École Polytechnique

About: École Polytechnique is a education organization based out in Palaiseau, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Plasma. The organization has 18995 authors who have published 39265 publications receiving 1225163 citations. The organization is also known as: Ecole Polytechnique & Polytechnique.

Hyperbolic Systems of Conservation Laws: The Theory of Classical and Nonclassical Shock Waves

Abstract: I. Fundamental concepts and examples.- 1. Hyperbolicity, genuine nonlinearity, and entropies.- 2. Shock formation and weak solutions.- 3. Singular limits and the entropy inequality.- 4. Examples of diffusive-dispersive models.- 5. Kinetic relations and traveling waves.- 1. Scalar Conservation Laws.- II. The Riemann problem.- 1. Entropy conditions.- 2. Classical Riemann solver.- 3. Entropy dissipation function.- 4. Nonclassical Riemann solver for concave-convex flux.- 5. Nonclassical Riemann solver for convex-concave flux.- III. Diffusive-dispersive traveling waves.- 1. Diffusive traveling waves.- 2. Kinetic functions for the cubic flux.- 3. Kinetic functions for general flux.- 4. Traveling waves for a given speed.- 5. Traveling waves for a given diffusion-dispersion ratio.- IV. Existence theory for the Cauchy problem.- 1. Classical entropy solutions for convex flux.- 2. Classical entropy solutions for general flux.- 3. Nonclassical entropy solutions.- 4. Refined estimates.- V. Continuous dependence of solutions.- 1. A class of linear hyperbolic equations.- 2. L1 continuous dependence estimate.- 3. Sharp version of the continuous dependence estimate.- 4. Generalizations.- 2. Systems of Conservation Laws.- VI. The Riemann problem.- 1. Shock and rarefaction waves.- 2. Classical Riemann solver.- 3. Entropy dissipation and wave sets.- 4. Kinetic relation and nonclassical Riemann solver.- VII. Classical entropy solutions of the Cauchy problem.- 1. Glimm interaction estimates.- 2. Existence theory.- 3. Uniform estimates.- 4. Pointwise regularity properties.- VIII. Nonclassical entropy solutions of the Cauchy problem.- 1. A generalized total variation functional.- 2. A generalized weighted interaction potential.- 3. Existence theory.- 4. Pointwise regularity properties.- IX. Continuous dependence of solutions.- 1. A class of linear hyperbolic systems.- 2. L1 continuous dependence estimate.- 3. Sharp version of the continuous dependence estimate.- 4. Generalizations.- X. Uniqueness of entropy solutions.- 1. Admissible entropy solutions.- 2. Tangency property.- 3. Uniqueness theory.- 4. Applications.

Discovery of very high energy gamma rays associated with an x-ray binary.

Abstract: X-ray binaries are composed of a normal star in orbit around a neutron star or stellar-mass black hole. Radio and x-ray observations have led to the presumption that some x-ray binaries called microquasars behave as scaled-down active galactic nuclei. Microquasars have resolved radio emission that is thought to arise from a relativistic outflow akin to active galactic nuclei jets, in which particles can be accelerated to large energies. Very high energy γ-rays produced by the interactions of these particles have been observed from several active galactic nuclei. Using the High Energy Stereoscopic System, we find evidence for gamma-ray emission of >100 gigaelectron volts from a candidate microquasar, LS 5039, showing that particles are also accelerated to very high energies in these systems.

Winter 2010 in Europe: a cold extreme in a warming climate.

Abstract: [1] The winter of 2009/2010 was characterized by record persistence of the negative phase of the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) which caused several severe cold spells over Northern and Western Europe. This somehow unusual winter with respect to the most recent ones arose concurrently with public debate on climate change, during and after the Copenhagen climate negotiations. We show however that the cold European temperature anomaly of winter 2010 was (i) not extreme relative to winters of the past six decades, and (ii) warmer than expected from its record-breaking seasonal circulation indices such as NAO or blocking frequency. Daily flow-analogues of winter 2010, taken in past winters, were associated with much colder temperatures. The winter 2010 thus provides a consistent picture of a regional cold event mitigated by long-term climate warming.

Experimental study of vortex breakdown in swirling jets

Abstract: The goal of this study is to characterize the various breakdown states taking place in a swirling water jet as the swirl ratio S and Reynolds number Re are varied. A pressure-driven water jet discharges into a large tank, swirl being imparted by means of a motor which sets into rotation a honeycomb within a settling chamber. The experiments are conducted for two distinct jet diameters by varying the swirl ratio S while maintaining the Reynolds number Re fixed in the range 300