Main Propagation Direction Research Articles

Toggling near-field directionality via manipulation of matter's anisotropy.

Near-field directional excitation of dipolar sources is crucial for many practical applications, such as quantum optics, photonic integrated circuits, and on-chip information processing. Based on theoretical analyses and numerical simulations, here we find that the near-field directionality of circularly polarized dipoles can be flexibly toggled by engineering the anisotropy of the surrounding matter, in which the dipolar source locates. To be specific, if the circularly polarized dipole is placed close to the interface between a hyperbolic matter and air, the main propagation direction of excited surface waves would be reversed when the location of the dipolar source is changed from the air region to the hyperbolic-matter region. The underlying mechanism is that the spatial-frequency spectrum of evanescent waves carried by the dipolar source in a homogeneous surrounding matter could be flexibly reshaped by the matter's anisotropy, especially when the isofrequency contour of the surrounding matter changes from the circular shape to the hyperbolic one.

Modelling non-radially propagating coronal mass ejections and forecasting the time of their arrival at Earth

We present the study of two solar eruptive events observed on December 7 2020 and October 28 2021. Both events were associated with full halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flares. These events were chosen because they show a strong non-radial direction of propagation in the low corona and their main propagation direction observed in the inner heliosphere is not fully aligned with the Sun-Earth line. This characteristic makes them suitable for our study, which aims to inspect how the non-radial direction of propagation in the low corona affects the time of CMEs’ arrival at Earth. We reconstructed the CMEs using SOHO/LASCO and STEREO/COR observations and modelled them with the 3D MHD model EUHFORIA and the cone model for CMEs. In order to compare the accuracy of forecasting the CME and the CME-driven shock arrival time at Earth obtained from different methods, we also used so-called type II bursts, radio signatures of associated shocks, to find the velocities of the CME-driven shocks and forecast the time of their arrival at Earth. Additionally, we estimated the CME arrival time using the 2D CME velocity obtained from the white light images. Our results show that the lowest accuracy of estimated CME Earth arrival times is found when the 2D CME velocity is used (time difference between observed and modelled arrival time, Δt ≈ −29 h and −39 h, for the two studied events, respectively). The velocity of the type II radio bursts provides somewhat better – but still not very accurate – results (Δt ≈ +21 h and −29 h, for the two studied events, respectively). Employing, as an input to EUHFORIA, the CME parameters obtained from the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) fittings at consequently increasing heights, results in a strongly improved accuracy of the modelled CME and shock arrival time; Δt changes from 20 h to 10 min in the case of the first event, and from 12 h to 30 min in the case of the second one. This improvement shows that when we increased the heights of the GCS reconstruction we accounted for the change in the propagation direction of the studied CMEs, which allowed us to accurately model the CME flank encounter at Earth. Our results show the great importance of the change in the direction of propagation of the CME in the low corona when modelling CMEs and estimating the time of their arrival at Earth.

Closed forms for spatiotemporal optical vortices and sagittal skyrmionic pulses

Abstract Spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) are short pulses that present a vortex whose axis is perpendicular to the main propagation direction. We present analytic expressions for these pulses that satisfy exactly Maxwell’s equation, by applying appropriate differential operators to complex focus pulses with Poisson-like frequency spectrum. We also provide a simple ray picture for understanding the deformation of these pulses under propagation. Finally, we use these solutions to propose a type of pulse with sagittal skyrmionic polarization distribution covering all states of transverse polarization.

Study of fractography of ferritic ductile iron at different temperatures and loading conditions

This study characterizes the fractography of ferritic ductile iron under various loads, including tensile, fatigue and bending, and impact conditions. The results indicate that ductile fracture is the primary mechanism observed during tensile testing at room temperature. The fractography resulting from fatigue testing exhibits characteristics similar to cleavage fracture, and explains the formation of fatigue striations caused by the joint effects of dislocation slip and oxidation under crack tip stress. Under impact testing, the main fracture mechanism transitions from ductile to brittle with decreasing temperature. At high temperatures, fractography is mainly characterized by elliptical dimples with graphite nodules at the center that deform along the stress direction. In the ductile-brittle transition temperature range, a mixed fracture mechanism involving both dimples and cleavage patterns is observed. At low temperatures, the fracture mechanism is cleavage fracture, cleavage fracture is mainly caused by the deformation twin, inducing crack nucleation. These findings further validate D.O.Frenandino’s quantitative analysis method for determining the main crack propagation direction of ductile fracture and brittle fracture. By employing larger statistical datasets, it is shown that this method yields high accuracy in determining the main crack propagation direction of ferritic ductile iron, thereby promoting its application as a general method for impact fractography analysis.

