6,372 research outputs found
Kolmogorov Similarity Hypotheses for Scalar Fields: Sampling Intermittent Turbulent Mixing in the Ocean and Galaxy
Kolmogorov's three universal similarity hypotheses are extrapolated to
describe scalar fields like temperature mixed by turbulence. By the analogous
Kolmogorov third hypothesis for scalars, temperature dissipation rates chi
averaged over lengths r > L_K should be lognormally distributed with
intermittency factors I that increase with increasing turbulence energy length
scales L_O as I_chi-r = m_T ln(L_O/r). Tests of Kolmogorovian velocity and
scalar universal similarity hypotheses for very large ranges of turbulence
length and time scales are provided by data from the ocean and the Galactic
interstellar medium. The universal constant for turbulent mixing intermittency
m_T is estimated from oceanic data to be 0.44+-0.01, which is remarkably close
to estimates for Kolmogorov's turbulence intermittency constant m_u of
0.45+-0.05 from Galactic as well as atmospheric data. Extreme intermittency
complicates the oceanic sampling problem, and may lead to quantitative and
qualitative undersampling errors in estimates of mean oceanic dissipation rates
and fluxes. Intermittency of turbulence and mixing in the interstellar medium
may be a factor in the formation of stars.Comment: 23 pages original of Proc. Roy. Soc. article, 8 figures; in
"Turbulence and Stochastic Processes: Kolmogorov's ideas 50 years on", London
The Royal Society, 1991, J.C.R. Hunt, O.M. Phillips, D. Williams Eds., pages
1-240, vol. 434 (no. 1890) Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A, PDF fil
Disentanglement and decoherence in two-spin and three-spin systems under dephasing
We compare disentanglement and decoherence rates within two-spin and
three-spin entangled systems subjected to all possible combinations of local
and collective pure dephasing noise combinations. In all cases, the bipartite
entanglement decay rate is found to be greater than or equal to the
dephasing-decoherence rates and often significantly greater. This sharpens
previous results for two-spin systems [T. Yu and J. H. Eberly Phys. Rev. B 68,
165322 (2003)] and extends them to the three-spin context.Comment: 17 page
The Viewing Angles of Broad Absorption Line Versus Unabsorbed Quasars
It was recently shown that there is a significant difference in the radio
spectral index distributions of broad absorption line (BAL) quasars and
unabsorbed quasars, with an overabundance of BAL quasars with steeper radio
spectra. This result suggests that source orientation does play into the
presence or absence of BAL features. In this paper we provide more quantitative
analysis of this result based on Monte-Carlo simulations. While the
relationship between viewing angle and spectral index does indeed contain a lot
of scatter, the spectral index distributions are different enough to overcome
that intrinsic variation. Utilizing two different models of the relationship
between spectral index and viewing angle, the simulations indicate that the
difference in spectral index distributions can be explained by allowing BAL
quasar viewing angles to extend about 10 degrees farther from the radio jet
axis than non-BAL sources, though both can be seen at small angles. These
results show that orientation cannot be the only factor determining whether BAL
features are present, but it does play a role.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Discovery of a Radio-loud/Radio-quiet Binary Quasar
We report the discovery of a small separation quasar pair (z=0.586, O=18.4,
19.2, sep. = 2.3 arcsec) associated with the radio source FIRST
J164311.3+315618 (S_1400 = 120 mJy). The spectrum of the brighter quasar (A)
has a much stronger narrow emission-line spectrum than the other (B), and also
stronger Balmer lines relative to the continuum. The continuum ratio of the
spectra is flat in the blue at about 2.1, but falls to 1.5 at longer
wavelengths. A K' image shows two unresolved sources with a flux ratio of 1.3.
