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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
arXiv2015

The "coin-through-the-rubber" trick: an elastically stabilized invagination

A spectacular trick of close-up magicians involves the apparent passing of a coin through a rubber sheet. The magic is based on the unusual elastic response of a thin rubber sheet: the formation of an invagination, stabilized by friction and elasticity, which holds the coin. By pressing on the coin, the invagination becomes unstable, and the coin is released. We describe the deformation analytically using a simple Hookean description, and examine the stability of the invagination. We finally compare the prediction of the Hookean analysis with numerical solutions of the neo-Hookean model, and provide a brief commentary on the origins of the trick.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2017

Symmetries and the fundamental forces of Nature

Lecture script of a one-semester course that aims to develop an understanding and appreciation of fundemental concepts in modern physics for students who are comfortable with calculus. This document contains the first six lessons that will walk you through the special theory of relativity.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

A short note on Reitlinger thermodynamic cycles

It is well known that Carnot cycle is the thermodynamic cycle which has the best thermal efficiency. However, an entire class of cycles exists that can have the same maximum efficiency: this class is that of the regenerative Reitlinger cycles. Here we discuss them.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

A Note on Fourier and the Greenhouse Effect

Joseph Fourier's discovery of the greenhouse effect is discussed and is compared to the modern conception of the greenhouse effect. It is confirmed that what Fourier discovered is analogous to the modern concept of the greenhouse effect. However, the modern concept of the greenhouse effect is found to be based on a paradoxical analogy to Fourier's greenhouse work and so either Fourier's greenhouse work, the modern conception of the greenhouse effect, or the modern definition of heat is incorrect. The solution to this problem is not feigned to be given here.

physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv2015

Inverse Doppler Effects in Flute

Here we report the observation of the inverse Doppler effects in a flute. It is experimentally verified that, when there is a relative movement between the source and the observer, the inverse Doppler effect could be detected for all seven pitches of a musical scale produced by a flute. Higher tone is associated with a greater shift in frequency. The effect of the inverse frequency shift may provide new insights into why the flute, with its euphonious tone, has been popular for thousands of years in Asia and Europe.

physics.class-ph↗
arXiv2015

A Live Alternative to Quantum Spooks

Quantum weirdness has been in the news recently, thanks to an ingenious new experiment by a team led by Roland Hanson, at the Delft University of Technology. Much of the coverage presents the experiment as good (even conclusive) news for spooky action-at-a-distance, and bad news for local realism. We point out that this interpretation ignores an alternative, namely that the quantum world is retrocausal. We conjecture that this loophole is missed because it is confused for superdeterminism on one side, or action-at-a-distance itself on the other. We explain why it is different from these options, and why it has clear advantages, in both cases.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2015

Experimental Tests of the Proportionality of Aerodynamic Drag to Air Density for Supersonic Projectiles

Pure theory recognizes the dependence of supersonic drag coefficients on both Mach number and Reynolds number, which includes an implicit dependence of drag coefficient on air density. However, many modern approaches to computing trajectories for artillery and small arms treat drag coefficients as a function of Mach number and assume no dependence on Reynolds number. If drag force is strictly proportional to air density for supersonic projectiles (as suggested by applied theory), the drag coefficient should be independent of air density over a range of Mach numbers. Experimental data to directly support this are not widely available for supersonic projectiles. The experiment determined drag on a 2.59 g projectile from M1.2 to M2.9 using optical chronographs to measure initial and final velocities over a separation of 91.44 m. The free flight determination of drag coefficients was performed at two significantly different atmospheric densities (0.93 kg/m3 and 1.15 kg/m3 ). This experiment supported direct proportionality of aerodynamic drag to air density from M1.2 to M2.9 within the experimental error of 1%-2%.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2016

Transitions in climate and energy discourse between Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy

Although climate change and energy are intricately linked, their explicit connection is not always prominent in public discourse and the media. Disruptive extreme weather events, including hurricanes, focus public attention in new and different ways, offering a unique window of opportunity to analyze how a focusing event influences public discourse. Media coverage of extreme weather events simultaneously shapes and reflects public discourse on climate issues. Here we analyze climate and energy newspaper coverage of Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) using topic models, mathematical techniques used to discover abstract topics within a set of documents. Our results demonstrate that post-Katrina media coverage does not contain a climate change topic, and the energy topic is limited to discussion of energy prices, markets, and the economy with almost no explicit linkages made between energy and climate change. In contrast, post-Sandy media coverage does contain a prominent climate change topic, a distinct energy topic, as well as integrated representation of climate change and energy, indicating a shift in climate and energy reporting between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2015

An Experiment About Parallel Circuit And The Lorentz Forces On Wires

Parallel circuit and the Lorentz forces on current carrying wires are important concepts in introductory physics courses. Here we describe an experiment that illustrates these two concepts. We mount a circuit with multiple grounding points onto a torsion balance. We show that the grounding points create parallel return paths for the supply current. When the topology or the shapes of the return paths are altered, the Lorentz forces exerted by the currents in the return paths within a magnetic field change accordingly, which in turn cause changes in the rotary displacement of the torsion balance. This experiment is simple and can be easily reproduced in a teaching laboratory. What makes it interesting to students is that recently two research teams have attempted to detect thrusts from microwave driven asymmetrical resonance cavities (EmDrive or Cannae Drive), and the phenomenon observable in this experiment provides an alternative explanation to the thrusts they detected.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