A phase-time-path-difference approach for online wave direction and wave number estimation from measured ship motions in zero and forward speed using a single inertial measurement unit

This study investigates the potential capability of a relatively new and unexplored signal-based approach for shipboard wave estimation. The approach uses the phase-time-path-differences (PTPDs) from an array of shipboard sensors to uniquely resolve the wave propagation direction and wave number. We derive a kinematic PTPD model accounting for forward vessel speed and assess its theoretical foundation to model the sensor delays on a rigid body. The forward-speed PTPD model is structurally equivalent to the zero-speed model considered in previous works, thus retaining the same observability results provided by a noncollinear array of a minimum of three sensors. Moreover, based on the outlined theory and PTPD model, we propose a methodology to estimate the main wave propagation direction and wave number online by employing a fast Fourier transform (FFT), an unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and a rigid-body measurement transformation based on a single inertial measurement unit (IMU). Provided that the vessel in question can be considered a rigid body, a single IMU is sufficient to obtain the desired wave quantities instead of three IMUs, as initially proposed in our previous work. Additionally, our methodology incorporates a novel frequency threshold to avoid distorted wave components caused by the effect of vessel filtering. The performance of our PTPD method is evaluated on data collected from a wave tank and full-scale experiments involving a vessel with zero and non-zero forward speed. The results show very good agreement with the reference wave values reported from a commercial wave radar and wave buoys operating in proximity to the vessel, indicating that our proposed method is competitive with existing wave measurement technology in terms of accuracy and online performance while being cheap, easy to install, flexible, and robust against environmental influences.

Laser ultrasonic inspection for mechanical properties of materials at high temperature

The measurement of mechanical properties of high-temperature resistant materials at high temperatures is particularly critical, and laser ultrasonic non-destructive testing technology is a prospective approach for measuring mechanical properties in high-temperature environments. Laser ultrasonic propagation models are constructed by finite element analysis, which reveals the effects of different excitation mechanisms on acoustic velocity measurements. It is found that the shear wave in the main propagation direction is hardly detected, and the distinction between shear waves and surface waves in the time domain signal is difficult. Based on the conclusions, the relationships between surface waves, longitudinal waves, and mechanical properties of materials are established by theoretical derivation. According to the propagation characteristics of surface waves and longitudinal waves, the eccentricity detection scheme of the same side and the concentricity detection scheme of the opposite side are, respectively, designed. The velocities of surface waves and longitudinal waves are measured, considering the thermal expansion coefficient and density changes with temperature. The mechanical properties of materials at different temperatures (25–1000 °C) are successfully calculated, and the experimental results are well in accordance with the reference values. It gives a reliable basis for efficient measurement of mechanical properties of materials at high temperatures.

Improvement in the Post-Processing of Wave Buoy Data Driven by the Needs of a National Coast and Sea Monitoring Agency

Technological development in terms of the power requirement for data acquisition and processing opens new perspectives in the field of environmental monitoring. Near real-time data flow about the sea condition and a possible direct interface with applications and services devoted to marine weather networks would have a significant impact on several aspects, such as, for example, safety and efficiency. In this scenario, the needs of buoy networks have been analyzed, and the estimation of directional wave spectra from buoys’ data has been deeply investigated. Two methods have been implemented, namely the truncated Fourier series and the weighted truncated Fourier series, and they have been tested by both simulated and real experimental data, representative of typical Mediterranean Sea conditions. From simulation, the second method proved to be more efficient. From the application to real case studies, it emerged that it works effectively in real conditions, as confirmed by parallel meteorological observations. The estimation of the main propagation direction was possible with a small uncertainty of a few degrees, yet the method exhibits a limited directional resolution, which suggests the need for undertaking further studies, briefly addressed in the conclusions.

The Microstructure, Tensile and Impact Properties of Low-Activation Ferritic-Martensitic Steel EK-181 after High-Temperature Thermomechanical Treatment

In this work, we study the effect of high-temperature thermomechanical treatment (HTMT) with deformation in the austenite region on the microstructure, tensile properties, impact toughness, and fracture features of advanced low-activation 12% chromium ferritic-martensitic reactor steel EK-181. HTMT more significantly modifies the steel structural-phase state than the traditional heat treatment (THT). As a result of HTMT, the hierarchically organized structure of steel is refined. The forming grains and subgrains are elongated in the rolling direction and flattened in the rolling plane (so-called pancake structure) and have a high density of dislocations pinned by stable nanosized particles of the MX type. This microstructure provides a simultaneous increase, relative to THT, in the yield strength and impact toughness of steel EK-181 and does not practically change its ductile-brittle transition temperature. The most important reasons for the increase in impact toughness are a decrease in the effective grain size of steel (martensite blocks and ferrite grains) and the appearance of a crack-arrester type delamination perpendicular to the main crack propagation direction. This causes branching of the main crack and an increase in the absorbed impact energy.

