288 research outputs found
Galaxies in Clusters: the Observational Characteristics of Bow-Shocks, Wakes and Tails
The dynamical signatures of the interaction between galaxies in clusters and
the intracluster medium (ICM) can potentially yield significant information
about the structure and dynamical history of clusters. To develop our
understanding of this phenomenon we present results from numerical modelling of
the galaxy/ICM interaction, as the galaxy moves through the cluster. The
simulations have been performed for a broad range, of ICM temperatures (kT =
1,4 and 8 keV), representative of poor clusters or groups through to rich
clusters. There are several dynamical features that can be identified in these
simulations; for supersonic galaxy motion, a leading bow-shock is present, and
also a weak gravitationally focussed wake or tail behind the galaxy (analogous
to Bondi-Hoyle accretion). For galaxies with higher mass-replenishment rates
and a denser interstellar medium (ISM), the dominant feature is a dense
ram-pressure stripped tail. In line with other simulations, we find that the
ICM/galaxy ISM interaction can result in complex time- dependent dynamics, with
ram-pressure stripping occurring in an episodic manner. In order to facilitate
this comparison between the observational consequences of dynamical studies and
X-ray observations we have calculated synthetic X-ray flux and hardness maps
from these simulations. These calculations predict that the ram-pressure
stripped tail will usually be the most visible feature, though in nearby
galaxies the bow-shock preceding the galaxy should also be apparent in deeper
X-ray observations. We briefly discuss these results and compare with X-ray
observations of galaxies where there is evidence of such interactions.Comment: 14 pages, 8 diagrams, MNRAS (in press
Simulations of the Effects of Stripping and Accretion on Galaxy Haloes in Clusters
We present results from a series of hydrodynamic simulations investigating
ram pressure stripping of galactic haloes as the host galaxy falls radially
into a cluster. We perform a parameter study comprising of variations in
initial gas content, gas injection rate (via stellar mass loss processes),
galaxy mass and amplitude of infall. From the simulation results we track
variations in both physical quantities (e.g. gas mass) and directly observable
quantities (e.g. X-ray luminosities). The luminosity of the galaxy's X-ray halo
is found to compare favourably with the observationally determined correlation
with optical blue band luminosity (L_X:L_B) relation. Factors affecting the
X-ray luminosity are explored and it is found that the gas injection rate is a
dominant factor in determining the integrated luminosity. Observational
properties of the material stripped from the galaxy, which forms an X-ray wake,
are investigated and it is found that wakes are most visible around galaxies
with a substantial initial gas content, during their first passage though the
cluster. We define a statistical skewness measure which may be used to
determine the direction of motion of a galaxy using X-ray observations.
Structures formed in these simulations are similar to the cold fronts seen in
observation of cluster mergers where a sharp increase in surface brightness is
accompanied by a transition to a cooler region.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 19 pages, 21 figure
Defining environmental river flow requirements ? a review
International audienceAround the world, there is an increasing desire, supported by national and regional policies and legislation, to conserve or restore the ecological health and functioning of rivers and their associated wetlands for human use and biodiversity. To achieve this, many organisations have developed methods for defining "environmental flows?, i.e. the flow regime required in a river to achieve desired ecological objectives. This paper reviews the various methods available and suggests a simple categorisation of the methods into four types: look-up tables, desk-top analysis; functional analysis and hydraulic habitat modelling. No method is necessarily better than another; each may be suitable for different applications. Whilst look-up methods are easy and cheap to apply, they can be expensive to develop, are less accurate and more suitable for scoping studies; in contrast, although hydraulic habitat modelling is more expensive to apply, it is suitable for impact assessment at specific sites. Each method would need to be used within a wider decision-support framework. These are generally either objective-based to define a target flow regime for a specific desired river status, or scenario-based to indicate the relative merits of various flow regime options for the river environment. Keywords: environmental flow, instream flow, river habitat modelling, building block method, flow scenario analysis, objective setting
The cool wake around 4C 34.16 as seen by XMM-Newton
We present XMM-Newton observations of the wake-radiogalaxy system 4C34.16,
which shows a cool and dense wake trailing behind 4C34.16's host galaxy. A
comparison with numerical simulations is enlightening, as they demonstrate that
the wake is produced mainly by ram pressure stripping during the galactic
motion though the surrounding cluster. The mass of the wake is a substantial
fraction of the mass of an elliptical galaxy's X-ray halo. This observational
fact supports a wake formation scenario similar to the one demonstrated
numerically by Acreman et al (2003): the host galaxy of 4C34.16 has fallen into
its cluster, and is currently crossing its central regions. A substantial
fraction of its X-ray halo has been stripped by ram pressure, and remains
behind to form the galaxy wake.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Hydrological impacts of floodplain restoration: a case study of the River Cherwell, UK
International audienceThis paper investigates the impacts on floods of hypothetical changes to river channel geometry by construction or removal of embankments to prevent water spreading onto the floodplain at high flows. A numerical model is applied to the River Cherwell between Oxford and Banbury to simulate changes to flood hydrographs. Embanking the river increases the peak flows downstream by 50-150%. Restoring the river channel through the floodplain to pre-engineered dimensions reduces peak flow by around 10-15% and increases peak water levels within the floodplain by 0.5-1.6 m. These results suggest that floodplain rehabilitation, in terms of embankment removal or returning the channel to pre-engineered dimensions, can be a valuable part of the flood management strategy of a catchment. Both measures lead to increased inundation of the floodplain, which can be positive for ecological restoration. Keywords: floodplains, hydrological impacts, rehabilitation, flood frequenc
Using the UM dynamical cores to reproduce idealised 3D flows
We demonstrate that both the current (New Dynamics), and next generation
(ENDGame) dynamical cores of the UK Met Office global circulation model, the
UM, reproduce consistently, the long-term, large-scale flows found in several
published idealised tests. The cases presented are the Held-Suarez test, a
simplified model of Earth (including a stratosphere), and a hypothetical
tidally locked Earth. Furthermore, we show that using simplifications to the
dynamical equations, which are expected to be justified for the physical
domains and flow regimes we have studied, and which are supported by the
ENDGame dynamical core, also produces matching long-term, large-scale flows.
