1,375 research outputs found
Elliptical instability in hot Jupiter systems
Several studies have already considered the influence of tides on the
evolution of systems composed of a star and a close-in companion to tentatively
explain different observations such as the spin-up of some stars with hot
Jupiters, the radius anomaly of short orbital period planets and the
synchronization or quasi-synchronization of the stellar spin in some extreme
cases. However, the nature of the mechanism responsible for the tidal
dissipation in such systems remains uncertain. In this paper, we claim that the
so-called elliptical instability may play a major role in these systems,
explaining some systematic features present in the observations. This
hydrodynamic instability, arising in rotating flows with elliptical
streamlines, is suspected to be present in both planet and star of such
systems, which are elliptically deformed by tides. The presence and the
influence of the elliptical instability in gaseous bodies, such as stars or hot
Jupiters, are most of the time neglected. In this paper, using numerical
simulations and theoretical arguments, we consider several features associated
to the elliptical instability in hot-Jupiter systems. In particular, the use of
ad hoc boundary conditions makes it possible to estimate the amplitude of the
elliptical instability in gaseous bodies. We also consider the influence of
compressibility on the elliptical instability, and compare the results to the
incompressible case. We demonstrate the ability for the elliptical instability
to grow in the presence of differential rotation, with a possible synchronized
latitude, provided that the tidal deformation and/or the rotation rate of the
fluid are large enough. Moreover, the amplitude of the instability for a
centrally-condensed mass of fluid is of the same order of magnitude as for an
incompressible fluid for a given distance to the threshold of the instability.
Finally, we show that the assumption of the elliptical instability being the
main tidal dissipation process in eccentric inflated hot Jupiters and
misaligned stars is consistent with current data.Comment: Icarus (2013) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.12.01
Effects of wall compliance on the laminar–turbulent transition of torsional Couette flow
Torsional Couette flow between a rotating disk and a stationary wall is studied experimentally. The surface of the disk is either rigid or covered with a compliant coating. The influence of wall compliance on characteristic flow instabilities and on the laminar–turbulent flow transition is investigated. Data obtained from analysing flow visualizations are discussed. It is found that wall compliance favours two of the three characteristic wave patterns associated with the transition process and broadens the parameter regime in which these patterns are observed. The results for the effects of wall compliance on the third pattern are inconclusive. However, the experiments indicate that the third pattern is not a primary constituent of the laminar–turbulent transition process of torsional Couette flow
Chlorine-bearing molecules in molecular absorbers at intermediate redshifts
We use observations of chlorine-bearing species in molecular absorbers at intermediate redshifts to investigate chemical properties and Cl-35/Cl-37 isotopic ratios in the absorbing sightlines. Chloronium (H2Cl+) is detected along three independent lines of sight in the z = 0.89 and z = 0.68 molecular absorbers located in front of the lensed quasars PKS 1830-211 and B 0218+357, respectively. Hydrogen chloride (HCl) was observed only toward PKS 1830-211, and is found to behave differently from H2Cl+. It is detected in one line of sight with an abundance ratio [H2Cl+]/[HCl] similar to 1, but remains undetected in the other, more diffuse, line of sight, with a ratio [H2Cl+] / [HCl] > 17. The absorption profiles of these two chlorine-bearing species are compared to other species and discussed in terms of the physical properties of the absorbing gas. Our findings are consistent with the picture emerging from chemical models where different species trace gas with different molecular hydrogen fraction. The Cl-35/Cl-37 isotopic ratios are measured in the different lines of sight and are discussed in terms of stellar nucleosynthesis
An Upper Mass Limit on a Red Supergiant Progenitor for the Type II-Plateau Supernova SN 2006my
We analyze two pre-supernova (SN) and three post-SN high-resolution images of
the site of the Type II-Plateau supernova SN 2006my in an effort to either
detect the progenitor star or to constrain its properties. Following image
registration, we find that an isolated stellar object is not detected at the
location of SN 2006my in either of the two pre-SN images. In the first, an
I-band image obtained with the Wide-Field and Planetary Camera 2 on board the
Hubble Space Telescope, the offset between the SN 2006my location and a
detected source ("Source 1") is too large: > 0.08", which corresponds to a
