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At least 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Correlations between energy and $\gamma$-ray emission in 239 Pu($n, f$)

Here, we study $\gamma$-ray emission following $^{239}\mathrm{Pu}(n,\mathrm{f})$ over an incident neutron energy range of $2 < E_i < 40$ MeV. We present the first experimental evidence for positive correlations between the total angular momentum generated in fission and the excitation energy of the compound nucleus prior to fission. The $\gamma$-ray multiplicity increases linearly with incident energy below the 2\textsuperscript{nd}-chance fission threshold with a slope of $0.085 \pm 0.010$~MeV$^{-1}$. This linear trend appears to hold for the average excitation energy of the compound nucleus between $9 < \langle E_x \rangle < 19$ MeV. Most of the multiplicity increase comes from an enhancement around a $\gamma$-ray energy of 0.7 MeV, which we interpret as stretched quadrupole $\gamma$ rays that indicate an increase in total fission-fragment angular momentum with excitation energy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1981

Monitoring tropical cyclone intensity using wind fields derived from short-interval satellite images

Rapid scan visible images from the Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer sensor on board SMS-2 and GOES-1 were used to derive high resolution upper and lower tropospheric environmental wind fields around three western Atlantic tropical cyclones (1975-78). These wind fields were used to derive upper and lower tropospheric areal mean relative vorticity and their differences, the net relative angular momentum balance and upper tropospheric mass outflow. These kinematic parameters were shown by studies using composite rawinsonde data to be strongly related to tropical cyclone formation and intensity changes. Also, the role of forced synoptic scale subsidence in tropical cyclone formation was examined. The studies showed that satellite-derived lower and upper tropospheric wind fields can be used to monitor and possibly predict tropical cyclone formation and intensity changes. These kinematic analyses showed that future changes in tropical cyclone intensity are mainly related to the "spin-up" of the storms by the net horizontal transport of relative angular momentum caused by convergence of cyclonic vorticity in the lower troposphere and to a lesser extent the divergence of anticyclone vorticity in the upper troposphere.

Rodgers, E. B.↗
DOE OSTI2022

3D magnetic imaging using electron vortex beam microscopy

Abstract Electron vortex beams are free-electron waves that carry orbital angular momentum. There has been growing theoretical and experimental interest in the use of electron vortex beams as a tool for the investigation of magnetic materials. However, due to the complex wavefront of the propagating waves, a deeper understanding of the interaction of electron vortex beams and the magnetic sample is needed. Here we calculate the magnetic phase shift that an electron vortex beam obtains upon transmitting through a magnetic sample. We show that this magnetic phase shift is influenced by the out-of-plane magnetization, which is a unique characteristic of incident electron vortex beams and is proportional to their orbital angular momentum. Finally, we develop a phase retrieval methodology to retrieve the out-of-plane component of magnetization. Based on our theory, we discuss suitable experimental conditions that would enable this imaging capability for magnetic materials and further extend to non-magnetic chiral materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1991

Two-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations of the nonlinear development of the Goldreich-Schubert-Fricke instability in a rotating annulus

Two-dimensional nonlinear hydrodynamic calculations are presented which may help assess the effectiveness of the instability in transporting angular momentum in the equatorial zones of stars and planets which are stably stratified with respect to convection. The calculations were made by numerically integrating the 2D axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations, including viscosity and heat conduction. The instability was followed into the nonlinear regime. The maximum rms velocity amplitude was found to correlate well with the product of the linear growth rate and radial length scale of the instability, consistent with the idea that the instability grows to an amplitude such that an eddy turnover time becomes equal to the growth time defined by the inverse of the growth rate. The time scale for angular momentum to be redistributed to a state of marginal stability was consistent with this picture. The results suggest that in physical situations a state of marginal stability will be maintained, since departures from such a state will be rapidly corrected.

