1,667 research outputs found
Classification of radiating compact stars
A classification of compact stars, depending on the electron distribution in velocity space and the density profiles characterizing their magnetospheric plasma, is proposed. Fast pulsars, such as NP 0532, X-ray sources such as Sco-X1, and slow pulsars are suggested as possible evolutionary stages of similar objects. The heating mechanism of Sco-X1 is discussed in some detail
Dynamics of resistive double tearing modes with broad linear spectra
The nonlinear evolution of resistive double tearing modes (DTMs) with safety
factor values q=1 and q=3 is studied in a reduced cylindrical model of a
tokamak plasma. We focus on cases where the resonant surfaces are a small
distance apart. Recent numerical studies have shown that in such configurations
high-m modes are strongly unstable. In this paper, it is first demonstrated
that linear DTM theory predicts the dominance of high-m DTMs. A semi-empirical
formula for estimating the poloidal mode number of the fastest growing mode,
m_peak, is obtained from the existing linear theory. Second, using nonlinear
simulations, it is shown that the presence of fast growing high-m modes leads
to a rapid turbulent collapse in an annular region, whereby small magnetic
island structures form. Furthermore, consideration is given to the evolution of
low-m modes, in particular the global m=1 internal kink, which can undergo
nonlinear driving through coupling to fast growing linear high-m DTMs. Factors
influencing the details of the dynamics are discussed. These results may be
relevant for the understanding of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity near
the minimum of q and may thus be of interest to studies concerned with
stability and confinement in advanced tokamaks.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
Reduced magnetohydrodynamic theory of oblique plasmoid instabilities
The three-dimensional nature of plasmoid instabilities is studied using the
reduced magnetohydrodynamic equations. For a Harris equilibrium with guide
field, represented by \vc{B}_o = B_{po} \tanh (x/\lambda) \hat{y} + B_{zo}
\hat{z}, a spectrum of modes are unstable at multiple resonant surfaces in the
current sheet, rather than just the null surface of the polodial field , which is the only resonant surface in 2D or in
the absence of a guide field. Here is the asymptotic value of the
equilibrium poloidal field, is the constant equilibrium guide field,
and is the current sheet width. Plasmoids on each resonant surface
have a unique angle of obliquity . The resonant
surface location for angle is x_s = - \lambda \arctanh (\tan \theta
B_{zo}/B_{po}), and the existence of a resonant surface requires . The most unstable angle is oblique, i.e. and , in the constant- regime, but parallel, i.e.
and , in the nonconstant- regime. For a fixed angle
of obliquity, the most unstable wavenumber lies at the intersection of the
constant- and nonconstant- regimes. The growth rate of this mode is
, in which
, is the Alfv\'{e}n speed, is the current sheet
length, and is the Lundquist number. The number of plasmoids scales as .Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Physics of Plasma
Coffee as a nutraceutical beverage
In a recent paper we found that coffee consumption was associated with a decreased risk of developing asymptomatic PAD in a selected population of pre-menopausal women (Mattioli, Migaldi, & Farinetti, 2018). Women with high coffee consumption had a good adherence to Mediterranean Diet and high levels of physical activity suggesting a healthier lifestyle, a known factor of prevention of atherosclerosis
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