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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Effects of solar wind composition, anisotropy, and streaming on ordinary mode electromagnetic instability

The stability of the low-frequency waves propagating transverse to the magnetic field of a plasma composed of electrons, protons, and alpha particles with anisotropic electron and ion temperatures is explored. The threshold for the ordinary mode instability and the growth rates have a very strong dependence on the electron temperature anisotropy but have a comparatively weaker dependence on the ion temperature anisotropy, on the relative abundance of helium to hydrogen, and on the relative streaming of two ion species. The threshold for the instability of these low-frequency waves is (m sub e/m sub p) to the 1/2 power times smaller than the one corresponding to high-frequency waves; however, for a relative abundance of helium to hydrogen up to 20% for the relevant known magnetic fields, particle densities, temperatures, and drifts, the solar wind remains below the threshold for this instability.

Buti, B.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Ultrasonic Acoustic Deterrent in Reducing Bat Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities

This project was designed to use thermal video cameras and fatality monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent (UAD) on bat activity and mortality, respectively. Our goals were to redesign the UAD device and installation infrastructure, determine the placement on wind turbines to optimize safety, compatibility and functionality, and to compare the mortality among the following conditions: Control (deterrents off and turbines feathered up to the manufacturer’s cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s), Deterrent (deterrents on and turbines feathered up to the manufacturer’s cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s), Curtailment (deterrents off and turbines feathered up to 5/ m/s), and combination (deterrents on and turbines feathered up to 5 m/s). The project was divided into a Feasibility Study and Comparative Study. The objectives for the Feasibility Study were to develop an installation strategy, redesign a previous iteration of a UAD to improve performance and weatherization, and test the effectiveness of the deterrents on bat activity. The Feasibility Study was intended to work out potential issues using a relatively small number of devices prior to manufacturing and installing numerous devices for a larger-scale comparative study. The division of the project into these separate studies was based on previous experience and the challenges of assessing the capabilities of an untested UAD. During the initial development and manufacturing of the UAD, NRG Systems decided to use a piezoelectric transducer rather than an electrostatic transducer, which was used by a previous device (i.e. Deaton UAD). NRG Systems conducted lab testing (i.e., IP67 or Ingress Protection) to ensure no water or dust ingress. In addition, shock/drop trials and variations in temperature exposure were conducted as part of the reliability testing. NRG Systems also developed a communications system to allow for continuous performance monitoring of the UADs. For the Feasibility Study, we installed 6 UADs on each of 2 Gamesa G90 2-MW wind turbines (Turbine 14 and 8) at the South Chestnut Wind Energy Facility, Pennsylvania and monitored activity under control and treatment (i.e. Deterrent) conditions using thermal video monitoring. There are two major sources of variation in bat activity (beyond the anticipated treatment effect): 1) environment around the turbines might inherently favor more activity at one than the other; 2) weather conditions on any given night or within season difference (e.g., migration later during the study period) might favor more activity on some nights than on other nights. Because we could only monitor two turbines on any night, we sought to control the potential influences of these two sources by alternating the turbine on which deterrents were activated each night. If there were no loss of data due to technical failures, this design would result in an equal number of deterrent and control nights at each turbine through the monitoring period, balancing the effects of both sources of variation. We compared the time bats spent and the number of events that occurred in overlapping cameras FOV as an indicator of risk, since 80% of the overlapping FOV of the cameras was in the RSA. Equipment failures, majority due to lightning, resulted in only 17 nights with useable data, with unbalanced treatment assignment within turbines and uneven distribution of treatment assignment throughout the observational period. This resulted in a confounding of treatment assignment and seasonal change. Deterrent treatment was measured at Turbine 14 on only 2 of the first 8 usable nights (spanning the period from 8/18-9/17), whereas 6 times on Turbine 8. From 9/18-927, deterrent was on at Turbine 14 on 6 of the remaining 10 nights, and 4 on Turbine 8. We recorded a total of 1,057 bats and observed a reduction in number of events and duration of events at the UAD-activated turbine when it was Turbine 14. When Turbine 8 had the UAD activated, we observed no difference in number or duration of events. Variation between turbines is not unusual and can cause issues when study designs have no true replication, i.e., multiple turbines per treatment. Within-turbine differences suggested a trend for reduced activity when UADs were activated, particularly for Turbine 14. These results may be caused by the overall higher bat activity at Turbine 8 and confounding of treatment assignment and seasonal trends. We mapped 58 bat events in 3-dimensional space (3D), 30 and 28 events during control and treatment conditions, respectively. We observed bats crossing the rotor plane under both control and treatment conditions and observed a total of 40 confirmed or near-collisions (i.e., target close to blade but no visual confirmation of a strike) out of a total