Browsing by Subject "Anisotropy"
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Item A micromechanics based ductile damage model for anisotropic titanium alloys(2009-05-15) Keralavarma, Shyam MohanThe hot-workability of Titanium (Ti) alloys is of current interest to the aerospace industry due to its widespread application in the design of strong and light-weight aircraft structural components and engine parts. Motivated by the need for accurate simulation of large scale plastic deformation in metals that exhibit macroscopic plastic anisotropy, such as Ti, a constitutive model is developed for anisotropic materials undergoing plastic deformation coupled with ductile damage in the form of internal cavitation. The model is developed from a rigorous micromechanical basis, following well-known previous works in the field. The model incorporates the porosity and void aspect ratio as internal damage variables, and seeks to provide a more accurate prediction of damage growth compared to previous existing models. A closed form expression for the macroscopic yield locus is derived using a Hill-Mandel homogenization and limit analysis of a porous representative volume element. Analytical expressions are also developed for the evolution of the internal variables, porosity and void shape. The developed yield criterion is validated by comparison to numerically determined yield loci for specific anisotropic materials, using a numerical limit analysis technique developed herein. The evolution laws for the internal variables are validated by comparison with direct finite element simulations of porous unit cells. Comparison with previously published results in the literature indicates that the new model yields better agreement with the numerically determined yield loci for a wide range of loading paths. Use of the new model in continuum finite element simulations of ductile fracture may be expected to lead to improved predictions for damage evolution and fracture modes in plastically anisotropic materials.Item Anisotropic Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures in Compression(2012-10-08) Zhang, Yuqing 1983-Rutting is one of the major distresses in asphalt pavements and it increases road roughness and traps water, which leads to wet-weather accidents due to the loss of tire-pavement friction and hydroplaning. The fundamental mechanisms of rutting have not been well addressed because of the complexity of asphalt mixtures. A comprehensive characterization of the asphalt mixtures in compression was accomplished by mechanistically modeling the inherent anisotropy, viscoelasticity, viscoplasticity and viscofracture of the material. The inherent anisotropy due to preferentially oriented aggregates was characterized by a microstructural parameter (i.e., modified vector magnitudes) which could be rapidly and accurately measured by lateral surface scanning tests and physically related to anisotropic modulus ratio. The anisotropic viscoelasticity was represented by complex moduli and Poisson's ratios in separate orthogonal directions that were determined by an efficient testing protocol. Master curve models were proposed for the magnitude and phase angle of these complex variables. The viscoplasticity were intensively modeled by an anisotropic viscoplastic model which incorporated 1) modified effective stresses to account for the inherent and stress-induced anisotropy; 2) a new model to provide a smooth and convex yield surface and address the material cohesion and internal friction; 3) a non-associated flow rule to consider the volumetric dilation; and 4) a temperature and strain rate dependent strain hardening function. The viscofracture resulting from the crack growth in compression led to the stress-induced anisotropy and was characterized by anisotropic damage densities, the evolution of which was modeled by the anisotropic pseudo J-integral Paris' laws. Results indicated that the undamaged asphalt mixtures were inherently anisotropic and had vertical to horizontal modulus ratios from 1.2 to 2.0 corresponding to the modified vector magnitudes from 0.2 and 0.5. The rutting would be underestimated without including the inherent anisotropy in the constitutive modeling. Viscoelastic and viscoplastic deformation developed simultaneously while the viscofracture deformation occurred only during the tertiary flow, which was signaled by the increase of phase angle. Axial and radial strain decomposition methods were proposed to efficiently separate the viscoplasticity and viscofracture from the viscoelasticity. Rutting was accelerated by the occurrence of cracks in tertiary flow. The asphalt mixture had a brittle (splitting cracks) or ductile (diagonal cracks) fracture when the air void content was 4% and 7%, respecitvely. The testing protocol that produced the material properties is efficient and can be completed in one day with simple and affordable testing equipment. The developed constitutive models can be effectively implemented for the prediction of the