19,171 research outputs found
The dust and gas content of the Crab Nebula
We have constructed MOCASSIN photoionization plus dust radiative transfer
models for the Crab Nebula core-collapse supernova (CCSN) remnant, using either
smooth or clumped mass distributions, in order to determine the chemical
composition and masses of the nebular gas and dust. We computed models for
several different geometries suggested for the nebular matter distribution but
found that the observed gas and dust spectra are relatively insensitive to
these geometries, being determined mainly by the spectrum of the pulsar wind
nebula which ionizes and heats the nebula. Smooth distribution models are ruled
out since they require 16-49 Msun of gas to fit the integrated optical nebular
line fluxes, whereas our clumped models re quire 7.0 Msun of gas. A global
gas-phase C/O ratio of 1.65 by number is derived, along with a He/H number
ratio of 1.85, neither of which can be matched by current CCSN yield
predictions. A carbonaceous dust composition is favoured by the observed
gas-phase C/O ratio: amorphous carbon clumped model fits to the Crab's Herschel
and Spitzer infrared spectral energy distribution imply the presence of
0.18-0.27 Msun of dust, corresponding to a gas to dust mass ratio of 26-39.
Mixed dust chemistry models can also be accommodated, comprising 0.11-0.13 Msun
of amorphous carbon and 0.39-0.47 Msun of silicates. Power-law grain size
distributions with mass distributions that are weighted towards the largest
grain radii are derived, favouring their longer-term survival when they
eventually interact with the interstellar medium. The total mass of gas plus
dust in the Crab Nebula is 7.2 +/- 0.5 Msun, consistent with a progenitor star
mass of 9 Msun.Comment: Accepted in Ap
Three-Dimensional Ionisation, Dust RT and Chemical Modelling of Planetary Nebulae
The assumption of spherical symmetry is not justified for the vast majority
of PNe. The interpretation of spatially-resolved observations cannot rely
solely on the application of 1D codes, which may yield incorrect abundances
determinations resulting in misleading conclusions. The 3D photoionisation code
MOCASSIN (Monte CAarlo SimulationS of ionised Nebulae) is designed to remedy
these shortcomings. The 3D transfer of both primary and secondary radiation is
treated self-consistently without the need of approximations. The code was
benchmarked and has been applied to the study of several PNe. The current
version includes a fully self-consistent radiative transfer treatment for dust
grains mixed within the gas, taking into account the microphysics of dust-gas
interactions within the geometry-independent Monte Carlo transfer. The new code
provides an excellent tool for the self-consistent analysis of dusty ionised
regions showing asymmetries and/or density and chemical inhomogeneities. Work
is currently in progress to incorporate the processes that dominate the thermal
balance of photo-dissociation regions (PDRs), as well as the formation and
destruction processes for all the main molecular species.Comment: 3 pages, to appear in Proc. IAU Symp. 234, Planetary Nebulae in Our
Galaxy and Beyond (3-7 Apr 2006), eds. M.J. Barlow & R.H. Mendez (Cambridge
Univ. Press
Preliminary analysis of long-range aircraft designs for future heavy airlift missions
A computerized design study of very large cargo aircraft for the future heavy airlift mission was conducted using the Aircraft Synthesis program (ACSYNT). The study was requested by the Air Force under an agreement whereby Ames provides computerized design support to the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory. This effort is part of an overall Air Force program to study advanced technology large aircraft systems. Included in the Air Force large aircraft program are investigations of missions such as heavy airlift, airborne missile launch, battle platform, command and control, and aerial tanker. The Ames studies concentrated on large cargo aircraft of conventional design with payloads from 250,000 to 350,000 lb. Range missions up to 6500 n.mi. and radius missions up to 3600 n.mi. have been considered. Takeoff and landing distances between 7,000 and 10,000 ft are important constraints on the configuration concepts. The results indicate that a configuration employing conventional technology in all disciplinary areas weighs approximately 2 million pounds to accomplish either a 6500-n.mi. range mission or a 3600-n.mi. radius mission with a 350,000-lb payload
Full-scale aerodynamic characteristics of a propellar installed on a small twin-engine aircraft wing panel
Full-scale measurements of shaft thrust and torque were made. Wind-tunnel speeds and blade angles were set for full-scale flight conditions. Excellent quality measurements were obtained of the thrust coefficient, the power coefficient, and the propeller efficiency for various values of the advance ratio and the blade incidence angle at 3/4-blade radius. A conventional propeller theory found in the literature was applied to the present results. Although thrust, power, and efficiency were somewhat overpredicted, the advance ratio for maximum efficiency was predicted quite accurately. It was found that, for some conditions, spinner drag could be significant. A simple correction that was based on the spinner base pressure substantially accounted for the changes in efficiency that resulted from this cause
Mocassin: A fully three-dimensional Monte Carlo photoionization code
The study of photoionized environments is fundamental to many astrophysical
problems. Up to the present most photoionization codes have numerically solved
the equations of radiative transfer by making the extreme simplifying
