The lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) method has been shown to be a promising tool for microscale gas flows. However, few works focus on the microtube flows, and there still are some fundamental problems for the LBE to such flows. In this paper, a recently proposed axisymmetric LBE with three kinetic boundary conditions, i.e., the combination of bounceback and specular reflection scheme, the combination of the Maxwell and specular-reflection scheme, and the combination of the Maxwell and bounceback scheme, have been investigated in detail. By analyzing the micro-Hagen-Poiseuille flow, we observed the discrete boundary condition effect and provided a revised boundary scheme to overcome such effect near the slip flow regime. Some numerical tests for the micro-Hagen-Poiseuille have been carried out to validate the analysis, and the numerical results of the revised boundary schemes agree well with the analytic solutions which confirmed our theoretical analysis. In addition, we also applied the revised combination of the Maxwell and bounceback scheme to microtube flow with sudden expansion and contraction, the numerical results of the pressure distribution and normalized slip velocity agree well with the theoretical ones.

We present a combinatorial decision problem, inspired by the celebrated quiz show called Countdown, that involves the computation of a given target number $T$ from a set of $k$ randomly chosen integers along with a set of arithmetic operations. We find that the probability of winning the game evidences a threshold phenomenon that can be understood in the terms of an algorithmic phase transition as a function of the set size $k$. Numerical simulations show that such probability sharply transitions from zero to one at some critical value of the control parameter, hence separating the algorithm's parameter space in different phases. We also find that the system is maximally efficient close to the critical point. We derive analytical expressions that match the numerical results for finite size and permit us to extrapolate the behavior in the thermodynamic limit.

We present a model of identical coupled two-state stochastic units, each of which in isolation is governed by a fixed refractory period. The nonlinear coupling between units directly affects the refractory period, which now depends on the global state of the system and can therefore itself become time dependent. At weak coupling the array settles into a quiescent stationary state. Increasing coupling strength leads to a saddle node bifurcation, beyond which the quiescent state coexists with a stable limit cycle of nonlinear coherent oscillations. We explicitly determine the critical coupling constant for this transition.

In this paper we present results of extensive Monte Carlo simulations of diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) with a seed placed on an attractive plane as a simple model in connection with the electrical double layers. We compute the fractal dimension of the aggregated patterns as a function of the attraction strength $\alpha$. For the patterns grown in both two and three dimensions, the fractal dimension shows a significant dependence on the attraction strength for small values of $\alpha$ and approaches that of the ordinary two-dimensional (2D) DLA in the limit of large $\alpha$. For the nonattracting case with $\alpha =1$, our results in three dimensions reproduce the patterns of 3D ordinary DLA, while in two dimensions our model leads to the formation of a compact cluster with dimension 2. For intermediate $\alpha$, the 3D clusters have a quasi-2D structure with a fractal dimension very close to that of the ordinary 2D DLA. This allows one to control the morphology of a growing cluster by tuning a single external parameter $\alpha$.

Interactions between two vesicles in an imposed linear shear flow are studied theoretically, in the limit of almost spherical vesicles, with a large intervesicle distance, in a strong flow, with a large inner to outer viscosity ratio. This allows to derive a system of ordinary equations describing the dynamics of the two vesicles. We provide an analytic expression for the interaction law. We find that when the vesicles are in the same shear plane, the hydrodynamic interaction leads to a repulsion. When they are not, the interaction may turn into attraction instead. The interaction law is discussed and analyzed as a function of relevant parameters.

Theory and simulations of simultaneous chemical demixing and phase ordering are performed for a mixed order parameter system with an isotropic-isotropic (I-I) phase separation that is metastable with respect to an isotropic-nematic (I-N) phase-ordering transition. Under certain conditions, the disordered phase transforms into an ordered phase via the motion of a double front containing a metastable phase produced by I-I demixing, a thermodynamically driven mechanism not previously reported. Different kinetic regimes are found depending on the location of the initial conditions in the thermodynamic phase diagram and the ratio between diffusional and nematic phase-ordering mobilities. For a diffusional process, depending if the temperature is above or below the critical codissolution point, an inflection point or a phase separation takes place in the depletion layer. This phase separation leads to the formation of a second interface where the separation of the two metastable isotropic phases grows monotonically with time. The observed deviations from the typical Fickian concentration profiles are associated with strong positive deviations of the mixture from ideality due to couplings between concentration and nematic ordering. Although systems of interest include liquid-crystalline nanocomposites, this mechanism may apply to any mixture that can undergo an order-disorder transition and demix.