of 1,491 medium and high confidence bat observations (880 control, 611 at treatment). Twice as many collisions/possible collisions were observed during control conditions. Given the challenges with the equipment and potential confounding of the data (i.e., different activity levels at the two wind turbines), we were unable to determine whether this initial turbine placement and orientation was optimal. Given no new information on how best to install the devices, we elected to use the same placement and orientation for the comparative study. For the Comparative Study, the objectives were to investigate the relative mortality rates among 4 treatments. We searched the area within 90 m of each turbine daily to recover the highest number of fresh fatalities possible. We were unable to detect a clear reduction in mortality from deterrents alone for any individual species. Surprisingly, mortality rate of the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) was estimated to be 1.3–4.2 times as much when turbines were operating normally and UADs were on than when UADs were off. Reduction in mortality of all bat species combined due to curtailment of turbines was estimated to be between 0%–38%. This effect was nullified when, in addition to curtailment, UADs were on, with 95% confidence interval ranging from a 45% reduction to a 36% increase in mortality. This was likely due to the large proportion of eastern red bats in the total carcass population. Mortality of all low-frequency echolocating bats combined (i.e. hoary bat [L. cinereus], big brown bat [Eptesicus fuscus], silver-haired bat [Lasionycteris noctivagans]) relative to control was lower when curtailed (95% CI: 0%–74%), but the addition of UADs had no detectable effect (95%CI: 13%–79%). The combined treatment reduced mortality in silver-haired bats relative to control by 11%–99%, compared to curtailment (81% reduction–67% increase) or deterrent (82% reduction–67% increase) alone. Because silver-haired bats comprised a large proportion of low-frequency calling bats found during this study, a similar effect was seen for that group. The higher mortality observed for eastern red bats at UAD compared to control could have been caused by several factors, such as the effective range of the UAD, particularly at higher frequencies, behavior, positioning of the devices on the nacelle, or a combination of these. We used 3D thermal videography to compare control and UAD bat behavior from two turbines using a total of 203 3D bat-tracks across 34 nights. We recorded a similar number of bat-tracks between treatment groups, with 51% and 49% for control and UAD, respectively. Due to potential differences in bat behavior around spinning vs stationary turbine blades, we examined UAD effectiveness separately for non-operating turbines (feathered below cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s) and operating (normal operation above wind speed of 3.5 m/s). We found a higher proportion of bat-tracks at operating turbines (82%) compared to non-operating turbines (18%), although this does not account for overall time turbines were operating versus not. At non-operating turbines the UAD appears to be effective at reducing the amount of time, flight length, and number of passes through the rotor plane, compared to control. In addition, we found bats approached turbines similarly between control and treatment turbines, with 61% of control and 63% of UAD bat-tracks originating leeward of the hub. In contrast, at operating turbines, we saw little change in bat behavior in response to UADs. For example, we found an increase in the average duration of bat-tracks between non-operating and operating turbines for UAD but at control turbines we found average duration decreased once turbines became operational. Both control and UAD had a high proportion of bat-tracks that crossed the rotor plane (i.e., collision risk) originate from the windward side when turbines were operational 65% to 92%, respectively. Given that the UAD devices closest to the blades were orientated parallel to the blades, its possible bats were not exposed to the signal until they were close to the turbine blades, as suggested by the slightly higher mean duration within 5 meters of the blades for UAD turbines. Future research should consider concentrating UAD intensity on the areas of risk (i.e. blades) with enough buffer to allow bats to react to the sound before entering the rotor-swept area (RSA). In addition, investigating the potential of installing UAD units windward of the turbine blades (e.g. a hub-mounted UAD), particularly since even under control conditions, a relatively high proportion (65%) of crosses through the blade plane originated windward. 3D thermal videography provided valuable information on future testing strategies (e.g. device placement, UAD orientation) to improve UAD effectiveness when bats are at risk (i.e., operating wind turbines). Across the entire project we experienced issues with the operation and communication with the UADs. Most of the issues occurred during the Feasibility Study and were resolved prior to the Comparability Study. Additional challenges surfaced during the Comparability Study but were remedied immediately and are thought to have little impact on the results. We had logistical constraints at the project that limited our ability use traditional methods in our camera calibration. Several calibrations showed inaccurate scales, which may have been related to inadequate spatial coverage of “points” in the camera calibration volume. Because we were using actual video recordings of bats at a wind turbine, the behavior of bats could have concentrated “points” in specific areas of the turbine (i.e. leeward of nacelle), and limited “points” in other areas, resulting in camera calibration issues. We have plans to address these inconsistencies and improving the software and related methodologies by early 2020.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1973

A comparison of the overall and broadband noise characteristics of full-scale and model helicopter rotors.

