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At least 559 records · Page 31

Global Λ-hyperon polarization in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV

Global hyperon polarization, $\overline{P}$ H , in Au + Au collisions over a large range of collision energy, $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$, was recently measured and successfully reproduced by hydrodynamic and transport models with intense fluid vorticity of the quark-gluon plasma. While na¨ıve extrapolation of data trends suggests a large $\overline{P}$ H as the collision energy is reduced, the behavior of $\overline{P}$ H at small $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ < 7.7 GeV is unknown. Operating the STAR experiment in fixed-target mode, we measured the polarization of Λ hyperons along the direction of global angular momentum in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV. As a result, the observation of substantial polarization of 4.91 ± 0.81 (stat.) ± 0.15 (syst.) % in these collisions may require a reexamination of the viscosity of any fluid created in the collision, of the thermalization timescale of rotational modes, and of hadronic mechanisms to produce global polarization.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Analysis of dashpot performance for rotating control drums of a lithium cooled fast reactor concept

A dashpot was incorporated in the design of the drive train of the rotating control drum to prevent shock damage to the control drum and drive train at the termination of a scram action. A rotating vane dashpot using reactor coolant lithium as a damping fluid appears to be the best candidate of the various damping devices explored. A performance analysis, results and discussion of vane type dashpots are presented.

Wenzler, C. J.↗

Scientific management and implementation of the geophysical fluid flow cell for Spacelab missions

Scientific support for the spherical convection experiment to be flown on Spacelab 3 was developed. This experiment takes advantage of the zero gravity environment of the orbiting space laboratory to conduct fundamental fluid flow studies concerned with thermally driven motions inside a rotating spherical shell with radial gravity. Such a system is a laboratory analog of large scale atmospheric and solar circulations. The radial body force necessary to model gravity correctly is obtained by using dielectric polarization forces in a radially varying electric field to produce radial accelerations proportional to temperature. This experiment will answer fundamental questions concerned with establishing the preferred modes of large scale motion in planetary and stellar atmospheres.

Hart, J.↗

The effect of power law body forces on a thermally-driven flow between concentric rotating spheres

A numerical study is conducted to determine the effect of power-law body forces on a thermally-driven axisymmetric flow field confined between concentric co-rotating spheres. This study is motivated by Spacelab geophysical fluid-flow experiments, which use an electrostatic force on a dielectric fluid to simulate gravity; this force exhibits a (1/r)sup 5 distribution. Meridional velocity is found to increase when the electrostatic body force is imposed, relative to when the body force is uniform. Correlation among flow fields with uniform, inverse-square, and inverse-quintic force fields is obtained using a modified Grashof number.

Macaraeg, M. G.↗

The effect of power-law body forces on a thermally driven flow between concentric rotating spheres

A numerical study is conducted to determine the effect of power-law body forces on a thermally-driven axisymmetric flow field confined between concentric co-rotating spheres. This study is motivated by Spacelab geophysical fluid-flow experiments, which use an electrostatic force on a dielectric fluid to simulate gravity; this force exhibits a (1/r)sup 5 distribution. Meridional velocity is found to increase when the electrostatic body force is imposed, relative to when the body force is uniform. Correlation among flow fields with uniform, inverse-square, and inverse-quintic force fields is obtained using a modified Grashof number.

Macaraeg, M. G.↗

Liquid-Ring Attitude-Control System For Spacecraft

Angular momentum transferred to liquid flowing in rings of tubing. Proposed fluid-ring actuator used to orient spacecraft. Used instead of rotating inertia wheels. Meets need for pointing system of low mass, low power, and high resolution. Advantage of actuator, rings of tubing routed through existing structures, minimizing required space and mass.

Lurie, Boris J.↗

Rotordynamic Behavior Of Sawtooth-Pattern Damping Seals

Report describes comparative experimental and theoretical study of rotordynamics of several different annular liquid pump seals. Introduces damping seals of new type in which inner surfaces of stators have saw-tooth-cross-section axial grooves interrupted at regular axial intervals by circumferential dams. Teeth of sawtooth patterns directed against rotations in attempt to reduce further asymptotic circumferential velocities of fluids.

Nolan, Steven A.↗

How fast do Galilean satellites spin?

Each of the Galilean satellites, as well as most other satellites whose initial rotations have been substantialy altered by tidal dissipation, has been widely assumed to rotate synchronously with its orbital mean motion. Such rotation would require a small permanent asymmetry in the mass distribution in order to overcome the small mean tidal torque. Since Io and Europa may be substantially fluid, they may not have the strength to support the required permanent asymmetry. Thus, each may rotate at the unknown but slightly nonsynchronous rate that corresponds to zero mean tidal torque. This behavior may be observable by Galileo spacecraft imaging. It may help explain the longitudinal variation of volcanism on Io and the cracking of Europa's crust.