We enumerate all local minima of the energy landscape for model rigid adsorbates characterized by three or four equivalent binding sites (e.g., thiol groups) on a close-packed (111) surface of a face-centered-cubic crystal. We show that the number of energy minima increases linearly with molecular size with a rate of increase that depends on the degree of registry between the molecule shape and the surface structure. The sparseness of energy minima and the large variations in the center-of-mass positions of these minima vs molecular size for molecules that are incommensurate with the surface suggests a strong coupling in these molecules between surface mobility and shape or size fluctuations resulting from molecular vibrations. We also find that the variation in the binding energy with respect to molecular size decreases more rapidly with molecular size for molecules with a higher degree of registry with the surface. This indicates that surface adsorption should be better able to distinguish molecules by size if the molecules are incommensurate with the surface.

The surface electroclinic effect, which is a rotation of the molecular director in the substrate plane proportional to an electric field $\vec{E}$ applied normal to the substrate, requires both a chiral environment and $C_2$ (or lower) rotational symmetry about $\vec{E}$. The two symmetries typically are created in tandem by manipulating the surface topography, a process that conflates their effects. Here we use a pair of rubbed polymer-coated substrates in a twist geometry to obtain our main result, viz., that the strengths of two symmetries, in this case the rub-induced breaking of $C_{\infty }$ rotational symmetry and chiral symmetry, can be separated and quantified. Experimentally we observe that the strength of the reduced rotational symmetry arising from the rub-induced scratches, which is proportional to the electroclinic response, scales linearly with the induced topographical rms roughness and increases with increasing rubbing strength of the polymer. Our results also suggest that the azimuthal anchoring strength coefficient is relatively insensitive to the strength of the rubbing.

The survival of an organism can depend upon the direction in which it decides to move in response to changes in external conditions. Here we propose a physicochemical mechanism of the decision process for migration direction in the case of a giant amoebalike Physarum plasmodium. The tactical movement response could be changed by reversal of the phase wave of the rhythmic contractions that occur in any part of the plasmodium body when local stimulation is applied and the frequency of the rhythmic contractions is locally modulated in the stimulated region. The proposed model describes a physicochemical mechanism of coupling between the local modulation of frequency and the global transport of protoplasmic mass. The decision process is clarified from a rheological point of view.

We investigate the impact fragmentation of spherical solid bodies made of heterogeneous brittle materials by means of a discrete element model. Computer simulations are carried out for four different system sizes varying the impact velocity in a broad range. We perform a finite size scaling analysis to determine the critical exponents of the damage-fragmentation phase transition and deduce scaling relations in terms of radius $R$ and impact velocity $v_0$. The scaling analysis demonstrates that the exponent of the power law distributed fragment mass does not depend on the impact velocity; the apparent change of the exponent predicted by recent simulations can be attributed to the shifting cutoff and to the existence of unbreakable discrete units. Our calculations reveal that the characteristic time scale of the breakup process has a power law dependence on the impact speed and on the distance from the critical speed in the damaged and fragmented states, respectively. The total amount of damage is found to have a similar behavior, which is substantially different from the logarithmic dependence on the impact velocity observed in two dimensions.

We consider a class of percolation models, called Achlioptas processes, discussed in Science 323, 1453 (2009) and Science 333, 322 (2011). For these, the evolution of the order parameter (the rescaled size of the largest connected component) has been the main focus of research in recent years. We show that, in striking contrast to “classical” models, self-averaging is not a universal feature of these new percolation models: there are natural Achlioptas processes whose order parameter has random fluctuations that do not disappear in the thermodynamic limit.

Stochastic treatments of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy require evaluations of functions such as $\langle \exp \left(i{\int }_0^t{Q}_{s}ds\right)\rangle$, where $t$ is time, $Q_s$ is the value of a stochastic process at time $s$, and the angular brackets denote ensemble averaging. This paper gives an exact evaluation of these functions for the case where $Q$ is a continuous-time random walk process. The continuous-time random walk describes an environment that undergoes slow steplike changes in time. It also has a well-defined Gaussian limit and so allows for non-Gaussian and Gaussian stochastic dynamics to be studied within a single framework. We apply the results to extract qubit-lattice interaction parameters from dephasing data of $P$-doped Si semiconductors (data collected elsewhere) and to calculate the two-dimensional spectrum of a three-level harmonic oscillator undergoing random frequency modulations.

Faceted growth of snow crystals leads to a rich diversity of forms with remarkable sixfold symmetry. Snow crystal structures result from diffusion-limited crystal growth in the presence of anisotropic surface energy and anisotropic attachment kinetics. It is by now well understood that the morphological stability of ice crystals strongly depends on supersaturation, crystal size, and temperature. Until very recently it was very difficult to perform numerical simulations of this highly anisotropic crystal growth. In particular, obtaining facet growth in combination with dendritic branching is a challenging task. We present numerical simulations of snow crystal growth in two and three spacial dimensions using a computational method recently introduced by the present authors. We present both qualitative and quantitative computations. In particular, a linear relationship between tip velocity and supersaturation is observed. In our computations, surface energy effects, although small, have a pronounced effect on crystal growth. We compute solid plates, solid prisms, hollow columns, needles, dendrites, capped columns, and scrolls on plates. Although all these forms appear in nature, it is a significant challenge to reproduce them with the help of numerical simulations for a continuum model.

