On the Nature and Genesis of EUV Waves: A Synthesis of Observations from SOHO, STEREO, SDO, and Hinode

A major, albeit serendipitous, discovery of the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory mission was the observation by the Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope (EIT) of large-scale Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) intensity fronts propagating over a significant fraction of the Sun's surface. These so-called EIT or EUV waves are associated with eruptive phenomena and have been studied intensely. However, their wave nature has been challenged by non-wave (or pseudo-wave) interpretations and the subject remains under debate. A string of recent solar missions has provided a wealth of detailed EUV observations of these waves bringing us closer to resolving their nature. With this review, we gather the current state-of-art knowledge in the field and synthesize it into a picture of an EUV wave driven by the lateral expansion of the CME. This picture can account for both wave and pseudo-wave interpretations of the observations, thus resolving the controversy over the nature of EUV waves to a large degree but not completely. We close with a discussion of several remaining open questions in the field of EUV waves research.Comment: Solar Physics, Special Issue "The Sun in 360",2012, accepted for publicatio

Interacting with Acoustic Simulation and Fabrication

Incorporating accurate physics-based simulation into interactive design tools is challenging. However, adding the physics accurately becomes crucial to several emerging technologies. For example, in virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) videos, the faithful reproduction of surrounding audios is required to bring the immersion to the next level. Similarly, as personal fabrication is made possible with accessible 3D printers, more intuitive tools that respect the physical constraints can help artists to prototype designs. One main hurdle is the sheer amount of computation complexity to accurately reproduce the real-world phenomena through physics-based simulation. In my thesis research, I develop interactive tools that implement efficient physics-based simulation algorithms for automatic optimization and intuitive user interaction.Comment: ACM UIST 2017 Doctoral Symposiu

Best Approximation to a Reversible Process in Black-Hole Physics and the Area Spectrum of Spherical Black Holes

The assimilation of a quantum (finite size) particle by a Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole inevitably involves an increase in the black-hole surface area. It is shown that this increase can be minimized if one considers the capture of the lightest charged particle in nature. The unavoidable area increase is attributed to two physical reasons: the Heisenberg quantum uncertainty principle and a Schwinger-type charge emission (vacuum polarization). The fundamental lower bound on the area increase is $4 \hbar$, which is smaller than the value given by Bekenstein for neutral particles. Thus, this process is a better approximation to a reversible process in black-hole physics. The universality of the minimal area increase is a further evidence in favor of a uniformly spaced area spectrum for spherical quantum black holes. Moreover, this universal value is in excellent agreement with the area spacing predicted by Mukhanov and Bekenstein and independently by Hod.Comment: 10 page