for distances larger than half the nanoparticle radius. However, the RWA is correct for all distances of the emitter from the nanoparticle. For short decay time emitters, the Markov approximation and RWA are both inadequate, with only the RWA becoming valid again at a distance larger than half the nanoparticle radius. We also show that the entanglement dynamics of two initially entangled qubits interacting independently with the nanoparticle may have a strong non-Markovian character when counter-rotating effects are included. Interesting effects such as entanglement sudden death, periodic entanglement revival, entanglement oscillations, and entanglement trapping are further observed when different initial two-qubit states and different distances between the qubit and the nanoparticle are considered.

  6. Dynamic Time-Resolved Chirped-Pulse Rotational Spectroscopy of Vinyl Cyanide Photoproducts in a Room Temperature Flow Reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaleski, Daniel P.; Prozument, Kirill

    2017-06-01

    Chirped-pulsed (CP) Fourier transform rotational spectroscopy invented by Brooks Pate and coworkers a decade ago is an attractive tool for gas phase chemical dynamics and kinetics studies. A good reactor for such a purpose would have well-defined (and variable) temperature and pressure conditions to be amenable to accurate kinetic modeling. Furthermore, in low pressure samples with large enough number of molecular emitters, reaction dynamics can be observable directly, rather than mediated by supersonic expansion. In the present work, we are evaluating feasibility of in situ time-resolved CP spectroscopy in a room temperature flow tube reactor. Vinyl cyanide (CH_2CHCN), neat or mixed with inert gasses, flows through the reactor at pressures 1-50 μbar (0.76-38 mTorr) where it is photodissociated by a 193 nm laser. Millimeter-wave beam of the CP spectrometer co-propagates with the laser beam along the reactor tube and interacts with nascent photoproducts. Rotational transitions of HCN, HNC, and HCCCN are detected, with ≥10 μs time-steps for 500 ms following photolysis of CH_2CHCN. The post-photolysis evolution of the photoproducts' rotational line intensities is investigated for the effects of rotational and vibrational thermalization of energized photoproducts. Possible contributions from bimolecular and wall-mediated chemistry are evaluated as well.

  7. Feedback and feedforward adaptation to visuomotor delay during reaching and slicing movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botzer, Lior; Karniel, Amir

    2013-07-01

    It has been suggested that the brain and in particular the cerebellum and motor cortex adapt to represent the environment during reaching movements under various visuomotor perturbations. It is well known that significant delay is present in neural conductance and processing; however, the possible representation of delay and adaptation to delayed visual feedback has been largely overlooked. Here we investigated the control of reaching movements in human subjects during an imposed visuomotor delay in a virtual reality environment. In the first experiment, when visual feedback was unexpectedly delayed, the hand movement overshot the end-point target, indicating a vision-based feedback control. Over the ensuing trials, movements gradually adapted and became accurate. When the delay was removed unexpectedly, movements systematically undershot the target, demonstrating that adaptation occurred within the vision-based feedback control mechanism. In a second experiment designed to broaden our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we revealed similar after-effects for rhythmic reversal (out-and-back) movements. We present a computational model accounting for these results based on two adapted forward models, each tuned for a specific modality delay (proprioception or vision), and a third feedforward controller. The computational model, along with the experimental results, refutes delay representation in a pure forward vision-based predictor and suggests that adaptation occurred in the forward vision-based predictor, and concurrently in the state-based feedforward controller. Understanding how the brain compensates for conductance and processing delays is essential for understanding certain impairments concerning these neural delays as well as for the development of brain-machine interfaces. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Rotational superradiance in fluid laboratories

    CERN Document Server

    Cardoso, Vitor; Richartz, Mauricio; Weinfurtner, Silke

    2016-01-01

    Rotational superradiance has been predicted theoretically decades ago, and is the chief responsible for a number of important effects and phenomenology in black hole physics. However, rotational superradiance has never been observed experimentally. Here, with the aim of probing superradiance in the lab, we investigate the behaviour of sound and surface waves in fluids resting in a circular basin at the center of which a rotating cylinder is placed. We show that with a suitable choice for the material of the cylinder, surface and sound waves are amplified. By confining the superradiant modes near the rotating cylinder, an instability sets in. Our findings are experimentally testable in existing fluid laboratories and hence offer experimental exploration and comparison of dynamical instabilities arising from rapidly rotating boundary layers in astrophysical as well as in fluid dynamical systems.

  9. Rotational motion in nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohr, A.

    1976-01-01

    Nuclear structure theories are reviewed concerned with nuclei rotational motion. The development of the deformed nucleus model facilitated a discovery of rotational spectra of nuclei. Comprehensive verification of the rotational scheme and a successful classification of corresponding spectra stimulated investigations of the rotational movement dynamics. Values of nuclear moments of inertia proved to fall between two marginal values corresponding to rotation of a solid and hydrodynamic pattern of an unrotating flow, respectively. The discovery of governing role of the deformation and a degree of a symmetry violence for determining rotational degrees of freedon is pointed out to pave the way for generalization of the rotational spectra

  10. Late-time dynamics of rapidly rotating black holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glampedakis, K.; Andersson, N.

    2001-01-01

    We study the late-time behaviour of a dynamically perturbed rapidly rotating black hole. Considering an extreme Kerr black hole, we show that the large number of virtually undamped quasinormal modes (that exist for nonzero values of the azimuthal eigenvalue m) combine in such a way that the field (as observed at infinity) oscillates with an amplitude that decays as 1/t at late times. For a near extreme black hole, these modes, collectively, give rise to an exponentially decaying field which, however, is considerably 'long-lived'. Our analytic results are verified using numerical time-evolutions of the Teukolsky equation. Moreover, we argue that the physical mechanism behind the observed behaviour is the presence of a 'superradiance resonance cavity' immediately outside the black hole. We present this new feature in detail, and discuss whether it may be relevant for astrophysical black holes. (author)

  11. Three-dimensional neural net for learning visuomotor coordination of a robot arm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinetz, T M; Ritter, H J; Schulten, K J

    1990-01-01

    An extension of T. Kohonen's (1982) self-organizing mapping algorithm together with an error-correction scheme based on the Widrow-Hoff learning rule is applied to develop a learning algorithm for the visuomotor coordination of a simulated robot arm. Learning occurs by a sequence of trial movements without the need for an external teacher. Using input signals from a pair of cameras, the closed robot arm system is able to reduce its positioning error to about 0.3% of the linear dimensions of its work space. This is achieved by choosing the connectivity of a three-dimensional lattice consisting of the units of the neural net.

  12. Close interpersonal proximity modulates visuomotor processing of object affordances in shared, social space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saccone, Elizabeth J; Szpak, Ancret; Churches, Owen; Nicholls, Michael E R

    2018-01-01

    Research suggests that the human brain codes manipulable objects as possibilities for action, or affordances, particularly objects close to the body. Near-body space is not only a zone for body-environment interaction but also is socially relevant, as we are driven to preserve our near-body, personal space from others. The current, novel study investigated how close proximity of a stranger modulates visuomotor processing of object affordances in shared, social space. Participants performed a behavioural object recognition task both alone and with a human confederate. All object images were in participants' reachable space but appeared relatively closer to the participant or the confederate. Results revealed when participants were alone, objects in both locations produced an affordance congruency effect but when the confederate was present, only objects nearer the participant elicited the effect. Findings suggest space is divided between strangers to preserve independent near-body space boundaries, and in turn this process influences motor coding for stimuli within that social space. To demonstrate that this visuomotor modulation represents a social phenomenon, rather than a general, attentional effect, two subsequent experiments employed nonhuman joint conditions. Neither a small, Japanese, waving cat statue (Experiment 2) nor a metronome (Experiment 3) modulated the affordance effect as in Experiment 1. These findings suggest a truly social explanation of the key interaction from Experiment 1. This study represents an important step toward understanding object affordance processing in real-world, social contexts and has implications broadly across fields of social action and cognition, and body space representation.

  13. Sheared Rotation Effects on Kinetic Stability in Enhanced Confinement Tokamak Plasmas, and Nonlinear Dynamics of Fluctuations and Flows in Axisymmetric Plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beer, M.A.; Chance, M.S.; Hahm, T.S.; Lin, Z.; Rewoldt, G.; Tang, W.M.

    1997-01-01

    Sheared rotation dynamics are widely believed to have signficant influence on experimentally observed confinement transitions in advanced operating modes in major tokamak experiments, such as the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [D.J. Grove and D.M. Meade, Nuclear Fusion 25, 1167 (1985)], with reversed magnetic shear regions in the plasma interior. The high-n toroidal drift modes destabilized by the combined effects of ion temperature gradients and trapped particles in toroidal geometry can be strongly affected by radially sheared toroidal and poloidal plasma rotation. In previous work with the FULL linear microinstability code, a simplified rotation model including only toroidal rotation was employed, and results were obtained. Here, a more complete rotation model, that includes contributions from toroidal and poloidal rotation and the ion pressure gradient to the total radial electric field, is used for a proper self-consistent treatment of this key problem. Relevant advanced operating mode cases for TFTR are presented. In addition, the complementary problem of the dynamics of fluctuation-driven E x B flow is investigated by an integrated program of gyrokinetic simulation in annulus geometry and gyrofluid simulation in flux tube geometry

  14. Preliminary results of BRAVO project: brain computer interfaces for Robotic enhanced Action in Visuo-motOr tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergamasco, Massimo; Frisoli, Antonio; Fontana, Marco; Loconsole, Claudio; Leonardis, Daniele; Troncossi, Marco; Foumashi, Mohammad Mozaffari; Parenti-Castelli, Vincenzo

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the preliminary results of the project BRAVO (Brain computer interfaces for Robotic enhanced Action in Visuo-motOr tasks). The objective of this project is to define a new approach to the development of assistive and rehabilitative robots for motor impaired users to perform complex visuomotor tasks that require a sequence of reaches, grasps and manipulations of objects. BRAVO aims at developing new robotic interfaces and HW/SW architectures for rehabilitation and regain/restoration of motor function in patients with upper limb sensorimotor impairment through extensive rehabilitation therapy and active assistance in the execution of Activities of Daily Living. The final system developed within this project will include a robotic arm exoskeleton and a hand orthosis that will be integrated together for providing force assistance. The main novelty that BRAVO introduces is the control of the robotic assistive device through the active prediction of intention/action. The system will actually integrate the information about the movement carried out by the user with a prediction of the performed action through an interpretation of current gaze of the user (measured through eye-tracking), brain activation (measured through BCI) and force sensor measurements. © 2011 IEEE

  15. Polarity and Nonpolarity of Ionic Liquids Viewed from the Rotational Dynamics of Carbon Monoxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasaka, Y; Kimura, Y

    2015-12-17

    The rotational dynamics of carbon monoxide (CO) in a molten salt, ionic liquids (ILs), and alkanes were investigated by (17)O NMR T1 measurements using labeled C(17)O. The molten salt and the studied ILs have the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion ([NTf2](-)) in common. In hexane near room temperature, the rotational relaxation times are close to the values predicted from the slip boundary condition in the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) theory. However, in contradiction to the theoretical prediction, the rotational relaxation times decrease as the value of η/T increases, where η and T are the viscosity and absolute temperature, respectively. In other alkanes and ILs used in this study, the rotational relaxation times are much faster than those predicted by SED, and show a unique dependence on the number of alkyl carbons. For the same value of η/T, the CO rotational relaxation times in ILs composed of short-alkyl-chain-length imidazolium cations (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium) are close to those for a molten salt (Cs[NTf2]). On the other hand, the rotational relaxation times in ILs composed of long-chain-length imidazolium (1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium) and phosphonium (tributylmethylphosphonium and tetraoctylphosphonium) cations are much shorter than the SED predictions. This deviation from theory increases as the alkyl chain length increases. We also found that the rotational relaxation times in dodecane and squalane are similar to those in ILs with a similar number of alkyl carbons. These results are discussed in terms of heterogeneous solvation and in comparison with the translational diffusion of CO in ILs.

  16. To lead and to lag - forward and backward recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marieke eRohde

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Studies on human recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity so far have been limited to the study of recalibration to movement-lead temporal discrepancies (visual lags. We studied adaptation to both vision-lead and movement-lead discrepancies, to test for differences between these conditions, as a leading visual stimulus violates the underlying cause-effect structure. To this end, we manipulated the temporal relationship between a motor action (button press and a visual event (flashed disk in a training phase. Participants were tested in a temporal order judgment task and perceived simultaneity (PSS was compared before and after recalibration. A PHANToM© force-feedback device that tracks the finger position in real time was used to display a virtual button. We predicted the timing of full compression of the button from early movement onset in order to time visual stimuli even before the movement event of the full button press. The results show that recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity is evident in both directions and does not differ in magnitude between the conditions. The strength of recalibration decreases with perceptual accuracy, suggesting the possibility that some participants recalibrate less because they detect the discrepancy. We conclude that the mechanisms of temporal recalibration work in both direction and there is no evidence that they are asymmetrical around the point of actual simultaneity, despite the underlying asymmetry in the cause-effect relation.

  17. Developing a new experimental system for an undergraduate laboratory exercise to teach theories of visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasuga, Shoko; Ushiba, Junichi

    2014-01-01

    Humans have a flexible motor ability to adapt their movements to changes in the internal/external environment. For example, using arm-reaching tasks, a number of studies experimentally showed that participants adapt to a novel visuomotor environment. These results helped develop computational models of motor learning implemented in the central nervous system. Despite the importance of such experimental paradigms for exploring the mechanisms of motor learning, because of the cost and preparation time, most students are unable to participate in such experiments. Therefore, in the current study, to help students better understand motor learning theories, we developed a simple finger-reaching experimental system using commonly used laptop PC components with an open-source programming language (Processing Motor Learning Toolkit: PMLT). We found that compared to a commercially available robotic arm-reaching device, our PMLT accomplished similar learning goals (difference in the error reduction between the devices, P = 0.10). In addition, consistent with previous reports from visuomotor learning studies, the participants showed after-effects indicating an adaptation of the motor learning system. The results suggest that PMLT can serve as a new experimental system for an undergraduate laboratory exercise of motor learning theories with minimal time and cost for instructors.

  18. Rotational dynamics of benzene and water in an ionic liquid explored via molecular dynamics simulations and NMR T1 measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasaka, Yoshiro; Klein, Michael L; Nakahara, Masaru; Matubayasi, Nobuyuki

    2012-02-21

    The rotational dynamics of benzene and water in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride are studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and NMR T(1) measurements. MD trajectories based on an effective potential are used to calculate the (2)H NMR relaxation time, T(1) via Fourier transform of the relevant rotational time correlation function, C(2R)(t). To compensate for the lack of polarization in the standard fixed-charge modeling of the IL, an effective ionic charge, which is smaller than the elementary charge is employed. The simulation results are in closest agreement with NMR experiments with respect to the temperature and Larmor frequency dependencies of T(1) when an effective charge of ±0.5e is used for the anion and the cation, respectively. The computed C(2R)(t) of both solutes shows a bi-modal nature, comprised of an initial non-diffusive ps relaxation plus a long-time ns tail extending to the diffusive regime. Due to the latter component, the solute dynamics is not under the motional narrowing condition with respect to the prevalent Larmor frequency. It is shown that the diffusive tail of the C(2R)(t) is most important to understand frequency and temperature dependencies of T(1) in ILs. On the other hand, the effect of the initial ps relaxation is an increase of T(1) by a constant factor. This is equivalent to an "effective" reduction of the quadrupolar coupling constant (QCC). Thus, in the NMR T(1) analysis, the rotational time correlation function can be modeled analytically in the form of aexp (-t/τ) (Lipari-Szabo model), where the constant a, the Lipari-Szabo factor, contains the integrated contribution of the short-time relaxation and τ represents the relaxation time of the exponential (diffusive) tail. The Debye model is a special case of the Lipari-Szabo model with a = 1, and turns out to be inappropriate to represent benzene and water dynamics in ILs since a is as small as 0.1. The use of the Debye model would result in

  19. Quantum algebra Uqp(u2) and application to the rotational collective dynamics of the nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbier, R.

    1995-01-01

    This thesis concerns some aspects of new symmetries in Nuclear Physics. It comprises three parts. The first one is devoted to the study of the quantum algebra U qp (u 2 ). More precisely, we develop its Hopf algebraic structure and we study its co-product structure. The bases of the representation theory of U qp (u 2 ) are introduced. On one hand, we construct the finite-dimensional irreducible representations of U qp (u 2 ). On the other hand, we calculate the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients with the projection operator method. To complete our study, we construct some deformed boson mappings of the quantum algebras U qp (u 2 ), U q 2 (su 2 ) and U qp (u 1,1 ). The second part deals with the construction of a new phenomenological model of the non rigid rotator. This model is based on the quantum algebra U qp (u 2 ). The rotational energy and the E2 reduced transition probabilities are obtained. They depend on the two deformation parameters q and p of the quantum algebra. We show how the use of the two-parameter deformation of the algebra U qp (u 2 ) leads to a generalization of the U q (su 2 )-rotator model. We also introduce a new model of the anharmonic oscillator on the basis of the quantum algebra U qp (u 2 ). We show that the system of the U q (su 2 )-rotator and of the anharmonic oscillator can be coupled with the use of the deformation parameters of U qp (u 2 ). A ro-vibration energy formula and expansion 'a la' Dunham are obtained. The aim of the lest part is to apply our non rigid rotator model to the rotational collective dynamics of the superdeformed nuclei of the A∼130 - 150 and A∼190 mass regions and deformed nuclei of the actinide and rare earth series. We adjust the free parameters of our model and compare our results with those arising from four other models of the non rigid rotator. A comparative analysis is given in terms of transition energies. We calculate the dynamical moments of inertia with the fitted parameters. A comparison between the

  20. Rotating UPS installations and dynamic energy storage. Comparison of static and rotating UPS and comparison of dynamic energy storage using batteries - Final Report; Rotierende USV-Anlagen und dynamische Energiespeicherung. Vergleich der statischen mit rotierenden USV-Anlagen und Vergleich der dynamischen Energiespeicherung mit Batterieanlagen - Schlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mauchle, P.; Schnyder, G.

    2010-01-15

    As an alternative to the static UPS-Systems (uninterruptible power supply systems), rotating UPS-Systems can be applied. The application and the realisation of rotating UPS-Systems are different to the one of static UPS-Systems. Furthermore at the rotating UPS-Systems is to distinguish, if the UPS-System is realised as a diesel dynamic UPS-System, with an activity up from 400 kVA, or if the dynamic part is limited to the energy storage, with an activity up from 60 kVA. The diesel dynamic UPS-Systems are composed of a synchronous machine, an asynchronous machine with a flywheel, respectively a kinetic module and the diesel engine. The connection to the critical user at the low voltage network occurs using an inductor and the accordant switchgears. The application of a diesel dynamic UPS-System is optimal when it can be connected with an emergency power supply. With the realisation of dynamic energy storages, battery systems can be avoided respectively can be reduced or the lifetime of batteries can be extended. It is only possible to avoid the batteries if the requested autonomous time of the UPS-System is shorter than two minutes. Is an autonomous time longer than 2 minutes necessary, battery systems have to be realised for the energy storage. Thereby dynamic energy storage in parallel to the battery system is useful, because the dynamic energy storage will compensate temporary voltage drops or short power failures. In this way the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery system will be reduced and therefore the lifetime of the battery will be extended. The use of a dynamic or static UPS system is dependent on the requirements of the powered load. Taking into account various criteria it can be found for each specific application the optimal type of UPS system. (authors)

  1. Muon spin rotation and other microscopic probes of spin-glass dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacLaughlin, D.E.

    1980-01-01

    A number of different microscopic probe techniques have been employed to investigate the onset of the spin-glass state in dilute magnetic alloys. Among these are Moessbauer-effect spectroscopy, neutron scattering, ESR of the impurity spins, host NMR and, most recently, muon spin rotation and depolarization. Spin probes yield information on the microscopic static and dynamic behavior of the impurity spins, and give insight into both the spin freezing process and the nature of low-lying excitations in the ordered state. Microscopic probe experiments in spin glasses are surveyed, and the unique advantages of muon studies are emphasized

  2. A quantum dynamical study of the rotation of the dihydrogen ligand in the Fe(H)2(H2)(PEtPh2)3 coordination complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Megan E.; Eckert, Juergen; Aquino, Adelia J. A.; Poirier, Bill

    2018-04-01

    Progress in the hydrogen fuel field requires a clear understanding and characterization of how materials of interest interact with hydrogen. Due to the inherently quantum mechanical nature of hydrogen nuclei, any theoretical studies of these systems must be treated quantum dynamically. One class of material that has been examined in this context are dihydrogen complexes. Since their discovery by Kubas in 1984, many such complexes have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. This particular study examines the rotational dynamics of the dihydrogen ligand in the Fe(H)2(H2)(PEtPh2)3 complex, allowing for full motion in both the rotational degrees of freedom and treating the quantum dynamics (QD) explicitly. A "gas-phase" global potential energy surface is first constructed using density functional theory with the Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr functional; this is followed by an exact QD calculation of the corresponding rotation/libration states. The results provide insight into the dynamical correlation of the two rotation angles as well as a comprehensive analysis of both ground- and excited-state librational tunneling splittings. The latter was computed to be 6.914 cm-1—in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 6.4 cm-1. This work represents the first full-dimensional ab initio exact QD calculation ever performed for dihydrogen ligand rotation in a coordination complex.

  3. Dynamic Effects of the Earth's Rotation Caused by the Annual and Semi-Annual Cyclic Mass Redistribution of the Planet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Yu. Barkin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with development of the theory of perturbed rotational motion of a celestial body with variable geometry of the masses. Its main task is to study the impact of annual and semi-annual variations of the Earth's mass geometry (a component of its inertia tensor, as well as a component of its relative angular momentum, on the movement of the Earth's poles and its axial rotation. The body is considered to be a free (isolated, and the problem formulation corresponds to the classical Liouville problem on rotation of a variable body. Euler conical movement of the axially symmetric body with an arbitrary constant half-angle  is assumed as the unperturbed motion. In the classical theory of the Earth's rotation this angle is usually assumed to be zero.In the last 20 years, accuracy to determine the Earth rotation parameters owing to using methods of space geodesy and method of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI has increased by about three orders of magnitude and has made about  i.e., in angle measure it is about 10 - 20 arc-microseconds. According to experts, the theory of the Earth's rotation with such precision is not created yet. The paper is focused just on the new dynamic studies of the Earth rotation at a higher level of accuracy than has been done in previous studies, using a new approach to the problem, based on the new forms of the equations of motion (in the Andoyer variables and the analytical methods of perturbation theory (small parameter method.The problem of perturbed rotational motion with variable geometry and variable mass relative angular momentum in the first approximation is solved in Andoyer variables and projections of the angular velocity of the planet rotation. The analytical solution allows us to run applications to study dynamic effects from above factors for various bodies in the solar system, including the Earth. The solution allowed us to obtain the following parameters of the fundamental effects in the

  4. Forced vibrations of rotating circular cylindrical shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igawa, Hirotaka; Maruyama, Yoshiyuki; Endo, Mitsuru

    1995-01-01

    Forced vibrations of rotating circular cylindrical shells are investigated. Basic equations, including the effect of initial stress due to rotation, are formulated by the finite-element method. The characteristic relations for finite elements are derived from the energy principle by considering the finite strain. The equations of motion can be separated into quasi-static and dynamic ones, i.e., the equations in the steady rotating state and those in the vibration state. Radial concentrated impulses are considered as the external dynamic force. The transient responses of circular cylindrical shells are numerically calculated under various boundary conditions and rotating speeds. (author)

  5. Elasticity improves handgrip performance and user experience during visuomotor control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mace, Michael; Rinne, Paul; Liardon, Jean-Luc; Uhomoibhi, Catherine; Bentley, Paul; Burdet, Etienne

    2017-02-01

    Passive rehabilitation devices, providing motivation and feedback, potentially offer an automated and low-cost therapy method, and can be used as simple human-machine interfaces. Here, we ask whether there is any advantage for a hand-training device to be elastic, as opposed to rigid, in terms of performance and preference. To address this question, we have developed a highly sensitive and portable digital handgrip, promoting independent and repetitive rehabilitation of grasp function based around a novel elastic force and position sensing structure. A usability study was performed on 66 healthy subjects to assess the effect of elastic versus rigid handgrip control during various visuomotor tracking tasks. The results indicate that, for tasks relying either on feedforward or on feedback control, novice users perform significantly better with the elastic handgrip, compared with the rigid equivalent (11% relative improvement, 9-14% mean range; p  training devices.

  6. Move faster, think later: Women who play action video games have quicker visually-guided responses with later onset visuomotor-related brain activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbet, Diana J; Sergio, Lauren E

    2018-01-01

    A history of action video game (AVG) playing is associated with improvements in several visuospatial and attention-related skills and these improvements may be transferable to unrelated tasks. These facts make video games a potential medium for skill-training and rehabilitation. However, examinations of the neural correlates underlying these observations are almost non-existent in the visuomotor system. Further, the vast majority of studies on the effects of a history of AVG play have been done using almost exclusively male participants. Therefore, to begin to fill these gaps in the literature, we present findings from two experiments. In the first, we use functional MRI to examine brain activity in experienced, female AVG players during visually-guided reaching. In the second, we examine the kinematics of visually-guided reaching in this population. Imaging data demonstrate that relative to women who do not play, AVG players have less motor-related preparatory activity in the cuneus, middle occipital gyrus, and cerebellum. This decrease is correlated with estimates of time spent playing. Further, these correlations are strongest during the performance of a visuomotor mapping that spatially dissociates eye and arm movements. However, further examinations of the full time-course of visuomotor-related activity in the AVG players revealed that the decreased activity during motor preparation likely results from a later onset of activity in AVG players, which occurs closer to beginning motor execution relative to the non-playing group. Further, the data presented here suggest that this later onset of preparatory activity represents greater neural efficiency that is associated with faster visually-guided responses.

  7. Move faster, think later: Women who play action video games have quicker visually-guided responses with later onset visuomotor-related brain activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbet, Diana J.; Sergio, Lauren E.

    2018-01-01

    A history of action video game (AVG) playing is associated with improvements in several visuospatial and attention-related skills and these improvements may be transferable to unrelated tasks. These facts make video games a potential medium for skill-training and rehabilitation. However, examinations of the neural correlates underlying these observations are almost non-existent in the visuomotor system. Further, the vast majority of studies on the effects of a history of AVG play have been done using almost exclusively male participants. Therefore, to begin to fill these gaps in the literature, we present findings from two experiments. In the first, we use functional MRI to examine brain activity in experienced, female AVG players during visually-guided reaching. In the second, we examine the kinematics of visually-guided reaching in this population. Imaging data demonstrate that relative to women who do not play, AVG players have less motor-related preparatory activity in the cuneus, middle occipital gyrus, and cerebellum. This decrease is correlated with estimates of time spent playing. Further, these correlations are strongest during the performance of a visuomotor mapping that spatially dissociates eye and arm movements. However, further examinations of the full time-course of visuomotor-related activity in the AVG players revealed that the decreased activity during motor preparation likely results from a later onset of activity in AVG players, which occurs closer to beginning motor execution relative to the non-playing group. Further, the data presented here suggest that this later onset of preparatory activity represents greater neural efficiency that is associated with faster visually-guided responses. PMID:29364891

  8. Anisotropic Rotational Diffusion Studied by Nuclear Spin Relaxation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation: An Undergraduate Physical Chemistry Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuson, Michael M.

    2017-01-01

    Laboratories studying the anisotropic rotational diffusion of bromobenzene using nuclear spin relaxation and molecular dynamics simulations are described. For many undergraduates, visualizing molecular motion is challenging. Undergraduates rarely encounter laboratories that directly assess molecular motion, and so the concept remains an…

  9. Relationship between the quality of children's handwriting and the Beery Buktenica developmental test of visuomotor integration after one year of writing tuition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duiser, I.H.; van der Kamp, J.; Ledebt, A.; Savelsbergh, G.J.P.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: We examined whether the three subtests of the Beery Buktenica developmental test of visuomotor integration predicted quality of handwriting across and within groups of boys and girls classified as proficient, at risk or non-proficient writers according to the Concise Assessment Scale for

  10. Savings for visuomotor adaptation require prior history of error, not prior repetition of successful actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leow, Li-Ann; de Rugy, Aymar; Marinovic, Welber; Riek, Stephan; Carroll, Timothy J

    2016-10-01

    When we move, perturbations to our body or the environment can elicit discrepancies between predicted and actual outcomes. We readily adapt movements to compensate for such discrepancies, and the retention of this learning is evident as savings, or faster readaptation to a previously encountered perturbation. The mechanistic processes contributing to savings, or even the necessary conditions for savings, are not fully understood. One theory suggests that savings requires increased sensitivity to previously experienced errors: when perturbations evoke a sequence of correlated errors, we increase our sensitivity to the errors experienced, which subsequently improves error correction (Herzfeld et al. 2014). An alternative theory suggests that a memory of actions is necessary for savings: when an action becomes associated with successful target acquisition through repetition, that action is more rapidly retrieved at subsequent learning (Huang et al. 2011). In the present study, to better understand the necessary conditions for savings, we tested how savings is affected by prior experience of similar errors and prior repetition of the action required to eliminate errors using a factorial design. Prior experience of errors induced by a visuomotor rotation in the savings block was either prevented at initial learning by gradually removing an oppositely signed perturbation or enforced by abruptly removing the perturbation. Prior repetition of the action required to eliminate errors in the savings block was either deprived or enforced by manipulating target location in preceding trials. The data suggest that prior experience of errors is both necessary and sufficient for savings, whereas prior repetition of a successful action is neither necessary nor sufficient for savings. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  11. Rotational characterization of methyl methacrylate: Internal dynamics and structure determination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbers, Sven; Wachsmuth, Dennis; Obenchain, Daniel A.; Grabow, Jens-Uwe

    2018-01-01

    Rotational constants, Watson's S centrifugal distortion coefficients, and internal rotation parameters of the two most stable conformers of methyl methacrylate were retrieved from the microwave spectrum. Splittings of rotational energy levels were caused by two non equivalent methyl tops. Constraining the centrifugal distortion coefficients and internal rotation parameters to the values of the main isotopologues, the rotational constants of all single substituted 13C and 18O isotopologues were determined. From these rotational constants the substitution structures and semi-empirical zero point structures of both conformers were precisely determined.

  12. Translational and rotational diffusion of dilute solid amorphous spherical nanocolloids by molecular dynamics simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyes, D. M.; Nuevo, M. J.; Morales, J. J.

    Following on from our previous study (Heyes, D. M., Nuevo, M. J, and Morales, J. J., 1996, Molec. Phys., 88, 1503), molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out of translational and rotational diffusion of atomistically rough near-spherical solid Lennard-Jones (LJ) clusters immersed in a Weeks-Chandler-Andersen liquid solvent. A single cluster consisting of up to about 100LJ particles as part of an 8000 atom fluid system was considered in each case. The translational and rotational diffusion coefficients decrease with increasing cluster size and solvent density (roughly in proportion to the molar volume of the solvent). The simulations reveal that for clusters in excess of about 30LJ atoms there is a clear separation of timescales between angular velocity and orientation relaxation which adhere well to the small-step diffusion model encapsulated in Hubbard's relationship. For 100 atom clusters both the StokesEinstein (translation) and Stokes-Einstein-Debye (rotation) equations apply approximately. The small departures from these reference solutions indicate that the translational relaxation experiences a local viscosity in excess of the bulk value (typically by ~ 30%), whereas rotational relaxation experiences a smaller viscosity than the bulk (typically by ~ 30%) reasonably in accord with the Gierer-Wirtz model. Both of these observations are consistent with an observed layering of the liquid molecules next to the cluster observed in our previous study.

  13. The bacterial actin MreB rotates, and rotation depends on cell-wall assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Teeffelen, Sven; Wang, Siyuan; Furchtgott, Leon; Huang, Kerwyn Casey; Wingreen, Ned S; Shaevitz, Joshua W; Gitai, Zemer

    2011-09-20

    Bacterial cells possess multiple cytoskeletal proteins involved in a wide range of cellular processes. These cytoskeletal proteins are dynamic, but the driving forces and cellular functions of these dynamics remain poorly understood. Eukaryotic cytoskeletal dynamics are often driven by motor proteins, but in bacteria no motors that drive cytoskeletal motion have been identified to date. Here, we quantitatively study the dynamics of the Escherichia coli actin homolog MreB, which is essential for the maintenance of rod-like cell shape in bacteria. We find that MreB rotates around the long axis of the cell in a persistent manner. Whereas previous studies have suggested that MreB dynamics are driven by its own polymerization, we show that MreB rotation does not depend on its own polymerization but rather requires the assembly of the peptidoglycan cell wall. The cell-wall synthesis machinery thus either constitutes a novel type of extracellular motor that exerts force on cytoplasmic MreB, or is indirectly required for an as-yet-unidentified motor. Biophysical simulations suggest that one function of MreB rotation is to ensure a uniform distribution of new peptidoglycan insertion sites, a necessary condition to maintain rod shape during growth. These findings both broaden the view of cytoskeletal motors and deepen our understanding of the physical basis of bacterial morphogenesis.

  14. On the Dynamical Structure of the Jet System in the Disk with the Keplerian Rotation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyung-Sook Jeong

    1989-06-01

    Full Text Available The classical sloar wind theory proposed by Parker(1963 explains well the dynamics of the wind pheonomena such as stellar wind accretion disk. While the stellar wind system like the solar wind has the spherically symmetric wind structure, there are various jet phenomena which collimate the system into the narrow space. We can find these dynamical structures in SS433, in the optical jet of M87, and around the active galactic nulei. We present the dynamical structure of the jet system in disks, which conserves the angular momentum, with the Keplerian rotation and the strong relation between the geometrical cross section and the physical change of the jet stream on the basis of the hydrodynamic equations.

  15. Extensive video-game experience alters cortical networks for complex visuomotor transformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granek, Joshua A; Gorbet, Diana J; Sergio, Lauren E

    2010-10-01

    Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined the effect of video-game experience on the neural control of increasingly complex visuomotor tasks. Previously, skilled individuals have demonstrated the use of a more efficient movement control brain network, including the prefrontal, premotor, primary sensorimotor and parietal cortices. Our results extend and generalize this finding by documenting additional prefrontal cortex activity in experienced video gamers planning for complex eye-hand coordination tasks that are distinct from actual video-game play. These changes in activation between non-gamers and extensive gamers are putatively related to the increased online control and spatial attention required for complex visually guided reaching. These data suggest that the basic cortical network for processing complex visually guided reaching is altered by extensive video-game play. Crown Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

  16. Rotational and translational dynamics and their relation to hydrogen bond lifetimes in an ionic liquid by means of NMR relaxation time experiments and molecular dynamics simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strate, Anne; Neumann, Jan; Overbeck, Viviane; Bonsa, Anne-Marie; Michalik, Dirk; Paschek, Dietmar; Ludwig, Ralf

    2018-05-01

    We report a concerted theoretical and experimental effort to determine the reorientational dynamics as well as hydrogen bond lifetimes for the doubly ionic hydrogen bond +OH⋯O- in the ionic liquid (2-hydroxyethyl)trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [Ch][NTf2] by using a combination of NMR relaxation time experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Due to fast proton exchange, the determination of rotational correlation times is challenging. For molecular liquids, 17O-enhanced proton relaxation time experiments have been used to determine the rotational correlation times for the OH vectors in water or alcohols. As an alternative to those expensive isotopic substitution experiments, we employed a recently introduced approach which is providing access to the rotational dynamics from a single NMR deuteron quadrupolar relaxation time experiment. Here, the deuteron quadrupole coupling constants (DQCCs) are obtained from a relation between the DQCC and the δ1H proton chemical shifts determined from a set of DFT calculated clusters in combination with experimentally determined proton chemical shifts. The NMR-obtained rotational correlation times were compared to those obtained from MD simulations and then related to viscosities for testing the applicability of popular hydrodynamic models. In addition, hydrogen bond lifetimes were derived, using hydrogen bond population correlation functions computed from MD simulations. Here, two different time domains were observed: The short-time contributions to the hydrogen lifetimes and the reorientational correlation times have roughly the same size and are located in the picosecond range, whereas the long-time contributions decay with relaxation times in the nanosecond regime and are related to rather slow diffusion processes. The computed average hydrogen bond lifetime is dominated by the long-time process, highlighting the importance and longevity of

  17. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of visuomotor processing in a virtual reality-based paradigm: Rehabilitation Gaming System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prochnow, D; Bermúdez i Badia, S; Schmidt, J; Duff, A; Brunheim, S; Kleiser, R; Seitz, R J; Verschure, P F M J

    2013-05-01

    The Rehabilitation Gaming System (RGS) has been designed as a flexible, virtual-reality (VR)-based device for rehabilitation of neurological patients. Recently, training of visuomotor processing with the RGS was shown to effectively improve arm function in acute and chronic stroke patients. It is assumed that the VR-based training protocol related to RGS creates conditions that aid recovery by virtue of the human mirror neuron system. Here, we provide evidence for this assumption by identifying the brain areas involved in controlling the catching of approaching colored balls in the virtual environment of the RGS. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging of 18 right-handed healthy subjects (24 ± 3 years) in both active and imagination conditions. We observed that the imagery of target catching was related to activation of frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate and cerebellar regions. We interpret these activations in relation to object processing, attention, mirror mechanisms, and motor intention. Active catching followed an anticipatory mode, and resulted in significantly less activity in the motor control areas. Our results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis underlying RGS that this novel neurorehabilitation approach engages human mirror mechanisms that can be employed for visuomotor training. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. A dynamic lattice searching method with rotation operation for optimization of large clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Xia; Cai Wensheng; Shao Xueguang

    2009-01-01

    Global optimization of large clusters has been a difficult task, though much effort has been paid and many efficient methods have been proposed. During our works, a rotation operation (RO) is designed to realize the structural transformation from decahedra to icosahedra for the optimization of large clusters, by rotating the atoms below the center atom with a definite degree around the fivefold axis. Based on the RO, a development of the previous dynamic lattice searching with constructed core (DLSc), named as DLSc-RO, is presented. With an investigation of the method for the optimization of Lennard-Jones (LJ) clusters, i.e., LJ 500 , LJ 561 , LJ 600 , LJ 665-667 , LJ 670 , LJ 685 , and LJ 923 , Morse clusters, silver clusters by Gupta potential, and aluminum clusters by NP-B potential, it was found that both the global minima with icosahedral and decahedral motifs can be obtained, and the method is proved to be efficient and universal.

  19. Flexible Visuomotor Associations in Touchscreen Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Fabbri

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available To move real objects, our hand needs to get in direct physical contact with the object. However, this is not necessarily the case when interacting with virtual objects, for example when displacing objects on tablets by swipe movements. Here, we performed two experiments to study the behavioral strategies of these movements, examining how visual information about the virtual object is mapped into a swipe that moves the object into a goal location. In the first experiment, we investigated how swiping behavior depends on whether objects were located within or outside the swiping workspace. Results show that participants do not start the swipe movement by placing their finger on the virtual object, as they do when reaching to real objects, but rather keep a systematic distance between the object location and the initial swipe location. This mismatch, which was experimentally imposed by placing the object outside the workspace, also occurred when the object was within the workspace. In the second experiment, we investigated which factors determine this mismatch by systematically manipulating the initial hand location, the location of the object and the location of the goal. Dimensionality reduction of the data showed that three factors are taken into account when participants choose the initial swipe location: the expected total movement distance, the distance between their finger on the screen and the object, and a preference not to cover the object. The weight given to each factor differed among individuals. These results delineate, for the first time, the flexibility of visuomotor associations in the virtual world.

  20. Research on Dynamic Torque Measurement of High Speed Rotating Axis Based on Whole Optical Fiber Technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, H P; Jin, Y Q; Ha, Y W; Liu, L H [Department of Automatic Measurement and Control, Harbin Institute of Technology, PO Box 305, Harbin, 150001 (China)

    2006-10-15

    Non-contact torque measurement system of fiber grating is proposed in this paper. It is used for the dynamic torque measurement of the rotating axis in the spaceflight servo system. Optical fiber is used as sensing probe with high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, resistance to high temperature and corrosion. It is suitable to apply in a bad environment. Signals are processed by digital circuit and Single Chip Microcomputer. This project can realize super speed dynamic measurement and it is the first time to apply the project in the spaceflight system.

  1. Research on Dynamic Torque Measurement of High Speed Rotating Axis Based on Whole Optical Fiber Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, H. P.; Jin, Y. Q.; Ha, Y. W.; Liu, L. H.

    2006-10-01

    Non-contact torque measurement system of fiber grating is proposed in this paper. It is used for the dynamic torque measurement of the rotating axis in the spaceflight servo system. Optical fiber is used as sensing probe with high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, resistance to high temperature and corrosion. It is suitable to apply in a bad environment. Signals are processed by digital circuit and Single Chip Microcomputer. This project can realize super speed dynamic measurement and it is the first time to apply the project in the spaceflight system.

  2. Research on Dynamic Torque Measurement of High Speed Rotating Axis Based on Whole Optical Fiber Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, H P; Jin, Y Q; Ha, Y W; Liu, L H

    2006-01-01

    Non-contact torque measurement system of fiber grating is proposed in this paper. It is used for the dynamic torque measurement of the rotating axis in the spaceflight servo system. Optical fiber is used as sensing probe with high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, resistance to high temperature and corrosion. It is suitable to apply in a bad environment. Signals are processed by digital circuit and Single Chip Microcomputer. This project can realize super speed dynamic measurement and it is the first time to apply the project in the spaceflight system

  3. Target size matters: target errors contribute to the generalization of implicit visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenthal, Maayan; Avraham, Guy; Karniel, Amir; Shmuelof, Lior

    2016-08-01

    The process of sensorimotor adaptation is considered to be driven by errors. While sensory prediction errors, defined as the difference between the planned and the actual movement of the cursor, drive implicit learning processes, target errors (e.g., the distance of the cursor from the target) are thought to drive explicit learning mechanisms. This distinction was mainly studied in the context of arm reaching tasks where the position and the size of the target were constant. We hypothesize that in a dynamic reaching environment, where subjects have to hit moving targets and the targets' dynamic characteristics affect task success, implicit processes will benefit from target errors as well. We examine the effect of target errors on learning of an unnoticed perturbation during unconstrained reaching movements. Subjects played a Pong game, in which they had to hit a moving ball by moving a paddle controlled by their hand. During the game, the movement of the paddle was gradually rotated with respect to the hand, reaching a final rotation of 25°. Subjects were assigned to one of two groups: The high-target error group played the Pong with a small ball, and the low-target error group played with a big ball. Before and after the Pong game, subjects performed open-loop reaching movements toward static targets with no visual feedback. While both groups adapted to the rotation, the postrotation reaching movements were directionally biased only in the small-ball group. This result provides evidence that implicit adaptation is sensitive to target errors. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  4. Identification of dominant flow structures in rapidly rotating convection of liquid metals using Dynamic Mode Decomposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, S.; Schmid, P. J.; Aurnou, J. M.