Greenberg, R.↗

Dispersion Validation for Flow Involving a Large Structure Revisited: 45 Degree Rotation

The atmospheric dispersion of contaminants in the wake of a large urban structure is a challenging fluid mechanics problem of interest to the scientific and engineering communities. Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry (MRV) and Magnetic Resonance Concentration (MRC) are relatively new techniques that leverage diagnostic equipment used primarily by the medical field to make 3D engineering measurements of flow and contaminant dispersal. SIERRA/Fuego, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code at Sandia National Labs is employed to make detailed comparisons to the dataset to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative accuracy of the model. This work is the second in a series of scenarios. In the prior work, a single large building in an array of similar buildings was considered with the wind perpendicular to a building face. In this work, the geometry is rotated by 45 degrees and improved studies are performed for simulation credibility. The comparison exercise shows conditionally good comparisons between the model and experiment. Model uncertainties are assessed through parametric variations. Various methods of quantifying the accuracy between experiments and data are examined Three-dimensional analysis of accuracy is performed. The effort helped identify deficiencies in the techniques used to make these comparisons, and further methods development therefore becomes one of the main recommendations for follow-on work.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Axisymmetric hybrid Vlasov equilibria with applications to tokamak plasmas

We derive axisymmetric equilibrium equations in the context of the hybrid Vlasov model with kinetic ions and massless fluid electrons, assuming isothermal electrons and deformed Maxwellian distribution functions for the kinetic ions. The equilibrium system comprises a Grad–Shafranov partial differential equation and an integral equation. These equations can be utilized to calculate the equilibrium magnetic field and ion distribution function, respectively, for given particle density or given ion and electron toroidal current density profiles. The resulting solutions describe states characterized by toroidal plasma rotation and toroidal electric current density. Additionally, due to the presence of fluid electrons, these equilibria also exhibit a poloidal current density component. This is in contrast to the fully kinetic Vlasov model, where axisymmetric Jeans equilibria can only accommodate toroidal currents and flows, given the absence of a third integral of the microscopic motion.

Physics↗

Anisotropic gravitational waves from inhomogeneous axion rotation

Gravitational waves (GWs) provide a powerful probe of the early universe due to their ability to free-stream across cosmic history. We study GW production in a compelling scenario where a rotating axion(-like) field becomes relevant for a brief period in the early universe before transitioning into a kination fluid and rapidly dissipating its energy through cosmic expansion. During this short epoch, the curvature perturbation can be predominantly sourced by the rotating axion and may significantly exceed the adiabatic component. Moreover, axion field perturbations grow on superhorizon scales during this phase. These effects can generate a strong stochastic background of induced GWs. This GW background also exhibits a pronounced large-scale anisotropy inherited from the axion fluctuations, serving as a distinctive signature of the scenario. Importantly, the transient nature of axion relevance enables this scenario to evade stringent bounds on large-scale perturbations. We analyze various observational constraints and find that both the amplitude and anisotropy of the resulting GW signal could be accessible to future detectors.

Axions and ALPs↗

Preferential Heating of Oxygen 5+ Ions by Finite-Amplitude Oblique Alfven Waves

Minor ions in the fast solar wind are known to have higher temperatures and to flow faster than protons in the interplanetary space. In this study we combine previous research on parametric instability theory and 2.5D hybrid simulations to study the onset of preferential heating of Oxygen 5+ ions by large-scale finite-amplitude Alfven waves in the collisionless fast solar wind. We consider initially non-drifting isotropic multi-species plasma, consisting of isothermal massless fluid electrons, kinetic protons and kinetic Oxygen 5+ ions. The external energy source for the plasma heating and energization are oblique monochromatic Alfven-cyclotron waves. The waves have been created by rotating the direction of initial parallel pump, which is a solution of the multi-fluid plasma dispersion relation. We consider propagation angles theta less than or equal to 30 deg. The obliquely propagating Alfven pump waves lead to strong diffusion in the ion phase space, resulting in highly anisotropic heavy ion velocity distribution functions and proton beams. We discuss the application of the model to the problems of preferential heating of minor ions in the solar corona and the fast solar wind.

