25,760 research outputs found
Fast magnetic reconnection in laser-produced plasma bubbles
Recent experiments have observed magnetic reconnection in
high-energy-density, laser-produced plasma bubbles, with reconnection rates
observed to be much higher than can be explained by classical theory. Based on
fully kinetic particle simulations we find that fast reconnection in these
strongly driven systems can be explained by magnetic flux pile-up at the
shoulder of the current sheet and subsequent fast reconnection via two-fluid,
collisionless mechanisms. In the strong drive regime with two-fluid effects, we
find that the ultimate reconnection time is insensitive to the nominal system
Alfven time.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let
Studies of engine-airframe integrated hypersonic vehicles
A parametric study of an integrated airframe and engine is presented for a hypersonic transport at an altitude of 70,000 feet and a free stream Mach number of 6. The engine considered is a subsonic combustion ramjet using conventional hydrocarbon fuels. The lift-to-drag ratio of the aircraft for two configurations, one with full capture and accelerated flight and the other allowing spillage of the leading shock and in unaccelerated flight, is studied. The parameters varied are the engine efficiencies, the angle of attack, the combustion rates, as well as the captured mass flow. Lift-to-drag ratios on the order of 6.5 are obtained
Effect of Piezo Electric Oscillations on X-Ray Patterns of Quartz
Experiments have been made to determine the amplitude of vibration of the atoms in a quartz lattice due to piezo electric oscillations. A series of Laue X-ray patterns have been made of quartz plates cut at various angles to the electric axes. Very marked intensity differences are apparent between the patterns made with the plates oscillating and not oscillating
High-severity wildfire leads to multi-decadal impacts on soil biogeochemistry in mixed-conifer forests.
During the past century, systematic wildfire suppression has decreased fire frequency and increased fire severity in the western United States of America. While this has resulted in large ecological changes aboveground such as altered tree species composition and increased forest density, little is known about the long-term, belowground implications of altered, ecologically novel, fire regimes, especially on soil biological processes. To better understand the long-term implications of ecologically novel, high-severity fire, we used a 44-yr high-severity fire chronosequence in the Sierra Nevada where forests were historically adapted to frequent, low-severity fire, but were fire suppressed for at least 70Â yr. High-severity fire in the Sierra Nevada resulted in a long-term (44Â +yr) decrease (>50%, PÂ <Â 0.05) in soil extracellular enzyme activities, basal microbial respiration (56-72%, PÂ <Â 0.05), and organic carbon (>50%, PÂ <Â 0.05) in the upper 5Â cm compared to sites that had not been burned for at least 115Â yr. However, nitrogen (N) processes were only affected in the most recent fire site (4Â yr post-fire). Net nitrification increased by over 600% in the most recent fire site (PÂ <Â 0.001), but returned to similar levels as the unburned control in the 13-yr site. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find a consistent effect of plant cover type on soil biogeochemical processes in mid-successional (10-50Â yr) forest soils. Rather, the 44-yr reduction in soil organic carbon (C) quantity correlated positively with dampened C cycling processes. Our results show the drastic and long-term implication of ecologically novel, high-severity fire on soil biogeochemistry and underscore the need for long-term fire ecological experiments
The X-ray Spectrum of the Rapid Burster using the Chandra HETGS
We present observations of the Rapid Burster (RB, also known as MXB 1730-335)
using the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. The average
interval between type II (accretion) bursts was about 40 s. There was one type
I (thermonuclear flash) burst and about 20 "mini-bursts" which are probably
type II bursts whose peak flux is 10-40% of the average peak flux of the other
type II bursts. The time averaged spectra of the type II bursts are well fit by
a blackbody with a temperature of kT = 1.6 keV, a radius of 8.9 km for a
distance of 8.6 kpc, and an interstellar column density of 1.7e22 per sq. cm.
No narrow emission or absorption lines were clearly detected. The 3 sigma upper
limits to the equivalent widths of any features are < 10 eV in the 1.1-7.0 keV
band and as small as 1.5 eV near 1.7 keV. We suggest that Comptonization
destroys absorption features such as the resonance line of Fe XXVI.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in AJ (with minor
changes and enhanced discussion of the instrument configuration
The X-ray Spectrum and Light Curve of Supernova 1995N
We report on multi-epoch X-ray observations of the Type IIn (narrow emission
line) supernova SN 1995N with the ROSAT and ASCA satellites. The January 1998
ASCA X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a thermal bremsstrahlung (kT~10 keV,
N_H~6e20 cm^-2) or power-law (alpha~1.7, N_H~1e21 cm^-2) model. The X-ray light
curve shows evidence for significant flux evolution between August 1996 and
January 1998: the count rate from the source decreased by 30% between our
August 1996 and August 1997 ROSAT observations, and the X-ray luminosity most
likely increased by a factor of ~2 between our August 1997 ROSAT and January
1998 ASCA observations, although evolution of the spectral shape over this
interval is not ruled out. The high X-ray luminosity, L_X~1e41 erg/sec, places
SN 1995N in a small group of Type IIn supernovae with strong circumstellar
interaction, and the evolving X-ray luminosity suggests that the circumstellar
medium is distributed inhomogeneously.Comment: MNRAS accepted. 6 pages, 2 figures; uses mn.sty and psfi
An Obliquely Propagating Electromagnetic Drift Instability in the Lower Hybrid Frequency Range
By employing a local two-fluid theory, we investigate an obliquely propagating electromagnetic instability in the lower hybrid frequency range driven by cross-field current or relative drifts between electrons and ions. The theory self-consistently takes into account local cross-field current and accompanying pressure gradients. It is found that the instability is caused by reactive coupling between the backward propagating whistler (fast) waves in the moving electron frame and the forward propagating sound (slow) waves in the ion frame when the relative drifts are large. The unstable waves we consider propagate obliquely to the unperturbed magnetic field and have mixed polarization with significant electromagnetic components. A physical picture of the instability emerges in the limit of large wavenumber characteristic of the local approximation. The primary positive feedback mechanism is based on reinforcement of initial electron density perturbations by compression of electron fluid via induced Lorentz force. The resultant waves are qualitatively consistent with the measured electromagnetic fluctuations in reconnecting current sheet in a laboratory plasma
Active cooling of hypersonic airplanes
Turbine-compressor system for active cooling of hypersonic aircraf
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