The broadband noise generated by full-scale and model rotors is compared in terms of spectral content and the dependence on tip speed and rotor thrust/pitch angle. Low frequency broadband noise and high frequency broadband noise are studied separately and blade 'scaling' effects are outlined. The degree of agreement between measurements and theoretical and semi-empirical prediction methods is reviewed together with the directionality patterns. The parameters relating to the overall noise are also discussed. It is shown that in general good agreement is obtained between the full-scale and model rotors when considering spectral content and the dependency of the noise levels on tip speed and thrust. The scaling factors usually considered applicable to the low frequency broadband noise do not, however, appear to apply to either the model or full scale rotors.

Leverton, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Noise propagation from a four-engine, propeller-driven airplane

A flight experiment was conducted to investigate the propagation of periodic low-frequency noise from a propeller-driven airplane. The test airplane was a large four-engine, propeller-driven airplane flown at altitudes from 15 to 500 m over the end of an 1800-m-long, 22-element microphone array. The acoustic data were reduced by a one-third octave-band analysis. The primary propagation quantities computed were lateral attenuation and ground effects, both of which become significant at shallow elevation angles. Scatter in the measured results largely obscured the physics of the low-frequency noise propagation. Variability of the noise source, up to 9.5 dB over a 2-sec interval, was the major contributor to the data scatter. The microphones mounted at ground level produced more consistent results with less scatter than those mounted 1.2 m above ground. The ground noise levels were found to be greater on the port side than on the starboard side.

Willshire, William L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Lower Hybrid Oscillations in Multicomponent Space Plasmas Subjected to Ion Cyclotron Waves

It is found that in multicomponent plasmas subjected to Alfven or fast magnetosonic waves, such as are observed in regions of the outer plasmasphere and ring current-plasmapause overlap, lower hybrid oscillations are generated. The addition of a minor heavy ion component to a proton-electron plasma significantly lowers the low-frequency electric wave amplitude needed for lower hybrid wave excitation. It is found that the lower hybrid wave energy density level is determined by the nonlinear process of induced scattering by ions and electrons; hydrogen ions in the region of resonant velocities are accelerated; and nonresonant particles are weakly heated due to the induced scattering. For a given example, the light resonant ions have an energy gain factor of 20, leading to the development of a high-energy tail in the H(+) distribution function due to low-frequency waves.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Supergravity black holes, Love numbers, and harmonic coordinates

A problem which has now come to a head in general relativity, primarily as a result of the many recent detections of gravitational waves from the coalescence of compact binaries, is that there are very few viable theories against which to “test” it. To perform realistic tests of theories of gravity, we need to be able to look beyond general relativity and evaluate the consistency of a parametrized, physically acceptable, family of black hole metric alternatives with observational data from, especially, gravitational wave detections using, for example, an agnostic Bayesian approach. In this paper we further examine properties of one class of such metrics, which in fact arise as solutions of ungauged supergravity. In particular, we examine the massless, neutral, minimally coupled scalar wave equation in a general stationary, axisymmetric background metric such as that of a charged rotating black hole, when the scalar field is either time independent or in the low-frequency, near-zone limit, with a view to calculating the Love numbers of tidal perturbations, and of obtaining harmonic coordinates for the background metric. For a four-parameter family of charged asymptotically flat rotating black hole solutions of ungauged supergravity theory known as STU black holes, which includes Kaluza-Klein black holes and the Kerr-Sen black hole as special cases, we find that all time-independent solutions, and hence the harmonic coordinates of the metrics, are identical to those of the Kerr solution. In the low-frequency limit we find the scalar fields exhibit the same SL(2,R) symmetry as holds in the case of the Kerr solution. We point out extensions of our results to a wider class of metrics, which includes solutions of Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2006

Flight Test Results for Uniquely Tailored Propulsion-Airframe Aeroacoustic Chevrons: Shockcell Noise

