High-beta turbulence in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics

Incompressible turbulent flows were investigated in the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. Equilibrium canonical distributions are determined in a phase whose coordinates are the real and imaginary parts of the Fourier coefficients for the field variables. The magnetic field and fluid velocity have variable x and y components, and all field quantities are independent of z. Three constants of the motion are found which survive the truncation in Fourier space and permit the construction of canonical distributions with three independent temperatures. Spectral densities are calculated. One of the more novel physical effects is the appearance of macroscopic structures involving long wavelength, self-generated, magnetic fields ("magnetic islands"). In the presence of finite dissipation, energy cascades to higher wave numbers can be accompanied by vector potential cascades to lower wave numbers, in much the same way that in the fluid dynamic case, energy cascades to lower wave numbers accompany entropy cascades to higher wave numbers

A statistical formulation of one-dimensional electron fluid turbulence

A one-dimensional electron fluid model is investigated using the mathematical methods of modern fluid turbulence theory. Non-dissipative equilibrium canonical distributions are determined in a phase space whose co-ordinates are the real and imaginary parts of the Fourier coefficients for the field variables. Spectral densities are calculated, yielding a wavenumber electric field energy spectrum proportional to k to the negative second power for large wavenumbers. The equations of motion are numerically integrated and the resulting spectra are found to compare well with the theoretical predictions

Magnetic dynamo action in two-dimensional turbulent magneto-hydrodynamics

Two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is explored by means of numerical simulation. Previous analytical theory, based on non-dissipative constants of the motion in a truncated Fourier representation, is verified by following the evolution of highly non-equilibrium initial conditions numerically. Dynamo action (conversion of a significant fraction of turbulent kinetic energy into long-wavelength magnetic field energy) is observed. It is conjectured that in the presence of dissipation and external forcing, a dual cascade will be observed for zero-helicity situations. Energy will cascade to higher wave numbers simultaneously with a cascade of mean square vector potential to lower wave numbers, leading to an omni-directional magnetic energy spectrum which varies as 1/k 3 at lower wave numbers, simultaneously with a buildup of magnetic excitation at the lowest wave number of the system. Equipartition of kinetic and magnetic energies is expected at the highest wave numbers in the system

Numerical Simulation for Droplet Combustion Using Lagrangian Hydrodynamics

A predictive model of spray combustion must incorporate models for the wide variety of physical environments in a practical combustor. In regions where droplets are closely spaced, combustion resembles a diffusion flame; where they are well separated, an envelope or wake flame results. The relative velocity field between the fuel droplets and oxidizer in influences boundary layer development about the droplet, recirculating flow patterns, and droplet shape and stability. A model must encompass these interacting temporal and spatial effects as well as complicated combustor boundaries. The objective of the current work is to develop the triangular gridding method for describing the individual and collective properties of vaporizing and burning fuel droplets

A survey of stellar X-ray flares from the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue: Hipparcos-Tycho cool stars

The X-ray emission from flares on cool (i.e. spectral-type F-M) stars is indicative of very energetic, transient phenomena, associated with energy release via magnetic reconnection. We present a uniform, large-scale survey of X-ray flare emission. The XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue and its associated data products provide an excellent basis for a comprehensive and sensitive survey of stellar flares - both from targeted active stars and from those observed serendipitously in the half-degree diameter field-of-view of each observation. The 2XMM Catalogue and the associated time-series (`light-curve') data products have been used as the basis for a survey of X-ray flares from cool stars in the Hipparcos Tycho-2 catalogue. In addition, we have generated and analysed spectrally-resolved (i.e. hardness-ratio), X-ray light-curves. Where available, we have compared XMM OM UV/optical data with the X-ray light-curves. Our sample contains ~130 flares with well-observed profiles; they originate from ~70 stars. The flares range in duration from ~1e3 to ~1e4 s, have peak X-ray fluxes from ~1e-13 to ~1e-11 erg/cm2/s, peak X-ray luminosities from ~1e29 to ~1e32 erg/s, and X-ray energy output from ~1e32 to ~1e35 erg. Most of the ~30 serendipitously-observed stars have little previously reported information. The hardness-ratio plots clearly illustrate the spectral (and hence inferred temperature) variations characteristic of many flares, and provide an easily accessible overview of the data. We present flare frequency distributions from both target and serendipitous observations. The latter provide an unbiased (with respect to stellar activity) study of flare energetics; in addition, they allow us to predict numbers of stellar flares that may be detected in future X-ray wide-field surveys. The serendipitous sample demonstrates the need for care when calculating flaring rates.Comment: 26 pages, 24 figures. Additional tables and figures available as 4 ancillary files. To be published in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Numerical simulations of fuel droplet flows using a Lagrangian triangular mesh

