33,089 research outputs found
Heat-transfer tests on the Rockwell International space shuttle orbiter with and without simulated protuberances
Aerothermodynamic tests on the forward half of the Rockwell International Space Shuttle Orbiter Configuration 140C were conducted at Mach number 8. The phase-change paint and thin-skin thermocouple techniques were used to determine the aerodynamic heating rates on the Orbiter models during simulated atmospheric reentry. Smooth 0.04-scale models and models with scaled protuberances and indentations which simulated the windshields, cargo bay door hinges, vents, and thruster nozzles were tested over an angle-of-attack range from 20 to 45 deg at yaw angles from -5 to 5 deg and at Reynolds numbers, based on the total Orbiter scaled length, from 2.15 to 15.9 million. Comparisons of the model heat-transfer rates obtained with a smooth surface and with scaled protuberances are presented
Magnetic fields and differential rotation on the pre-main sequence
Maps of magnetic field topologies of rapidly rotating stars obtained over the last decade or so have provided unique insight into the operation of stellar dynamos. However, for solar-type stars many of the targets imaged to date have been lower-mass zero-age main sequence stars. We present magnetic maps and differential rotation measurements of two-higher mass pre-main sequence stars HD 106506 (~10 Myrs) and HD 141943 (~15 Myrs). These stars should evolve into mid/late F-stars with predicted high differential rotation and little magnetic activity. We investigate what effect the extended convection zones of these pre-main sequence stars has on their differential rotation and magnetic topologies. ©2009 American Institute of Physic
Saturated laser fluorescence in turbulent sooting flames at high pressure
The primary objective was to develop a quantitative, single pulse, laser-saturated fluorescence (LSF) technique for measurement of radical species concentrations in practical flames. The species of immediate interest was the hydroxyl radical. Measurements were made in both turbulent premixed diffusion flames at pressures between 1 and 20 atm. Interferences from Mie scattering were assessed by doping with particles or by controlling soot loading through variation of equivalence ratio and fuel type. The efficacy of the LSF method at high pressure was addressed by comparing fluorescence and adsorption measurements in a premixed, laminar flat flame at 1-20 atm. Signal-averaging over many laser shots is sufficient to determine the local concentration of radical species in laminar flames. However, for turbulent flames, single pulse measurements are more appropriate since a statistically significant number of laser pulses is needed to determine the probability function (PDF). PDFs can be analyzed to give true average properties and true local kinetics in turbulent, chemically reactive flows
HST-FOS Observations of M87: Ly-a Emission from the Active Galactic Nucleus
The Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope was used to
obtain spectra of the central region of M87. These spectra cover the wavelength
range 1140 - 1606 Angstrom and have a resolution of about 1 Angstrom. The
nuclear continuum is clearly visible in the spectra. The only strong line that
is observed is Ly-alpha, which has a velocity width of about 3000 km/sec. There
is also a marginal detection of C IV 1549. The ratio of Ly-alpha to C IV in the
nuclear spectrum is at least a factor of 2 higher than in a spectrum taken at a
position on the disk about 0.6" away from the nucleus by Dopita et al. This
enhancement of Ly-alpha at the nucleus could point to significant differences
in the properties of the emitting gas and/or the excitation mechanism between
the outer and inner disk regions. The strength of the observed Ly-alpha places
limits on the properties of the absorbing gas present within M87. For instance,
if the hydrogen column at the systemic velocity of M87 is greater than about
10^18 cm^{-2} then it can cover only a small fraction of the line emitting
region. Spectra separated by 5 days show a 60% difference in the Ly-alpha flux,
but the same continuum level. This could be due to either a displacement
between the aperture positions for the two sets of observations, or it could be
due to intrinsic variability of the source. The current observations do not
strongly favor either of these alternatives. The observations do show, however,
that the Ly-alpha line is a useful tracer of kinematics in the M87 nucleus.Comment: 14 pages + 5 figures. LaTeX uses aaspp4.sty. Accepted for publication
in the Astrophysical Journa
Symplectic structure for elastic and chiral conducting cosmic string models
This article is based on the covariant canonical formalism and corresponding
symplectic structure on phase space developed by Witten, Zuckerman and others
in the context of field theory. After recalling the basic principles of this
procedure, we construct the conserved bilinear symplectic current for generic
elastic string models. These models describe current carrying cosmic strings
evolving in an arbitrary curved background spacetime. Particular attention is
paid to the special case of the chiral string for which the worldsheet current
is null. Different formulations of the chiral string action are discussed in
detail, and as a result the integrability property of the chiral string is
clarified.Comment: 18 page
Evidence for Three Subpopulations of Globular Clusters in the Early-Type Post-Starburst Shell Galaxy AM 0139-655
We present deep HST ACS images of the post-starburt shell galaxy AM 0139-655.
We find evidence for the presence of three distinct globular cluster
subpopulations associated with this galaxy: a centrally concentrated young
population (~ 0.4 Gyr), an intermediate age population (~ 1 Gyr) and an old,
metal-poor population similar to that seen around normal galaxies. The g-I
color distribution of the clusters is bimodal with peaks at 0.85 and 1.35. The
redder peak at g-I=1.35 is consistent with the predicted color for an old
metal-poor population. The clusters associated with the peak at g-I=0.85 are
centrally concentrated and interpreted as a younger and more metal-rich
population. We suggest that these clusters have an age of ~ 0.4 Gyr and solar
metallicity based on a comparison with population synthesis models. The
luminosity function of these "blue" clusters is well represented by a power
law. Interestingly, the brightest shell associated with the galaxy harbors some
of the youngest clusters observed. This seems to indicate that the same merger
event was responsible for the formation of both the shells and the young
clusters. The red part of the color distribution contains several very bright
clusters, which are not expected for an old, metal-poor population.
