Observational goals for Max '91 to identify the causative agent for impulsive bursts

Recent studies of impulsive hard x ray and microwave bursts suggest that a propagating causative agent with a characteristic velocity of the order of 1000 km/s is responsible for these bursts. The results of these studies are summarized and observable distinguishing characteristics of the various possible agents are highlighted, with emphasis on key observational goals for the Max '91 campaigns. The most likely causative agents suggested by the evidence are shocks, thermal conduction fronts, and propagating modes of magnetic reconnection in flare plasmas. With new instrumentation planned for Max '91, high spatial resolution observations of hard x ray sources have the potential to identify the agent by revealing detailed features of source spatial evolution. Observations with the Very Large Array and other radio imaging instruments are of great importance, as well as detailed modeling of coronal loop structures to place limits on their density and temperature profiles. With the combined hard x ray and microwave imaging observations, aided by loop model results, the simplest causative agent to rule out would be the propagating modes of magnetic reconnection. To fit the observational evidence, reconnection modes would need to travel at approximately the same velocity (the Alfven velocity) in different coronal structures that vary in length by a factor of 10(exp 3). Over such a vast range in loop lengths, it is difficult to believe that the Alfven velocity is constant. Thermal conduction fronts would be suggested by sources that expand along the direction of B and exhibit relatively little particle precipitation. Particle acceleration due to shocks could produce more diverse radially expanding source geometries with precipitation at loop footprints

Two-dimensional polymer networks at a mixed boundary: Surface and wedge exponents

We provide general formulae for the configurational exponents of an arbitrary polymer network connected to the surface of an arbitrary wedge of the two-dimensional plane, where the surface is allowed to assume a general mixture of boundary conditions on either side of the wedge. We report on a comprehensive study of a linear chain by exact enumeration, with various attachments of the walk's ends to the surface, in wedges of angles $\pi/2$ and $\pi$, with general mixed boundary conditions.Comment: 4 pages, Latex2e, 3 figures, Eur. Phys. J. B macro

Surface width scaling in noise reduced Eden clusters

The surface width scaling of Eden A clusters grown from a single aggregate site on the square lattice is investigated as a function of the noise reduction parameter. A two-exponent scaling ansatz is introduced and used to fit the results from simulations covering the range from fully stochastic to the zero-noise limit.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 3 figure

Spots available at the WebGro Training Workshops

The genetic yield potential of soybeans in the Midwestern United States is estimated to be approximately 100 bushels per acre, based on results from small-plot studies. However, field and statewide average yields are much lower. Soybean yield is the result of complex interactions between genetics, management, environment, fertility, and stresses. Water stress is often viewed as the biggest underlying factor resulting in yield loss. However, other factors such as soybean cyst nematodes, Rhizoctonia root rot, and hail damage can also cause significant injury to soybean yields

Parametric forcing approach to rough-wall turbulent channel flow

The effects of rough surfaces on turbulent channel flow are modelled by an extra force term in the Navier–Stokes equations. This force term contains two parameters, related to the density and the height of the roughness elements, and a shape function, which regulates the influence of the force term with respect to the distance from the channel wall. This permits a more flexible specification of a rough surface than a single parameter such as the equivalent sand grain roughness. The effects of the roughness force term on turbulent channel flow have been investigated for a large number of parameter combinations and several shape functions by direct numerical simulations. It is possible to cover the full spectrum of rough flows ranging from hydraulically smooth through transitionally rough to fully rough cases. By using different parameter combinations and shape functions, it is possible to match the effects of different types of rough surfaces. Mean flow and standard turbulence statistics have been used to compare the results to recent experimental and numerical studies and a good qualitative agreement has been found. Outer scaling is preserved for the streamwise velocity for both the mean profile as well as its mean square fluctuations in all but extremely rough cases. The structure of the turbulent flow shows a trend towards more isotropic turbulent states within the roughness layer. In extremely rough cases, spanwise structures emerge near the wall and the turbulent state resembles a mixing layer. A direct comparison with the study of Ashrafian, Andersson & Manhart (Intl J. Heat Fluid Flow, vol. 25, 2004, pp. 373–383) shows a good quantitative agreement of the mean flow and Reynolds stresses everywhere except in the immediate vicinity of the rough wall. The proposed roughness force term may be of benefit as a wall model for direct and large-eddy numerical simulations in cases where the exact details of the flow over a rough wall can be neglecte

Soybean composition variance in fields

Much attention has been given to determining the causes of soybean yield variability across fields. However, little attention has been given to whether seed composition may contribute to the variability. In 1998, researchers at Iowa State University measured soybean protein and oil variability across a 50-acre field in central Iowa. The field contained a single variety, and approximately 10 soybean plants were collected from 50 points uniformly distributed across the field. The seeds were sampled for oil and protein content. Protein ranged from 34.4 to 37.9 percent, whereas oil ranged from 18.1 to 19.8 percent

Decimetric gyrosynchrotron emission during a solar flare

A decimetric, microwave, and hard X-ray burst was observed during a solar flare in which the radio spectrum below peak flux fits an f+2 power law over more than a decade in frequency. The spectrum is interpreted to mean that the radio emission originated in a homogeneous, thermal, gyrosynchrotron source. This is the first time that gyrosynchrotron radiation has been identified at such low decimetric frequencies (900-998) MHz). The radio emission was cotemporal with the largest single hard X-ray spike burst ever reported. The spectrum of the hard X-ray burst can be well represented by a thermal bremsstrahlung function over the energy range from 30 to 463 keV at the time of maximum flux. The temporal coincidence and thermal form of both the X-ray and radio spectra suggest a common source electron distribution. The unusual low-frequency extent of the single-temperature thermal radio spectrum and its association with the hard X-ray burst imply that the source had an area approx. 10(18) sq cm a temperature approx 5x10(8) K, an electron density approx. 7.10(9) cu cm and a magnetic field of approx. 120 G. H(alpha) and 400-800 MHz evidence suggest that a loop structure of length 10,000 km existed in the flare active region which could have been the common, thermal source of the observed impulsive emissions