The problem of inverse statistics (statistics of distances for which the signal fluctuations are larger than a certain threshold) in differentiable signals with power law spectrum, E(k) approximately k(-alpha), 3< or =alpha<5, is discussed. We show that for these signals, with random phases, exit-distance moments follow a bifractal distribution. We also investigate two dimensional turbulent flows in the direct cascade regime, which display a more complex behavior.

Casual mutations and natural selection have driven the evolution of protein amino acid sequences that we observe at present in nature. The question about which is the dominant force of proteins evolution is still lacking of an unambiguous answer. Casual mutations tend to randomize protein sequences while, in order to have the correct functionality, one expects that selection mechanisms impose rigid constraints on amino acid sequences.

We review a recently proposed approach to the computation of the E-entropy of a given signal based on the exit-time statistics, i.e., one codes the signal by looking at the instants when the fluctuations are larger than a given threshold, epsilon. Moreover, we show how the exit-times statistics, when applied to experimental turbulent data, is able to highlight the intermediate-dissipative-range of turbulent fluctuations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

In this paper, a reaction-diffusion prey-predator system including the fear effect of predator on prey population and group defense has been considered. The conditions for the onset of cross-diffusion-driven instability are obtained by linear stability analysis. The technique of multiple time scales is employed to deduce the amplitude equation near Turing bifurcation threshold by choosing the cross-diffusion coefficient as a bifurcation parameter.

The aim of this paper is to prove the strong convergence of the solutions to a vector-BGK model under the diffusive scaling to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on the two-dimensional torus. This result holds in any interval of time [0,T], with T>0. We also provide the global in time uniform boundedness of the solutions to the approximating system. Our argument is based on the use of local in time H-estimates for the model, established in a previous work, combined with the L-relative entropy estimate and the interpolation properties of the Sobolev spaces.

The phase-separation process of a binary mixture with order-parameter-dependent mobility under shear flow is numerically studied. The ordering is characterized by an alternate stretching and bursting of domains which produce oscillations in the physical observables. The amplitude of such modulations reduce in time when the mobility vanishes in the bulk phase, disfavoring the growth of bubbles coming from bursted domains.

Internal waves describe the (linear) response of an incompressible sta- bly stratified fluid to small perturbations. The inclination of their group velocity with respect to the vertical is completely determined by their frequency. Therefore the reflection on a sloping boundary cannot follow Descartes' laws, and it is expected to be singular if the slope has the same inclination as the group velocity.

WeinvestigatethelinearstabilityofshearsneartheCouetteflowforaclassof2Dincompressible stably stratified fluids. Our main result consists of nearly optimal decay rates for perturbations of stationary states whose velocities are monotone shear flows (U (y), 0) and have an exponential density profile. In the case of the Couette flow U(y) = y, we recover the rates predicted by Hartman in 1975, by adopting an explicit point-wise approach in frequency space. As a by-product, this implies optimal decay rates as well as Lyapunov instability in L2 for the vorticity.

We revisit a method introduced by Tartar for proving global well-posedness of a semilinear hyperbolic system with null quadratic source in one space dimension. A remarkable point is that, since no dispersion effect is available for 1D hyperbolic systems, Tartar's approach is entirely based on spatial localization and finite speed of propagation.