    2016-12-01

    The Earth's metal core acts as a dynamo whose efficiency in generating and maintaining the magnetic field is essentially determined by the rotation rate and the convective motions occurring in its outer liquid part. For the description of the primary physics in the outer core the idealized system of rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection is often invoked, with the majority of studies considering only working fluids with Prandtl numbers of Pr ≳ 1. However, liquid metals are characterized by distinctly smaller Prandtl numbers which in turn result in an inherently different type of convection. Here, we will present results from direct numerical simulations of rapidly rotating convection in a fluid with Pr ≈ 0.025 in cylindrical containers and Ekman numbers as low as 5 × 10-6. In this system, the Coriolis force is the source of two types of inertial modes, the so-called wall modes, that also exist at moderate Prandtl numbers, and cylinder-filling oscillatory modes, that are a unique feature of small Prandtl number convection. The obtained flow fields were analyzed using the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD). This technique allows to extract and identify the structures that govern the dynamics of the system as well as their corresponding frequencies. We have investigated both the regime where the flow is purely oscillatory and the regime where wall modes and oscillatory modes co-exist. In the purely oscillatory regime, high and low frequency oscillatory modes characterize the flow. When both types of modes are present, the DMD reveals that the wall-attached modes dominate the flow dynamics. They precess with a relatively low frequency in retrograde direction. Nonetheless, also in this case, high frequency oscillations have a significant contribution.

  5. Core rotational dynamics and geological events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greff-Lefftz; Legros

    1999-11-26

    A study of Earth's fluid core oscillations induced by lunar-solar tidal forces, together with tidal secular deceleration of Earth's axial rotation, shows that the rotational eigenfrequency of the fluid core and some solar tidal waves were in resonance around 3.0 x 10(9), 1.8 x 10(9), and 3 x 10(8) years ago. The associated viscomagnetic frictional power at the core boundaries may be converted into heat and would destabilize the D" thermal layer, leading to the generation of deep-mantle plumes, and would also increase the temperature at the fluid core boundaries, perturbing the core dynamo process. Such phenomena could account for large-scale episodes of continental crust formation, the generation of flood basalts, and abrupt changes in geomagnetic reversal frequency.

  6. Effects of dynamic long-period ocean tides on changes in earth's rotation rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Young; Dickman, S. R.

    1990-01-01

    As a generalization of the zonal response coefficient first introduced by Agnew and Farrell (1978), the zonal response function kappa of the solid earth-ocean system is defined as the ratio, in the frequency domain, of the tidal change in earth's rotation rate to the tide-generating potential. Amplitudes and phases of kappa for the monthly, fortnightly, and nine-day lunar tides are estimated from 2 1/2 years of VLBI UT1 observations, corrected for atmospheric angular momentum effects using NMC wind and pressure series. Using the dynamic ocean tide model of Dickman (1988, 1989), amplitudes and phases of kappa for an elastic earth-ocean system are predicted. The predictions confirm earlier results which found that dynamic effects of the longer-period ocean tides reduce the amplitude of kappa by about 1 percent.

  7. Activation of Visuomotor Systems during Visually Guided Movements: A Functional MRI Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellermann, Jutta M.; Siegal, Joel D.; Strupp, John P.; Ebner, Timothy J.; Ugurbil, Kâmil

    1998-04-01

    The dorsal stream is a dominant visuomotor pathway that connects the striate and extrastriate cortices to posterior parietal areas. In turn, the posterior parietal areas send projections to the frontal primary motor and premotor areas. This cortical pathway is hypothesized to be involved in the transformation of a visual input into the appropriate motor output. In this study we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the entire brain to determine the patterns of activation that occurred while subjects performed a visually guided motor task. In nine human subjects, fMRI data were acquired on a 4-T whole-body MR system equipped with a head gradient coil and a birdcage RF coil using aT*2-weighted EPI sequence. Functional activation was determined for three different tasks: (1) a visuomotor task consisting of moving a cursor on a screen with a joystick in relation to various targets, (2) a hand movement task consisting of moving the joystick without visual input, and (3) a eye movement task consisting of moving the eyes alone without visual input. Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast-based activation maps of each subject were generated using period cross-correlation statistics. Subsequently, each subject's brain was normalized to Talairach coordinates, and the individual maps were compared on a pixel by pixel basis. Significantly activated pixels common to at least four out of six subjects were retained to construct the final functional image. The pattern of activation during visually guided movements was consistent with the flow of information from striate and extrastriate visual areas, to the posterior parietal complex, and then to frontal motor areas. The extensive activation of this network and the reproducibility among subjects is consistent with a role for the dorsal stream in transforming visual information into motor behavior. Also extensively activated were the medial and lateral cerebellar structures, implicating the cortico

  8. Control of fluid-containing rotating rigid bodies

    CERN Document Server

    Gurchenkov, Anatoly A

    2013-01-01

    This book is devoted to the study of the dynamics of rotating bodies with cavities containing liquid. Two basic classes of motions are analyzed: rotation and libration. Cases of complete and partial filling of cavities with ideal liquid and complete filling with viscous liquid are treated. The volume presents a method for obtaining relations between angular velocities perpendicular to main rotation and external force momentums, which are treated as control. The developed models and methods of solving dynamical problems as well as numerical methods for solving problems of optimal control can be

  9. Effect of surface tension on the dynamical behavior of bubble in rotating fluids under low gravity environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, R. J.; Tsao, Y. D.; Leslie, Fred W.; Hong, B. B.

    1988-01-01

    Time dependent evolutions of the profile of free surface (bubble shapes) for a cylindrical container partially filled with a Newtonian fluid of constant density, rotating about its axis of symmetry, have been studied. Numerical computations of the dynamics of bubble shapes have been carried out with the following situations: (1) linear functions of spin-up and spin-down in low and microgravity environments, (2) linear functions of increasing and decreasing gravity enviroment in high and low rotating cylidner speeds, (3) step functions of spin-up and spin-down in a low gravity environment, and (4) sinusoidal function oscillation of gravity environment in high and low rotating cylinder speeds. The initial condition of bubble profiles was adopted from the steady-state formulations in which the computer algorithms have been developed by Hung and Leslie (1988), and Hung et al. (1988).

  10. 4D rotational x-ray imaging of wrist joint dynamic motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carelsen, Bart; Bakker, Niels H.; Strackee, Simon D.; Boon, Sjirk N.; Maas, Mario; Sabczynski, Joerg; Grimbergen, Cornelis A.; Streekstra, Geert J.

    2005-01-01

    Current methods for imaging joint motion are limited to either two-dimensional (2D) video fluoroscopy, or to animated motions from a series of static three-dimensional (3D) images. 3D movement patterns can be detected from biplane fluoroscopy images matched with computed tomography images. This involves several x-ray modalities and sophisticated 2D to 3D matching for the complex wrist joint. We present a method for the acquisition of dynamic 3D images of a moving joint. In our method a 3D-rotational x-ray (3D-RX) system is used to image a cyclically moving joint. The cyclic motion is synchronized to the x-ray acquisition to yield multiple sets of projection images, which are reconstructed to a series of time resolved 3D images, i.e., four-dimensional rotational x ray (4D-RX). To investigate the obtained image quality parameters the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the point spread function (PSF) via the edge spread function and the contrast to noise ratio between air and phantom were determined on reconstructions of a bullet and rod phantom, using 4D-RX as well as stationary 3D-RX images. The CNR in volume reconstructions based on 251 projection images in the static situation and on 41 and 34 projection images of a moving phantom were 6.9, 3.0, and 2.9, respectively. The average FWHM of the PSF of these same images was, respectively, 1.1, 1.7, and 2.2 mm orthogonal to the motion and parallel to direction of motion 0.6, 0.7, and 1.0 mm. The main deterioration of 4D-RX images compared to 3D-RX images is due to the low number of projection images used and not to the motion of the object. Using 41 projection images seems the best setting for the current system. Experiments on a postmortem wrist show the feasibility of the method for imaging 3D dynamic joint motion. We expect that 4D-RX will pave the way to improved assessment of joint disorders by detection of 3D dynamic motion patterns in joints

  11. CISM Course on Rotating Fluids

    CERN Document Server

    1992-01-01

    The volume presents a comprehensive overview of rotation effects on fluid behavior, emphasizing non-linear processes. The subject is introduced by giving a range of examples of rotating fluids encountered in geophysics and engineering. This is then followed by a discussion of the relevant scales and parameters of rotating flow, and an introduction to geostrophic balance and vorticity concepts. There are few books on rotating fluids and this volume is, therefore, a welcome addition. It is the first volume which contains a unified view of turbulence in rotating fluids, instability and vortex dynamics. Some aspects of wave motions covered here are not found elsewhere.

  12. Structure of sheared and rotating turbulence: Multiscale statistics of Lagrangian and Eulerian accelerations and passive scalar dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobitz, Frank G; Schneider, Kai; Bos, Wouter J T; Farge, Marie

    2016-01-01

    The acceleration statistics of sheared and rotating homogeneous turbulence are studied using direct numerical simulation results. The statistical properties of Lagrangian and Eulerian accelerations are considered together with the influence of the rotation to shear ratio, as well as the scale dependence of their statistics. The probability density functions (pdfs) of both Lagrangian and Eulerian accelerations show a strong and similar dependence on the rotation to shear ratio. The variance and flatness of both accelerations are analyzed and the extreme values of the Eulerian acceleration are observed to be above those of the Lagrangian acceleration. For strong rotation it is observed that flatness yields values close to three, corresponding to Gaussian-like behavior, and for moderate and vanishing rotation the flatness increases. Furthermore, the Lagrangian and Eulerian accelerations are shown to be strongly correlated for strong rotation due to a reduced nonlinear term in this case. A wavelet-based scale-dependent analysis shows that the flatness of both Eulerian and Lagrangian accelerations increases as scale decreases, which provides evidence for intermittent behavior. For strong rotation the Eulerian acceleration is even more intermittent than the Lagrangian acceleration, while the opposite result is obtained for moderate rotation. Moreover, the dynamics of a passive scalar with gradient production in the direction of the mean velocity gradient is analyzed and the influence of the rotation to shear ratio is studied. Concerning the concentration of a passive scalar spread by the flow, the pdf of its Eulerian time rate of change presents higher extreme values than those of its Lagrangian time rate of change. This suggests that the Eulerian time rate of change of scalar concentration is mainly due to advection, while its Lagrangian counterpart is only due to gradient production and viscous dissipation.

  13. Effect of Cation Rotation on Charge Dynamics in Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gélvez-Rueda, María C.; Cao, Duyen H.; Patwardhan, Sameer; Renaud, Nicolas; Stoumpos, Constantinos C.; Schatz, George C.; Hupp, Joseph T.; Farha, Omar K.; Savenije, Tom J.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Grozema, Ferdinand C.

    2016-08-04

    Organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites are a promising class of materials for photovoltaic application with reported power efficiencies over similar to 22%. However, not much is known about the influence of the organic dipole rotation and phase transitions on charge carrier dynamics. Here, we report substantial changes in mobility and lifetime of charge carriers in CH3NH3PbI3 after the low-temperature tetragonal (beta) to orthorhombic (gamma) phase transition. By using microwave conductivity measurements, we observed that the mobility and lifetime of ionized charge carriers increase as the temperature decreases and a sudden increment is seen after the beta-gamma phase transition. For CH3NH3PbI3, the mobility and the half-lifetime increase by a factor of 36 compared with the values before the beta-gamma phase transition. We attribute the considerable change in the dynamics at low temperature to the decrease of the inherent dynamic disorder of the organic cation (CH3NH3+) inside the perovskite crystal structure.

  14. Dynamics of Equilibrium Points in a Uniformly Rotating Second-Order and Degree Gravitational Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Jinglang; Hou, Xiyun

    2017-07-01

    Using tools such as periodic orbits and invariant manifolds, the global dynamics around equilibrium points (EPs) in a rotating second-order and degree gravitational field are studied. For EPs on the long axis, planar and vertical periodic families are computed, and their stability properties are investigated. Invariant manifolds are also computed, and their relation to the first-order resonances is briefly discussed. For EPs on the short axis, planar and vertical periodic families are studied, with special emphasis on the genealogy of the planar periodic families. Our studies show that the global dynamics around EPs are highly similar to those around libration points in the circular restricted three-body problem, such as spatial halo orbits, invariant manifolds, and the genealogy of planar periodic families.

  15. Surface ablation with iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking-based tissue saving treatment with the Technolas 217z excimer laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, Gaurav; Agarwal, Amar; Kumar, Dhivya Ashok; Jacob, Soosan; Agarwal, Athiya; Maity, Amrita

    2011-03-01

    To evaluate the visual and refractive outcomes and expected benefits of Tissue Saving Treatment algorithm-guided surface ablation with iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking. This prospective, interventional case series comprised 122 eyes (70 patients). Pre- and postoperative assessment included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), refraction, and higher order aberrations. All patients underwent Tissue Saving Treatment algorithm-guided surface ablation with iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking using the Technolas 217z 100-Hz excimer platform (Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH). Follow-up was performed up to 6 months postoperatively. Theoretical benefit analysis was performed to evaluate the algorithm's outcomes compared to others. Preoperative spherocylindrical power was sphere -3.62 ± 1.60 diopters (D) (range: 0 to -6.75 D), cylinder -1.15 ± 1.00 D (range: 0 to -3.50 D), and spherical equivalent -4.19 ± 1.60 D (range: -7.75 to -2.00 D). At 6 months, 91% (111/122) of eyes were within ± 0.50 D of attempted correction. Postoperative UDVA was comparable to preoperative CDVA at 1 month (P=.47) and progressively improved at 6 months (P=.004). Two eyes lost one line of CDVA at 6 months. Theoretical benefit analysis revealed that of 101 eyes with astigmatism, 29 would have had cyclotorsion-induced astigmatism of ≥ 10% if iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking were not used. Furthermore, the mean percentage decrease in maximum depth of ablation by using the Tissue Saving Treatment was 11.8 ± 2.9% over Aspheric, 17.8 ± 6.2% over Personalized, and 18.2 ± 2.8% over Planoscan algorithms. Tissue saving surface ablation with iris recognition and dynamic rotational eye tracking was safe and effective in this series of eyes. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  16. General relativistic collapse of rotating stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, T.

    1984-01-01

    When a rotating star begins to collapse, the gravity becomes so strong that there appears a region from which even a photon cannot escape. After the distortion of space-time is radiated as gravitational waves, a Kerr black hole is formed finally. One of the main goals for numerical relativity is to simulate the collapse of a rotating star under realistic conditions. However, to know both the dynamics of matter and the propagation of gravitational radiation seems to be very difficult. Therefore, in this paper the problem is divided into 4 stages. They are: (1) The time evolution of pure gravitational waves is calculated in a 2-D code. (2) In this stage, the author tries to understand the dynamics of a collapsing, rotating star in 2D code. (3) Combining the techniques from stages 1, 2, the author tries to know both the dynamics of matter and the propagation of gravitational waves generated by the nonspherical motion of matter. (4) The author simulates the gravitational collapse of a rotating star to a black hole in 3D. 25 references, 12 figures, 1 table

  17. Role of rotational energy component in the dynamics of 16O+198Pt reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharma Manoj K.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The role of rotational energy is investigated in reference to the dynamics of 16O+198Pt →214Rn∗ reaction using the sticking (IS and the non-sticking (INS limits of moment of inertia within the framework of dynamical cluster decay model. The decay barrier height and barrier position get significantly modified for the use of sticking or non-sticking choice, which in turn reproduce the evaporation residue and the fusion-fission cross-sections nicely by the IS approach, while the INS approach provides feasible addressal of data only for evaporation residue channel. Moreover, the fragmentation path of decaying fragments of 214Rn∗ compound nucleus gets influenced for different choices of moment of inertia. Beside this, the role of nuclear deformations i.e. static, dynamic quadurpole (β2 and higher order static deformation up to β4 are duly investigated for both choices of the moment of inertia.

  18. Mapping Rotational Wavepacket Dynamics with Chirped Probe Pulses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanov, Dmitri; Odhner, Johanan; Levis, Robert

    2014-05-01

    We develop an analytical model description of the strong-field pump-probe polarization spectroscopy of rotational transients in molecular gases in a situation when the probe pulse is considerably chirped: the frequency modulation over the pulse duration is comparable with the carrier frequency. In this scenario, a femtosecond pump laser pulse prepares a rotational wavepacket in a gas-phase sample at room temperature. The rotational revivals of the wavepacket are then mapped onto a chirped broadband probe pulse derived from a laser filament. The slow-varying envelope approximation being inapplicable, an alternative approach is proposed which is capable of incorporating the substantial chirp and the related temporal dispersion of refractive indices. Analytical expressions are obtained for the probe signal modulation over the interaction region and for the resulting heterodyned transient birefringence spectra. Dependencies of the outputs on the probe pulse parameters reveal the trade-offs and the ways to optimize the temporal-spectral imaging. The results are in good agreement with the experiments on snapshot imaging of rotational revival patterns in nitrogen gas. We gratefully acknowledge financial support through AFOSR MURI Grant No. FA9550-10-1-0561.

  19. Influence of defects on the vibrations of rotating systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarus, A.

    2008-01-01

    For high rotation speeds, the imperfections (cracks, anisotropy...) of rotating machinery of the energy sector lead to a specific vibratory behavior which can damage the machine. The simulation of rotating machinery are usually realized for systems without defect. The aim of this thesis is to understand the influence of defects and to propose an algorithm to predict the dynamical behavior. In a first part the author studies the simplified rotating oscillators to propose a numerical method in order to taking into account the dynamic of these systems. This method is then applied to real rotating machinery with the Cast3m software. The numerical results are validated with experiments. (A.L.B.)

  20. Dynamic balancing of super-critical rotating structures using slow-speed data via parametric excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tresser, Shachar; Dolev, Amit; Bucher, Izhak

    2018-02-01

    High-speed machinery is often designed to pass several "critical speeds", where vibration levels can be very high. To reduce vibrations, rotors usually undergo a mass balancing process, where the machine is rotated at its full speed range, during which the dynamic response near critical speeds can be measured. High sensitivity, which is required for a successful balancing process, is achieved near the critical speeds, where a single deflection mode shape becomes dominant, and is excited by the projection of the imbalance on it. The requirement to rotate the machine at high speeds is an obstacle in many cases, where it is impossible to perform measurements at high speeds, due to harsh conditions such as high temperatures and inaccessibility (e.g., jet engines). This paper proposes a novel balancing method of flexible rotors, which does not require the machine to be rotated at high speeds. With this method, the rotor is spun at low speeds, while subjecting it to a set of externally controlled forces. The external forces comprise a set of tuned, response dependent, parametric excitations, and nonlinear stiffness terms. The parametric excitation can isolate any desired mode, while keeping the response directly linked to the imbalance. A software controlled nonlinear stiffness term limits the response, hence preventing the rotor to become unstable. These forces warrant sufficient sensitivity required to detect the projection of the imbalance on any desired mode without rotating the machine at high speeds. Analytical, numerical and experimental results are shown to validate and demonstrate the method.

  1. Controllable nanoscale rotating actuator system based on carbon nanotube and graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Jianzhang; Han, Qiang

    2016-01-01

    A controllable nanoscale rotating actuator system consisting of a double carbon nanotube and graphene driven by a temperature gradient is proposed, and its rotating dynamics performance and driving mechanism are investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. The outer tube exhibits stable pure rotation with certain orientation under temperature gradient and the steady rotational speed rises as the temperature gradient increases. It reveals that the driving torque is caused by the difference of atomic van der Waals potentials due to the temperature gradient and geometrical features of carbon nanotube. A theoretical model for driving torque is established based on lattice dynamics theory and its predicted results agree well with molecular dynamics simulations. Further discussion is taken according to the theoretical model. The work in this study would be a guide for design and application of controllable nanoscale rotating devices based on carbon nanotubes and graphene. (paper)

  2. Low torque hydrodynamic lip geometry for bi-directional rotation seals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietle, Lannie L [Houston, TX; Schroeder, John E [Richmond, TX

    2009-07-21

    A hydrodynamically lubricating geometry for the generally circular dynamic sealing lip of rotary seals that are employed to partition a lubricant from an environment. The dynamic sealing lip is provided for establishing compressed sealing engagement with a relatively rotatable surface, and for wedging a film of lubricating fluid into the interface between the dynamic sealing lip and the relatively rotatable surface in response to relative rotation that may occur in the clockwise or the counter-clockwise direction. A wave form incorporating an elongated dimple provides the gradual convergence, efficient impingement angle, and gradual interfacial contact pressure rise that are conducive to efficient hydrodynamic wedging. Skewed elevated contact pressure zones produced by compression edge effects provide for controlled lubricant movement within the dynamic sealing interface between the seal and the relatively rotatable surface, producing enhanced lubrication and low running torque.

  3. Dynamic Characteristics of Rotating Stall in Mixed Flow Pump

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojun Li

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Rotating stall, a phenomenon that causes flow instabilities and pressure hysteresis by propagating at some fraction of the impeller rotational speed, can occur in centrifugal impellers, mixed impellers, radial diffusers, or axial diffusers. Despite considerable efforts devoted to the study of rotating stall in pumps, the mechanics of this phenomenon are not sufficiently understood. The propagation mechanism and onset of rotating stall are not only affected by inlet flow but also by outlet flow as well as the pressure gradient in the flow passage. As such, the complexity of these concepts is not covered by the classical explanation. To bridge this research gap, the current study investigated prerotation generated at the upstream of the impeller, leakage flow at the tip clearance between the casing and the impeller, and strong reserve flow at the inlet of the diffuser. Understanding these areas will clarify the origin of the positive slope of the head-flow performance curve for a mixed flow pump. Nonuniform pressure distribution and adverse pressure gradient were also introduced to evaluate the onset and development of rotating stall within the diffuser.

  4. Dynamical pairing correlations in rotating nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szymanski, Z.

    1985-01-01

    When the atomic nucleus rotates fast enough the static pair correlations may be destroyed. In this situation the pair-vibrations become an important manifestation of the short-range attractive pairing force. The influence of this effect on nuclear properties at high spin is discussed. (orig.)

  5. The residual zonal dynamics in a toroidally rotating tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Deng

    2015-01-01

    Zonal flows, initially driven by ion-temperature-gradient turbulence, may evolve due to the neoclassic polarization in a collisionless tokamak plasma. In this presentation, the form of the residual zonal flow is presented for tokamak plasmas rotating toroidally at arbitrary velocity. The gyro-kinetic equation is analytically solved to give the expression of residual zonal flows with arbitrary rotating velocity. The zonal flow level decreases as the rotating velocity increases. The numerical evaluation is in good agreement with the previous simulation result for high aspect ratio tokamaks. (author)

  6. Revolving scheme for solving a cascade of Abel equations in dynamics of planar satellite rotation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey V. Ershkov

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The main objective for this research was the analytical exploration of the dynamics of planar satellite rotation during the motion of an elliptical orbit around a planet. First, we revisit the results of J. Wisdom et al. (1984, in which, by the elegant change of variables (considering the true anomaly f as the independent variable, the governing equation of satellite rotation takes the form of an Abel ordinary differential equation (ODE of the second kind, a sort of generalization of the Riccati ODE. We note that due to the special character of solutions of a Riccati-type ODE, there exists the possibility of sudden jumping in the magnitude of the solution at some moment of time. In the physical sense, this jumping of the Riccati-type solutions of the governing ODE could be associated with the effect of sudden acceleration/deceleration in the satellite rotation around the chosen principle axis at a definite moment of parametric time. This means that there exists not only a chaotic satellite rotation regime (as per the results of J. Wisdom et al. (1984, but a kind of gradient catastrophe (Arnold, 1992 could occur during the satellite rotation process. We especially note that if a gradient catastrophe could occur, this does not mean that it must occur: such a possibility depends on the initial conditions. In addition, we obtained asymptotical solutions that manifest a quasi-periodic character even with the strong simplifying assumptions e→0, p=1, which reduce the governing equation of J. Wisdom et al. (1984 to a kind of Beletskii’s equation.

  7. Design and Realization of Rotating Machinery Conditions Monitoring System Based on Labview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Qiyuan

    Nonlinear dynamic analysis of rotating machinery system has always been the hot spot of the rotational dynamics research. This article sets up a rotating machinery condition monitoring system to realize the measurement of system dynamic characteristic parameters based on NI(National Instruments) virtual instruments technology. The measurement of vibration signal of rotating machinery system is achieved by using NI company general data acquisition module of NI company. Meanwhile, by analyzing and processing the acquired data using Labview 2012, the dynamic characteristics, such as .the speed of the rotating machinery system, the axis trajectory, spectrum parameters, are attained. The measurement results show that the rotating machinery condition monitoring system based on Labview is easy to operate, easy to realize the function extension and maintenance, and that it can be used in the industrial engineering projects with rotation characteristics. Labview as the development tools used by virtual instrument function, is very powerful data acquisition software products support is one of the features of it, so using Labview programming and data acquisition is simple and convenient [1].

  8. Dynamics of Equilibrium Points in a Uniformly Rotating Second-Order and Degree Gravitational Field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, Jinglang; Hou, Xiyun, E-mail: jinglang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: silence@nju.edu.cn [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, 210093 (China)

    2017-07-01

    Using tools such as periodic orbits and invariant manifolds, the global dynamics around equilibrium points (EPs) in a rotating second-order and degree gravitational field are studied. For EPs on the long axis, planar and vertical periodic families are computed, and their stability properties are investigated. Invariant manifolds are also computed, and their relation to the first-order resonances is briefly discussed. For EPs on the short axis, planar and vertical periodic families are studied, with special emphasis on the genealogy of the planar periodic families. Our studies show that the global dynamics around EPs are highly similar to those around libration points in the circular restricted three-body problem, such as spatial halo orbits, invariant manifolds, and the genealogy of planar periodic families.

  9. Dynamics of Equilibrium Points in a Uniformly Rotating Second-Order and Degree Gravitational Field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Jinglang; Hou, Xiyun

    2017-01-01

    Using tools such as periodic orbits and invariant manifolds, the global dynamics around equilibrium points (EPs) in a rotating second-order and degree gravitational field are studied. For EPs on the long axis, planar and vertical periodic families are computed, and their stability properties are investigated. Invariant manifolds are also computed, and their relation to the first-order resonances is briefly discussed. For EPs on the short axis, planar and vertical periodic families are studied, with special emphasis on the genealogy of the planar periodic families. Our studies show that the global dynamics around EPs are highly similar to those around libration points in the circular restricted three-body problem, such as spatial halo orbits, invariant manifolds, and the genealogy of planar periodic families.

  10. A compact rotating dilution refrigerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fear, M. J.; Walmsley, P. M.; Chorlton, D. A.; Zmeev, D. E.; Gillott, S. J.; Sellers, M. C.; Richardson, P. P.; Agrawal, H.; Batey, G.; Golov, A. I.

    2013-10-01

    We describe the design and performance of a new rotating dilution refrigerator that will primarily be used for investigating the dynamics of quantized vortices in superfluid 4He. All equipment required to operate the refrigerator and perform experimental measurements is mounted on two synchronously driven, but mechanically decoupled, rotating carousels. The design allows for relative simplicity of operation and maintenance and occupies a minimal amount of space in the laboratory. Only two connections between the laboratory and rotating frames are required for the transmission of electrical power and helium gas recovery. Measurements on the stability of rotation show that rotation is smooth to around 10-3 rad s-1 up to angular velocities in excess of 2.5 rad s-1. The behavior of a high-Q mechanical resonator during rapid changes in rotation has also been investigated.

  11. Exploring the dynamics about the glass transition by muon spin relaxation and muon spin rotation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bermejo, F J; Bustinduy, I; Cox, S F J; Lord, J S; Cabrillo, C; Gonzalez, M A

    2006-01-01

    The capability of muon spin rotation and muon spin relaxation to explore dynamics in the vicinity of the glass transition is illustrated by results pertaining to three materials exhibiting two different glass-forming abilities. Measurements under transverse magnetic fields enable us to monitor the dynamics of muonium-labelled closed-shell molecules within the microsecond range. The results display the onset of stochastic molecular motions taking place upon crossing from below the glass-transition temperature. In turn, the molecular dynamics of radicals formed by addition of atomic muonium to unsaturated organic molecules can also be explored up to far shorter times by means of relaxation measurements under longitudinal fields. The technique is then shown to be capable of singling out stochastic reorientational motions from others, which usually are strongly coupled to them and usually dominate the material response when measured using higher-frequency probes such as neutron and light scattering

  12. Equilibrium of current driven rotating liquid metal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velikhov, E.P.; Ivanov, A.A.; Zakharov, S.V.; Zakharov, V.S.; Livadny, A.O.; Serebrennikov, K.S.

    2006-01-01

    In view of great importance of magneto-rotational instability (MRI) as a fundamental mechanism for angular momentum transfer in magnetized stellar accretion disks, several research centers are involved in experimental study of MRI under laboratory conditions. The idea of the experiment is to investigate the rotation dynamics of well conducting liquid (liquid metal) between two cylinders in axial magnetic field. In this Letter, an experimental scheme with immovable cylinders and fluid rotation driven by radial current is considered. The analytical solution of a stationary flow was found taking into account the external current. Results of axially symmetric numerical simulations of current driven fluid dynamics in experimental setup geometry are presented. The analytical solution and numerical simulations show that the current driven fluid rotation in axial magnetic field provides the axially homogeneous velocity profile suitable for MRI study in classical statement

  13. Effect of glass-forming biopreservatives on head group rotational dynamics in freeze-dried phospholipid bilayers: A 31P NMR study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, P.; Sen, S.; Risbud, S. H.

    2009-07-01

    P31 NMR spectroscopy has been used to elucidate the role of glass-forming sugars in the preservation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid bilayers. P31 wideline NMR spectra of freeze-dried pure DPPC, DPPC/trehalose, DPPC/glucose, and DPPC/hydroxyethyl starch (HES) mixtures collected in the temperature range of 25-80 °C have been simulated to obtain quantitative information about rotational dynamics and orientation of the lipid head groups in these media. In the case of pure DPPC, DPPC/glucose, and DPPC/HES, the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition of DPPC bilayer is characterized by a sudden increase in the rate of rotational diffusion of the PO4 head groups near 40 °C. The corresponding rotational jump frequency increases from a few kilohertz in the gel phase to at least several megahertz in the liquid crystalline phase. On the other hand, in the case of DPPC/trehalose mixture the temperature of this onset of rapid head group dynamics is increased by ˜10 °C. Trehalose reduces the lipid head group motions most effectively in the temperature range of T ≤50 °C relevant for biopreservation. Additionally, and possibly more importantly, trehalose is found to strongly restrict any change in the orientation of the diffusion axis of the PO4 head groups during the phase transformation. This unique ability of trehalose to maintain the dynamical and orientational rigidity of lipid head groups is likely to be responsible for its superior ability in biopreservation.

  14. Identify the Rotating Stall in Centrifugal Compressors by Fractal Dimension in Reconstructed Phase Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Le Wang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Based on phase space reconstruction and fractal dynamics in nonlinear dynamics, a method is proposed to extract and analyze the dynamics of the rotating stall in the impeller of centrifugal compressor, and some numerical examples are given to verify the results as well. First, the rotating stall of an existing low speed centrifugal compressor (LSCC is numerically simulated, and the time series of pressure in the rotating stall is obtained at various locations near the impeller outlet. Then, the phase space reconstruction is applied to these pressure time series, and a low-dimensional dynamical system, which the dynamics properties are included in, is reconstructed. In phase space reconstruction, C–C method is used to obtain the key parameters, such as time delay and the embedding dimension of the reconstructed phase space. Further, the fractal characteristics of the rotating stall are analyzed in detail, and the fractal dimensions are given for some examples to measure the complexity of the flow in the post-rotating stall. The results show that the fractal structures could reveal the intrinsic dynamics of the rotating stall flow and could be considered as a characteristic to identify the rotating stall.

  15. Dynamic visual acuity during transient and sinusoidal yaw rotation in normal and unilaterally vestibulopathic humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, J R; Shubayev, I; Demer, J L

    2001-03-01

    The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes gaze to permit clear vision during head movements. It has been supposed that VOR function might be inferred from dynamic visual acuity (DVA), the acuity during imposed head motion. We sought to determine effectiveness of DVA for detection and lateralization of unilateral vestibulopathy, using rigorous psychophysical methods. Seventeen normal and 11 unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects underwent measurement of optically best corrected DVA during head motion. A variable size letter "E" 6 m distant was displayed in oblique random orientations to determine binocular DVA by a computer controlled, forced choice method. Three types of whole-body yaw rotation were delivered by a servo-controlled chair synchronized with optotype presentation. Two types of motion were predictable: (1) steady-state 2.0-Hz rotation at 10-130 degrees/s peak velocity with repetitive optotype presentation only during head velocity exceeding 80% of peak; and (2) directionally predictable transients at peak accelerations of 1000, 1600 and 2800 degrees/s2 with optotype presentation for 300 ms. For neither of these predictable motions did DVA in vestibulopathic subjects significantly differ from normal, with suggestions from search coil recordings that this was due to predictive slow and saccadic eye movements. Unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects experienced a significant decrease in DVA from the static condition during ipsilesional rotation for all three peak head accelerations. Only during directionally unpredictable transients with 75 ms or 300 ms optotype presentation was the sensitivity of DVA in unilaterally vestibulopathic subjects significantly abnormal during ipsilesional rotation. The ipsilesional decrease in DVA with head motion was greater for 75 ms than 300 ms optotype presentation. Search coil recordings confirmed hypometric compensatory eye movements during DVA testing with unpredictable, ipsilesional rotation. Receiver

  16. Dynamic aspects of design and maintenance of the rotating machinery applied in the mining industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szolc Tomasz

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the paper a dynamic behaviour of the selected typical group of rotating machines applied in the mining industry is investigated. These are the beater mills and crushers as well as blowers and compressors, all driven by the asynchronous motors. In particular, there is considered an influence of various types of machine working tool loadings on the system lateral steady-state dynamic responses as well as a mutual torsional electromechanical interaction between the driving motor and the driven machine in transient operational conditions. The theoretical calculations have been performed by means of the advanced structural mechanical models. The conclusions drawn from computational results can be very useful during design phase of these devices as well as helpful for their users during regular maintenance.

  17. Development of a Portable Motor Learning Laboratory (PoMLab).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takiyama, Ken; Shinya, Masahiro

    2016-01-01

    Most motor learning experiments have been conducted in a laboratory setting. In this type of setting, a huge and expensive manipulandum is frequently used, requiring a large budget and wide open space. Subjects also need to travel to the laboratory, which is a burden for them. This burden is particularly severe for patients with neurological disorders. Here, we describe the development of a novel application based on Unity3D and smart devices, e.g., smartphones or tablet devices, that can be used to conduct motor learning experiments at any time and in any place, without requiring a large budget and wide open space and without the burden of travel on subjects. We refer to our application as POrtable Motor learning LABoratory, or PoMLab. PoMLab is a multiplatform application that is available and sharable for free. We investigated whether PoMLab could be an alternative to the laboratory setting using a visuomotor rotation paradigm that causes sensory prediction error, enabling the investigation of how subjects minimize the error. In the first experiment, subjects could adapt to a constant visuomotor rotation that was abruptly applied at a specific trial. The learning curve for the first experiment could be modeled well using a state space model, a mathematical model that describes the motor leaning process. In the second experiment, subjects could adapt to a visuomotor rotation that gradually increased each trial. The subjects adapted to the gradually increasing visuomotor rotation without being aware of the visuomotor rotation. These experimental results have been reported for conventional experiments conducted in a laboratory setting, and our PoMLab application could reproduce these results. PoMLab can thus be considered an alternative to the laboratory setting. We also conducted follow-up experiments in university physical education classes. A state space model that was fit to the data obtained in the laboratory experiments could predict the learning curves

  18. Development of a Portable Motor Learning Laboratory (PoMLab.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ken Takiyama

    Full Text Available Most motor learning experiments have been conducted in a laboratory setting. In this type of setting, a huge and expensive manipulandum is frequently used, requiring a large budget and wide open space. Subjects also need to travel to the laboratory, which is a burden for them. This burden is particularly severe for patients with neurological disorders. Here, we describe the development of a novel application based on Unity3D and smart devices, e.g., smartphones or tablet devices, that can be used to conduct motor learning experiments at any time and in any place, without requiring a large budget and wide open space and without the burden of travel on subjects. We refer to our application as POrtable Motor learning LABoratory, or PoMLab. PoMLab is a multiplatform application that is available and sharable for free. We investigated whether PoMLab could be an alternative to the laboratory setting using a visuomotor rotation paradigm that causes sensory prediction error, enabling the investigation of how subjects minimize the error. In the first experiment, subjects could adapt to a constant visuomotor rotation that was abruptly applied at a specific trial. The learning curve for the first experiment could be modeled well using a state space model, a mathematical model that describes the motor leaning process. In the second experiment, subjects could adapt to a visuomotor rotation that gradually increased each trial. The subjects adapted to the gradually increasing visuomotor rotation without being aware of the visuomotor rotation. These experimental results have been reported for conventional experiments conducted in a laboratory setting, and our PoMLab application could reproduce these results. PoMLab can thus be considered an alternative to the laboratory setting. We also conducted follow-up experiments in university physical education classes. A state space model that was fit to the data obtained in the laboratory experiments could predict the

  19. Financial incentives enhance adaptation to a sensorimotor transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajda, Kathrin; Sülzenbrück, Sandra; Heuer, Herbert

    2016-10-01

    Adaptation to sensorimotor transformations has received much attention in recent years. However, the role of motivation and its relation to the implicit and explicit processes underlying adaptation has been neglected thus far. Here, we examine the influence of extrinsic motivation on adaptation to a visuomotor rotation by way of providing financial incentives for accurate movements. Participants in the experimental group "bonus" received a defined amount of money for high end-point accuracy in a visuomotor rotation task; participants in the control group "no bonus" did not receive a financial incentive. Results showed better overall adaptation to the visuomotor transformation in participants who were extrinsically motivated. However, there was no beneficial effect of financial incentives on the implicit component, as assessed by the after-effects, and on separately assessed explicit knowledge. These findings suggest that the positive influence of financial incentives on adaptation is due to a component which cannot be measured by after-effects or by our test of explicit knowledge. A likely candidate is model-free learning based on reward-prediction errors, which could be enhanced by the financial bonuses.

  20. Visuomotor training improves stroke-related ipsilesional upper extremity impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quaney, Barbara M; He, Jianghua; Timberlake, George; Dodd, Kevin; Carr, Caitlin

    2010-01-01

    Unilateral middle cerebral artery infarction has been reported to impair bilateral hand grasp. Individuals (5 males and 5 females; age 33-86 years) with chronic unilateral middle cerebral artery stroke (4 right lesions and 6 left lesions) repeatedly lifted a 260-g object. Participants were then trained to lift the object using visuomotor feedback via an oscilloscope that displayed their actual grip force (GF) and a target GF, which roughly matched the physical properties of the object. The subjects failed to accurately modulate the predictive GF when relying on somatosensory information from the previous lifts. Instead, for all the lifts, they programmed excessive GF equivalent to the force used for the first lift. The predictive GF was lowered for lifts following the removal of the visual feedback. The mean difference in predictive GF between the lifts before and after visual training was significant (4.35 +/- 0.027 N; P feedforward fingertip force generation is impaired in the ipsilesional hand when lifting a novel object with precision grip. Reacquisition of the motor forces for the grasp of objects is possible after stroke. Potentially, retraining grasp control for the ipsilesional hand may translate to improved function and motor learning within the contralesional hand.

  1. Dynamic Torsional and Cyclic Fracture Behavior of ProFile Rotary Instruments at Continuous or Reciprocating Rotation as Visualized with High-speed Digital Video Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokita, Daisuke; Ebihara, Arata; Miyara, Kana; Okiji, Takashi

    2017-08-01

    This study examined the dynamic fracture behavior of nickel-titanium rotary instruments in torsional or cyclic loading at continuous or reciprocating rotation by means of high-speed digital video imaging. The ProFile instruments (size 30, 0.06 taper; Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) were categorized into 4 groups (n = 7 in each group) as follows: torsional/continuous (TC), torsional/reciprocating (TR), cyclic/continuous (CC), and cyclic/reciprocating (CR). Torsional loading was performed by rotating the instruments by holding the tip with a vise. For cyclic loading, a custom-made device with a 38° curvature was used. Dynamic fracture behavior was observed with a high-speed camera. The time to fracture was recorded, and the fractured surface was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The TC group initially exhibited necking of the file followed by the development of an initial crack line. The TR group demonstrated opening and closing of a crack according to its rotation in the cutting and noncutting directions, respectively. The CC group separated without any detectable signs of deformation. In the CR group, initial crack formation was recognized in 5 of 7 samples. The reciprocating rotation exhibited a longer time to fracture in both torsional and cyclic fatigue testing (P rotary instruments, as visualized with high-speed digital video imaging, varied between the different modes of rotation and different fatigue testing. Reciprocating rotation induced a slower crack propagation and conferred higher fatigue resistance than continuous rotation in both torsional and cyclic loads. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of Peanut-Tobacco Rotations on Population Dynamics of Meloidogyne arenaria in Mixed Race Populations

    OpenAIRE

    Hirunsalee, Anan; Barker, K. R.; Beute, M. K.

    1995-01-01

    A 3-year microplot study was initiated to characterize the population dynamics, reproduction potential, and survivorship of single or mixed populations of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 (Ma1) and race 2 (Ma2), as affected by crop rotations of peanut 'Florigiant' and M. incognita races 1 and 3-resistant 'McNair 373' and susceptible 'Coker 371-Gold' tobacco. Infection, reproduction, and root damage by Ma2 on peanut and by Ma1 on resistant tobacco were limited in the first year. Infection, reproduc...

