Within nonlinear spatio-temporal dynamics, active lattice systems are of relevance to the study of multi-dimensional dynamical systems and the theory of nonlinear waves and dis- sipative structures of extended systems. In this book, the authors deal with basic concepts and models, with methodolo- gies for studying the existence and stability of motions, understanding the mechanisms of formation of patterns and waves, their propagation and interactions in active lattice systems, and about how much cooperation or competition bet- ween order and chaos is crucial for synergetic behavior and evolution. The results described in the book have both in- ter- and trans-disciplinary features and a fundamental cha- racter. It is a textbook for graduate courses in nonlinear sciences, including physics, biophysics, biomathematics, bioengineering, neurodynamics, electrical and electronic engineering, mathematical economics, and computer sciences.

This book reports on the 13th International Workshop on Railway Noise (IWRN13), held on September 16-20, 2019, in Ghent, Belgium. It gathers original peer-reviewed papers describing the latest developments in railway noise and vibration, as well as state-of-the-art reviews written by authoritative experts in the field. The different papers cover a broad range of railway noise and vibration topics, such as rolling noise, wheel squeal, noise perception, prediction methods, measurements and monitoring, and vehicle interior noise. Further topics include rail roughness, rail corrugation and grinding, high-speed rail and aerodynamic noise, structure-borne noise, ground-borne noise and vibration, and resilient track forms. Policy, criteria and regulation are also discussed. Offering extensive and timely information to both scientists and engineers, this book will help them in their daily efforts to identify, understand and solve problems related to railway noise and vibration, and to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing the environmental impact of railway systems.

This book is focused on the introduction of the finite difference method based on the classical one-dimensional structural members, i.e., rods/bars and beams. It is the goal to provide a first introduction to the manifold aspects of the finite difference method and to enable the reader to get a methodical understanding of important subject areas in structural mechanics. The reader learns to understand the assumptions and derivations of different structural members. Furthermore, she/he learns to critically evaluate possibilities and limitations of the finite difference method. Additional comprehensive mathematical descriptions, which solely result from advanced illustrations for two- or three-dimensional problems, are omitted. Hence, the mathematical description largely remains simple and clear.

Properties of systems with long range interactions are still poorly understood despite being of importance in most areas of physics. The present volume introduces and reviews the effort of constructing a coherent thermodynamic treatment of such systems by combining tools from statistical mechanics with concepts and methods from dynamical systems. Analogies and differences between various systems are examined by considering a large range of applications, with emphasis on Bose--Einstein condensates. Written as a set of tutorial reviews, the book will be useful for both the experienced researcher as well as the nonexpert scientist or postgraduate student.

What is the progress in hydraulic research? What are the new methods used in modeling of transport of momentum, matter and heat in both open and conduit channels? What new experimental methods, instruments, measurement techniques, and data analysis routines are used in top class laboratory and field hydro-environment studies? How to link novel findings in fundamental hydraulics with the investigations of environmental issues? The consecutive 32nd International School of Hydraulics that took place in Lochow, Poland brought together eminent modelers, theoreticians and experimentalists as well as beginners in the field of hydraulics to consider these and other questions about the recent advances in hydraulic research all over the world. This volume reports key findings of the scientists that took part in the meeting. Both state of the art papers as well as detailed reports from various recent investigations are included in the book

After alm ost three scores of years of basic and applied research, the field of speech processing is, at present, undergoing a rapid growth in terms of both performance and applications and this is fueHed by the advances being made in the areas of microelectronics, computation and algorithm design.Speech processing relates to three aspects of voice communications: -Speech Coding and transmission which is mainly concerned with man-to man voice communication. -Speech Synthesis which deals with machine-to-man communication. -Speech Recognition which is related to man-to-machine communication. Widespread application and use of low-bit rate voice codec.>, synthesizers and recognizers which are all speech processing products requires ideaHy internationally accepted quality assessment and evaluation methods as weH as speech processing standards so that they may be interconnected and used independently of their designers and manufacturers without costly interfaces. This book presents, in a tutorial manner, both fundamental and applied aspects of the above topics which have been prepared by weH-known specialists in their respective areas. The book is based on lectures which were sponsored by AGARD/NATO and delivered by the authors, in several NATO countries, to audiences consisting mainly of academic and industrial R&D engineers and physicists as weH as civil and military C3I systems planners and designers."

