Thesis (M. S.)--Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Dr. Dimitri Mavris; Committee Member: Dean Ward; Committee Member: Dr. Daniel Schrage; Committee Member: Dr. Danielle Soban; Committee Member: Dr. Sriram Rallabhandi; Committee Member: Mathias Emeneth.

We investigate dynamical processes on random and regular fractals. The (static) problem of percolation in the semi-infinite plane introduces many pertinent ideas including real space renormalisation group (RSRG) fugacity transformations and scaling forms. We study the percolation probability to determine the surface critical behaviour and to establish exponent relations. The fugacity approach is generalised to study random walks on diffusion-limited aggregates (DLA). Using regular and random models, we calculate the walk dimensionality and demonstrate that it is consistent with a conjecture by Aharony and Stauffer. It is shown that the kinetically grown DLA is in a distinct dynamic universality class to lattice animals. Similarly, the speculation of Helman-Coniglio-Tsallis regarding diffusion on self-avoiding walks (SAWs) is shown to be incorrect. The results are corroborated by an exact enumeration analysis of the internal structure of SAWs. A 'spin' and field theoretic Hamiltonian formulation for the conformational and resistance properties of random walks is presented. We consider Gaussian random walks, SAWs, spiral SAWs and valence walks. We express resistive susceptibilities as correlation functions and hence e-expansions are calculated for the resistance exponents. For SAWs, the local crosslinks are shown to be irrelevant and we calculate corrections to scaling. A scaling description is introduced into an equation-of-motion method in order to study spin wave damping in d-dimensional isotropic Heisenberg ferro-, antiferro- and ferri- magnets near pc . Dynamic scaling is shown to be obeyed by the Lorentzian spin wave response function and lifetime. The ensemble of finite clusters and multicritical behaviour is also treated. In contrast, the relaxational dynamics of the dilute Anisotropic Heisenberg model is shown to violate conventional dynamic scaling near the percolation bicritical point but satisfies instead a singular scaling behaviour arising from activation of Bloch walls over percolation cluster energy barriers.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Earth and Space Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-140). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss &rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR11761

Weigh scaling is a method of estimating the total volume of timber harvested from a given region. The implementation of statistical sampling techniques in weigh scaling is described, along with related issues. A review of ratio estimators, along with variance estimators of the classical ratio estimator is conducted. The estimation of the variance of the estimated total volume is considered using jackknife- and bootstrap-based variance estimators. Weighted versions of the jackknife and bootstrap variance estimators are derived using influence functions and Fisher Information matrices. Empirical studies of analytic and resampling-based variance estimators are conducted, with particular emphasis on small sample properties and on robustness with respect to both the homoscedastic variance and zero-intercept population characteristics. With a squared error loss function, the resampling-based variance estimators are shown to perform very well at all sample sizes in finite populations with normally distributed errors. These estimators are found to have small negative biases for small sample sizes and to be robust with respect to heteroscedasticity. / Science, Faculty of / Statistics, Department of / Graduate

The statistics describing variations of turbulent motions within the so called inertial range of length scales depend on the scale over which the motions are varying and the "average" rate at which the turbulent kinetic energy is being dissipated on the molecular scale. This hypothesis stemmed from the similarity arguments published by A. N. Kolmogorov in 1941 and implies specific scaling relations between the average amplitude and length scale of turbulent motions. Turbulent motions agree to a good approximation with Kolmogorov scaling provided the fluid flow admits to the underlying assumptions. More recently it has been recognized that the large spatial variations in the rate of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation may be a partial explanation for deviations from Kolmogorov scaling. This recognition is due in part to the observation that the total volume occupied by turbulent motions of a given scale decreases as the scale decreases. These observations imply that active small scale turbulence is intermittent. This study aims to better understand how scaling relations describing more active regions are different from the relations describing turbulence where the small scales are less active. The thesis is that the relations are different. An 18 hour segment of wind data measured in near-neutral stratification 45 meters above a relatively flat ground is analyzed. There is virtually no trend in the mean wind speed, so the describing statistics are essentially stationary. Small scale activity is measured in terms of the difference in wind speed (structure function) at a separation distance of 1/16 of a second, which translates to about a meter. The differences in wind speed are raised to the sixth power and then averaged over 4 second (50 meter) windows. Non-overlapping windows containing a local maximum in the averaged sixth order structure function form one (MASC) ensemble of more active small scale samples and the local minima form another (LASC) ensemble of less active small scale samples. The variations in wind speed as a function of length scale within each ensemble are decomposed five different ways. Each of the five decompositions obey scaling relationships that are approximately linear in log-log coordinates. The MASC and LASC ensembles include 32% and 46% of the record, respectively. The turbulent kinetic energy as a function of scale falls off at a slower rate in the MASC ensemble versus the LASC ensemble and in magnitude the energy is greater at all scales in the MASC ensemble. This implies the transfer rate of turbulent kinetic energy toward small scales is more rapid on average in the MASC samples. Samples in the MASC ensemble occupied 30% less of the record, implying the flattening effect on the spectral slope exhibited by the samples contained in the MASC ensemble is less influential than the steepening influence of samples of the type in the LASC ensemble. The results are robust with respect to the choice of a basis set in representing the variance as a function of scale. / Graduation date: 1994