confidence level of non-association of 96% from our most liberal estimates of
the transformation and measurement uncertainties. In the second, a similarly
obtained V-band image, a source is detected ("Source 2") that has overlap with
the SN 2006my location but is definitively an extended object. Through
artificial star tests carried out on the precise location of SN 2006my in the
images, we derive a 3-sigma upper bound on the luminosity of a red supergiant
that could have remained undetected in our pre-SN images of log L/L_Sun = 5.10,
which translates to an upper bound on such a star's initial mass of 15 M_Sun
from the STARS stellar evolutionary models. Although considered unlikely, we
can not rule out the possibility that part of the light comprising Source 1,
which exhibits a slight extension relative to other point sources in the image,
or part of the light contributing to the extended Source 2, may be due to the
progenitor of SN 2006my. Only additional, high-resolution observations of the
site taken after SN 2006my has faded beyond detection can confirm or reject
these possibilities.Comment: Minor text changes from Version 1. Appendix added detailing the
determination of confidence level of non-association of point sources in two
registered astronomical image
A systematic numerical study of the tidal instability in a rotating triaxial ellipsoid
The full non-linear evolution of the tidal instability is studied numerically
in an ellipsoidal fluid domain relevant for planetary cores applications. Our
numerical model, based on a finite element method, is first validated by
reproducing some known analytical results. This model is then used to address
open questions that were up to now inaccessible using theoretical and
experimental approaches. Growth rates and mode selection of the instability are
systematically studied as a function of the aspect ratio of the ellipsoid and
as a function of the inclination of the rotation axis compared to the
deformation plane. We also quantify the saturation amplitude of the flow driven
by the instability and calculate the viscous dissipation that it causes. This
tidal dissipation can be of major importance for some geophysical situations
and we thus derive general scaling laws which are applied to typical planetary
cores
Obscured Starburst Activity in High Redshift Clusters and Groups
Using Spitzer-MIPS 24um imaging and Keck spectroscopy we examine the nature
of the obscured star forming population in three clusters and three groups at
z~0.9. These six systems are components of the Cl1604 supercluster, the largest
structure imaged by Spitzer at redshifts near unity. We find that the average
density of 24um-detected galaxies within the Cl1604 clusters is nearly twice
that of the surrounding field and that this overdensity scales with the
cluster's dynamical state. The 24um-bright members often appear optically
unremarkable and exhibit only moderate [OII] line emission due to severe
obscuration. Their spatial distribution suggests they are an infalling
population, but an examination of their spectral properties, morphologies and
optical colors indicate they are not simply analogs of the field population
that have yet to be quenched. Using stacked composite spectra, we find the
24um-detected cluster and group galaxies exhibit elevated levels of Balmer
absorption compared to galaxies undergoing normal, continuous star formation. A
similar excess is not observed in field galaxies with equivalent infrared
luminosities, indicating a greater fraction of the detected cluster and group
members have experienced a burst of star formation in the recent past compared
to their counterparts in the field. Our results suggest that gas-rich galaxies
at high redshift experience a temporary increase in their star formation
activity as they assemble into denser environments. Using HST-ACS imaging we
find that disturbed morphologies are common among the 24um-detected cluster and
group members and become more prevalent in regions of higher galaxy density. We
conclude that mergers are the dominant triggering mechanism responsible for the
enhanced star formation found in the Cl1604 groups, while a mix of harassment
and mergers are likely driving the activity of the cluster galaxies.Comment: 18 pages, 19 figures, submitted to Ap
Génération d'ondes gravito-inertielles par la turbulence
Dans de nombreuses situations géophysiques et astrophysiques, une couche de fluide turbulent se situe au dessus ou en-dessous d'une zone stratifiée stable. C'est par exemple le cas des zones convective et radiative des étoiles. Alors que cette zone stratifiée a longtemps été assimilée à une zone immobile, il s'avère qu'elle est en fait le siège de mouvements oscillatoires (ondes gravito- inertielles) excités par la turbulence voisine. Ces ondes sont susceptibles de transporter de la quantité de mouvement et de l'énergie, donc d'influer significativement sur la dynamique du système considéré. Il est donc primordial de comprendre leur génération et leurs caractéristiques
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