Automatic sea state estimation with online trust measure based on ship response measurements

The ever-changing sea state constitutes an integral part of situational awareness for vessels at sea. In this paper, a computationally efficient sea state estimation algorithm is extended by (1) automatic gain and tolerance calculation, and (2) trust measure for wave filtering condition identification. The resulting algorithm can run online in a control system without the need of user input, producing estimates of sea state parameters (significant wave height, peak wave frequency and main propagation direction), while simultaneously monitoring the quality of the estimates produced by identifying when wave filtering occurs. The algorithm is developed for application in dynamic positioning (DP) control systems, where the vessel has zero (or low) forward speed. The estimation method is tested with realistic values of measurement noise and sampling in terms of comprehensive time series simulations based on both long- and short-crested wave conditions. The sea state estimates correspond well with a state-of-the-art Bayesian estimation approach. This indicates that the simplifications made in order to enhance the computational speed, has not affected the quality of the estimates to any significant extent. The trust measure correctly identifies when wave filtering occurs in all simulated scenarios.

Model order reduction of layered waveguides via rational Krylov fitting

Rational approximation recently emerged as an efficient numerical tool for the solution of exterior wave propagation problems. Currently, this technique is limited to wave media which are invariant along the main propagation direction. We propose a new model order reduction-based approach for compressing unbounded waveguides with layered inclusions. It is based on the solution of a nonlinear rational least squares problem using the RKFIT method. We show that approximants can be converted into an accurate finite difference representation within a rational Krylov framework. Numerical experiments indicate that RKFIT computes more accurate grids than previous analytic approaches and even works in the presence of pronounced scattering resonances. Spectral adaptation effects allow for finite difference grids with dimensions near or even below the Nyquist limit.

Macroscopic and microscopic study on the compression bearing characteristics and deformation failure mechanism of gangue with different particle sizes

To study the mechanical behavior of gangue filling materials in depth, through the physical compression testing of red-sandstone gangue of different sizes and numerical simulation of grain flow, the bearing characteristics and deformation and failure rules of gangue compacting were comprehensively compared and analyzed from macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. The results show that under the same vertical load, the settlement decreases monotonously with the decrease of grain size, and the filling effect is significantly enhanced. Structure of force chain between particles evolves from the “polygon” structure to the “triangle” structure, and small particle forms a stable structure earlier than large particle. With the gradual increase in axial strain, the main propagation direction of the force chain is the vertical direction. The distribution law of the tangential contact force of large gangue in the later stage of loading is basically the same as that of small gangue in the early stage

Mechanical Mechanism and Propagation Law of Fissure‐Tip Cracks of Large‐Size Rock Specimens with Two Precut Fissures

The rock is a kind of geological medium with damages of different degrees including fissures, faults, joints, and other structural defects. Many underground rock engineering projects, such as mining and tunnel excavation, can break the three‐dimensional stress balance state of rock mass and make it subject to two‐dimensional or even one‐dimensional stress, thus inducing stress concentration which leads to rapid failure. In order to investigate the failure law of the rock mass with such defects under two‐dimensional stress, based on the similarity theory, we first prepared rocklike specimens with fissures featuring actual mechanical properties and then systematically analyzed the fissure‐tip crack propagation and specimen failure law and mechanical mechanism under two‐dimensional stress in view of the stress field theory. The results demonstrate that with the increase of load, the microcracks developed and propagated gradually, during which a number of branch paths were generated from the fissure tips of the specimens; the upper and lower cracks were connected first due to the main crack propagation, forming a sliding surface which caused the failure of the specimens, and the strengths of the specimens also fluctuated according to the different combinations of the fissure dip angles and rock bridge dip angles. In view of acoustic emission (AE), we calculated and obtained the spatial positions of stress peaks in each direction at the fissure tips; through comparison and analysis, the angle corresponding to the negative angle peak of the maximum circumferential tensile stress and the maximum radial tensile stress is basically the same as the angle of the main crack propagation direction generated from the preexisting fissure; it can be inferred that the tensile stress is the main stress inducing crack initiation and specimen failure, which is consistent with the physical characteristics of rock (resistant to compression but not tension). This may serve as a guidance for judging the direction along which new cracks are generated in a rock mass with double structural planes.