rutting in asphalt pavements under varieties of traffic, structural, and environmental conditions.Item The anisotropic seismic structure of the Earth's mantle : investigations using full waveform inversion(2002) Matzel, Eric M.; Grand, Stephen P.I have developed a waveform inversion procedure to invert 3 component broadband seismic data for models of the anisotropic seismic structure of the Earth and applied the technique to an investigation of wave propagation through anisotropic media and earthquake data sampling the upper mantle beneath the East European platform. The procedure combines the conjugate-gradient and very fast simulated annealing methods and attempts to minimize a cross-correlation misfit function comparing data to synthetic seismograms. A series of inversion passes are performed over a range of frequency and time windows to progressively focus in on structural details. The intent is to obtain P and S velocity models that simultaneously match all components of the data (radial, vertical and tangential). The variables in the problem are the seismic velocities ([alpha] and [beta]) as a function of depth. When radial anisotropy is required this set is expanded to include the five variables that determine the seismic velocities in a radially anisotropic medium ([alpha subscript h, alpha subscript v, beta subscript h, beta subscript v, eta]). I investigate the propagation of seismic waves through radially anisotropic media, evaluate which elements of radial anisotropy are best resolved by seismic data and discuss strategies for identifying radial anisotropy in the Earth. S anisotropy, [beta]%, and the horizontal component of P velocity, [alpha subscript h], are typically well resolved by multicomponent seismic data. P anisotropy, [alpha]%, and [eta] are often poorly resolved and trade off with one another in terms of their effect on S[subscript V] arrivals. Erroneous structure will be mapped into models if anisotropy is neglected. The size of the erroneous structure will be proportional to the magnitude of anisotropy present and extend well below the anisotropic zone. The effects of anisotropy on P models produced with an isotropic assumption are most similar to the effects on isotropic S[subscript H] models. When comparing isotropic models, [alpha/beta subscript sh] is therefore often a better measure than [alpha/beta subscript sv] for characterizing mantle petrology. Isotropic S[subscript H], S[subscript V] and P models developed separately using the same data set can provide a good initial estimate of the presence, location and magnitude of anisotropy and those results can be used to create an initial model for an anisotropic inversion solving simultaneously for all 3 components of the data. Finally, I present models for the P and S velocity structure of the upper mantle beneath the East European platform including an analysis of radial anisotropy. The data are 3-component broadband seismograms from strike-slip earthquakes located near the edge of the platform and recorded in Russia and Europe. The timing, amplitude and interference characteristics of direct arrivals (S, P), multiply reflected arrivals (SS, PP), converted phases and surface waves provide very good radial resolution throughout the upper 400 km of the mantle. The platform is underlain by a radially anisotropic seismic mantle lid extending to a depth of 200 km with a largely isotropic mantle below. The model has a positive velocity gradient from 41 km to 100 km depth, and a relatively uniform velocity structure from 100 km to 200 km depth with high S[subscript H] and P[subscript H] velocities (4.77 km /s, 8.45 km/s). Shear anisotropy is uniform at 5% ([beta subscript H] > [beta subscript V]) from 41 to 200 km depth, drops to 2% from 200 to 250 km and is isotropic below that. The average shear velocity from 100 to 250 km is also uniform at 4.65 km/s and the drop in anisotropy is matched by a drop in [beta subscript H] to 4.70 km/s combined with an increase in [beta subscript V] to 4.60 km/s. Below 250 km there is a positive velocity gradient in both P and S velocity down to 410 km. P anisotropy is not well resolved, but P structure mimics the S[subscript H] velocity structure, suggesting that P is also anisotropic within the lid.Item Characterization of VTI media with PS[subscript v] AVO attributes(2014-12) Gustie, Patrick John; Tatham, R. H. (Robert H.), 1943-Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) signatures in vertically transverse isotropic (VTI) media vary as the degree of the anisotropy contrast between layers varies. When the contrasts in two parameters (δ and ε) that quantify the VTI elastic anisotropy are varied, the fraction of energy that reflects from a given layer interface as a mode converted shear wave (R[subscript PS]) also varies for specified angles of incidence. Mode-converted (PS[subscript V]) AVO crossplots may potentially be used to map stratigraphic layers exhibiting intrinsic VTI anisotropy with the moderate to high degrees of weak