912 research outputs found
Voltage dip generator for testing wind turbines connected to electrical networks
This paper describes a new voltage dip generator that allows the shape of the time profile of the voltage generated to be configured. The use of this device as a tool to test the fault ride-through capability of wind turbines connected to the electricity grid can provide some remarkable benefits: First, this system offers the possibility of adapting the main features of the timeâvoltage profile generated (dip depth, dip duration, the ramp slope during the recovery process after clearing fault, etc.) to the specific requirements set forth by the grid operation codes, in accordance with different network electrical systems standards. Second, another remarkable ability of this system is to provide sinusoidal voltage and current wave forms during the overall testing process without the presence of harmonic components. This is made possible by the absence of electronic converters. Finally, the paper includes results and a discussion on the experimental data obtained with the use of a reduced size laboratory prototype that was constructed to validate the operating features of this new device
Electronically highly cubic conditions for Ru in alpha-RuCl3
We studied the local Ru 4d electronic structure of alpha-RuCl3 by means of
polarization dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ru-L2,3 edges. We
observed a vanishingly small linear dichroism indicating that electronically
the Ru 4d local symmetry is highly cubic. Using full multiplet cluster
calculations we were able to reproduce the spectra excellently and to extract
that the trigonal splitting of the t2g orbitals is -12 meV, i.e.
negligible as compared to the Ru 4d spin-orbit coupling constant. Consistent
with our magnetic circular dichroism measurements, we found that the ratio of
the orbital and spin moments is 2.0, the value expected for a Jeff = 1/2 ground
state. We have thus shown that as far as the Ru 4d local properties are
concerned, alpha-RuCl3 is an ideal candidate for the realization of Kitaev
physics
Femtoscale magnetically induced lattice distortions in multiferroic TbMnO3
Magneto-electric multiferroics exemplified by TbMnO3 possess both magnetic
and ferroelectric long-range order. The magnetic order is mostly understood,
whereas the nature of the ferroelectricity has remained more elusive. Competing
models proposed to explain the ferroelectricity are associated respectively
with charge transfer and ionic displacements. Exploiting the magneto-electric
coupling, we use an electric field to produce a single magnetic domain state,
and a magnetic field to induce ionic displacements. Under these conditions,
interference charge-magnetic X-ray scattering arises, encoding the amplitude
and phase of the displacements. When combined with a theoretical analysis, our
data allow us to resolve the ionic displacements at the femtoscale, and show
that such displacements make a significant contribution to the zero-field
ferroelectric moment.Comment: This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by
permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The
definitive version was published in Science VOL 333, (2011),
doi:10.1126/science.120808
Near-Infrared Polarimetric Adaptive Optics Observations of NGC 1068: A torus created by a hydromagnetic outflow wind
We present J' and K' imaging linear polarimetric adaptive optics observations
of NGC 1068 using MMT-Pol on the 6.5-m MMT. These observations allow us to
study the torus from a magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) framework. In a 0.5" (30 pc)
aperture at K', we find that polarisation arising from the passage of radiation
from the inner edge of the torus through magnetically aligned dust grains in
the clumps is the dominant polarisation mechanism, with an intrinsic
polarisation of 7.0%2.2%. This result yields a torus magnetic field
strength in the range of 482 mG through paramagnetic alignment, and
139 mG through the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. The measured
position angle (P.A.) of polarisation at K is found to be similar to the
P.A. of the obscuring dusty component at few parsec scales using infrared
interferometric techniques. We show that the constant component of the magnetic
field is responsible for the alignment of the dust grains, and aligned with the
torus axis onto the plane of the sky. Adopting this magnetic field
configuration and the physical conditions of the clumps in the MHD outflow wind
model, we estimate a mass outflow rate 0.17 M yr at 0.4
pc from the central engine for those clumps showing near-infrared dichroism.
The models used were able to create the torus in a timescale of 10
yr with a rotational velocity of 1228 km s at 0.4 pc. We conclude
that the evolution, morphology and kinematics of the torus in NGC 1068 can be
explained within a MHD framework.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by MNRA
Tuning the assembling process of modules by the use of proper equipment
The tuning of the assembly line of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) modules is an important task to ensure
that the efficiency of modules made at the production line is as high as those fabricated in the development phase. A solar simulator for CPV and a module optical analyzer (MOA) are proposed to be used in production to improve the quality of the assembling process (both during the tuning of the production line and once it is completed). Moreover, the usefulness of performing a quality control based on maximum power and optical pointing of modules is discussed by performing a deep analysis of some modules manufactured in the production line and characterized both indoors and outdoors
Regularization Methods in Chiral Perturbation Theory
Chiral lagrangians describing the interactions of Goldstone bosons in a
theory possessing spontaneous symmetry breaking are effective,
non-renormalizable field theories in four dimensions. Yet, in a momentum
expansion one is able to extract definite, testable predictions from
perturbation theory. These techniques have yielded in recent years a wealth of
information on many problems where the physics of Goldstone bosons plays a
crucial role, but theoretical issues concerning chiral perturbation theory
remain, to this date, poorly treated in the literature. We present here a
rather comprehensive analysis of the regularization and renormalization
ambiguities appearing in chiral perturbation theory at the one loop level. We
discuss first on the relevance of dealing with tadpoles properly. We
demonstrate that Ward identities severely constrain the choice of regulators to
the point of enforcing unique, unambiguous results in chiral perturbation
theory at the one-loop level for any observable which is renormalization-group