Finally, we present evidence for differences in the detail of the planetary
flows and circulations resulting from improvements in the ENDGame formulation
over New Dynamics.Comment: 34 Pages, 23 Figures. Accepted for publication in Geoscientific Model
Development (pre-proof version
Results from a set of three-dimensional numerical experiments of a hot Jupiter atmosphere
We present highlights from a large set of simulations of a hot Jupiter
atmosphere, nominally based on HD 209458b, aimed at exploring both the
evolution of the deep atmosphere, and the acceleration of the zonal flow or
jet. We find the occurrence of a super-rotating equatorial jet is robust to
changes in various parameters, and over long timescales, even in the absence of
strong inner or bottom boundary drag. This jet is diminished in one simulation
only, where we strongly force the deep atmosphere equator-to-pole temperature
gradient over long timescales. Finally, although the eddy momentum fluxes in
our atmosphere show similarities with the proposed mechanism for accelerating
jets on tidally-locked planets, the picture appears more complex. We present
tentative evidence for a jet driven by a combination of eddy momentum transport
and mean flow.Comment: 26 pages, 22 Figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Estimating evaporation from a wet grassland
International audienceWet grasslands are being restored across the UK and Europe to reinstate their high biodiversity following over 50 years of drainage and conversion to arable agriculture. The water balance of many wet grasslands is dominated by precipitation and evaporation and it is essential to quantify evaporation rates to understand the hydrological functioning of wetlands and the implications for water resources in catchments where wetlands are being restored. This paper considers data from direct measurements of evaporation from the Pevensey Levels wet grassland using the eddy correlation method. Equations are derived to predict actual evaporation using meteorological data on the site or from standard meteorological station observations. It was found that evaporation could be estimated reliably from meteorological variables, such as wind speed, temperature and humidity and by water availability. It was also found that when water availability is high, evaporation is high and may exceed reference evaporation values, raising questions over the deployment of the two-step Penman-Monteith model unless reliable crop coefficients and relative evaporation figures can be determined
Exploring the climate of Proxima B with the Met Office Unified Model
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from EDP Sciences via the DOI in this record.The corrigendum to this article is in ORE at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/34331We present results of simulations of the climate of the newly discovered planet Proxima Centauri B, performed using the Met Office
Unified Model (UM). We examine the responses of both an ‘Earth-like’ atmosphere and simplified nitrogen and trace carbon dioxide
atmosphere to the radiation likely received by Proxima Centauri B. Additionally, we explore the effects of orbital eccentricity on the
planetary conditions using a range of eccentricities guided by the observational constraints. Overall, our results are in agreement with
previous studies in suggesting Proxima Centauri B may well have surface temperatures conducive to the presence of liquid water.
Moreover, we have expanded the parameter regime over which the planet may support liquid water to higher values of eccentricity
(& 0.1) and lower incident fluxes (881.7 W m−2
) than previous work. This increased parameter space arises because of the low
sensitivity of the planet to changes in stellar flux, a consequence of the stellar spectrum and orbital configuration. However, we also
find interesting differences from previous simulations, such as cooler mean surface temperatures for the tidally-locked case. Finally,
we have produced high resolution planetary emission and reflectance spectra, and highlight signatures of gases vital to the evolution
of complex life on Earth (oxygen, ozone and carbon dioxide).I.B., J.M. and P.E. acknowledge the support of a Met Office Academic Partnership secondment. B.D. thanks the University of Exeter for
support through a Ph.D. studentship. N.J.M. and J.G.’s contributions were in part
funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant, and in part by a University
of Exeter College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences studentship.
We acknowledge use of the MONSooN system, a collaborative facility
supplied under the Joint Weather and Climate Research Programme, a strategic
partnership between the Met Office and the Natural Environment Research
Council. This work also used the University of Exeter Supercomputer, a DiRAC
Facility jointly funded by STFC, the Large Facilities Capital Fund of BIS and
the University of Exeter
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