13,939 research outputs found
Temperature Fluctuations driven by Magnetorotational Instability in Protoplanetary Disks
The magnetorotational instability (MRI) drives magnetized turbulence in
sufficiently ionized regions of protoplanetary disks, leading to mass
accretion. The dissipation of the potential energy associated with this
accretion determines the thermal structure of accreting regions. Until
recently, the heating from the turbulence has only been treated in an
azimuthally averaged sense, neglecting local fluctuations. However, magnetized
turbulence dissipates its energy intermittently in current sheet structures. We
study this intermittent energy dissipation using high resolution numerical
models including a treatment of radiative thermal diffusion in an optically
thick regime. Our models predict that these turbulent current sheets drive
order unity temperature variations even where the MRI is damped strongly by
Ohmic resistivity. This implies that the current sheet structures where energy
dissipation occurs must be well resolved to correctly capture the flow
structure in numerical models. Higher resolutions are required to resolve
energy dissipation than to resolve the magnetic field strength or accretion
stresses. The temperature variations are large enough to have major
consequences for mineral formation in disks, including melting chondrules,
remelting calcium-aluminum rich inclusions, and annealing silicates; and may
drive hysteresis: current sheets in MRI active regions could be significantly
more conductive than the remainder of the disk.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, ApJ In Press, updated to match proof
The Influence of Metallicity on Star Formation in Protogalaxies
In cold dark matter cosmological models, the first stars to form are believed
to do so within small protogalaxies. We wish to understand how the evolution of
these early protogalaxies changes once the gas forming them has been enriched
with small quantities of heavy elements, which are produced and dispersed into
the intergalactic medium by the first supernovae. Our initial conditions
represent protogalaxies forming within a fossil H II region, a previously
ionized region that has not yet had time to cool and recombine. We study the
influence of low levels of metal enrichment on the cooling and collapse of
ionized gas in small protogalactic halos using three-dimensional, smoothed
particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations that incorporate the effects of the
appropriate chemical and thermal processes. Our previous simulations
demonstrated that for metallicities Z < 0.001 Z_sun, metal line cooling alters
the density and temperature evolution of the gas by less than 1% compared to
the metal-free case at densities below 1 cm-3) and temperatures above 2000 K.
Here, we present the results of high-resolution simulations using particle
splitting to improve resolution in regions of interest. These simulations allow
us to address the question of whether there is a critical metallicity above
which fine structure cooling from metals allows efficient fragmentation to
occur, producing an initial mass function (IMF) resembling the local Salpeter
IMF, rather than only high-mass stars.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, First Stars III conference proceeding
Validity and reliability of the rear foot elevated split squat 5 repetition maximum to determine unilateral leg strength symmetry
The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFESS) five repetition maximum (5RM) test as a field method for measuring unilateral leg strength symmetry. As a validated method of testing symmetry, the RFESS 5RM may be used by Strength and Conditioning coaches and sports medicine staff to measure the presence of imbalances with minimal equipment and time. 26 subjects (age = 23.8 ±4.6 years, mass = 88.1 ± 10.7 kg, height = 1.79 ± 0.1 m) with a minimum two years strength and conditioning experience were recruited. Following a familiarization session, subjects performed an incremental five repetition maximum (5RM) protocol on both legs, on two occasions where 3D motion and force data were collected. Moderate reliability of bar load symmetry was found between test and re-test conditions correlation (ICC = 0.73, 0.33-0.91) with no proportional bias between sessions. Validation of the exercise was analyzed using a correlation between asymmetries in mean set vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) of the lead foot during the concentric phase, with bar load. When all maximal trials, from both test conditions, were analyzed, a most likely large positive correlation (0.57, 0.30 to 0.76) were found for mean set concentric lead foot vGRF. When a threshold level of load symmetry (96.54% - 103.46%) was applied, a most likely large positive correlation (r = 0.59, 0.14-0.84) between symmetry in lead foot vGRF was found in subjects who exceeded this limit. Conversely, analysis of subjects within the threshold produced unclear correlations. Findings of this study suggest the RFESS is a valid and reliable measure of unilateral leg strength symmetry. Practitioners are recommended to use this exercise to investigate the strength symmetry of athletes, but are guided to note that a threshold level of symmetry (96.54% - 103.46%) may be required to have been exceeded to indicate a true difference in vGRF production
Solenoidal versus compressive turbulence forcing
We analyze the statistics and star formation rate obtained in high-resolution
numerical experiments of forced supersonic turbulence, and compare with
observations. We concentrate on a systematic comparison of solenoidal
(divergence-free) and compressive (curl-free) forcing, which are two limiting
cases of turbulence driving. Our results show that for the same RMS Mach
number, compressive forcing produces a three times larger standard deviation of
the density probability distribution. When self-gravity is included in the
models, the star formation rate is more than one order of magnitude higher for
compressive forcing than for solenoidal forcing.Comment: 1 page, to appear in the proceedings of the IAU General Assembly
Joint Discussion 14 "FIR2009: The ISM of Galaxies in the Far-Infrared and
Sub-Millimetre", ed. M. Cunningha
Nearby Clumpy, Gas Rich, Star Forming Galaxies: Local Analogs of High Redshift Clumpy Galaxies
Luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) have enhanced star formation rates and
compact morphologies. We combine Sloan Digital Sky Survey data with HI data of
29 LCBGs at redshift z~0 to understand their nature. We find that local LCBGs
have high atomic gas fractions (~50%) and star formation rates per stellar mass
consistent with some high redshift star forming galaxies. Many local LCBGs also
have clumpy morphologies, with clumps distributed across their disks. Although
rare, these galaxies appear to be similar to the clumpy star forming galaxies
commonly observed at z~1-3. Local LCBGs separate into three groups: 1.