  3. Computational fluid dynamics modeling of momentum transport in rotating wall perfused bioreactor for cartilage tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinbiz, Mahmut N; Tığli, R Seda; Beşkardeş, Işil Gerçek; Gümüşderelioğlu, Menemşe; Colak, Uner

    2010-11-01

    In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of a rotating-wall perfused-vessel (RWPV) bioreactor is performed to characterize the complex hydrodynamic environment for the simulation of cartilage development in RWPV bioreactor in the presence of tissue-engineered cartilage constructs, i.e., cell-chitosan scaffolds. Shear stress exerted on chitosan scaffolds in bioreactor was calculated for different rotational velocities in the range of 33-38 rpm. According to the calculations, the lateral and lower surfaces were exposed to 0.07926-0.11069 dyne/cm(2) and 0.05974-0.08345 dyne/cm(2), respectively, while upper surfaces of constructs were exposed to 0.09196-0.12847 dyne/cm(2). Results validate adequate hydrodynamic environment for scaffolds in RWPV bioreactor for cartilage tissue development which concludes the suitability of operational conditions of RWPV bioreactor. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A direct comparison of short-term audiomotor and visuomotor memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Amanda M; Loucks, Torrey M; Ofori, Edward; Sosnoff, Jacob J

    2014-04-01

    Audiomotor and visuomotor short-term memory are required for an important variety of skilled movements but have not been compared in a direct manner previously. Audiomotor memory capacity might be greater to accommodate auditory goals that are less directly related to movement outcome than for visually guided tasks. Subjects produced continuous isometric force with the right index finger under auditory and visual feedback. During the first 10 s of each trial, subjects received continuous auditory or visual feedback. For the following 15 s, feedback was removed but the force had to be maintained accurately. An internal effort condition was included to test memory capacity in the same manner but without external feedback. Similar decay times of ~5-6 s were found for vision and audition but the decay time for internal effort was ~4 s. External feedback thus provides an advantage in maintaining a force level after feedback removal, but may not exclude some contribution from a sense of effort. Short-term memory capacity appears longer than certain previous reports but there may not be strong distinctions in capacity across different sensory modalities, at least for isometric force.

  5. Influence of Internal and External Noise on Spontaneous Visuomotor Synchronization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varlet, Manuel; Schmidt, R C; Richardson, Michael J

    2016-01-01

    Historically, movement noise or variability is considered to be an undesirable property of biological motor systems. In particular, noise is typically assumed to degrade the emergence and stability of rhythmic motor synchronization. Recently, however, it has been suggested that small levels of noise might actually improve the functioning of motor systems and facilitate their adaptation to environmental events. Here, the authors investigated whether noise can facilitate spontaneous rhythmic visuomotor synchronization. They examined the influence of internal noise in the rhythmic limb movements of participants and external noise in the movement of an oscillating visual stimulus on the occurrence of spontaneous synchronization. By indexing the natural frequency variability of participants and manipulating the frequency variability of the visual stimulus, the authors demonstrated that both internal and external noise degrade synchronization when the participants' and stimulus movement frequencies are similar, but can actually facilitate synchronization when the frequencies are different. Furthermore, the two kinds of noise interact with each other. Internal noise facilitates synchronization only when external noise is minimal and vice versa. Too much internal and external noise together degrades synchronization. These findings open new perspectives for better understanding the role of noise in human rhythmic coordination.

  6. Rapid visuomotor processing of phobic images in spider- and snake-fearful participants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberkamp, Anke; Schmidt, Filipp; Schmidt, Thomas

    2013-10-01

    This study investigates enhanced visuomotor processing of phobic compared to fear-relevant and neutral stimuli. We used a response priming design to measure rapid, automatic motor activation by natural images (spiders, snakes, mushrooms, and flowers) in spider-fearful, snake-fearful, and control participants. We found strong priming effects in all tasks and conditions; however, results showed marked differences between groups. Most importantly, in the group of spider-fearful individuals, spider pictures had a strong and specific influence on even the fastest motor responses: Phobic primes entailed the largest priming effects, and phobic targets accelerated responses, both effects indicating speeded response activation by phobic images. In snake-fearful participants, this processing enhancement for phobic material was less pronounced and extended to both snake and spider images. We conclude that spider phobia leads to enhanced processing capacity for phobic images. We argue that this is enabled by long-term perceptual learning processes. © 2013.

  7. Mirror reversal and visual rotation are learned and consolidated via separate mechanisms: recalibrating or learning de novo?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telgen, Sebastian; Parvin, Darius; Diedrichsen, Jörn

    2014-10-08

    Motor learning tasks are often classified into adaptation tasks, which involve the recalibration of an existing control policy (the mapping that determines both feedforward and feedback commands), and skill-learning tasks, requiring the acquisition of new control policies. We show here that this distinction also applies to two different visuomotor transformations during reaching in humans: Mirror-reversal (left-right reversal over a mid-sagittal axis) of visual feedback versus rotation of visual feedback around the movement origin. During mirror-reversal learning, correct movement initiation (feedforward commands) and online corrections (feedback responses) were only generated at longer latencies. The earliest responses were directed into a nonmirrored direction, even after two training sessions. In contrast, for visual rotation learning, no dependency of directional error on reaction time emerged, and fast feedback responses to visual displacements of the cursor were immediately adapted. These results suggest that the motor system acquires a new control policy for mirror reversal, which initially requires extra processing time, while it recalibrates an existing control policy for visual rotations, exploiting established fast computational processes. Importantly, memory for visual rotation decayed between sessions, whereas memory for mirror reversals showed offline gains, leading to better performance at the beginning of the second session than in the end of the first. With shifts in time-accuracy tradeoff and offline gains, mirror-reversal learning shares common features with other skill-learning tasks. We suggest that different neuronal mechanisms underlie the recalibration of an existing versus acquisition of a new control policy and that offline gains between sessions are a characteristic of latter. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3413768-12$15.00/0.

  8. Dynamic strain and rotation ground motions of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake from dense high-rate GPS observations in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, B. S.; Rau, R. J.; Lin, C. J.; Kuo, L. C.

    2017-12-01

    Seismic waves generated by the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku, Japan earthquake were well recorded by continuous GPS in Taiwan. Those GPS were operated in one hertz sampling rate and densely distributed in Taiwan Island. Those continuous GPS observations and the precise point positioning technique provide an opportunity to estimate spatial derivatives from absolute ground motions of this giant teleseismic event. In this study, we process and investigate more than one and half hundred high-rate GPS displacements and its spatial derivatives, thus strain and rotations, to compare to broadband seismic and rotational sensor observations. It is shown that continuous GPS observations are highly consistent with broadband seismic observations during its surface waves across Taiwan Island. Several standard Geodesy and seismic array analysis techniques for spatial gradients have been applied to those continuous GPS time series to determine its dynamic strain and rotation time histories. Results show that those derivate GPS vertical axis ground rotations are consistent to seismic array determined rotations. However, vertical rotation-rate observations from the R1 rotational sensors have low resolutions and could not compared with GPS observations for this special event. For its dese spatial distribution of GPS stations in Taiwan Island, not only wavefield gradient time histories at individual site was obtained but also 2-D spatial ground motion fields were determined in this study also. In this study, we will report the analyzed results of those spatial gradient wavefields of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake across Taiwan Island and discuss its geological implications.

  9. A Detailed Study of the Rotational Augmentation and Dynamic Stall Phenomena for Wind Turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guntur, Srinivas

    This thesis presents investigations into the aerodynamics of wind turbine rotors, with a focus on the in-board sections of the rotor. Two important aerodynamic phenomena that have challenged scientists over nearly the last half a century are the so-called rotational augmentation and dynamic stall....... This thesis presents an investigation into these two phenomena, using data from the MEXICO and the NREL UAE Phase VI experiments, as well as data obtained from full rotor CFD computations carried out using the in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D. The experimental data, CFD data and that from some of the existing...... on wind turbine blades using the N-sequence data of the NREL UAE Phase VI experiment. The experimental data is compared with the results from unsteady Delayed Detached Eddy Simulations (DDES). The same conditions are also modelled using a Beddoes-Leishman type dynamic stall model by Hansen et al. (2004...

  10. Dynamic modelling and control of a rotating Euler-Bernoulli beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, J. B.; Jiang, L. J.; Chen, D. CH.

    2004-07-01

    Flexible motion of a uniform Euler-Bernoulli beam attached to a rotating rigid hub is investigated. Fully coupled non-linear integro-differential equations, describing axial, transverse and rotational motions of the beam, are derived by using the extended Hamilton's principle. The centrifugal stiffening effect is included in the derivation. A finite-dimensional model, including couplings of axial and transverse vibrations, and of elastic deformations and rigid motions, is obtained by the finite element method. By neglecting the axial motion, a simplified modelling, suitable for studying the transverse vibration and control of a beam with large angle and high-speed rotation, is presented. And suppressions of transverse vibrations of a rotating beam are simulated with the model by combining positive position feedback and momentum exchange feedback control laws. It is indicated that an improved performance for vibration control can be achieved with the method.

  11. Dynamic Model of a Rotating Flexible Arm-Flexible Root Mechanism Driven by a Shaft Flexible in Torsion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.Z. Ismail

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a dynamic model of a rotating flexible beam carrying a payload at its tip. The model accounts for the driving shaft and the arm root flexibilities. The finite element method and the Lagrangian dynamics are used in deriving the equations of motion with the small deformation theory assumptions and the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The obtained model is a nonlinear-coupled system of differential equations. The model is simulated for different combinations of shaft and root flexibilities and arm properties. The simulation results showed that the root flexibility is an important factor that should be considered in association with the arm and shaft flexibilities, as its dynamics influence the motor motion. Moreover, the effect of system non-linearity on the dynamic behavior is investigated by simulating the equivalent linearized system and it was found to be an important factor that should be considered, particularly when designing a control strategy for practical implementation.

  12. Cerebellum as a forward but not inverse model in visuomotor adaptation task: a tDCS-based and modeling study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yavari, Fatemeh; Mahdavi, Shirin; Towhidkhah, Farzad; Ahmadi-Pajouh, Mohammad-Ali; Ekhtiari, Hamed; Darainy, Mohammad

    2016-04-01

    Despite several pieces of evidence, which suggest that the human brain employs internal models for motor control and learning, the location of these models in the brain is not yet clear. In this study, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to manipulate right cerebellar function, while subjects adapt to a visuomotor task. We investigated the effect of this manipulation on the internal forward and inverse models by measuring two kinds of behavior: generalization of training in one direction to neighboring directions (as a proxy for inverse models) and localization of the hand position after movement without visual feedback (as a proxy for forward model). The experimental results showed no effect of cerebellar tDCS on generalization, but significant effect on localization. These observations support the idea that the cerebellum is a possible brain region for internal forward, but not inverse model formation. We also used a realistic human head model to calculate current density distribution in the brain. The result of this model confirmed the passage of current through the cerebellum. Moreover, to further explain some observed experimental results, we modeled the visuomotor adaptation process with the help of a biologically inspired method known as population coding. The effect of tDCS was also incorporated in the model. The results of this modeling study closely match our experimental data and provide further evidence in line with the idea that tDCS manipulates FM's function in the cerebellum.

  13. Advanced Parkinson’s disease effect on goal-directed and habitual processes involved in visuomotor associative learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fadila eHadj-Bouziane

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The present behavioral study readdresses the question of habit learning in Parkinson's disease. Patients were early onset, non-demented, dopa-responsive, candidates for surgical treatment, similar to those we found earlier as suffering greater dopamine depletion in the putamen than in the caudate nucleus. The task was the same conditional associative learning task as that used previously in monkeys and healthy humans to unveil the striatum involvement in habit learning. Sixteen patients and 20 age- and education-matched healthy control subjects learned sets of 3 visuo-motor associations between complex patterns and joystick displacements during two testing sessions separated by a few hours. We distinguished errors preceding versus following the first correct response to compare patients' performance during the earliest phase of learning dominated by goal-directed actions with that observed later on, when responses start to become habitual. The disease significantly retarded both learning phases, especially in patients under sixty years of age. However, only the late phase deficit was disease severity-dependent and persisted on the second testing session. These findings provide the first corroboration in Parkinson patients of two ideas well-established in the animal literature. The first is the idea that associating visual stimuli to motor acts is a form of habit learning that engages the striatum. It is confirmed here by the global impairment in visuo-motor learning induced by Parkinson's disease. The second idea is that goal-directed behaviors are predominantly caudate-dependent whereas habitual responses are primarily putamen-dependent. At the advanced Parkinson's disease stages tested here, dopamine depletion is greater in the putamen than in the caudate nucleus. Accordingly, the late phase of learning corresponding to the emergence of habitual responses was more vulnerable to the disease than the early phase dominated by goal

  14. Both movement-end and task-end are critical for error feedback in visuomotor adaptation: a behavioral experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takumi Ishikawa

    Full Text Available An important issue in motor learning/adaptation research is how the brain accepts the error information necessary for maintaining and improving task performance in a changing environment. The present study focuses on the effect of timing of error feedback. Previous research has demonstrated that adaptation to displacement of the visual field by prisms in a manual reaching task is significantly slowed by delayed visual feedback of the endpoint, suggesting that error feedback is most effective when given at the end of a movement. To further elucidate the brain mechanism by which error information is accepted in visuomotor adaptation, we tested whether error acceptance is linked to the end of a given task or to the end of an executed movement. We conducted a behavioral experiment using a virtual shooting task in which subjects controlled their wrist movements to meet a target with a cursor as accurately as possible. We manipulated the timing of visual feedback of the impact position so that it occurred either ahead of or behind the true time of impact. In another condition, the impact timing was explicitly indicated by an additional cue. The magnitude of the aftereffect significantly varied depending on the timing of feedback (p < 0.05, Friedman's Test. Interestingly, two distinct peaks of aftereffect were observed around movement-end and around task-end, irrespective of the existence of the timing cue. However, the peak around task-end was sharper when the timing cue was given. Our results demonstrate that the brain efficiently accepts error information at both movement-end and task-end, suggesting that two different learning mechanisms may underlie visuomotor transformation.

  15. Dynamics of local isolated magnetic flux tubes in a fast-rotating stellar atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, W.; Tajima, C.T.; Shibata, K.

    1998-01-01

    Dynamics of magnetic flux tubes in the fast rotating stellar atmosphere is studied. We focus on the effects and signatures of the instability of the flux tube emergence influenced by the Coriolis force. We present the result from a linear stability analysis and discuss its possible signatures in the course of the evolution of G-type and M-type stars. We present a three dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulation of local isolated magnetic flux tubes under a magnetic buoyancy instability in co-rotating Cartesian coordinates. We find that the combination of the buoyancy instability and the Coriolis effect gives rise to a mechanism, to twist the emerging magnetic flux tube into a helical structure. The tilt angle, east-west asymmetry and magnetic helicity of the Twisted flux tubes in the simulations are studied in detail. The linear and nonlinear analyses provide hints as to what kind of pattern of large spots in young M-type main-sequence stars might be observed. We find that young and old G-type stars may have different distributions of spots while M-type stars may always have low latitudes spots. The size of stellar spots may decrease when a star becomes older, due to the decreasing of magnetic field. A qualitative comparison with solar observations is also presented

  16. Earth Rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickey, Jean O.

    1995-01-01

    The study of the Earth's rotation in space (encompassing Universal Time (UT1), length of day, polar motion, and the phenomena of precession and nutation) addresses the complex nature of Earth orientation changes, the mechanisms of excitation of these changes and their geophysical implications in a broad variety of areas. In the absence of internal sources of energy or interactions with astronomical objects, the Earth would move as a rigid body with its various parts (the crust, mantle, inner and outer cores, atmosphere and oceans) rotating together at a constant fixed rate. In reality, the world is considerably more complicated, as is schematically illustrated. The rotation rate of the Earth's crust is not constant, but exhibits complicated fluctuations in speed amounting to several parts in 10(exp 8) [corresponding to a variation of several milliseconds (ms) in the Length Of the Day (LOD) and about one part in 10(exp 6) in the orientation of the rotation axis relative to the solid Earth's axis of figure (polar motion). These changes occur over a broad spectrum of time scales, ranging from hours to centuries and longer, reflecting the fact that they are produced by a wide variety of geophysical and astronomical processes. Geodetic observations of Earth rotation changes thus provide insights into the geophysical processes illustrated, which are often difficult to obtain by other means. In addition, these measurements are required for engineering purposes. Theoretical studies of Earth rotation variations are based on the application of Euler's dynamical equations to the problem of finding the response of slightly deformable solid Earth to variety of surface and internal stresses.

  17. Eye position signals modify vestibulo- and cervico-ocular fast phases during passive yaw rotations in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasopoulos, D; Mandellos, D; Kostadima, V; Pettorossi, V E

    2002-08-01

    We studied the amplitude, latency, and probability of occurrence of fast phases (FP) in darkness to unpredictable vestibular and/or cervical yaw stimulation in normal human subjects. The rotational stimuli were smoothed trapezoidal motion transients of 14 degrees amplitude and 1.25 s duration. Eye position before stimulus application (initial eye position, IEP) was introduced as a variable by asking the subjects to fixate a spot appearing either straight ahead or at 7 degrees eccentric positions. The recordings demonstrated that the generation of FP during vestibular stimulation was facilitated when the whole-body rotation was directed opposite the eccentric IEP. Conversely, FP were attenuated if the whole-body rotation was directed toward the eccentric IEP; i.e., the FP attenuated if they were made to further eccentric positions. Cervical stimulation-induced FP were small and variable in direction when IEP was directed straight ahead before stimulus onset. Eccentric IEPs resulted in large FP, the direction of which was essentially independent of the neck-proprioceptive stimulus. They tended to move the eye toward the primary position, both when the trunk motion under the stationary head was directed toward or away from the IEP. FP dependence on IEP was evident also during head-on-trunk rotations. No consistent interaction between vestibularly and cervically induced FP was found. We conclude that extraretinal eye position signals are able to modify vestibularly evoked reflexive FP in darkness, aiming at minimizing excursions of the eyes away from the primary position. However, neck-induced FP do not relate to specific tasks of stabilization or visual search. By keeping the eyes near the primary position, FP may permit flexibility of orienting responses to incoming stimuli. This recentering bias for both vestibularly and cervically generated FP may represent a visuomotor optimizing strategy.

  18. Dynamical and statistical phenomena of circulation and heat transfer in periodically forced rotating turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterl, Sebastian; Li, Hui-Min; Zhong, Jin-Qiang

    2016-12-01

    In this paper, we present results from an experimental study into turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection forced externally by periodically modulated unidirectional rotation rates. We find that the azimuthal rotation velocity θ ˙(t ) and thermal amplitude δ (t ) of the large-scale circulation (LSC) are modulated by the forcing, exhibiting a variety of dynamics including increasing phase delays and a resonant peak in the amplitude of θ ˙(t ) . We also focus on the influence of modulated rotation rates on the frequency of occurrence η of stochastic cessation or reorientation events, and on the interplay between such events and the periodically modulated response of θ ˙(t ) . Here we identify a mechanism by which η can be amplified by the modulated response, and these normally stochastic events can occur with high regularity. We provide a modeling framework that explains the observed amplitude and phase responses, and we extend this approach to make predictions for the occurrence of cessation events and the probability distributions of θ ˙(t ) and δ (t ) during different phases of a modulation cycle, based on an adiabatic approach that treats each phase separately. Last, we show that such periodic forcing has consequences beyond influencing LSC dynamics, by investigating how it can modify the heat transport even under conditions where the Ekman pumping effect is predominant and strong enhancement of heat transport occurs. We identify phase and amplitude responses of the heat transport, and we show how increased modulations influence the average Nusselt number.

  19. Role of rotational energy and deformations in the dynamics of {sup 6}Li+{sup 90}Zr reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaur, Gurvinder; Grover, Neha; Sandhu, Kirandeep; Sharma, Manoj K., E-mail: msharma@thapar.edu

    2014-07-15

    In reference to recent experimental data, the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM) has been applied to study the neutron evaporation residue (ER) cross sections of intermediate mass nucleus {sup 96}Tc{sup ⁎} spread over a wide range of incident energy across the Coulomb barrier. In order to analyze the effect of rotational energy in the dynamics of {sup 6}Li+{sup 90}Zr reaction, the cross sections have been calculated using the sticking (I{sub S}) and the non-sticking (I{sub NS}) limits of moment of inertia with inclusion of quadrupole (β{sub 2}) deformation within optimum orientation approach. The effect of either of the two approaches on the angular momentum, and hence the rotational energy associated with it, is assessed through the fragment mass distribution, preformation factor and the barrier penetrability. Also, the role of deformations is studied through a comparative analysis of decay path for spherical and β{sub 2} deformed fragmentation. The calculated evaporation residue cross sections show excellent agreement with the reported data at all incident energies for both spherical and β{sub 2}-deformed approach. Finally, the incomplete fusion (ICF) process observed due to loosely bound projectile {sup 6}Li is addressed within the framework of DCM.

  20. Validity of the top-down approach of inverse dynamics analysis in fast and large rotational trunk movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iino, Yoichi; Kojima, Takeji

    2012-08-01

    This study investigated the validity of the top-down approach of inverse dynamics analysis in fast and large rotational movements of the trunk about three orthogonal axes of the pelvis for nine male collegiate students. The maximum angles of the upper trunk relative to the pelvis were approximately 47°, 49°, 32°, and 55° for lateral bending, flexion, extension, and axial rotation, respectively, with maximum angular velocities of 209°/s, 201°/s, 145°/s, and 288°/s, respectively. The pelvic moments about the axes during the movements were determined using the top-down and bottom-up approaches of inverse dynamics and compared between the two approaches. Three body segment inertial parameter sets were estimated using anthropometric data sets (Ae et al., Biomechanism 11, 1992; De Leva, J Biomech, 1996; Dumas et al., J Biomech, 2007). The root-mean-square errors of the moments and the absolute errors of the peaks of the moments were generally smaller than 10 N·m. The results suggest that the pelvic moment in motions involving fast and large trunk movements can be determined with a certain level of validity using the top-down approach in which the trunk is modeled as two or three rigid-link segments.

  1. THREE-DIMENSIONAL ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION OF WARM AND HOT JUPITERS: EFFECTS OF ORBITAL DISTANCE, ROTATION PERIOD, AND NONSYNCHRONOUS ROTATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Showman, Adam P. [Department of Planetary Sciences and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1629 University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Lewis, Nikole K. [Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Fortney, Jonathan J., E-mail: showman@lpl.arizona.edu [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

    2015-03-10

    Efforts to characterize extrasolar giant planet (EGP) atmospheres have so far emphasized planets within 0.05 AU of their stars. Despite this focus, known EGPs populate a continuum of orbital separations from canonical hot Jupiter values (0.03–0.05 AU) out to 1 AU and beyond. Unlike typical hot Jupiters, these more distant EGPs will not generally be synchronously rotating. In anticipation of observations of this population, we here present three-dimensional atmospheric circulation models exploring the dynamics that emerge over a broad range of rotation rates and incident stellar fluxes appropriate for warm and hot Jupiters. We find that the circulation resides in one of two basic regimes. On typical hot Jupiters, the strong day–night heating contrast leads to a broad, fast superrotating (eastward) equatorial jet and large day–night temperature differences. At faster rotation rates and lower incident fluxes, however, the day–night heating gradient becomes less important, and baroclinic instabilities emerge as a dominant player, leading to eastward jets in the midlatitudes, minimal temperature variations in longitude, and, often, weak winds at the equator. Our most rapidly rotating and least irradiated models exhibit similarities to Jupiter and Saturn, illuminating the dynamical continuum between hot Jupiters and the weakly irradiated giant planets of our own solar system. We present infrared (IR) light curves and spectra of these models, which depend significantly on incident flux and rotation rate. This provides a way to identify the regime transition in future observations. In some cases, IR light curves can provide constraints on the rotation rate of nonsynchronously rotating planets.

  2. THREE-DIMENSIONAL ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION OF WARM AND HOT JUPITERS: EFFECTS OF ORBITAL DISTANCE, ROTATION PERIOD, AND NONSYNCHRONOUS ROTATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Showman, Adam P.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Fortney, Jonathan J.

    2015-01-01

    Efforts to characterize extrasolar giant planet (EGP) atmospheres have so far emphasized planets within 0.05 AU of their stars. Despite this focus, known EGPs populate a continuum of orbital separations from canonical hot Jupiter values (0.03–0.05 AU) out to 1 AU and beyond. Unlike typical hot Jupiters, these more distant EGPs will not generally be synchronously rotating. In anticipation of observations of this population, we here present three-dimensional atmospheric circulation models exploring the dynamics that emerge over a broad range of rotation rates and incident stellar fluxes appropriate for warm and hot Jupiters. We find that the circulation resides in one of two basic regimes. On typical hot Jupiters, the strong day–night heating contrast leads to a broad, fast superrotating (eastward) equatorial jet and large day–night temperature differences. At faster rotation rates and lower incident fluxes, however, the day–night heating gradient becomes less important, and baroclinic instabilities emerge as a dominant player, leading to eastward jets in the midlatitudes, minimal temperature variations in longitude, and, often, weak winds at the equator. Our most rapidly rotating and least irradiated models exhibit similarities to Jupiter and Saturn, illuminating the dynamical continuum between hot Jupiters and the weakly irradiated giant planets of our own solar system. We present infrared (IR) light curves and spectra of these models, which depend significantly on incident flux and rotation rate. This provides a way to identify the regime transition in future observations. In some cases, IR light curves can provide constraints on the rotation rate of nonsynchronously rotating planets

  3. A new neural net approach to robot 3D perception and visuo-motor coordination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sukhan

    1992-01-01

    A novel neural network approach to robot hand-eye coordination is presented. The approach provides a true sense of visual error servoing, redundant arm configuration control for collision avoidance, and invariant visuo-motor learning under gazing control. A 3-D perception network is introduced to represent the robot internal 3-D metric space in which visual error servoing and arm configuration control are performed. The arm kinematic network performs the bidirectional association between 3-D space arm configurations and joint angles, and enforces the legitimate arm configurations. The arm kinematic net is structured by a radial-based competitive and cooperative network with hierarchical self-organizing learning. The main goal of the present work is to demonstrate that the neural net representation of the robot 3-D perception net serves as an important intermediate functional block connecting robot eyes and arms.

  4. Implementation of self-organizing neural networks for visuo-motor control of an industrial robot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, J A; Schulten, K I

    1993-01-01

    The implementation of two neural network algorithms for visuo-motor control of an industrial robot (Puma 562) is reported. The first algorithm uses a vector quantization technique, the ;neural-gas' network, together with an error correction scheme based on a Widrow-Hoff-type learning rule. The second algorithm employs an extended self-organizing feature map algorithm. Based on visual information provided by two cameras, the robot learns to position its end effector without an external teacher. Within only 3000 training steps, the robot-camera system is capable of reducing the positioning error of the robot's end effector to approximately 0.1% of the linear dimension of the work space. By employing adaptive feedback the robot succeeds in compensating not only slow calibration drifts, but also sudden changes in its geometry. Hardware aspects of the robot-camera system are discussed.

  5. Linear instability and nonlinear motion of rotating plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, J.

    1985-01-01

    Two coupled nonlinear equations describing the flute dynamics of the magnetically confined low-β collisionless rotating plasma are derived. The linear instability and nonlinear dynamics of the rotating column are analyzed theoretically. In the linear stability analysis, a new sufficient condition of stability is obtained. From the exact solution of eigenvalue equation for Gaussian density profile and uniform rotation of the plasma, the stability of the system strongly depends on the direction of plasma rotation, FLR effect and the location of the conducting wall. An analytic expression showing the finite wall effect on different normal modes is obtained and it explains the different behavior of (1,0) normal mode from other modes. The sheared rotation driven instability is investigated by using three model equilibrium profiles, and the analytic expressions of eigenvalues which includes the wall effect are obtained. The analogy between shear rotation driven instability and the instability driven by sheared plane parallel flow in the inviscid fluid is analyzed. Applying the linear analysis to the central cell of tandem mirror system, the trapped particle instability with only passing electronics is analyzed. For uniform rotation and Gaussian density profile, an analytic expression that determines the stability boundary is found. The nonlinear analysis shows that the nonlinear equations have a solitary vortex solution which is very similar to the vortex solution of nonlinear Rossby wave equation

  6. Virtual hand illusion induced by visuomotor correlations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria V Sanchez-Vives

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Our body schema gives the subjective impression of being highly stable. However, a number of easily-evoked illusions illustrate its remarkable malleability. In the rubber-hand illusion, illusory ownership of a rubber-hand is evoked by synchronous visual and tactile stimulation on a visible rubber arm and on the hidden real arm. Ownership is concurrent with a proprioceptive illusion of displacement of the arm position towards the fake arm. We have previously shown that this illusion of ownership plus the proprioceptive displacement also occurs towards a virtual 3D projection of an arm when the appropriate synchronous visuotactile stimulation is provided. Our objective here was to explore whether these illusions (ownership and proprioceptive displacement can be induced by only synchronous visuomotor stimulation, in the absence of tactile stimulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To achieve this we used a data-glove that uses sensors transmitting the positions of fingers to a virtually projected hand in the synchronous but not in the asynchronous condition. The illusion of ownership was measured by means of questionnaires. Questions related to ownership gave significantly larger values for the synchronous than for the asynchronous condition. Proprioceptive displacement provided an objective measure of the illusion and had a median value of 3.5 cm difference between the synchronous and asynchronous conditions. In addition, the correlation between the feeling of ownership of the virtual arm and the size of the drift was significant. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that synchrony between visual and proprioceptive information along with motor activity is able to induce an illusion of ownership over a virtual arm. This has implications regarding the brain mechanisms underlying body ownership as well as the use of virtual bodies in therapies and rehabilitation.

  7. Sensorless interior permanent magnet synchronous motor control with rotational inertia adjustment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongle Mao

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Mechanical model is generally required in high dynamic sensorless motor control schemes for zero phase lag estimation of rotor position and speed. However, the rotational inertia uncertainty will cause dynamic estimation errors, eventually resulting in performance deterioration of the sensorless control system. Therefore, this article proposes a high dynamic performance sensorless control strategy with online adjustment of the rotational inertia. Based on a synthetic back electromotive force model, the voltage equation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor is transformed to that of an equivalent non-salient permanent magnet synchronous motor. Then, an extended nonlinear observer is designed for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor in the stator-fixed coordinate frame, with rotor position, speed and load torque simultaneously estimated. The effect of inaccurate rotational inertia on the estimation of rotor position and speed is investigated, and a novel rotational inertia adjustment approach that employs the gradient descent algorithm is proposed to suppress the dynamic estimation errors. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is demonstrated by experimental tests.

  8. DARK MATTER, MAGNETIC FIELDS, AND THE ROTATION CURVE OF THE MILKY WAY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz-Granados, B.; Battaner, E.; Florido, E.; Calvo, J.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.

    2012-01-01

    The study of the disk rotation curve of our Galaxy at large distances provides an interesting scenario for us to test whether magnetic fields should be considered as a non-negligible dynamical ingredient. By assuming a bulge, an exponential disk for the stellar and gaseous distributions, and a dark halo and disk magnetic fields, we fit the rotation velocity of the Milky Way. In general, when the magnetic contribution is added to the dynamics, a better description of the rotation curve is obtained. Our main conclusion is that magnetic fields should be taken into account for the Milky Way dynamics. Azimuthal magnetic field strengths of B φ ∼ 2 μG at distances of ∼2 R 0 (16 kpc) are able to explain the rise-up for the rotation curve in the outer disk.

  9. Molecular rotation-vibration dynamics of low-symmetric hydrate crystal in the terahertz region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Xiaojian; Wu, Hongya; Xi, Xiaoqing; Zhou, Ji

    2014-01-16

    The rotational and vibrational dynamics of molecules in copper sulfate pentahydrate crystal are investigated with terahertz dielectric spectra. It is shown that the relaxation-like dielectric dispersion in the low frequency region is related to the reorientation of water molecules under the driving of terahertz electric field, whereas the resonant dispersion can be ascribed to lattice vibration. It is also found that, due to the hydrogen-bond effect, the vibrational mode at about 1.83 THz along [-111] direction softens with decreasing temperature, that is, the crystal expands in this direction when cooled. On the contrary, the mode hardens in the direction perpendicular to [-111] during the cooling process. This contributes to the further understanding of the molecular structure and bonding features of hydrate crystals.

  10. Effects of Ultrafast Molecular Rotation on Collisional Decoherence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milner, Alexander A.; Korobenko, Aleksey; Hepburn, John W.; Milner, Valery

    2014-07-01

    Using an optical centrifuge to control molecular rotation in an extremely broad range of angular momenta, we study coherent rotational dynamics of nitrogen molecules in the presence of collisions. We cover the range of rotational quantum numbers between J=8 and J =66 at room temperature and study a crossover between the adiabatic and nonadiabatic regimes of rotational relaxation, which cannot be easily accessed by thermal means. We demonstrate that the rate of rotational decoherence changes by more than an order of magnitude in this range of J values and show that its dependence on J can be described by a simplified scaling law.

  11. From self-observation to imitation: visuomotor association on a robotic hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaminade, Thierry; Oztop, Erhan; Cheng, Gordon; Kawato, Mitsuo

    2008-04-15

    Being at the crux of human cognition and behaviour, imitation has become the target of investigations ranging from experimental psychology and neurophysiology to computational sciences and robotics. It is often assumed that the imitation is innate, but it has more recently been argued, both theoretically and experimentally, that basic forms of imitation could emerge as a result of self-observation. Here, we tested this proposal on a realistic experimental platform, comprising an associative network linking a 16 degrees of freedom robotic hand and a simple visual system. We report that this minimal visuomotor association is sufficient to bootstrap basic imitation. Our results indicate that crucial features of human imitation, such as generalization to new actions, may emerge from a connectionist associative network. Therefore, we suggest that a behaviour as complex as imitation could be, at the neuronal level, founded on basic mechanisms of associative learning, a notion supported by a recent proposal on the developmental origin of mirror neurons. Our approach can be applied to the development of realistic cognitive architectures for humanoid robots as well as to shed new light on the cognitive processes at play in early human cognitive development.

  12. Rotation of the bulge components of barred galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kormendy, J.

    1982-01-01

    Stellar rotation and velocity-dispersion measurements are presented for the bulge components of the SBO galaxies NGC 1023, 2859, 2950, 4340, 4371, and 7743. The kinematics of nine SB bulges with data available are compared with bulges of unbarred galaxies studied by Kormendy and Illingworth. All of the SB bulges are found to rotate at least as rapidly as oblate-spheroid dynamical models which are flattened by rotation. This result confirms the conclusion of Kormendy and Illingworth that bulges rotate very rapidly. Six SB bulges found by Kormendy and Koo to be triaxial rotate even more rapidly than the oblate models. In this respect, they resemble published n-body models of bars. That is, triaxial bulges are dynamically like bars and unlike elliptical galaxies, which are also believed to be triaxial, but which rotate slowly. Measured velocity anisotropies are found to be consistent with these conclusions. Two ordinary bulges whose rotation is well described by isotropic modes have a ratio of radial to azimuthal velocity dispersion of sigma/sub r//sigma/sub theta/ = 0.96 +- 0.03. In contrast, the triaxial bulge of NGC 3945, which rotates much faster than the isotropic models, has sigma/sub r//sigma/sub theta/ approx.1.31 +- 0.06. This is similar to the degree of anisotropy, sigma/sub r//sigma/sub theta/approx.1.21 +- 0.03, found in a recent n-body bar model by Hohl and Zang. Altogether the kinematic observations imply the triaxial bulges are more disklike than SA bulges. They appear to have been formed with more dissipation than ordinary bulges. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that part of the bulge in many SB galaxies consists of disk material (i.e., gas) which has been transported to the center by the bar. The resulting star formation may produce a very centrally concentrated light distribution which resembles a bulge but which has dislike dynamics

  13. Stochastic Rotation Dynamics simulations of wetting multi-phase flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, Thomas; Sanchez de La Lama, Marta; Brinkmann, Martin

    2016-06-01

    Multi-color Stochastic Rotation Dynamics (SRDmc) has been introduced by Inoue et al. [1,2] as a particle based simulation method to study the flow of emulsion droplets in non-wetting microchannels. In this work, we extend the multi-color method to also account for different wetting conditions. This is achieved by assigning the color information not only to fluid particles but also to virtual wall particles that are required to enforce proper no-slip boundary conditions. To extend the scope of the original SRDmc algorithm to e.g. immiscible two-phase flow with viscosity contrast we implement an angular momentum conserving scheme (SRD+mc). We perform extensive benchmark simulations to show that a mono-phase SRDmc fluid exhibits bulk properties identical to a standard SRD fluid and that SRDmc fluids are applicable to a wide range of immiscible two-phase flows. To quantify the adhesion of a SRD+mc fluid in contact to the walls we measure the apparent contact angle from sessile droplets in mechanical equilibrium. For a further verification of our wettability implementation we compare the dewetting of a liquid film from a wetting stripe to experimental and numerical studies of interfacial morphologies on chemically structured surfaces.

  14. Trajectory optimization for dynamic couch rotation during volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smyth, Gregory; Bamber, Jeffrey C.; Evans, Philip M.; Bedford, James L.

    2013-11-01

    Non-coplanar radiation beams are often used in three-dimensional conformal and intensity modulated radiotherapy to reduce dose to organs at risk (OAR) by geometric avoidance. In volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) non-coplanar geometries are generally achieved by applying patient couch rotations to single or multiple full or partial arcs. This paper presents a trajectory optimization method for a non-coplanar technique, dynamic couch rotation during VMAT (DCR-VMAT), which combines ray tracing with a graph search algorithm. Four clinical test cases (partial breast, brain, prostate only, and prostate and pelvic nodes) were used to evaluate the potential OAR sparing for trajectory-optimized DCR-VMAT plans, compared with standard coplanar VMAT. In each case, ray tracing was performed and a cost map reflecting the number of OAR voxels intersected for each potential source position was generated. The least-cost path through the cost map, corresponding to an optimal DCR-VMAT trajectory, was determined using Dijkstra’s algorithm. Results show that trajectory optimization can reduce dose to specified OARs for plans otherwise comparable to conventional coplanar VMAT techniques. For the partial breast case, the mean heart dose was reduced by 53%. In the brain case, the maximum lens doses were reduced by 61% (left) and 77% (right) and the globes by 37% (left) and 40% (right). Bowel mean dose was reduced by 15% in the prostate only case. For the prostate and pelvic nodes case, the bowel V50 Gy and V60 Gy were reduced by 9% and 45% respectively. Future work will involve further development of the algorithm and assessment of its performance over a larger number of cases in site-specific cohorts.

  15. Impairment in explicit visuomotor sequence learning is related to loss of microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum in multiple sclerosis patients with minimal disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonzano, L; Tacchino, A; Roccatagliata, L; Sormani, M P; Mancardi, G L; Bove, M

    2011-07-15

    Sequence learning can be investigated by serial reaction-time (SRT) paradigms. Explicit learning occurs when subjects have to recognize a test sequence and has been shown to activate the frontoparietal network in both contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres. Thus, the left and right superior longitudinal fasciculi (SLF), connecting the intra-hemispheric frontoparietal circuits, could have a role in explicit unimanual visuomotor learning. Also, as both hemispheres are involved, we could hypothesize that the corpus callosum (CC) has a role in this process. Pathological damage in both SLF and CC has been detected in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), and microstructural alterations can be quantified by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). In light of these findings, we inquired whether PwMS with minimal disability showed impairments in explicit visuomotor sequence learning and whether this could be due to loss of white matter integrity in these intra- and inter-hemispheric white matter pathways. Thus, we combined DTI analysis with a modified version of SRT task based on finger opposition movements in a group of PwMS with minimal disability. We found that the performance in explicit sequence learning was significantly reduced in these patients with respect to healthy subjects; the amount of sequence-specific learning was found to be more strongly correlated with fractional anisotropy (FA) in the CC (r=0.93) than in the left (r=0.28) and right SLF (r=0.27) (p for interaction=0.005 and 0.04 respectively). This finding suggests that an inter-hemispheric information exchange between the homologous areas is required to successfully accomplish the task and indirectly supports the role of the right (ipsilateral) hemisphere in explicit visuomotor learning. On the other hand, we found no significant correlation of the FA in the CC and in the SLFs with nonspecific learning (assessed when stimuli are randomly presented), supporting the hypothesis that inter

  16. Physics of untied rotating space elevators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knudsen, Steven; Golubović, Leonardo

    2015-12-01

    We explore fundamental aspects of the physics of a novel class of dynamical systems, Rotating Space Elevators (RSE) (L. Golubović, S. Knudsen, Europhys. Lett. 86, 34001 (2009) and S. Knudsen, L. Golubović, Eur. Phys. J. Plus 129, 242 (2014)). An RSE is a loopy string reaching deep into outer space. The floppy RSE loop executes a double rotating motion due to which the objects sliding along the RSE string (climbers) can be transported far away from the Earth's surface without using internal engines or propulsion. By extensive numerical simulations and analytic calculations, this study addresses an interesting and provocative question at the very heart of the RSE physics: What will happen if one unties the rotating space elevator from the Earth? We find that the untied RSE exhibits rich nonlinear dynamics. In particular, strikingly, we find that the untied RSE may still behave as if it were tied to the planet. Such a quasi-tied yet untied RSE remains close to the Earth and exhibits persistent shape and enduring double rotating motion. Moreover, the climbers sliding along such a quasi-tied RSE move in much the same way as they do along a tied RSE. Under some conditions however we find that the untied RSE may undergo an instability leading it to a dynamical state in which the RSE hops well above the Earth surface. By changing the untied RSE parameters, the maximum height reached during hopping may be made to diverge. Such an untied RSE unbinds from the Earth to infinity, i.e., to interplanetary space.

  17. State-to-state dynamics at the gas-liquid metal interface: rotationally and electronically inelastic scattering of NO[2Π(1/2)(0.5)] from molten gallium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziemkiewicz, Michael P; Roscioli, Joseph R; Nesbitt, David J

    2011-06-21

    Jet cooled NO molecules are scattered at 45° with respect to the surface normal from a liquid gallium surface at E(inc) from 1.0(3) to 20(6) kcal/mol to probe rotationally and electronically inelastic scattering from a gas-molten metal interface (numbers in parenthesis represent 1σ uncertainty in the corresponding final digits). Scattered populations are detected at 45° by confocal laser induced fluorescence (LIF) on the γ(0-0) and γ(1-1) A(2)Σ ← X(2)Π(Ω) bands, yielding rotational, spin-orbit, and λ-doublet population distributions. Scattering of low speed NO molecules results in Boltzmann distributions with effective temperatures considerably lower than that of the surface, in respectable agreement with the Bowman-Gossage rotational cooling model [J. M. Bowman and J. L. Gossage, Chem. Phys. Lett. 96, 481 (1983)] for desorption from a restricted surface rotor state. Increasing collision energy results in a stronger increase in scattered NO rotational energy than spin-orbit excitation, with an opposite trend noted for changes in surface temperature. The difference between electronic and rotational dynamics is discussed in terms of the possible influence of electron hole pair excitations in the conducting metal. While such electronically non-adiabatic processes can also influence vibrational dynamics, the γ(1-1) band indicates rotational energy transfer is compared from a hard cube model perspective with previous studies of NO scattering from single crystal solid surfaces. Despite a lighter atomic mass (70 amu), the liquid Ga surface is found to promote translational to rotational excitation more efficiently than Ag(111) (108 amu) and nearly as effectively as Au(111) (197 amu). The enhanced propensity for Ga(l) to transform incident translational energy into rotation is discussed in terms of temperature-dependent capillary wave excitation of the gas-liquid metal interface. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  18. Visuo-motor coordination ability predicts performance with brain-computer interfaces controlled by modulation of sensorimotor rhythms (SMR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Maria Hammer

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Modulation of sensorimotor rhythms (SMR was suggested as a control signal for brain-computer interfaces (BCI. Yet, there is a population of users estimated between 10 to 50% not able to achieve reliable control and only about 20% of users achieve high (80-100% performance. Predicting performance prior to BCI use would facilitate selection of the most feasible system for an individual, thus constitute a practical benefit for the user, and increase our knowledge about the correlates of BCI control. In a recent study, we predicted SMR-BCI performance from psychological variables that were assessed prior to the BCI sessions and BCI control was supported with machine-learning techniques. We described two significant psychological predictors, namely the visuo-motor coordination ability and the ability to concentrate on the task. The purpose of the current study was to replicate these results thereby validating these predictors within a neurofeedback based SMR-BCI that involved no machine learning. Thirty-three healthy BCI novices participated in a calibration session and three further neurofeedback training sessions. Two variables were related with mean SMR-BCI performance: (1 A measure for the accuracy of fine motor skills, i.e. a trade for a person’s visuo-motor control ability and (2 subject’s attentional impulsivity. In a linear regression they accounted for almost 20% in variance of SMR-BCI performance, but predictor (1 failed significance. Nevertheless, on the basis of our prior regression model for sensorimotor control ability we could predict current SMR-BCI performance with an average prediction error of M = 12.07%. In more than 50% of the participants, the prediction error was smaller than 10%. Hence, psychological variables played a moderate role in predicting SMR-BCI performance in a neurofeedback approach that involved no machine learning. Future studies are needed to further consolidate (or reject the present predictors.