elastic anisotropy that are often attributed to shale formations. Calculated values of reflected, mode-converted energy as a function of angle of incidence (R[subscript PS](i)) are plotted to determine what mode-converted seismic data indicate about the degree of VTI weak elastic anisotropy present in a given layer. These computations involve varying the degree of weak elastic anisotropy, in this case contrasts in Thomsen’s δ and ε parameters, so that the relationship between these parameters and the amplitude variation with offset (AVO) signature can be quantified. Once this relationship is understood, it may be possible to delineate sweet spot areas of shale formations in seismic data according to how the representative points plot on an AVO crossplot. For such crossplots, the y-intercepts of the reflectivity curves in a particular parameterized space are plotted on the x-axis while the slopes of the parameterized reflectivity curves in this parameterized space are plotted on the y-axis. The grouping of points on the mode-converted AVO crossplots according to the contrast in Thomsen’s δ and ε parameters for weak elastic anisotropy is encouraging. This grouping implies that it may indeed be possible to use an AVO attribute map to characterize a given organic shale formation according to its degree of intrinsic VTI anisotropy. This attribute map would be calibrated to known production data in the locality in order to locate which areas of the mode-converted AVO crossplot predict a likely production sweet spot.Item Collision-induced absorption and anisotropy of the intermolecular potential(2002-05) Gustafsson, Magnus Sven; Frommhold, LotharA scheme is developed for quantum mechanical calculations of binary collisioninduced spectra which permits full inclusion of rotovibrational molecular degrees of freedom. A close-coupling scheme which includes the radiation in the Hamiltonian is used. The collision-induced absorption spectra of interacting atom–diatom and diatom–diatom pairs are investigated. The inclusion of the anisotropy of the intermolecular potential introduces couplings among the rotational levels of the diatomic molecules. Previous calculations of collision-induced spectra have almost exclusively been done using the isotropic potential approximation and we present an extensive investigation of the validity of that approximation. Absorption spectra in the rotational and fundamental bands of H2, induced by collisions with He, H, Ar, and H2 are calculated for various temperatures. In all of these, except for H2–H, the anisotropy of the intermolecular potential affect the absorption by 5-10% in certain parts of the spectra. Comparisons with the available measurements show very good agreement of the shapes of the spectral profiles, although the absolute intensities differ by up to 10% in some cases. These remaining differences between theory and measurements appear to be random and are generally smaller than the differences among comparable measurements. In the H2–H spectra the effect of the anisotropy of the potential turns out to be almost negligible at the temperature for which a full coupled quantum calculation was done. This is supported by spectral moment calculations. The smallness of the effect is believed to stem from the short range character of the anisotropic potential components for H2–H. Collision-induced absorption spectra of gaseous mixtures of deuterium hydride and helium in the rotational and fundamental bands of HD are calculated at a temperature of 77 K. The computed absorption profile agree with a measurement taken in the HD fundamental band. We also consider the interference phenomena of the HD permanent dipole with the HD–He interaction-induced dipole by computing the wings of various R(j) lines and of the P1(1) line in the single, binary collision limit. Agreement between theory and measurements is observed in the low-helium-density limit of the measured absorption line shapes.Item Comparison of fatigue analysis approaches for predicting fatigue lives of hot-mix asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixtures(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Walubita, Lubinda F.Hot-mix asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixture fatigue characterization constitutes a fundamental component of HMAC pavement structural design and analysis to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. HMAC is a heterogeneous complex composite material of air, binder, and aggregate that behaves in a non-linear elasto-viscoplastic manner, exhibits anisotropic behavior, ages with time, and heals during traffic loading rest periods and changing environmental conditions. Comprehensive HMAC mixture fatigue analysis approaches that take into account this complex nature of HMAC are thus needed to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. In this study, four fatigue analysis approaches; the mechanistic empirical (ME), the calibrated mechanistic with (CMSE) and without (CM) surface energy