This thesis describes lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) with exotic elastic and viscous properties. The first part of the thesis presents a thorough analysis of the elastic and viscous properties of LCLCs as functions of concentration, temperature and ionic contents, while the second part explores an active nematic system: living liquid crystals, which represent a combination of LCLC and living bacteria. LCLCs are an emerging class of liquid crystals that have shown profound connections to biological systems in two aspects. First, the assembly process of the chromonic aggregates is essentially the same as DNA oligomers and other super-molecular assemblies of biological origin. LCLCs thus provide an excellent model system for studying physical properties such as the elasticity and viscosity of these supramolecular assemblies. Second, LCLCs are biocompatible, thus serving as a unique anisotropic matrix to interface with living systems such as bacteria. This thesis deepens our understanding of both aspects. The noncovalent nature of chromonic aggregation produces the unique viscoelasticity to be found in LCLCs, which differs dramatically from that of traditional LCs. Anisotropic interactions between LCLCs and bacteria lead to fascinating phenomena such as the deformation of LCLCs with a characteristic wavelength determined by the elasticity of the LCLCs and the activity of the bacteria, orientationally controlled trajectories of bacteria and visualization of 24 nm flagella motion.

This textbook presents essential methodology for physicists of the theory and applications of fluid mechanics within a single volume. Building steadily through a syllabus, it will be relevant to almost all undergraduate physics degrees which include an option on hydrodynamics, or a course in which hydrodynamics figures prominently.

This is a unique book on the mathematics of signals written for hearing-science researchers. Designed to follow an introductory text on psychoacoustic, Signals, Sound, and Sensation takes the reader through the mathematics of signal processing from its beginnings in the Fourier transform to advanced topics in modulation, dispersion relations, minimum phase systems, sampled data, and nonlinear distortion. While the book is organized like an introductory engineering text on signals, the examples and exercises come from research on the perception of sound. A unique feature of the book is the consistent application of the Fourier transform, which unifies topics as diverse as cochlear filtering and digital recording. More than 250 exercises are included. Many of them are devoted to practical research in perception, while others explore surprising auditory illusions generated by special signals. A working knowledge of elementary calculus is the only prerequisite. Signals, Sound, and Sensation will help readers acquire the quantitative skills they need to solve signal problems that arise in their everyday work. Periodic signals, aperiodic signals, and noise - along with their linear and nonlinear transformations - are covered in detail. More advanced mathematical topics are treated in the appendices. In no other book are signal mathematics and psychoacoustics so neatly intertwined. Researchers and advanced students in the psychology of auditory perception will find this book indispensable.

This collection brings together the fundamental research in shock focussing and sonoluminescence. The authors report on their studies on shock focussing and related bubble dynamics, as well as their applications in medical science. The destructive action of cavitation bubbles collapsing near boundaries is treated with special reference to kidney stones, demonstrating the capacity of bubbles for causing damage to materials. It is also shown that the shock theory of sonoluminescence plays an important part, as do converging shock and thermal waves emanating from sonoluminescing gas bubbles and upscaling single-bubble sonoluminescence. The book also addresses the current status of shock measurement technique and correlated clinical findings. The interdisciplinary approach of this book makes it relevant for medical doctors, technical researchers of lithotripsy and gas dynamicists.

