9,961 research outputs found
Two-dimensiosnal electron beam charging model for polymer films
A two dimensional model was developed to describe the charging of thin polymer films exposed to a uniform mon-energetic electron beam. The study was motivated by observed anomalous behavior of geosynchronous satellites which was attributed to electrical discharges associated with the differential charging of satellite surfaces of magnetospheric electrons. Electric fields both internal and external to the irradiated specimen were calculated at steady state in order to identify regions of high electrical stress. Particular emphasis was placed on evaluating the charging characteristics near the material's edge. The model was used to identify and quantify the effects of some of the experimental parameters notably: beam energy; beam angle of incidence; beam current density; material thickness; and material width. Simulations of the following situations were also conducted: positive or negative precharging over part of the surface; a central gap in the material; and a discontinuity in the material's thickness
Fan-spine topology formation through two-step reconnection driven by twisted flux emergence
We address the formation of 3D nullpoint topologies in the solar corona by
combining Hinode/XRT observations of a small dynamic limb event, which occurred
beside a non-erupting prominence cavity, with a 3D zero-beta MHD simulation. To
this end, we model the boundary-driven kinematic emergence of a compact,
intense, and uniformly twisted flux tube into a potential field arcade that
overlies a weakly twisted coronal flux rope. The expansion of the emerging flux
in the corona gives rise to the formation of a nullpoint at the interface of
the emerging and the pre-existing fields. We unveil a two-step reconnection
process at the nullpoint that eventually yields the formation of a broad 3D
fan-spine configuration above the emerging bipole. The first reconnection
involves emerging fields and a set of large-scale arcade field lines. It
results in the launch of a torsional MHD wave that propagates along the
arcades, and in the formation of a sheared loop system on one side of the
emerging flux. The second reconnection occurs between these newly formed loops
and remote arcade fields, and yields the formation of a second loop system on
the opposite side of the emerging flux. The two loop systems collectively
display an anenome pattern that is located below the fan surface. The flux that
surrounds the inner spine field line of the nullpoint retains a fraction of the
emerged twist, while the remaining twist is evacuated along the reconnected
arcades. The nature and timing of the features which occur in the simulation do
qualititatively reproduce those observed by XRT in the particular event studied
in this paper. Moreover, the two-step reconnection process suggests a new
consistent and generic model for the formation of anemone regions in the solar
corona.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 11 pages and 5 figure
A simultaneous XMM-Newton and BeppoSAX observation of the archetypal Broad Line Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548
We report the spectral analysis of a long XMM-Newton observation of the
well-studied, moderate luminosity Broad Line Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The
source was at an historically average brightness and we find the hard (3-10
keV) spectrum can be well fitted by a power law of photon index gamma ~ 1.75,
together with reflection. The only feature in the hard X-ray spectrum is a
narrow emission line near 6.4 keV, with an equivalent width of ~ 60 eV. The
energy and strength of this line is consistent with fluorescence from `neutral'
iron distant from the central continuum source. We find no evidence for a broad
Fe K line, with an upper limit well below previous reports, suggesting the
inner accretion disc is now absent or highly ionised. The addition of
simultaneous BeppoSAX data allows the analysis to be extended to 200 keV,
yielding important constraints on the total reflection. Extrapolation of the
hard X-ray power law down to 0.3 keV shows a clear `soft excess' below ~ 0.7
keV. After due allowance for the effects of a complex warm absorber, measured
with the XMM-Newton RGS, we find the soft excess is better described as a
smooth upward curvature in the continuum flux below ~ 2 keV. The soft excess
can be modelled either by Comptonised thermal emission or by enhanced
reflection from the surface of a highly ionised disc.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, accepted by MNRAS; minor changes to text and
figure
Fe K emission and absorption features in XMM-Newton spectra of Mkn 766 - evidence for reprocessing in flare ejecta
We report on the analysis of a long XMM-Newton EPIC observation in 2001 May
of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mkn 766. The 3-11 keV spectrum exhibits a
moderately steep power law continuum, with a broad emission line at ~6.7 keV,
probably blended with a narrow line at ~6.4 keV, and a broad absorption trough
above ~8.7 keV. We identify both broad spectral features with reprocessing in
He-like Fe. An earlier XMM-Newton observation of Mkn 766 in 2000 May, when the
source was a factor ~2 fainter, shows a similar broad emission line, but with a
slightly flatter power law and absorption at a lower energy. In neither
observation do we find a requirement for the previously reported broad 'red
wing' to the line and hence of reflection from the innermost accretion disc.
