Absence of hot gas within the Wolft-Rayet Bubble around WR16

We present the analysis of XMM-Newton archival observations towards the Wolf-Rayet (WR) bubble around WR16. Despite the closed bubble morphology of this WR nebula, the XMM-Newton observations show no evidence of diffuse emission in its interior as in the similar WR bubbles NGC6888 and S308. We use the present observations to estimate a 3-\sigma upper limit to the X-ray luminosity in the 0.3-1.5 keV energy band equal to 7.4x10^{32} erg s^{-1} for the diffuse emission from the WR nebula, assuming a distance of 2.37 kpc. The WR nebula around WR16 is the fourth observed by the current generation of X-ray satellites and the second not detected. We also examine FUSE spectra to search for nebular O VI absorption lines in the stellar continuum of WR16. The present far-UV data and the lack of measurements of the dynamics of the optical WR bubble do not allow us to confirm the existence of a conductive layer of gas at T~3x10^5 K between the cold nebular gas and the hot gas in its interior. The present observations result in an upper limit of n_e < 0.6 cm^-3 on the electron density of the X-ray emitting material within the nebula.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; To appear in Astronomy and Astrophysic

How to excite the internal modes of sine-Gordon solitons

We investigate the dynamics of the sine-Gordon solitons perturbed by spatiotemporal external forces. We prove the existence of internal (shape) modes of sine-Gordon solitons when they are in the presence of inhomogeneous space-dependent external forces, provided some conditions (for these forces) hold. Additional periodic time-dependent forces can sustain oscillations of the soliton width. We show that, in some cases, the internal mode even can become unstable, causing the soliton to decay in an antisoliton and two solitons. In general, in the presence of spatiotemporal forces the soliton behaves as a deformable (non-rigid) object. A soliton moving in an array of inhomogeneities can also present sustained oscillations of its width. There are very important phenomena (like the soliton-antisoliton collisions) where the existence of internal modes plays a crucial role. We show that, under some conditions, the dynamics of the soliton shape modes can be chaotic. A short report of some of our results has been published in [J. A. Gonzalez et al., Phys. Rev. E, 65 (2002) 065601(R)].Comment: 14 .eps figures.To appear in Chaos, Solitons and Fractal

Spatiotemporal chaotic dynamics of solitons with internal structure in the presence of finite-width inhomogeneities

We present an analytical and numerical study of the Klein-Gordon kink-soliton dynamics in inhomogeneous media. In particular, we study an external field that is almost constant for the whole system but that changes its sign at the center of coordinates and a localized impurity with finite-width. The soliton solution of the Klein-Gordon-like equations is usually treated as a structureless point-like particle. A richer dynamics is unveiled when the extended character of the soliton is taken into account. We show that interesting spatiotemporal phenomena appear when the structure of the soliton interacts with finite-width inhomogeneities. We solve an inverse problem in order to have external perturbations which are generic and topologically equivalent to well-known bifurcation models and such that the stability problem can be solved exactly. We also show the different quasiperiodic and chaotic motions the soliton undergoes as a time-dependent force pumps energy into the traslational mode of the kink and relate these dynamics with the excitation of the shape modes of the soliton.Comment: 10 pages Revtex style article, 22 gziped postscript figures and 5 jpg figure

Redefining the boundaries of interplanetary coronal mass ejections from observations at the ecliptic plane

On 2015 January 6-7, an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) was observed at L1. This event, which can be associated with a weak and slow coronal mass ejection, allows us to discuss on the differences between the boundaries of the magnetic cloud and the compositional boundaries. A fast stream from a solar coronal hole surrounding this ICME offers a unique opportunity to check the boundaries' process definition and to explain differences between them. Using Wind and ACE data, we perform a complementary analysis involving compositional, magnetic, and kinematic observations providing relevant information regarding the evolution of the ICME as travelling away from the Sun. We propose erosion, at least at the front boundary of the ICME, as the main reason for the difference between the boundaries, and compositional signatures as the most precise diagnostic tool for the boundaries of ICMEs.Comment: 9 pages and 7 figures in the original forma

Flapping states of an el astically anchored wing in a uniform flow

Linear stability analysis of an elastically anchored wing in a uniform flow is investigated both analytically and numerically. The analytical formulation explicitly takes into account the effect of the wake on the wing by means of Theodorsen's theory. Three different parameters non-trivially rule the observed dynamics: mass density ratio between wing and fluid, spring elastic constant and distance between the wing center of mass and the spring anchor point on the wing. We found relationships between these parameters which rule the transition between stable equilibrium and fluttering. The shape of the resulting marginal curve has been successfully verified by high Reynolds number direct numerical simulations. Our findings are of interest in applications related to energy harvesting by fluid-structure interaction, a problem which has recently attracted a great deal of attention. The main aim in that context is to identify the optimal physical/geometrical system configuration leading to large sustained motion, which is the source of energy we aim to extract.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, submitted to J. Fluid. Mec

Numerical test of the Cardy-Jacobsen conjecture in the site-diluted Potts model in three dimensions

We present a microcanonical Monte Carlo simulation of the site-diluted Potts model in three dimensions with eight internal states, partly carried out in the citizen supercomputer Ibercivis. Upon dilution, the pure model's first-order transition becomes of the second-order at a tricritical point. We compute accurately the critical exponents at the tricritical point. As expected from the Cardy-Jacobsen conjecture, they are compatible with their Random Field Ising Model counterpart. The conclusion is further reinforced by comparison with older data for the Potts model with four states.Comment: Final version. 9 pages, 9 figure