Intermittent magnetic field excitation by a turbulent flow of liquid sodium

The magnetic field measured in the Madison Dynamo Experiment shows intermittent periods of growth when an axial magnetic field is applied. The geometry of the intermittent field is consistent with the fastest growing magnetic eigenmode predicted by kinematic dynamo theory using a laminar model of the mean flow. Though the eigenmodes of the mean flow are decaying, it is postulated that turbulent fluctuations of the velocity field change the flow geometry such that the eigenmode growth rate is temporarily positive. Therefore, it is expected that a characteristic of the onset of a turbulent dynamo is magnetic intermittency.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

Measurements of the magnetic field induced by a turbulent flow of liquid metal

Initial results from the Madison Dynamo Experiment provide details of the inductive response of a turbulent flow of liquid sodium to an applied magnetic field. The magnetic field structure is reconstructed from both internal and external measurements. A mean toroidal magnetic field is induced by the flow when an axial field is applied, thereby demonstrating the omega effect. Poloidal magnetic flux is expelled from the fluid by the poloidal flow. Small-scale magnetic field structures are generated by turbulence in the flow. The resulting magnetic power spectrum exhibits a power-law scaling consistent with the equipartition of the magnetic field with a turbulent velocity field. The magnetic power spectrum has an apparent knee at the resistive dissipation scale. Large-scale eddies in the flow cause significant changes to the instantaneous flow profile resulting in intermittent bursts of non-axisymmetric magnetic fields, demonstrating that the transition to a dynamo is not smooth for a turbulent flow.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, invited talk by C. B. Forest at 2005 APS DPP meeting, resubmitted to Physics of Plasma

Observation of a Turbulence-Induced Large Scale Magnetic Field

An axisymmetric magnetic field is applied to a spherical, turbulent flow of liquid sodium. An induced magnetic dipole moment is measured which cannot be generated by the interaction of the axisymmetric mean flow with the applied field, indicating the presence of a turbulent electromotive force. It is shown that the induced dipole moment should vanish for any axisymmetric laminar flow. Also observed is the production of toroidal magnetic field from applied poloidal magnetic field (the omega-effect). Its potential role in the production of the induced dipole is discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures Revisions to accomodate peer-reviewer concerns; changes to main text including simplification of a proof, Fig. 2 updated, and minor typos and clarifications; Added refrences. Resubmitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Insights into newly discovered marks and readers of epigenetic information

The field of chromatin biology has been advancing at an accelerated pace. Recent discoveries of previously uncharacterized sites and types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) and the identification of new sets of proteins responsible for the deposition, removal, and reading of these marks continue raising the complexity of an already exceedingly complicated biological phenomenon. In this Perspective article we examine the biological importance of new types and sites of histone PTMs and summarize the molecular mechanisms of chromatin engagement by newly discovered epigenetic readers. We also highlight the imperative role of structural insights in understanding PTM–reader interactions and discuss future directions to enhance the knowledge of PTM readout

Emergent singular solutions of non-local density-magnetization equations in one dimension

We investigate the emergence of singular solutions in a non-local model for a magnetic system. We study a modified Gilbert-type equation for the magnetization vector and find that the evolution depends strongly on the length scales of the non-local effects. We pass to a coupled density-magnetization model and perform a linear stability analysis, noting the effect of the length scales of non-locality on the system's stability properties. We carry out numerical simulations of the coupled system and find that singular solutions emerge from smooth initial data. The singular solutions represent a collection of interacting particles (clumpons). By restricting ourselves to the two-clumpon case, we are reduced to a two-dimensional dynamical system that is readily analyzed, and thus we classify the different clumpon interactions possible.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Quantum Monte Carlo Studies of Relativistic Effects in Light Nuclei

Relativistic Hamiltonians are defined as the sum of relativistic one-body kinetic energy, two- and three-body potentials and their boost corrections. In this work we use the variational Monte Carlo method to study two kinds of relativistic effects in the binding energy of 3H and 4He. The first is due to the nonlocalities in the relativistic kinetic energy and relativistic one-pion exchange potential (OPEP), and the second is from boost interaction. The OPEP contribution is reduced by about 15% by the relativistic nonlocality, which may also have significant effects on pion exchange currents. However, almost all of this reduction is canceled by changes in the kinetic energy and other interaction terms, and the total effect of the nonlocalities on the binding energy is very small. The boost interactions, on the other hand, give repulsive contributions of 0.4 (1.9) MeV in 3H (4He) and account for 37% of the phenomenological part of the three-nucleon interaction needed in the nonrelativistic Hamiltonians.Comment: 33 pages, RevTeX, 11 PostScript figures, submitted to Physical Review

Optimized Verlet-like algorithms for molecular dynamics simulations

New explicit velocity- and position-Verlet-like algorithms of the second order are proposed to integrate the equations of motion in many-body systems. The algorithms are derived on the basis of an extended decomposition scheme at the presence of a free parameter. The nonzero value for this parameter is obtained by reducing the influence of truncated terms to a minimum. As a result, the new algorithms appear to be more efficient than the original Verlet versions which correspond to a particular case when the introduced parameter is equal to zero. Like the original versions, the proposed counterparts are symplectic and time reversible, but lead to an improved accuracy in the generated solutions at the same overall computational costs. The advantages of the new algorithms are demonstrated in molecular dynamics simulations of a Lennard-Jones fluid.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.

Detecting chaos in particle accelerators through the frequency map analysis method

The motion of beams in particle accelerators is dominated by a plethora of non-linear effects which can enhance chaotic motion and limit their performance. The application of advanced non-linear dynamics methods for detecting and correcting these effects and thereby increasing the region of beam stability plays an essential role during the accelerator design phase but also their operation. After describing the nature of non-linear effects and their impact on performance parameters of different particle accelerator categories, the theory of non-linear particle motion is outlined. The recent developments on the methods employed for the analysis of chaotic beam motion are detailed. In particular, the ability of the frequency map analysis method to detect chaotic motion and guide the correction of non-linear effects is demonstrated in particle tracking simulations but also experimental data.Comment: Submitted for publication in Chaos, Focus Issue: Chaos Detection Methods and Predictabilit

Exact 4He Spectral Function in a Semirealistic NN Potential Model

The spectral function of 4He is calculated with the Lorentz integral transform method in a large energy and momentum range. The excitation spectrum of the residual 3N-system is fully taken into account. The obtained spectral function is used to calculate the quasi elastic longitudinal (e,e') response R_l of 4He for q=300, 400, and 500 MeV/c. Comparison with the exact R_l shows a rather sizeable disagreement except in the quasi elastic peak, where the differences reduce to about 10% at q=500 MeV/c. It is shown as well that very simple momentum distribution approximations for the spectral function provide practically the same results for R_l as the exact spectral function.Comment: 7 pages, Latex (Revtex), 4 Postscript figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.