187 research outputs found
Direct UV/Optical Imaging of Stellar Surfaces: The Stellar Imager (SI) Vision Mission
The Stellar Imager (SI) is a UV/optical, space-based interferometer designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and, via asteroseismology, stellar interiors and of the Universe in general. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe, particularly on magnetic activity on the surfaces of stars like the Sun. SI's prime goal is to enable long-term forecasting of solar activity and the space weather that it drives, in support of the Living with a Star program in the Exploration Era. SI will also revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in thc Universe. SI is a "Flagship and Landmark Discovery Mission" in the 2005 Sun Solar System Connection (SSSC) Roadmap and a candidate for a "Pathways to Life Observatory" in the Exploration of the Universe Division (EUD) Roadmap. We discuss herein the science goals of the SI Mission, a mission architecture that could meet those goals, and the technologies needed to enable this mission. Additional information on SI can be found at: http://hires.gsfc.nasa.gov/si/
Ellipsoidal primary of the RS CVn binary zeta And: Investigation using high-resolution spectroscopy and optical interferometry
We have obtained high-resolution spectroscopy, optical interferometry, and
long-term broad band photometry of the ellipsoidal primary of the RS CVn-type
binary system zeta And. Based on the optical interferometry the apparent limb
darkened diameter of zeta And is 2.55 +/- 0.09 mas using a uniform disk fit.
The Hipparcos distance and the limb-darkened diameter obtained with a uniform
disk fit give stellar radius of 15.9 +/- 0.8 Rsolar, and combined with
bolometric luminosity, it implies an effective temperature of 4665 +/- 140 K.
The temperature maps obtained from high resolution spectra using Doppler
imaging show a strong belt of equatorial spots and hints of a cool polar cap.
The equatorial spots show a concentration around the phase 0.75. This spot
configuration is reminiscent of the one seen in the earlier published
temperature maps of zeta And. Investigation of the Halpha line reveals both
prominences and cool clouds in the chromosphere. Long-term photometry spanning
12 years shows hints of a spot activity cycle, which is also implied by the
Doppler images, but the cycle length cannot be reliably determined from the
current data.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for A&
p-mode frequencies in solar-like stars : I. Procyon A
As a part of an on-going program to explore the signature of p-modes in
solar-like stars by means of high-resolution absorption lines pectroscopy, we
have studied four stars (alfaCMi, etaCas A, zetaHer A and betaVir). We present
here new results from two-site observations of Procyon A acquired over twelve
nights in 1999. Oscillation frequencies for l=1 and l=0 (or 2) p-modes are
detected in the power spectra of these Doppler shift measurements. A frequency
analysis points out the dificulties of the classical asymptotic theory in
representing the p-mode spectrum of Procyon A
Numerical investigations of flow and energy fields near a thermoacoustic couple
The flow field and the energy transport near thermoacoustic couples are simulated using a 2D full Navier-Stokes solver. The thermoacoustic couple plate is maintained at a constant temperature; plate lengths, which are short and long compared with the particle displacement lengths of the acoustic standing waves, are tested. Also investigated are the effects of plate spacing and the amplitude of the standing wave. Results are examined in the form of energy vectors, particle paths, and overall entropy generation rates. These show that a net heat-pumping effect appears only near the edges of thermoacoustic couple plates, within about a particle displacement distance from the ends. A heat-pumping effect can be seen even on the shortest plates tested when the plate spacing exceeds the thermal penetration depth. It is observed that energy dissipation near the plate increases quadratically as the plate spacing is reduced. The results also indicate that there may be a larger scale vortical motion outside the plates which disappears as the plate spacing is reduced. (C) 2002 Acoustical Society of America
Status of the Planet Formation Imager (PFI) concept
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SPIE via the DOI in this record.The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to image the period of planet assembly directly, resolving
structures as small as a giant planet’s Hill sphere. These images will be required in order to determine the key
mechanisms for planet formation at the time when processes of grain growth, protoplanet assembly, magnetic
fields, disk/planet dynamical interactions and complex radiative transfer all interact – making some planetary
systems habitable and others inhospitable. We will present the overall vision for the PFI concept, focusing
on the key technologies and requirements that are needed to achieve the science goals. Based on these key
requirements, we will define a cost envelope range for the design and highlight where the largest uncertainties
lie at this conceptual stage
Sound propagation in density wave conductors and the effect of long-range Coulomb interaction
We study theoretically the sound propagation in charge- and spin-density
waves in the hydrodynamic regime. First, making use of the method of comoving
frame, we construct the stress tensor appropriate for quasi-one dimensional
systems within tight-binding approximation. Taking into account the screening
effect of the long-range Coulomb interaction, we find that the increase of the
sound velocity below the critical temperature is about two orders of magnitude
less for longitudinal sound than for transverse one. It is shown that only the
transverse sound wave with displacement vector parallel to the chain direction
couples to the phason of the density wave, therefore we expect significant
electromechanical effect only in this case.Comment: revtex, 14 pages (in preprint form), submitted to PR
Coupling of the lattice and superlattice deformations and hysteresis in thermal expansion for the quasi one-dimensional conductor TaS
An original interferometer-based setup for measurements of length of
needle-like samples is developed, and thermal expansion of o-TaS crystals
is studied. Below the Peierls transition the temperature hysteresis of length
is observed, the width of the hysteresis loop being up to . The behavior of the loop is anomalous: the length changes so
that it is in front of its equilibrium value. The hysteresis loop couples with
that of conductivity. The sign and the value of the length hysteresis are
consistent with the strain dependence of the charge-density waves (CDW) wave
vector. With lowering temperature down to 100 K the CDW elastic modulus grows
achieving a value comparable with the lattice Young modulus. Our results could
be helpful in consideration of different systems with intrinsic
superstructures.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Phys. Rev. Lett., accepted for publicatio
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