measurements, and the proposed NCHRP 1-37A 2002 Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) were comparatively evaluated and utilized to characterize the fatigue resistance of two Texas HMAC mixtures in the laboratory, including investigating the effects of binder oxidative aging. Although the results were comparable, the CMSE/CM approaches exhibited greater flexibility and potential to discretely account for most of the fundamental material properties (including fracture, aging, healing, visco-elasticity, and anisotropy) that affect HMAC pavement fatigue performance. Compared to the other approaches, which are mechanistic-empirically based, the CMSE/CM approaches are based on the fundamental concepts of continuum micromechanics and energy theory.Item Complete anisotropic analysis of three component seismic data related to the marine environment and comparison to nine component land seismic data(2006) Gumble, Jason Ethan; Tatham, Robert H.Item A computational procedure for analysis of fractures in three dimensional anisotropic media(2004) Rungamornrat, Jaroon; Mear, Mark E.A symmetric Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) is developed for analysis of fractures in three dimensional anisotropic, linearly elastic media, and the method is coupled with standard finite element procedures. Important features of the technique are that the formulation is applicable to general anisotropy, the kernels in the governing integral equations are only weakly-singular (of order 1/r) hence allowing the application of standard Co elements in the numerical treatment, and a special crack tip element is utilized which allows general mixed-mode fracture data (viz. the stress intensity factors) to be efficiently determined as a function of position along the crack front. The weakly-singular, weak-form displacement and traction integral equations which constitute a basis for the SGBEM are obtained via a regularization technique. The technique utilizes a particular decomposition for the stress fundamental solution and for the strongly-singular kernel in order to facilitate an integration by parts via Stokes’ theorem. The final integral equations contain only weakly-singular kernels (given explicitly in terms of a line integral) which are applicable to gen- eral anisotropic materials. These weakly-singular kernels are obtained by solving a system of partial differential equations via the Radon transform. A symmetric formulation is developed by a suitable use of the weakly-singular displacement and traction integral equations. As part of the numerical implemen- tation, a Galerkin approximation strategy is utilized to discretize the governing integral equations. Standard isoparametric Co elements are employed everywhere except along the crack front where a special crack-tip elements is used. To demon- strate the accuracy and versatility of the method, various examples for cracks in both unbounded and finite domains are considered. Finally, a symmetric coupling of the SGBEM and the standard finite element method is established. The coupling strategy exploits the versatility and capabil- ity of the finite element method to treat structures with complex geometry and loading, while employing the SGBEM to efficiently and accurately treat a (local) region containing the crack. In the numerical implementation, both conforming and nonconforming discretization along the interface of the two regions are treated. In addition, the coupling of the SGBEM with a commercial finite element code is ex- plored and successfully implemented. Several examples are presented to illustrate the capability and accuracy of the method.Item Constitutive modeling of creep of single crystal superalloys(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) Prasad, Sharat ChandIn this work, a constitutive theory is developed, within the context of continuum mechanics, to describe the creep deformation of single crystal superalloys. The con- stitutive model that is developed here is based on the fact that as bodies deform the stress free state that corresponds to the current configuration (referred to as the "natural configuration", i.e., the configuration that the body would attain on the removal of the external stimuli) evolves. It is assumed that the material possesses an infinity of natural (or stress-free) configurations, the underlying natural configuration of the body changing during the deformation process, with the response of the body being elastic from these evolving natural configurations. It is also assumed that the evolution of the natural configurations is determined by the tendency of the body to undergo a process that maximizes the rate of dissipation. Central to the theory is the prescription of the forms for the stored energy and rate of dissipation functions. The stored energy reflects the fact that the elastic response exhibits cubic symmetry. Consistent with experiments, the elastic response from the natural configuration is assumed to be linearly elastic and the