assumption of spherical symmetry. Unfortunately very few real astronomical
nebulae satisfy this requirement. To remedy these shortcomings, a
self-consistent, three-dimensional radiative transfer code has been developed
using Monte Carlo techniques. The code, Mocassin, is designed to build
realistic models of photoionized nebulae having arbitraries geometry and
density distributions with both the stellar and diffuse radiation fields
treated self-consistently. In addition, the code is capable of tretating on or
more exciting stars located at non-central locations. The gaseous region is
approximated by a cuboidal Cartesian grid composed of numerous cells. The
physical conditions within each grid cell are determined by solving the thermal
equilibrium and ionization balance equations This requires a knowledge of the
local primary and secondary radiation fields, which are calculated
self-consistently by locally simulating the individual processes of ionization
and recombination. The main structure and computational methods used in the
Mocassin code are described in this paper. Mocassin has been benchmarked
against established one-dimensional spherically symmetric codes for a number of
standard cases, as defined by the Lexington/Meudon photoionization workshops
(Pequignot et al., 1986; Ferland et al., 1995; Pequignot et al.,
2001)\citep{pequignot86,ferland95, pequignot01}. The results obtained for the
benchmark cases are satisfactory and are presented in this paper. A performance
analysis has also been carried out and is discussed here.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 appendix Changes: appendix adde
Spring changes in phytoplankton abundance in a deep estuary, Hood Canal, Washington
Spring changes in abundance of plankton pigments (Jan.-May, 1953) in Hood Canal, a deep estuary on the coast of the State of Washington, a.re described. Since there was a less dense brackish surface layer throughout the period of observation, these changes in plankton abundance are not a result of changes in the stability of the water column such as those that initiate spring flowering in temperate coastal waters...
Effect of wind on salinity distribution in an estuary
The distribution of salinity in a small tidal estuary, Great Pond, through a period of over a year is described. The numerous important variations in salinity, both seasonal and short-term, cannot be attributed to tides or to day-to-day changes in the supply of fresh water. It is shown that they are related to day-to-day changes in wind force and direction and that the general seasonal change in average salinity is related to a general seasonal change in prevailing winds
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The environmental impact of wind turbine blades
The first generation of wind turbine (WT) blades are now reaching their end of life, signalling the beginning of a large problem for the future. Currently most waste is sent to landfill, which is not an environmentally desirable solution. Awareness of this issue is rising, but no studies have fully assessed the eco impact of WT blades. The present study aims to provide a macroscopic quantitative assessment of the lifetime environmental impact of WT blades. The first stage has been to analyse global data to calculate the amount of WT blade materials consumed in the past. The life cycle environmental impact of a single WT blade has then been estimated using eco data for raw materials, manufacturing processes, transportation, and operation and maintenance processes. For a typical 45.2 meter 1.5 MW blade this is 795 GJ (CO2 footprint 42.1 tonnes), dominated by manufacturing processes and raw materials (96% of the total. Based on the 2014 installed capacity, the total mass of WTB is 78 kt, their energy consumption is 82 TJ and the carbon dioxide footprint is 4.35 Mt. These figures will provide a basis for suggesting possible solutions to reduce WTB environmental impact.China Scholarship CouncilThis is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the Institute of Physics via http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/139/1/01203
Chemical abundances for Hf 2-2, a planetary nebula with the strongest known heavy element recombination lines
We present high quality optical spectroscopic observations of the planetary
nebula (PN) Hf 2-2. The spectrum exhibits many prominent optical recombination
lines (ORLs) from heavy element ions. Analysis of the H {\sc i} and He {\sc i}
recombination spectrum yields an electron temperature of K, a factor
of ten lower than given by the collisionally excited [O {\sc iii}] forbidden
lines. The ionic abundances of heavy elements relative to hydrogen derived from
ORLs are about a factor of 70 higher than those deduced from collisionally
excited lines (CELs) from the same ions, the largest abundance discrepancy
factor (adf) ever measured for a PN. By comparing the observed O {\sc ii}
4089/4649 ORL ratio to theoretical value as a function of
electron temperature, we show that the O {\sc ii} ORLs arise from ionized
regions with an electron temperature of only K. The current
observations thus provide the strongest evidence that the nebula contains
another previously unknown component of cold, high metallicity gas, which is
too cool to excite any significant optical or UV CELs and is thus invisible via
such lines. The existence of such a plasma component in PNe provides a natural
solution to the long-standing dichotomy between nebular plasma diagnostics and
abundance determinations using CELs on the one hand and ORLs on the other.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices
of the Royal Astronomical Societ
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