Современные исследования динамики вод в северо-западной части Черного моря по данным LADCP

In this work a result of preliminary analysis of current measurements collected in fourteen large-scale expeditions of the Marine Hydrophysical Institute in 2016–2019 in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea is presented. It is shown that the use of the Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) significantly increases the information content of the expedition materials, opening up new opportunities in the experimental study of water dynamics. Based on the materials of the expeditions, it was found that the upper layer of shear baroclinic currents in the measurement area is limited by the isopycnic depth with a potential density of ~16.75 kg/m3 (~350 m). At this depth, the variability of the buoyancy frequency with the depth changes from a power-law to an exponential dependence. The same depth limits the penetration of seasonal variations of the average kinetic energy into the water column. The highest values of the average kinetic energy are observed in April-May and November–December, the lowest—in June–August. The ratio of the maximum energy values (summer) to its minimum values (spring, late autumn, winter) was ~3. The Rim Black Sea Current is most pronounced near the Crimean Peninsula in the spring and winter seasons. In summer and autumn, the horizontal distribution of the current velocity in depths of 30–80 m is less structured, which is caused by the seasonal intensification of mesoscale processes. At a number of stations, the current velocity profiles contain fragments with a well-defined harmonic variability of the current velocity components with depth, which can be interpreted as the manifestation of near-inertial internal waves. In most cases, the rotation of the current velocity vector with depth occurs clockwise, which determines the main direction of propagation of the inertial internal waves into the water column. The example of one of the stations shows the significant contribution of such waves to the value of shear. This fact suggests a significant influence of near-inertial internal waves on the processes of vertical turbulent exchange in the water column.

Transverse spinning of unpolarized light

It is well known that spin angular momentum of light, and therefore that of photons, is directly related to their circular polarization. Naturally, for totally unpolarized light, polarization is undefined and the spin vanishes. However, for nonparaxial light, the recently discovered transverse spin component, orthogonal to the main propagation direction, is largely independent of the polarization state of the wave. Here we demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, that this transverse spin survives even in nonparaxial fields (e.g., tightly focused or evanescent) generated from a totally unpolarized light source. This counterintuitive phenomenon is closely related to the fundamental difference between the degrees of polarization for 2D paraxial and 3D nonparaxial fields. Our results open an avenue for studies of spin-related phenomena and optical manipulation using unpolarized light.

Complex modes in an open lossless periodic waveguide.

Guided modes of an open periodic waveguide, with a periodicity in the main propagation direction, are Bloch modes confined around the waveguide core with no radiation loss in the transverse directions. Some guided modes can have a complex propagation constant, i.e., a complex Bloch wavenumber, even when the periodic waveguide is lossless (no absorption loss). These so-called complex modes are physical solutions that can be excited by incident waves whenever the waveguide has discontinuities or defects. We show that the complex modes in an open dielectric periodic waveguide form bands, and the endpoints of the bands can be classified to a small number of cases, including extrema on dispersion curves of the regular guided modes, bound states in the continuum, degenerate complex modes, and special diffraction solutions with blazing properties. Our study provides an improved theoretical understanding of periodic waveguides and a useful guidance to their practical applications.

Neutrino propagation hinders fast pairwise flavor conversions

Neutrino flavor conversions may dramatically affect the inner working of compact astrophysical objects as well as the synthesis of the heavier elements. We present the first sophisticated numerical solution of the neutrino flavor conversion within a (2+1+1) dimensional setup: we include the advective term in the neutrino equations of motion and track the flavor evolution in two spatial dimensions, one angular variable, and time. Notably, the advective term hinders the development of neutrino pairwise conversions, if the conditions favoring such conversions (i.e., crossings between the angular distributions of νe and ν̄e or a non-negligible flux of neutrinos traveling backward with respect to the main propagation direction) exist for time scales shorter than the typical time scale of the advective term. As a consequence, fast pairwise conversions can only occur when the conditions favoring flavor conversions are self-sustained and global, such as the ones induced by the lepton emission self-sustained asymmetry (LESA) in core-collapse supernovae. Our work highlights the major impact of the dynamical evolution of the neutrino field on the growth of flavor instabilities and the strong interplay between classical and quantum effects. Critical limitations of the linear stability analysis, used to predict neutrino flavor instabilities, are also pointed out.