More detailed examination of the longer XMM-Newton observation reveals evidence
for rapid spectral variability in the Fe K band, apparently linked with the
occurrence of X-ray 'flares'. A reduction in the emission line strength and
increased high energy absorption during the X-ray flaring suggests that these
transient effects are due to highly ionised ejecta associated with the flares.
Simple scaling from the flare avalanche model proposed for the luminous QSO PDS
456 (Reeves etal. 2002) confirms the feasibility of coherent flaring being the
cause of the strong peaks seen in the X-ray light curve of \mkn.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, submitted to MNRA
Low-Altitude Reconnection Inflow-Outflow Observations during a 2010 November 3 Solar Eruption
For a solar flare occurring on 2010 November 3, we present observations using
several SDO/AIA extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) passbands of an erupting flux rope
followed by inflows sweeping into a current sheet region. The inflows are soon
followed by outflows appearing to originate from near the termination point of
the inflowing motion - an observation in line with standard magnetic
reconnection models. We measure average inflow plane-of-sky speeds to range
from ~150-690 km/s with the initial, high-temperature inflows being the
fastest. Using the inflow speeds and a range of Alfven speeds, we estimate the
Alfvenic Mach number which appears to decrease with time. We also provide
inflow and outflow times with respect to RHESSI count rates and find that the
fast, high-temperature inflows occur simultaneously with a peak in the RHESSI
thermal lightcurve. Five candidate inflow-outflow pairs are identified with no
more than a minute delay between detections. The inflow speeds of these pairs
are measured to be 10^2 km/s with outflow speeds ranging from 10^2-10^3 km/s -
indicating acceleration during the reconnection process. The fastest of these
outflows are in the form of apparently traveling density enhancements along the
legs of the loops rather than the loop apexes themselves. These flows could
either be accelerated plasma, shocks, or waves prompted by reconnection. The
measurements presented here show an order of magnitude difference between the
retraction speeds of the loops and the speed of the density enhancements within
the loops - presumably exiting the reconnection site.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, Accepted to ApJ (expected publication
~July 2012
Relativistic Iron K Emission and absorption in the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy MCG-5-23-16
We present the results of the simultaneous deep XMM and Chandra observations
of the bright Seyfert 1.9 galaxy MCG-5-23-16, which is thought to have one of
the best known examples of a relativistically broadened iron K-alpha line. The
time averaged spectral analysis shows that the iron K-shell complex is best
modeled with an unresolved narrow emission component (FWHM < 5000 km/s, EW ~ 60
eV) plus a broad component. This latter component has FWHM ~ 44000 km/s and EW
~ 50 eV. Its profile is well described by an emission line originating from an
accretion disk viewed with an inclination angle ~ 40^\circ and with the
emission arising from within a few tens of gravitational radii of the central
black hole. The time-resolved spectral analysis of the XMM EPIC-pn spectrum
shows that both the narrow and broad components of the Fe K emission line
appear to be constant in time within the errors. We detected a narrow sporadic
absorption line at 7.7 keV which appears to be variable on a time-scale of 20
ksec. If associated with Fe XXVI Ly-alpha this absorption is indicative of a
possibly variable, high ionization, high velocity outflow. The variability of
this absorption feature appears to rule out a local (z=0) origin. The analysis
of the XMM RGS spectrum reveals that the soft X-ray emission of MCG-5-23-16 is
likely dominated by several emission lines superimposed on an unabsorbed
scattered power-law continuum. The lack of strong Fe L shell emission together
with the detection of a strong forbidden line in the O VII triplet is
consistent with a scenario where the soft X-ray emission lines are produced in
a plasma photoionized by the nuclear emission.Comment: 45 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Ap
Absorption line series and autoionization resonance structure analysis in the ultraviolet spectrum of Sr I
Photoelectric spectrometer to measure absorption line series and autoionization resonance in ultraviolet spectrum of strontium vapo
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