Azimuthally varying chevrons (AVC) which have been uniquely tailored to account for the asymmetric propulsion-airframe aeroacoustic interactions have recently shown significant reductions in jet-related community noise at low-speed take-off conditions in scale model tests of coaxial nozzles with high bypass ratio. There were indications that such AVCs may also provide shockcell noise reductions at high cruise speeds. This paper describes the flight test results when one such AVC concept, namely, the T-fan chevrons with enhanced mixing near the pylon, was tested at full-scale on a modern large twin-jet aircraft (777-300ER) with focus on shockcell noise at mid-cruise conditions. Shockcell noise is part of the interior cabin noise at cruise conditions and its reduction is useful from the viewpoint of passenger comfort. Noise reduction at the source, in the exhaust jet, especially, at low frequencies, is beneficial from the perspective of reduced fuselage sidewall acoustic lining. Results are shown in terms of unsteady pressure spectra both on the exterior surface of the fuselage at several axial stations and also microphone arrays placed inside the fuselage aft of the engine. The benefits of T-fan chevrons, with and without conventional chevrons on the core nozzle, are shown for several engine operating conditions at cruise involving supersonic fan stream and subsonic or supersonic core stream. The T-fan AVC alone provides up to 5 dB low-frequency noise reduction on the fuselage exterior skin and up to 2 dB reduction inside the cabin. Addition of core chevrons appears to increase the higher frequency noise. This flight test result with the previous model test observation that the T-fan AVCs have hardly any cruise thrust coefficient loss (< 0.05%) make them viable candidates for reducing interior cabin noise in high bypass ratio engines.

Mengle, Vinod G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A radiometric Bode's Law: Predictions for Uranus

The magnetospheres of three planets, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, are known to be sources of intense, nonthermal radio bursts. The emissions from these sources undergo pronounced long term intensity fluctuations that are caused by the solar wind interaction with the magnetosphere of each planet. Determinations by spacecraft of the low frequency radio spectra and radiation beam geometry now permit a reliable assessment of the overall efficiency of the solar wind in stimulating these emissions. Earlier estimates of how magnetospheric radio output scales with the solar wind energy input must be revised greatly, with the result that, while the efficiency is much lower than previously thought, it is remarkably uniform from planet to planet. The formulation of a radiometric Bode's Law from which a planet's magnetic moment is estimated from its radio emission output is presented. Applying the radiometric scaling law to Uranus, the low-frequency radio power is likely to be measured by the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it approaches this planet.

Desch, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An experimental study of the sources of fluctuating pressure loads beneath swept shock/boundary-layer interactions

An experimental research program providing basic knowledge and establishing a database on the fluctuating pressure loads produced on aerodynamic surfaces beneath three dimensional shock wave/boundary layer interactions is described. Such loads constitute a fundamental problem of critical concern to future supersonic and hypersonic flight vehicles. A turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate is subjected to interactions with swept planar shock waves generated by sharp fins at angle of attack. Fin angles from 10 to 20 deg at freestream Mach numbers of 3 and 4 produce a variety of interaction strengths from weak to very strong. Miniature Kulite pressure transducers flush-mounted in the flat plate are used to measure interaction-induced wall pressure fluctuations. The distributions of properties of the pressure fluctuations, such as their ring levels, amplitude distributions, and power spectra, are also determined. Measurements were made for the first time in the aft regions of these interactions, revealing fluctuating pressure levels as high as 160 dB. These fluctuations are dominated by low frequency (0-5 kHz) signals. The maximum ring levels in the interactions show an increasing trend with increasing interaction strength. On the other hand, the maximum ring levels in the forward portion of the interactions decrease linearly with increasing interaction sweep back. These ring pressure distributions and spectra are correlated with the features of the interaction flowfield. The unsteadiness of the off-surface flowfield is studied using a new, non-intrusive technique based on the shadow graph method. The results indicate that the entire lambda-shock structure generated by the interaction undergoes relatively low-frequency oscillations. Some regions where particularly strong fluctuations are generated were identified. Fluctuating pressure measurements are also made along the line of symmetry of an axisymmetric jet impinging upon a flat plate at an angle. This flow was chosen as a simple analog to the impinging jet region found in the rear portion of the shock wave/boundary layer interactions under study. It is found that a sharp peak in ring pressure level exists at or near the mean stagnation point. It is suggested that the phenomena responsible for this peak may be active in the swept interactions as well, and may cause the extremely high fluctuating pressures observed in the impinging jet region in the present experimental program.