The different colors appear to result from the contribution of the host galaxy
of B, which is evident from Ca II and high-order Balmer absorption lines
indicative of a substantial young stellar population. New 3.6 cm VLA
observations show that the compact radio source is coincident with quasar A (B
is only marginally detected). We rule out the lensing hypothesis because the
optical flux ratio is A/B = 1.2 to 2, while the radio flux ratio is A/B > 40,
and conclude that this system is a binary. Moreover, the radio-loud quasar is a
compact steep spectrum source. FIRST J164311.3+315618A, B is the lowest
redshift and smallest separation binary quasar yet identified.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Astrophysical Journal Letter
Assessing Risk at the National Strategic Level: Visualization Tools for Military Planners
The reemergence of great power competition, conflict with near-peer competitor states below the level of armed conflict, and persisting threats from nonstate actors with transnational ambitions and global reach pose challenges for strategists planning, executing, and assessing military operations and strategy. Building on current visualization tools, two proposed models—the National Strategic Risk Abacus and the National Strategic Risk Radar Chart—address these challenges and better depict how the US military may inadvertently contribute to risk at the national strategic level
Oscillatory Energy Exchange Between Waves Coupled by a Dynamic Artificial Crystal
We describe a general mechanism of controllable energy exchange between waves
propagating in a dynamic artificial crystal. We show that if a spatial
periodicity is temporarily imposed on the transmission properties of a
wave-carrying medium whilst a wave is inside, this wave is coupled to a
secondary counter-propagating wave and energy oscillates between the two. The
oscillation frequency is determined by the width of the spectral band gap
created by the periodicity and the frequency difference between the coupled
waves. The effect is demonstrated with spin waves in a dynamic magnonic
crystal.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Discovery of a Classic FR-II Broad Absorption Line Quasar from the FIRST Survey
We have discovered a remarkable quasar, FIRST J101614.3+520916, whose optical
spectrum shows unambiguous broad absorption features while its double-lobed
radio morphology and luminosity clearly indicate a classic Fanaroff-Riley Type
II radio source. Its radio luminosity places it at the extreme of the recently
established class of radio-loud broad absorption line quasars (Becker et al.
1997, 2000; Brotherton et al. 1998). Because of its hybrid nature, we speculate
that FIRST J101614.3+520916 is a typical FR-II quasar which has been
rejuvenated as a broad absorption line (BAL) quasar with a Compact Steep
Spectrum core. The direction of the jet axis of FIRST J101614.3+520916 can be
estimated from its radio structure and optical brightness, indicating that we
are viewing the system at a viewing angle of > 40 degrees. The position angles
of the radio jet and optical polarization are not well-aligned, differing by 20
to 30 degrees. When combined with the evidence presented by Becker et al.
(2000) for a sample of 29 BAL quasars showing that at least some BAL quasars
are viewed along the jet axis, the implication is that no preferred viewing
orientation is necessary to observe BAL systems in a quasar's spectrum. This,
and the probable young nature of compact steep spectrum sources, leads
naturally to the alternate hypothesis that BALs are an early stage in the lives
of quasars.Comment: 14 pages, 6 postscript figures; accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
Biodigital publics: personal genomes as digital media artifacts
The recent proliferation of personal genomics and direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomics has attracted much attention and publicity. Concern around these developments has mainly focused on issues of biomedical regulation and hinged on questions of how people understand genomic information as biomedical and what meaning they make of it. However, this publicity amplifies genome sequences which are also made as internet
texts and, as such, they generate new reading publics. The practices around the generation, circulation and reading of genome scans do not just raise questions about biomedical regulation, they also provide the focus for an exploration of how contemporary public participation in genomics works. These issues around the public features of DTC genomic testing can be pursued through a close examination of the modes of one of the best known providers—23andMe. In fact, genome sequences circulate as digital artefacts and, hence, people are addressed by them. They are read as texts, annotated and written about in browsers, blogs and wikis. This activity also yields content for media coverage which addresses an indefinite public in line with Michael Warner’s conceptualisation of publics. Digital genomic texts promise empowerment, personalisation and community, but this promise may obscure the compliance and proscription associated with these forms. The kinds of interaction here
can be compared to those analysed by Andrew Barry. Direct-to-consumer genetics companies are part of a network providing an infrastructure for genomic reading publics and this network can be mapped and examined to demonstrate the ways in which this formation both exacerbates inequalities and offers possibilities for participation in biodigital culture
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