This monograph details spatial and material vistas on non-linear continuum mechanics in a dissipation-consistent approach. Thereby, the spatial vista renders the common approach to nonlinear continuum mechanics and corresponding spatial forces, whereas the material vista elaborates on configurational mechanics and corresponding material or rather configurational forces. Fundamental to configurational mechanics is the concept of force. In analytical mechanics, force is a derived object that is power conjugate to changes of generalised coordinates. For a continuum body, these are typically the spatial positions of its continuum points. However, if in agreement with the second law, continuum points, e.g. on the boundary, may also change their material positions. Configurational forces are then power conjugate to these configurational changes. A paradigm is a crack tip, i.e. a singular part of the boundary changing its position during crack propagation, with the related configurational force, typically the J-integral, driving its evolution, thereby consuming power, typically expressed as the energy release rate. Taken together, configurational mechanics is an unconventional branch of continuum physics rationalising and unifying the tendency of a continuum body to change its material configuration. It is thus the ideal formulation to tackle sophisticated problems in continuum defect mechanics. Configurational mechanics is entirely free of restrictions regarding geometrical and constitutive nonlinearities and offers an accompanying versatile computational approach to continuum defect mechanics. In this monograph, I present a detailed summary account of my approach towards configurational mechanics, thereby fostering my view that configurational forces are indeed dissipation-consistent to configurational changes.

This volume contains papers presented at the US/European Celestial Mecha nics Workshop organized by the Astronomical Observatory of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland and held in Poznan, from 3 to 7 July 2000. The purpose of the workshop was to identify future research in celestial mech anics and encourage collaboration among scientists from eastem and westem coun tries. There was a full program of invited and contributed presentations on selected subjects and each day ended with a discussion period on a general subject in celestial mechanics. The discussion topics and the leaders were: Resonances and Chaos-A. Morbidelli; Artificial Satellite Orbits-K. T. Alfriend; Near Earth Ob jects - K. Muinonen; Small Solar System Bodies - I. Williams; and Summary - P. K. Seidelmann. The goal of the discussions was to identify what we did not know and how we might further our knowledge. The size of the meeting and the language differences somewhat limited the real discussion, but, due to the excellence of the different discussion leaders, each of these sessions was very interesting and productive. Celestial Mechanics and Astrometry are both small fields within the general subject of Astronomy. There is also an overlap and relationship between these fields and Astrodynamics. The amount of interaction depends on the interest and efforts of individual scientists."

Absolute concepts of time and energy are integral to standard thermal physics, but background independent systems are devoid of them. This thesis explores the foundational question of generalising equilibrium statistical mechanics to background independent systems, and applies the resulting formulation to non-perturbative discrete quantum gravity. It offers a discussion of the rich interface of thermal physics and quantum gravity in this context, providing a broad contextualisation of such topics. This work details how standard tools from many-body physics can be generalised to discrete quantum gravity labelled with graph-based, or dual polyhedral, quanta that are common to various approaches like tensorial group field theory, loop quantum gravity, dynamical triangulations and lattice quantum gravity. It provides a systematic investigation, both conceptual and technical, of quantum gravitational Gibbs states, thermofield double vacuum states, and their application in condensate cosmology to probe questions of Big Bang singularity resolution and geometric inflation.

This is the first book in a four-part series designed to give a comprehensive and coherent description of Fluid Dynamics, starting with chapters on classical theory suitable for an introductory undergraduate lecture course, and then progressing through more advanced material up to the level of modern research in the field. The present Part 1 consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 begins with a discussion of Continuum Hypothesis, which is followed by an introduction to macroscopic functions, the velocity vector, pressure, density, and enthalpy. We then analyse the forces acting inside a fluid, and deduce the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible and compressible fluids in Cartesian and curvilinear coordinates. In Chapter 2 we study the properties of a number of flows that are presented by the so-called exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations, including the Couette flow between two parallel plates, Hagen-Poiseuille flow through a pipe, and Karman flow above an infinite rotating disk. Chapter 3 is devoted to the inviscid incompressible flow theory, with particular focus on two-dimensional potential flows. These can be described in terms of the "complex potential", allowing the full power of the theory of functions of complex variables to be used. We discuss in detail the method of conformal mapping, which is then used to study various flows of interest, including the flows past Joukovskii aerofoils. The final Chapter 4 is concerned with compressible flows of perfect gas, including supersonic flows. Particular attention is given to the theory of characteristics, which is used, for example, to analyse the Prandtl-Meyer flow over a body surface bend and a corner. Significant attention is also devoted to the shock waves. The chapter concludes with analysis of unsteady flows, including the theory of blast waves.