Korycansky, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Study of Analytic Statistical Model for Decay of Light and Medium Mass Nuclei in Nuclear Fragmentation

The angular momentum independent statistical decay model is often applied using a Monte-Carlo simulation to describe the decay of prefragment nuclei in heavy ion reactions. This paper presents an analytical approach to the decay problem of nuclei with mass number less than 60, which is important for galactic cosmic ray (GCR) studies. This decay problem of nuclei with mass number less than 60 incorporates well-known levels of the lightest nuclei (A less than 11) to improve convergence and accuracy. A sensitivity study of the model level density function is used to determine the impact on mass and charge distributions in nuclear fragmentation. This angular momentum independent statistical decay model also describes the momentum and energy distribution of emitted particles (n, p, d, t, h, and a) from a prefragment nucleus.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

An accreting black hole model for Sagittarius A(*). 2: A detailed study

Sgr A(*) is a unique, compact radio source at the Galactic center whose characteristics suggest that it may be a massive (i.e., approximately 10(exp 6) solar mass) black hole accreting from an ambient wind in that region. Earlier (simplified) calculations suggested that its 10(exp 8) - 10(exp 20) Hz spectrum could be derived from bremsstrahlung and magnetic bremsstrahlung emission from plasma descending toward the event horizon at a rate of roughly 10(exp 22) g/s. Here, we introduce several significant improvements to the model, including (1) an exact treatment of the cyclotron/synchrotron emissivity that is valid for all temperatures, (2) the actual determination of the temperature distribution in the inflow, and (3) the effect on the spectrum should the accreting plasma have a residual angular momentum, possibly forming a disk at small radii. We find that the most likely value of the mass in this improved model is approximately equals 2 +/- 1 x 10(exp 6) solar mass, close to the range inferred earlier, but about a factor of 2 greater than the previous 'best-fit' number. The main reason for this difference is that the more realistic (new) formulation of the magnetic bremsstrahlung emissivity has fluctuations with frequency that decrease the overall line-of-sight intensity, thereby pointing to a slightly larger mass in order to account for the observed spectrum. We also find that a slight excess of angular momentum in the accreting gas may be necessary in order to account for the IR luminosity from this source. Such an excess is consistent with the results of ongoing three-dimensional simulations that will be reported elsewhere.

Melia, Fulvio↗
NASA NTRS1994

Double-core evolution. 5: Three-dimensional effects in the merger of a red giant with a dwarf companion

The evolution of the common envelope phase of a binary system consisting of a 4.67 solar mass red giant and a 0.94 solar mass dwarf is studied using smoothed particle hydrodynamics. We demonstrate that the three-dimensional effects associated with the gravitational tidal torques lead to a rapid decay of the orbit on timescales approximately less than 1 yr. The relative orbit of the two cores in the common envelope is initally eccentric and tends to circularize as the orbital separation of the two cores decreases. The angular momentum lost from the orbital motion is distributed throughout the common envelope, and the double core does not evolve to a state of co-rotation for the evolutionary time followed. The energy dissipated from the relative orbit and deposited in the common envelope results in the ejection of approximately 13% of the mass of the envelope. The mass is ejected in all directions, but there is a preference for mass ejection in the orbital plane of the binary system. For example, approximately 80% of the ejected mass lies within 30 deg of the binary orbital plane. Because gravitational forces are long range, most of the energy and angular momentum is imparted to a small fraction of the common envelope resulting in an efficiency of the mass ejection process of approximately 15%. The core of the red giant executes significant displacement with respect to the center of mass of the system and contributes nearly equally to the total energy dissipation rate during the latter phases of the evolution. The degree of departure from synchronism of the initial binary system can be an important property of the system which can affect the outcome of the common envelope phase.

Terman, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Single particle momentum and angular distributions in hadron-hadron collisions at ultrahigh energies

The forward-backward charged multiplicity distribution (P n sub F, n sub B) of events in the 540 GeV antiproton-proton collider has been extensively studied by the UA5 Collaboration. It was pointed out that the distribution with respect to n = n sub F + n sub B satisfies approximate KNO scaling and that with respect to Z = n sub F - n sub B is binomial. The geometrical model of hadron-hadron collision interprets the large multiplicity fluctuation as due to the widely different nature of collisions at different impact parameters b. For a single impact parameter b, the collision in the geometrical model should exhibit stochastic behavior. This separation of the stochastic and nonstochastic (KNO) aspects of multiparticle production processes gives conceptually a lucid and attractive picture of such collisions, leading to the concept of partition temperature T sub p and the single particle momentum spectrum to be discussed in detail.

