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At least 847 records · Page 47

Planetary radio waves

Three planets, the earth, Jupiter and Saturn are known to emit nonthermal radio waves which require coherent radiation processes. The characteristic features (frequency spectrum, polarization, occurrence probability, radiation pattern) are discussed. Radiation which is externally controlled by the solar wind is distinguished from internally controlled radiation which only originates from Jupiter. The efficiency of the externally controlled radiation is roughly the same at all three planets (5 x 10 to the -6th) suggesting that similar processes are active there. The maser radiation mechanism for the generation of the radio waves and general requirements for the mechanism which couples the power generator to the region where the radio waves are generated are briefly discussed.

Goertz, C. K.↗

The cutoff frequency for fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic waves in an isothermal atmosphere with a uniform horizontal magnetic field

This study analytically examines conditions for reflection of MHD fast-mode waves propagating upward in an isothermal atmosphere. A new method of transforming the linearized wave equation into Klein-Gordon form is utilized to calculate a local cutoff (critical) frequency for these waves. This critical frequency determines the height in the atmosphere at which reflection dominates and above which wave propagation is effectively cut off. Comparison of our results to those previously obtained shows that earlier calculations of the critical frequency for MHD fast mode waves were done incorrectly. The results may be helpful in explaining the short-period end of the spectrum of the solar global p-mode oscillations. They may also be important in studies of wave propagation and wave trapping in highly magnetized stellar atmospheres.

Stark, B. A.↗

Turbulence in the solar wind: Kinetic effects

Although a casual look at the fluctuating magnetic and velocity fields in the solar wind may be reminiscent of a chaotic and disordered flow, there is, nonetheless. considerable organization and structure in the temporal and spatial evolution of those fluctuations. Much of that evolution is controlled by processes operating on rather large scales for example, in the inner heliosphere, the fluctuations in magnetic and velocity are highly correlated in the sense of outward propagating Alfven waves. This correlation can be destroyed both in time and distance by the velocity gradients present between fast and slow streams and by other nonlinear processes which stir the medium, producing a turbulent cascade of energy from large to small scales. Many aspects of this turbulent evolution can be described using fluid models; however, at some scale the fluid approximation breaks down and a more detailed paradigm is necessary. The breakdown is evident in the power spectrum of magnetic fluctuations at scales approaching the wavelength of ion cyclotron waves. At those scales, as evident in Mariner 10 and other magnetometer data, the spectrum bends over and the fluctuations damp, possibly heating the ambient plasma. Some evidence for heating of the solar wind is present in the Voyager data. Fluid models can be modified to some extent to incorporate aspects of a kinetic treatment. This is done by modifying the dissipation terms in the fluid equations and by including extra terms, such as the Hall term. As the scale lengths of phenomena shrink further and approach the spatial and temporal scales characteristic of electron phenomena, the fluid description must be abandoned altogether and a fully kinetic treatment is required. One example is the generation of Langmuir solitons produced by the electron beams that generate type 3 solar radio bursts.

Goldstein, M. L.↗

Construction of Solar-Wind-Like Magnetic Fields

Fluctuations in the solar wind fields tend to not only have velocities and magnetic fields correlated in the sense consistent with Alfven waves traveling from the Sun, but they also have the magnitude of the magnetic field remarkably constant despite their being broadband. This paper provides, for the first time, a method for constructing fields with nearly constant magnetic field, zero divergence, and with any specified power spectrum for the fluctuations of the components of the field. Every wave vector, k, is associated with two polarizations the relative phases of these can be chosen to minimize the variance of the field magnitude while retaining the\random character of the fields. The method is applied to a case with one spatial coordinate that demonstrates good agreement with observed time series and power spectra of the magnetic field in the solar wind, as well as with the distribution of the angles of rapid changes (discontinuities), thus showing a deep connection between two seemingly unrelated issues. It is suggested that using this construction will lead to more realistic simulations of solar wind turbulence and of the propagation of energetic particles.