The incompressible, Lagrangian, triangular grid code, SPLISH, was converted for the study of flows in and around fuel droplets. This involved developing, testing and incorporating algorithms for surface tension and viscosity. The major features of the Lagrangian method and the algorithms are described. Benchmarks of the algorithms are given. Several calculations are presented for kerosene droplets in air. Finally, extensions which make the code compressible and three dimensional are discussed

The challenges of change:Exploring the dynamics of police reform in Scotland

Despite a long tradition of pessimism regarding the scope for meaningful change in police practices, recent structural reforms to police organizations in several European countries suggest that significant change in policing is possible. Drawing on recent research into the establishment and consequences of a national police force in Scotland, this article uses instrumental, cultural and myth perspectives taken from organization theory to examine how change happened and with what effects. It highlights how police reform involves a complex interplay between the strategic aims of government, the cultural norms of police organizations and the importance of alignment with wider views about the nature of the public sector. The article concludes by identifying a set of wider lessons from the experience of organizational change in policing

Structure of protease-cleaved escherichia coliα-2-macroglobulin reveals a putative mechanism of conformational activation for protease entrapment

Bacterial -2-macroglobulins have been suggested to function in defence as broad-spectrum inhibitors of host proteases that breach the outer membrane. Here, the X-ray structure of protease-cleaved Escherichia coli -2-macroglobulin is described, which reveals a putative mechanism of activation and conformational change essential for protease inhibition. In this competitive mechanism, protease cleavage of the bait-region domain results in the untethering of an intrinsically disordered region of this domain which disrupts native interdomain interactions that maintain E. coli -2-macroglobulin in the inactivated form. The resulting global conformational change results in entrapment of the protease and activation of the thioester bond that covalently links to the attacking protease. Owing to the similarity in structure and domain architecture of Escherichia coli -2-macroglobulin and human -2-macro­globulin, this protease-activation mechanism is likely to operate across the diverse members of this group

Structural and biophysical characterisation of Escherichia coli alpha-2-macroglobulin and its interaction with penicillin binding protein 1C

The alpha-2-macroglobulin superfamily consists of large multi-domain proteins that are activated by protease cleavage. One arm of this family consists of protease inhibitors that undergo a large conformational change upon protease cleavage, simultaneously physically trapping the cleaving protease and covalently linking to it via a thioester bond. However, there is little mechanistic understanding of how protease cleavage activates the conformational changes that lead to protease inactivation. These protease inhibitors are found in tetrameric, dimeric and monomer forms within eukaryotic blood/lymph fluid. The recently described Escherichia coli alpha-2-macroglobulin (ECAM) is a periplasmic, inner membrane anchored protease inhibitor. The gene encoding ECAM, yfhM, is found within an operon alongside pbpC, which encodes penicillin binding protein 1C. These two proteins have been proposed to function in defence and repair against host proteases with ECAM acting to inhibit proteases that have breached the outer membrane and Pbp1C repairing damage to the peptide linkages within the peptidoglycan layer. This thesis describes the structural and biophysical characterisation of ECAM and an investigation into the role of Pbp1C in ECAM function. In order to gain insight into the mechanism through which protease cleavage activates ECAM we used a combination of X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering and analytical ultracentrifugation to characterise the conformational changes that occur on protease cleavage. The X-ray structure of protease cleaved ECAM revealed a putative mechanism of activation and conformational change essential for protease inhibition. In this competitive mechanism, protease cleavage of the bait-region domain results in the untethering of an intrinsically disordered region of this domain which disrupts native inter-domain interactions that maintain ECAM in the inactivated form. Owing to the similarity in structure and domain architecture of ECAM and human α-2-macroglobulin, this protease-activation mechanism is likely to operate across the diverse members of this group. Further to this, it was shown that ECAM is processed in vivo, existing largely as truncated forms in growing E. coli cells. Interestingly, Pbp1C plays a key role in ECAM processing, with cell lacking pbpC showing an accumulation of full-length and dimeric forms of ECAM