Structured Light: Ideas and Concepts

The paper briefly presents some essential concepts and features of light fields with strong spatial inhomogeneity of amplitude, phase, polarization, and other parameters. It contains a characterization of optical vortices, speckle fields, polarization singularities. A special attention is paid to the field dynamical characteristics (energy, momentum, angular momentum, and their derivatives), which are considered not only as mechanical attributes of the field but also as its meaningful and application-oriented descriptive parameters. Peculiar features of the light dynamical characteristics in inhomogeneous and dispersive media are discussed. The dynamical properties of paraxial beams and evanescent waves (including surface plasmon–polaritons) are analyzed in more detail; in particular, a general treatment of the extraordinary spin and momentum, orthogonal to the main propagation direction, is outlined. Applications of structured light fields for optical manipulation, metrology, probing, and data processing are described.

Multiple Diffuse Coding Metasurface of Independent Polarization for RCS Reduction

In this article, a multiple diffuse coding metasurface (MDCM) of independent polarization is designed to control the propagation direction of diffuse reflections under different polarizations and to improve the monostatic and bistatic RCS (radar cross section) reduction effect. First, a method for controlling the distribution range and propagation direction of the diffuse field is studied, and the diffuse field distribution of the random phase metasurface is optimized by a genetic algorithm to improve the uniformity of the diffuse scattering distribution. Then, the random phase distribution is superimposed on the periodic gradient phase distributions of the linear and hedge types in the orthogonal direction so that the main propagation direction of the diffuse metasurface deviates from the specular reflection region under different polarizations, showing single and two diffuse beams. Finally, the anisotropic unit cell with a rectangle inside and an improved Jerusalem cross on the outside is employed as the basic coding element of the MDCM due to its independent polarization phase response. The numerical and experimental results show that the MDCM features multiple diffuse scattering, independent polarization and angle insensitivity and can efficiently improve the monostatic and bistatic RCS reduction effect simultaneously. Because the scattered energies are redirected away from the specular reflection direction, the specular scattering reduction effect is better than the isotropic diffuse metasurface. The proposed method increases the difficulty of detection by single or netted radar and has the potential for the applications of stealth techniques.

Field theory of monochromatic optical beams: I. Classical fields

We study monochromatic, scalar solutions of the Helmholtz and paraxial wave equations (PWEs) from a field-theoretic point of view. We introduce appropriate time-independent Lagrangian densities for which the Euler–Lagrange equations reproduces either Helmholtz and PWEs with the z-coordinate, associated with the main direction of propagation of the fields, playing the same role of time in standard Lagrangian theory. For both Helmholtz and paraxial scalar fields, we calculate the canonical energy-momentum tensor and determine the continuity equations relating ‘energy’ and ‘momentum’ of the fields. Eventually, the reduction of the Helmholtz wave equation to a useful first-order Dirac form, is presented. This work sheds some light on the intriguing and not so acknowledged connections between angular spectrum representation of optical wavefields, cosmological models and physics of black holes.

Hydraulic fracture propagation in a heterogeneous stress field in a crystalline rock mass

Abstract. As part of the In-situ Stimulation and Circulation (ISC) experiment, hydraulic fracturing (HF) tests were conducted in a moderately fractured crystalline rock mass at the Grimsel Test Site (GTS), Switzerland. The aim of these injection tests was to improve our understanding of processes associated with high-pressure fluid injection. A total of six HF experiments were performed in two inclined boreholes; the surrounding rock mass was accessed with 12 observation boreholes, which allows for the high-resolution monitoring of fracture fluid pressure, strain, and microseismicity in an exceptionally well-characterized rock mass. A similar injection protocol was used for all six experiments to investigate the complexity of the fracture propagation processes. At the borehole scale, these processes involved newly created tensile fractures intersecting the injection interval, while at the cross-hole scale, the natural network of fractures dominated the propagation process. The six HF experiments can be divided into two groups based on their injection location (i.e., south or north to a brittle–ductile shear zone), their similarity of injection pressures, and their response to deformation and pressure propagation. The injection tests performed in the south connect upon propagation to the brittle–ductile shear zone. Thus, the shear zone acts as a dominant drain and a constant pressure boundary. The experiments executed north of the shear zone show smaller injection pressures and larger backflow during bleed-off phases. From a seismic perspective, the injection tests show high variability in seismic response independently of the location of injection. For two injection experiments, we observe reorientation of the seismic cloud as the fracture propagated away from the wellbore. In both cases, the main propagation direction is normal to the minimum principal stress direction. The reorientation during propagation is interpreted to be related to a strong stress heterogeneity and the intersection of natural fractures striking differently than the propagating hydraulic fracture. The seismic activity was limited to about 10 m of radial distance from the injection point. In contrast, strain and pressure signals reach further into the rock mass, indicating that the process zone around the injection point is larger than the zone illuminated by seismic signals. Furthermore, strain signals indicate not just single fracture openings but also the propagation of multiple fractures. Transmissivities of injection intervals increase about 2–4 orders of magnitudes.