We study the propagation of tension caused by an external force along a long polymeric molecule in two different settings, namely along a free polymer in three-dimensional (3D) space being pulled from one end, and along a prestretched circular polymer, confined in a narrow circular tube. We show that in both cases, the tension propagation is governed by a diffusion equation, and in particular, the tension front propagates as $t^{1/2}$ along the contour of the chain. The results are confirmed numerically, and by molecular dynamics simulations in the case of the 3D polymer. We also compare our results with the previously suggested ones for the translocation setting, and discuss why tension propagation is slower in that case.

We study the conformation and dynamics of a single polymer chain that is pulled by a constant force applied at its one end with the other end free. Such a situation is relevant to the growing technology of manipulating individual macromolecules, which offers a paradigm research for probing far-from-equilibrium responses of long flexible biological polymers. We first analyze the Rouse model for the Gaussian chains for which the exact analytical results can be obtained. More realistic features such as the finite extensibility, the excluded volume, and the hydrodynamic interactions are taken into account with the help of the scaling argument, which leads to various nontrivial predictions such as the force-dependent friction constants. We elucidate (i) generalized dynamical equations of state describing extension and friction laws in steady-state and (ii) the tension propagation laws in the transient process. We point out that the time evolutions of the dynamic friction in the transient process crucially depend on the experimental protocol, i.e., either constant force or constant velocity ensemble. These predictions could be verified in experiments using giant DNAs and chromosomes.

Modular organization and degree-degree correlations are ubiquitous in the connectivity structure of biological, technological, and social interacting systems. So far most studies have concentrated on unveiling both features in real world networks, but a model that succeeds in generating them simultaneously is needed. We consider a network of interacting phase oscillators, and an adaptation mechanism for the coupling that promotes the connection strengths between those elements that are dynamically correlated. We show that, under these circumstances, the dynamical organization of the oscillators shapes the topology of the graph in such a way that modularity and assortativity features emerge spontaneously and simultaneously. In turn, we prove that such an emergent structure is associated with an asymptotic arrangement of the collective dynamical state of the network into cluster synchronization.

We discover that thermoviscous expansion along a traveling wave in a microfluidic channel may be capable of generating a spatially uniform flow profile in a time-averaged sense. We further delineate that the resultant complex flow characteristics, realized by virtue of an intricate interplay between thermal compression-expansion waves and temperature-dependent viscosity variations and controlled by an external heating, may be remarkably characterized by a unique thermal penetration depth scale (analogous to Debye length in electro-osmosis) and a velocity scale (analogous to the Helmholtz Smulochowski velocity in electro-osmosis) that in turn depends on the considerations of “thin” and “thick” microchannel limits, as dictated by the thermal penetration depth as compared to the lateral extent of the microfluidic channel. We show that, when the thermal penetration depth is small as compared to the channel height, a uniform velocity profile is generated in the channel in a time-averaged sense. The velocity scale characterizing this uniform flow may be represented by a function of the thermal diffusivity, volumetric expansion coefficient and thermal viscosity coefficient of the fluid, characteristic amplitude and speed of the thermal wave, as well as the channel height. Results from the present study are expected to provide valuable insights towards arresting hydrodynamic dispersion in microchannels by nonelectrochemical means, following a pH-independent route.

Measurements of two-dimensional (2D) temperature fields are performed by an interferometric method during density fingering of the autocatalytic chlorite-tetrathionate reaction in a Hele-Shaw cell. These measures confirm that, because of heat losses through the glass walls of the reactor, the temperature profile across the front is a pulse rather than a front. Moreover, the full 2D temperature field shows the presence in the reactive zone of hot spots where the temperature exceeds the maximum temperature measured in a stable planar front. We investigate here experimentally the increase of temperature in the hot spots when the composition of the reactants is varied to increase the exothermicity of the reaction. We back up these experimental observations by nonlinear simulations of a reaction-diffusion-convection model which show that the maximum temperature reached in the system depends on the intensity of convection.

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of the effects of nonthermal ions and polarization force (which arises due to the dust density inhomogeneity) on the propagation of dust-acoustic (DA) waves in a density-varying unmagnetized dusty plasma (consisting of nonthermal ions, Maxwellian electrons, and negatively charged mobile dust) by the normal mode analysis. It has been shown that the dispersion properties of the DA waves are significantly modified by the presence of nonthermal ions and polarization force. It has been also found that the phase speed of the DA waves, as well as the dust density perturbation, increases (decreases) with the increase of nonthermal ions (polarization force), and that the potential associated with the DA waves decreases with the increase of the equilibrium dust number density. The implications of our results in the specific situation of space environments (dust-ion plasma situation) are also briefly discussed.