Roberts, Dana Aaron↗

Nearly incompressible magnetohydrodynamics at low Mach number

The relationship between compressible and incompressible MHD turbulence at low plasma-frame acoustic Mach numbers is investigated analytically, with a focus on the range of validity of the pseudosound model proposed by Lighthill (1952). The derivation and asymptotic analysis procedures are explained in detail, and consideration is given to the role of number-density fluctuations and Alfven waves in the nearly incompressible model at low Mach numbers. The results are shown to be consistent with the turbulent-density spectrum theory of Montgomery et al. (1987) and applicable to solar-wind Alfven-wave turbulence.

Matthaeus, William H.↗

Semiannual Status Report

During the last six months, we have continued our study of the excitation of electromagnetic waves in the whistler frequency range and the role that these waves will play in the acceleration of electrons and ions in the auroral region. A paper entitled 'Electron Beam Excitation of Upstream Waves in the Whistler Mode Frequency Range' was listed in the Journal of Geophysical Research. In this paper, we have shown that an anisotropic electron beam (or gyrating electron beam) is capable of generating both left-hand and right-hand polarized electromagnetic waves in the whistler frequency range. Since right-hand polarized electromagnetic waves can interact with background electrons and left-hand polarized waves can interact with background ions through cyclotron resonance, it is possible that these beam generated left-hand and right-hand polarized electromagnetic waves can accelerate either ions or electrons (or both), depending on the physical parameters under consideration. We are currently carrying out a comprehensive study of the electromagnetic whistler and lower hybrid like waves observed in the auroral zone using both wave and particle data. Our first task is to identify these wave modes and compare it with particle observations. Using both the DE-1 particle and wave measurements, we can positively identify those electromagnetics lower hybrid like waves as fast magnetosonic waves and the upper cutoff of these waves is the local lower hybrid frequency. From the upper cutoff of the frequency spectrum, one can infer the particle density and the result is in very good agreement with the particle data. Since these electromagnetic lower hybrid like waves can have frequencies extended down to the local ion cyclotron frequency, it practically confirms that they are not whistler waves.

Source record↗

Singular value decomposition and similarity renormalization group evolution of nuclear interactions

One of the main challenges for ab initio nuclear many-body theory is the growth of computational and storage costs as calculations are extended to heavy, exotic, and structurally complex nuclei. Here, we investigate the factorization of nuclear interactions as a means to address this issue. We perform Singular Value Decompositions of nucleon-nucleon interactions in partial wave representation and study the dependence of the singular value spectrum on interaction characteristics like regularization scheme and resolution scales. We develop and implement the Similarity Renormalization Group (SRG) evolution of the factorized interaction, and demonstrate that this SVD-SRG approach accurately preserves two-nucleon observables. We find that low-resolution interactions allow the truncation of the SVD at low rank, and that a small number of relevant components is sufficient to capture the nuclear interaction and perform an accurate SRG evolution, while the Coulomb interaction requires special consideration. The rank is uniform across all partial waves, and almost independent of the basis choice in the tested cases. This suggests an interpretation of the relevant singular components as mere representations of a small set of abstract operators that can describe the interaction and its SRG flow. Following the traditional workflow for nuclear interactions, we discuss how the transformation between the center-of-mass and laboratory frames creates redundant copies of the partial wave components when implemented in matrix representation, and we discuss strategies for mitigation. Lastly, we test the low-rank approximation to the SRG-evolved interactions in many-body calculations using the In-Medium SRG. By including nuclear radii in our analysis, we verify that the implementation of the SRG using the singular vectors of the interaction does not spoil the evolution of other observables.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Effective bias expansion for 21-cm cosmology in redshift space