Chou, T. T.↗
NASA NTRS2020

On the Maximum Stellar Rotation to Form a Black Hole without an Accompanying Luminous Transient

The collapse of a massive star with low angular momentum content is commonly argued to result in the formation of a black hole without an accompanying bright transient. Our goal in this Letter is to understand the flow in and around a newly-formed black hole, involving accretion and rotation, via general relativistic hydrodynamics simulations aimed at studying the conditions under which infalling material can accrete without forming a centrifugally supported structure and, as a result, generate no effective feedback. If the feedback from the black hole is, on the other hand, significant, the collapse would be halted and we suggest that the event is likely to be followed by a bright transient. We find that feedback is only efficient if the specific angular momentum of the infalling material at the innermost stable circular orbit exceeds that of geodesic circular flow at that radius by at least≈20%. We use the results of our simulations to constrain the maximal stellar rotation rates of the disappearing massive progenitors PHL293B-LBV and N6946-BH1, and to provide an estimate of the overall rate of disappearing massive stars. We find that about a few percent of single O-type stars with measured rotational velocities are expected to spin below the critical value before collapse and are thus predicted to vanish without a trace.

Scott C Noble↗
DOE OSTI2022

Decorrelation of participant and spectator angular momenta in heavy-ion collisions

High-energy heavy-ion collisions contain enormous angular momentum, |$\vec{𝐽}$|, which is 𝑂⁡(10 3 –10 6 ⁢ℏ) in the range of collision energy, $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$, spanned experimentally by the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Here, a fraction of $\vec{𝐽}$ is transferred to the overlapping collision region, which is indispensable for measuring observables such as vorticity-driven hadron spin alignment with $\hat{𝐽}$. Experiments estimate the orientation of $\hat{𝐽}$ of the participant nucleons within the collision overlap region, $\hat{𝐽}$ part , by using that of the forward- and backward-going spectating nucleons $\hat{𝐽}$ spec . Using two models, we study the decorrelation between $\hat{𝐽}$ part and $\hat{𝐽}$ spec , driven both by angular-momentum conservation and event-by-event fluctuations, as well as by the decorrelation between the orientation of the elliptic overlap region and the $\hat{𝐽}$ part . $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$-dependent decorrelation is observed in both of these cases and is large enough to be an important corrective factor used when experimentally observing phenomena driven by $\vec{𝐽}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dynamics in Star-forming Cores (DiSCo): project overview and the first look towards the B1 and NGC 1333 regions in Perseus

The internal velocity structure within dense gaseous cores plays a crucial role in providing the initial conditions for star formation in molecular clouds. However, the kinematic properties of dense gas at core scales (~0.01–0.1 pc) has not been extensively characterized because of instrument limitations until the unique capabilities of GBT-Argus became available. The ongoing GBT-Argus Large Program, Dynamics in Star-forming Cores (DiSCo) thus aims to investigate the origin and distribution of angular momentum of star-forming cores. DiSCo will survey all starless cores and Class 0 protostellar cores in the Perseus molecular complex down to ~0.01 pc scales with <0.05 km s –1 velocity resolution using the dense gas tracer N 2 H + . Here, we present the first data sets from DiSCo towards the B1 and NGC 1333 regions in Perseus. Our results suggest that a dense core’s internal velocity structure has little correlation with other core-scale properties, indicating these gas motions may be originated externally from cloud-scale turbulence. These first data sets also reaffirm the ability of GBT-Argus for studying dense core velocity structure and provided an empirical basis for future studies that address the angular momentum problem with a statistically broad sample.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Global Simulations of Gravitational Instability in Protostellar Disks with Full Radiation Transport. II. Locality of Gravitoturbulence, Clumpy Spirals, and Implications for Observable Substructure