Furthermore, the luminosity function of the "red" GCs cannot be fit well by
either a single gaussian or a single power law. A composite (gaussian + power
law) fit to the LF of the red clusters yields both a low rms and very plausible
properties for an old population plus an intermediate-age population of GCs.
Hence, we suggest that the red clusters in AM 0139-655 consist of two distinct
GC subpopulations, one being an old, metal-poor population as seen in normal
galaxies and one having formed during a recent dissipative galaxy merger.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A
Poly-essential and general Hyperelastic World (brane) models
This article provides a unified treatment of an extensive category of
non-linear classical field models whereby the universe is represented (perhaps
as a brane in a higher dimensional background) in terms of a structure of a
mathematically convenient type describable as hyperelastic, for which a
complete set of equations of motion is provided just by the energy-momentum
conservation law. Particular cases include those of a perfect fluid in
quintessential backgrounds of various kinds, as well as models of the elastic
solid kind that has been proposed to account for cosmic acceleration. It is
shown how an appropriately generalised Hadamard operator can be used to
construct a symplectic structure that controles the evolution of small
perturbations, and that provides a characteristic equation governing the
propagation of weak discontinuities of diverse (extrinsic and extrinsic) kinds.
The special case of a poly-essential model - the k-essential analogue of an
ordinary polytropic fluid - is examined and shown to be well behaved (like the
fluid) only if the pressure to density ratio is positive.Comment: 16 pages Latex, Contrib. to 10th Peyresq Pysics Meeting, June 2005:
Micro and Macro Structures of Spacetim
Differential rotation of Kepler-71 via transit photometry mapping of faculae and starspots
Knowledge of dynamo evolution in solar-type stars is limited by the difficulty of using active region monitoring to measure stellar differential rotation, a key probe of stellar dynamo physics. This paper addresses the problem by presenting the first ever measurement of stellar differential rotation for a main-sequence solar-type star using starspots and faculae to provide complementary information. Our analysis uses modelling of light curves of multiple exoplanet transits for the young solar-type star Kepler-71, utilizing archival data from the Kepler mission. We estimate the physical characteristics of starspots and faculae on Kepler-71 from the characteristic amplitude variations they produce in the transit light curves and measure differential rotation from derived longitudes. Despite the higher contrast of faculae than those in the Sun, the bright features on Kepler-71 have similar properties such as increasing contrast towards the limb and larger sizes than sunspots. Adopting a solar-type differential rotation profile (faster rotation at the equator than the poles), the results from both starspot and facula analysis indicate a rotational shear less than about 0.005 rad d-1, or a relative differential rotation less than 2 per cent, and hence almost rigid rotation. This rotational shear contrasts with the strong rotational shear of zero-age main-sequence stars and the modest but significant shear of the modern-day Sun. Various explanations for the likely rigid rotation are considered
Observation of a possible superflare on Proxima Centauri
We report the observation on UT 2017 July 1 of an unusually powerful flare detected in near-infrared continuum photometry of Proxima Centauri. During a campaign monitoring the star for possible exoplanet transits, we identified an increase in Sloan i' flux leading to an observed peak at BJD 2457935.996 that was at least 10 per cent over pre-flare flux in this band. It was followed by a two-component rapid decline in the first 100 s that became a slower exponential decay with time constant of 1350 s. A smaller flare event 1300 s after the first added an incremental peak flux increase of 1 per cent of pre-flare flux. Since the onset of the flare was not fully time resolved at a cadence of 62 s, its actual peak value is unknown but greater than the time average over a single exposure of 20 s. The i' band is representative of broad optical and near-IR continuum flux over which the integrated energy of the flare is 100 times the stellar luminosity. This meets the criteria that established the concept of superflares on similar stars. The resulting implied ultraviolet flux and space weather could have had an extreme effect on the atmospheres of planets within the star's otherwise habitable zone
B-R Colors of Globular Clusters in NGC 6166 (A2199)
We have analysed new R-band photometry of globular clusters in NGC 6166, the
cD galaxy in the cooling flow cluster A2199. In combination with the earlier B
photometry of Pritchet \& Harris (1990), we obtain BR colours for 40
globular clusters in NGC 6166. The mean BR is 1.26 0.11, corresponding
to a mean [Fe/H] = 1 0.4. Given that NGC 6166 is one of the most
luminous cD galaxies studied to date, our result implies significant scatter in
the relationship between mean cluster [Fe/H] and parent galaxy luminosity. We
obtain a globular cluster specific frequency of S 9, with a possible
range between 5 and 18. This value is inconsistent with the value of S
4 determined earlier by Pritchet \& Harris (1990) from B-band
photometry, and we discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy. Finally, we
reassess whether or not cooling flows are an important mechanism for forming
globular clusters in gE/cD galaxies.Comment: 8 pages, uuencoded, gzipped tar file with latex file, 6 figures (Fig
1 omitted because of size), and mn.sty file. Figures will be embedded into
the postscript file. Accepted (March 1996) for publication in MNRA
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