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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,459 records · Page 81
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Physical Origins of Gas Motions in Galaxy Cluster Cores: Interpreting Hitomi Observations of the Perseus Cluster

The Hitomi X-ray satellite has provided the first direct measurements of the plasma velocity dispersion in a galaxy cluster. It finds a relatively “quiescent” gas with a line-of-sight velocity dispersion σ{sub v,los}≃160 km s{sup −1}, at 30–60 kpc from the cluster center. This is surprising given the presence of jets and X-ray cavities that indicates on-going activity and feedback from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the cluster center. Using a set of mock Hitomi observations generated from a suite of state-of-the-art cosmological cluster simulations, and an isolated but higher resolution simulation of gas physics in the cluster core, including the effects of cooling and AGN feedback, we examine the likelihood of Hitomi detecting a cluster with the observed velocities. As long as the Perseus has not experienced a major merger in the last few gigayears, and AGN feedback is operating in a “‘gentle” mode, we reproduce the level of gas motions observed by Hitomi. The frequent mechanical AGN feedback generates net line-of-sight velocity dispersions ∼100--200 km s{sup −1}, bracketing the values measured in the Perseus core. The large-scale velocity shear observed across the core, on the other hand, is generated mainly by cosmic accretion such as mergers. We discuss the implications of these results for AGN feedback physics and cluster cosmology and progress that needs to be made in both simulations and observations, including a Hitomi re-flight and calorimeter-based instruments with higher spatial resolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Toward Interpreting the IBEX Ribbon with Mirror Diffusion in Interstellar Turbulent Magnetic Fields

We investigate the role of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence measured by Voyager in the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) in modeling the Interstellar Boundary Explorer ribbon. We demonstrate that the mirroring by compressible modes of MHD turbulence dominates over that by the mean magnetic field. Based on the new mirror diffusion mechanism identified by Lazarian & Xu for particles with large pitch angles in MHD turbulence, we find that the mirror diffusion can both confine pickup ions and preserve their initial pitch angles, and thus it accounts for the enhanced intensity of energetic neutral atoms that return to the heliosphere. The ribbon width is determined by both the range of pitch angles for effective turbulent mirroring and the field line wandering induced by Alfvénic modes. It in turn provides a constraint on the amplitude of magnetic fluctuations of fast modes. The field line wandering also affects the coherence of the ribbon structure across the sky. By extrapolating the magnetic energy spectrum measured by Voyager, we find that the injection scale of the turbulence in the VLISM must be less than ~500 au for the ribbon structure to be coherent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Interpreting the Strongly Lensed Supernova iPTF16geu: Time Delay Predictions, Microlensing, and Lensing Rates

We present predictions for time delays between multiple images of the gravitationally lensed supernova, iPTF16geu, which was recently discovered from the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF). As the supernova is of Type Ia where the intrinsic luminosity is usually well known, accurately measured time delays of the multiple images could provide tight constraints on the Hubble constant. According to our lens mass models constrained by the Hubble Space Telescope F814W image, we expect the maximum relative time delay to be less than a day, which is consistent with the maximum of 100 hr reported by Goobar et al. but places a stringent upper limit. Furthermore, the fluxes of most of the supernova images depart from expected values suggesting that they are affected by microlensing. The microlensing timescales are small enough that they may pose significant problems to measure the time delays reliably. Our lensing rate calculation indicates that the occurrence of a lensed SN in iPTF is likely. However, the observed total magnification of iPTF16geu is larger than expected, given its redshift. This may be a further indication of ongoing microlensing in this system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Self-interacting Dark Matter Interpretation of Crater II

Abstract The satellite galaxy Crater II of the Milky Way is extremely cold and exceptionally diffuse. These unusual properties are challenging to understand in the standard model of cold dark matter. We use controlled N -body simulations to investigate the formation of Crater II in self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), where dark matter particles can scatter and thermalize. Taking the orbit motivated by the measurements from Gaia Early Data Release 3, we show a strong self-interacting cross section per particle mass of 60 cm 2 g −1 is favored for Crater II. The simulated SIDM halo, with a 1 kpc core, leads to both a low stellar velocity dispersion and a large half-light radius for Crater II. These characteristics remain robust regardless of the initial stellar distribution.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

A chemical kinetics theory for interpreting the non-monotonic temperature dependence of enzymatic reactions

Abstract. One notable observation of enzymatic chemical reactions is that, for a given abundance of enzymes and substrates, temperature increases cause reaction rates to first increase consistent with the Arrhenius relationship, then plateau, and finally fall off quickly to zero at high temperatures. While many mathematical functions have been used to describe this pattern, we here propose a chemical kinetics theory which successfully replicates this observation and provides insights into the processes responsible for these dynamics. The chemical kinetics theory combines the law of mass action, von Smoluchowski's diffusion-limited chemical reaction theory, and Eyring's transition state theory. This new theory reveals that the thermally reversible enzyme denaturation ensured by the ceaseless thermal motion of molecules and ions in an enzyme solution explains the plateau and subsequent decrease in chemical reaction rates with increasing temperature. The temperature-dependent affinity parameter (K) that relates enzymes and substrates through their binding also affects the shape of the emergent temperature response. We demonstrate that with an increase in substrate availability, K shifts the optimal temperature, where reaction rates plateau, towards higher values. Further, we show that the chemical kinetics theory accurately represents 12 sets of published enzyme assay data and includes the popular mechanistic model by Ratkowsky et al. (2005) as a special case. Given its good performance and solid theoretical underpinning, we believe this new theory will facilitate the construction of more mechanistic-based environmental biogeochemical models.

Tang, Jinyun↗
DOE OSTI2014

An Alternative Interpretation of Plasma Selenium Data from Endangered Patagonian Huemul Deer ( Hippocamelus bisulcus )

The prevalence of osteopathology in 57% in the endangered adult Patagonian huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus), malformed antler development, and general lack of recovery were previously suggested to possibly be related to mineral imbalances like selenium (Se) deficiency, and not to stem from fluorosis. From recent bone analyses of these diseased huemul, fluoride levels averaged 58 ppm (SE=10.7), thus eliminating fluorosis as a causal factor for the osteopathology reported in huemul. In contrast, when analyzing high-elevation sites commonly used by extant populations, we found soils deficient in Se. Ashes from recent volcanism also were very low in Se. As Se-responsive diseases in livestock have been documented in Chile, we reclassified recently published Se levels in huemul and determined that 73% were deficient and 18% marginal. Together with these several lines of indirect evidence, we conclude that Se deficiency plays a role in the lack of recovery of huemul populations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Interpretation of proton radiography experiments of hohlraums with three-dimensional simulations

Proton radiography experiments of laser-irradiated hohlraums performed at the OMEGA laser facility are analyzed using three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic simulations coupled to a proton trajectography package. Experiments with three different laser irradiation patterns were performed, and each produced a distinct proton image. By comparing these results with synthetic proton images obtained by sending protons through plasma profiles in the hohlraum obtained from 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations, it is found that the simulated images agree favorably with the experimental images when electric fields, due to the electron pressure gradients that arise from 3D structures occurring during plasma expansion, are included. These comparisons provide quantitative estimates of the electric field present inside the hohlraums

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