1,877 research outputs found
Two-dimensional Moist Stratified Turbulence and the Emergence of Vertically Sheared Horizontal Flows
Moist stratified turbulence is studied in a two-dimensional Boussinesq system
influenced by condensation and evaporation. The problem is set in a periodic
domain and employs simple evaporation and condensation schemes, wherein both
the processes push parcels towards saturation. Numerical simulations
demonstrate the emergence of a moist turbulent state consisting of ordered
structures with a clear power-law type spectral scaling from initially
spatially uncorrelated conditions. An asymptotic analysis in the limit of rapid
condensation and strong stratification shows that, for initial conditions with
enough water substance to saturate the domain, the equations support a
straightforward state of moist balance characterized by a hydrostatic,
saturated, vertically sheared horizontal flow (VSHF). For such initial
conditions, by means of long time numerical simulations, the emergence of moist
balance is verified. Specifically, starting from uncorrelated data, subsequent
to the development of a moist turbulent state, the system experiences a rather
abrupt transition to a regime which is close to saturation and dominated by a
strong VSHF. On the other hand, initial conditions which do not have enough
water substance to saturate the domain, do not attain moist balance. Rather,
the system remains in a turbulent state and oscillates about moist balance.
Even though balance is not achieved with these general initial conditions, the
time scale of oscillation about moist balance is much larger than the imposed
time scale of condensation and evaporation, thus indicating a distinct dominant
slow component in the moist stratified two-dimensional turbulent system.Comment: 23 pages. 9 figure
Density excitations of a harmonically trapped ideal gas
The dynamic structure factor of a harmonically trapped Bose gas has been
calculated well above the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature by treating
the gas cloud as a canonical ensemble of noninteracting classical particles.
The static structure factor is found to vanish as wavenumber squared in the
long-wavelength limit. We also incorporate a relaxation mechanism
phenomenologically by including a stochastic friction force to study the
dynamic structure factor. A significant temperature dependence of the
density-fluctuation spectra is found. The Debye-Waller factor has been
calculated for the trapped thermal cloud as function of wavenumber and of
particle number. A substantial difference is found between clouds of small and
large particle number
Spurious symptom reduction in fault monitoring
Previous work accomplished on NASA's Faultfinder concept suggested that the concept was jeopardized by spurious symptoms generated in the monitoring phase. The purpose of the present research was to investigate methods of reducing the generation of spurious symptoms during in-flight engine monitoring. Two approaches for reducing spurious symptoms were investigated. A knowledge base of rules was constructed to filter known spurious symptoms and a neural net was developed to improve the expectation values used in the monitoring process. Both approaches were effective in reducing spurious symptoms individually. However, the best results were obtained using a hybrid system combining the neural net capability to improve expectation values with the rule-based logic filter
Systems development of a stall/spin research facility using remotely controlled/augmented aircraft models. Volume 1: Systems overview
A ground based, general purpose, real time, digital control system simulator (CSS) is specified, developed, and integrated with the existing instrumentation van of the testing facility. This CSS is built around a PDP-11/55, and its operational software was developed to meet the dual goal of providing the immediate capability to represent the F-18 drop model control laws and the flexibility for expansion to represent more complex control laws typical of control configured vehicles. Overviews of the two CSS's developed are reviewed as well as the overall system after their integration with the existing facility. Also the latest version of the F-18 drop model control laws (REV D) is described and the changes needed for its incorporation in the digital and analog CSS's are discussed
<i>P. berghei</i> telomerase subunit TERT is essential for parasite survival
Telomeres define the ends of chromosomes protecting eukaryotic cells from chromosome instability and eventual cell death. The complex regulation of telomeres involves various proteins including telomerase, which is a specialized ribonucleoprotein responsible for telomere maintenance. Telomeres of chromosomes of malaria parasites are kept at a constant length during blood stage proliferation. The 7-bp telomere repeat sequence is universal across different Plasmodium species (GGGTTT/CA), though the average telomere length varies. The catalytic subunit of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), is present in all sequenced Plasmodium species and is approximately three times larger than other eukaryotic TERTs. The Plasmodium RNA component of TERT has recently been identified in silico. A strategy to delete the gene encoding TERT via double cross-over (DXO) homologous recombination was undertaken to study the telomerase function in P. berghei. Expression of both TERT and the RNA component (TR) in P. berghei blood stages was analysed by Western blotting and Northern analysis. Average telomere length was measured in several Plasmodium species using Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) analysis. TERT and TR were detected in blood stages and an average telomere length of ~950 bp established. Deletion of the tert gene was performed using standard transfection methodologies and we show the presence of tert− mutants in the transfected parasite populations. Cloning of tert- mutants has been attempted multiple times without success. Thorough analysis of the transfected parasite populations and the parasite obtained from extensive parasite cloning from these populations provide evidence for a so called delayed death phenotype as observed in different organisms lacking TERT. The findings indicate that TERT is essential for P. berghei cell survival. The study extends our current knowledge on telomere biology in malaria parasites and validates further investigations to identify telomerase inhibitors to induce parasite cell death
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