A smectic liquid crystal (LC) containing a rigid biphenyl group and semifluorinated chains exhibits a high density of toric focal conic domains (TFCDs) arranged in an ordered array when confined within a microchannel. The formation of the TFCDs is strongly influenced by the width (W) and depth (h) of the confined microchannels, most importantly, by the channel depth. We studied a broad variety ...

We consider shallow water flows through a channel with a contraction by experimental and theoretical means. The horizontal channel consists of a sluice gate and an upstream channel of constant width b0 ending in a linear contraction of minimum width bc. Experimentally, we observe upstream steady and moving bores/shocks, and oblique waves in the contraction, as single and multiple steady states,...

Abstract This paper presents a new stochastic model for two dimensional layouts of large size. Two problems are addressed: (i) Under the condition that the number of wires emanating from a block is Poisson distributed, determine the distribution of channel width, thus estimating the average channel width. (ii) Given T tracks for each channel, determine the success probability of routing an M×M ...

Whilst laboratory-on-chip cell separation systems using dielectrophoresis are increasingly reported in the literature, most systems are afflicted by factors which impede “real world” performance, chief among these being cell loss (in dead spaces, attached to glass and tubing surfaces, or sedimentation from flow), and designs with large channel height-to-width ratios (large channel widths, small...

A wireless communication channel can be characterized by a center of frequency (Fc) and a channel width (Fw). Recent studies suggest that, in the presence of changing environmental conditions, adjusting the channel width of a communication channel might improve network variables like throughput and power consumption. This thesis focuses on the effect that variable channel widths may have on the...

Reaction-diffusion processes in two-dimensional percolating structures are investigated. Two different problems are addressed: reaction spreading on a percolating cluster and front propagation through a percolating channel. For reaction spreading, numerical data and analytical estimates show a power-law behavior of the reaction product as M(t)~t(d(l)), where d(l) is the connectivity dimension. ...

Turbulent forced convective mass (heat) transfer downstream of blockages with round and elongated holes in a rectangular channel was studied. The blockages and the channel had the same 12:1 (width-to-height ratio) cross section, and a distance equal to twice the channel height separated consecutive blockages. The diameter of the holes was either 0.5 or 0.75 of the height of the channel. Naphtha...

Large wood recruitment and redistribution mechanisms were investigated in a 3.9 km2 basin with an oldgrowth Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. forest, located in the southern Coast Range of Oregon. Stream size and topographic setting strongly influenced processes that delivered wood to the channel network. In small colluvial channels draining steep hillslop...

We present an experiment designed to study magnetohydrodynamic effects in free surface channel flow. The wide aspect ratio channel (the width to height ratio is about 15) is completely enclosed in an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidization of the liquid metal. A custom-designed pump reduces entrainment of oxygen, which was found to be a problem with standard centrifugal and gear pumps. Laser Do...

This report investigates the sensing characteristics of polysilicon wire (PSW) glucose biosensors, including thickness characteristics and line-width effects on detection limits, linear range and interference immunity with membranes coated by micropipette/spin-coating and focus-ion-beam (FIB) processed capillary atomic-force-microscopy (C-AFM) tip scan/coating methods. The PSW surface was modif...