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At least 1,207 records · Page 67
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NASA NTRS1991

Periodic response of multi-disk rotors with bearing clearances

The forced steady state response of a multi-disk rotor system involving a clearance at one of the bearings is determined by using a harmonic balance approach. The impedance method is applied to each of the harmonic steady state components in order to reduce the system to its displacement at the nonlinear bearing support. The results reveal the interrelated roles of the bearing clearance, mass eccentricity and side force in producing dangerous subharmonics. The significant effects of the strong nonlinearity of a bearing clearance are studied as related to the various system parameters. The results show that the approach developed in this study is computationally superior to numerical integration methods in analyzing multi-disk rotor systems with strong nonlinearity.

Kim, Y. B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Evolution of the luminosity function of quasar accretion disks

Using an accretion-disk model, accretion disk luminosities are calculated for a grid of black hole masses and accretion rates. It is shown that, as the black-hole mass increases with time, the monochromatic luminosity at a given frequency first increases and then decreases rapidly as this frequency is crossed by the Wien cutoff. The upper limit on the monochromatic luminosity, which is characteristic for a given epoch, constrains the evolution of quasar luminosities and determines the evolultion of the quasar luminosity function.

Caditz, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Scattering-induced optical polarization in thick accretion disks

A general formalism for calculating the linear polarization induced by scattering within the central funnel of a thick accretion disk is presented, and it is shown that multiple photon reflections off the funnel walls can produce polarization values of up to about 10 percent, with the polarization position angle aligned parallel to the disk symmetry axis. It is suggested that this process is responsible for the observed optical polarization levels in X-ray-selected BL Lac objects (XBLs), which generally show linear polarization percentages P less than about 10 percent. According to this interpretation, XBLs with high optical polarization are viewed at an angle of less than about 60 deg to the funnel axis and their projected polarization vectors should be preferentially aligned with the associated radio jets. The possible relevance of this model to Seyfer 1 galaxies and quasars is also discussed.

Kartje, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Transient scattering analysis for a circular disk

The backscattered fields of a perfectly conducting circular disk are analyzed from a transient signature viewpoint. The significant dominant scattering mechanisms are identified for both principal polarizations at a variety of angles. Particular attention is given to the edge wave. The backscattered field behavior due to an incident plane wave on a perfectly conducting disk is presented. Good agreement was obtained between the eigenfunction and geometric theory of diffraction solutions. The expected mechanisms from first-, second-, and third-order diffractions with an accurate edge wave representation are demonstrated through the use of transient signatures. The most significant error in the geometric theory of diffraction (GTD) solution occurs in time where the nonprincipal plane double diffraction term exists.

Dominek, Allen K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Theory of accretion disk coronae

Accretion disk coronae are likely to be the dominant site for X-ray absorption and reprocessed emission in low mass X-ray binaries, and may be present in other classes of compact X-ray sources such as active galactic nuclei and cataclysmic variables. In spite of this fact, and in spite of the observational evidence for their existence, there remain many uncertainties about the structure of accretion disk coronae. This paper will discuss the coronal structure and dynamics, their X-ray spectral signatures including coupling to the variability behavior of compact X-ray sources, and the major unsolved theoretical issues surrounding them.

Kallman, T. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The gamma ray continuum spectrum from the galactic center disk and point sources

A light curve of gamma-ray continuum emission from point sources in the galactic center region is generated from balloon and satellite observations made over the past 25 years. The emphasis is on the wide field-of-view instruments which measure the combined flux from all sources within approximately 20 degrees of the center. These data have not been previously used for point-source analyses because of the unknown contribution from diffuse disk emission. In this study, the galactic disk component is estimated from observations made by the Gamma Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS) instrument in Oct. 1988. Surprisingly, there are several times during the past 25 years when all gamma-ray sources (at 100 keV) within about 20 degrees of the galactic center are turned off or are in low emission states. This implies that the sources are all variable and few in number. The continuum gamma-ray emission below approximately 150 keV from the black hole candidate 1E1740.7-2942 is seen to turn off in May 1989 on a time scale of less than two weeks, significantly shorter than ever seen before. With the continuum below 150 keV turned off, the spectral shape derived from the HEXAGONE observation on 22 May 1989 is very peculiar with a peak near 200 keV. This source was probably in its normal state for more than half of all observations since the mid-1960's. There are only two observations (in 1977 and 1979) for which the sum flux from the point sources in the region significantly exceeds that from 1E1740.7-2942 in its normal state.