model also takes into account the fact that the symmetry of single crystals does not change with inelastic deformation. An ap- propriate form for the inelastic stored energy (the energy that is `trapped' within dislocation networks) is also utilized based on simple ideas of dislocation motion. In lieu of the absence of any experimental data to corroborate with, the form for the inelastic stored energy is assumed to be isotropic. The rate of dissipation function is chosen to be anisotropic, in that it reflects invariance to transformations that belong to the cubic symmetry group. The rate of dissipation is assumed to be proportional to the density of mobile dislocations and another term that takes into account the damage accumulation due to creep. The model developed herein is used to simulate uniaxial creep of <001>, <111> and <011> oriented single crystal nickel based su- peralloys for a range of temperatures. The predictions of the theory match well with the available experimental data for CMSX-4. The constitutive model is also imple- mented as a User Material (UMAT) in commercial finite element software ABAQUS to enable the analysis of more general problems. The UMAT is validated for simple problems and the numerical scheme based on an implicit backward difference formula works well in that the results match closely with those obtained using a semi-inverse approach.Item Item Correction for distortion in polarization of reflected shear-waves in isotropic and anisotropic media(2013-12) Campbell, Terence A; Tatham, R. H. (Robert H.), 1943-The progressive growth of onshore shale production (both gas and liquids) to replace depleting and aging oil fields may benefit from the use of surface seismic shear wave data analysis for full characterization of shale reservoir properties and lead to optimum development of these resources. This includes descriptions of azimuthal anisotropy (HTI - transverse isotropy with a horizontal symmetry axis) for characterization of fractures and internal fracture systems. The objective of this study is to document a predicted distortion in polarization of propagating seismic shear waves upon reflection at a subsurface interface and to propose a correction to this distortion. The polarization distortion occurs even in wholly isotropic media. This correction is based on an understanding of shear amplitude behavior as a function of the reflection incidence angle, particularly differences in the reflection angle relation for different shear components. This study includes a demonstration of the efficacy of the proposed correction by applying it to simulated and real direct shear-wave source data. Such corrections should result in a minimized polarization distortion in the reflection process. The apparent consistency of a null value (zero crossing) of the SV-SV reflectivity (near 20-24 degrees) for common density and velocity contrasts as well as the remarkably regular behavior of the SV-SV and SH-SH reflectivity curves following a linear relation in sin2 and tan2 of the incidence angle and offers the opportunity for a simple and stable correction with minimal sensitivity to detailed knowledge of contrasts in velocity and density. The only independent information required for the correction is the angle of incidence where the SV-SV and SH-SH reflections vanish and the range of these angles is typically quite limited. Some key questions were addressed in gaining an understanding of shear wave polarization distortion upon reflection for varying model data: 1) how do we address reflected polarization distortion for purely isotropic medium for varying incidence angles? 2) How do we apply this correction for an isotropic and anisotropic media for both simulated and actual field data 3) How do we address applications to real data and how distorted amplitudes can be corrected to identify actual subsurface HTI anisotropy. Significantly, the polarization distortion correction is implemented as a simple extension of the established Alford rotation for normal incidence shear reflections of varying polarization. This extension leads to the improved analysis of direct shear-source 3D data with inherently distorted polarization. Thus, analysis may be applied to estimate HTI anisotropy previously not realizable in finite offset data subject to polarization distortion. Example applications to actual field data are included. Note that the polarization correction does remove the AVO effects often exploited in analysis of P-P data where polarization is not an issue that is, the AVO amplitude effect is essentially removed from the SV-SV and SH-SH oriented direct shear-wave profiles, which permits proper analysis of the polarization. Further, additional analysis of the polarization correction on field data with documented anisotropy will be required to fully develop the usefulness of this proposed correction.Item Development of novel analytical applications for single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy(Texas Tech University, 