Maneva, Yana G.↗

Review of rotating wing dynamic stall: Experiments and flow control

Dynamic stall has been a technical challenge and a fluid dynamical subject of interest for more than fifty years; but in the last decade significant advances have been made in the understanding, prediction, modeling, and control of dynamic stall on rotors. This paper provides a summary of the state of the art of dynamic stall experiments and future directions in the understanding of dynamic stall on rotors. Experimental data sets are discussed, as well the direction of future research for control of dynamic stall. Coordinated testing between airfoils and rotating blades, as well as close integration between computational and experimental studies were found to be productive approaches. Advanced analysis methods, including statistical methods, modal representations, and artificial intelligence methods have led to significant advances in the understanding of dynamic stall. Investigations of dynamic stall control devices have allowed many useful targeted investigations of the transition to separated flow, but have not yet resulted in a commercially implemented device.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Laboratory and theoretical models of planetary-scale instabilities and waves

Research work is proceeding in theoretical, numerical, and experimental geophysical fluid dynamics leading up to a reflight of the GFFC (Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell Experiment) on USML-2. The work is intended not only to generate ideas for future space experiments, but to provide fundamental results concerned with nonlinear and chaotic properties of thermal convection and baroclinic waves in terrestrial and planetary atmospheres. The major efforts are focussed on thermal convection in a rapidly rotating annulus relevant to Jovian atmospheric dynamics, and on the chaotic behavior of baroclinic waves relevant to the Earth's atmosphere. The approach, in preparation for USML-2, is primarily theoretical and numerical. Mechanistic process models are solved numerically in order to identify physical mechanisms that may be observed in the GFFC, and which are important in real geophysical applications. The results from numerical simulations of geophysical fluid flow (subject to rotation and stratification) are compared with previous GFFC experiments on Spacelab-3 and with existing and proposed terrestrial laboratory experiments of various types. Pattern recognition algorithms have been employed to generate low-dimensional descriptions of the highly nonlinear and turbulent numerical simulations. Such empirically truncated descriptions provide for simplified but robust physical interpretations of the dynamics, as well as yielding highly efficient computations of these chaotic flows.

Hart, John E.↗

High Speed Gear Sized and Configured to Reduce Windage Loss

A gear and drive system utilizing the gear include teeth. Each of the teeth has a first side and a second side opposite the first side that extends from a body of the gear. For each tooth of the gear, a first extended portion is attached to the first side of the tooth to divert flow of fluid adjacent to the body of the gear to reduce windage losses that occur when the gear rotates. The gear may be utilized in drive systems that may have high rotational speeds, such as speeds where the tip velocities are greater than or equal to about 68 m/s. Some embodiments of the gear may also utilize teeth that also have second extended portions attached to the second sides of the teeth to divert flow of fluid adjacent to the body of the gear to reduce windage losses that occur when the gear rotates.

Kunz, Robert F.↗

Behavior of fluids in a weightless environment

Fluid behavior in a low-g environment is controlled primarily by surface tension forces. Certain fluid and system characteristics determine the magnitude of these forces for both a free liquid surface and liquid in contact with a solid. These characteristics, including surface tension, wettability or contact angle, system geometry, and the relationships governing their interaction, are discussed. Various aspects of fluid behavior in a low-g environment are then presented. This includes the formation of static interface shapes, oscillation and rotation of drops, coalescence, the formation of foams, tendency for cavitation, and diffusion in liquids which were observed during the Skylab fluid mechanics science demonstrations. Liquid reorientation and capillary pumping to establish equilibrium configurations for various system geometries, observed during various free-fall (drop-tower) low-g tests, are also presented. Several passive low-g fluid storage and transfer systems are discussed. These systems use surface tension forces to control the liquid/vapor interface and provide gas-free liquid transfer and liquid-free vapor venting.

Fester, D. A.↗

The Vertical Structure of Global Rotational Normal Modes

In a recent study, Lindzen et al. (1984) examined the amplitude and phase evolution of Hough mode projections at 500 mb. The Hough modes represent the simplest normal mode approximation available, and correspond to the neutral eigenfunctions of a shallow water fluid with no mean zonal flow. It was found that when the observed amplitude of a rotational Hough mode was large, it tended to propagate at the phase speed of a normal mode in the presence of mean 500 mb winds, giving a strong indication that normal modes are of relevance to the atmosphere. The vertical structure of the approximately defined rotational normal modes were explored by projecting observed data onto Hough functions at levels other than 500 mb. The stationary and eastward propagating components were filtered out at each level. The evolution of the amplitude in time throughout the troposphere is given for several modes during summer and winter.

Straus, D. M.↗