  19. Phonological memory in sign language relies on the visuomotor neural system outside the left hemisphere language network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanazawa, Yuji; Nakamura, Kimihiro; Ishii, Toru; Aso, Toshihiko; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Omori, Koichi

    2017-01-01

    Sign language is an essential medium for everyday social interaction for deaf people and plays a critical role in verbal learning. In particular, language development in those people should heavily rely on the verbal short-term memory (STM) via sign language. Most previous studies compared neural activations during signed language processing in deaf signers and those during spoken language processing in hearing speakers. For sign language users, it thus remains unclear how visuospatial inputs are converted into the verbal STM operating in the left-hemisphere language network. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigated neural activation while bilinguals of spoken and signed language were engaged in a sequence memory span task. On each trial, participants viewed a nonsense syllable sequence presented either as written letters or as fingerspelling (4-7 syllables in length) and then held the syllable sequence for 12 s. Behavioral analysis revealed that participants relied on phonological memory while holding verbal information regardless of the type of input modality. At the neural level, this maintenance stage broadly activated the left-hemisphere language network, including the inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, for both letter and fingerspelling conditions. Interestingly, while most participants reported that they relied on phonological memory during maintenance, direct comparisons between letters and fingers revealed strikingly different patterns of neural activation during the same period. Namely, the effortful maintenance of fingerspelling inputs relative to letter inputs activated the left superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor area, i.e., brain regions known to play a role in visuomotor analysis of hand/arm movements. These findings suggest that the dorsal visuomotor neural system subserves verbal learning via sign language by relaying gestural inputs to

  20. Geometric phases in discrete dynamical systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cartwright, Julyan H.E., E-mail: julyan.cartwright@csic.es [Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC–Universidad de Granada, E-18100 Armilla, Granada (Spain); Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada (Spain); Piro, Nicolas, E-mail: nicolas.piro@epfl.ch [École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Piro, Oreste, E-mail: piro@imedea.uib-csic.es [Departamento de Física, Universitat de les Illes Balears, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Tuval, Idan, E-mail: ituval@imedea.uib-csic.es [Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, CSIC–Universitat de les Illes Balears, E-07190 Mallorca (Spain)

    2016-10-14

    In order to study the behaviour of discrete dynamical systems under adiabatic cyclic variations of their parameters, we consider discrete versions of adiabatically-rotated rotators. Parallelling the studies in continuous systems, we generalize the concept of geometric phase to discrete dynamics and investigate its presence in these rotators. For the rotated sine circle map, we demonstrate an analytical relationship between the geometric phase and the rotation number of the system. For the discrete version of the rotated rotator considered by Berry, the rotated standard map, we further explore this connection as well as the role of the geometric phase at the onset of chaos. Further into the chaotic regime, we show that the geometric phase is also related to the diffusive behaviour of the dynamical variables and the Lyapunov exponent. - Highlights: • We extend the concept of geometric phase to maps. • For the rotated sine circle map, we demonstrate an analytical relationship between the geometric phase and the rotation number. • For the rotated standard map, we explore the role of the geometric phase at the onset of chaos. • We show that the geometric phase is related to the diffusive behaviour of the dynamical variables and the Lyapunov exponent.

  1. Theoretical studies of molecule surface scattering: Rotationally inelastic diffraction and dissociative dynamics of H2 on metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz Pol, A.J.

    1993-01-01

    The interaction of H 2 and its isotopes with metal surfaces has been the subject of many investigations. The scattering experiments provide data such as the final rotational state distribution, sticking coefficients, kinetic energy distribution, and diffraction data. In the first study of this thesis the author implemented a model for looking at the rotationally inelastic diffraction probabilities for H 2 , HD, and D 2 , as a function of surface temperature. The surface is treated in a quantum mechanical fashion using a recently developed formalism. The center of mass translational motion is treated semiclassically using Gaussian wave packets, and the rotations are described quantum mechanically. The phonon summed rotation-diffraction probabilities as well as the probability distribution for a scattering molecule exchanging an amount of energy ΔE with the surface were computed. In the second and third study of this thesis the author implemented a mixed quantum-classical model to compute the probability for dissociation and rotational excitation for H 2 , HD, and D 2 scattered from Ni(100) dimensionally in dynamics simulations. Of the six degrees of freedom for the dissociative adsorption of a diatomic molecule on a static surface, the author treats Z,d the center of mass distance above the surface plan, r, the internuclear separation, θ, the polar orientation angle, quantum mechanically. The remaining three degrees of freedom, X and Y, the center of mass position on the surface plane, and oe, the azimuthal orientation angle, are treated classically. Probabilities for dissociation and ro-vibrational excitation are computed as a function of incident translational energy. Two sudden approximations are tested, in which either the center of mass translation parallel to the surface or the azimuthal orientation of the molecule are frozen. Comparisons are made between low and high dimensionality results and with fully classical results

  2. Molecular rotation and dynamics in superfluid helium-4 nanodroplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callegari, Carlo

    2000-11-01

    Cavity-enhanced laser radiation, coupled to molecular- beam bolometric detection has been used to study the spectroscopy of acetylenic molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets. The 2ν1 transition (CH stretch overtone) of HCN, DCCH, NCCCH, CH3CCH, CF3CCH, (CH 3)3CCCH, (CH3)3SiCCH, has been investigated in the 1.5 μm spectral region by means of a color center laser coupled to a resonant build-up cavity, which enhances the laser power experienced by the molecules in the beam by up to a factor of 400, thus overcoming the weakness of the (dipole forbidden) transitions. All molecules are observed to rotate freely in the liquid cluster environment, with strongly enhanced moments of inertia, but with negligible matrix induced shifts (less than 1 cm-1). We show that this enhancement is largely accounted for by hydrodynamic effects, which we have modeled and numerically calculated. While in the gas phase the rotational lines have instrument-limited widths (a few MHZ), in the droplets we have observed linewidths ranging from 600 MHz for (CH3)3SiCCH to 2.8GHz for (CH3) 3CCCH. To investigate the nature of the broadening (which was widely believed to be homogeneous), we have performed a series of infrared (IR) saturation experiments on the 2ν1 transition. We have also thoroughly investigated NCCCH by means of microwave (MW) single-resonance experiments (on rotational transitions) and double-resonance (MW-MW and MW-IR) experiments. The results demonstrate that the spectral features of molecules in He droplets are inhomogeneously broadened, and allow an estimate of the importance of the different broadening contributions. In particular, MW-IR measurements show that the size of the cluster greatly affects the way rotational energy is relaxed. Large clusters seem to follow a ``strong collision model'' where memory of the initial rotational state is completely lost after each ``relaxation'' event, while for smaller clusters relaxation rates are probably affected by the lower

  3. Molecular rotation and dynamics in superfluid ^4He nanodroplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callegari, Carlo

    2001-05-01

    Cavity-enhanced laser radiation, coupled to molecular-beam bolometric detection has been used to study the spectroscopy of acetylenic molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets. The 2ν1 transition (CH stretch overtone) of HCN, DCCH, NCCCH, CH_3CCH, CF_3CCH, (CH_3)_3CCCH, (CH_3)_3SiCCH, has been investigated in the 1.5 μm spectral region by means of a color center laser coupled to a resonant buildup cavity, which enhances the laser power experienced by the molecules in the beam by up to a factor of 400, thus overcoming the weakness of the (harmonically forbidden) transitions. All molecules are observed to rotate freely in the liquid cluster environment, with strongly enhanced moments of inertia, but with negligible matrix induced shifts (less than 1 cm-1). We show that this enhancement is largely accounted for by hydrodynamic effects, which we have modeled and numerically calculated. While in the gas phase the rotational lines have instrument-limited widths (a few MHz), in the droplets we have observed linewidths ranging from 600 MHz for (CH_3)_3SiCCH to 2.8 GHz for (CH_3)_3CCCH. To investigate the nature of the broadening (which was widely believed to be homogeneous), we have performed a series of infrared (IR) saturation experiments on the 2ν1 transition. We have also thoroughly investigated NCCCH by means of microwave (MW) single-resonance experiments (on rotational transitions) and double-resonance (MW-MW and MW-IR) experiments. The results demonstrate that the spectral features of molecules in He droplets are inhomogeneously broadened, and allow an estimate of the importance of the different broadening contributions. In particular, MW-IR measurements show that the size of the cluster greatly affects the way rotational energy is relaxed. Large clusters seem to follow a ``strong collision model'' where memory of the initial rotational state is completely lost after each ``relaxation'' event, while for smaller clusters relaxation rates are probably affected by

  4. Protein rotational dynamics investigated with a dual EPR/optical molecular probe. Spin-labeled eosin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, C E; Hustedt, E J; Beechem, J M; Beth, A H

    1993-01-01

    An acyl spin-label derivative of 5-aminoeosin (5-SLE) was chemically synthesized and employed in studies of rotational dynamics of the free probe and of the probe when bound noncovalently to bovine serum albumin using the spectroscopic techniques of fluorescence anisotropy decay and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and their long-lifetime counterparts phosphorescence anisotropy decay and saturation transfer EPR. Previous work (Beth, A. H., Cobb, C. E., and J. M. Beechem, 1992. Synthesis and characterization of a combined fluorescence, phosphorescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance probe. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. Time-Resolved Laser Spectroscopy III. 504-512) has shown that the spin-label moiety only slightly altered the fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetimes and quantum yields of 5-SLE when compared with 5-SLE whose nitroxide had been reduced with ascorbate and with the diamagnetic homolog 5-acetyleosin. In the present work, we have utilized time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay and linear EPR spectroscopies to observe and quantitate the psec motions of 5-SLE in solution and the nsec motions of the 5-SLE-bovine serum albumin complex. Time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy decay and saturation transfer EPR studies have been carried out to observe and quantitate the microseconds motions of the 5-SLE-albumin complex in glycerol/buffer solutions of varying viscosity. These latter studies have enabled a rigorous comparison of rotational correlation times obtained from these complementary techniques to be made with a single probe. The studies described demonstrate that it is possible to employ a single molecular probe to carry out the full range of fluorescence, phosphorescence, EPR, and saturation transfer EPR studies. It is anticipated that "dual" molecular probes of this general type will significantly enhance capabilities for extracting dynamics and structural information from macromolecules and their functional

  5. Collapse and equilibrium of rotating, adiabatic clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boss, A.P.

    1980-01-01

    A numerical hydrodynamics computer code has been used to follow the collapse and establishment of equilibrium of adiabatic gas clouds restricted to axial symmetry. The clouds are initially uniform in density and rotation, with adiabatic exponents γ=5/3 and 7/5. The numerical technique allows, for the first time, a direct comparison to be made between the dynamic collapse and approach to equilibrium of unconstrained clouds on the one hand, and the results for incompressible, uniformly rotating equilibrium clouds, and the equilibrium structures of differentially rotating polytropes, on the other hand

  6. Can planetary nebulae rotate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grinin, V.P.

    1982-01-01

    It is shown that the inclination of spectral lines observed in a number of planetary nebulae when the spectrograph slit is placed along the major axis, which is presently ascribed to nonuniform expansion of the shells, actually may be due to rotation of the nebulae about their minor axes, as Campbell and Moore have suggested in their reports. It is assumed that the rotation of the central star (or, if the core is a binary system, circular motions of gas along quasi-Keplerian orbits) serves as the source of the original rotation of a protoplanetary nebula. The mechanism providing for strengthening of the original rotation in the process of expansion of the shell is the tangential pressure of L/sub α/ radiation due to the anisotropic properties of the medium and radiation field. The dynamic effect produced by them is evidently greatest in the epoch when the optical depth of the nebula in the L/sub c/ continuum becomes on the order of unity in the course of its expansion

  7. Stellar dynamism. Activity and rotation of solar stars observed from the Kepler satellite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ceillier, Tugdual

    2015-01-01

    This thesis concerns the study of seismic solar-like stars' rotation and magnetic activity. We use data from the Kepler satellite to study the rotational history of these stars throughout their evolution. This allows to have a more complete picture of stellar rotation and magnetism. In the first part, we present the context of this PhD: astro-seismology, the seismic study of stars. We continue by describing the tool we developed to measure surface rotation of stars using photometric data from Kepler. We compare it to other methodologies used by the community and show that its efficiency is very high. In the second part, we apply this tool to around 500 main-sequence and sub-giant solar-like stars. We measure surface rotation periods and activity levels for 300 of them. We show that the measured periods and the ages from astro-seismology do not agree well with the standard period-age relationships and propose to modify these relationships for stars older than the Sun. We also use the surface rotation as a constraint to estimate the internal rotation of a small number of seismic targets. We demonstrate that these stars have, like the Sun, a very low differential rotation ratio. In the third part, we apply our surface rotation-measuring tool to the most extensive sample of red giants observed by Kepler, comprising more than 17,000 stars. We identify more than 360 fast rotating red giants and compare our detection rates with the ones predicted by theory to better understand the reasons for this rapid rotation. We also use stellar modelling to reproduce the internal rotation profile of a particular red giant. This allows us to emphasize how important implementing new angular momentum transport mechanisms in stellar evolution codes is. This work offers new results that are useful to a very wide community of stellar physicists. It also puts strong constraints on the evolution of solar-like stars' rotation and magnetic activity. (author) [fr

  8. When a Slowly Rotating Aquaplanet is Coupled to a Dynamical Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salameh, J.; Marotzke, J.

    2017-12-01

    Planets orbiting in close distance from their stars have a high probability to be detected, and are expected to be slowly rotating due to strong tidal forces. By increasing the rotation period from 1 Earth-day to 365 Earth-days, we previously found that the global-mean surface temperature of an aquaplanet with a static mixed-layer ocean decreases by up to 27 K. The cooling is attributed to an increase of the planetary albedo with the rotation period, which is associated with the different distributions of the sea ice and the deep convective clouds. However, we had there assumed a fixed mixed-layer depth and a zero oceanic heat transport in the aquaplanet configuration. The limitations of these assumptions in such exotic climates are still unclear. We therefore perform coupled atmosphere-ocean aquaplanet simulations with the general circulation model ICON for various rotation periods ranging from 1 Earth-day to 365 Earth-days. We investigate how the underlying oceanic circulation modifies the mean climate of slowly rotating aquaplanets, and whether the day-to-night oceanic heat transport reduces the surface-temperature gradients and the sea-ice extent.

  9. Nanoparticles in dilute solution : A numerical study of rotational diffusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Evensen, Tom Richard

    2008-06-15

    This thesis is dedicated to Brownian dynamics simulations of rotational diffusion. A rotation dynamics engine has been implemented and tested. This engine will in the future be integrated as a part of a complete Brownian dynamics simulation tool. The special case, when translational motion can be ignored, has thoroughly been studied. Two choices of generalized coordinates describing angular orientation of the particles are used. The Euler angles, which constitute the classical choice, and the Cartesian components of the rotation vector, which was recently introduced as an alternative, are being compared with regards to computational efficiency. Results from both equilibrium and non-equilibrium simulations are presented. The consistency of two new algorithms is demonstrated on systems of free rigid particles with arbitrary surface topographies. The algorithms make use of only the principal values of the rotational mobility tensor, assuming the corresponding principal axes coincide with the body-fixed coordinate system. These three scalars contain all information about the particle surface topography relevant for rotational diffusion. The calculation of the mobility tensor can be performed in a pre-calculation step, which makes the algorithm itself highly efficient. Both choices of generalized coordinates correctly reproduce theoretical predictions, but we have found that the algorithm using the Cartesian components of the rotation vector as generalized coordinates outperform its counterpart using the Euler angles by up to a factor 1000 in extreme cases. The reason for this improvement is that the algorithm using the Cartesian components of the rotation vector is free of singularities. (Author). refs. figs

  10. Stability Analysis for Rotating Stall Dynamics in Axial Flow Compressors

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-01-01

    modes determines collectively local stability of the compressor model. Explicit conditions are obtained for local stability of rotating stall which...critical modes determines the stability for rotating stall collectively . We point out that although in a special case our stability condition for...strict crossing assumption implies that the zero solution changes its stability as ~, crosses ~’c. For instance, odk (yc ) > 0 implies that the zero

  11. Shoulder Dynamic Control Ratio and Rotation Range of Motion in Female Junior Elite Handball Players and Controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Cingel, Robert; Habets, Bas; Willemsen, Linn; Staal, Bart

    2018-03-01

    To compare glenohumeral range of motion and shoulder rotator muscle strength in healthy female junior elite handball players and controls. Cross-sectional case-control study. Sports medical center. Forty elite female handball players and 30 controls active in nonoverhead sports participated in this study. Passive external rotator (ER), internal rotator (IR), and total range of motion (TROM) of the dominant and nondominant arm were examined with a goniometer. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to evaluate concentric and eccentric rotator muscle strength at 60 and 120 degrees/s with dynamic control ratio (DCR = ERecc:IRcon) as the main outcome parameter. Except for the ER range of motion in the nondominant arm, no significant differences were found between groups for IR, ER of the dominant arm, and the TROM. Within the handball group, the side-to-side difference for IR of the dominant arm was -1.4 degrees. The ER and the TROM of the dominant arm were significantly larger, 6.3 and 4.9 degrees, respectively. For both groups, the DCR values were above 1 and no significant differences were found between the dominant and nondominant arm. The DCR values in the handball group were significantly lower than in the control group. Based on the adopted definitions for muscle imbalance, glenohumeral internal range of motion deficit and TROM deficit our elite female handball players seem not at risk for shoulder injuries. Prospective studies are needed to support the belief that a DCR below 1 places the shoulder at risk for injury.

  12. Pair correlation of super-deformed rotation band

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, Yoshio

    1989-01-01

    The effect of pair correlation, one of the most important residual interactions associated with the super-deformed rotation band, is discussed in terms of the characteristics of the rotation band (its effect on the moment of inertia in particular), and the tunneling into an normal deformed state in relation to its effect on the angular momentum dependence of the potential energy plane as a function of the deformation. The characteristics of the rotation band is discussed in terms of the kinematic and dynamic momenta of inertia. It is shown that the pair correlation in a super-deformed rotation band acts to decrease the former and increase the latter momentum mainly due to dynamic pair correlation. A theoretical approach that takes this effect into account can provide results that are consistent with measured momenta, although large differences can occur in some cases. Major conflicts include a large measured kinetic momentum of inertia compared to the theoretical value, and the absence of the abnormality (shape increase) generally seen in low-spin experiments. The former seems likely to be associated with the method of measuring the angular momentum. (N.K.)

  13. Classical and statistical mechanics of celestial-scale spinning strings: Rotating space elevators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golubović, L.; Knudsen, S.

    2009-05-01

    We introduce novel and unique class of dynamical systems, Rotating Space Elevators (RSE). The RSEs are multiply rotating systems of strings reaching into outer space. Objects sliding along RSE strings do not require internal engines or propulsion to be transported from the Earth's surface into outer space. The RSEs exhibit interesting nonlinear dynamics and statistical physics phenomena.

  14. Plasma-liquid system with rotational gliding discharge with liquid electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Solomenko, O.V; Martysh, E.V.; Fedirchuk, I.I.

    2014-01-01

    Plasma-liquid system based on rotational gliding discharge with one liquid electrode was developed. Emission spectra of plasma of rotational gliding discharge with one liquid electrode were investigated. Discovered effective mechanism of controlling non-isothermal level of plasma in dynamic plasma-liquid systems. Major mechanism of expulsion of metal anode material from plasma-liquid systems with rotational discharges was shown.

  15. Demarcating Circulation Regimes of Synchronously Rotating Terrestrial Planets within the Habitable Zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haqq-Misra, Jacob; Wolf, Eric. T.; Joshi, Manoj; Zhang, Xi; Kopparapu, Ravi Kumar

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the atmospheric dynamics of terrestrial planets in synchronous rotation within the habitable zone of low-mass stars using the Community Atmosphere Model. The surface temperature contrast between the day and night hemispheres decreases with an increase in incident stellar flux, which is opposite the trend seen in gas giants. We define three dynamical regimes in terms of the equatorial Rossby deformation radius and the Rhines length. The slow rotation regime has a mean zonal circulation that spans from the day to the night sides, which occurs for planets around stars with effective temperatures of 3300–4500 K (rotation period > 20 days), with both the Rossby deformation radius and the Rhines length exceeding the planetary radius. Rapid rotators have a mean zonal circulation that partially spans a hemisphere and with banded cloud formation beneath the substellar point, which occurs for planets orbiting stars with effective temperatures of less than 3000 K (rotation period days), with the Rossby deformation radius less than the planetary radius. In between is the Rhines rotation regime, which retains a thermally direct circulation from the day side to the night side but also features midlatitude turbulence-driven zonal jets. Rhines rotators occur for planets around stars in the range of 3000–3300 K (rotation period ∼5–20 days), where the Rhines length is greater than the planetary radius but the Rossby deformation radius is less than the planetary radius. The dynamical state can be observationally inferred from a comparison of the morphologies of the thermal emission phase curves of synchronously rotating planets.

  16. Modal Analysis in Periodic, Time-Varying Systems with emphasis to the Coupling between Flexible Rotating Beams and Non-Rotating Flexible Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saracho, C. M.; Santos, Ilmar

    2003-01-01

    The analysis of dynamical response of a system built by a non-rotating structure coupled to flexible rotating beams is the purpose of this work. The effect of rotational speed upon the beam natural frequencies is well-known, so that an increase in the angular speeds leads to an increase in beam...... natural frequencies, the so-called centrifugal stiffening. The equations of motion of such a global system present matrices with time-depending coefficients, which vary periodically with the angular rotor speed, and introduce parametric vibrations into the system response. The principles of modal analysis...... for time-invariant linear systems are expanded to investigate time-varying systems. Concepts as eigenvalues and eigenvectors, which in this special case are also time-varying, are used to analyse the dynamical response of global system. The time-varying frequencies and modes are also illustrated....

  17. Ultrafast rotation in an amphidynamic crystalline metal organic framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogelsberg, Cortnie S; Uribe-Romo, Fernando J; Lipton, Andrew S; Yang, Song; Houk, K N; Brown, Stuart; Garcia-Garibay, Miguel A

    2017-12-26

    Amphidynamic crystals are an emergent class of condensed phase matter designed with a combination of lattice-forming elements linked to components that display engineered dynamics in the solid state. Here, we address the design of a crystalline array of molecular rotors with inertial diffusional rotation at the nanoscale, characterized by the absence of steric or electronic barriers. We solved this challenge with 1,4-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylic acid (BODCA)-MOF, a metal-organic framework (MOF) built with a high-symmetry bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylate linker in a Zn 4 O cubic lattice. Using spin-lattice relaxation 1 H solid-state NMR at 29.49 and 13.87 MHz in the temperature range of 2.3-80 K, we showed that internal rotation occurs in a potential with energy barriers of 0.185 kcal mol -1 These results were confirmed with 2 H solid-state NMR line-shape analysis and spin-lattice relaxation at 76.78 MHz obtained between 6 and 298 K, which, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, indicate that inertial diffusional rotation is characterized by a broad range of angular displacements with no residence time at any given site. The ambient temperature rotation of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) group in BODCA-MOF constitutes an example where engineered rotational dynamics in the solid state are as fast as they would be in a high-density gas or in a low-density liquid phase.

  18. Context-dependent Generalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jordan A Taylor

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The pattern of generalization following motor learning can provide a probe on the neural mechanisms underlying learning. For example, the breadth of generalization to untrained regions of space after visuomotor adaptation to targets in a restricted region of space has been attributed to the directional tuning properties of neurons in the motor system. Building on this idea, the effect of different types of perturbations on generalization (e.g., rotation versus visual translation have been attributed to the selection of differentially tuned populations. Overlooked in this discussion is consideration of how the context of the training environment may constrain generalization. Here, we explore the role of context by having participants learn a visuomotor rotation or a translational shift in two different contexts, one in which the array of targets were presented in a circular arrangement and the other in which they were presented in a rectilinear arrangement. The perturbation and environments were either consistent (e.g., rotation with circular arrangement or inconsistent (e.g., rotation with rectilinear arrangement. The pattern of generalization across the workspace was much more dependent on the context of the environment than on the perturbation, with broad generalization for the rectilinear arrangement for both types of perturbations. Moreover, the generalization pattern for this context was evident, even when the perturbation was introduced in a gradual manner, precluding the use of an explicit strategy. We describe how current models of generalization might be modified to incorporate these results, building on the idea that context provides a strong bias for how the motor system infers the nature of the visuomotor perturbation and, in turn, how this information influences the pattern of generalization.

  19. Experimental investigation of the dynamics in a strongly interacting Fermi gas : collective modes and rotational properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riedl, S.

    2009-01-01

    This thesis explores the dynamics in an ultracold strongly interacting Fermi gas. Therefore we perform measurements on collective excitation modes and rotational properties of the gas. The strongly interacting gas is realized using an optically trapped Fermi gas of 6 Li atoms, where the interactions can be tuned using a broad Feshbach resonance. Our measurements allow to test the equation of state of the gas, study the transition from hydrodynamic to collisionless behavior, reveal almost ideal hydrodynamic behavior in the nonsuperfluid phase, investigate the lifetime of angular momentum, and show superfluidity through the quenching of the moment of inertia. (author)

  20. Gravitational collapse with rotating thin shells and cosmic censorship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delsate, Térence; Rocha, Jorge V; Santarelli, Raphael

    2015-01-01

    The study of gravitational collapse is a subject of great importance, both from an astrophysical and a holographic point of view. In this respect, exact solutions can be very helpful but known solutions are very scarce, especially when considering dynamical processes with rotation. We describe a setup in which gravitational collapse of rotating matter shells can be addressed with analytic tools, at the expense of going to higher dimensions and considering equal angular momenta spacetimes. The framework for an exact treatment of the dynamics, relying on a thin shell approximation, is developed. Our analysis allows the inclusion of a non-vanishing cosmological constant. Finally, we discuss applications of this machinery to the construction of stationary solutions describing matter around rotating black holes and to the cosmic censorship conjecture. (paper)

  1. On the stability and maximum mass of differentially rotating relativistic stars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weih, Lukas R.; Most, Elias R.; Rezzolla, Luciano

    2018-01-01

    The stability properties of rotating relativistic stars against prompt gravitational collapse to a black hole are rather well understood for uniformly rotating models. This is not the case for differentially rotating neutron stars, which are expected to be produced in catastrophic events such as the merger of binary system of neutron stars or the collapse of a massive stellar core. We consider sequences of differentially rotating equilibrium models using the j-constant law and by combining them with their dynamical evolution, we show that a sufficient stability criterion for differentially rotating neutron stars exists similar to the one of their uniformly rotating counterparts. Namely: along a sequence of constant angular momentum, a dynamical instability sets in for central rest-mass densities slightly below the one of the equilibrium solution at the turning point. In addition, following Breu & Rezzolla, we show that 'quasi-universal' relations can be found when calculating the turning-point mass. In turn, this allows us to compute the maximum mass allowed by differential rotation, Mmax,dr, in terms of the maximum mass of the non-rotating configuration, M_{_TOV}, finding that M_{max, dr} ˜eq (1.54 ± 0.05) M_{_TOV} for all the equations of state we have considered.

  2. Analysis of Students’ Difficulties about Rotational Dynamic Topic Based on Resource Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Rahmawati

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Students’ difficulties commonly are analyzed based on misconception theory. This paper aimed to analyze students’ difficulties on the rotational dynamic based on resource theory. The subject of research consisted of 108 first-year undergraduate students of Physics Education, State University of Malang. Firstly, the students were asked to solve 15 multiple-choice questions and gave open explanation. We then implemened a constant comparative method to identify and categorize some resources that students employed in solving several problems that most the students failed to respond correctly. The results indicated that the students had difficulties in solving problems related to the torque and the equilibrium of rigid body. The students’ difficulties were not merely caused by the lack of correct knowledge. Instead, they have the correct knowledge or resources but they activated them on inappropriate context. The students will be successfully used the resources to solve problems if they activated them in the right context.

  3. Dynamics of simple magnetorheological suspensions under rotating magnetic fields with modulated Mason number

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calderon, Oscar G; Melle, Sonia

    2002-01-01

    We study theoretically the dynamics of a system of two magnetizable particles suspended in a non-magnetic fluid subject to a rotating magnetic field when a modulation on the Mason number (ratio of viscous to magnetic forces) is applied. We find, using a periodic modulation, that a resonant-like phenomenon between the periodic modulation of the Mason number and the intrinsic radial oscillation of the system without modulation occurs. For a random perturbation of the Mason number, we obtain an optimum noise strength at which the average interparticle distance reaches the lowest value. When a weak periodic modulation and a noise source are included in the Mason number, stochastic resonance (SR) is found for different frequencies and amplitudes of the modulation. An interpretation of this SR phenomenon is made by means of a threshold crossing mechanism

  4. Dynamic Imbalance Would Counter Offcenter Thrust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mccanna, Jason

    1994-01-01

    Dynamic imbalance generated by offcenter thrust on rotating body eliminated by shifting some of mass of body to generate opposing dynamic imbalance. Technique proposed originally for spacecraft including massive crew module connected via long, lightweight intermediate structure to massive engine module, such that artificial gravitation in crew module generated by rotating spacecraft around axis parallel to thrust generated by engine. Also applicable to dynamic balancing of rotating terrestrial equipment to which offcenter forces applied.

  5. Simultaneous processing of information on multiple errors in visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasuga, Shoko; Hirashima, Masaya; Nozaki, Daichi

    2013-01-01

    The proper association between planned and executed movements is crucial for motor learning because the discrepancies between them drive such learning. Our study explored how this association was determined when a single action caused the movements of multiple visual objects. Participants reached toward a target by moving a cursor, which represented the right hand's position. Once every five to six normal trials, we interleaved either of two kinds of visual perturbation trials: rotation of the cursor by a certain amount (±15°, ±30°, and ±45°) around the starting position (single-cursor condition) or rotation of two cursors by different angles (+15° and -45°, 0° and 30°, etc.) that were presented simultaneously (double-cursor condition). We evaluated the aftereffects of each condition in the subsequent trial. The error sensitivity (ratio of the aftereffect to the imposed visual rotation) in the single-cursor trials decayed with the amount of rotation, indicating that the motor learning system relied to a greater extent on smaller errors. In the double-cursor trials, we obtained a coefficient that represented the degree to which each of the visual rotations contributed to the aftereffects based on the assumption that the observed aftereffects were a result of the weighted summation of the influences of the imposed visual rotations. The decaying pattern according to the amount of rotation was maintained in the coefficient of each imposed visual rotation in the double-cursor trials, but the value was reduced to approximately 40% of the corresponding error sensitivity in the single-cursor trials. We also found a further reduction of the coefficients when three distinct cursors were presented (e.g., -15°, 15°, and 30°). These results indicated that the motor learning system utilized multiple sources of visual error information simultaneously to correct subsequent movement and that a certain averaging mechanism might be at work in the utilization process.

  6. Sinusoidal visuomotor tracking: intermittent servo-control or coupled oscillations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, D M; Sternad, D

    2001-12-01

    In visuomotor tasks that involve accuracy demands, small directional changes in the trajectories have been taken as evidence of feedback-based error corrections. In the present study variability, or intermittency, in visuomanual tracking of sinusoidal targets was investigated. Two lines of analyses were pursued: First, the hypothesis that humans fundamentally act as intermittent servo-controllers was re-examined, probing the question of whether discontinuities in the movement trajectory directly imply intermittent control. Second, an alternative hypothesis was evaluated: that rhythmic tracking movements are generated by entrainment between the oscillations of the target and the actor, such that intermittency expresses the degree of stability. In 2 experiments, participants (N = 6 in each experiment) swung 1 of 2 different hand-held pendulums, tracking a rhythmic target that oscillated at different frequencies with a constant amplitude. In 1 line of analyses, the authors tested the intermittency hypothesis by using the typical kinematic error measures and spectral analysis. In a 2nd line, they examined relative phase and its variability, following analyses of rhythmic interlimb coordination. The results showed that visually guided corrective processes play a role, especially for slow movements. Intermittency, assessed as frequency and power components of the movement trajectory, was found to change as a function of both target frequency and the manipulandum's inertia. Support for entrainment was found in conditions in which task frequency was identical to or higher than the effector's eigenfrequency. The results suggest that it is the symmetry between task and effector that determines which behavioral regime is dominant.

  7. Effects of Peanut-Tobacco Rotations on Population Dynamics of Meloidogyne arenaria in Mixed Race Populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirunsalee, A; Barker, K R; Beute, M K

    1995-06-01

    A 3-year microplot study was initiated to characterize the population dynamics, reproduction potential, and survivorship of single or mixed populations of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 (Ma1) and race 2 (Ma2), as affected by crop rotations of peanut 'Florigiant' and M. incognita races 1 and 3-resistant 'McNair 373' and susceptible 'Coker 371-Gold' tobacco. Infection, reproduction, and root damage by Ma2 on peanut and by Ma1 on resistant tobacco were limited in the first year. Infection, reproduction, and root-damage potentials on susceptible tobacco were similar for Ma1 and Ma2. In the mixed (1:1) population, Ma1 was dominant on peanut and Ma2 was dominant on both tobacco cultivars. Crop rotation affected the population dynamics of different nematode races. For years 2 and 3, the low numbers of Ma1 and Ma2 from a previous-year poor host increased rapidly on suitable hosts. Ma1 had greater reproduction factors ([RF] = population density at harvest/population density at preplandng) than did Ma2 and Ma1 + Ma2 in second-year peanut plots following first-year resistant tobacco, and in third-year peanut plots following second-year tobacco. In mixed infestations, Ma1 predominated over Ma2 in previous-year peanut plots, whereas Ma2 predominated over Ma1 in previous-year tobacco plots. Moderate damage on resistant tobacco was induced by Ma1 in the second year. In the third year, moderate damage on peanut was associated with 'Ma2' from previous-year peanut plots. The resistant tobacco supported sufficient reproduction of Ma1 over 2 years to effect moderate damage and yield suppression to peanut in year 3.

  8. Molecular dynamics simulation of the rotational order-disorder phase transition in calcite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawano, Jun; Miyake, Akira; Shimobayashi, Norimasa; Kitamura, Masao

    2009-01-01

    Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of calcite was carried out with the interatomic potential model based on ab initio calculations to elucidate the phase relations for calcite polymorphs and the mechanism of the rotational order-disorder transition of calcite at high temperature at the atomic scale. From runs of MD calculations with increasing temperature within a pressure range of 1 atm and 2 GPa, the transition of calcite with R3-barc symmetry into a high-temperature phase with R3-barm symmetry was reproduced. In the high-temperature R3-barm phase, CO 3 groups vibrate with large amplitudes either around the original positions in the R3-barc structure or around other positions rotated ± 60 deg., and their positions change continuously with time. Moreover, contrary to the suggestion of previous investigators, the motion of CO 3 groups is not two-dimensional. At 1 atm, the transition between R3-barc and R3-barm is first order in character. Upon increasing temperature at high pressure, however, first a first-order isosymmetric phase transition between the R3-barc phases occurs, which corresponds to the start of ± 120 deg. flipping of CO 3 groups. Then, at higher temperatures, the transition of R3-barc to R3-barm phases happens, which can be considered second order. This set of two types of transitions at elevated pressure can be characterized by the appearance of an 'intermediate' R3-barc phase between the stable region of calcite and the high-temperature R3-barm phase, which may correspond to the CaCO 3 -IV phase.

  9. Nonlinear travelling waves in rotating Hagen–Poiseuille flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pier, Benoît; Govindarajan, Rama

    2018-03-01

    The dynamics of viscous flow through a rotating pipe is considered. Small-amplitude stability characteristics are obtained by linearizing the Navier–Stokes equations around the base flow and solving the resulting eigenvalue problems. For linearly unstable configurations, the dynamics leads to fully developed finite-amplitude perturbations that are computed by direct numerical simulations of the complete Navier–Stokes equations. By systematically investigating all linearly unstable combinations of streamwise wave number k and azimuthal mode number m, for streamwise Reynolds numbers {{Re}}z ≤slant 500 and rotational Reynolds numbers {{Re}}{{Ω }} ≤slant 500, the complete range of nonlinear travelling waves is obtained and the associated flow fields are characterized.

  10. Hydrogen bonding in protic ionic liquids: structural correlations, vibrational spectroscopy, and rotational dynamics of liquid ethylammonium nitrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zentel, Tobias; Overbeck, Viviane; Michalik, Dirk; Kühn, Oliver; Ludwig, Ralf

    2018-02-01

    The properties of the hydrogen bonds in ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) are analyzed by using molecular dynamics simulations and infrared as well as nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. EAN features a flexible three-dimensional network of hydrogen bonds with moderate strengths, which makes it distinct from related triethylammonium-based ionic liquids. First, the network’s flexibility is manifested in a not very pronounced correlation of the hydrogen bond geometries, which is caused by rapid interchanges of bonding partners. The large flexibility of the network also leads to a substantial broadening of the mid-IR absorption band, with the contributions due to N-H stretching motions ranging from 2800 to 3250 cm-1. Finally, the different dynamics are also seen in the rotational correlation of the N-H bond vector, where a correlation time as short as 16.1 ps is observed.

  11. Credit assignment in multiple goal embodied visuomotor behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constantin A Rothkopf

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The intrinsic complexity of the brain can lead one to set aside issues related to its relationships with the body, but the field of embodied cognition emphasizes that understanding brain function at the system level requires one to address the role of the brain-body interface. It has only recently been appreciated that this interface performs huge amounts of computation that does not have to be repeated by the brain, and thus affords the brain great simplifications in its representations. In effect the brain’s abstract states can refer to coded representations of the world created by the body.But even if the brain can communicate with the world through abstractions, the severe speed limitations in its neural circuitry mean that vast amounts of indexing must be performed during development so that appropriate behavioral responses can be rapidly accessed. One way this could happen would be if the brain used a decomposition whereby behavioral primitives could be quickly accessed and combined. This realization motivates of our study of independent sensorimotor task solvers, which we call modules, in directing behavior.The issue we focus on herein is how an embodied agent can learn such individual visuomotor modules while pursuing multiple goals. The biologically plausible standard for module programming is that of reinforcement given during exploration of the environment. However this formulation contains a substantial issue when sensorimotor modules are used in combination: The credit for their overall performance must be divided amongst them. We show that this problem can be solved and that diverse task combinations are beneficial in learning and not a complication, as usually assumed. Our simulations show that fast algorithms are available that allot credit correctly and are insensitive to measurement noise.

  12. Rotational diffusion of a molecular cat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz-Saporta, Ori; Efrati, Efi

    We show that a simple isolated system can perform rotational random walk on account of internal excitations alone. We consider the classical dynamics of a ''molecular cat'': a triatomic molecule connected by three harmonic springs with non-zero rest lengths, suspended in free space. In this system, much like for falling cats, the angular momentum constraint is non-holonomic allowing for rotations with zero overall angular momentum. The geometric nonlinearities arising from the non-zero rest lengths of the springs suffice to break integrability and lead to chaotic dynamics. The coupling of the non-integrability of the system and its non-holonomic nature results in an angular random walk of the molecule. We study the properties and dynamics of this angular motion analytically and numerically. For low energy excitations the system displays normal-mode-like motion, while for high enough excitation energy we observe regular random-walk. In between, at intermediate energies we observe an angular Lévy-walk type motion associated with a fractional diffusion coefficient interpolating between the two regimes.

  13. Ultrafast rotation in an amphidynamic crystalline metal organic framework

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vogelsberg, Cortnie S.; Uribe-Romo, Fernando J.; Lipton, Andrew S.; Yang, Song; Houk, K. N.; Brown, Stuart; Garcia-Garibay, Miguel A.

    2017-12-11

    Amphidynamic crystals are an emergent class of condensed phase matter designed with a combination of lattice-forming elements linked to components that display engineered dynamics in the solid state. Here, we address the design of a crystalline array of molecular rotors with inertial diffusional rotation at the nanoscale, characterized by the absence of steric or electronic barriers. We solved this challenge with 1,4-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylic acid (BODCA)-MOF, a metal-organic framework (MOF) built with a high-symmetry bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylate linker in a Zn4O cubic lattice. Using spin-lattice relaxation 1H solid-state NMR at 29.49 and 13.87 MHz in the temperature range of 2.3–80 K, we showed that internal rotation occurs in a potential with energy barriers of 0.185 kcal mol-1. These results were confirmed with 2H solid-state NMR line-shape analysis and spin-lattice relaxation at 76.78 MHz obtained between 6 and 298 K, which, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, indicate that inertial diffusional rotation is characterized by a broad range of angular displacements with no residence time at any given site. The ambient temperature rotation of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) group in BODCA-MOF constitutes an example where engineered rotational dynamics in the solid state are as fast as they would be in a high-density gas or in a low-density liquid phase.

  14. Identical high- K three-quasiparticle rotational bands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaur, Harjeet; Singh, Pardeep [Guru Nanak Dev University, Department of Physics, Amritsar (India)

    2016-12-15

    A comprehensive study of high-K three-quasiparticle rotational bands in odd-A nuclei indicates the similarity in γ-ray energies and dynamic moment of inertia I{sup (2)}. The extent of the identicality between the rotational bands is evaluated by using the energy factor method. For nuclei pairs exhibiting identical bands, the average relative change in the dynamic moment of inertia I{sup (2)} is also determined. The identical behaviour shown by these bands is attributed to the interplay of nuclear structure parameters: deformation and the pairing correlations. Also, experimental trend of the I(ℎ) vs. ℎω (MeV) plot for these nuclei pairs is shown to be in agreement with Tilted-Axis Cranking (TAC) model calculations. (orig.)