Interacting galaxies (~20%); 2. Clumpy spirals (~40%); 3. Non-clumpy,
non-spirals with regular shapes and smaller effective radii and stellar masses
(~40%). It seems that the method of building up a high gas fraction, which then
triggers star formation, is not the same for all local LCBGs. This may lead to
a dichotomy in galaxy characteristics. We consider possible gas delivery
scenarios and suggest that clumpy spirals, preferentially located in clusters
and with companions, are smoothly accreting gas from tidally disrupted
companions and/or intracluster gas enriched by stripped satellites. Conversely,
as non-clumpy galaxies are preferentially located in the field and tend to be
isolated, we suggest clumpy, cold streams, which destroy galaxy disks and
prevent clump formation, as a likely gas delivery mechanism for these systems.
Other possibilities include smooth cold streams, a series of minor mergers, or
major interactions.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure
NICMOS Observations of the Pre-Main-Sequence Planetary Debris System HD 98800
Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from 0.4 to 4.7 microns are presented
for the two principal stellar components of HD~98800, A and B. The third major
component, an extensive planetary debris system (PDS), emits > 20% of the
luminosity of star B in a blackbody SED at 164 +/- 5K extending from mid-IR to
millimeter-wavelengths. At 0.95 microns a preliminary upper limit of < 0.06 is
obtained for the ratio of reflected light to the total from star B. This result
limits the albedo of the PDS to < 0.3. Values are presented for the
temperature, luminosity, and radius of each major systemic component.
Remarkable similarities are found between the PDS and the interplanetary debris
system around the Sun as it could have appeared a few million years after its
formation.Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages with 1 encapsulated postscript figure and one
specially formatted Table which is rendered as a postscript file and included
as a figure. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter
Representations of the Canonical group, (the semi-direct product of the Unitary and Weyl-Heisenberg groups), acting as a dynamical group on noncommuting extended phase space
The unitary irreducible representations of the covering group of the Poincare
group P define the framework for much of particle physics on the physical
Minkowski space P/L, where L is the Lorentz group. While extraordinarily
successful, it does not provide a large enough group of symmetries to encompass
observed particles with a SU(3) classification. Born proposed the reciprocity
principle that states physics must be invariant under the reciprocity transform
that is heuristically {t,e,q,p}->{t,e,p,-q} where {t,e,q,p} are the time,
energy, position, and momentum degrees of freedom. This implies that there is
reciprocally conjugate relativity principle such that the rates of change of
momentum must be bounded by b, where b is a universal constant. The appropriate
group of dynamical symmetries that embodies this is the Canonical group C(1,3)
= U(1,3) *s H(1,3) and in this theory the non-commuting space Q= C(1,3)/
SU(1,3) is the physical quantum space endowed with a metric that is the second
Casimir invariant of the Canonical group, T^2 + E^2 - Q^2/c^2-P^2/b^2 +(2h
I/bc)(Y/bc -2) where {T,E,Q,P,I,Y} are the generators of the algebra of
Os(1,3). The idea is to study the representations of the Canonical dynamical
group using Mackey's theory to determine whether the representations can
encompass the spectrum of particle states. The unitary irreducible
representations of the Canonical group contain a direct product term that is a
representation of U(1,3) that Kalman has studied as a dynamical group for
hadrons. The U(1,3) representations contain discrete series that may be
decomposed into infinite ladders where the rungs are representations of U(3)
(finite dimensional) or C(2) (with degenerate U(1)* SU(2) finite dimensional
representations) corresponding to the rest or null frames.Comment: 25 pages; V2.3, PDF (Mathematica 4.1 source removed due to technical
problems); Submitted to J.Phys.
Age Dating of a High-Redshift QSO B1422+231 at Z=3.62 and its Cosmological Implications
The observed Fe II(UV+optical)/Mg II lambda lambda 2796,2804 flux ratio from
a gravitationally lensed quasar B1422+231 at z=3.62 is interpreted in terms of
detailed modeling of photoionization and chemical enrichment in the broad-line
region (BLR) of the host galaxy. The delayed iron enrichment by Type Ia
supernovae is used as a cosmic clock. Our standard model, which matches the Fe
II/Mg II ratio, requires the age of 1.5 Gyr for B1422+231 with a lower bound of
1.3 Gyr, which exceeds the expansion age of the Einstein-de Sitter Omega_0=1
universe at a redshift of 3.62 for any value of the Hubble constant in the
currently accepted range, H_0=60-80 km,s^{-1},Mpc^{-1}. This problem of an age
discrepancy at z=3.62 can be unraveled in a low-density Omega_0<0.2 universe,
either with or without a cosmological constant, depending on the allowable
redshift range of galaxy formation. However, whether the cosmological constant
is a required option in modern cosmology awaits a thorough understanding of
line transfer processes in the BLRs.Comment: 7 pages including 3 figures, to appear in ApJ Letter
Corrections to deuterium hyperfine structure due to deuteron excitations
We consider the corrections to deuterium hyperfine structure originating from
the two-photon exchange between electron and deuteron, with the deuteron
excitations in the intermediate states. In particular, the motion of the two
intermediate nucleons as a whole is taken into account. The problem is solved
in the zero-range approximation. The result is in good agreement with the
experimental value of the deuterium hyperfine splitting.Comment: 7 pages, LaTe
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