1,146 research outputs found
Does the spacecraft trajectory strongly affect the detection of magnetic clouds?
Magnetic clouds (MCs) are a subset of interplanetary coronal mass ejections
(ICMEs) where a magnetic flux rope is detected. Is the difference between MCs
and ICMEs without detected flux rope intrinsic or rather due to an
observational bias? As the spacecraft has no relationship with the MC
trajectory, the frequency distribution of MCs versus the spacecraft distance to
the MCs axis is expected to be approximately flat. However, Lepping and Wu
(2010) confirmed that it is a strongly decreasing function of the estimated
impact parameter. Is a flux rope more frequently undetected for larger impact
parameter? In order to answer the questions above, we explore the parameter
space of flux rope models, especially the aspect ratio, boundary shape, and
current distribution. The proposed models are analyzed as MCs by fitting a
circular linear force-free field to the magnetic field computed along simulated
crossings.
We find that the distribution of the twist within the flux rope, the
non-detection due to too low field rotation angle or magnitude are only weakly
affecting the expected frequency distribution of MCs versus impact parameter.
However, the estimated impact parameter is increasingly biased to lower values
as the flux-rope cross section is more elongated orthogonally to the crossing
trajectory. The observed distribution of MCs is a natural consequence of a
flux-rope cross section flattened in average by a factor 2 to 3 depending on
the magnetic twist profile. However, the faster MCs at 1 AU, with V>550 km/s,
present an almost uniform distribution of MCs vs. impact parameter, which is
consistent with round shaped flux ropes, in contrast with the slower ones. We
conclude that either most of the non-MC ICMEs are encountered outside their
flux rope or near the leg region, or they do not contain any
Event generator to construct cross sections for the multiphonon excitation of a set of collective vibrational modes
The construction of differential cross sections as a function of excitation
energy for systems with a collection of low- and high-lying intrinsic
vibrational modes has been attempted in the past. A prescription is proposed
that simplifies the implementation of such calculation schemes with a
remarkable reduction in computational time.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Characterization of the Turbulent Magnetic Integral Length in the Solar Wind: From 0.3 to 5 Astronomical Units
The solar wind is a structured and complex system, in which the fields vary
strongly over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. As an example, the
turbulent activity in the wind affects the evolution in the heliosphere of the
integral turbulent scale or correlation length [{\lambda}], usually associated
with the breakpoint in the turbulent-energy spectrum that separates the
inertial range from the injection range. This large variability of the fields
demands a statistical description of the solar wind. In this work, we study the
probability distribution function (PDF) of the magnetic autocorrelation lengths
observed in the solar wind at different distances from the Sun. We use
observations from Helios, ACE, and Ulysses spacecraft. We distinguish between
the usual solar wind and one of its transient components (Interplanetary
Coronal Mass Ejections, ICMEs), and study also solar wind samples with low and
high proton beta [\beta_p ]. We find that in the last 3 regimes the PDF of
{\lambda} is a log-normal function, consistent with the multiplicative and
non-linear processes that take place in the solar wind, the initial {\lambda}
(before the Alfv\'enic point) being larger in ICMEs
Study of Giant Pairing Vibrations with neutron-rich nuclei
We investigate the possible signature of the presence of giant pairing states
at excitation energy of about 10 MeV via two-particle transfer reactions
induced by neutron-rich weakly-bound projectiles. Performing particle-particle
RPA calculations on Pb and BCS+RPA calculations on Sn, we
obtain the pairing strength distribution for two particles addition and removal
modes. Estimates of two-particle transfer cross sections can be obtained in the
framework of the 'macroscopic model'. The weak-binding nature of the projectile
kinematically favours transitions to high-lying states. In the case of (~^6He,
\~^4He) reaction we predict a population of the Giant Pairing Vibration with
cross sections of the order of a millibarn, dominating over the mismatched
transition to the ground state.Comment: Talk presented in occasion of the VII School-Semina r on Heavy Ion
Physics hosted by the Flerov Laboratory (FLNR/JINR) Dubna, Russia from May 27
to June 2, 200
Role of break-up processes in fusion enhancement of drip-line nuclei at energies below the Coulomb barrier
We carry out realistic coupled-channels calculations for
Be + Pb reaction in order to discuss the effects of break-up
of the projectile nucleus on sub-barrier fusion.
We discretize in energy the particle continuum states, which are associated
with the break-up process, and construct the coupling form factors to these
states on a microscopic basis.
