36,174 research outputs found
Algebraically special perturbations of the Schwarzschild solution in higher dimensions
We study algebraically special perturbations of a generalized Schwarzschild
solution in any number of dimensions. There are two motivations. First, to
learn whether there exist interesting higher-dimensional algebraically special
solutions beyond the known ones. Second, algebraically special perturbations
present an obstruction to the unique reconstruction of general metric
perturbations from gauge-invariant variables analogous to the Teukolsky scalars
and it is desirable to know the extent of this non-uniqueness. In four
dimensions, our results generalize those of Couch and Newman, who found
infinite families of time-dependent algebraically special perturbations. In
higher dimensions, we find that the only regular algebraically special
perturbations are those corresponding to deformations within the Myers-Perry
family. Our results are relevant for several inequivalent definitions of
"algebraically special".Comment: 23 pages, no figures. v2: references added; discussion improved;
matches published versio
Wind tunnel testing of low-drag airfoils
Results are presented for the measured performance recently obtained on several airfoil concepts designed to achieve low drag by maintaining extensive regions of laminar flow without compromising high-lift performance. The wind tunnel results extend from subsonic to transonic speeds and include boundary-layer control through shaping and suction. The research was conducted in the NASA Langley 8-Ft Transonic Pressure Tunnel (TPT) and Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel (LTPT) which have been developed for testing such low-drag airfoils. Emphasis is placed on identifying some of the major factors influencing the anticipated performance of low-drag airfoils
Seething Horizontal Magnetic Fields in the Quiet Solar Photosphere
The photospheric magnetic field outside of active regions and the network has
a ubiquitous and dynamic line-of-sight component that strengthens from disk
center to limb as expected for a nearly horizontal orientation. This component
shows a striking time variation with an average temporal rms near the limb of
1.7 G at ~3" resolution. In our moderate resolution observations the nearly
horizontal component has a frequency variation power law exponent of -1.4 below
1.5 mHz and is spatially patchy on scales up to ~15 arcsec. The field may be a
manifestation of changing magnetic connections between eruptions and evolution
of small magnetic flux elements in response to convective motions. It shows no
detectable latitude or longitude variations.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, submitted to ApJ letters, quality of figures
significantly degraded here by compression requirement
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Hand pollination to increase seed-set of red helleborine Cephalanthera rubra in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England
In 2007 and in previous years, as part of ongoing attempts to improve red helleborine Cephalanthera rubra seed-set, hand pollination of florets has been undertaken at a small colony of this species in Buckinghamshire, southern England. Natural pollination rarely occurs (one mature pod recorded in 10 years) at this site. In 2007, hand pollination resulted in the production of four seed pods, of which one withered and died. Upon ripening, the three remaining pods were removed for attempted micropropagation of the seeds. Ongoing conservation management has probably benefited the solitary bee Chelostoma campanularum which now appears fairly plentiful at the site, but despite the presence of this red helleborine flower visitor, natural pollination remains virtually unrecorded at this locality; field observations suggest that C.campanularum is in fact probably not large enough to act as an effective red helleborine pollinator as it can slip in and out of the flowers without removing the pollinia, unlike it larger relative C.fuliginosum, absent from the UK but which is a known pollinator of red helleborine in continental Europe
Simulation of the Burridge-Knopoff Model of Earthquakes with Variable Range Stress Transfer
Simple models of earthquake faults are important for understanding the
mechanisms for their observed behavior, such as Gutenberg-Richter scaling and
the relation between large and small events, which is the basis for various
forecasting methods. Although cellular automaton models have been studied
extensively in the long-range stress transfer limit, this limit has not been
studied for the Burridge-Knopoff model, which includes more realistic friction
forces and inertia. We find that the latter model with long-range stress
transfer exhibits qualitatively different behavior than both the long-range
cellular automaton models and the usual Burridge-Knopoff model with nearest
neighbor springs, depending on the nature of the velocity-weakening friction
force. This result has important implications for our understanding of
earthquakes and other driven dissipative systems.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, published on Phys. Rev. Let
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