This special volume of the series Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics is a compendium of reviewed articles presented at the 11th EUROMECH-MECAMAT conference entitled "Mechanics of microstructured solids: cellular materials, fibre reinforced solids and soft tissues", which took place in Torino (Italy) in March 10-14, 2008, at the Museo Regional delle Scienze. This EUROMECH-MECAMAT conference was jointly organized by the Dipar- mento di Matematica dell'Universita di Torino, Italy and the INPL Institute (LEMTA, Nancy-Universite, France). Prof. Franco Pastrone and Prof. Jean- Francois Ganghoffer were the co-chairmen. The conference brought together 50 scientists from 11 European countries, and was aimed at defining the current state of the art in the growing field of cellular and fibrous materials in Europe. Participants had interests in the constitutive m- els of micro-structured solids, non-linear wave propagation, setting up of models and identification of fibre reinforced solids, and soft tissue behaviour in a bio- chanical context. The conference covered most of the mechanical and material aspects, grouped in the following four sessions: * Fibre reinforced materials; * Soft biological tissues; * Generalized continua: models and materials; * Non-linear wave propagation. The high quality talks showed a good balance between modelling and material - pects. An important part of the colloquium, with 12 presentations, was devoted to various aspects of the biomechanics of soft tissues, such as cell adhesion, consti- tive models of soft tissues (brain; arteries), or models of blood flow.

This book offers a comprehensive coverage to the mechanics of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which are analyzed from a mechanical engineer's viewpoint as devices that transform an input form of energy, such as thermal, electrostatic, electromagnetic or optical, into output mechanical motion (in the case of actuation) or that can operate with the reversed functionality (as in sensors) and convert an external stimulus, such as mechanical motion, into (generally) electric energy. The impetus of this proposal stems from the perception that such an approach might contribute to a more solid understanding of the principles governing the mechanics of MEMS, and would hopefully enhance the efficiency of modeling and designing reliable and desirably-optimized microsystems. The work represents an attempt at both extending and deepening the mechanical-based approach to MEMS in the static domain by providing simple, yet reliable tools that are applicable to micromechanism design through current fabrication technologies. Lumped-parameter stiffness and compliance properties of flexible components are derived both analytically (as closed-form solutions) and as simplified (engineering) formulas. Also studied are the principal means of actuation/sensing and their integration into the overall microsystem. Various examples of MEMS are studied in order to better illustrate the presentation of the different modeling principles and algorithms. Through its objective, approach and scope, this book offers a novel and systematic insight into the MEMS domain and complements existing work in the literature addressing part of the material developed herein.

The purpose of Theory and Applications of Viscous Fluid Flows is to close the gap between standard undergraduate texts on fluid mechanics and monographical publications devoted to specific aspects of viscous fluid flows. After a general introduction, each chapter serves as an introduction to a special topic that will facilitate later application by readers in their research work. The book will benefit beginning graduate students and young researchers interested in a rational and systematic account of various theoretical and mathematical aspects of viscous fluid flow phenomena, as well as their modelling in relation to practical viscous and heat conducting problems. This volume complements, but is independent of, Zeytounian’s Theory and Applications of Nonviscous Fluid Flows.

This book focuses on the mathematical potential and computational efficiency of the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for modeling seismic wave propagation in either continuous or discrete inhomogeneous elastic/viscoelastic, isotropic/anisotropic media containing multiple cavities, cracks, inclusions and surface topography. BEM models may take into account the entire seismic wave path from the seismic source through the geological deposits all the way up to the local site under consideration. The general presentation of the theoretical basis of elastodynamics for inhomogeneous and heterogeneous continua in the first part is followed by the analytical derivation of fundamental solutions and Green's functions for the governing field equations by the usage of Fourier and Radon transforms. The numerical implementation of the BEM is for antiplane in the second part as well as for plane strain boundary value problems in the third part. Verification studies and parametric analysis appear throughout the book, as do both recent references and seminal ones from the past. Since the background of the authors is in solid mechanics and mathematical physics, the presented BEM formulations are valid for many areas such as civil engineering, geophysics, material science and all others concerning elastic wave propagation through inhomogeneous and heterogeneous media. The material presented in this book is suitable for self-study. The book is written at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students in solid mechanics, computational mechanics and fracture mechanics.