Spiral perturbations in a gravitationally unstable accretion disk regulate disk evolution through angular momentum transport and heating and provide an observational signature of gravitational instability (GI). We use global 3D simulations to systematically characterize and understand these spiral perturbations. The spiral perturbations and the resulting transport are overall insensitive to the cooling type, with the exception that radiative cooling, especially in the optically thick regime, reduces the amplitude of temperature perturbations. Spiral perturbations are localized around corotation, allowing transport to be approximated by a local α viscosity to zeroth order in aspect ratio (H/R), but only after averaging over multiple orbits in time and/or multiple scale heights in space. Meanwhile, large-amplitude perturbations from strong gravitoturbulence can cause $\mathcal{O}$(α 1/2 ) deviation in the cooling rate of the disk. We develop empirical prescriptions for the angular momentum transport, heating, and cooling in a gravitoturbulent disk that capture the deviation from a viscous, unperturbed disk to first order in H/R and α 1/2 . The spiral perturbations in saturated gravitoturbulence are clumpy, with dense clumps forming through the nonlinear coupling between multiple modes at different m. Observationally, the clumpy gravitoturbulence produced by saturated GI can be mistaken with observational noise or embedded companions, especially under finite resolution. Meanwhile, grand-design spirals with m-fold symmetry may be uncommon among disks in saturated gravitoturbulence, and we speculate that they may instead be a signature of recently triggered or decaying GI.

Gravitational instability↗
NASA NTRS1998

Lunar and Solar Torques on the Oceanic Tides

A general framework for calculating lunar and solar torques on the oceanic tides is developed in terms of harmonic constituents. Axial torques and their associated angular momentum and earth-rotation variations are deduced from recent satellite-altimeter and satellite-tracking tide solutions. Torques on the prograde components of the tide produce the familiar secular braking of the rotation rate. The estimated secular acceleration is approximately -1300 sec/century(sup 2) (less 4% after including atmospheric tides); the implied rate of change in the length of day is 2.28 milliseconds/century. Torques on the retrograde components of the tide produce periodic rotation variations at twice the tidal frequency. Interaction torques, e.g. solar torques on lunar tides, generate a large suite of rotation-rate variations at sums and differences of the original tidal frequencies. These are estimated for periods from 18.6 years to quarter-diurnal. At subdaily periods the angular momentum variations are 5 to 6 orders of magnitude smaller than the variations caused by ocean tidal currents.

Ray, Richard D.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ferrimagnetic spin waves in honeycomb and triangular layers of Mn{sub 3}Si{sub 2}Te{sub 6}.

A detailed analysis of the ferrimagnetic ground state of Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 has been performed using inelastic neutron scattering. Although the proposed valence of the nominal Mn 2+ ions would have quenched orbital angular momentum, a significant exchange anisotropy exists in Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 . This apparent exchange anisotropy is a manifestation of a weak spin-orbit coupling in the layered material. We employ a detailed simulation of the spin-wave spectrum coupling traditional refinement of dispersion parameters to image analysis techniques, while including Monte Carlo simulations of the instrumental resolution to accurately identify the exchange couplings to the third nearest neighbor. An independent validation of our results is made by comparing our final Hamiltonian to heat capacity measurements.

Sala, G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

MnBi 2 Is a Permanent Magnet

Creating and understanding new permanent magnets requires an understanding of the impact of orbital angular momentum on coercivity. A simple approach to interrogating this relationship is by incorporating high Z (where Z is the atomic number) elements into binary compounds to maximize spin–orbit coupling. The Mn–Bi system is an appealing platform for these studies since it contains MnBi, a permanent magnet with a large coercive field. We previously identified a new compound in the Mn–Bi system, MnBi 2 , but could not elucidate its magnetic properties ex situ due to its decomposition upon decompression. Here, we harnessed synchrotron X-ray magnetic circular dichroism to probe the magnetism of MnBi 2 at high pressure within a diamond anvil cell. Our results indicate that MnBi 2 exhibits ferromagnetic hysteresis at both 10 K and room temperature. Through calculations and experiments, we show that orbital angular momentum and spin–orbit coupling from Bi impart magnetic anisotropy in MnBi 2 . Comparing the Mn–Bi family of compounds, we consider the Bi p and d orbitals to explain the differences in magnetic behavior within the system. Collectively, these results validate leveraging high-Z elements in the synthesis of new hard permanent magnets.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Milky Way and M31 orbital history: did the Local Group evolve in isolation?