  15. MOND rotation curves for spiral galaxies with Cepheid-based distances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bottema, R; Pestana, JLG; Rothberg, B; Sanders, RH

    2002-01-01

    Rotation curves for four spiral galaxies with recently determined Cepheid-based distances are reconsidered in terms of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). For two of the objects, NGC 2403 and NGC 7331, the rotation curves predicted by MOND are compatible with the observed curves when these galaxies

  16. Collective circular motion in synchronized and balanced formations with second-order rotational dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Anoop; Ghose, Debasish

    2018-01-01

    This paper considers collective circular motion of multi-agent systems in which all the agents are required to traverse different circles or a common circle at a prescribed angular velocity. It is required to achieve these collective motions with the heading angles of the agents synchronized or balanced. In synchronization, the agents and their centroid have a common velocity direction, while in balancing, the movement of agents causes the location of the centroid to become stationary. The agents are initially considered to move at unit speed around individual circles at different angular velocities. It is assumed that the agents are subjected to limited communication constraints, and exchange relative information according to a time-invariant undirected graph. We present suitable feedback control laws for each of these motion coordination tasks by considering a second-order rotational dynamics of the agent. Simulations are given to illustrate the theoretical findings.

  17. Dynamics of rotating and vibrating thin hemispherical shell with mass and damping imperfections and parametrically driven by discrete electrodes

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Shatalov, M

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available stream_source_info Shatalov2_2009.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 22572 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Shatalov2_2009.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 1 DYNAMICS OF ROTATING... AND VIBRATING THIN HEMISPHERICAL SHELL WITH MASS AND DAMPING IMPERFECTIONS AND PARAMETRICALLY DRIVEN BY DISCRETE ELECTRODES Michael Shatalov1,2 and Charlotta Coetzee2 1Sensor Science and Technology (SST) of CSIR Material Science and Manufacturing (MSM...

  18. Rotational distributions of molecular photoions following resonant excitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poliakoff, E.D.; Chan, J.C.K.; White, M.G.

    1986-01-01

    We demonstrate that the photoelectron energy mediates the rotational energy distribution of N + 2 ions created by photoionization, and conversely, that rotational energy determinations probe resonant excitation in molecular photoionization. Experimentally, this is accomplished by monitoring the dispersed fluorescence from N + 2 (B 2 Σ + /sub u/) photoions to determine their rotational energy distribution. These results demonstrate that while dipole selection rules constrain the total angular momentum of the electron--ion complex, the partitioning of angular momentum between the photoelectron and photoion depends on the photoejection dynamics. Implications for photoionization and electron impact ionizatin studies are discussed

  19. Differences in context and feedback result in different trajectories and adaptation strategies in reaching.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fritzie Arce

    Full Text Available Computational models of motor control have often explained the straightness of horizontal planar reaching movements as a consequence of optimal control. Departure from rectilinearity is thus regarded as sub-optimal. Here we examine if subjects may instead select to make curved trajectories following adaptation to force fields and visuomotor rotations. Separate subjects adapted to force fields with or without visual feedback of their hand trajectory and were retested after 24 hours. Following adaptation, comparable accuracies were achieved in two ways: with visual feedback, adapted trajectories in force fields were straight whereas without it, they remained curved. The results suggest that trajectory shape is not always straight, but is also influenced by the calibration of available feedback signals for the state estimation required by the task. In a follow-up experiment, where additional subjects learned a visuomotor rotation immediately after force field, the trajectories learned in force fields (straight or curved were transferred when directions of the perturbations were similar but not when directions were opposing. This demonstrates a strong bias by prior experience to keep using a recently acquired control policy that continues to produce successful performance inspite of differences in tasks and feedback conditions. On relearning of force fields on the second day, facilitation by intervening visuomotor rotations occurred only when required motor adjustments and calibration of feedback signals were similar in both tasks. These results suggest that both the available feedback signals and prior history of learning influence the choice and maintenance of control policy during adaptations.

  20. A Vision-Based Dynamic Rotational Angle Measurement System for Large Civil Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jong-Jae; Ho, Hoai-Nam; Lee, Jong-Han

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a vision-based rotational angle measurement system for large-scale civil structures. Despite the fact that during the last decade several rotation angle measurement systems were introduced, they however often required complex and expensive equipment. Therefore, alternative effective solutions with high resolution are in great demand. The proposed system consists of commercial PCs, commercial camcorders, low-cost frame grabbers, and a wireless LAN router. The calculation of rotation angle is obtained by using image processing techniques with pre-measured calibration parameters. Several laboratory tests were conducted to verify the performance of the proposed system. Compared with the commercial rotation angle measurement, the results of the system showed very good agreement with an error of less than 1.0% in all test cases. Furthermore, several tests were conducted on the five-story modal testing tower with a hybrid mass damper to experimentally verify the feasibility of the proposed system. PMID:22969348

  1. Spinning Up Interest: Classroom Demonstrations of Rotating Fluid Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurnou, J.

    2005-12-01

    The complex relationship between rotation and its effect on fluid motions presents some of the most difficult and vexing concepts for both undergraduate and graduate level students to learn. We have found that student comprehension is greatly increased by the presentation of in-class fluid mechanics experiments. A relatively inexpensive experimental set-up consists of the following components: a record player, a wireless camera placed in the rotating frame, a tank of fluid, and food coloring. At my poster, I will use this set-up to carry out demonstrations that illustrate the Taylor-Proudman theorem, flow within the Ekman layer, columnar convection, and flow around high and low pressure centers. By sending the output of the wireless camera through an LCD projection system, such demonstrations can be carried out even for classes in large lecture halls.

  2. Rotation number of integrable symplectic mappings of the plane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zolkin, Timofey [Fermilab; Nagaitsev, Sergei [Fermilab; Danilov, Viatcheslav [Oak Ridge

    2017-04-11

    Symplectic mappings are discrete-time analogs of Hamiltonian systems. They appear in many areas of physics, including, for example, accelerators, plasma, and fluids. Integrable mappings, a subclass of symplectic mappings, are equivalent to a Twist map, with a rotation number, constant along the phase trajectory. In this letter, we propose a succinct expression to determine the rotation number and present two examples. Similar to the period of the bounded motion in Hamiltonian systems, the rotation number is the most fundamental property of integrable maps and it provides a way to analyze the phase-space dynamics.

  3. Rotation vectors for homeomorphisms of non-positively curved manifolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lessa, Pablo

    2011-01-01

    Rotation vectors, as defined for homeomorphisms of the torus that are isotopic to the identity, are generalized to such homeomorphisms of any complete Riemannian manifold with non-positive sectional curvature. These generalized rotation vectors are shown to exist for almost every orbit of such a dynamical system with respect to any invariant measure with compact support. The concept is then extended to flows and, as an application, it is shown how non-null rotation vectors can be used to construct a measurable semi-conjugacy between a given flow and the geodesic flow of a manifold

  4. Geometric phase for a neutral particle in rotating frames in a cosmic string spacetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakke, Knut; Furtado, Claudio

    2009-01-01

    We study of the appearance of geometric quantum phases in the dynamics of a neutral particle that possess a permanent magnetic dipole moment in rotating frames in a cosmic string spacetime. The relativistic dynamics of spin-1/2 particle in this frame is investigated and we obtain several contributions to relativistic geometric phase due rotation and topology of spacetime. We also study the geometric phase in the nonrelativistic limit. We obtain effects analogous to the Sagnac effect and Mashhoon effect in a rotating frame in the background of a cosmic string.

  5. Nonlinear model of a rotating hub-beams structure: Equations of motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warminski, Jerzy

    2018-01-01

    Dynamics of a rotating structure composed of a rigid hub and flexible beams is presented in the paper. A nonlinear model of a beam takes into account bending, extension and nonlinear curvature. The influence of geometric nonlinearity and nonconstant angular velocity on dynamics of the rotating structure is presented. The exact equations of motion and associated boundary conditions are derived on the basis of the Hamilton's principle. The simplification of the exact nonlinear mathematical model is proposed taking into account the second order approximation. The reduced partial differential equations of motion together with associated boundary conditions can be used to study natural or forced vibrations of a rotating structure considering constant or nonconstant angular speed of a rigid hub and an arbitrary number of flexible blades.

  6. Neurophysiological and behavioral indices of time pressure effects on visuomotor task performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slobounov, S M; Fukada, K; Simon, R; Rearick, M; Ray, W

    2000-06-01

    Using a video game format, this study examined the effects of time pressure (TP) on behavioral and electrocortical indices. The behavioral results were consistent with previous time pressure research in that TP reduced time to perform a task and increases behavioral errors. In addition, electroencephalogram (EEG) measures showed distinctive patterns associated with TP in the theta, mu, and gamma bands along the midline. Site specific changes in the success vs. failure trials were also seen in midline theta at Fz, gamma at Fz, and mu at Cz. Right parietal alpha also differentiated TP and success vs. failure trials. In specific TP (1) increased frontal midline theta activity and (2) increased gamma at midline (frontal, central, and partietal) and in right frontal areas. The results of these findings are discussed in terms of the formation of specific neurocognitive strategies as evidenced by the topographic distribution of task-related modulation of the EEG within certain frequency bands. It is suggested that the effect of TP on visuomotor performance is mediated by adopting either task-relevant or task-irrelevant neurocognitive strategies as evidenced by successful or failed trials, respectively. Whether these strategies are formulated prior to performance or appear spontaneously during task performance remains unclear and is awaiting further experimentation.

  7. The Build-Up Course of Visuo-Motor and Audio-Motor Temporal Recalibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshimori Sugano

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The sensorimotor timing is recalibrated after a brief exposure to a delayed feedback of voluntary actions (temporal recalibration effect: TRE (Heron et al., 2009; Stetson et al., 2006; Sugano et al., 2010. We introduce a new paradigm, namely ‘synchronous tapping’ (ST which allows us to investigate how the TRE builds up during adaptation. In each experimental trial, participants were repeatedly exposed to a constant lag (∼150 ms between their voluntary action (pressing a mouse and a feedback stimulus (a visual flash / an auditory click 10 times. Immediately after that, they performed a ST task with the same stimulus as a pace signal (7 flashes / clicks. A subjective ‘no-delay condition’ (∼50 ms served as control. The TRE manifested itself as a change in the tap-stimulus asynchrony that compensated the exposed lag (eg, after lag adaptation, the tap preceded the stimulus more than in control and built up quickly (∼3–6 trials, ∼23–45 sec in both the visuo- and audio-motor domain. The audio-motor TRE was bigger and built-up faster than the visuo-motor one. To conclude, the TRE is comparable between visuo- and audio-motor domain, though they are slightly different in size and build-up rate.

  8. Identifying Broadband Rotational Spectra with Neural Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaleski, Daniel P.; Prozument, Kirill

    2017-06-01

    A typical broadband rotational spectrum may contain several thousand observable transitions, spanning many species. Identifying the individual spectra, particularly when the dynamic range reaches 1,000:1 or even 10,000:1, can be challenging. One approach is to apply automated fitting routines. In this approach, combinations of 3 transitions can be created to form a "triple", which allows fitting of the A, B, and C rotational constants in a Watson-type Hamiltonian. On a standard desktop computer, with a target molecule of interest, a typical AUTOFIT routine takes 2-12 hours depending on the spectral density. A new approach is to utilize machine learning to train a computer to recognize the patterns (frequency spacing and relative intensities) inherit in rotational spectra and to identify the individual spectra in a raw broadband rotational spectrum. Here, recurrent neural networks have been trained to identify different types of rotational spectra and classify them accordingly. Furthermore, early results in applying convolutional neural networks for spectral object recognition in broadband rotational spectra appear promising. Perez et al. "Broadband Fourier transform rotational spectroscopy for structure determination: The water heptamer." Chem. Phys. Lett., 2013, 571, 1-15. Seifert et al. "AUTOFIT, an Automated Fitting Tool for Broadband Rotational Spectra, and Applications to 1-Hexanal." J. Mol. Spectrosc., 2015, 312, 13-21. Bishop. "Neural networks for pattern recognition." Oxford university press, 1995.

  9. Effects of Interfaces on Dynamics in Micro-Fluidic Devices: Slip-Boundaries’ Impact on Rotation Characteristics of Polar Liquid Film Motors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Su-Rong; Liu, Zhong-Qiang; Amos Yinnon, Tamar; Kong, Xiang-Mu

    2017-05-01

    A new approach for exploring effects of interfaces on polar liquids is presented. Their impact on the polar liquid film motor (PLFM) - a novel micro-fluidic device - is studied. We account for the interface’s impact by modeling slip boundary effects on the PLFM’s electro-hydro-dynamical rotations. Our analytical results show as k={l}s/R increases (with {l}s denoting the slip length resulting from the interface’s impact on the film’s properties, k > -1 and R denoting the film’s radius): (a) PLFMs subsequently exhibit rotation characteristics under “negative-”, “no-”, “partial-” and “perfect-” slip boundary conditions; (b) The maximum value of the linear velocity of the steady rotating film increases linearly and its location approaches the film’s border; (c) The decay of the angular velocities’ dependency on the distance from the center of the film slows down, resulting in a macroscopic flow near the boundary. With our calculated rotation speed distributions consistent with the existing experimental ones, research aiming at fitting computed to measured distributions promises identifying the factors affecting {l}s, e.g., solid-fluid potential interactions and surface roughness. The consistency also is advantageous for optimizing PLFM’s applications as micro-washers, centrifuges, mixers in the lab-on-a-chip. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11302118, 11275112, and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province under Grant No. ZR2013AQ015

  10. Rotation in a gravitational billiard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peraza-Mues, G. G.; Carvente, Osvaldo; Moukarzel, Cristian F.

    Gravitational billiards composed of a viscoelastic frictional disk bouncing on a vibrating wedge have been studied previously, but only from the point of view of their translational behavior. In this work, the average rotational velocity of the disk is studied under various circumstances. First, an experimental realization is briefly presented, which shows sustained rotation when the wedge is tilted. Next, this phenomenon is scrutinized in close detail using a precise numerical implementation of frictional forces. We show that the bouncing disk acquires a spontaneous rotational velocity whenever the wedge angle is not bisected by the direction of gravity. Our molecular dynamics (MD) results are well reproduced by event-driven (ED) simulations. When the wedge aperture angle θW>π/2, the average tangential velocity Rω¯ of the disk scales with the typical wedge vibration velocity vb, and is in general a nonmonotonic function of the overall tilt angle θT of the wedge. The present work focuses on wedges with θW=2π/3, which are relevant for the problem of spontaneous rotation in vibrated disk packings. This study makes part of the PhD Thesis of G. G. Peraza-Mues.

  11. Meniscus Stability in Rotating Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichel, Yvonne; Dreyer, Michael

    2013-11-01

    In this study, the stability of free surfaces of fluid between two rotating coaxial, circular disks is examined. Radially mounted baffles are used to form menisci of equal size. To the center of the upper disk, a tube is connected in which a separate meniscus is formed. Assuming solid-body rotation and ignoring dynamic effects, it is observed that the free surfaces between the disks fail to remain stable once the rotation speed exceeds a critical value. In other words, Rayleigh-Taylor instability ensues when the capillary forces fail to balance centrifugal forces. Dimensionless critical rotation speeds are studied by means of the Surface Evolver via SE-FIT for varied number of baffles, the normalized distance between the disks, and the normalized central tube radius. Drop tower tests are performed to confirm some of the numerical results. The computation also reveals that there are different modes of instability as a function of the relevant parameters. This study was funded by the space agency of the German Aerospace Center with resources of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag under grant number 50 RL 1320.

  12. Novel AC Servo Rotating and Linear Composite Driving Device for Plastic Forming Equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jin-Tao; Zhao, Sheng-Dun; Li, Yong-Yi; Zhu, Mu-Zhi

    2017-07-01

    The existing plastic forming equipment are mostly driven by traditional AC motors with long transmission chains, low efficiency, large size, low precision and poor dynamic response are the common disadvantages. In order to realize high performance forming processes, the driving device should be improved, especially for complicated processing motions. Based on electric servo direct drive technology, a novel AC servo rotating and linear composite driving device is proposed, which features implementing both spindle rotation and feed motion without transmission, so that compact structure and precise control can be achieved. Flux switching topology is employed in the rotating drive component for strong robustness, and fractional slot is employed in the linear direct drive component for large force capability. Then the mechanical structure for compositing rotation and linear motion is designed. A device prototype is manufactured, machining of each component and the whole assembly are presented respectively. Commercial servo amplifiers are utilized to construct the control system of the proposed device. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed composite driving device, experimental study on the dynamic test benches are conducted. The results indicate that the output torque can attain to 420 N·m and the dynamic tracking errors are less than about 0.3 rad in the rotating drive. the dynamic tracking errors are less than about 1.6 mm in the linear feed. The proposed research provides a method to construct high efficiency and accuracy direct driving device in plastic forming equipment.

  13. Rotational-vibrational states of nonaxial deformable even-even nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porodzinskii, Yu.V.; Sukhovitskii, E.Sh.

    1991-01-01

    The rotational-vibrational excitations of nonaxial even-even nuclei are studied on the basis of a Hamiltonian operator with five dynamical variables. Explicit forms of the wave functions and energies of the rotational-vibrational excitations of such nuclei are obtained. The experimental energies of excited positive-parity states of the 238 U nucleus and those calculated in terms of the model discussed in the article are compared

  14. Justification for parameters of a dynamic stabilizer of the experimental stand mobile unit in studying of active rotational working tools of tiller machines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir F. Kupryashkin

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The article deals with design options and technological modes of the dynamic stabilizer of the experimental stand mobile unit for studying tillage machine active rotating work tools. Based on theoretical and experimental studies, the possibility the movable module instability was discovered. This negatively affects on implementing the experiment program trough the especific method. The need in engineering solutions for the defect correction is shown. In addition, the authors consider the structural features and characteristics of the used devices for providing the stabilization of the movable module in the study of active rotating work tools of tillage machines. An electromagnetic brake dynamic stabilizer in the structure of the existing rolling module was proposed as an engineering device. Materials and Methods: A theoretical study of rolling module stability, based on synthesis of basic regulations and laws of mechanics related to active rotating work tools was conducted. As a result of the theoretical research, a design scheme of movable module loading was created. This scheme includes the design features and structural power factors. Results: A database representing the settings of power specification in the motion stability determining the mobile unit was created. Further use of the database values allow supporting the most optimal location of the electromagnetic brake with its design options. Discussion and Conclusions: The research of the electromagnetic brake in a mobile unit promoted stabilizing the unit movement, increased the frequency of its use and provided data that are more precise during experiments.

  15. Understand rotating isothermal collapses yet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tohline, J.E.

    1985-01-01

    A scalar virial equation is used to describe the dynamic properties of equilibrium gas clouds, taking into account the relative effects of surface pressure, rotation, self gravity and internal isothermal pressure. Details concerning the internal structure of the clouds are ignored in order to obtain a globalized analytical expression. The obtained solution to the equation is found to agree with the surface-pressure-dominated model of Stahler (1983), and the rotation-dominated model of Hayashi, Narita, and Miyama (1982). On the basis of the analytical expression of virial equilibrium in the clouds, some of the limiting properties of isothermal clouds are described, and a realistic starting model for cloud collapse is proposed. 18 references

  16. Hypervelocity Impact Test Fragment Modeling: Modifications to the Fragment Rotation Analysis and Lightcurve Code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouge, Michael F.

    2011-01-01

    Hypervelocity impact tests on test satellites are performed by members of the orbital debris scientific community in order to understand and typify the on-orbit collision breakup process. By analysis of these test satellite fragments, the fragment size and mass distributions are derived and incorporated into various orbital debris models. These same fragments are currently being put to new use using emerging technologies. Digital models of these fragments are created using a laser scanner. A group of computer programs referred to as the Fragment Rotation Analysis and Lightcurve code uses these digital representations in a multitude of ways that describe, measure, and model on-orbit fragments and fragment behavior. The Dynamic Rotation subroutine generates all of the possible reflected intensities from a scanned fragment as if it were observed to rotate dynamically while in orbit about the Earth. This calls an additional subroutine that graphically displays the intensities and the resulting frequency of those intensities as a range of solar phase angles in a Probability Density Function plot. This document reports the additions and modifications to the subset of the Fragment Rotation Analysis and Lightcurve concerned with the Dynamic Rotation and Probability Density Function plotting subroutines.

  17. Structure and tunneling dynamics in a model system of peptide co-solvents: Rotational spectroscopy of the 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol⋯water complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, Javix; Xu, Yunjie, E-mail: yunjie.xu@ualberta.ca [Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2 (Canada)

    2014-06-21

    The hydrogen-bonding topology and tunneling dynamics of the binary adduct, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)⋯water, were investigated using chirped pulse and cavity based Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy with the aid of high level ab initio calculations. Rotational spectra of the most stable binary TFE⋯water conformer and five of its deuterium isotopologues were assigned. A strong preference for the insertion binding topology where water is inserted into the existing intramolecular hydrogen-bonded ring of TFE was observed. Tunneling splittings were detected in all of the measured rotational transitions of TFE⋯water. Based on the relative intensity of the two tunneling components and additional isotopic data, the splitting can be unambiguously attributed to the tunneling motion of the water subunit, i.e., the interchange of the bonded and nonbonded hydrogen atoms of water. The absence of any other splitting in the rotational transitions of all isotopologues observed indicates that the tunneling between g+ and g− TFE is quenched in the TFE⋯H{sub 2}O complex.

  18. Rotational synkineses of occiput and atlas on lateral inclination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jirout, J.

    1981-02-01

    An X-ray analysis was performed with regard to the question of synkinetic rotational movements of occiput and atlas on lateral inclination of the head and neck. It was found that the frequent synkinetic rotation of the head from the side of inclination can be taken for a stereotype that is ten times more frequent than the rotation towards the side of inclination. However, it does not represent an essential or indispensable feature of the synkinetic reaction. The associated rotation of the atlas from the side of inclination cannot be looked upon as a normal and constant element of the synkinetic response on lateral inclination, as it does not occur in nearly one-half of cases. Moreover, these studies have shown that the rotational movement between occiput and atlas is possible not only in the final stage of maximum forced rotation of the head, but that it belongs to normal dynamic features of the synkinetic response on lateral inclination of the head and neck.

  19. Rotational synkineses of occiput and atlas on lateral inclination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jirout, J.

    1981-01-01

    An X-ray analysis was performed with regard to the question of synkinetic rotational movements of occiput and atlas on lateral inclination of the head and neck. It was found that the frequent synkinetic rotation of the head from the side of inclination can be taken for a stereotype that is ten times more frequent than the rotation towards the side of inclination. However, it does not represent an essential or indispensable feature of the synkinetic reaction. The associated rotation of the atlas from the side of inclination cannot be looked upon as a normal and constant element of the synkinetic response on lateral inclination, as it does not occur in nearly one-half of cases. Moreover, these studies have shown that the rotational movement between occiput and atlas is possible not only in the final stage of maximum forced rotation of the head, but that it belongs to normal dynamic features of the synkinetic response on lateral inclination of the head and neck. (orig.)

  20. The absence or temporal offset of visual feedback does not influence adaptation to novel movement dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Erin; Bray, Laurence C Jayet; Zhou, Weiwei; Joiner, Wilsaan M

    2017-10-01

    Delays in transmitting and processing sensory information require correctly associating delayed feedback to issued motor commands for accurate error compensation. The flexibility of this alignment between motor signals and feedback has been demonstrated for movement recalibration to visual manipulations, but the alignment dependence for adapting movement dynamics is largely unknown. Here we examined the effect of visual feedback manipulations on force-field adaptation. Three subject groups used a manipulandum while experiencing a lag in the corresponding cursor motion (0, 75, or 150 ms). When the offset was applied at the start of the session (continuous condition), adaptation was not significantly different between groups. However, these similarities may be due to acclimation to the offset before motor adaptation. We tested additional subjects who experienced the same delays concurrent with the introduction of the perturbation (abrupt condition). In this case adaptation was statistically indistinguishable from the continuous condition, indicating that acclimation to feedback delay was not a factor. In addition, end-point errors were not significantly different across the delay or onset conditions, but end-point correction (e.g., deceleration duration) was influenced by the temporal offset. As an additional control, we tested a group of subjects who performed without visual feedback and found comparable movement adaptation results. These results suggest that visual feedback manipulation (absence or temporal misalignment) does not affect adaptation to novel dynamics, independent of both acclimation and perceptual awareness. These findings could have implications for modeling how the motor system adjusts to errors despite concurrent delays in sensory feedback information. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A temporal offset between movement and distorted visual feedback (e.g., visuomotor rotation) influences the subsequent motor recalibration, but the effects of this offset for

  1. GAROS, an aeroelastic code for coupled fixed-rotating structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rees, M. [Aerodyn Energiestyseme GmbH, Rendsburg (Germany); Vollan, A. [Pilatus Flugzeugwerke, Stans (Switzerland)

    1996-09-01

    The GAROS (General Analysis of Rotating Structures) program system has been specially designed to calculate aeroelastic stability and dynamic response of horizontal axis wind energy converters. Nevertheless it is also suitable for the dynamic analysis of helicopter rotors and has been used in the analysis of car bodies taking account of rotating wheels. GAROS was developed over the last 17 years. In the following the mechanical and the aerodynamic model will be discussed in detail. A short overview of the solution methods for the equation of motion in time and frequency domain will ge given. After this one example for the FEM model of the rotor and tower will be discussed. (EG)

  2. Monitoring of Bridges by a Laser Pointer: Dynamic Measurement of Support Rotations and Elastic Line Displacements: Methodology and First Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artese, Serena; Achilli, Vladimiro; Zinno, Raffaele

    2018-01-25

    Deck inclination and vertical displacements are among the most important technical parameters to evaluate the health status of a bridge and to verify its bearing capacity. Several methods, both conventional and innovative, are used for structural rotations and displacement monitoring; however, none of these allow, at the same time, precision, automation, static and dynamic monitoring without using high cost instrumentation. The proposed system uses a common laser pointer and image processing. The elastic line inclination is measured by analyzing the single frames of an HD video of the laser beam imprint projected on a flat target. For the image processing, a code was developed in Matlab ® that provides instantaneous rotation and displacement of a bridge, charged by a mobile load. An important feature is the synchronization of the load positioning, obtained by a GNSS receiver or by a video. After the calibration procedures, a test was carried out during the movements of a heavy truck maneuvering on a bridge. Data acquisition synchronization allowed us to relate the position of the truck on the deck to inclination and displacements. The inclination of the elastic line at the support was obtained with a precision of 0.01 mrad. The results demonstrate the suitability of the method for dynamic load tests, and the control and monitoring of bridges.

  3. Monitoring of Bridges by a Laser Pointer: Dynamic Measurement of Support Rotations and Elastic Line Displacements: Methodology and First Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serena Artese

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Deck inclination and vertical displacements are among the most important technical parameters to evaluate the health status of a bridge and to verify its bearing capacity. Several methods, both conventional and innovative, are used for structural rotations and displacement monitoring; however, none of these allow, at the same time, precision, automation, static and dynamic monitoring without using high cost instrumentation. The proposed system uses a common laser pointer and image processing. The elastic line inclination is measured by analyzing the single frames of an HD video of the laser beam imprint projected on a flat target. For the image processing, a code was developed in Matlab® that provides instantaneous rotation and displacement of a bridge, charged by a mobile load. An important feature is the synchronization of the load positioning, obtained by a GNSS receiver or by a video. After the calibration procedures, a test was carried out during the movements of a heavy truck maneuvering on a bridge. Data acquisition synchronization allowed us to relate the position of the truck on the deck to inclination and displacements. The inclination of the elastic line at the support was obtained with a precision of 0.01 mrad. The results demonstrate the suitability of the method for dynamic load tests, and the control and monitoring of bridges.

  4. Interior structure of rotating black holes. I. Concise derivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, Andrew J. S.; Polhemus, Gavin

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a concise derivation of a new set of solutions for the interior structure of accreting, rotating black holes. The solutions are conformally stationary, axisymmetric, and conformally separable. Hyper-relativistic counter-streaming between freely-falling collisionless ingoing and outgoing streams leads to mass inflation at the inner horizon, followed by collapse. The solutions fail at an exponentially tiny radius, where the rotational motion of the streams becomes comparable to their radial motion. The papers provide a fully nonlinear, dynamical solution for the interior structure of a rotating black hole from just above the inner horizon inward, down to a tiny scale.

  5. Aggregation dynamics and magnetic properties of magnetic micrometer-sized particles dispersed in a fluid under the action of rotating magnetic fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Llera, María [Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Codnia, Jorge [Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Centro de Investigaciones en Láseres y Aplicaciones, CITEDEF-CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Jorge, Guillermo A., E-mail: gjorge@ungs.edu.ar [Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2015-06-15

    We present a dynamic study of soft magnetic, commercial Fe and Ni micrometer-sized particles dispersed in oleic acid and subjected to a variable (rotating) magnetic field in the horizontal plane. A very complex structure is formed after the particles decant towards the bottom liquid–solid interface and the magnetic field is applied for several minutes. The dynamics of structure formation was studied by means of the registration and analysis of microscopic video images, through a Matlab image analysis script. Several parameters, such as the number of clusters, the perimeter-based fractal dimension and circularity, were calculated as a function of time. The time evolution of the number of clusters was found to follow a power-law behavior, with an exponent consistent with that found in other studies for magnetic systems, whereas the typical formation time depends on the particle diameter and field configuration. Complementarily, the magnetic properties of the formed structure were studied, reproducing the experiment with liquid paraffin as the containing fluid, and then letting it solidify. The sample obtained was studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. The magnetization curves show that the material obtained is a planar magnetically anisotropic material, which could eventually be used as an anisotropic magnetic sensor or actuator. - Highlights: • Dynamic study of Fe and Ni particles in oleic acid under rotating fields. • A very complex system of interconnected clusters was observed. • Larger particles had a smaller aggregation time. • A power law behavior of the number of clusters vs. time. • A Fe-paraffin sample with planar anisotropy characterized.

  6. Aggregation dynamics and magnetic properties of magnetic micrometer-sized particles dispersed in a fluid under the action of rotating magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Llera, María; Codnia, Jorge; Jorge, Guillermo A.

    2015-01-01

    We present a dynamic study of soft magnetic, commercial Fe and Ni micrometer-sized particles dispersed in oleic acid and subjected to a variable (rotating) magnetic field in the horizontal plane. A very complex structure is formed after the particles decant towards the bottom liquid–solid interface and the magnetic field is applied for several minutes. The dynamics of structure formation was studied by means of the registration and analysis of microscopic video images, through a Matlab image analysis script. Several parameters, such as the number of clusters, the perimeter-based fractal dimension and circularity, were calculated as a function of time. The time evolution of the number of clusters was found to follow a power-law behavior, with an exponent consistent with that found in other studies for magnetic systems, whereas the typical formation time depends on the particle diameter and field configuration. Complementarily, the magnetic properties of the formed structure were studied, reproducing the experiment with liquid paraffin as the containing fluid, and then letting it solidify. The sample obtained was studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. The magnetization curves show that the material obtained is a planar magnetically anisotropic material, which could eventually be used as an anisotropic magnetic sensor or actuator. - Highlights: • Dynamic study of Fe and Ni particles in oleic acid under rotating fields. • A very complex system of interconnected clusters was observed. • Larger particles had a smaller aggregation time. • A power law behavior of the number of clusters vs. time. • A Fe-paraffin sample with planar anisotropy characterized

  7. Electron spin dynamics of Ce.sup.3+./sup. ions in YAG crystals studied by pulse-EPR and pump-probe Faraday rotation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Azamat, Dmitry; Belykh, V.V.; Yakovlev, D.R.; Fobbe, F.; Feng, D.H.; Evers, E.; Jastrabík, Lubomír; Dejneka, Alexandr; Bayer, M.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 96, č. 7 (2017), s. 1-10, č. článku 075160. ISSN 2469-9950 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LO1409; GA ČR GA16-22092S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : electron spin dynamics * Ce 3+ ions * YAG crystals * pulse-EPR * Faraday rotation Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 3.836, year: 2016

  8. Boundary Layer Control of Rotating Convection Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, E. M.; Stellmach, S.; Noir, J.; Hansen, U.; Aurnou, J. M.

    2008-12-01

    Rotating convection is ubiquitous in the natural universe, and is likely responsible for planetary processes such magnetic field generation. Rapidly rotating convection is typically organized by the Coriolis force into tall, thin, coherent convection columns which are aligned with the axis of rotation. This organizational effect of rotation is thought to be responsible for the strength and structure of magnetic fields generated by convecting planetary interiors. As thermal forcing is increased, the relative influence of rotation weakens, and fully three-dimensional convection can exist. It has long been assumed that rotational effects will dominate convection dynamics when the ratio of buoyancy to the Coriolis force, the convective Rossby number, Roc, is less than unity. We investigate the influence of rotation on turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection via a suite of coupled laboratory and numerical experiments over a broad parameter range: Rayleigh number, 10310; Ekman number, 10-6≤ E ≤ ∞; and Prandtl number, 1≤ Pr ≤ 100. In particular, we measure heat transfer (as characterized by the Nusselt number, Nu) as a function of the Rayleigh number for several different Ekman and Prandtl numbers. Two distinct heat transfer scaling regimes are identified: non-rotating style heat transfer, Nu ~ Ra2/7, and quasigeostrophic style heat transfer, Nu~ Ra6/5. The transition between the non-rotating regime and the rotationally dominant regime is described as a function of the Ekman number, E. We show that the regime transition depends not on the global force balance Roc, but on the relative thicknesses of the thermal and Ekman boundary layers. The transition scaling provides a predictive criterion for the applicability of convection models to natural systems such as Earth's core.

  9. Earth's variable rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hide, Raymond; Dickey, Jean O.

    1991-01-01

    Recent improvements in geodetic data and practical meteorology have advanced research on fluctuations in the earth's rotation. The interpretation of these fluctuations is inextricably linked with studies of the dynamics of the earth-moon system and dynamical processes in the liquid metallic core of the earth (where the geomagnetic field originates), other parts of the earth's interior, and the hydrosphere and atmosphere. Fluctuations in the length of the day occurring on decadal time scales have implications for the topographay of the core-mantle boundary and the electrical, magnetic, ande other properties of the core and lower mantle. Investigations of more rapid fluctuations bear on meteorological studies of interannual, seasonal, and intraseasonal variations in the general circulation of the atmosphere and the response of the oceans to such variations.

  10. Principles and biophysical applications of single particle super-localization and rotational tracking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gu, Yan [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2013-01-01

    While conventional Single Particle Tracking (SPT) techniques acquire 2D or 3D trajectories of particle probes, we have developed Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) techniques to extract orientation and rotational information. Combined with DIC microscopy, the SPORT technique has been applied in biophysical studies, including membrane diffusion and intracellular transport. The rotational dynamics of nanoparticle vectors on live cell membranes was recorded and its influence on the fate of these nanoparticle vectors was elucidated. The rotational motions of gold nanorods with various surface modifiers were tracked continuously at a temporal resolution of 5 ms under a DIC microscope. We found that the rotational behaviors of gold nanorod vectors are strongly related to their surface charge, specific surface functional groups, and the availability of receptors on cell membranes. The study of rotational Brownian motion of nanoparticles on cell membranes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of drug delivery and provide guidance in designing surface modification strategies for drug delivery vectors under various circumstances. To characterize the rotation mode of surface functionalized gold nanorods on cell membranes, the SPORT technique is combined with the correlation analysis of the bright and dark DIC intensities. The unique capabilities of visualizing and understanding rotational motions of functionalized nanoparticles on live cell membranes allow us to correlate rotational and translational dynamics in unprecedented detail and provide new insights for complex membrane processes, including electrostatic interactions, ligand-receptor binding, and lateral (confined and hopping) diffusion of membrane receptors. Surface-functionalized nanoparticles interact with the membrane in fundamentally different ways and exhibit distinct rotational modes. The early events of particle-membrane approach and attachment are directly visualized

  11. Principles and biophysical applications of single particle super-localization and rotational tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yan

    While conventional Single Particle Tracking (SPT) techniques acquire 2D or 3D trajectories of particle probes, we have developed Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) techniques to extract orientation and rotational information. Combined with DIC microscopy, the SPORT technique has been applied in biophysical studies, including membrane diffusion and intracellular transport. The rotational dynamics of nanoparticle vectors on live cell membranes was recorded and its influence on the fate of these nanoparticle vectors was elucidated. The rotational motions of gold nanorods with various surface modifiers were tracked continuously at a temporal resolution of 5 ms under a DIC microscope. We found that the rotational behaviors of gold nanorod vectors are strongly related to their surface charge, specific surface functional groups, and the availability of receptors on cell membranes. The study of rotational Brownian motion of nanoparticles on cell membranes will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of drug delivery and provide guidance in designing surface modification strategies for drug delivery vectors under various circumstances. To characterize the rotation mode of surface functionalized gold nanorods on cell membranes, the SPORT technique is combined with the correlation analysis of the bright and dark DIC intensities. The unique capabilities of visualizing and understanding rotational motions of functionalized nanoparticles on live cell membranes allow us to correlate rotational and translational dynamics in unprecedented detail and provide new insights for complex membrane processes, including electrostatic interactions, ligand-receptor binding, and lateral (confined and hopping) diffusion of membrane receptors. Surface-functionalized nanoparticles interact with the membrane in fundamentally different ways and exhibit distinct rotational modes. The early events of particle-membrane approach and attachment are directly visualized

  12. The Existence and Structure of Rotational Systems in the Circle

    OpenAIRE

    Ramanathan, Jayakumar

    2018-01-01

    By a rotational system, we mean a closed subset X of the circle, T=R/Z, together with a continuous transformation f:X→X with the requirements that the dynamical system (X,f) be minimal and that f respect the standard orientation of T. We show that infinite rotational systems (X,f), with the property that map f has finite preimages, are extensions of irrational rotations of the circle. Such systems have been studied when they arise as invariant subsets of certain specific mappings, F:T→T. Beca...

  13. Rotating turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection subject to harmonically forced flow reversals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geurts, B.J.; Kunnen, R.P.J.

    2014-01-01

    The characteristics of turbulent flow in a cylindrical Rayleigh–B´enard convection cell which can be modified considerably in case rotation is included in the dynamics. By incorporating the additional effects of an Euler force, i.e., effects induced by nonconstant rotation rates, a remarkably strong

  14. Rotating turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection subject to harmonically forced flow reversals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geurts, Bernardus J.; Kunnen, Rudie P.J.

    2014-01-01

    The characteristics of turbulent flow in a cylindrical Rayleigh–Bénard convection cell which can be modified considerably in case rotation is included in the dynamics. By incorporating the additional effects of an Euler force, i.e., effects induced by non-constant rotation rates, a remarkably strong

  15. Mathematical geophysics an introduction to rotating fluids and the Navier-Stokes equations

    CERN Document Server

    Chemin, Jean-Yves; Gallagher, Isabelle; Grenier, Emmanuel

    2006-01-01

    Aimed at graduate students and researchers in mathematics, engineering, oceanography, meteorology and mechanics, this text provides a detailed introduction to the physical theory of rotating fluids, a significant part of geophysical fluid dynamics. The Navier-Stokes equations are examined in both incompressible and rapidly rotating forms.

  16. Theory of inertial waves in rotating fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelash, Andrey; L'vov, Victor; Zakharov, Vladimir

    2017-04-01

    The inertial waves emerge in the geophysical and astrophysical flows as a result of Earth rotation [1]. The linear theory of inertial waves is known well [2] while the influence of nonlinear effects of wave interactions are subject of many recent theoretical and experimental studies. The three-wave interactions which are allowed by inertial waves dispersion law (frequency is proportional to cosine of the angle between wave direction and axes of rotation) play an exceptional role. The recent studies on similar type of waves - internal waves, have demonstrated the possibility of formation of natural wave attractors in the ocean (see [3] and references herein). This wave focusing leads to the emergence of strong three-wave interactions and subsequent flows mixing. We believe that similar phenomena can take place for inertial waves in rotating flows. In this work we present theoretical study of three-wave and four-wave interactions for inertial waves. As the main theoretical tool we suggest the complete Hamiltonian formalism for inertial waves in rotating incompressible fluids [4]. We study three-wave decay instability and then present statistical description of inertial waves in the frame of Hamiltonian formalism. We obtain kinetic equation, anisotropic wave turbulence spectra and study the problem of parametric wave turbulence. These spectra were previously found in [5] by helicity decomposition method. Taking this into account we discuss the advantages of suggested Hamiltonian formalism and its future applications. Andrey Gelash thanks support of the RFBR (Grant No.16-31-60086 mol_a_dk) and Dr. E. Ermanyuk, Dr. I. Sibgatullin for the fruitful discussions. [1] Le Gal, P. Waves and instabilities in rotating and stratified flows, Fluid Dynamics in Physics, Engineering and Environmental Applications. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 25-40, 2013. [2] Greenspan, H. P. The theory of rotating fluids. CUP Archive, 1968. [3] Brouzet, C., Sibgatullin, I. N., Scolan, H., Ermanyuk, E

  17. Hydration water dynamics in biopolymers from NMR relaxation in the rotating frame.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blicharska, Barbara; Peemoeller, Hartwig; Witek, Magdalena

    2010-12-01

    Assuming dipole-dipole interaction as the dominant relaxation mechanism of protons of water molecules adsorbed onto macromolecule (biopolymer) surfaces we have been able to model the dependences of relaxation rates on temperature and frequency. For adsorbed water molecules the correlation times are of the order of 10(-5)s, for which the dispersion region of spin-lattice relaxation rates in the rotating frame R(1)(ρ)=1/T(1)(ρ) appears over a range of easily accessible B(1) values. Measurements of T(1)(ρ) at constant temperature and different B(1) values then give the "dispersion profiles" for biopolymers. Fitting a theoretical relaxation model to these profiles allows for the estimation of correlation times. This way of obtaining the correlation time is easier and faster than approaches involving measurements of the temperature dependence of R(1)=1/T(1). The T(1)(ρ) dispersion approach, as a tool for molecular dynamics study, has been demonstrated for several hydrated biopolymer systems including crystalline cellulose, starch of different origins (potato, corn, oat, wheat), paper (modern, old) and lyophilized proteins (albumin, lysozyme). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Experimental occlusal interferences. Part IV. Mandibular rotations induced by a pliable interference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, L V; Rassouli, N M

    1995-11-01

    In 12 subjects, a pliable, yet unbreakable, intercuspal interference (aluminum shim onlay splint; uniform height of 0.25 mm) was placed between either the right or left maxillary and mandibular second premolars and first molars. During brief and forceful biting (dynamic chewing stroke of about 20 kg force) the interference emulated a semisoft food bolus, and at the end of biting (subsequent static clenching stroke of about 20 kg force) it emulated a rigid metal interference. During dynamic/static biting, rotational electrognathography measured maximum frontal and horizontal plane torque of the right and left mandibular condyles. Eleven subjects (92%) showed frontal plane upward rotation (mean of 1.0 degree) of the condyle contralateral to the interference, and one subject (8%) showed frontal plane upward rotation (0.4 degree) of the condyle ipsilateral to the interference. Two subjects (17%) showed no horizontal plane rotation; seven subjects (58%) showed backward rotation (mean of 0.4 degree) of the condyle contralateral to the interference; and three subjects (25%) showed backward rotation (mean of 0.3 degree) of the condyle ipsilateral to the interference. It is suggested that, in the presence of an occlusal interference, mastication may have both short- and long-term detrimental effects.