2009-08) Burrows, Sean M.; Pappas, Dimitri; Quitevis, Edward L.; Korzeniewski, Carol; Casadonte Jr., Dominick J.The molecular recrossing of single molecules in a defined probe volume was used to investigate photobleaching and saturation of single molecules. The normalized recrossing ratio, Nr/Nt, was defined as the number of molecules that reenter the probe volume (Nr) to the total number of molecules detected (Nt). Saturation irradiance and photobleaching effects were determined as a function of irradiance for Calcein, Fluorescein, R-Phycoerythrin and Streptavidin R-Phycoerythrin-AlexaFluor-647. The light tolerance and the energy transfer process in phycobiliproteins were studied as a function of excitation irradiation and irradiation time. Normalized molecular recrossings showed that energy transfer to a tandem conjugate could reduce the formation of triplet states in R-Phycoerythrin and extend the light tolerance of certain phycobiliproteins. Measuring normalized recrossing ratios serves as a method of optimizing experimental conditions for single molecule detection and examining the light tolerance and energy transfer in single molecular systems. Single molecule fluorescence anisotropy (SMFA) is described to quantify free and bound probe molecules from a complexation reaction. Initially the error on SMFA measurements attributed to photon shot noise and molecular counting error was investigated. The ability to quantify binding was investigated by formulating a ratio of bound to total probe molecules sampled (Nb/Nt ratio). We report on a comparison of three methods to extract fluorescent bursts from single molecules from a ten-minute time trace. The impact on the Nb/Nt ratio using either anisotropy values alone or anisotropy combined with the difference in detector counts (∆n) were investigated. The data analysis methods reduced the systematic error due to scatter. Biotin-Rhodamine 110 (BR110) was used as the labeled probe for these studies. Increasing amounts of the target protein, Neutravidin, were added to a constant amount of BR110. A competitive reaction between labeled BR110 probe and unlabeled Biotin was also investigated. The use of SMFA as a tool to probe molecular complexation will be useful in performing sensitive immunoassays, in drug discovery to investigate and enhance the binding of drugs to their substrates, and to study other molecular interactions.Item Direct shear wave polarization corrections at multiple offsets for anisotropy analysis in multiple layers(2014-05) Maleski, Jacqueline Patrice; Tatham, R. H. (Robert H.), 1943-Azimuthal anisotropy, assumed to be associated with vertical, aligned cracks, fractures, and subsurface stress regimes, causes vertically propagating shear waves to split into a fast component, with particle motion polarized parallel to fracture strike, and a slow component, with particle motion polarized perpendicular to fracture strike. Determining the polarization of each split shear wave and the time lag between them provides valuable insight regarding fracture azimuth and intensity. However, analysis of shear wave polarizations in seismic data is hampered by reflection-induced polarization distortion. Traditional polarization analysis methods are limited to zero offset and are not valid if implemented over the full range of offsets available in typical 3D seismic data sets. Recent proposals for normalizing amplitudes recorded at non-normal incidence to values recorded at normal incidence may provide an extension to correcting offset-dependent shear wave polarization distortion. Removing polarization distortion from shear wave reflections allows a larger range of offsets to be used when determining shear wave polarizations. Additional complexities arise, however, if fracture orientation changes with depth. Reflections from layers with different fracture orientations retain significant energy on off-diagonal components after initial rotations are applied. To properly analyze depth-variant azimuthal anisotropy, time lags associated with each interval of constant anisotropy are removed and additional iterative rotations applied to subsequent offset-normalized reflections. Synthetic data is used to evaluate the success of these methods, which depends largely on the accuracy of AVA approximations used in the correction. The polarization correction effectively removes SV polarity reversals but may be limited in corrections to SH polarizations at very far offsets. After the polarization correction is applied, energy calculations including incidence angles up to 20° more effectively compensates individual SV and SH reflection components, allowing for more faithful polarization information identification of the isotropy plane and the symmetry axis. The polarization correction also localizes diagonal component energy maxima and off-diagonal component energy minima closer to the true orientation of the principal axes when a range of incidence angles up to 20° is used.Item Elastic constants of Cu+2.3at.