24,376 research outputs found
Kinematic Constraints to the Transition Redshift from SNe Ia Union Data
The kinematic approach to cosmological tests provides a direct evidence to
the present accelerating stage of the universe which does not depend on the
validity of general relativity, as well as on the matter-energy content of the
Universe. In this context, we consider here a linear two-parameter expansion
for the decelerating parameter, , where and are
arbitrary constants to be constrained by the Union supernovae data. By assuming
a flat Universe we find that the best fit to the pair of free parameters is
() = ( whereas the transition redshift is () (). This
kinematic result is in agreement with some independent analyzes and
accommodates more easily many dynamical flat models (like CDM).Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Plane flame furnace combustion tests on JPL desulfurized coal
The combustion characteristics of three raw bituminous (PSOC-282 and 276) and subbituminous (PSOC-230) coals, the raw coals partially desulfurized (ca -60%) by JPL chlorinolysis, and the chlorinated coals more completely desulfurized (ca -75%) by JPL hydrodesulfurization were determined. The extent to which the combustion characteristics of the untreated coals were altered upon JPL sulfur removal was examined. Combustion conditions typical of utility boilers were simulated in the plane flame furnace. Upon decreasing the parent coal voltaile matter generically by 80% and the sulfur by 75% via the JPL desulfurization process, ignition time was delayed 70 fold, burning velocity was retarded 1.5 fold, and burnout time was prolonged 1.4 fold. Total flame residence time increased 2.3 fold. The JPL desulfurization process appears to show significant promise for producing technologically combustible and clean burning (low SO3) fuels
Counterrotation in magnetocentrifugally driven jets and other winds
Rotation measurement in jets from T Tauri stars is a rather difficult task.
Some jets seem to be rotating in a direction opposite to that of the underlying
disk, although it is not yet clear if this affects the totality or part of the
outflows. On the other hand, Ulysses data also suggest that the solar wind may
rotate in two opposite ways between the northern and southern hemispheres. We
show that this result is not as surprising as it may seem and that it emerges
naturally from the ideal MHD equations. Specifically, counterrotating jets
neither contradict the magnetocentrifugal driving of the flow nor prevent
extraction of angular momentum from the disk. The demonstration of this result
is shown by combining the ideal MHD equations for steady axisymmetric flows.
Provided that the jet is decelerated below some given threshold beyond the
Alfven surface, the flow will change its direction of rotation locally or
globally. Counterrotation is also possible for only some layers of the outflow
at specific altitudes along the jet axis. We conclude that the counterrotation
of winds or jets with respect to the source, star or disk, is not in
contradiction with the magnetocentrifugal driving paradigm. This phenomenon may
affect part of the outflow, either in one hemisphere, or only in some of the
outflow layers. From a time-dependent simulation, we illustrate this effect and
show that it may not be permanent.Comment: To appear in ApJ
Counter-rotation in relativistic magnetohydrodynamic jets
Young stellar object observations suggest that some jets rotate in the
opposite direction with respect to their disk. In a recent study, Sauty et al.
(2012) have shown that this does not contradict the magnetocentrifugal
mechanism that is believed to launch such outflows. Signatures of motions
transverse to the jet axis and in opposite directions have recently been
measured in M87 (Meyer et al. 2013). One possible interpretation of this motion
is the one of counter rotating knots. Here, we extend our previous analytical
derivation of counter-rotation to relativistic jets, demonstrating that
counter-rotation can indeed take place under rather general conditions. We show
that both the magnetic field and a non-negligible enthalpy are necessary at the
origin of counter-rotating outflows, and that the effect is associated with a
transfer of energy flux from the matter to the electromagnetic field. This can
be realized in three cases : if a decreasing enthalpy causes an increase of the
Poynting flux, if the flow decelerates, or, if strong gradients of the magnetic
field are present. An illustration of the involved mechanism is given by an
example of relativistic MHD jet simulation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
DESENVOLVIMENTO E VALIDAÇÃO DA ESCALA DE AVALIAÇÃO DO RISCO DE VIOLÊNCIA PARA IDOSOS (EARVI)
o presente estudo teve por objetivo o desenvolvimento e a obtenção de evidências de validade e precisão da Escala de Avaliação do Risco de Violência para Idosos (EARVI). Método: Trata-se de um estudo metodológico, de corte transversal, no qual participaram 228 idosos com 65 ou mais anos, residentes de três regiões de Portugal. Resultado: Na análise fatorial, o instrumento apresentou evidências satisfatórias de validade e precisão, resultando na retenção de 21 itens que se agruparam em quatro fatores: confiança/segurança nas relações próximas, isolamento social, dependência funcional e segurança financeira. O alfa de Cronbach para a escala total foi de 0,74. A EARVI apresentou boa precisão, com índice de Youden de 0,77 e sensibilidade e especificidade de 88%. Conclusão: A EARVI poderá ser uma ferramenta útil na identificação de idosos em risco de violência, auxiliando na tomada de decisão por profissionais de saúde. No entanto, se faz necessário que o instrumento seja replicado em amostras mais amplas de idosos, incluindo outros contextos e localidades, de modo a comprovar a estrutura fatorial obtida na escala
An accurate formula for the period of a simple pendulum oscillating beyond the small-angle regime
A simple approximation formula is derived here for the dependence of the
period of a simple pendulum on amplitude that only requires a pocket calculator
and furnishes an error of less than 0.25% with respect to the exact period. It
is shown that this formula describes the increase of the pendulum period with
amplitude better than other simple formulas found in literature. A good
agreement with experimental data for a low air-resistance pendulum is also
verified and it suggests, together with the current availability/precision of
timers and detectors, that the proposed formula is useful for extending the
pendulum experiment beyond the usual small-angle oscillations.Comment: 15 pages and 4 figures. to appear in American Journal of Physic
Chemical Potential and the Nature of the Dark Energy: The case of phantom
The influence of a possible non zero chemical potential on the nature
of dark energy is investigated by assuming that the dark energy is a
relativistic perfect simple fluid obeying the equation of state (EoS),
(). The entropy condition, ,
implies that the possible values of are heavily dependent on the
magnitude, as well as on the sign of the chemical potential. For , the
-parameter must be greater than -1 (vacuum is forbidden) while for not only the vacuum but even a phantomlike behavior () is
allowed. In any case, the ratio between the chemical potential and temperature
remains constant, that is, . Assuming that the dark energy
constituents have either a bosonic or fermionic nature, the general form of the
spectrum is also proposed. For bosons is always negative and the extended
Wien's law allows only a dark component with which includes
vacuum and the phantomlike cases. The same happens in the fermionic branch for
are permmited only if . The thermodynamics and statistical arguments constrain the
EoS parameter to be , a result surprisingly close to the maximal
value required to accelerate a FRW type universe dominated by matter and dark
energy ().Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
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