A near-future detection of the 21-cm signal from the epoch of reionization will provide unique opportunities to probe the underlying cosmology, provided that such cosmological information can be extracted with precision. To this end, we further develop effective field theory (EFT) inspired techniques for the 21-cm brightness temperature field during the epoch of reionization, incorporating renormalized bias and a treatment of redshift space distortions. Notably, we confirm that in redshift space, measures of the 21-cm brightness, e.g., the power spectrum, should have irreducible contributions that lack a bias coefficient and therefore contain direct, astrophysics-free information about the cosmological density field; in this work, we study this effect beyond linear order. To validate our theoretical treatment, we fit the predicted EFT Fourier-space shapes to the thesan suite of hydrodynamical simulations of reionization at the field level, where the considerable number of modes prevents overfitting. We find agreement at the level of a few percent between the 21-cm power spectrum from the EFT fits and simulations over the wave number range k ≲ 0.8 h/Mpc and neutral fraction x HI ≳ 0.4, which is imminently measurable by the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array and future experiments. Furthermore, the ability of the EFT to describe the 21-cm signal extends to simulations that have different astrophysical prescriptions for reionization as well as simulations with interacting dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Double band inversion in the topological phase transition of Ge 1-x Sn x alloys

Abstract We use first-principles simulation and alchemical mixing approximation to reveal the unique double band inversion and topological phase transition in Ge Sn alloys. Wave function parity, spatial charge distribution and surface state spectrum analyses suggest that the band inversion in Ge Sn is relayed by its first valence band. As the system evolves from Ge to -Sn, its conduction band moves down, and inverts with the first and the second valence bands consecutively. The first band inversion makes the system nontrivial, while the second one does not change the topological invariant of the system. Both of the band inversions yield surface modes spanning the individual inverted gaps, but only the surface mode in the upper gap associates with the nontrivial nature of tensile-strained -Sn.

Physics↗

Orbit response measurements with oscillating trajectories

Optical properties of components in a linac can be reconstructed from analysis of the orbit response matrix, composed from responses of BPMs to changes in currents of dipole correctors. An efficient way to record such response, discussed in this note, is to excite the corrector current with a sine wave and record its Fourier component of the BPM spectrum. Because of a narrow band of the excitation signal, response to multiple correctors can be recorded at the same time without significantly affecting the signal-to-noise ratio. For that, the correctors are oscillated at different frequencies, and the corresponding BPM Fourier components are recorded. In an ion (non-relativistic) linac, similar measurements can be performed for the longitudinal plane as well. Examples of measurements at the PIP2IT test linac are shown.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Vibration and aerodynamic buckling experiments for blunt truncated conical shells with ring-supported edges

The vibration and buckling characteristics of a series of 140 deg ring-supported conical shells have been investigated experimentally and analytically. Experimental results were obtained from 14 conical shells, each attached to a solid nose cap at the small end. The large (base) end was either free or attached to a solid ring of rectangular cross section. The size of the solid base rings of rectangular cross section was systematically varied to provide a wide range of edge restraint. Shell buckling was induced by aerodynamic loading at a Mach number of 3; the vibration data were obtained prior to the wind tunnel tests. The experimental vibration data indicated that the size of the base rings had a pronounced effect on the magnitude of the frequencies and on the frequency spectrum. For vibration modes having less than two circumferential waves, the frequencies descreased with increasing ring size; whereas, for modes with several circumferential waves, the frequencies initially increased rapidly with ring size and then became relatively insensitive to further increases in ring size. This latter behavior was similar to the trend exhibited by the variation of buckling pressure with ring size. The experimental results were in excellent qualitative agreement with theoretical results and indicated that current shell-of-revolution analyses are adequate for predicting the vibration and buckling behavior of ring-supported shells, at least for the simple isotropic shells considered in this investigation.