  19. Optimal weed management in crop rotations: incorporating economics is crucial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berg, van den F.; Gilligan, C.A.; Lemmen-Gerdessen, van J.C.; Gregoire, L.A.H.; Bosch, van den F.

    2010-01-01

    Although the effects of crop rotation sequence and length on weed population dynamics have been studied, it is not clear whether or not the best strategy, from a weed population dynamics point of view, is also the economic optimal strategy. It is also not clear which biological and economic

  20. Analytical and Computational Modeling of Mechanical Waves in Microscale Granular Crystals: Nonlinearity and Rotational Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallen, Samuel P.

    Granular media are one of the most common, yet least understood forms of matter on earth. The difficulties in understanding the physics of granular media stem from the fact that they are typically heterogeneous and highly disordered, and the grains interact via nonlinear contact forces. Historically, one approach to reducing these complexities and gaining new insight has been the study of granular crystals, which are ordered arrays of similarly-shaped particles (typically spheres) in Hertzian contact. Using this setting, past works explored the rich nonlinear dynamics stemming from contact forces, and proposed avenues where such granular crystals could form designer, dynamically responsive materials, which yield beneficial functionality in dynamic regimes. In recent years, the combination of self-assembly fabrication methods and laser ultrasonic experimental characterization have enabled the study of granular crystals at microscale. While our intuition may suggest that these microscale granular crystals are simply scaled-down versions of their macroscale counterparts, in fact, the relevant physics change drastically; for example, short-range adhesive forces between particles, which are negligible at macroscale, are several orders of magnitude stronger than gravity at microscale. In this thesis, we present recent advances in analytical and computational modeling of microscale granular crystals, in particular concerning the interplay of nonlinearity, shear interactions, and particle rotations, which have previously been either absent, or included separately at macroscale. Drawing inspiration from past works on phononic crystals and nonlinear lattices, we explore problems involving locally-resonant metamaterials, nonlinear localized modes, amplitude-dependent energy partition, and other rich dynamical phenomena. This work enhances our understanding of microscale granular media, which may find applicability in fields such as ultrasonic wave tailoring, signal processing

  1. Translational-rotational interaction in dynamics and thermodynamics of 2D atomic crystal with molecular impurity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antsygina, T.N.; Poltavskaya, M.I.; Chishko, K.A.

    2003-01-01

    The interaction between the rotational degrees of freedom of a diatomic molecular impurity and the phonon excitations of a two-dimensional atomic matrix commensurate with a substrate is investigated theoretically. It is shown, that the translational-rotational interaction changes the form of the rotational kinetic energy operator as compared to the corresponding expression for a free rotator, and also renormalized the parameters of the crystal field without change in its initial form. The contribution of the impurity rotational degrees of freedom to the low-temperature heat capacity for a dilute solution of diatomic molecules in an atomic two-dimensional matrix is calculated. The possibility of experimental observation of the effects obtained is discussed

  2. Dynamic, continuous multitasking training leads to task-specific improvements but does not transfer across action selection tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Angela D.; Filmer, Hannah L.; Naughtin, Claire K.; Dux, Paul E.

    2017-12-01

    The ability to perform multiple tasks concurrently is an ever-increasing requirement in our information-rich world. Despite this, multitasking typically compromises performance due to the processing limitations associated with cognitive control and decision-making. While intensive dual-task training is known to improve multitasking performance, only limited evidence suggests that training-related performance benefits can transfer to untrained tasks that share overlapping processes. In the real world, however, coordinating and selecting several responses within close temporal proximity will often occur in high-interference environments. Over the last decade, there have been notable reports that training on video action games that require dynamic multitasking in a demanding environment can lead to transfer effects on aspects of cognition such as attention and working memory. Here, we asked whether continuous and dynamic multitasking training extends benefits to tasks that are theoretically related to the trained tasks. To examine this issue, we asked a group of participants to train on a combined continuous visuomotor tracking task and a perceptual discrimination task for six sessions, while an active control group practiced the component tasks in isolation. A battery of tests measuring response selection, response inhibition, and spatial attention was administered before and immediately after training to investigate transfer. Multitasking training resulted in substantial, task-specific gains in dual-task ability, but there was no evidence that these benefits generalized to other action control tasks. The findings suggest that training on a combined visuomotor tracking and discrimination task results in task-specific benefits but provides no additional value for untrained action selection tasks.

  3. Fragmentation of rotating protostellar clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tohline, J.E.

    1980-01-01

    We examine, with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic computer code, the behavior of rotating, isothermal gas clouds as they collapse from Jeans unstable configurations, in order to determine whether they are susceptible to fragmentation during the initial dynamic collapse phase of their evolution. We find that a gas cloud will not fragment unless (a) it begins collapsing from a radius much smaller than the Jeans radius (i.e., the cloud initially encloses many Jeans masses) and (b) irregularities in the cloud's initial structure (specifically, density inhomogeneities) enclose more than one Jeans mass of material. Gas pressure smooths out features that are not initially Jeans unstable while rotation plays no direct role in damping inhomogeneities. Instead of fragmenting, most of our models collapse to a ring configuration (as has been observed by other investigators in two-dimensional, axisymmetric models). The rings appear to be less susceptible to gragmentation from arbitrary perturbations in their structure than has previously been indicated in other work. Because our models, which include the effects of gas pressure, do not readily fragment during a phase of dynamic collapse, we suggest that gas clouds in the galactic disk undergo fragmentation only during quasi-equilibrium phases of their evolution

  4. Site establishment practices influence loblolly pine mortality throughout the stand rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felipe G. Sanchez; Robert J. Eaton

    2010-01-01

    During a rotation, land managers need to estimate yields, update inventories, and evaluate stand dynamics. All of these factors in land management are heavily influenced by tree mortality. Tree mortality can, in turn, be influenced by land management practices from the inception of the stand and throughout the rotation. We describe the impact of organic matter removal...

  5. Ordinary Dark Matter versus Mysterious Dark Matter in Galactic Rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallo, C. F.; Feng, James

    2008-04-01

    To theoretically describe the measured rotational velocity curves of spiral galaxies, there are two different approaches and conclusions. (1) ORDINARY DARK MATTER. We assume Newtonian gravity/dynamics and successfully find (via computer) mass distributions in bulge/disk configurations that duplicate the measured rotational velocities. There is ordinary dark matter within the galactic disk towards the cooler periphery which has lower emissivity/opacity. There are no mysteries in this scenario based on verified physics. (2) MYSTERIOUS DARK MATTER. Others INaccurately assume the galactic mass distributions follow the measured light distributions, and then the measured rotational velocity curves are NOT duplicated. To alleviate this discrepancy, speculations are invoked re ``Massive Peripheral Spherical Halos of Mysterious Dark Matter.'' But NO matter has been detected in this UNtenable Halo configuration. Many UNverified ``Mysteries'' are invoked as necessary and convenient. CONCLUSION. The first approach utilizing Newtonian gravity/dynamics and searching for the ordinary mass distributions within the galactic disk simulates reality and agrees with data.

  6. Visuomotor correction is a robust contributor to force variability during index finger abduction by older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian L Tracy

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We examined aging-related differences in the contribution of visuomotor correction to force fluctuations during index finger abduction via the analysis of two datasets from similar subjects. Study 1 Young (N= 27, 23+/-8 yrs and older adults (N=14, 72+/- 9 yrs underwent assessment of maximum voluntary contraction force (MVC and force steadiness during constant-force (CF index finger abduction (2.5, 30, 65% MVC. For each trial, visual feedback of the force (VIS was provided for 8-10 s and removed for 8-10s (NOVIS. Visual gain of the force feedback at 2.5% MVC was high; 12- and 26-fold greater than the 30% and 65% MVC targets. Mean force, standard deviation (SD of force, and coefficient of variation (CV of force was calculated for detrended (<0.5Hz drift removed VIS and NOVIS data segments. Study 2 A similar group of 14 older adults performed discrete, randomly-ordered VIS or NOVIS trials at low target forces (1-3% MVC and high visual gain. Study 1 For young adults the CV of force was similar between VIS and NOVIS for the 2.5% (4.8 vs. 4.3%, 30% (3.2 vs. 3.2% and 65% (3.5 vs. 4.2% target forces. In contrast, for older adults the CV of force was greater for VIS than NOVIS for 2.5% MVC (6.6 vs. 4.2%, P<0.001, but not for the 30% (2.4 vs. 2.4% and 65% (3.1 vs. 3.3% target forces. At 2.5% MVC, the increase in CV of force for VIS compared with NOVIS was significantly greater (age x visual condition P=0.008 for older than young adults. Study 2 Similarly, for older adults performing discrete, randomly ordered trials the CV of force was greater for VIS than NOVIS (6.04 vs. 3.81%, P=0.01. When visual force feedback was a dominant source of information at low forces, normalized force variability was ~58% greater for older adults, but only 11% greater for young adults. The significant effect of visual feedback for older adults was not dependent on the order of presentation of visual conditions. The results indicate that impaired processing of visuomotor

  7. Real-Time Rotational Activity Detection in Atrial Fibrillation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ríos-Muñoz, Gonzalo R.; Arenal, Ángel; Artés-Rodríguez, Antonio

    2018-01-01

    Rotational activations, or spiral waves, are one of the proposed mechanisms for atrial fibrillation (AF) maintenance. We present a system for assessing the presence of rotational activity from intracardiac electrograms (EGMs). Our system is able to operate in real-time with multi-electrode catheters of different topologies in contact with the atrial wall, and it is based on new local activation time (LAT) estimation and rotational activity detection methods. The EGM LAT estimation method is based on the identification of the highest sustained negative slope of unipolar signals. The method is implemented as a linear filter whose output is interpolated on a regular grid to match any catheter topology. Its operation is illustrated on selected signals and compared to the classical Hilbert-Transform-based phase analysis. After the estimation of the LAT on the regular grid, the detection of rotational activity in the atrium is done by a novel method based on the optical flow of the wavefront dynamics, and a rotation pattern match. The methods have been validated using in silico and real AF signals. PMID:29593566

  8. Kinematics and Dynamics Analysis of a 3-DOF Upper-Limb Exoskeleton with an Internally Rotated Elbow Joint

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Wang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The contradiction between self-weight and load capacity of a power-assisted upper-limb exoskeleton for material hanging is unresolved. In this paper, a non-anthropomorphic 3-degree of freedom (DOF upper-limb exoskeleton with an internally rotated elbow joint is proposed based on an anthropomorphic 5-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton for power-assisted activity. The proposed 3-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton contains a 2-DOF shoulder joint and a 1-DOF internally rotated elbow joint. The structural parameters of the 3-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton were determined, and the differences and singularities of the two exoskeletons were analyzed. The workspace, the joint torques and the power consumption of two exoskeletons were analyzed by kinematics and dynamics, and an exoskeleton prototype experiment was performed. The results showed that, compared with a typical anthropomorphic upper-limb exoskeleton, the non-anthropomorphic 3-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton had the same actual workspace; eliminated singularities within the workspace; improved the elbow joint force situation; and the maximum elbow joint torque, elbow external-flexion/internal-extension and shoulder flexion/extension power consumption were significantly reduced. The proposed non-anthropomorphic 3-DOF upper-limb exoskeleton can be applied to a power-assisted upper-limb exoskeleton in industrial settings.

  9. Hydrodynamic interaction induced spontaneous rotation of coupled active filaments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Huijun; Hou, Zhonghuai

    2014-12-14

    We investigate the coupled dynamics of active filaments with long range hydrodynamic interactions (HI). Remarkably, we find that filaments can rotate spontaneously under the same conditions in which a single filament alone can only move in translation. Detailed analysis reveals that the emergence of coupled rotation originates from an asymmetric flow field associated with HI which breaks the symmetry of translational motion when filaments approach. The breaking is then further stabilized by HI to form self-sustained coupled rotation. Intensive simulations show that coupled rotation forms easily when one filament tends to collide with the front-half of the other. For head-to-tail approaching, we observe another interesting HI-induced coupled motion, where filaments move together in the form of one following the other. Moreover, the radius of coupled rotation increases exponentially as the rigidity of the filament increases, which suggests that HI are also important for the alignment of rigid-rod-like filaments which has been assumed to be solely a consequence of direct collisions.

  10. Running and rotating: modelling the dynamics of migrating cell clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copenhagen, Katherine; Gov, Nir; Gopinathan, Ajay

    Collective motion of cells is a common occurrence in many biological systems, including tissue development and repair, and tumor formation. Recent experiments have shown cells form clusters in a chemical gradient, which display three different phases of motion: translational, rotational, and random. We present a model for cell clusters based loosely on other models seen in the literature that involves a Vicsek-like alignment as well as physical collisions and adhesions between cells. With this model we show that a mechanism for driving rotational motion in this kind of system is an increased motility of rim cells. Further, we examine the details of the relationship between rim and core cells, and find that the phases of the cluster as a whole are correlated with the creation and annihilation of topological defects in the tangential component of the velocity field.

  11. Effects of Successive Rotation Regimes on Carbon Stocks in Eucalyptus Plantations in Subtropical China Measured over a Full Rotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaoqiong; Ye, Duo; Liang, Hongwen; Zhu, Hongguang; Qin, Lin; Zhu, Yuling; Wen, Yuanguang

    2015-01-01

    Plantations play an important role in carbon sequestration and the global carbon cycle. However, there is a dilemma in that most plantations are managed on short rotations, and the carbon sequestration capacities of these short-rotation plantations remain understudied. Eucalyptus has been widely planted in the tropics and subtropics due to its rapid growth, high adaptability, and large economic return. Eucalyptus plantations are primarily planted in successive rotations with a short rotation length of 6~8 years. In order to estimate the carbon-stock potential of eucalyptus plantations over successive rotations, we chose a first rotation (FR) and a second rotation (SR) stand and monitored the carbon stock dynamics over a full rotation from 1998 to 2005. Our results showed that carbon stock in eucalyptus trees (TC) did not significantly differ between rotations, while understory vegetation (UC) and soil organic matter (SOC) stored less carbon in the SR (1.01 vs. 2.76 Mg.ha(-1) and 70.68 vs. 81.08 Mg. ha(-1), respectively) and forest floor carbon (FFC) conversely stored more (2.80 vs. 2.34 Mg. ha(-1)). The lower UC and SOC stocks in the SR stand resulted in 1.13 times lower overall ecosystem carbon stock. Mineral soils and overstory trees were the two dominant carbon pools in eucalyptus plantations, accounting for 73.77%~75.06% and 20.50%~22.39%, respectively, of the ecosystem carbon pool. However, the relative contribution (to the ecosystem pool) of FFC stocks increased 1.38 times and that of UC decreased 2.30 times in the SR versus FR stand. These carbon pool changes over successive rotations were attributed to intensive successive rotation regimes of eucalyptus plantations. Our eight year study suggests that for the sustainable development of short-rotation plantations, a sound silvicultural strategy is required to achieve the best combination of high wood yield and carbon stock potential.

  12. Effects of Successive Rotation Regimes on Carbon Stocks in Eucalyptus Plantations in Subtropical China Measured over a Full Rotation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoqiong Li

    Full Text Available Plantations play an important role in carbon sequestration and the global carbon cycle. However, there is a dilemma in that most plantations are managed on short rotations, and the carbon sequestration capacities of these short-rotation plantations remain understudied. Eucalyptus has been widely planted in the tropics and subtropics due to its rapid growth, high adaptability, and large economic return. Eucalyptus plantations are primarily planted in successive rotations with a short rotation length of 6~8 years. In order to estimate the carbon-stock potential of eucalyptus plantations over successive rotations, we chose a first rotation (FR and a second rotation (SR stand and monitored the carbon stock dynamics over a full rotation from 1998 to 2005. Our results showed that carbon stock in eucalyptus trees (TC did not significantly differ between rotations, while understory vegetation (UC and soil organic matter (SOC stored less carbon in the SR (1.01 vs. 2.76 Mg.ha(-1 and 70.68 vs. 81.08 Mg. ha(-1, respectively and forest floor carbon (FFC conversely stored more (2.80 vs. 2.34 Mg. ha(-1. The lower UC and SOC stocks in the SR stand resulted in 1.13 times lower overall ecosystem carbon stock. Mineral soils and overstory trees were the two dominant carbon pools in eucalyptus plantations, accounting for 73.77%~75.06% and 20.50%~22.39%, respectively, of the ecosystem carbon pool. However, the relative contribution (to the ecosystem pool of FFC stocks increased 1.38 times and that of UC decreased 2.30 times in the SR versus FR stand. These carbon pool changes over successive rotations were attributed to intensive successive rotation regimes of eucalyptus plantations. Our eight year study suggests that for the sustainable development of short-rotation plantations, a sound silvicultural strategy is required to achieve the best combination of high wood yield and carbon stock potential.

  13. Vibrational and Rotational Energy Relaxation in Liquids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Jakob

    Vibrational and rotational energy relaxation in liquids are studied by means of computer simulations. As a precursor for studying vibrational energy relaxation of a solute molecule subsequent to the formation of a chemical bond, the validity of the classical Bersohn-Zewail model for describing......, the vibrational energy relaxation of I2 subsequent to photodissociation and recombination in CCl4 is studied using classical Molecular Dynamics simulations. The vibrational relaxation times and the time-dependent I-I pair distribution function are compared to new experimental results, and a qualitative agreement...... is found in both cases. Furthermore, the rotational energy relaxation of H2O in liquid water is studied via simulations and a power-and-work analysis. The mechanism of the energy transfer from the rotationally excited H2O molecule to its water neighbors is elucidated, i.e. the energy-accepting degrees...

  14. Poloidal rotation dynamics, radial electric field, and neoclassical theory in the jet internal-transport-barrier region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crombé, K; Andrew, Y; Brix, M; Giroud, C; Hacquin, S; Hawkes, N C; Murari, A; Nave, M F F; Ongena, J; Parail, V; Van Oost, G; Voitsekhovitch, I; Zastrow, K-D

    2005-10-07

    Results from the first measurements of a core plasma poloidal rotation velocity (upsilontheta) across internal transport barriers (ITB) on JET are presented. The spatial and temporal evolution of the ITB can be followed along with the upsilontheta radial profiles, providing a very clear link between the location of the steepest region of the ion temperature gradient and localized spin-up of upsilontheta. The upsilontheta measurements are an order of magnitude higher than the neoclassical predictions for thermal particles in the ITB region, contrary to the close agreement found between the determined and predicted particle and heat transport coefficients [K.-D. Zastrow, Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 46, B255 (2004)]. These results have significant implications for the understanding of transport barrier dynamics due to their large impact on the measured radial electric field profile.

  15. On LAM's and SAM's for Halley's rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peale, Stanton J.

    1992-01-01

    Non principal axis rotation for comet Halley is inferred from dual periodicities evident in the observations. The modes where the spin axis precesses around the axis of minimum moment of inertia (long axis mode or LAM) and where it precesses around the axis of maximum moment of inertia (short axis mode or SAM) are described from an inertial point of view. The currently favored LAM model for Halley's rotation state satisfies observational and dynamical constraints that apparently no SAM can satisfy. But it cannot reproduce the observed post perihelion brightening through seasonal illumination of localized sources on the nucleus, whereas a SAM can easily produce post or pre perihelion brightening by this mechanism. However, the likelihood of a LAM rotation for elongated nuclei of periodic comets such as Halley together with Halley's extreme post perihelion behavior far from the Sun suggest that Halley's post perihelion brightening may be due to effects other than seasonal illumination of localized sources, and therefore such brightening may not constrain its rotation state.

  16. A stable high-speed rotational transmission system based on nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Kun; Yin, Hang; Wei, Ning; Chen, Zhen; Shi, Jiao

    2015-01-01

    A stable rotational transmission system is designed with a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-based motor and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs)-based bearing. The system response is investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. It is found that the rotating motor can actuate the rotation of the inner tube in bearing because of the attraction between the two adjacent coaxial ends of motor and rotor (the inner tube in bearing). To have a stable nanostructure, each carbon atom on the adjacent ends of motor and rotor is bonded with a hydrogen atom. To obtain a stable high-speed rotational transmission system, both an armchair and a zigzag model are used in MD simulation. In each model, the motor with different diameters and rotational speeds is employed to examine the rotational transmission of corresponding DWCNTs. It is demonstrated that the long range van der Waals interaction between the adjacent ends of motor and rotor leads to a stable configuration of the adjacent ends, and further leads to a stable rotation of rotor when driven by a high-speed motor. As compared with the armchair model, the rotor in the zigzag model could reach a stable rotation mode much easier

  17. Dynamic-angle spinning and double rotation of quadrupolar nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, K.T.; California Univ., Berkeley, CA

    1991-07-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei is complicated by the coupling of the electric quadrupole moment of the nucleus to local variations in the electric field. The quadrupolar interaction is a useful source of information about local molecular structure in solids, but it tends to broaden resonance lines causing crowding and overlap in NMR spectra. Magic- angle spinning, which is routinely used to produce high resolution spectra of spin-1/2 nuclei like carbon-13 and silicon-29, is incapable of fully narrowing resonances from quadrupolar nuclei when anisotropic second-order quadrupolar interactions are present. Two new sample-spinning techniques are introduced here that completely average the second-order quadrupolar coupling. Narrow resonance lines are obtained and individual resonances from distinct nuclear sites are identified. In dynamic-angle spinning (DAS) a rotor containing a powdered sample is reoriented between discrete angles with respect to high magnetic field. Evolution under anisotropic interactions at the different angles cancels, leaving only the isotropic evolution of the spin system. In the second technique, double rotation (DOR), a small rotor spins within a larger rotor so that the sample traces out a complicated trajectory in space. The relative orientation of the rotors and the orientation of the larger rotor within the magnetic field are selected to average both first- and second-order anisotropic broadening. The theory of quadrupolar interactions, coherent averaging theory, and motional narrowing by sample reorientation are reviewed with emphasis on the chemical shift anisotropy and second-order quadrupolar interactions experienced by half-odd integer spin quadrupolar nuclei. The DAS and DOR techniques are introduced and illustrated with application to common quadrupolar systems such as sodium-23 and oxygen-17 nuclei in solids

  18. Dynamic-angle spinning and double rotation of quadrupolar nuclei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mueller, K.T. (Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States) California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry)

    1991-07-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei is complicated by the coupling of the electric quadrupole moment of the nucleus to local variations in the electric field. The quadrupolar interaction is a useful source of information about local molecular structure in solids, but it tends to broaden resonance lines causing crowding and overlap in NMR spectra. Magic- angle spinning, which is routinely used to produce high resolution spectra of spin-{1/2} nuclei like carbon-13 and silicon-29, is incapable of fully narrowing resonances from quadrupolar nuclei when anisotropic second-order quadrupolar interactions are present. Two new sample-spinning techniques are introduced here that completely average the second-order quadrupolar coupling. Narrow resonance lines are obtained and individual resonances from distinct nuclear sites are identified. In dynamic-angle spinning (DAS) a rotor containing a powdered sample is reoriented between discrete angles with respect to high magnetic field. Evolution under anisotropic interactions at the different angles cancels, leaving only the isotropic evolution of the spin system. In the second technique, double rotation (DOR), a small rotor spins within a larger rotor so that the sample traces out a complicated trajectory in space. The relative orientation of the rotors and the orientation of the larger rotor within the magnetic field are selected to average both first- and second-order anisotropic broadening. The theory of quadrupolar interactions, coherent averaging theory, and motional narrowing by sample reorientation are reviewed with emphasis on the chemical shift anisotropy and second-order quadrupolar interactions experienced by half-odd integer spin quadrupolar nuclei. The DAS and DOR techniques are introduced and illustrated with application to common quadrupolar systems such as sodium-23 and oxygen-17 nuclei in solids.

  19. Eye rotation induced dynamics of a Newtonian fluid within the vitreous cavity: the effect of the chamber shape

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stocchino, Alessandro; Repetto, Rodolfo; Cafferata, Chiara

    2007-01-01

    The dynamics of the vitreous body induced by eye rotations is studied experimentally. In particular, we consider the case in which the vitreous cavity is filled by a Newtonian fluid, either because the vitreous is liquefied or because it has been replaced, after vitrectomy, by a viscous fluid. We employ a rigid Perspex container which models, in a magnified scale, the vitreous cavity of the human eye. The shape of the cavity closely resembles that of the real vitreous chamber; in particular, the anterior part of the container is concave in order to model the presence of the eye lens. The container is filled with glycerol and is mounted on the shaft of a computer-controlled motor which rotates according to a periodic time law. PIV (particle image velocimetry) measurements are taken on the equatorial plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation. The experimental measurements show that the velocity field is strongly influenced by the deformed geometry of the domain. In particular, the formation of a vortex in the vicinity of the lens, which migrates in time towards the core of the domain, is invariably observed. The vortex path is tracked in time by means of a vortex identification technique and it is found that it is significantly influenced by the Womersley number of the flow. Particle trajectories are computed from the PIV measurements. Particles initially located at different positions on the equatorial horizontal plane (perpendicular to the axis of rotation) tend to concentrate in narrow regions adjacent to the lens, thus suggesting the existence, in such regions, of a vertical fluid ejection. Such a strong flow three-dimensionality, which is essentially induced by the irregular shape of the domain, may play a significant role in the mixing processes taking place inside the eye globe. The tangential stresses acting on the rigid boundary of the domain are also computed from the experimental measurements showing that regions subject to particularly intense stresses

  20. Spectroscopy of Molecules in Extreme Rotational States Using AN Optical Centrifuge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullin, Amy S.; Toro, Carlos; Echibiri, Geraldine; Liu, Qingnan

    2012-06-01

    Our lab has developed a high-power optical centrifuge that is capable of trapping and spinning large number densities of molecules into extreme rotational states. By coupling this device with high resolution transient IR absorption spectroscopy, we measure the time-resolved behavior and energy profiles of individual ro-vibrational states of molecules in very high rotational states. Recent results will be discussed on the spectroscopy of new rotational states, collisional dynamics in the optical centrifuge, spatially-dependent energy profiles and possibilities for new chemistry induced by centrifugal forces.

  1. View-Invariant Visuomotor Processing in Computational Mirror Neuron System for Humanoid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawood, Farhan; Loo, Chu Kiong

    2016-01-01

    Mirror neurons are visuo-motor neurons found in primates and thought to be significant for imitation learning. The proposition that mirror neurons result from associative learning while the neonate observes his own actions has received noteworthy empirical support. Self-exploration is regarded as a procedure by which infants become perceptually observant to their own body and engage in a perceptual communication with themselves. We assume that crude sense of self is the prerequisite for social interaction. However, the contribution of mirror neurons in encoding the perspective from which the motor acts of others are seen have not been addressed in relation to humanoid robots. In this paper we present a computational model for development of mirror neuron system for humanoid based on the hypothesis that infants acquire MNS by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration capable of sustaining early imitation skills. The purpose of our proposed model is to take into account the view-dependency of neurons as a probable outcome of the associative connectivity between motor and visual information. In our experiment, a humanoid robot stands in front of a mirror (represented through self-image using camera) in order to obtain the associative relationship between his own motor generated actions and his own visual body-image. In the learning process the network first forms mapping from each motor representation onto visual representation from the self-exploratory perspective. Afterwards, the representation of the motor commands is learned to be associated with all possible visual perspectives. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot. PMID:26998923

  2. View-Invariant Visuomotor Processing in Computational Mirror Neuron System for Humanoid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawood, Farhan; Loo, Chu Kiong

    2016-01-01

    Mirror neurons are visuo-motor neurons found in primates and thought to be significant for imitation learning. The proposition that mirror neurons result from associative learning while the neonate observes his own actions has received noteworthy empirical support. Self-exploration is regarded as a procedure by which infants become perceptually observant to their own body and engage in a perceptual communication with themselves. We assume that crude sense of self is the prerequisite for social interaction. However, the contribution of mirror neurons in encoding the perspective from which the motor acts of others are seen have not been addressed in relation to humanoid robots. In this paper we present a computational model for development of mirror neuron system for humanoid based on the hypothesis that infants acquire MNS by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration capable of sustaining early imitation skills. The purpose of our proposed model is to take into account the view-dependency of neurons as a probable outcome of the associative connectivity between motor and visual information. In our experiment, a humanoid robot stands in front of a mirror (represented through self-image using camera) in order to obtain the associative relationship between his own motor generated actions and his own visual body-image. In the learning process the network first forms mapping from each motor representation onto visual representation from the self-exploratory perspective. Afterwards, the representation of the motor commands is learned to be associated with all possible visual perspectives. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot.

  3. View-Invariant Visuomotor Processing in Computational Mirror Neuron System for Humanoid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhan Dawood

    Full Text Available Mirror neurons are visuo-motor neurons found in primates and thought to be significant for imitation learning. The proposition that mirror neurons result from associative learning while the neonate observes his own actions has received noteworthy empirical support. Self-exploration is regarded as a procedure by which infants become perceptually observant to their own body and engage in a perceptual communication with themselves. We assume that crude sense of self is the prerequisite for social interaction. However, the contribution of mirror neurons in encoding the perspective from which the motor acts of others are seen have not been addressed in relation to humanoid robots. In this paper we present a computational model for development of mirror neuron system for humanoid based on the hypothesis that infants acquire MNS by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration capable of sustaining early imitation skills. The purpose of our proposed model is to take into account the view-dependency of neurons as a probable outcome of the associative connectivity between motor and visual information. In our experiment, a humanoid robot stands in front of a mirror (represented through self-image using camera in order to obtain the associative relationship between his own motor generated actions and his own visual body-image. In the learning process the network first forms mapping from each motor representation onto visual representation from the self-exploratory perspective. Afterwards, the representation of the motor commands is learned to be associated with all possible visual perspectives. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot.

  4. Forest value and optimal rotations in continuous cover forestry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Jensen, Frank; Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark

    The Faustmann forest rotation model is a celebrated contribution in economics. The model provides a forest value expression and allows a solution to the optimal rotation problem valid for perpetual rotations of even-aged forest stands. However, continuous forest cover forest management systems......, but rigorous mathematical model of the continuous cover forest, which strictly focuses on the area use dynamics that such an uneven-aged forest must have in equilibrium. This implies explicitly accounting for area reallocation and for weighting the productivity of each age class by the area occupied. The model...... allows for a simple expression for forest value and the derivation of conditions for the optimal rotation age. The model also makes straightforward comparisons with the well-known Faustmann model possible. We present results for unrestricted as well as area-restricted versions of the models. We find...

  5. Forest value and optimal rotations in continuous cover forestry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Jensen, Frank; Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark

    2018-01-01

    The Faustmann forest rotation model is a celebrated contribution in economics. The model provides a forest value expression and allows a solution to the optimal rotation problem valid for perpetual rotations of even-aged forest stands. However, continuous forest cover forest management systems......, but rigorous mathematical model of the continuous cover forest, which strictly focuses on the area use dynamics that such an uneven-aged forest must have in equilibrium. This implies explicitly accounting for area reallocation and for weighting the productivity of each age class by the area occupied. We...... present results for unrestricted as well as area-restricted versions of the models. We find that land values are unambiguously higher in the continuous cover forest models compared with the even-aged models. Under area restrictions, the optimal rotation age in a continuous cover forest model...

  6. Rotator cuff tendon connections with the rotator cable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahu, Madis; Kolts, Ivo; Põldoja, Elle; Kask, Kristo

    2017-07-01

    The literature currently contains no descriptions of the rotator cuff tendons, which also describes in relation to the presence and characteristics of the rotator cable (anatomically known as the ligamentum semicirculare humeri). The aim of the current study was to elucidate the detailed anatomy of the rotator cuff tendons in association with the rotator cable. Anatomic dissection was performed on 21 fresh-frozen shoulder specimens with an average age of 68 years. The rotator cuff tendons were dissected from each other and from the glenohumeral joint capsule, and the superior glenohumeral, coracohumeral, coracoglenoidal and semicircular (rotator cable) ligaments were dissected. Dissection was performed layer by layer and from the bursal side to the joint. All ligaments and tendons were dissected in fine detail. The rotator cable was found in all specimens. It was tightly connected to the supraspinatus (SSP) tendon, which was partly covered by the infraspinatus (ISP) tendon. The posterior insertion area of the rotator cable was located in the region between the middle and inferior facets of the greater tubercle of the humerus insertion areas for the teres minor (TM), and ISP tendons were also present and fibres from the SSP extended through the rotator cable to those areas. The connection between the rotator cable and rotator cuff tendons is tight and confirms the suspension bridge theory for rotator cuff tears in most areas between the SSP tendons and rotator cable. In its posterior insertion area, the rotator cable is a connecting structure between the TM, ISP and SSP tendons. These findings might explain why some patients with relatively large rotator cuff tears can maintain seamless shoulder function.

  7. Neural Population Dynamics during Reaching Are Better Explained by a Dynamical System than Representational Tuning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaels, Jonathan A; Dann, Benjamin; Scherberger, Hansjörg

    2016-11-01

    Recent models of movement generation in motor cortex have sought to explain neural activity not as a function of movement parameters, known as representational models, but as a dynamical system acting at the level of the population. Despite evidence supporting this framework, the evaluation of representational models and their integration with dynamical systems is incomplete in the literature. Using a representational velocity-tuning based simulation of center-out reaching, we show that incorporating variable latency offsets between neural activity and kinematics is sufficient to generate rotational dynamics at the level of neural populations, a phenomenon observed in motor cortex. However, we developed a covariance-matched permutation test (CMPT) that reassigns neural data between task conditions independently for each neuron while maintaining overall neuron-to-neuron relationships, revealing that rotations based on the representational model did not uniquely depend on the underlying condition structure. In contrast, rotations based on either a dynamical model or motor cortex data depend on this relationship, providing evidence that the dynamical model more readily explains motor cortex activity. Importantly, implementing a recurrent neural network we demonstrate that both representational tuning properties and rotational dynamics emerge, providing evidence that a dynamical system can reproduce previous findings of representational tuning. Finally, using motor cortex data in combination with the CMPT, we show that results based on small numbers of neurons or conditions should be interpreted cautiously, potentially informing future experimental design. Together, our findings reinforce the view that representational models lack the explanatory power to describe complex aspects of single neuron and population level activity.

  8. The development of fully dynamic rotating machine models for nuclear training simulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birsa, J.J.

    1990-01-01

    Prior to beginning the development of an enhanced set of electrical plant models for several nuclear training simulators, an extensive literature search was conducted to evaluate and select rotating machine models for use on these simulators. These models include the main generator, diesel generators, in-plant electric power distribution and off-side power. Form the results of this search, various models were investigated and several were selected for further evaluation. Several computer studies were performed on the selected models in order to determine their suitability for use in a training simulator environment. One surprising result of this study was that a number of established, classical models could not be made to reproduce actual plant steady-state data over the range necessary for a training simulator. This evaluation process and its results are presented in this paper. Various historical, as well as contemporary, electrical models of rotating machines are discussed. Specific criteria for selection of rotating machine models for training simulator use are presented

  9. Influence of defects on the vibrations of rotating systems; Influence de defauts sur le comportement vibratoire des systemes tournants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lazarus, A. [CEA Saclay, Dept. Modelisation de Systemes et Structures (DEN/DANS/DM2S/SEMT), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France)

    2008-07-01

    For high rotation speeds, the imperfections (cracks, anisotropy...) of rotating machinery of the energy sector lead to a specific vibratory behavior which can damage the machine. The simulation of rotating machinery are usually realized for systems without defect. The aim of this thesis is to understand the influence of defects and to propose an algorithm to predict the dynamical behavior. In a first part the author studies the simplified rotating oscillators to propose a numerical method in order to taking into account the dynamic of these systems. This method is then applied to real rotating machinery with the Cast3m software. The numerical results are validated with experiments. (A.L.B.)

  10. Magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability driven by a rotating magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Shuchao; Xie, Weiping; Cao, Jintao; Li, Ding

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we analyze theoretically the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability driven by a rotating magnetic field. Slab configurations of finite thickness are treated both with and without using the Wenzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. Regardless of the slab thickness, the directional rotation of the driving magnetic field contributes to suppressing these instabilities. The two factors of the finite thickness and directional rotation of the magnetic field cooperate to enhance suppression, with the finite thickness playing a role only when the orientation of the magnetic field is time varying. The suppression becomes stronger as the driving magnetic field rotates faster, and all modes are suppressed, in contrast to the case of a non-rotating magnetic field, for which the vertical mode cannot be suppressed. This implies that the dynamically alternate configuration of a Theta-pinch and a Z-pinch may be applicable to the concept of Theta-Z liner inertial fusion.

  11. Rotating Hele-Shaw cell with a time-dependent angular velocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anjos, Pedro H. A.; Alvarez, Victor M. M.; Dias, Eduardo O.; Miranda, José A.

    2017-12-01

    Despite the large number of existing studies of viscous flows in rotating Hele-Shaw cells, most investigations analyze rotational motion with a constant angular velocity, under vanishing Reynolds number conditions in which inertial effects can be neglected. In this work, we examine the linear and weakly nonlinear dynamics of the interface between two immiscible fluids in a rotating Hele-Shaw cell, considering the action of a time-dependent angular velocity, and taking into account the contribution of inertia. By using a generalized Darcy's law, we derive a second-order mode-coupling equation which describes the time evolution of the interfacial perturbation amplitudes. For arbitrary values of viscosity and density ratios, and for a range of values of a rotational Reynolds number, we investigate how the time-dependent angular velocity and inertia affect the important finger competition events that traditionally arise in rotating Hele-Shaw flows.

  12. The rotation of Titan and Ganymede

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Hoolst, Tim; Coyette, Alexis; Baland, Rose-Marie; Trinh, Antony

    2016-10-01

    The rotation rates of Titan and Ganymede, the largest satellites of Saturn and Jupiter, are on average equal to their orbital mean motion. Here we discuss small deviations from the average rotation for both satellites and evaluate the polar motion of Titan induced by its surface fluid layers. We examine different causes at various time scales and assess possible consequences and the potential of using librations and polar motion as probes of the interior structure of the satellites.The rotation rate of Titan and Ganymede cannot be constant on the orbital time scale as a result of the gravitational torque of the central planet acting on the satellites. Titan is moreover expected to show significant polar motion and additional variations in the rotation rate due to angular momentum exchange with the atmosphere, mainly at seasonal periods. Observational evidence for deviations from the synchronous state has been reported several times for Titan but is unfortunately inconclusive. The measurements of the rotation variations are based on determinations of the shift in position of Cassini radar images taken during different flybys. The ESA JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission will measure the rotation variations of Ganymede during its orbital phase around the satellite starting in 2032.We report on different theoretical aspects of the librations and polar motion. We consider the influence of the rheology of the ice shell and take into account Cassini measurements of the external gravitational field and of the topography of Titan and similar Galileo data about Ganymede. We also evaluate the librations and polar motion induced by Titan's hydrocarbon seas and use the most recent results of Titan's atmosphere dynamics. We finally evaluate the potential of rotation variations to constrain the satellite's interior structure, in particular its ice shell and ocean.

  13. Reduced functional connectivity between V1 and inferior frontal cortex associated with visuomotor performance in autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villalobos, Michele E; Mizuno, Akiko; Dahl, Branelle C; Kemmotsu, Nobuko; Müller, Ralph-Axel

    2005-04-15

    Some recent evidence has suggested abnormalities of the dorsal stream and possibly the mirror neuron system in autism, which may be responsible for impairments of joint attention, imitation, and secondarily for language delays. The current study investigates functional connectivity along the dorsal stream in autism, examining interregional blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal cross-correlation during visuomotor coordination. Eight high-functioning autistic men and eight handedness and age-matched controls were included. Visually prompted button presses were performed with the preferred hand. For each subject, functional connectivity was computed in terms of BOLD signal correlation with the mean time series in bilateral visual area 17. Our hypothesis of reduced dorsal stream connectivity in autism was only in part confirmed. Functional connectivity with superior parietal areas was not significantly reduced. However, the autism group showed significantly reduced connectivity with bilateral inferior frontal area 44, which is compatible with the hypothesis of mirror neuron defects in autism. More generally, our findings suggest that dorsal stream connectivity in autism may not be fully functional.

  14. Scaling of rotational inertia of primate mandibles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Callum F; Iriarte-Diaz, Jose; Platts, Ellen; Walsh, Treva; Heins, Liam; Gerstner, Geoffrey E; Taylor, Andrea B

    2017-05-01

    The relative importance of pendulum mechanics and muscle mechanics in chewing dynamics has implications for understanding the optimality criteria driving the evolution of primate feeding systems. The Spring Model (Ross et al., 2009b), which modeled the primate chewing system as a forced mass-spring system, predicted that chew cycle time would increase faster than was actually observed. We hypothesized that if mandibular momentum plays an important role in chewing dynamics, more accurate estimates of the rotational inertia of the mandible would improve the accuracy with which the Spring Model predicts the scaling of primate chew cycle period. However, if mass-related momentum effects are of negligible importance in the scaling of primate chew cycle period, this hypothesis would be falsified. We also predicted that greater "robusticity" of anthropoid mandibles compared with prosimians would be associated with higher moments of inertia. From computed tomography scans, we estimated the scaling of the moment of inertia (I j ) of the mandibles of thirty-one species of primates, including 22 anthropoid and nine prosimian species, separating I j into the moment about a transverse axis through the center of mass (I xx ) and the moment of the center of mass about plausible axes of rotation. We found that across primates I j increases with positive allometry relative to jaw length, primarily due to positive allometry of jaw mass and I xx , and that anthropoid mandibles have greater rotational inertia compared with prosimian mandibles of similar length. Positive allometry of I j of primate mandibles actually lowers the predictive ability of the Spring Model, suggesting that scaling of primate chew cycle period, and chewing dynamics in general, are more strongly influenced by factors other than scaling of inertial properties of the mandible, such as the dynamic properties of the jaw muscles and neural control. Differences in cycle period scaling between chewing and locomotion

  15. Reciprocally-Rotating Velocity Obstacles

    KAUST Repository

    Giese, Andrew

    2014-05-01

    © 2014 IEEE. Modern multi-agent systems frequently use highlevel planners to extract basic paths for agents, and then rely on local collision avoidance to ensure that the agents reach their destinations without colliding with one another or dynamic obstacles. One state-of-the-art local collision avoidance technique is Optimal Reciprocal Collision Avoidance (ORCA). Despite being fast and efficient for circular-shaped agents, ORCA may deadlock when polygonal shapes are used. To address this shortcoming, we introduce Reciprocally-Rotating Velocity Obstacles (RRVO). RRVO generalizes ORCA by introducing a notion of rotation for polygonally-shaped agents. This generalization permits more realistic motion than ORCA and does not suffer from as much deadlock. In this paper, we present the theory of RRVO and show empirically that it does not suffer from the deadlock issue ORCA has, permits agents to reach goals faster, and has a comparable collision rate at the cost of performance overhead quadratic in the (typically small) user-defined parameter δ.

