3,257 research outputs found
Prediction of overwash in alongshore variable barrier islands [Previsão da ocorrência de galgamentos em ilhas barreira com variabilidade longilitoral]
Overwash prediction is very important for coastal zone
management. This work intends to identify alongshore variations in
storm impact and evaluate the role of sub-aerial and submerged
morphologies in overwash occurrence. For this study, 24 cross-shore
topo-bathymetric profiles were set on Barreta Island (Ria Formosa
barrier island system, Portugal). Pre- and post-overwash surveys were
made between August 2012 and April 2013. During overwash events,
tidal levels and wave parameters at breaking were obtained. Overwash
occurred under storm and non-storm conditions, the latter coincident
with spring high-tide. Beach morphology was spatially variable, and
changeable from one overwash episode to the next. Predictions of
overwash occurrence were made using the Overwash Potential, defined
as the difference between runup and barrier elevation. Several runup
equations were tested, and the results compared to the actual
observations. The selected predictor provided an accuracy of 88% for
the identification of the locations where overwash occurred. This study
proves that nearshore and foreshore morphologies have a major impact
on the longshore distribution of overwash.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection in Two Dimensions
Two-dimensional numerical simulations of the effect of background turbulence
on 2D resistive magnetic reconnection are presented. For sufficiently small
values of the resistivity () and moderate values of the turbulent power
(), the reconnection rate is found to have a much weaker dependence
on than the Sweet-Parker scaling of and is even consistent
with an independent value. For a given value of , the dependence
of the reconnection rate on the turbulent power exhibits a critical threshold
in above which the reconnection rate is significantly enhanced.Comment: Accepted to MNRA
Viriato: a Fourier-Hermite spectral code for strongly magnetised fluid-kinetic plasma dynamics
We report on the algorithms and numerical methods used in Viriato, a novel
fluid-kinetic code that solves two distinct sets of equations: (i) the Kinetic
Reduced Electron Heating Model (KREHM) equations [Zocco & Schekochihin, Phys.
Plasmas 18, 102309 (2011)] (which reduce to the standard Reduced-MHD equations
in the appropriate limit) and (ii) the kinetic reduced MHD (KRMHD) equations
[Schekochihin et al., Astrophys. J. Suppl. 182:310 (2009)]. Two main
applications of these equations are magnetised (Alfvenic) plasma turbulence and
magnetic reconnection. Viriato uses operator splitting (Strang or Godunov) to
separate the dynamics parallel and perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field
(assumed strong). Along the magnetic field, Viriato allows for either a
second-order accurate MacCormack method or, for higher accuracy, a
spectral-like scheme composed of the combination of a total variation
diminishing (TVD) third order Runge-Kutta method for the time derivative with a
7th order upwind scheme for the fluxes. Perpendicular to the field Viriato is
pseudo-spectral, and the time integration is performed by means of an iterative
predictor-corrector scheme. In addition, a distinctive feature of Viriato is
its spectral representation of the parallel velocity-space dependence, achieved
by means of a Hermite representation of the perturbed distribution function. A
series of linear and nonlinear benchmarks and tests are presented, including a
detailed analysis of 2D and 3D Orszag-Tang-type decaying turbulence, both in
fluid and kinetic regimes.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figures, submitted to J. Comp. Phy
Fast magnetic reconnection in the plasmoid-dominated regime
A conceptual model of resistive magnetic reconnection via a stochastic
plasmoid chain is proposed. The global reconnection rate is shown to be
independent of the Lundquist number. The distribution of fluxes in the
plasmoids is shown to be an inverse square law. It is argued that there is a
finite probability of emergence of abnormally large plasmoids, which can
disrupt the chain (and may be responsible for observable large abrupt events in
solar flares and sawtooth crashes). A criterion for the transition from
magnetohydrodynamic to collisionless regime is provided.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Analyzing the strength of novelty and meaningfulness in astrotourism experiences: The mediating role of hedonism
Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationships among novelty, meaningfulness, hedonism and loyalty in the context of an astrotourism experience. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a convenience sample at an astrotourism event in Portugal. A self‐administered questionnaire was designed using established scales. In total, 296 usable responses were analyzed using partial least square (PLS)-structural equation modeling. Findings: The result of the structural model shows that novelty and meaningfulness affect hedonism, which in turn influences loyalty. Novelty and meaningfulness contribute 62.8% to the variance in hedonism and 31.3% to the variability in loyalty. Originality/value: This study deepens knowledge of the tourist behavior of astrotourists. Destinations and managers that develop astrotourism activities can also benefit from deeper knowledge about the emotional process of the astrotourism experience and its impact on behavioral loyalty.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
- …