Settles, G. S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optically induced umklapp shift currents in striped cuprates

Motivated by recent experiments that observed low-frequency second-order optical responses in doped striped superconductors, here we investigate the nonlinear electrodynamics of systems exhibiting a charge density wave (CDW) order parameter. Due to the Bragg scattering off the CDW order, an incoming spatially homogeneous electric field in addition to zero momentum current generates umklapp currents that are modulated in space at momenta of the reciprocal CDW lattice. In particular, here we predict and microscopically evaluate the umklapp shift current, a finite momentum analog of the regular shift current which represents the second-order optical process that downconverts homogeneous AC electric field into low-frequency, zero momentum current. Specifically, we evaluate real-time response functions within mean-field theory via the Keldysh technique and use the Peierls substitution to compute observables at finite momenta in lattice models. We find that systems with certain lattice symmetries (such as inversion symmetry), where the regular shift current is disallowed, may give rise to the umklapp one. We apply our framework to investigate lattice symmetries in layered materials with helical-like stripes and show that both types of shift currents provide insight into the nature of intertwined phases of matter. Finally, we discuss the relation of our findings to recent experiments in striped superconductors. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Materials Science↗
NASA NTRS1990

En route noise: NASA propfan test aircraft (calculated source noise

The second phase of a joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program to study the high-altitude, low-frequency acoustic noise propagation characteristics of the Advanced Turboprop (propfan) Aircraft was conducted on April 3-13, 1989 at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico. The first phase was conducted on October 26-31, 1987 in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA (Lewis) measured the source noise of the test aircraft during both phases while NASA (Langley) measured surface noise only during the second phase. FAA/NASA designed a program to obtain noise level data from the propfan test bed aircraft, both in the near field and at ground level, during simulated en route flights (35,000 and 20,000 feet ASL), and to test low frequency atmospheric absorption algorithms and prediction technology to provide insight into the necessity for regulatory measures. The curves of calculated source noise versus emission angle are based on a second order best-fit curve of the peak envelope of the adjusted ground data. Centerline and sideline derived source noise levels are shown to be in good agreement. A comparison of the Alabama chase plane source data and the calculated source noise at centerline for both the Alabama and New Mexico data shows good agreement for the 35,000 and the 20,000 feet (ASL) overflights. With the availability of the New Mexico in-flight data, further in depth comparisons will be made.

Rickley, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Noise power spectral density of the Sundstrand QA-2000 accelerometer

There are no good data on low frequency (less than 0.1 Hz) power spectral density (PSD) for the Q-Flex accelerometer. However, some preliminary stability measurements were made over periods of 12 to 24 hours and demonstrated stability less than 0.5 micro-g over greater than 12 hours. The test data appear to contain significant contributions from temperature variations at that level, so the true sensor contribution may be less than that. If what was seen could be construed as a true random process, it would correspond to about 0.1 micro-g rms over a bandwidth from 10(exp -5) Hz to about 1 Hz. Other studies of low frequency PSD in flexure accelerometers have indicated that material aging effects tend to approximate a first order Markhov process. If we combine such a model with the spectrum obtained at higher frequencies, it suggests the spectrum shown here as a conservative estimate of Q-Flex noise performance.

Peters, Rex↗
NASA NTRS1990

The pole tide in deep oceans

The fluid-dynamical theory of the pole tide is examined by describing the oceanic response to the Chandler wobble and assessing its implications for mantle anelasticity and low-frequency ocean dynamics. The Laplace tide equations accounting for bottom friction are given, and a spherical harmonic approach is delineated in which the time-independent portion of the tide height is expanded. Pole-tide height and related inertia products are linearly proportional to wobble amplitude, and the final equations are modified to account for mantle elasticity and oceanic loading. Results for pole tide effects are given for various earth models with attention to the role of boundary constraints. A dynamic effect is identified which lengthens the Chandler period by about 1 day more than static lengthening, a contribution that suggests a vigorous low-frequency response. The values derived are shown to agree with previous models that do not incorporate the effects of the pole tide.