  16. Rabi oscillations in the dissociative continuum: Rotation and alignment effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granucci, Giovanni; Magnier, Sylvie; Persico, Maurizio

    2002-01-01

    We have simulated a set of experiments in which Rabi oscillations are induced in bound-free and free-free transitions of a diatomic molecule. Dissociative vibrational states belonging to different electronic terms are involved. We show analytically and confirm computationally that a simple relationship exists between the one-dimensional dynamics of a molecule with fixed orientation with respect to the polarization of the radiation field and the three-dimensional dynamics of a rotating system. It is demonstrated that sufficiently short laser pulses can induce oscillations in the probabilities of two coupled electronic states, and in the yields of the respective dissociation products, as functions of the radiation intensity. As a result of molecular rotation the oscillations are damped but not washed out. The initial thermal distribution on several rotational levels has a negligible effect on the photodissociation yields and other experimentally relevant quantities. Since the molecule undergoes a strong alignment along the polarization axis of the laser field, the ejection of atoms and ions is anisotropic. We have chosen the well known diatomic ion Na2+ as a convenient example.

  17. The rotation of NO3− as a probe of molecular ion - water interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ogden T.

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The hydration dynamics of aqueous nitrate, NO3−(aq, is studied by 2D-IR spectroscopy, UV-IR- and UV-UV transient absorption spectroscopy. The experimental results are compared to Car-Parinello molecular dynamics (MD simulations. The 2D-IR measurements and MD simulations of the non-degenerate asymmetric stretch vibrations of nitrate reveal an intermodal energy exchange occurring on a 0.2 ps time scale related to hydrogen bond fluctuations. The transient absorption measurements find that the nitrate ions rotate in 2 ps. The MD simulations indicate that the ion rotation is associated with the formation of new hydrogen bonds. The 2 ps rotation time thus indicates that the hydration shell of aqueous nitrate is rather labile.

  18. Wave-driven Rotation in Supersonically Rotating Mirrors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    A. Fetterman and N.J. Fisch

    2010-02-15

    Supersonic rotation in mirrors may be produced by radio frequency waves. The waves produce coupled diffusion in ion kinetic and potential energy. A population inversion along the diffusion path then produces rotation. Waves may be designed to exploit a natural kinetic energy source or may provide the rotation energy on their own. Centrifugal traps for fusion and isotope separation may benefit from this wave-driven rotation.

  19. Wave-driven Rotation in Supersonically Rotating Mirrors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fetterman, A.; Fisch, N.J.

    2010-01-01

    Supersonic rotation in mirrors may be produced by radio frequency waves. The waves produce coupled diffusion in ion kinetic and potential energy. A population inversion along the diffusion path then produces rotation. Waves may be designed to exploit a natural kinetic energy source or may provide the rotation energy on their own. Centrifugal traps for fusion and isotope separation may benefit from this wave-driven rotation.

  20. Identicity in high-K three quasiparticle rotational bands: a theoretical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaur, Harjeet; Singh, Pardeep; Malik, Sham S

    2015-01-01

    The systematics are studied for the identical band phenomenon in high-K three quasiparticle rotational bands. The identical rotational bands based on the same bandhead spin are analyzed on the basis of similarities in γ-ray energies, dynamic moment of inertia and kinematic moment of inertia in particular, which is a function of deformation degrees of freedom, pairing strengths and Nilsson orbitals in nuclei. It is established that a combined effect of all these parameters decides the identicity of the moment of inertia in high-K three quasiparticle rotational bands as the systematics are backed by the Tilted Axis Cranking model calculations. (paper)

  1. Towards mastery of complex visuo-motor transformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herbert eHeuer

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we review and integrate a set of findings on learning the transformation of a sliding first-order lever, a type of tool with a prominent role in minimal access surgery. Its kinematic transformation is characterized by the so-called fulcrum effect, the inversion of the movement direction of the tip of the lever relative to that of the hand for rotations. A second characteristic is gain anisotropy, which results in curved paths of the tip of the lever for straight paths of the hand and vice versa. An internal model of the kinematic transformation is acquired during practice, the accuracy of which can be assessed in visual open-loop test trials. The accuracy of the acquired internal model is enhanced when visual closed-loop control during practice is impeded, and the accuracy of the internal model is reduced when closed-loop control during practice is facilitated. The internal model consists of a rapidly acquired line-symmetric approximation to the transformation of the sliding lever and a slowly acquired fine tuning. The fine tuning is local, that is, it is specific for the region of the workspace encountered during practice. The internal model is transferred to other regions of the workspace, but not adjusted to the fine tuning appropriate for these regions. Whereas the symmetry approximation is most likely explicit, the fine tuning seems to be represented implicitly. Findings on the straightness of the paths of the tip of the lever and the hand suggest that the internal model of the transformation is confined to initial and final positions of aimed movements, whereas their path is not strictly controlled, but affected by the dynamic transformation of the tool. Only when visual closed-loop control is possible, the path of the effective part of the tool is straightened. These characteristics of the internal model of the sliding first-order lever and its acquisition may be partly specific to sufficiently complex extrinsic

  2. Spins of superdeformed rotational bands in Tl isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dadwal, Anshul; Mittal, H.M. [Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (India)

    2017-01-15

    The two-parameter model defined for even-even nuclei viz. soft-rotor formula is used to assign the band-head spin of the 17 rotational bands in Tl isotopes. The least-squares fitting method is employed to obtain the spins of these bands in the A ∝ 190 mass region. The calculated transition energies are found to depend sensitively on the proposed spin. Whenever a correct spin assignment is made, the calculated and experimental transition energies coincide very well. The dynamic moment of inertia is also calculated and its variation with rotational frequency is explored. (orig.)

  3. Coriolis Effects in the Dynamics of a Rotating Elastic Structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brøns, Morten; Hjorth, Poul G.; Kliem, Wolfhard

    1996-01-01

    Small oscillations of a rotating elasticum with a mass at the free end are investigated with Poincare-Lindstedt series. It is shown that the mass moves on a figure-eight shaped curve in a direction determined by the sign of the angular velocity and hence that the Coriolis force influences...

  4. Linear and Nonlinear Response of a Rotating Tokamak Plasma to a Resonant Error-Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick, Richard

    2014-10-01

    An in-depth investigation of the effect of a resonant error-field on a rotating, quasi-cylindrical, tokamak plasma is preformed within the context of resistive-MHD theory. General expressions for the response of the plasma at the rational surface to the error-field are derived in both the linear and nonlinear regimes, and the extents of these regimes mapped out in parameter space. Torque-balance equations are also obtained in both regimes. These equations are used to determine the steady-state plasma rotation at the rational surface in the presence of the error-field. It is found that, provided the intrinsic plasma rotation is sufficiently large, the torque-balance equations possess dynamically stable low-rotation and high-rotation solution branches, separated by a forbidden band of dynamically unstable solutions. Moreover, bifurcations between the two stable solution branches are triggered as the amplitude of the error-field is varied. A low- to high-rotation bifurcation is invariably associated with a significant reduction in the width of the magnetic island chain driven at the rational surface, and vice versa. General expressions for the bifurcation thresholds are derived, and their domains of validity mapped out in parameter space. This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-FG02-04ER-54742.

  5. Effects of Toroidal Rotation Sshear on Toroidicity-induced Alfven Eigenmodes in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Podesta, M; Fredrickson, E D; Gorelenkov, N N; LeBlanc, B P; Heidbrink, W W; Crocker, N A; Kubota, S

    2010-08-19

    The effects of a sheared toroidal rotation on the dynamics of bursting Toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmodes are investigated in neutral beam heated plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40 557 (2000)]. The modes have a global character, extending over most of the minor radius. A toroidal rotation shear layer is measured at the location of maximum drive for the modes. Contrary to results from other devices, no clear evidence of increased damping is found. Instead, experiments with simultaneous neutral beam and radio-frequency auxiliary heating show a strong correlation between the dynamics of the modes and the instability drive. It is argued that kinetic effects involving changes in the mode drive and damping mechanisms other than rotation shear, such as continuum damping, are mostly responsible for the bursting dynamics of the modes.

  6. Effects of Toroidal Rotation Shear on Toroidicity-induced Alfven Eigenmodes in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Podesta, M.; Bell, R.E.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Gorelenkov, N.N.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Heidbrink, W.W.; Crocker, N.A.; Kubota, S.; Yuh, H.

    2010-01-01

    The effects of a sheared toroidal rotation on the dynamics of bursting Toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmodes are investigated in neutral beam heated plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) (M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40 557 (2000)). The modes have a global character, extending over most of the minor radius. A toroidal rotation shear layer is measured at the location of maximum drive for the modes. Contrary to results from other devices, no clear evidence of increased damping is found. Instead, experiments with simultaneous neutral beam and radio-frequency auxiliary heating show a strong correlation between the dynamics of the modes and the instability drive. It is argued that kinetic effects involving changes in the mode drive and damping mechanisms other than rotation shear, such as continuum damping, are mostly responsible for the bursting dynamics of the modes.

  7. Rotational seismology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, William H K.

    2016-01-01

    Rotational seismology is an emerging study of all aspects of rotational motions induced by earthquakes, explosions, and ambient vibrations. It is of interest to several disciplines, including seismology, earthquake engineering, geodesy, and earth-based detection of Einstein’s gravitation waves.Rotational effects of seismic waves, together with rotations caused by soil–structure interaction, have been observed for centuries (e.g., rotated chimneys, monuments, and tombstones). Figure 1a shows the rotated monument to George Inglis observed after the 1897 Great Shillong earthquake. This monument had the form of an obelisk rising over 19 metres high from a 4 metre base. During the earthquake, the top part broke off and the remnant of some 6 metres rotated about 15° relative to the base. The study of rotational seismology began only recently when sensitive rotational sensors became available due to advances in aeronautical and astronomical instrumentations.

  8. Quantum algebra U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}) and application to the rotational collective dynamics of the nuclei; Algebre quantique U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}) et application a la dynamique collective de rotation dans les noyaux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barbier, R

    1995-09-22

    This thesis concerns some aspects of new symmetries in Nuclear Physics. It comprises three parts. The first one is devoted to the study of the quantum algebra U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}). More precisely, we develop its Hopf algebraic structure and we study its co-product structure. The bases of the representation theory of U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}) are introduced. On one hand, we construct the finite-dimensional irreducible representations of U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}). On the other hand, we calculate the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients with the projection operator method. To complete our study, we construct some deformed boson mappings of the quantum algebras U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}), U{sub q{sup 2}}(su{sub 2}) and U{sub qp}(u{sub 1,1}). The second part deals with the construction of a new phenomenological model of the non rigid rotator. This model is based on the quantum algebra U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}). The rotational energy and the E2 reduced transition probabilities are obtained. They depend on the two deformation parameters q and p of the quantum algebra. We show how the use of the two-parameter deformation of the algebra U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}) leads to a generalization of the U{sub q}(su{sub 2})-rotator model. We also introduce a new model of the anharmonic oscillator on the basis of the quantum algebra U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}). We show that the system of the U{sub q}(su{sub 2})-rotator and of the anharmonic oscillator can be coupled with the use of the deformation parameters of U{sub qp}(u{sub 2}). A ro-vibration energy formula and expansion `a la` Dunham are obtained. The aim of the last part is to apply our non rigid rotator model to the rotational collective dynamics of the superdeformed nuclei of the A{approx}130 - 150 and A{approx}190 mass regions and deformed nuclei of the actinide and rare earth series. We adjust the free parameters of our model and compare our results with those from four other models of the non rigid rotator. A comparative analysis is given in terms of transition energies.

  9. History of rotating machinery dynamics

    CERN Document Server

    Rao, JS

    2011-01-01

    This book starts with the invention of the wheel nearly 5000 years ago, and via Archimedes, Aristotle and Hero describes the first practical applications such as water wheels and grinding wheels, pushing on to more rigorous scientific research by inquiring minds such as Leonardo da Vinci and Copernicus in later ages. Newton and Leibniz followed, and beam structures received maximum attention three centuries ago. As focus shifts and related disciplines such as mathematics and physics also develop, slowly turbomachines and rotor and blade dynamics as we know the subject now take shape. While the

  10. Temperature dependent heterogeneous rotational correlation in lipids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dadashvand, Neda; Othon, Christina M

    2016-11-15

    Lipid structures exhibit complex and highly dynamic lateral structure; and changes in lipid density and fluidity are believed to play an essential role in membrane targeting and function. The dynamic structure of liquids on the molecular scale can exhibit complex transient density fluctuations. Here the lateral heterogeneity of lipid dynamics is explored in free standing lipid monolayers. As the temperature is lowered the probes exhibit increasingly broad and heterogeneous rotational correlation. This increase in heterogeneity appears to exhibit a critical onset, similar to those observed for glass forming fluids. We explore heterogeneous relaxation in in a single constituent lipid monolayer of 1, 2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine  by measuring the rotational diffusion of a fluorescent probe (1-palmitoyl-2-[1]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), which is embedded in the lipid monolayer at low labeling density. Dynamic distributions are measured using wide-field time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. The observed relaxation exhibits a narrow, liquid-like distribution at high temperatures (τ ∼ 2.4 ns), consistent with previous experimental measures (Dadashvand et al 2014 Struct. Dyn. 1 054701, Loura and Ramalho 2007 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1768 467-478). However, as the temperature is quenched, the distribution broadens, and we observe the appearance of a long relaxation population (τ ∼ 16.5 ns). This supports the heterogeneity observed for lipids at high packing densities, and demonstrates that the nanoscale diffusion and reorganization in lipid structures can be significantly complex, even in the simplest amorphous architectures. Dynamical heterogeneity of this form can have a significant impact on the organization, permeability and energetics of lipid membrane structures.

  11. Binary asteroid population. 3. Secondary rotations and elongations

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pravec, Petr; Scheirich, Peter; Kušnirák, Peter; Hornoch, Kamil; Galád, Adrián; Naidu, S.P.; Pray, D. P.; Világi, J.; Gajdoš, Š.; Kornoš, L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 267, March (2016), s. 267-295 ISSN 0019-1035 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP209/12/0229; GA ČR GA15-07193S Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : asteroids * rotation * dynamics Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 3.131, year: 2016

  12. Did clockwise rotation of Antarctica cause the break-up of Gondwanaland? An investigation in the 'deep-keeled cratons' frame for global dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osmaston, M. F.

    2012-04-01

    Introduction. The 'deep-keeled cratons' frame for global dynamics is the result of seeking Earth-behaviour answers to the following outside-the-box proposition:- "If cratons have tectospheric keels that reach or approach the 660 km discontinuity, AND the 660 level is an effective barrier to mantle circulation, then obviously (i) when two cratons separate, the upper mantle to put under the nascent ocean must arrive by a circuitous route and, conversely, (ii) if they approach one another, the mantle volume that was in between them must get extruded sideways." Surprisingly it has turned out [1 - 4] that Earth dynamical behaviour for at least the past 150 Ma provides persuasive affirmation of both these expectations and that there is a rational petrological explanation for the otherwise-unexpected immobility of subcratonic material to such depths [5 - 7]. Clockwise rotation of Antarctica? This contribution greatly amplifies my original plate dynamical arguments for suggesting [8] that such rotation is ongoing. Convection is unsuited to causing rotation about a pole within the plate so, as noted then, a gearwheel-like linkage to Africa at the SWIR would provide its clearly CCW (Biscay-Caucasus) relationship to the Mediterranean belt for the past 100 Ma, also seen in its separation from South America. Gearwheel-like linkage of motion requires the presence of some kind of E-W restraint further north. In that case it was the N Africa/Arabia involvement in the Alpide belt, but the earlier opening of the central Atlantic by the eastward motion of Africa, suggests its rigid Gondwanan attachment to Antarctica rotation at that time, with little constraint in the north. Further east, the seafloor data show that Australia-Antarctica separation involved no such opposite rotational linkage, so, with no E-W mechanical constraint in the north by Indonesia, they must have rotated together, as is recorded by Australia's eastward motion to generate the Mesozoic seafloor at its western

  13. Rotation induced flow suppression around two tandem circular cylinders at low Reynolds number

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chatterjee, Dipankar [Advanced Design and Analysis Group, CSIR—Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713209 (India); Gupta, Krishan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhai National Institute of Technology Surat, Surat-395007 (India); Kumar, Virendra [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna-800013 (India); Varghese, Sachin Abraham, E-mail: d_chatterjee@cmeri.res.in [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur-713209 (India)

    2017-08-15

    The rotation to a bluff object is known to have a stabilizing effect on the fluid dynamic transport around the body. An unsteady periodic flow can be degenerated into a steady flow pattern depending on the rate of rotation imparted to the body. On the other hand, multiple bodies placed in tandem arrangement with respect to an incoming flow can cause destabilization to the flow as a result of the complicated wake interaction between the bodies. Accordingly, the spacing between the bodies and the rate of rotation have significant impact on the overall fluid dynamic transport around them. The present work aims to understand how these two competing factors are actually influencing the fluidic transport across a pair of identical rotating circular cylinders kept in tandem arrangement in an unconfined medium. The cylinders are subjected to a uniform free stream flow and the gaps between the cylinders are varied as 0.2, 0.7, 1.5 and 3.0. Both the cylinders are made to rotate in the clockwise sense. The Reynolds number based on the free stream flow is taken as 100. A two-dimensional finite volume based transient computation is performed for a range of dimensionless rotational speeds of the cylinders (0 ≤ Ω ≤ 2.75). The results show that the shedding phenomena can be observed up to a critical rate of rotation (Ω{sub cr}) depending on the gap spacing. Beyond Ω{sub cr}, the flow becomes stabilized and finally completely steady as Ω increases further. Increasing the gap initially causes a slight decrease in the critical rotational speed, however, it increases at a rapid rate for larger gap spacing. (paper)

  14. Importance of rotational adiabaticity in collisions of CO2 super rotors with Ar and He

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Matthew J.; Ogden, Hannah M.; Mullin, Amy S.

    2018-02-01

    The collision dynamics of optically centrifuged CO2 with Ar and He are reported here. The optical centrifuge produces an ensemble of CO2 molecules in high rotational states (with J ˜ 220) with oriented angular momentum. Polarization-dependent high-resolution transient IR absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the relaxation dynamics in the presence of Ar or He by probing the CO2 J = 76 and 100 states with Er o t=2306 and 3979 cm-1, respectively. The data show that He relaxes the CO2 super rotors more quickly than Ar. Doppler-broadened line profiles show that He collisions induce substantially larger rotation-to-translation energy transfer. CO2 super rotors have greater orientational anisotropy with He collisions and the anisotropy from the He collisions persists longer than with Ar. Super rotor relaxation dynamics are discussed in terms of mass effects related to classical gyroscope physics and collisional rotational adiabaticity.

  15. Optimal control of lift/drag ratios on a rotating cylinder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Yuh-Roung; Burns, John A.

    1992-01-01

    We present the numerical solution to a problem of maximizing the lift to drag ratio by rotating a circular cylinder in a two-dimensional viscous incompressible flow. This problem is viewed as a test case for the newly developing theoretical and computational methods for control of fluid dynamic systems. We show that the time averaged lift to drag ratio for a fixed finite-time interval achieves its maximum value at an optimal rotation rate that depends on the time interval.

  16. A Study on the Vibration Measurement and Analysis of Rotating Machine Foundations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jong Rim; Jeon, Kyu Sik; Suh, Young Pyo; Cho, Chul Hwan; Kim, Sung Taeg; Lee, Myung Kyu [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-12-31

    To search for the cause of vibration problem of rotating machine in the power plant, first the rotating machine is classified according to their type and each vibration characteristic is reviewed. The criteria for the evaluation of mechanical vibration effect on the structure and human being during the design of machine foundation is described below. The foundation of rotating machine is classified according to its shape and some factors are described which should be considered during dynamic modeling analysis for its correct result. Also the methods of incorporating foundation vibration into mechanical vibration analysis are reviewed. Type of vibration measurement and analysis which is used to find out the dynamic characteristic of structure is described in accordance with its signal processing and measuring method. Measurement of vibration and its analysis when there occurs real vibration troubles in power plant are compared with the results of numerical modeling as case studies. (author). 16 refs., 23 figs.

  17. Chaotic Zones around Rotating Small Bodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lages, José; Shevchenko, Ivan I. [Institut UTINAM, Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers THETA, CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon F-25030 (France); Shepelyansky, Dima L., E-mail: jose.lages@utinam.cnrs.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique du CNRS, IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, UPS, Toulouse F-31062 (France)

    2017-06-01

    Small bodies of the solar system, like asteroids, trans-Neptunian objects, cometary nuclei, and planetary satellites, with diameters smaller than 1000 km usually have irregular shapes, often resembling dumb-bells or contact binaries. The spinning of such a gravitating dumb-bell creates around it a zone of chaotic orbits. We determine its extent analytically and numerically. We find that the chaotic zone swells significantly if the rotation rate is decreased; in particular, the zone swells more than twice if the rotation rate is decreased 10 times with respect to the “centrifugal breakup” threshold. We illustrate the properties of the chaotic orbital zones in examples of the global orbital dynamics about asteroid 243 Ida (which has a moon, Dactyl, orbiting near the edge of the chaotic zone) and asteroid 25143 Itokawa.

  18. 9th IFToMM International Conference on Rotor Dynamics

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    This book presents the proceedings of the 9th IFToMM International Conference on Rotor Dynamics. This conference is a premier global event that brings together specialists from the university and industry sectors worldwide in order to promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and information on the latest developments and applied technologies in the dynamics of rotating machinery. The coverage is wide ranging, including, for example, new ideas and trends in various aspects of bearing technologies, issues in the analysis of blade dynamic behavior,  condition monitoring of different rotating machines, vibration control, electromechanical and fluid-structure interactions in rotating machinery, rotor dynamics of micro, nano, and cryogenic machines, and applications of rotor dynamics in transportation engineering. Since its inception 32 years ago, the IFToMM International Conference on Rotor Dynamics has become an irreplaceable point of reference for those working in the field, and this book reflects the high qua...

  19. Nonadiabatic Response Model of Laser-Induced Ultrafast π-Electron Rotations in Chiral Aromatic Molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanno, Manabu; Kono, Hirohiko; Fujimura, Yuichi; Lin, Sheng H.

    2010-01-01

    We theoretically investigated the nonadiabatic couplings between optically induced π-electron rotations and molecular vibrations in a chiral aromatic molecule irradiated by a nonhelical, linearly polarized laser pulse. The results of wave packet dynamics simulation show that the vibrational amplitudes strongly depend on the initial rotation direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, which is controlled by the polarization direction of the incident pulse. This suggests that attosecond π-electron rotations can be observed by spectroscopic detection of femtosecond molecular vibrations.

  20. Simulation of non-resonant internal kink mode with toroidal rotation in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Feng; Liu, J. Y. [School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Fu, G. Y.; Breslau, J. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Tritz, Kevin [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (United States)

    2013-07-15

    Plasmas in spherical and conventional tokamaks, with weakly reversed shear q profile and minimum q above but close to unity, are susceptible to an non-resonant (m,n) = (1,1) internal kink mode. This mode can saturate and persist and can induce a (2,1) seed island for Neoclassical Tearing Mode. [Breslau et al. Nucl. Fusion 51, 063027 (2011)]. The mode can also lead to large energetic particle transport and significant broadening of beam-driven current. Motivated by these important effects, we have carried out extensive nonlinear simulations of the mode with finite toroidal rotation using parameters and profiles of an NTSX plasma with a weakly reversed shear profile. The numerical results show that, at the experimental level, plasma rotation has little effect on either equilibrium or linear stability. However, rotation can significantly influence the nonlinear dynamics of the (1,1) mode and the induced (2,1) magnetic island. The simulation results show that a rotating helical equilibrium is formed and maintained in the nonlinear phase at finite plasma rotation. In contrast, for non-rotating cases, the nonlinear evolution exhibits dynamic oscillations between a quasi-2D state and a helical state. Furthermore, the effects of rotation are found to greatly suppress the (2,1) magnetic island even at a low level.

  1. The Oscillatory Nature of Rotating Convection in Liquid Metal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurnou, J. M.; Bertin, V. L.; Grannan, A. M.

    2016-12-01

    Earth's magnetic field is assumed to be generated by fluid motions in its liquid metal core. In this fluid, the heat diffuses significantly more than momentum and thus, the ratio of these two diffusivities, the Prandtl number Pr=ν/Κ, is well below unity. The convective flow dynamics of liquid metal is very different from Pr ≈ 1 fluids like water and those used in current dynamo simulations. In order to characterize rapidly rotating thermal convection in low Pr number fluids, we have performed laboratory experiments in a cylinder using liquid gallium (Pr ≈ 0.023) as the working fluid. The Ekman number, which characterizes the effect of rotation, varies from E = 4 10-5 to 4 10-6 and the dimensionless buoyancy forcing (Rayleigh number, Ra) varies from Ra =3 105 to 2 107. Using heat transfer measurements (Nusselt number, Nu) as well as temperature measurements within the fluid, we characterize the different styles of low Pr rotating convective flow. The convection threshold is first overcome in the form of a container scale inertial oscillatory mode. At stronger forcing, wall-localized modes are identified for the first time in liquid metal laboratory experiments. These wall modes coexist with the bulk inertial oscillatory modes. When the strengh of the buoyancy increases, the bulk flow becomes turbulent while the wall modes remain. Our results imply that rotating convective flows in liquid metals do not develop in the form of quasi-steady columns, as in Pr ≈ 1 dynamo models, but in the form of oscillatory motions. Therefore, the flows that drive thermally-driven dynamo action in low Pr geophysical and astrophysical fluids can differ substantively than those occuring in current-day Pr ≈ 1 numerical models. In addition, our results suggest that relatively low wavenumber, wall-attached modes may be dynamically important in rapidly-rotating convection in liquid metals.

  2. Effects of zonal flows on correlation between energy balance and energy conservation associated with nonlinear nonviscous atmospheric dynamics in a thin rotating spherical shell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibragimov, Ranis N.

    2018-03-01

    The nonlinear Euler equations are used to model two-dimensional atmosphere dynamics in a thin rotating spherical shell. The energy balance is deduced on the basis of two classes of functorially independent invariant solutions associated with the model. It it shown that the energy balance is exactly the conservation law for one class of the solutions whereas the second class of invariant solutions provides and asymptotic convergence of the energy balance to the conservation law.

  3. Faraday rotation due to excitation of magnetoplasmons in graphene microribbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tymchenko, Mykhailo; Nikitin, Alexey Yu; Martín-Moreno, Luis

    2013-11-26

    A single graphene sheet, when subjected to a perpendicular static magnetic field, provides a Faraday rotation that, per atomic layer, greatly surpasses that of any other known material. In continuous graphene, Faraday rotation originates from the cyclotron resonance of massless carriers, which allows dynamical tuning through either external electrostatic or magneto-static setting. Furthermore, the rotation direction can be controlled by changing the sign of the carriers in graphene, which can be done by means of an external electric field. However, despite these tuning possibilities, the requirement of large magnetic fields hinders the application of the Faraday effect in real devices, especially for frequencies higher than a few terahertz. In this work we demonstrate that large Faraday rotation can be achieved in arrays of graphene microribbons, through the excitation of the magnetoplasmons of individual ribbons, at larger frequencies than those dictated by the cyclotron resonance. In this way, for a given magnetic field and chemical potential, structuring graphene periodically can produce large Faraday rotation at larger frequencies than what would occur in a continuous graphene sheet. Alternatively, at a given frequency, graphene ribbons produce large Faraday rotation at much smaller magnetic fields than in continuous graphene.

  4. Label-acquired magnetorotation for biosensing: An asynchronous rotation assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hecht, Ariel; Kinnunen, Paivo; McNaughton, Brandon; Kopelman, Raoul

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a novel application of magnetic particles for biosensing, called label-acquired magnetorotation (LAM). This method is based on a combination of the traditional sandwich assay format with the asynchronous magnetic bead rotation (AMBR) method. In label-acquired magnetorotation, an analyte facilitates the binding of a magnetic label bead to a nonmagnetic solid phase sphere, forming a sandwich complex. The sandwich complex is then placed in a rotating magnetic field, where the rotational frequency of the sandwich complex is a function of the amount of analyte attached to the surface of the sphere. Here, we use streptavidin-coated beads and biotin-coated particles as analyte mimics, to be replaced by proteins and other biological targets in future work. We show this sensing method to have a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude.

  5. Tully-Fisher relation, galactic rotation curves and dissipative mirror dark matter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foot, R., E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia (Australia)

    2014-12-01

    If dark matter is dissipative then the distribution of dark matter within galactic halos can be governed by dissipation, heating and hydrostatic equilibrium. Previous work has shown that a specific model, in the framework of mirror dark matter, can explain several empirical galactic scaling relations. It is shown here that this dynamical halo model implies a quasi-isothermal dark matter density, ρ(r) ≅ ρ{sub 0}r{sub 0}{sup 2}/(r{sup 2}+r{sub 0}{sup 2}), where the core radius, r{sub 0}, scales with disk scale length, r{sub D}, via r{sub 0}/kpc ≈ 1.4(r{sub D}/kpc). Additionally, the product ρ{sub 0}r{sub 0} is roughly constant, i.e. independent of galaxy size (the constant is set by the parameters of the model). The derived dark matter density profile implies that the galactic rotation velocity satisfies the Tully-Fisher relation, L{sub B}∝v{sup 3}{sub max}, where v{sub max} is the maximal rotational velocity. Examples of rotation curves resulting from this dynamics are given.

  6. Global rotation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosquist, K.

    1980-01-01

    Global rotation in cosmological models is defined on an observational basis. A theorem is proved saying that, for rigid motion, the global rotation is equal to the ordinary local vorticity. The global rotation is calculated in the space-time homogeneous class III models, with Godel's model as a special case. It is shown that, with the exception of Godel's model, the rotation in these models becomes infinite for finite affine parameter values. In some directions the rotation changes sign and becomes infinite in a direction opposite to the local vorticity. The points of infinite rotation are identified as conjugate points along the null geodesics. The physical interpretation of the infinite rotation is discussed, and a comparison with the behaviour of the area distance at conjugate points is given. (author)

  7. Effects of practice variability on unimanual arm rotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Eric G; Conatser, Phillip

    2014-01-01

    High variability practice has been found to lead to a higher rate of motor learning than low variability practice in sports tasks. The authors compared the effects of low and high levels of practice variability on a simple unimanual arm rotation task. Participants performed rhythmic unimanual internal-external arm rotation as smoothly as possible before and after 2 weeks of low (LV) or high (HV) variability practice and after a 2-week retention interval. Compared to the pretest, the HV group significantly decreased hand, radioulnar, and shoulder rotation jerk on the retention test and shoulder jerk on the posttest. After training the LV group had lower radioulnar and shoulder jerk on the posttest but not the retention test. The results supported the hypothesis that high variability practice would lead to greater learning and reminiscence than low variability practice and the theoretical prediction of a bifurcation in the motor learning dynamics.

  8. Universal relations for differentially rotating relativistic stars at the threshold to collapse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozzola, Gabriele; Stergioulas, Nikolaos; Bauswein, Andreas

    2018-03-01

    A binary neutron star merger produces a rapidly and differentially rotating compact remnant whose lifespan heavily affects the electromagnetic and gravitational emissions. Its stability depends on both the equation of state (EOS) and the rotation law and it is usually investigated through numerical simulations. Nevertheless, by means of a sufficient criterion for secular instability, equilibrium sequences can be used as a computational inexpensive way to estimate the onset of dynamical instability, which, in general, is close to the secular one. This method works well for uniform rotation and relies on the location of turning points: stellar models that are stationary points in a sequence of equilibrium solutions with constant rest mass or angular momentum. Here, we investigate differentially rotating models (using a large number of EOSs and different rotation laws) and find that several universal relations between properly scaled gravitational mass, rest mass and angular momentum of the turning-point models that are valid for uniform rotation are insensitive to the degree of differential rotation, to high accuracy.

  9. 3-D collapse of rotating stars to Kerr black holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baiotti, L; Hawke, I; Montero, P J; Loeffler, F L; Rezzolla, L; Stergioulas, N; Font, J A; Seidel, E

    2005-01-01

    We study gravitational collapse of uniformly rotating neutron stars to Kerr black holes, using a new three-dimensional, fully general relativistic hydrodynamics code, which uses high-resolution shock-capturing techniques and a conformal traceless formulation of the Einstein equations. We investigate the gravitational collapse by carefully studying not only the dynamics of the matter, but also that of the trapped surfaces, i.e. of both the apparent and event horizons formed during the collapse. The use of these surfaces, together with the dynamical horizon framework, allows for a precise measurement of the black-hole mass and spin. The ability to successfully perform these simulations for sufficiently long times relies on excising a region of the computational domain which includes the singularity and is within the apparent horizon. The dynamics of the collapsing matter is strongly influenced by the initial amount of angular momentum in the progenitor star and, for initial models with sufficiently high angular velocities, the collapse can lead to the formation of an unstable disc in differential rotation

  10. Broadband Rotational Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pate, Brooks

    2014-06-01

    The past decade has seen several major technology advances in electronics operating at microwave frequencies making it possible to develop a new generation of spectrometers for molecular rotational spectroscopy. High-speed digital electronics, both arbitrary waveform generators and digitizers, continue on a Moore's Law-like development cycle that started around 1993 with device bandwidth doubling about every 36 months. These enabling technologies were the key to designing chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave (CP-FTMW) spectrometers which offer significant sensitivity enhancements for broadband spectrum acquisition in molecular rotational spectroscopy. A special feature of the chirped-pulse spectrometer design is that it is easily implemented at low frequency (below 8 GHz) where Balle-Flygare type spectrometers with Fabry-Perot cavity designs become technologically challenging due to the mirror size requirements. The capabilities of CP-FTMW spectrometers for studies of molecular structure will be illustrated by the collaborative research effort we have been a part of to determine the structures of water clusters - a project which has identified clusters up to the pentadecamer. A second technology trend that impacts molecular rotational spectroscopy is the development of high power, solid state sources in the mm-wave/THz regions. Results from the field of mm-wave chirped-pulse Fourier transform spectroscopy will be described with an emphasis on new problems in chemical dynamics and analytical chemistry that these methods can tackle. The third (and potentially most important) technological trend is the reduction of microwave components to chip level using monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) - a technology driven by an enormous mass market in communications. Some recent advances in rotational spectrometer designs that incorporate low-cost components will be highlighted. The challenge to the high-resolution spectroscopy community - as posed by Frank De

  11. Videogame training strategy-induced change in brain function during a complex visuomotor task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyunkyu; Voss, Michelle W; Prakash, Ruchika Shaurya; Boot, Walter R; Vo, Loan T K; Basak, Chandramallika; Vanpatter, Matt; Gratton, Gabriele; Fabiani, Monica; Kramer, Arthur F

    2012-07-01

    Although changes in brain function induced by cognitive training have been examined, functional plasticity associated with specific training strategies is still relatively unexplored. In this study, we examined changes in brain function during a complex visuomotor task following training using the Space Fortress video game. To assess brain function, participants completed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after 30 h of training with one of two training regimens: Hybrid Variable-Priority Training (HVT), with a focus on improving specific skills and managing task priority, or Full Emphasis Training (FET), in which participants simply practiced the game to obtain the highest overall score. Control participants received only 6 h of FET. Compared to FET, HVT learners reached higher performance on the game and showed less brain activation in areas related to visuo-spatial attention and goal-directed movement after training. Compared to the control group, HVT exhibited less brain activation in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), coupled with greater performance improvement. Region-of-interest analysis revealed that the reduction in brain activation was correlated with improved performance on the task. This study sheds light on the neurobiological mechanisms of improved learning from directed training (HVT) over non-directed training (FET), which is related to visuo-spatial attention and goal-directed motor planning, while separating the practice-based benefit, which is related to executive control and rule management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Rotational and spin viscosities of water: Application to nanofluidics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jesper Søndergaard; Bruus, Henrik; Todd, B.D.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we evaluate the rotational viscosity and the two spin viscosities for liquid water using equilibrium molecular dynamics. Water is modeled via the flexible SPC/Fw model where the Coulomb interactions are calculated via the Wolf method which enables the long simulation times required....... We find that the rotational viscosity is independent of the temperature in the range from 284 to 319 K. The two spin viscosities, on the other hand, decrease with increasing temperature and are found to be two orders of magnitude larger than that estimated by Bonthuis et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103...

  13. Topological dynamics in supramolecular rotors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma, Carlos-Andres; Björk, Jonas; Rao, Francesco; Kühne, Dirk; Klappenberger, Florian; Barth, Johannes V

    2014-08-13

    Artificial molecular switches, rotors, and machines are set to establish design rules and applications beyond their biological counterparts. Herein we exemplify the role of noncovalent interactions and transient rearrangements in the complex behavior of supramolecular rotors caged in a 2D metal-organic coordination network. Combined scanning tunneling microscopy experiments and molecular dynamics modeling of a supramolecular rotor with respective rotation rates matching with 0.2 kcal mol(-1) (9 meV) precision, identify key steps in collective rotation events and reconfigurations. We notably reveal that stereoisomerization of the chiral trimeric units entails topological isomerization whereas rotation occurs in a topology conserving, two-step asynchronous process. In supramolecular constructs, distinct displacements of subunits occur inducing a markedly lower rotation barrier as compared to synchronous mechanisms of rigid rotors. Moreover, the chemical environment can be instructed to control the system dynamics. Our observations allow for a definition of mechanical cooperativity based on a significant reduction of free energy barriers in supramolecules compared to rigid molecules.

  14. Nonmodal phenomena in differentially rotating dusty plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poedts, Stefaan; Rogava, Andria D.

    2000-10-01

    In this paper the foundation is layed for the nonmodal investigation of velocity shear induced phenomena in a differentially rotating flow of a dusty plasma. The simplest case of nonmagnetized flow is considered. It is shown that, together with the innate properties of the dusty plasma, the presence of differential rotation, Coriolis forces, and self-gravity casts a considerable richness on the nonmodal dynamics of linear perturbations in the flow. In particular: (i) dust-acoustic waves acquire the ability to extract energy from the mean flow and (ii) shear-induced, nonperiodic modes of collective plasma behavior-shear-dust-acoustic vortices-are generated. The presence of self-gravity and the nonzero Coriolis parameter (``epicyclic shaking'') makes these collective modes transiently unstable. .

  15. Nonmodal phenomena in differentially rotating dusty plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poedts, Stefaan; Rogava, Andria D.

    2000-01-01

    In this paper the foundation is layed for the nonmodal investigation of velocity shear induced phenomena in a differentially rotating flow of a dusty plasma. The simplest case of nonmagnetized flow is considered. It is shown that, together with the innate properties of the dusty plasma, the presence of differential rotation, Coriolis forces, and self-gravity casts a considerable richness on the nonmodal dynamics of linear perturbations in the flow. In particular: (i) dust-acoustic waves acquire the ability to extract energy from the mean flow and (ii) shear-induced, nonperiodic modes of collective plasma behavior--shear-dust-acoustic vortices--are generated. The presence of self-gravity and the nonzero Coriolis parameter ('epicyclic shaking') makes these collective modes transiently unstable

  16. Efficacy of home-based visuomotor feedback training in stroke patients with chronic hemispatial neglect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossit, Stéphanie; Benwell, Christopher S Y; Szymanek, Larissa; Learmonth, Gemma; McKernan-Ward, Laura; Corrigan, Elaine; Muir, Keith; Reeves, Ian; Duncan, George; Birschel, Philip; Roberts, Margaret; Livingstone, Katrina; Jackson, Hazel; Castle, Pauline; Harvey, Monika

    2017-01-24

    Hemispatial neglect is a severe cognitive condition frequently observed after a stroke, associated with unawareness of one side of space, disability and poor long-term outcome. Visuomotor feedback training (VFT) is a neglect rehabilitation technique that involves a simple, inexpensive and feasible training of grasping-to-lift rods at the centre. We compared the immediate and long-term effects of VFT vs. a control training when delivered in a home-based setting. Twenty participants were randomly allocated to an intervention (who received VFT) or a control group (n = 10 each). Training was delivered for two sessions by an experimenter and then patients self-administered it for 10 sessions over two weeks. Outcome measures included the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT), line bisection, Balloons Test, Landmark task, room description task, subjective straight-ahead pointing task and the Stroke Impact Scale. The measures were obtained before, immediately after the training sessions and after four-months post-training. Significantly greater short and long-term improvements were obtained after VFT when compared to control training in line bisection, BIT and spatial bias in cancellation. VFT also produced improvements on activities of daily living. We conclude that VFT is a feasible, effective, home-based rehabilitation method for neglect patients that warrants further investigation with well-designed randomised controlled trials on a large sample of patients.

  17. Mean-field theory of differential rotation in density stratified turbulent convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogachevskii, I.

    2018-04-01

    A mean-field theory of differential rotation in a density stratified turbulent convection has been developed. This theory is based on the combined effects of the turbulent heat flux and anisotropy of turbulent convection on the Reynolds stress. A coupled system of dynamical budget equations consisting in the equations for the Reynolds stress, the entropy fluctuations and the turbulent heat flux has been solved. To close the system of these equations, the spectral approach, which is valid for large Reynolds and Péclet numbers, has been applied. The adopted model of the background turbulent convection takes into account an increase of the turbulence anisotropy and a decrease of the turbulent correlation time with the rotation rate. This theory yields the radial profile of the differential rotation which is in agreement with that for the solar differential rotation.

  18. Dynamics on the Circle

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 8; Issue 11. Dynamics on the Circle - Interval Dynamics and Rotation Number. Siddhartha Gadgil. General Article Volume 8 Issue 11 November 2003 pp 25-36. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

  19. Turbulent structures in cylindrical density currents in a rotating frame of reference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salinas, Jorge S.; Cantero, Mariano I.; Dari, Enzo A.; Bonometti, Thomas

    2018-06-01

    Gravity currents are flows generated by the action of gravity on fluids with different densities. In some geophysical applications, modeling such flows makes it necessary to account for rotating effects, modifying the dynamics of the flow. While previous works on rotating stratified flows focused on currents of large Coriolis number, the present work focuses on flows with small Coriolis numbers (i.e. moderate-to-large Rossby numbers). In this work, cylindrical rotating gravity currents are investigated by means of highly resolved simulations. A brief analysis of the mean flow evolution to the final state is presented to provide a complete picture of the flow dynamics. The numerical results, showing the well-known oscillatory behavior of the flow (inertial waves) and a final state lens shape (geostrophic adjustment), are in good agreement with experimental observations and theoretical models. The turbulent structures in the flow are visualized and described using, among others, a stereoscopic visualization and videos as supplementary material. In particular, the structure of the lobes and clefts at the front of the current is presented in association to local turbulent structures. In rotating gravity currents, the vortices observed at the lobes front are not of hairpin type but are rather of Kelvin-Helmholtz type.