%A1 from 300 to 4.2 K(Texas Tech University, 1979-08) Townsend, David RussellNot availableItem Elastic constants of RbCl from 300� K to 4.2� K(Texas Tech University, 1967-06) Dorris, Gordon G.This thesis is concerned with providing basic information on the experimentally-measured adlabatio elastic constants of rubidium chloride over the temperature range of 300® K to 4.2* K, From the elastic constants, the characteristic lebye temperature (9^) has been calculated for T = 0* K. Utilizing the Debye temperature, one can make a rather accurate calculation of the oalorimetric properties of a solid from its elastic properties. The elastic constants have also been used to oaloulate the compressibility as a function of temperature, and using the compressibility, the lattice energy of 0* K has been calculated for the crystal.Item Elastic constants of the alloy copper plus 0.3 atomic per cent gold from 4.2� K to 300� K(Texas Tech University, 1969-08) O'Hara, Stephen GuyNot availableItem Enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (EPS-OCT) for characterization of tissue anisotropy(2005) Kemp, Nathaniel Joseph; Rylander, H. Grady (Henry Grady), 1948-; Milner, Thomas E.An Enhanced Polarization-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (EPS-OCT) instrument for high sensitivity cross-sectional imaging of optical anisotropy in turbid media has been designed, constructed, and verified. Enhanced sensitivity to small transformations in light polarization state is provided by a novel multi-state nonlinear fitting algorithm capable of detecting phase retardation (δ) with ±1° uncertainty. Introduction of a new polarimetric term, biattenuance, describing differential attenuation of light amplitudes is theoretically and experimentally motivated. Biattenuance (∆χ) is complimentary to birefringence (∆n), which results in a differential delay (phase retardation, δ) between modes polarized parallel and perpendicular to the anisotropic axis orientation (θ). In addition, a physical model is formulated to calculate the relative contributions of ∆χ and ∆n to polarimetric transformations in anisotropic media. Optical anisotropy properties birefringence (∆n), biattenuance (∆χ), and axis orientation (θ) convey information about the sub-microscopic structure of fibrous tissue (e.g., connective, muscle, and nervous tissue). A method for nondestructively characterizing these properties in multiple-layered fibrous tissue using EPS-OCT is demonstrated in ex vivo specimens of porcine intervertebral disc cartilage. Diseases or traumas often alter tissue on the ultrastructural level; thus, noninvasive polarimetric imaging using EPS-OCT is expected to be a valuable tool for in vivo medical research as well as for diagnosis and management of disease. For example, glaucoma affects the vitality of retinal ganglion cell axons in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and may be clinically detected through a change in RNFL birefringence. Comprehensive peripapillary maps of healthy primate RNFL birefringence were constructed using EPS-OCT. A preliminary model relating RNFL birefringence to the area-density of intracellular neurotubules suggests that superior and inferior quadrants have a higher neurotubule density than that in nasal and temporal quadrants.Item Feasibility of isotropic inversion in orthorhombic media : the Barrett unconventional model(2016-05) Yanke, Andrew James; Spikes, Kyle; Sen, Mrinal K; Fomel, Sergey BGeophysicists often relegate shale reservoirs as having higher symmetries (e.g., transversely isotropic (TI) or isotropic) than what reality demonstrates. Routine application of TI (or even isotropic) algorithms to orthorhombic media neglects the associated errors because we never know the true model in practice. This thesis evaluates the viability of isotropic post-stack and pre-stack seismic inversion to orthorhombic media using the SEAM Barrett Unconventional Model, the most realistic depositional model to date. The Barrett Model contains buried topography, simulated stratigraphy, and designated reservoir zones with orthorhombic anisotropy. I inverted the Barrett data volume for isotropic elastic property cubes, which I compared to the model volume in each symmetry-plane of an orthorhombic medium. If the stacked seismic data contained only the near offsets, post-stack inversion resolved acoustic impedances that closely matched the true model both within and outside of the reservoir zones at all well locations. Anisotropy most affected the far offsets, so muting them predictably enhanced the post-stack inversion. I maintained all offsets for pre-stack inversion, but a parabolic radon filter eliminated nonhyperbolic behavior (rather than nonhyperbolic moveout analysis) at far offsets. The pre-stack impedance attributes adequately described the vertical heterogeneity of the true model at a cross-validation well, but the inverted values increasingly relied on the initial model with depth. The inverted density estimates experienced notable oscillations relative