Dickman, S. R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Model validation and error attribution for a drifting qubit

Qubit performance is often reported in terms of a variety of single-value metrics, each providing a facet of the underlying noise mechanism limiting performance. However, the value of these metrics may drift over long timescales, and reporting a single number for qubit performance fails to account for the low-frequency noise processes that give rise to this drift. Here, in this work, we demonstrate how we can use the distribution of these values to validate or invalidate candidate noise models. We focus on the case of randomized benchmarking (RB), where typically a single error rate is reported but this error rate can drift over time when multiple passes of RB are performed. We show that using a statistical test as simple as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic on the distribution of RB error rates can be used to rule out noise models, assuming the experiment is performed over a long enough time interval to capture relevant low frequency noise. With confidence in a noise model, we show how care must be exercised when performing error attribution using the distribution of drifting RB error rate.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Noise-specific beating in the higher-level Ramsey curves of a transmon qubit

We report: in the higher levels of superconducting transmon devices and more generally charge sensitive devices, T 2 * measurements made in the presence of low-frequency time-correlated 1/f charge noise and quasiparticle-induced parity flips can give an underestimation of the total dephasing time. The charge variations manifest as beating patterns observed in the overlay of several Ramsey fringe curves and are reproduced with a phenomenological Ramsey curve model, which accounts for the charge variations. T 2 * dephasing times, which more accurately represent the total dephasing time, are obtained. The phenomenological model is compared with a Lindblad master equation model. Both models are found to be in agreement with one another and the experimental data. Finally, the phenomenological formulation enables a simple method in which the power spectral density for the low-frequency noise can be inferred from the overlay of several Ramsey curves.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1984

Predictions for Uranus from a radiometric Bode's law

Determinations by spacecraft of the low-frequency radio spectra and radiation beam geometry of the magnetospheres of earth, Jupiter, and Saturn now permit a reliable assessment of the overall efficiency of the solar wind in stimulating intense, nonthermal radio bursts from these magnetospheres. It is found that earlier estimates of how magnetospheric radio output scales with the solar wind energy input must be greatly revised, with the result that, while the efficiency is much lower than previously thought, it is remarkably uniform from planet to planet. A 'radimetric Bode's law' is formulated from which a planet's magnetic moment can be estimated from its radio emission output. This law is applied to estimate the low-frequency radio power likely to be measured for Uranus by Voyager 2. It is shown how measurements of Uranus's radio flux can be used to estimate the planetary magnetic moment and solar wind stand-off distance before the in situ measurements.

Desch, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

X-Ray Spectral Variability Signatures of Flares in BL Lac Objects

We are presenting a detailed parameter study of the time-dependent electron injection and kinematics and the self-consistent radiation transport in jets of intermediate and low-frequency peaked BL Lac objects. Using a time-dependent, combined synchrotron-self-Compton and external-Compton jet model, we study the influence of variations of several essential model parameters, such as the electron injection compactness, the relative contribution of synchrotron to external soft photons to the soft photon compactness, the electron- injection spectral index, and the details of the time profiles of the electron injection episodes giving rise to flaring activity. In the analysis of our results, we focus on the expected X-ray spectral variability signatures in a region of parameter space particularly well suited to reproduce the broadband spectral energy distributions of intermediate and low-frequency peaked BL Lac objects. We demonstrate that SSC- and external-Compton dominated models for the gamma-ray emission from blazars are producing significantly different signatures in the X-ray variability, in particular in the soft X-ray light curves and the spectral hysteresis at soft X-ray energies, which can be used as a powerful diagnostic to unveil the nature of the high-energy emission from BL Lac objects.

Boettcher, Markus↗
DOE OSTI2022

Emergent microrobotic oscillators via asymmetry-induced order

Abstract Spontaneous oscillations on the order of several hertz are the drivers of many crucial processes in nature. From bacterial swimming to mammal gaits, converting static energy inputs into slowly oscillating power is key to the autonomy of organisms across scales. However, the fabrication of slow micrometre-scale oscillators remains a major roadblock towards fully-autonomous microrobots. Here, we study a low-frequency oscillator that emerges from a collective of active microparticles at the air-liquid interface of a hydrogen peroxide drop. Their interactions transduce ambient chemical energy into periodic mechanical motion and on-board electrical currents. Surprisingly, these oscillations persist at larger ensemble sizes only when a particle with modified reactivity is added to intentionally break permutation symmetry. We explain such emergent order through the discovery of a thermodynamic mechanism for asymmetry-induced order. The on-board power harvested from the stabilised oscillations enables the use of electronic components, which we demonstrate by cyclically and synchronously driving a microrobotic arm. This work highlights a new strategy for achieving low-frequency oscillations at the microscale, paving the way for future microrobotic autonomy.

42 ENGINEERING↗