Gehrels, Neil↗
NASA NTRS1991

The radial-azimuthal stability of accretion disks - Gas pressure contributions

A radial-azimuthal stability analysis of a thin, alpha disk accretion flow is presented. The proportion of radiation pressure, Pr, of the unperturbed flow is allowed to vary according to the parameter beta = Pr/P, where P is the total pressure. As is the case for a purely radial analysis, the disk is stable for beta equal to or less than 0.6. However, the coupling of radial and azimuthal perturbations eliminates the viscous instability for such nonradial modes for all values of beta. The group velocity of the retrograde thermal mode is calculated as a function of beta.

Mckee, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The formation of primordial binaries in globular clusters by star-disk interactions

The formation of primordial binaries in globular clusters is examined using simple numerical models. Clusters of protostars collapse until their velocity dispersion rises sufficiently to reverse the infall and the cluster reaches equilibrium. During the collapse, interactions between stars and protostellar disks lead to stellar capture. It is found that binary fraction of a few percent typically result. Binary formation is terminated when the velocity dispersion rises to a point at which most encounters result in disk destruction rather than capture. As a result, much gas is returned to the cluster ISM, limiting the star formation efficiency to a value significantly below 100 percent.

Murray, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Optical polarimetry of PKS 2155 - 304 and constraints on accretion disk models for BL Lacertae objects

Optical broad-band polarimetry and photometry of the BL Lacertae object PKS 2155 - 304 during late 1990 are presented. Variability in both flux and linear polarization was moderate during this period. The optical polarization ranged from 2 to 7 percent while photometric variations were within 0.2 mag (V = 13.2-13.4). Accurate multicolor measurements were made to study any wavelength dependence of the polarization with an eye to using these data to test the model of Wandel and Urry (1991) which proposes that the UV to soft X-ray continuum of this object arises from an accretion disk. Wavelength-dependent polarization (WDP) is observed in PKS 2155 - 304. However, the polarization is always seen to decrease with wavelength when WDP is observed. This is opposite to the expected sense of WDP if the UV continuum is dominated by an accretion disk.

Smith, Paul S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Disk instability and outburst properties of the intermediate polar GK Persei

The present study reproduces the observed recurrence time scales and duration of the 1981-1989 dwarf nova-type outbursts of the intermediate polar GK Per with a model based on the time-dependent disk instability model. The model gives approximately symmetric (type B, inside-out) outbursts, as observed. This agreement suggests that the outbursts cannot result from a mass transfer instability. A modest variation of the mass transfer rate from the companion is sufficient to account for the variable outburst recurrence time scale. Contamination from the companion and the hot spot dominate the light from the disk except during a bright outburst. An intermediate temperature stagnation wave followed by a full heating wave is consistent with the observed rapid rise and double-peaked structure in the UV and optical light curves. It is argued that the hard X-ray efficiency is dime-dependent, and it is found to be much smaller in outburst than in quiescence.

Kim, Soon-Wook↗
NASA NTRS1992

Winds from T Tauri stars. II - Balmer line profiles for inner disk winds

Results are presented of calculations of Balmer emission line profiles using escape probability methods for T Tauri wind models with nonspherically symmetric geometry. The wind is assumed to originate in the inner regions of an accretion disk surrounding the T Tauri star, and flows outward in a 'cone' geometry. Two types of wind models are considered, both with monotonically increasing expansion velocities as a function of radial distance. For flows with large turbulent velocities, such as the HF Alfven wave-driven wind models, the effect of cone geometry is to increase the blue wing emission, and to move the absorption reversal close to line center. Line profiles for a wind model rotating with the same angular velocity as the inner disk are also calculated. The Balmer lines of this model are significantly broader than observed in most objects, suggesting that the observed emission lines do not arise in a region rotating at Keplerian velocity.

Calvet, Nuria↗
NASA NTRS1992

Galactic disks, infall, and the global value of Omega

Stringent limits on the current rate of infall of satellite systems onto spiral galaxies are set on the basis of the thinness and coldness of Galactic disks. For infalling satellites on isotropically oriented circular orbits, it is shown that, due to scattering, the thermal energy gain of the disk exceeds the satellite energy loss from dynamical friction by a factor of 1.6, with 25 percent deposited in z motion and 75 percent in planar motions. It is found that no more than 4 percent of the Galactic mass inside the solar radius can have accreted within the last 5 billion years, or else its scale and its Toomre Q-parameter would exceed observed values. In standard cold-dark-matter-dominated models for the growth of structure with Omega sub tot of 1, the mass accreted in dark matter lumps rises faster than t exp 2/3 and would exceed 28 percent in the last 5 Gyr. It is proposed that heating from satellite infall accounts for a substantial fraction of the increase of velocity dispersion and scale height with age that is observed in the Galaxy.