A recently-proposed modification of the Thurstone-Mosteller method of paired comparisons makes possible the analysis of data involving tied observations. The modification includes the postulating of an angular response law such that the response proportions are scaled with arc sine transforms instead of with normal deviates. In this paper a comparison is made of the arc sine and normal curve scaling procedures in paired comparisons involving ties. This is done by applying both methods to data from to important fields of application. Comparisons are also made on several series of hypothetical data. The criterion of comparison is the goodness of fit between the observations and the expected numbers computed from the solution, as measured by means of a chi-square statistic. Computations of parameter estimates and chi-square statistics are made with the aid of an IBM-650, for which the necessary programs have been written. It is concluded that for data conforming well to the model as proposed, both scaling procedures tend to give results in satisfactory agreement with the observations. There is some evidence that, for the cases considered, the preference, if any, is for the normal curve procedure. / Master of Science

by Hon-chor Lee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 56). / by Hon-chor Lee. / Introduction --- p.1 / Series expansion for the conductivity of a linear random resistor network / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.4 / Chapter 2. --- Comparison of the EMA with symbolic simulations in 2D --- p.5 / Chapter 3. --- Comparison of the EMA with Bergman and Kantor's findings --- p.6 / Chapter 4. --- Conclusion --- p.7 / Current moments of linear random resistor network / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 2. --- Review of the definition of current moment --- p.10 / Chapter 3. --- Tremblay et. al.'s findings and symbolic simulation of current moments --- p.11 / Chapter 4. --- Conclusion --- p.13 / Effective medium theory for strongly nonlinear composites: comparison with numerical simulations / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.15 / Chapter 2. --- Variational principles --- p.16 / Chapter 3. --- Formalism of EMA --- p.17 / Chapter 4. --- Comparison with numerical simulations --- p.19 / Chapter 5. --- Discussion --- p.21 / Percolative conduction in two-component strongly nonlinear composites / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 2. --- Spherical inclusions --- p.25 / Chapter 3. --- Effective medium approximation in the vicinity of the percolation threshold --- p.27 / Chapter 4. --- Acknowledgment --- p.29 / Percolation Effects in Two Component Strongly Nonlinear Composites: Universal Scaling Behaviours / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.31 / Chapter 2. --- General Scaling Relations for Two-Component Composites --- p.33 / Chapter 3. --- Estimate of Critical Exponents --- p.35 / Chapter 4. --- Numerical Simulations --- p.38 / Chapter 5. --- Discussions and Conclusions --- p.40 / Chapter 6. --- Acknowledgment --- p.40 / Improved effective medium theory for strongly nonlinear composites / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.46 / Chapter 2. --- Formalism of Improved EMA --- p.47 / Chapter 3. --- Comparisons with numerical simulations and HS bound --- p.50 / Chapter 4. --- Discussions --- p.51 / Conclusion --- p.54

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-87).

The scaling of specific cutting energy is studied when micro-cutting ductile metals. A unified framework for understanding the scaling in specific cutting energy is first presented by viewing the cutting force as a combination of constant, increasing, and decreasing force components, the independent variable being the uncut chip thickness. Then, an attempt is made to isolate the constant force component by performing high rake angle orthogonal cutting experiments on OFHC Copper. The data shows a trend towards a constant cutting force component as the rake angle is increased. In order to understand the source of this constant force component the chip-root is investigated. By quickly stopping the spindle at low cutting speeds, the chip is frozen and the chip-workpiece interface is examined in a scanning electron microscope. Evidence of ductile tearing ahead of the cutting tool is seen at low and high rake angles. At higher cutting speeds a quick-stop device is used to obtain chip-roots. These experiments also clearly indicate evidence of ductile fracture ahead of the cutting tool in both OFHC Copper and Al-2024 T3. To model the cutting process with ductile fracture leading to material separation the finite element method is used. The model is implemented in a commercial finite element software using the explicit formulation. Material separation is modeled via element failure. The model is then validated using the measured cutting and thrust forces and used to study the energy consumed in cutting. As the thickness of layer removed is reduced the energy consumed in material separation becomes important. Simulations also show that the stress state ahead of the tool is favorable for ductile fracture to occur. Ductile fracture in three locations in an interface zone at the chip root is seen while cutting with edge radius tool. A hypothesis is advanced wherein an element gets wrapped around the tool edge and is stretched in two directions leading to fracture. The numerical model is then used to study the difference in stress state and energy consumption between a sharp tool and a tool with a non-zero edge radius.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-114).