The incoming boundary condition is employed in solving coupled-channels
equations, which enables us to define the flux for complete fusion inside the
Coulomb barrier. It is shown that complete fusion cross sections are
significantly enhanced due to the couplings to the continuum states compared
with the no coupling case at energies below the Coulomb barrier, while they are
hindered at above barrier energies.Comment: RevTex, 3 pages, 5 figure
Investigation of the role of neutron transfer in the fusion of 32,34S with 197Au,208Pb using quasi-elastic scattering
Excitation functions for quasi-elastic scattering have been measured at
backward angles for the systems 32,34S+197Au and 32,34S+208Pb for energies
spanning the Coulomb barrier. Representative distributions, sensitive to the
low energy part of the fusion barrier distribution, have been extracted from
the data. For the fusion reactions of 32,34S with 197Au couplings related to
the nuclear structure of 197Au appear to be dominant in shaping the low energy
part of the barrier distibution. For the system 32S+208Pb the barrier
distribution is broader and extends further to lower energies, than in the case
of 34S+208Pb. This is consistent with the interpretation that the neutron
pick-up channels are energetically more favoured in the 32S induced reaction
and therefore couple more strongly to the relative motion. It may also be due
to the increased collectivity of 32S, when compared with 34S.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Superposed epoch study of ICME sub-structures near Earth and their effects on galactic cosmic rays
Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are the interplanetary
manifestations of solar eruptions. The overtaken solar wind forms a sheath of
compressed plasma at the front of ICMEs. Magnetic clouds (MCs) are a subset of
ICMEs with specific properties (e.g. the presence of a flux rope). When ICMEs
pass near Earth, ground observations indicate that the flux of galactic cosmic
rays (GCRs) decreases. The main aims of this paper are to find: common plasma
and magnetic properties of different ICME sub-structures, and which ICME
properties affect the flux of GCRs near Earth. We use a superposed epoch method
applied to a large set of ICMEs observed \insitu\ by the spacecraft ACE,
between 1998 and 2006. We also apply a superposed epoch analysis on GCRs time
series observed with the McMurdo neutron monitors. We find that slow MCs at 1
AU have on average more massive sheaths. We conclude that it is because they
are more effectively slowed down by drag during their travel from the Sun. Slow
MCs also have a more symmetric magnetic field and sheaths expanding similarly
as their following MC, while in contrast, fast MCs have an asymmetric magnetic
profile and a compressing sheath in compression. In all types of MCs, we find
that the proton density and the temperature, as well as the magnetic
fluctuations can diffuse within the front of the MC due to 3D reconnection.
Finally, we derive a quantitative model which describes the decrease of cosmic
rays as a function of the amount of magnetic fluctuations and field strength.
The obtained typical profiles of sheath/MC/GCR properties corresponding to
slow, mid, and fast ICMEs, can be used for forecasting/modelling these events,
and to better understand the transport of energetic particles in ICMEs. They
are also useful for improving future operative space weather activities.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, paper accepted in A&
Expansion of magnetic clouds in the outer heliosphere
A large amount of magnetized plasma is frequently ejected from the Sun as
coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Some of these ejections are detected in the
solar wind as magnetic clouds (MCs) that have flux rope signatures. Magnetic
clouds are structures that typically expand in the inner heliosphere. We derive
the expansion properties of MCs in the outer heliosphere from one to five
astronomical units to compare them with those in the inner heliosphere. We
analyze MCs observed by the Ulysses spacecraft using insitu magnetic field and
plasma measurements. The MC boundaries are defined in the MC frame after
defining the MC axis with a minimum variance method applied only to the flux
rope structure. As in the inner heliosphere, a large fraction of the velocity
profile within MCs is close to a linear function of time. This is indicative
of} a self-similar expansion and a MC size that locally follows a power-law of
the solar distance with an exponent called zeta. We derive the value of zeta
from the insitu velocity data. We analyze separately the non-perturbed MCs
(cases showing a linear velocity profile almost for the full event), and
perturbed MCs (cases showing a strongly distorted velocity profile). We find
that non-perturbed MCs expand with a similar non-dimensional expansion rate
(zeta=1.05+-0.34), i.e. slightly faster than at the solar distance and in the
inner heliosphere (zeta=0.91+-0.23). The subset of perturbed MCs expands, as in
the inner heliosphere, at a significantly lower rate and with a larger
dispersion (zeta=0.28+-0.52) as expected from the temporal evolution found in
numerical simulations. This local measure of the expansion also agrees with the
distribution with distance of MC size,mean magnetic field, and plasma
parameters. The MCs interacting with a strong field region, e.g. another MC,
have the most variable expansion rate (ranging from compression to
over-expansion)
Barrier Distributions as a Tool to Investigate Fusion and Fission
The recent availability of precisely measured fusion cross-sections has
enabled the extraction of a representation of the distribution of barriers
encountered during fusion. These representations, obtained from a variety of
reactions, provide a direct observation of how the structure of the fusing
nuclei changes the inter-nuclear potential landscape, thus affecting the fusion
probability. Recent experiments showing the effects of static quadrupole and
hexadecapole deformation, single-- and double-phonon states, transfer of
nucleons between two nuclei, and high lying excited states are reviewed. The
application of these concepts to the explanation of the anomalous
fission-fragment anisotropies observed following reactions with actinides is
discussed.Comment: 12 pages, To be published in the Proceedings of the NN 97 Conference,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, June 1997 (Nucl. Phys. A
Regular and chaotic regimes in coupled-channel calculations of nuclear scattering processes
The presence of regular and chaotic regimes in nuclear scattering processes has so far been established in the context of simple, schematic reaction models. It has been argued that traces of the underlying classical organization of phase space should also be present in complex quantal calculations performed with state-of-the-art coupled-channel codes. In this paper we show that this is indeed the case and develop concrete guidelines to infer - relying exclusively on features of the quantal results - the regular or chaotic character of the motion
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