Toth, G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Chemistry in circumstellar disks - CS toward HL Tauri

High spatial and spectral resolution dust continuum and CS line-emission maps of the material immediately surrounding HL Tauri are presented. The 3.06-thermal dust map gives an upper limit to the source size of roughly 200 AU. When combined with previous millimeter continuum measurements, a beta value of 1.2 +/-0.3 is derived along with a disk mass of 0.1 solar mass, in agreement with previous disk radiative transfer models of the IR and submillimeter flux from HL Tau. The low dust emissivity index as compared to particles in the diffuse ISM is best explained by grain growth or composition evolution. The present observations of the CS and CO emission lines forming the molecular cloud surrounding HL Tauri are consistent with the 'canonical' temperatures, densities, and abundances derived in other Taurus cloud cores. In contrast, the CS emission in aperture synthesis maps at 650-AU spatial resolution is most consistent with CS/CO ratios at least 25-50 times lower in the gas immediately surrounding HL Tauri if the CS emission is optically thin. The continuum and spectral line results obtained are strong indicators of conditions thought to be similar to those in the presolar nebula some 4.5 AE ago.

Blake, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in a thin liquid film over a rotating disk

The results of a numerical simulation of the flow field and associated heat transfer coefficient are presented for the free surface flow of a thin liquid film adjacent to a horizontal rotating disk. The computation has been performed for different flow rates and rotational velocities using a three-dimensional boundary-fitted coordinate system. Since the geometry of the free surface is unknown and dependent on flow rate, rate of rotation, and other parameters, an interative procedure had to be used to ascertain its location. The computed film height agreed well with existing experimental measurements. The flow was dominated by inertia near the entrance and close to the free surface, and dominated by centrifugal force at larger radii and adjacent to the disk. The rotation enhanced the heat transfer coefficient by a significant amount.

Rahman, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Interfacing a high performance disk array file server to a Gigabit LAN

Our previous prototype, RAID-1, identified several bottlenecks in typical file server architectures. The most important bottleneck was the lack of a high-bandwidth path between disk, memory, and the network. Workstation servers, such as the Sun-4/280, have very slow access to peripherals on busses far from the CPU. For the RAID-2 system, we addressed this problem by designing a crossbar interconnect, Xbus board, that provides a 40MB/s path between disk, memory, and the network interfaces. However, this interconnect does not provide the system CPU with low latency access to control the various interfaces. To provide a high data rate to clients on the network, we were forced to carefully and efficiently design the network software. A block diagram of the system hardware architecture is given. In the following subsections, we describe pieces of the RAID-2 file server hardware that had a significant impact on the design of the network interface.

Seshan, Srinivasan↗
NASA NTRS1993

High velocity clouds in nearby disk galaxies

Clouds of neutral hydrogen in our galaxy with the absolute value of v greater than 100 km/s cover approximately 10 percent of the sky to a limiting column density of 1 x 10(exp 18) cm(exp -2). These high velocity clouds (HVCs) may dominate the kinetic energy of neutral hydrogen in non-circular motion, and are an important though poorly understood component of galactic gas. It has been suggested that the HVCs can be reproduced by a combination of three phenomena: a galactic fountain driven by disk supernovae which would account for most of the HVCs, material tidally torn from the Magellanic Clouds, and an outer arm complex which is associated with the large scale structure of the warped galactic disk. We sought to detect HVCs in external galaxies in order to test the galactic fountain model.

Schulman, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1993

Cluster tidal fields: Effects on disk galaxies

A variety of observations of galaxies in clusters indicate that the gas in these galaxies is strongly affected by the cluster environment. We present results of a study of the dynamical effects of the mean cluster tidal field on a disk galaxy as it falls into a cluster for the first time on a bound orbit with constant angular momentum (Valluri 1992). The problem is studied in the restricted 3-body framework. The cluster is modelled by a modified Hubble potential and the disk galaxy is modelled as a flattened spheroid.

Valluri, Monica↗
NASA NTRS1993

The disk-halo interface in edge-on spirals

We are studying the disk-halo interface in several edge-on spiral galaxies through extensive imagery in H(alpha) and other emission lines from Diffuse Ionized Gas (DIG), also referred to as the Warm Ionized Medium (WIM). In addition, for the nearby Sc galaxy NGC4631 we have obtained x-ray observations with ROSAT, to map the distribution of hot (10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7)) gas in the disk and halo. Here we present initial results for two late-type spirals, NGC4244 and NGC4631.

Walterbos, Rene↗