Fermi's paradox, extraterrestrial life and the future of humanity: a Bayesian analysis

The Great Filter interpretation of Fermi's great silence asserts that $Npq$ is not a very large number, where $N$ is the number of potentially life-supporting planets in the observable universe, $p$ is the probability that a randomly chosen such planet develops intelligent life to the level of present-day human civilization, and $q$ is the conditional probability that it then goes on to develop a technological supercivilization visible all over the observable universe. Evidence suggests that $N$ is huge, which implies that $pq$ is very small. Hanson (1998) and Bostrom (2008) have argued that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would point towards $p$ not being small and therefore a very small $q$, which can be seen as bad news for humanity's prospects of colonizing the universe. Here we investigate whether a Bayesian analysis supports their argument, and the answer turns out to depend critically on the choice of prior distribution.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

Applications of Physics to Archery

Archery lends itself to scientific analysis. In this paper we discuss physics laws that relate to the mechanics of bow and arrow, to the shooting process and to the flight of the arrow. In parallel, we describe experiments that address these laws. The detailed results of these measurements, performed with a specific bow and arrow, provide insight into many aspects of archery and illustrate the importance of quantitative information in the scientific process. Most of the proposed experiments use only modest tools and can be carried out by archers with their own equipment.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

Understanding the meaning of Greek temples' orientations. Akragas Valley of the Temples as a case study

The issue of the orientation of Greek Temples has been the subject of several debates since the end of the 19 century. In fact, although a general tendency to orientation within the arc of the rising sun is undeniable, specific patterns and true meaning remain obscure. With the aim of shedding light on this problem we present here a new complete, high precision survey of the temples of Akragas, the so called Valley of the Temples UNESCO site. Our results include a important temple which was essentially yet unpublished, and most of all show that very different reasons influenced the orientation choices, some symbolical, but others by far more practical, besides the general rule of orienting to the rising sun. In particular, the existence of temples orientated in accordance with the towns grid, as well as to the cardinal points irrespectively from the sun's declination associated to true east at the uneven horizon, is evidenced. Finally, for two temples having anomalous orientations a stellar and a lunar proposal are made respectively

physics.hist-ph↗
arXiv2015

Debris Engine: A Potential Thruster for Space Debris Removal

We present a design concept for a space engine that can continuously remove the orbit debris by using the debris as a propellant. Space robotic cleaner is adopted to capture the targeting debris and to transfer them into the engine. Debris with larger size is first disintegrated into small pieces by using a mechanical method. The planetary ball mill is then adopted to grind the pieces into micrometer or smaller powder. The energy needed in this process is get from the nuclear and solar power. By the effect of gamma-ray photoelectric or the behavior of tangently rub of tungsten needles, the debris powered is charged. This behavior can be used to speed up the movement of powder in a tandem electrostatic particle accelerator. By ejecting the high-temperture and high-pressure charged powered from the nozzle of the engine,the continuously thrust is obtained. This thrust can be used to perform orbital maneuver and debris rendezvous for the spacecraft and robotic cleaner. The ejected charged particle will be blown away from the circumterrestrial orbit by the solar wind. By digesting the space debris, we obtain not only the previous thrust but also the clean space. In the near future, start trek will not just a dream, human exploration will extend to deep universe. The analysis shown, the magnitude of the specific impulse for debris engine is determined by the accelerating electrostatic potential and the charge-to-mass ratio of the powder.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2015

An easy journey from Galilean to General Relativity

We explain in a very concise way the basic principles that lead from Galilean to General Relativity to make them understandable to students or general audience, even with little knowledge in physics and mathematics.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2015

On Asteroid Engineering

I pose the question of maximal Newtonian surface gravity on a homogeneous body of a given mass and volume but with variable shape. In other words, given an amount of malleable material of uniform density, how should one shape it in order for a microscopic creature on its surface to experience the largest possible weight? After evaluating the weight on an arbitrary cylinder, at the axis and at the equator and comparing it to that on a spherical ball, I solve the variational problem to obtain the shape which optimizes the surface gravity in some location. The boundary curve of the corresponding solid of revolution is given by $\ (x^2+z^2)^3-(4\,z)^2=0\ $ or $\ r(θ)=2\sqrt{\cosθ}$, and the maximal weight (at $x=z=0$) exceeds that on a solid sphere by a factor of $\frac35\root3\of5$, which is an increment of $2.6\%$. Finally, the values and the achievable maxima are computed for three other families of shapes.

physics.class-ph↗
arXiv2015

Alternative proofs for Kocik's Geometric Diagram for Relativistic Velocity Addition

A geometric construction for the Poincare formula for relativistic addition of velocities in one dimension was given by Jerzy Kocik in "Geometric Diagram for Relativistic Addition of Velocities", American Journal of Physics, volume 80, page 737, 2012. While the proof given there used Cartesian coordinate geometry, three alternative approaches are given in this article: a trigonometric one, one via Euclidean geometry, and one using projective geometry.

physics.pop-ph↗