The book provides the theoretical fundamentals on turbulence and a complete overview of turbulence models, from the simplest to the most advanced ones including Direct and Large Eddy Simulation. It mainly focuses on problems of modeling and computation, and provides information regarding the theory of dynamical systems and their bifurcations. It also examines turbulence aspects which are not treated in most existing books on this subject, such as turbulence in free and mixed convection, transient turbulence and transition to turbulence. The book adopts the tensor notation, which is the most appropriate to deal with intrinsically tensor quantities such as stresses and strain rates, and for those who are not familiar with it an Appendix on tensor algebra and tensor notation are provided.

Proceedings of the Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics held in Ramsau, Austria, March 13-19, 1988

Yoshihiro Shibata has made many significant contributions to the area of mathematical fluid mechanics over the course of his illustrious career, including landmark work on the Navier-Stokes equations. The papers collected here - on the occasion of his 70th birthday - are written by world-renowned researchers and celebrate his decades of outstanding achievements.

This book treats important topics in "Acoustic Echo and Noise Control" and reports the latest developments. Methods for enhancing the quality of transmitted speech signals are gaining growing attention in universities and in industrial development laboratories. This book, written by an international team of highly qualified experts, concentrates on the modern and advanced methods.

The study of multiphase flow through porous media is undergoing intense development, mostly due to the recent introduction of new methods. After the profound changes induced by percolation in the eighties, attention is nowadays focused on the pore scale. The physical situation is complex and only recently have tools become available that allow significant progress to be made in the area. This volume on Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, which is also being published as a special issue of the journal Transport in Porous Media, contains contributions on the lattice-Boltzmann technique, the renormalization technique, and semi-phenomenological studies at the pore level. Attention is mostly focused on two- and three-phase flows. These techniques are of tremendous importance for the numerous applications of multiphase flows in oil fields, unsaturated soils, the chemical industry, and environmental sciences.

This set of six papers, written by eminent experts in the field, is concerned with that part of fluid mechanics that seeks its foundation in the rigorous mathematical treatment of the Navier-Stokes equations. In particular, an overview is given on state of research regarding the global existence of smooth solutions, for which uniqueness and continuous dependence on the data can be proven. Then, the book moves on to a discussion of recent developments of the finite element Galerkin method, with an emphasis on a priori and a posteriori error estimation and adaptive mesh refinement. A further article elaborates on spectral Galerkin methods and their extension to domains with complicated geometries by employing the techniques of domain decomposition. The rigorous explanation of bifurcation phenomena in fluids has long been a central topic in the theory of Navier-Stokes equations. Here, bifurcation theory is introduced in a general setting that is particularly convenient for application to such problems. Finally, the extension of Navier-Stokes theory to compressible viscous flows, studied in two more papers, opens up a fascinating panorama of theoretical and numerical problems. While some of the contributions are expository, others primarily present new results within a wider context and fuller exposition than is usual for research papers. The book is meant to introduce researchers and advanced students to the research level on some of the most important topics of the field.

It was long ago that group analysis of differential equations became a powerful tool for studying nonlinear equations and boundary value problems. This analysis was especially fruitful in application to the basic equations of mechanics and physics because the invariance principles are already involved in their derivation. It is in no way a coincidence that the equations of hydrodynamics served as the first object for applying the new ideas and methods of group analysis which were developed by 1. V. Ovsyannikov and his school. The authors rank themselves as disciples of the school. The present monograph deals mainly with group-theoretic classification of the equations of hydrodynamics in the presence of planar and rotational symmetry and also with construction of exact solutions and their physical interpretation. It is worth noting that the concept of exact solution to a differential equation is not defined rigorously; different authors understand it in different ways. The concept of exact solution expands along with the progress of mathematics (solu tions in elementary functions, in quadratures, and in special functions; solutions in the form of convergent series with effectively computable terms; solutions whose searching reduces to integrating ordinary differential equations; etc. ). We consider it justifiable to enrich the set of exact solutions with rank one and rank two in variant and partially invariant solutions to the equations of hydrodynamics."