invariant. We comment on the physical implications of these results and on
several possible regulating methods that may be of use for some applications.Comment: 37 pages, 5 figs. not included (available upon request), LaTeX,
PREPRINT UB-ECM-PF 93/1
On the difference of torus geometry between hidden and non-hidden broad line active galactic nuclei
We present results from the fitting of infrared (IR) spectral energy
distributions of 21 active galactic nuclei (AGN) with clumpy torus models. We
compiled high spatial resolution (-- arcsec) mid-IR -band
spectroscopy, -band imaging and nuclear near- and mid-IR photometry from the
literature. Combining these nuclear near- and mid-IR observations, far-IR
photometry and clumpy torus models, enables us to put constraints on the torus
properties and geometry. We divide the sample into three types according to the
broad line region (BLR) properties; type-1s, type-2s with scattered or hidden
broad line region (HBLR) previously observed, and type-2s without any published
HBLR signature (NHBLR). Comparing the torus model parameters gives us the first
quantitative torus geometrical view for each subgroup. We find that NHBLR AGN
have smaller torus opening angles and larger covering factors than those of
HBLR AGN. This suggests that the chance to observe scattered (polarized) flux
from the BLR in NHBLR could be reduced by the dual effects of (a) less
scattering medium due to the reduced scattering volume given the small torus
opening angle and (b) the increased torus obscuration between the observer and
the scattering region. These effects give a reasonable explanation for the lack
of observed HBLR in some type-2 AGN.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Calibration of Monochromatic Far-Infrared Star Formation Rate Indicators
(Abridged) Spitzer data at 24, 70, and 160 micron and ground-based H-alpha
images are analyzed for a sample of 189 nearby star-forming and starburst
galaxies to investigate whether reliable star formation rate (SFR) indicators
can be defined using the monochromatic infrared dust emission centered at 70
and 160 micron. We compare recently published recipes for SFR measures using
combinations of the 24 micron and observed H-alpha luminosities with those
using 24 micron luminosity alone. From these comparisons, we derive a reference
SFR indicator for use in our analysis. Linear correlations between SFR and the
70 and 160 micron luminosity are found for L(70)>=1.4x10^{42} erg/s and
L(160)>=2x10^{42} erg/s, corresponding to SFR>=0.1-0.3 M_sun/yr. Below those
two luminosity limits, the relation between SFR and 70 micron (160 micron)
luminosity is non-linear and SFR calibrations become problematic. The
dispersion of the data around the mean trend increases for increasing
wavelength, becoming about 25% (factor ~2) larger at 70 (160) micron than at 24
micron. The increasing dispersion is likely an effect of the increasing
contribution to the infrared emission of dust heated by stellar populations not
associated with the current star formation. The non-linear relation between SFR
and the 70 and 160 micron emission at faint galaxy luminosities suggests that
the increasing transparency of the interstellar medium, decreasing effective
dust temperature, and decreasing filling factor of star forming regions across
the galaxy become important factors for decreasing luminosity. The SFR
calibrations are provided for galaxies with oxygen abundance 12+Log(O/H)>8.1.
At lower metallicity the infrared luminosity no longer reliably traces the SFR
because galaxies are less dusty and more transparent.Comment: 69 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication on Ap
Orbital Ordering Structures in (Nd,Pr)0.5Sr0.5MnO3 Manganite Thin Films on Perovskite (011) Substrates
Structural study of orbital-ordered manganite thin films has been conducted
using synchrotron radiation, and a ground state electronic phase diagram is
made. The lattice parameters of four manganite thin films, Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3
(NSMO) or Pr0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (PSMO) on (011) surfaces of SrTiO3 (STO) or
[(LaAlO3){0.3}(SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3){0.7}] (LSAT), were measured as a function of
temperature. The result shows, as expected based on previous knowledge of bulk
materials, that the films' resistivity is closely related to their structures.
Observed superlattice reflections indicate that NSMO thin films have an
antiferro-orbital-ordered phase as their low-temperature phase while PSMO film
on LSAT has a ferro-orbital-ordered phase, and that on STO has no
orbital-ordered phase. A metallic ground state was observed only in films
having a narrow region of A-site ion radius, while larger ions favor
ferro-orbital-ordered structure and smaller ions stabilize
antiferro-orbital-ordered structure. The key to the orbital-ordering transition
in (011) film is found to be the in-plane displacement along [0-1 1] direction.Comment: 19pages, 11 figure
A novel behavioral fish model of nociception for testing analgesics
Pain is a major symptom in many medical conditions, and often interferes significantly with a person's quality of life. Although a priority topic in medical research for many years, there are still few analgesic drugs approved for clinical use. One reason is the lack of appropriate animal models that faithfully represent relevant hallmarks associated with human pain. Here we propose zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a novel short-term behavioral model of nociception, and analyse its sensitivity and robustness. Firstly, we injected two different doses of acetic acid as the noxious stimulus. We studied individual locomotor responses of fish to a threshold level of nociception using two recording systems: a video tracking system and an electric biosensor (the MOBS system). We showed that an injection dose of 10% acetic acid resulted in a change in behavior that could be used to study nociception. Secondly, we validated our behavioral model by investigating the effect of the analgesic morphine. In time-course studies, first we looked at the dose-response relationship of morphine and then tested whether the effect of morphine could be modulated by naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Our results suggest that a change in behavioral responses of zebrafish to acetic acid is a reasonable model to test analgesics. The response scales with stimulus intensity, is attenuated by morphine, and the analgesic effect of morphine is blocked with naloxone. The change in behavior of zebrafish associated with the noxious stimulus can be monitored with an electric biosensor that measures changes in water impedance. © 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
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