  20. Actomyosin contractility rotates the cell nucleus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Abhishek; Maitra, Ananyo; Sumit, Madhuresh; Ramaswamy, Sriram; Shivashankar, G V

    2014-01-21

    The cell nucleus functions amidst active cytoskeletal filaments, but its response to their contractile stresses is largely unexplored. We study the dynamics of the nuclei of single fibroblasts, with cell migration suppressed by plating onto micro-fabricated patterns. We find the nucleus undergoes noisy but coherent rotational motion. We account for this observation through a hydrodynamic approach, treating the nucleus as a highly viscous inclusion residing in a less viscous fluid of orientable filaments endowed with active stresses. Lowering actin contractility selectively by introducing blebbistatin at low concentrations drastically reduced the speed and coherence of the angular motion of the nucleus. Time-lapse imaging of actin revealed a correlated hydrodynamic flow around the nucleus, with profile and magnitude consistent with the results of our theoretical approach. Coherent intracellular flows and consequent nuclear rotation thus appear to be an intrinsic property of cells.

  1. Elastic fingering in rotating Hele-Shaw flows

    KAUST Repository

    Carvalho, Gabriel D.; Gadê lha, Hermes; Miranda, José A.

    2014-01-01

    The centrifugally driven viscous fingering problem arises when two immiscible fluids of different densities flow in a rotating Hele-Shaw cell. In this conventional setting an interplay between capillary and centrifugal forces makes the fluid-fluid interface unstable, leading to the formation of fingered structures that compete dynamically and reach different lengths. In this context, it is known that finger competition is very sensitive to changes in the viscosity contrast between the fluids. We study a variant of such a rotating flow problem where the fluids react and produce a gellike phase at their separating boundary. This interface is assumed to be elastic, presenting a curvature-dependent bending rigidity. A perturbative weakly nonlinear approach is used to investigate how the elastic nature of the interface affects finger competition events. Our results unveil a very different dynamic scenario, in which finger length variability is not regulated by the viscosity contrast, but rather determined by two controlling quantities: a characteristic radius and a rigidity fraction parameter. By properly tuning these quantities one can describe a whole range of finger competition behaviors even if the viscosity contrast is kept unchanged. © 2014 American Physical Society.

  2. Elastic fingering in rotating Hele-Shaw flows

    KAUST Repository

    Carvalho, Gabriel D.

    2014-05-21

    The centrifugally driven viscous fingering problem arises when two immiscible fluids of different densities flow in a rotating Hele-Shaw cell. In this conventional setting an interplay between capillary and centrifugal forces makes the fluid-fluid interface unstable, leading to the formation of fingered structures that compete dynamically and reach different lengths. In this context, it is known that finger competition is very sensitive to changes in the viscosity contrast between the fluids. We study a variant of such a rotating flow problem where the fluids react and produce a gellike phase at their separating boundary. This interface is assumed to be elastic, presenting a curvature-dependent bending rigidity. A perturbative weakly nonlinear approach is used to investigate how the elastic nature of the interface affects finger competition events. Our results unveil a very different dynamic scenario, in which finger length variability is not regulated by the viscosity contrast, but rather determined by two controlling quantities: a characteristic radius and a rigidity fraction parameter. By properly tuning these quantities one can describe a whole range of finger competition behaviors even if the viscosity contrast is kept unchanged. © 2014 American Physical Society.

  3. Measurements of plasma rotation in an axially magnetized MPD arc-jet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tobari, Hiroyuki; Ashino, Masashi; Yoshino, Kyohei; Sagi, Yukiko; Yoshinuma, Mikirou; Hattori, Kunihiko; Ando, Akira; Inutake, Masaaki [Department of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi (Japan)

    2001-01-24

    Characteristics of an axially magnetized MPD (magneto-plasma-dynamic) arcjet plasma are investigated by spectroscopy on the HITOP (High density of Tohoku Plasma) device in Tohoku University. Plasma flow and rotational velocity and temperature of He ion and atom near the muzzle region of MPD arcjet are measured by Doppler shift and broadening of the HeI ({lambda}=578.56 nm) and HeII ({lambda}=468.58 nm) lines. From the measured radial profile of rotational velocity and temperature of He ion, the radial profiles of electrical field and space potential are calculated and it has been found that the potential profile in the core region is parabolic, which shows the plasma rotates as a rigid body. (author)

  4. Inertial wave beams and inertial wave modes in a rotating cylinder with time-modulated rotation rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borcia, Ion D.; Ghasemi V., Abouzar; Harlander, Uwe

    2014-05-01

    Inertial gravity waves play an crucial role in atmospheres, oceans, and the fluid inside of planets and moons. In the atmosphere, the effect of rotation is neglected for small wavelength and the waves bear the character of internal gravity waves. For long waves, the hydrostatic assumption is made which in turn makes the atmosphere inelastic with respect to inertial motion. In contrast, in the Earth's interior, pure inertial waves are considered as an important fundamental part of the motion. Moreover, as the deep ocean is nearly homogeneous, there the inertial gravity waves bear the character of inertial waves. Excited at the oceans surface mainly due to weather systems the waves can propagate downward and influence the deep oceans motion. In the light of the aforesaid it is important to understand better fundamental inertial wave dynamics. We investigate inertial wave modes by experimental and numerical methods. Inertial modes are excited in a fluid filled rotating annulus by modulating the rotation rate of the outer cylinder and the upper and lower lids. This forcing leads to inertial wave beams emitted from the corner regions of the annulus due to periodic motions in the boundary layers (Klein et al., 2013). When the forcing frequency matches with the eigenfrequency of the rotating annulus the beam pattern amplitude is increasing, the beams broaden and mode structures can be observed (Borcia et al., 2013a). The eigenmodes are compared with analytical solutions of the corresponding inviscid problem (Borcia et al, 2013b). In particular for the pressure field a good agreement can be found. However, shear layers related to the excited wave beams are present for all frequencies. This becomes obvious in particular in the experimental visualizations that are done by using Kalliroscope particles, highlighting relative motion in the fluid. Comparing the eigenfrequencies we find that relative to the analytical frequencies, the experimental and numerical ones show a small

  5. Adapting crop rotations to climate change in regional impact modelling assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Edmar I; de Ruiter, John; Ausseil, Anne-Gaelle; Daigneault, Adam; Johnstone, Paul; Holmes, Allister; Tait, Andrew; Ewert, Frank

    2018-03-01

    The environmental and economic sustainability of future cropping systems depends on adaptation to climate change. Adaptation studies commonly rely on agricultural systems models to integrate multiple components of production systems such as crops, weather, soil and farmers' management decisions. Previous adaptation studies have mostly focused on isolated monocultures. However, in many agricultural regions worldwide, multi-crop rotations better represent local production systems. It is unclear how adaptation interventions influence crops grown in sequences. We develop a catchment-scale assessment to investigate the effects of tactical adaptations (choice of genotype and sowing date) on yield and underlying crop-soil factors of rotations. Based on locally surveyed data, a silage-maize followed by catch-crop-wheat rotation was simulated with the APSIM model for the RCP 8.5 emission scenario, two time periods (1985-2004 and 2080-2100) and six climate models across the Kaituna catchment in New Zealand. Results showed that direction and magnitude of climate change impacts, and the response to adaptation, varied spatially and were affected by rotation carryover effects due to agronomical (e.g. timing of sowing and harvesting) and soil (e.g. residual nitrogen, N) aspects. For example, by adapting maize to early-sowing dates under a warmer climate, there was an advance in catch crop establishment which enhanced residual soil N uptake. This dynamics, however, differed with local environment and choice of short- or long-cycle maize genotypes. Adaptation was insufficient to neutralize rotation yield losses in lowlands but consistently enhanced yield gains in highlands, where other constraints limited arable cropping. The positive responses to adaptation were mainly due to increases in solar radiation interception across the entire growth season. These results provide deeper insights on the dynamics of climate change impacts for crop rotation systems. Such knowledge can be used

  6. Implications of Job Rotation Literature for Performance Improvement Practitioners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casad, Scott

    2012-01-01

    Job rotations have existed as a means of developing individual knowledge and skills since the industrial revolution, and in today's dynamic global workplace, they afford organizations an opportunity to manage changing psychological work contracts and employee desires for self-managed careers. Through the systematic mining of psychology, business,…

  7. The influence of molecular rotation on vibration--translation energy transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKenzie, R.L.

    1977-01-01

    The role of molecular rotations in the exchange of vibrational and translational energy is investigated for collisions between anharmonic diatomic molecules and structureless atoms. A three-dimensional, semiclassical, impact parameter description is applied with emphasis directed towards the influence of rotational coupling on the net rate of vibrational energy transfer summed over all final rotational states. These results are then related to the predictions of an equivalent collinear collision model, and their comparison allows an evaluation of the collinear approximation. The mechanisms of vibrational energy transfer including rotational transitions are shown to be separable into three classes, with the molecules belonging to each class identified first and foremost by their ratio of fundamental vibrational and rotational frequencies, ω/sub e//B/sub e/, and second by the proximity of their initial state to a near-resonant vibration--rotation transition with a small change in angular momentum. While the dynamics of molecules with ω/sub e//B/sub e/ ratios that are comparable to the range of angular momentum transitions having strong coupling are found to require a complete three-dimensional description, the rates of vibrational energy transfer in molecules with large ω/sub e//B/sub e/ ratios appear to be well approximated by a collinear collision model

  8. Mixing on a spherical shell by cutting and shuffling with non-orthogonal rotation axes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Thomas; Umbanhowar, Paul; Ottino, Julio; Lueptow, Richard

    2017-11-01

    We examine a dynamical system that models the mixing of granular material in a half-filled spherical tumbler rotated about two horizontal alternating axes by using the machinery of cutting and shuffling through piecewise-isometries (PWI). Previous restrictions on how the domain is cut and shuffled are relaxed to allow non-orthogonal axes of rotation. Mixing is not only dependent on the amount of rotation used to induce mixing, but also on the relative orientation of the rotation axes. Well mixed regions within the PWI, which have a high density of cuts, typically interact with the periodic cutting boundary for both rotation axes. However, there are parameter combinations where the two rotations cut distinctly separate regions. The three-parameter space (a rotation about each axis and the relative orientation of the axes) is rich with detailed mixing features such as fractal boundaries and elliptic-like non-mixing regions. Supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. CMMI-1435065.

  9. Molecular Viscosity Sensors with Two Rotators for Optimizing the Fluorescence Intensity-Contrast Trade-Off.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Chul; Lee, Chang-Lyoul; Heo, Jeongyun; Jeong, Chan-Uk; Lee, Gyeong-Hui; Kim, Sehoon; Yoon, Woojin; Yun, Hoseop; Park, Sung O; Kwak, Sang Kyu; Park, Sung-Ha; Kwon, O-Pil

    2018-02-26

    A series of fluorescent molecular rotors obtained by introducing two rotational groups ("rotators"), which exhibit different rotational and electron-donating abilities, are discussed. Whereas the control molecular rotor, PH, includes a single rotator (the widely used phenyl group), the PO molecular rotors consist of two rotators (a phenyl group and an alkoxy group), which exhibit simultaneous strongly electron-donating and easy rotational abilities. Compared with the control rotor PH, PO molecular rotors exhibited one order of magnitude higher quantum yield (fluorescence intensity) and simultaneously exhibited significantly higher fluorescence contrast. These properties are directly related to the strong electron-donating ability and low energy barrier of rotation of the alkoxy group, as confirmed by dynamic fluorescence experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The PO molecular rotors exhibited two fluorescence relaxation pathways, whereas the PH molecular rotor exhibited a single fluorescence relaxation pathway. Cellular fluorescence imaging with PO molecular rotors for mapping cellular viscosity was successfully demonstrated. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Hyperthermia with rotating magnetic nanowires inducing heat into tumor by fluid friction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egolf, Peter W.; Pawlowski, Anne-Gabrielle; Tsague, Paulin; Marco, Bastien de; Bovy, William; Tucev, Sinisa [Institute of Thermal Sciences and Engineering, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH 1401 Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland); Shamsudhin, Naveen, E-mail: snaveen@ethz.ch; Pané, Salvador; Pokki, Juho; Ansari, M. H. D.; Nelson, Bradley J. [Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, CH 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Vuarnoz, Didier [Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL Fribourg, CH 1701 Fribourg (Switzerland)

    2016-08-14

    A magnetic hyperthermia cancer treatment strategy that does not operate by means of conventional heating mechanisms is presented. The proposed approach consists of injecting a gel with homogeneously distributed magnetic nanowires into a tumor. Upon the application of a low-frequency rotating or circularly polarized magnetic field, nanowires spin around their center of viscous drag due to torque generated by shape anisotropy. As a result of external rotational forcing and fluid friction in the nanoparticle's boundary layer, heating occurs. The nanowire dynamics is theoretically and experimentally investigated, and different feasibility proofs of the principle by physical modeling, which adhere to medical guidelines, are presented. The magnetic nanorotors exhibit rotations and oscillations with quite a steady center of gravity, which proves an immobile behavior and guarantees a time-independent homogeneity of the spatial particle distribution in the tumor. Furthermore, a fluid dynamic and thermodynamic heating model is briefly introduced. This model is a generalization of Penne's model that for this method reveals theoretic heating rates that are sufficiently high, and fits well into medical limits defined by present standards.

  11. Dynamic response of high speed centrifuge for reprocessing plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajput, Gaurav; Satish Kumar, V.; Selvaraj, T.; Ananda Rao, S.M.; Ravisankar, A.

    2012-01-01

    The standard for balancing the rotating bowl describes only the details about the selection of balance quality grade and the permissible residual unbalance for different operating speeds. This paper presents the effects of unbalance on the rotating bowl of high speed centrifuge used in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. In this study, the residual unbalance is evaluated for different recommended balancing grades in accordance with the ISO 1940. This unbalance mass generates dynamic force which acts on the rotor. The dynamic response of the rotor like displacements and stresses under this dynamic force are studied by numerical simulation. Finally, the effect of residual unbalance on the rotating bowl performance for different balancing grades is discussed. The experimental measurements are also carried out for the case of G 1.0 grade balanced rotating bowl to validate the resonance frequency as well as vibration amplitudes. (author)

  12. Dynamics of molecular superrotors in an external magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korobenko, Aleksey; Milner, Valery

    2015-08-01

    We excite diatomic oxygen and nitrogen to high rotational states with an optical centrifuge and study their dynamics in an external magnetic field. Ion imaging is employed to directly visualize, and follow in time, the rotation plane of the molecular superrotors. The two different mechanisms of interaction between the magnetic field and the molecular angular momentum in paramagnetic oxygen and non-magnetic nitrogen lead to qualitatively different behaviour. In nitrogen, we observe the precession of the molecular angular momentum around the field vector. In oxygen, strong spin-rotation coupling results in faster and richer dynamics, encompassing the splitting of the rotation plane into three separate components. As the centrifuged molecules evolve with no significant dispersion of the molecular wave function, the observed magnetic interaction presents an efficient mechanism for controlling the plane of molecular rotation.

  13. Chaotic cold accretion on to black holes in rotating atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspari, M.; Brighenti, F.; Temi, P.

    2015-07-01

    The fueling of black holes is one key problem in the evolution of baryons in the universe. Chaotic cold accretion (CCA) profoundly differs from classic accretion models, as Bondi and thin disc theories. Using 3D high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations, we now probe the impact of rotation on the hot and cold accretion flow in a typical massive galaxy. In the hot mode, with or without turbulence, the pressure-dominated flow forms a geometrically thick rotational barrier, suppressing the black hole accretion rate to ~1/3 of the spherical case value. When radiative cooling is dominant, the gas loses pressure support and quickly circularizes in a cold thin disk; the accretion rate is decoupled from the cooling rate, although it is higher than that of the hot mode. In the more common state of a turbulent and heated atmosphere, CCA drives the dynamics if the gas velocity dispersion exceeds the rotational velocity, i.e., turbulent Taylor number Tat 1), the broadening of the distribution and the efficiency of collisions diminish, damping the accretion rate ∝ Tat-1, until the cold disk drives the dynamics. This is exacerbated by the increased difficulty to grow TI in a rotating halo. The simulated sub-Eddington accretion rates cover the range inferred from AGN cavity observations. CCA predicts inner flat X-ray temperature and r-1 density profiles, as recently discovered in M 87 and NGC 3115. The synthetic Hα images reproduce the main features of cold gas observations in massive ellipticals, as the line fluxes and the filaments versus disk morphology. Such dichotomy is key for the long-term AGN feedback cycle. As gas cools, filamentary CCA develops and boosts AGN heating; the cold mode is thus reduced and the rotating disk remains the sole cold structure. Its consumption leaves the atmosphere in hot mode with suppressed accretion and feedback, reloading the cycle.

  14. Vibrational Suspension of Light Sphere in a Tilted Rotating Cylinder with Liquid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor G. Kozlov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The dynamics of a light sphere in a quickly rotating inclined cylinder filled with liquid under transversal vibrations is experimentally investigated. Due to inertial oscillations of the sphere relative to the cavity, its rotation velocity differs from the cavity one. The intensification of the lagging motion of a sphere and the excitation of the outstripping differential rotation are possible under vibrations. It occurs in the resonant areas where the frequency of vibrations coincides with the fundamental frequency of the system. The position of the sphere in the center of the cylinder could be unstable. Different velocities of the sphere are matched with its various quasistationary positions on the axis of rotating cavity. In tilted rotating cylinder, the axial component of the gravity force appears; however, the light sphere does not float to the upper end wall but gets the stable position at a definite distance from it. It makes possible to provide a vibrational suspension of the light sphere in filled with liquid cavity rotating around the vertical axis. It is found that in the wide range of the cavity inclination angles the sphere position is determined by the dimensionless velocity of body differential rotation.

  15. ΔI = 2 Nuclear Staggering in Superdeformed Rotational Bands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Okasha M. D.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A four parameters model including collective rotational en ergies to fourth order is ap- plied to reproduce the ∆ I = 2 staggering in transition energies in four selected super deformed rotational bands, namely, 148 Gd (SD6, 194 Hg (SD1, SD2, SD3. The model parameters and the spin of the bandhead have been extracted a ssuming various val- ues to the lowest spin of the bandhead at nearest integer, in o rder to obtain a minimum root mean square deviation between calculated and the exper imental transition energies. This allows us to suggest the spin values for the energy level s which are experimentally unknown. For each band a staggering parameter represent the deviation of the transition energies from a smooth reference has been determined by calc ulating the fourth order derivative of the transition energies at a given spin. The st aggering parameter contains five consecutive transition energies which is denoted here a s the five-point formula. In order to get information about the dynamical moment of ine rtia, the two point for- mula which contains only two consecutive transition energi es has been also considered. The dynamical moment of inertia decreasing with increasing rotational frequency for A ∼ 150, while increasing for A ∼ 190 mass regions.

  16. Dissipative dark matter and the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foot, R.

    2016-01-01

    There is ample evidence from rotation curves that dark matter halos around disk galaxies have nontrivial dynamics. Of particular significance are: a) the cored dark matter profile of disk galaxies, b) correlations of the shape of rotation curves with baryonic properties, and c) Tully-Fisher relations. Dark matter halos around disk galaxies may have nontrivial dynamics if dark matter is strongly self interacting and dissipative. Multicomponent hidden sector dark matter featuring a massless 'dark photon' (from an unbroken dark U(1) gauge interaction) which kinetically mixes with the ordinary photon provides a concrete example of such dark matter. The kinetic mixing interaction facilitates halo heating by enabling ordinary supernovae to be a source of these 'dark photons'. Dark matter halos can expand and contract in response to the heating and cooling processes, but for a sufficiently isolated halo could have evolved to a steady state or 'equilibrium' configuration where heating and cooling rates locally balance. This dynamics allows the dark matter density profile to be related to the distribution of ordinary supernovae in the disk of a given galaxy. In a previous paper a simple and predictive formula was derived encoding this relation. Here we improve on previous work by modelling the supernovae distribution via the measured UV and H α fluxes, and compare the resulting dark matter halo profiles with the rotation curve data for each dwarf galaxy in the LITTLE THINGS sample. The dissipative dark matter concept is further developed and some conclusions drawn.

  17. Dissipative dark matter and the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foot, R., E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia)

    2016-07-01

    There is ample evidence from rotation curves that dark matter halos around disk galaxies have nontrivial dynamics. Of particular significance are: a) the cored dark matter profile of disk galaxies, b) correlations of the shape of rotation curves with baryonic properties, and c) Tully-Fisher relations. Dark matter halos around disk galaxies may have nontrivial dynamics if dark matter is strongly self interacting and dissipative. Multicomponent hidden sector dark matter featuring a massless 'dark photon' (from an unbroken dark U(1) gauge interaction) which kinetically mixes with the ordinary photon provides a concrete example of such dark matter. The kinetic mixing interaction facilitates halo heating by enabling ordinary supernovae to be a source of these 'dark photons'. Dark matter halos can expand and contract in response to the heating and cooling processes, but for a sufficiently isolated halo could have evolved to a steady state or 'equilibrium' configuration where heating and cooling rates locally balance. This dynamics allows the dark matter density profile to be related to the distribution of ordinary supernovae in the disk of a given galaxy. In a previous paper a simple and predictive formula was derived encoding this relation. Here we improve on previous work by modelling the supernovae distribution via the measured UV and H α fluxes, and compare the resulting dark matter halo profiles with the rotation curve data for each dwarf galaxy in the LITTLE THINGS sample. The dissipative dark matter concept is further developed and some conclusions drawn.

  18. Dynamics of a microbial biofilm in a rotating biological contactor for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Wastewater from wine-related industries is characterised by high variability in COD and pH. Disposal of these effluents with little or no treatment could lead to heavy financial penalties or pollution of soil and water resources. A pilot-scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) was evaluated for the treatment of winery effluent, ...

  19. Dynamics of vortex structures in a stratified rotating fluid

    CERN Document Server

    Sokolovskiy, Mikhail A

    2013-01-01

    This book presents an extensive analysis of the dynamics of discrete and distributed baroclinic vortices in a multi-layer fluid that characterizes the main features of the large and mesoscales dynamics of the atmosphere and the ocean.

  20. Qubit rotation and Berry phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, D.; Bandyopadhyay, P.

    2005-11-01

    A quantized fermion is represented by a scalar particle encircling a magnetic flux line. It has the spinor structure which can be constructed from quantum gates and qubits. We have studied here the role of Berry phase in removing dynamical phase during one qubit rotation of a quantized fermion. The entanglement of two qubits inserting spin-echo to one of them results the trapped Berry phase to measure entanglement. Some effort is given to study the effect of noise on the Berry phase of spinors and their entangled states. (author)

  1. Qubit rotation and Berry phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, Dipti; Bandyopadhyay, Pratul

    2006-01-01

    A quantized fermion is represented by a scalar particle encircling a magnetic flux line. It has a spinor structure which can be constructed from quantum gates and qubits. We have studied here the role of Berry phase in removing dynamical phase during one qubit rotation of a quantized fermion. The entanglement of two qubits inserting spin-echo to one of them allows the trapped Berry phase to measure entanglement. Some effort is given to study the effect of noise on the Berry phase of spinors and their entangled states

  2. A molecular dynamics study of nanoconfined water flow driven by rotating electric fields under realistic experimental conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    De Luca, Sergio; Todd, Billy; Hansen, Jesper Schmidt

    2014-01-01

    by an external spatially uniform rotating electric field and confined between two planar surfaces exposing different degrees of hydrophobicity. The permanent dipole moment of water follows the rotating field, thus inducing the molecules to spin, and the torque exerted by the field is continuously injected...... into the fluid, enabling a steady conversion of spin angular momentum into linear momentum. The translational–rotational coupling is a sensitive function of the rotating electric field parameters. In this work, we have found that there exists a small energy dissipation region attainable when the frequency...... of the rotating electric field matches the inverse of the dielectric relaxation time of water and when its amplitude lies in a range just before dielectric saturation effects take place. In this region, that is, when the frequency lies in a small window of the microwave region around ∼20 GHz and amplitude ∼0.03 V...

  3. Rotator cuff ruptures of the shoulder joint, sonography - arthrography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Triebel, H.J.; Wening, V.; Witte, G.; Hamburg Univ.

    1986-01-01

    47 patients suspected of rutpure of the rotator cuff were sonographed and arthrographed. Rupture of the rotator cuff was diagnosed in 12 cases, both diagnostic methods yielding the same result. In 29 patients sonography and arthrography did not reveal any abnormal findings. Six ruptures evident in sonography were not confirmed by arthrography and were considered false positive. Direct pointers towards rupture of the cuff would be: echoless defects, cuff cannot be visualised fully or in part and irregularities of movement during dynamic examination. Echoless 'cystic' areas in the periarticular soft parts must be considered an indirect pointer. Echorich focal findings in the echopoor cuff represent a differential diagnostic problem and we cannot give a final assessment as yet. Shoulder sonography is justified as a screening method in suspicion of rotator cuff rupture before initiating arthrography. If sonography reveals no abnormal findings, shoulder arthrography need not be performed. (orig.) [de

  4. Translational and Rotational Diffusion in Water in the Gigapascal Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bove, L. E.; Klotz, S.; Strässle, Th.; Koza, M.; Teixeira, J.; Saitta, A. M.

    2013-11-01

    First measurements of the self-dynamics of liquid water in the GPa range are reported. The GPa range has here become accessible through a new setup for the Paris-Edinburgh press specially conceived for quasielastic neutron scattering studies. A direct measurement of both the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of water along the 400 K isotherm up to 3 GPa, corresponding to the melting point of ice VII, is provided and compared with molecular dynamics simulations. The translational diffusion is observed to strongly decrease with pressure, though its variation slows down for pressures higher than 1 GPa and decouples from that of the shear viscosity. The rotational diffusion turns out to be insensitive to pressure. Through comparison with structural data and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that this is a consequence of the rigidity of the first neighbors shell and of the invariance of the number of hydrogen bonds of a water molecule under high pressure. These results show the inadequacy of the Stokes-Einstein-Debye equations to predict the self-diffusive behavior of water at high temperature and high pressure, and challenge the usual description of hot dense water behaving as a simple liquid.

  5. EEG Theta Dynamics within Frontal and Parietal Cortices for Error Processing during Reaching Movements in a Prism Adaptation Study Altering Visuo-Motor Predictive Planning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pieranna Arrighi

    Full Text Available Modulation of frontal midline theta (fmθ is observed during error commission, but little is known about the role of theta oscillations in correcting motor behaviours. We investigate EEG activity of healthy partipants executing a reaching task under variable degrees of prism-induced visuo-motor distortion and visual occlusion of the initial arm trajectory. This task introduces directional errors of different magnitudes. The discrepancy between predicted and actual movement directions (i.e. the error, at the time when visual feedback (hand appearance became available, elicits a signal that triggers on-line movement correction. Analysis were performed on 25 EEG channels. For each participant, the median value of the angular error of all reaching trials was used to partition the EEG epochs into high- and low-error conditions. We computed event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP time-locked either to visual feedback or to the onset of movement correction. ERSP time-locked to the onset of visual feedback showed that fmθ increased in the high- but not in the low-error condition with an approximate time lag of 200 ms. Moreover, when single epochs were sorted by the degree of motor error, fmθ started to increase when a certain level of error was exceeded and, then, scaled with error magnitude. When ERSP were time-locked to the onset of movement correction, the fmθ increase anticipated this event with an approximate time lead of 50 ms. During successive trials, an error reduction was observed which was associated with indices of adaptations (i.e., aftereffects suggesting the need to explore if theta oscillations may facilitate learning. To our knowledge this is the first study where the EEG signal recorded during reaching movements was time-locked to the onset of the error visual feedback. This allowed us to conclude that theta oscillations putatively generated by anterior cingulate cortex activation are implicated in error processing in semi

  6. EEG Theta Dynamics within Frontal and Parietal Cortices for Error Processing during Reaching Movements in a Prism Adaptation Study Altering Visuo-Motor Predictive Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrighi, Pieranna; Bonfiglio, Luca; Minichilli, Fabrizio; Cantore, Nicoletta; Carboncini, Maria Chiara; Piccotti, Emily; Rossi, Bruno; Andre, Paolo

    2016-01-01

    Modulation of frontal midline theta (fmθ) is observed during error commission, but little is known about the role of theta oscillations in correcting motor behaviours. We investigate EEG activity of healthy partipants executing a reaching task under variable degrees of prism-induced visuo-motor distortion and visual occlusion of the initial arm trajectory. This task introduces directional errors of different magnitudes. The discrepancy between predicted and actual movement directions (i.e. the error), at the time when visual feedback (hand appearance) became available, elicits a signal that triggers on-line movement correction. Analysis were performed on 25 EEG channels. For each participant, the median value of the angular error of all reaching trials was used to partition the EEG epochs into high- and low-error conditions. We computed event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) time-locked either to visual feedback or to the onset of movement correction. ERSP time-locked to the onset of visual feedback showed that fmθ increased in the high- but not in the low-error condition with an approximate time lag of 200 ms. Moreover, when single epochs were sorted by the degree of motor error, fmθ started to increase when a certain level of error was exceeded and, then, scaled with error magnitude. When ERSP were time-locked to the onset of movement correction, the fmθ increase anticipated this event with an approximate time lead of 50 ms. During successive trials, an error reduction was observed which was associated with indices of adaptations (i.e., aftereffects) suggesting the need to explore if theta oscillations may facilitate learning. To our knowledge this is the first study where the EEG signal recorded during reaching movements was time-locked to the onset of the error visual feedback. This allowed us to conclude that theta oscillations putatively generated by anterior cingulate cortex activation are implicated in error processing in semi-naturalistic motor

  7. On the relative rotational motion between rigid fibers and fluid in turbulent channel flow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marchioli, C. [Department of Electrical, Management and Mechanical Engineering, University of Udine, 33100 Udine (Italy); Zhao, L., E-mail: lihao.zhao@ntnu.no [Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim (Norway); Andersson, H. I. [Department of Electrical, Management and Mechanical Engineering, University of Udine, 33100 Udine (Italy); Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim (Norway)

    2016-01-15

    In this study, the rotation of small rigid fibers relative to the surrounding fluid in wall-bounded turbulence is examined by means of direct numerical simulations coupled with Lagrangian tracking. Statistics of the relative (fiber-to-fluid) angular velocity, referred to as slip spin in the present study, are evaluated by modelling fibers as prolate spheroidal particles with Stokes number, St, ranging from 1 to 100 and aspect ratio, λ, ranging from 3 to 50. Results are compared one-to-one with those obtained for spherical particles (λ = 1) to highlight effects due to fiber length. The statistical moments of the slip spin show that differences in the rotation rate of fibers and fluid are influenced by inertia, but depend strongly also on fiber length: Departures from the spherical shape, even when small, are associated with an increase of rotational inertia and prevent fibers from passively following the surrounding fluid. An increase of fiber length, in addition, decouples the rotational dynamics of a fiber from its translational dynamics suggesting that the two motions can be modelled independently only for long enough fibers (e.g., for aspect ratios of order ten or higher in the present simulations)

  8. Charged rotating black holes on a 3-brane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aliev, A.N.; Guemruekcueoglu, A.E.

    2005-01-01

    We study exact stationary and axisymmetric solutions describing charged rotating black holes localized on a 3-brane in the Randall-Sundrum braneworld. The charges of the black holes are considered to be of two types, the first being an induced tidal charge that appears as an imprint of nonlocal gravitational effects from the bulk space and the second is a usual electric charge arising due to a Maxwell field trapped on the brane. We assume a special ansatz for the metric on the brane taking it to be of the Kerr-Schild form and show that the Kerr-Newman solution of ordinary general relativity in which the electric charge is superseded by a tidal charge satisfies a closed system of the effective gravitational field equations on the brane. It turns out that the negative tidal charge may provide a mechanism for spinning up the black hole so that its rotation parameter exceeds its mass. This is not allowed in the framework of general relativity. We also find a new solution that represents a rotating black hole on the brane carrying both charges. We show that for a rapid enough rotation the combined influence of the rotational dynamics and the local bulk effects of the 'squared' energy-momentum tensor on the brane distort the horizon structure of the black hole in such a way that it can be thought of as composed of nonuniformly rotating null circles with growing radii from the equatorial plane to the poles. We finally study the geodesic motion of test particles in the equatorial plane of a rotating black hole with tidal charge. We show that the effects of negative tidal charge tend to increase the horizon radius, as well as the radii of the limiting photon orbit, the innermost bound and the innermost stable circular orbits for both direct and retrograde motions of the particles

  9. Optimal rotation sequences for active perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakath, David; Rachuy, Carsten; Clemens, Joachim; Schill, Kerstin

    2016-05-01

    One major objective of autonomous systems navigating in dynamic environments is gathering information needed for self localization, decision making, and path planning. To account for this, such systems are usually equipped with multiple types of sensors. As these sensors often have a limited field of view and a fixed orientation, the task of active perception breaks down to the problem of calculating alignment sequences which maximize the information gain regarding expected measurements. Action sequences that rotate the system according to the calculated optimal patterns then have to be generated. In this paper we present an approach for calculating these sequences for an autonomous system equipped with multiple sensors. We use a particle filter for multi- sensor fusion and state estimation. The planning task is modeled as a Markov decision process (MDP), where the system decides in each step, what actions to perform next. The optimal control policy, which provides the best action depending on the current estimated state, maximizes the expected cumulative reward. The latter is computed from the expected information gain of all sensors over time using value iteration. The algorithm is applied to a manifold representation of the joint space of rotation and time. We show the performance of the approach in a spacecraft navigation scenario where the information gain is changing over time, caused by the dynamic environment and the continuous movement of the spacecraft

  10. Comments on Frequency Swept Rotating Input Perturbation Techniques and Identification of the Fluid Force Models in Rotor/bearing/seal Systems and Fluid Handling Machines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muszynska, Agnes; Bently, Donald E.

    1991-01-01

    Perturbation techniques used for identification of rotating system dynamic characteristics are described. A comparison between two periodic frequency-swept perturbation methods applied in identification of fluid forces of rotating machines is presented. The description of the fluid force model identified by inputting circular periodic frequency-swept force is given. This model is based on the existence and strength of the circumferential flow, most often generated by the shaft rotation. The application of the fluid force model in rotor dynamic analysis is presented. It is shown that the rotor stability is an entire rotating system property. Some areas for further research are discussed.

  11. Dynamic behavior of a rotating delaminated composite beam including rotary inertia and shear deformation effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramazan-Ali Jafari-Talookolaei

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available A finite element (FE model is developed to study the free vibration of a rotating laminated composite beam with a single delamination. The rotary inertia and shear deformation effects, as well as the bending–extension, bending–twist and extension–twist coupling terms are taken into account in the FE model. Comparison between the numerical results of the present model and the results published in the literature verifies the validity of the present model. Furthermore, the effects of various parameters, such as delamination size and location, fiber orientation, hub radius, material anisotropy and rotating speed, on the vibration of the beam are studied in detail. These results provide useful information in the study of the free vibration of rotating delaminated composite beams.

  12. Quantum translator-rotator: inelastic neutron scattering of dihydrogen molecules trapped inside anisotropic fullerene cages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horsewill, A J; Panesar, K S; Rols, S; Johnson, M R; Murata, Y; Komatsu, K; Mamone, S; Danquigny, A; Cuda, F; Maltsev, S; Grossel, M C; Carravetta, M; Levitt, M H

    2009-01-09

    We report an inelastic neutron scattering investigation of the quantum dynamics of hydrogen molecules trapped inside anisotropic fullerene cages. Transitions among the manifold of quantized rotational and translational states are directly observed. The spectra recorded as a function of energy and momentum transfer are interpreted in terms of the rotational potential and the cage dimensions. The thermodynamics of orthohydrogen and parahydrogen are investigated through temperature dependence measurements.

  13. Dynamics of molecular superrotors in an external magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korobenko, Aleksey; Milner, Valery

    2015-01-01

    We excite diatomic oxygen and nitrogen to high rotational states with an optical centrifuge and study their dynamics in an external magnetic field. Ion imaging is employed to directly visualize, and follow in time, the rotation plane of the molecular superrotors. The two different mechanisms of interaction between the magnetic field and the molecular angular momentum in paramagnetic oxygen and non-magnetic nitrogen lead to qualitatively different behaviour. In nitrogen, we observe the precession of the molecular angular momentum around the field vector. In oxygen, strong spin–rotation coupling results in faster and richer dynamics, encompassing the splitting of the rotation plane into three separate components. As the centrifuged molecules evolve with no significant dispersion of the molecular wave function, the observed magnetic interaction presents an efficient mechanism for controlling the plane of molecular rotation. (paper)

  14. Exoplanet dynamics. Asynchronous rotation of Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone of lower-mass stars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leconte, Jérémy; Wu, Hanbo; Menou, Kristen; Murray, Norman

    2015-02-06

    Planets in the habitable zone of lower-mass stars are often assumed to be in a state of tidally synchronized rotation, which would considerably affect their putative habitability. Although thermal tides cause Venus to rotate retrogradely, simple scaling arguments tend to attribute this peculiarity to the massive Venusian atmosphere. Using a global climate model, we show that even a relatively thin atmosphere can drive terrestrial planets' rotation away from synchronicity. We derive a more realistic atmospheric tide model that predicts four asynchronous equilibrium spin states, two being stable, when the amplitude of the thermal tide exceeds a threshold that is met for habitable Earth-like planets with a 1-bar atmosphere around stars more massive than ~0.5 to 0.7 solar mass. Thus, many recently discovered terrestrial planets could exhibit asynchronous spin-orbit rotation, even with a thin atmosphere. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  15. The tumbling rotational state of 1I/`Oumuamua

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, Wesley C.; Pravec, Petr; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Lacerda, Pedro; Bannister, Michele T.; Snodgrass, Colin; Smolić, Igor

    2018-05-01

    The discovery1 of 1I/2017 U1 (1I/`Oumuamua) has provided the first glimpse of a planetesimal born in another planetary system. This interloper exhibits a variable colour within a range that is broadly consistent with local small bodies, such as the P- and D-type asteroids, Jupiter Trojans and dynamically excited Kuiper belt objects2-7. 1I/`Oumuamua appears unusually elongated in shape, with an axial ratio exceeding 5:1 (refs 1,4,5,8). Rotation period estimates are inconsistent and varied, with reported values between 6.9 and 8.3 h (refs 4-6,9). Here, we analyse all the available optical photometry data reported to date. No single rotation period can explain the exhibited brightness variations. Rather, 1I/`Oumuamua appears to be in an excited rotational state undergoing non-principal axis rotation, or tumbling. A satisfactory solution has apparent lightcurve frequencies of 0.135 and 0.126 h-1 and implies a longest-to-shortest axis ratio of ≳5:1, although the available data are insufficient to uniquely constrain the true frequencies and shape. Assuming a body that responds to non-principal axis rotation in a similar manner to Solar System asteroids and comets, the timescale to damp 1I/`Oumuamua's tumbling is at least one billion years. 1I/`Oumuamua was probably set tumbling within its parent planetary system and will remain tumbling well after it has left ours.

  16. Interactive modeling activities in the classroom—rotational motion and smartphone gyroscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pörn, Ray; Braskén, Mats

    2016-11-01

    The wide-spread availability of smartphones makes them a valuable addition to the measurement equipment in both the physics classroom and the instructional laboratory, encouraging an active interaction between measurements and modeling activities. In this paper we illustrate this interaction by making use of the internal gyroscope of a smartphone to study and measure the rotational dynamics of objects rotating about a fixed axis. The workflow described in this paper has been tested in a classroom setting and found to encourage an exploratory approach to both data collecting and modeling.

  17. Steady particulate flows in a horizontal rotating cylinder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamane, K.; Nakagawa, M.; Altobelli, S. A.; Tanaka, T.; Tsuji, Y.

    1998-06-01

    Results of discrete element method (DEM) simulation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments are compared for monodisperse granular materials flowing in a half-filled horizontal rotating cylinder. Because opacity is not a problem for MRI, a long cylinder with an aspect ratio ˜7 was used and the flow in a thin transverse slice near the center was studied. The particles were mustard seeds and the ratio of cylinder diameter to particle diameter was approximately 50. The parameters compared were dynamic angle of repose, velocity field in a plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis, and velocity fluctuations at rotation rates up to 30 rpm. The agreement between DEM and MRI was good when the friction coefficient and nonsphericity were adjusted in the simulation for the best fit.

  18. Effects of Zonal Deformations and the Earth's Rotation Rate Variations on Precession-Nutation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lambert, S

    2004-01-01

    .... This paper considers the coupling effects between the axial and the equatorial components of the Earth's rotation vector in the dynamical equations, and the effects of the second order lunisolar...

  19. Probability differently modulating the effects of reward and punishment on visuomotor adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yanlong; Smiley-Oyen, Ann L

    2017-12-01

    Recent human motor learning studies revealed that punishment seemingly accelerated motor learning but reward enhanced consolidation of motor memory. It is not evident how intrinsic properties of reward and punishment modulate the potentially dissociable effects of reward and punishment on motor learning and motor memory. It is also not clear what causes the dissociation of the effects of reward and punishment. By manipulating probability of distribution, a critical property of reward and punishment, the present study demonstrated that probability had distinct modulation on the effects of reward and punishment in adapting to a sudden visual rotation and consolidation of the adaptation memory. Specifically, two probabilities of monetary reward and punishment distribution, 50 and 100%, were applied during young adult participants adapting to a sudden visual rotation. Punishment and reward showed distinct effects on motor adaptation and motor memory. The group that received punishments in 100% of the adaptation trials adapted significantly faster than the other three groups, but the group that received rewards in 100% of the adaptation trials showed marked savings in re-adapting to the same rotation. In addition, the group that received punishments in 50% of the adaptation trials that were randomly selected also had savings in re-adapting to the same rotation. Sensitivity to sensory prediction error or difference in explicit process induced by reward and punishment may likely contribute to the distinct effects of reward and punishment.

  20. Sensorless Estimation and Nonlinear Control of a Rotational Energy Harvester

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunna, Kameswarie; Toh, Tzern T.; Mitcheson, Paul D.; Astolfi, Alessandro

    2013-12-01

    It is important to perform sensorless monitoring of parameters in energy harvesting devices in order to determine the operating states of the system. However, physical measurements of these parameters is often a challenging task due to the unavailability of access points. This paper presents, as an example application, the design of a nonlinear observer and a nonlinear feedback controller for a rotational energy harvester. A dynamic model of a rotational energy harvester with its power electronic interface is derived and validated. This model is then used to design a nonlinear observer and a nonlinear feedback controller which yield a sensorless closed-loop system. The observer estimates the mechancial quantities from the measured electrical quantities while the control law sustains power generation across a range of source rotation speeds. The proposed scheme is assessed through simulations and experiments.