ABSTRACT We use new measurements of the M31 proper motion to examine the Milky Way (MW) – M31 orbit and angular momentum. For Local Group (LG) mass consistent with measured values, and assuming the system evolves in isolation, we show a wide range of orbits is possible. We compare to a sample of LG-like systems in the Illustris simulation, and find that ∼13 per cent of these pairs have undergone a pericentric passage. Using the simulated sample, we examine how accurately an isolated, two-body model describes the MW–M31 orbit, and show that ∼10 per cent of the analogues in the simulation are well-modelled by such an orbit. Systems that evolve in isolation by this definition are found to have a lower rate of major mergers, and in particular have no major mergers since $z \approx 0.3$. For all systems, we find an increase in the orbital angular momentum which is fairly independent of the merger rate, and is possibly explained by the influence of tidal torques on the LG. Given the likely quiet recent major merger history of the MW, it is plausible that the isolated two-body model appropriately describes the orbit, though recent evidence for a major merger in M31 may complicate this interpretation.

Hartl, Odelia V. (ORCID:0000000202379726)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantum Spin Torque Driven Transmutation of an Antiferromagnetic Mott Insulator

The basic model of spin-transfer torque (STT) in antiferromagnetic spintronics considers the exchange of angular momentum between quantum spins of flowing electrons and noncollinear-to-them localized spins treated as classical vectors. These vectors are assumed to realize Néel order in equilibrium, ↑ ↓ ∙∙∙ ↑ ↓, and their STT-driven dynamics is described by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation. However, many experimentally employed materials (such as archetypal NiO) are strongly electron-correlated antiferromagnetic Mott insulators (AFMIs) whose localized spins form a ground state quite different from the unentangled Néel state | ↑ ↓ ∙∙∙ ↑ ↓$\rangle$. The true ground state is entangled by quantum spin fluctuations, leading to the expectation value of all localized spins being zero, so that LLG dynamics of classical vectors of fixed length rotating due to STT cannot even be initiated. Instead, a fully quantum treatment of both conduction electrons and localized spins is necessary to capture the exchange of spin angular momentum between them, denoted as quantum STT. We use a recently developed time-dependent density matrix renormalization group approach to quantum STT to predict how injection of a spin-polarized current pulse into a normal metal layer coupled to an AFMI overlayer via exchange interaction and possibly small interlayer hopping—mimicking, e.g., topological-insulator/NiO bilayer employed experimentally—will induce a nonzero expectation value of AFMI localized spins. This new nonequilibrium phase is a spatially inhomogeneous ferromagnet with a zigzag profile of localized spins. The total spin absorbed by AFMI increases with electron-electron repulsion in AFMIs, as well as when the two layers do not exchange any charge.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1995

The formation of protostellar disks. 2: Disks around intermediate-mass stars

Hydrodynamical calculations of the evolution of a collapsing, rotating axisymmetric 10 solar masses molecular clump, including the effects of radiative acceleration but without magnetic fields, are represented. The initial cloud is assumed to be uniformly rotating, centrally condensed sphere with rho is proportional to r(exp -2). Several cases are considered, in which both the overall clump size and the total amount of angular momentum are varied. The calculations show how a warm, quasi-hydrostatic disk surrounding a central unresolved core of only a few solar masses forms and grows in size and mass. The disk is encased in two distinct accretion shock fronts, both of which are several scale heights above the equatorial plane. At the end of the calculation of our standard case, the central unresolved region is found to have a mass of 2.7 solar masses and a ratio of rotational to gravitational energy of approximately 0.45, sufficiently large to be unstable to nonaxisymmetric perturbations. In addition, the inner portions of the disk containing most of the mass are unstable according to the local Toomre criterion, implying that also in this region nonaxisymmetric perturbations will lead to rapid evolution. Under the assumption that gravitational torques would transport angular momentum out of this region, a central core of less than or approximately 8 solar masses with a stable disk of greater than or approximately = 2 solar masses should result. Frequency-dependent radiative transfer calculations of the standard case at selected ages show how the continuum spectrum of the structure depends on the disk's orientation and age and how the observed isophotal contours vary with wavelength. Because of the strong dependence on viewing angle, continuum spectra alone should not be used to estimate the evolutionary stage of development of these objects. Comparable results were obtained for the other cases considered.

Yorke, Harold W.↗