Miserentino, R.↗

Upstream hydromagnetic waves and their association with backstreaming ion populations - ISEE 1 and 2 observations

Measurements from the Lepedea plasma instruments and the flux gate magnetometers on ISEE 1 and 2 are used to examine the nature of the hydromagnetic waves associated with the various classes of ions backstreaming from the earth's bow shock. The reflected ions, which are confined to a narrow energy and angular range, are accompanied by small amplitude (less than approximately 1/2 gamma peak to peak) left-handed waves at frequencies close to 1 Hz in the spacecraft frame. Diffuse backstreaming particles with a broad energy spectrum are associated with low frequency (approximately 30-s period), large amplitude (approximately 5 gamma peak to peak) waves. Intermediate particles are associated with a mixture of these two wave types. Often the waves associated with the diffuse beams steepen as if they were minishocks. The leading edge (trailing edge in the spacecraft frame) frequently appears to break up into a whistler mode wave packet. These discrete wave packets are right-hand polarized and have frequencies from below the proton gyrofrequency to well above it in the plasma frame and are blown back towards the earth by the solar wind.

Hoppe, M. M.↗

Spacelab-1: An early space station for science and technology

The scientific capabilities of the Spacelab manned pallet are reviewed, together with the implications of an expansion of the research effectiveness with a free-flying platform. The premier Spacelab flight will carry out earth observations with a metric camera and SAR, atmospheric studies will be performed with imaging spectrometers, and space plasma physics will be examined by injecting particle beams or VLF waves into the near-Shuttle environment. Radiance and spectrum data will be gathered of the sun and UV and X ray information will be recorded from the stars. Experimentation will also be carried out for on-board crystal growth, metallurgy, and glassy material production, as well as the response of biological systems to zero-g conditions and hard space radiation. The telemetry, time, crewmember participation, and on-board controls required for Spacelab operations are outlined. Missions for a space platform for studying the atmosphere/space interface are described.

Knott, K.↗

A Concept for the Processing and Display of Thematic Mapper Data

Multispectral information can best be accessed and evaluated through digital interactive image processing techniques. The potential user community, however, has not reached the level where image processing is being used routinely as a standard tool. Therefore, for the time being, special effort must be put into development of strategies that will guarantee optimal utilization of the spectral information contained in remote sensing data acquired under the varying conditions affecting each scene. The Thematic Mapper system provides spectral information in seven carefully selected spectral bands, covering the visible, near IR, short-wave IR and thermal IR region of the electromagntic spectrum. The challenge is to devise the best approach for presenting this complex spectral information in a pictorial format which can be understood and accepted as a standard by the growing user community.

Haydn, R.↗

Optical spectroscopy of the filamentary halo that surrounds HD 148937 and NGC 6164-65

Optical spectra have been obtained for the recently-discovered faint filamentary halo that surrounds both the extremely young star HD 148937 and the peculiar S-shaped nebula NGC 6164-65. This halo, interpreted to be a wind-generated interstellar bubble, has a spectrum which appears to result from both shock-wave heating and photoionization.

Fairall, A. P.↗

On the space-time characteristics of wall-pressure fluctuations

A database obtained by direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow was used to compute the three-dimensional frequency/wave-number spectrum of wall-pressure fluctuations. The spectrum was used to deduce scaling laws for pressure fluctuations and to evaluate the similarity form for the power spectrum. The convection velocity as a function of frequency, wave number, and spatial and temporal separations was calculated and compared with the experimental data. The problem of artificial 'acoustics' in numerical simulation of incompressible flows is discussed.

Choi, Haecheon↗

Radio and optical emission: Spectral shapes and breaks in GRB

Relativistic blast wave models of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) predict the spectrum of the emitted synchrotron radiation. The electrons in the shocked region are heated to a Wien distribution whose 'temperature' is 1/3 of the mean electron energy. This energy determines a characteristic (break) frequency of synchrotron radiation. At much lower frequencies, a spectrum F(sub nu) varies as nu(sup 1/3) is predicted independently of the details of the emitting region. This is consistent with the observed soft x ray emission of GRB. It implies low visible and radio intensities, unless there are collective emission processes.

Katz, J. I.↗