to the initial model, particularly where steep contrasts in elastic properties occurred. Mismatch of the inverted elastic properties at the well locations can be attributed to noise, thin layering effects, band limitation, steep contrasts in elastic properties, AVO behavior stacked into the data, an inaccurate starting model, and the effects of anisotropy. The most significant sources of error include small-scale reflectivity and comprehensive filtering of nonhyperbolic phenomena. Away from the well locations, the isotropic inversion gave no visual indication of reservoir geobodies, but it sufficiently described the elastic property variations near reservoir mid-sections. Moreover, I showed that the inverted elastic properties differ from their orthorhombic models by no more than 35%. The greatest misfits occurred near reservoir contacts and geobody locations. The computed impedance models in each symmetry-plane have distinctive differences, but isotropic inversion dismisses these variations entirely. I conclude that isotropic inversion should not be a surrogate for orthorhombic methods in data preconditioning and quantitative reservoir characterization.Item Field experiments for fracture characterization: studies of seismic anisotropy and tracer imaging with GPR(2007-12) Bonal, Nedra Danielle, 1975-; Wilson, Clark R.Knowledge of fracture orientation and density is significant for reservoir and aquifer characterization. In this study, field experiments are designed to estimate fracture parameters in situ from seismic and GPR (radar) data. The seismic experiment estimates parameters of orientation, density, and filling material. The GPR experiment estimates channel flow geometry and aperture. In the seismic study, lines of 2D data are acquired in a vertically fractured limestone at three different azimuths to look for differences in seismic velocities. A sledgehammer, vertical source and a multicomponent, Vibroseis source are used with multicomponent receivers. Acquisition parameters of frequency, receiver spacing and source-to-receiver offset are varied. The entire suite of seismic body waves and Rayleigh waves is analyzed to characterize the subsurface. Alford rotations are used to determine fracture orientation and demonstrate good results when geophone orientation is taken into account. Results indicate that seismic anisotropy is caused by regional faulting. Average fracture density of less than 5% and water table depth estimates are consistent with field observations. Groundwater flow direction has been observed by others to cross the fault trend and is subparallel to a secondary fracture set. In this study, seismic anisotropy appears unrelated to this secondary fracture set. Vp/Vs and Poisson's ratio values indicate a dolomite lithology. Sledgehammer and Vibroseis data provide consistent results. In the GPR experiment, reflection profiles are acquired through common-offset profiling perpendicular to the dominant flow direction. High frequency waves are used to delineate fluid flow paths through a subhorizontal fracture and observe tracer channeling. Channeling of flow is expected to control solute transport. Changes in radar signal are quantitatively associated with changes in fracture filling material from an innovative method using correlation coefficients. Mapping these changes throughout the survey area reveals the geometry of the flow path of each injected liquid. The tracer is found to be concentrated in the center of the survey area where fracture apertures are large. This demonstrates that spatial variations in concentration are controlled by fluid channel geometry.Item Fluid description of relativistic, magnetized plasmas with anisotropy and heat flow : model construction and applications(2009-08) TenBarge, Jason Michael; Hazeltine, R. D. (Richard D.)Many astrophysical plasmas and some laboratory plasmas are relativistic: either the thermal speed or the local bulk flow in some frame approaches the speed of light. Often, such plasmas are magnetized in the sense that the Larmor radius is smaller than any gradient scale length of interest. Conventionally, relativistic MHD is employed to treat relativistic, magnetized plasmas; however, MHD requires the collision time to be shorter than any other time scale in the system. Thus, MHD employs the thermodynamic equilibrium form of the stress tensor, neglecting pressure anisotropy and heat flow parallel to the magnetic field. We re-examine the closure question and find a more complete theory, which yields a more physical and self-consistent closure. Beginning with exact moments of the kinetic equation, we derive a closed set of Lorentz-covariant fluid equations for a magnetized plasma allowing for pressure and heat flow anisotropy. Basic predictions of the model, including its thermodynamics and the dispersion relation's dependence upon relativistic temperature, are examined. Further, the model is applied to two extant astrophysical problems.
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