7,545 research outputs found
Fast-ignition design transport studies: realistic electron source, integrated PIC-hydrodynamics, imposed magnetic fields
Transport modeling of idealized, cone-guided fast ignition targets indicates
the severe challenge posed by fast-electron source divergence. The hybrid
particle-in-cell [PIC] code Zuma is run in tandem with the
radiation-hydrodynamics code Hydra to model fast-electron propagation, fuel
heating, and thermonuclear burn. The fast electron source is based on a 3D
explicit-PIC laser-plasma simulation with the PSC code. This shows a quasi
two-temperature energy spectrum, and a divergent angle spectrum (average
velocity-space polar angle of 52 degrees). Transport simulations with the
PIC-based divergence do not ignite for > 1 MJ of fast-electron energy, for a
modest 70 micron standoff distance from fast-electron injection to the dense
fuel. However, artificially collimating the source gives an ignition energy of
132 kJ. To mitigate the divergence, we consider imposed axial magnetic fields.
Uniform fields ~50 MG are sufficient to recover the artificially collimated
ignition energy. Experiments at the Omega laser facility have generated fields
of this magnitude by imploding a capsule in seed fields of 50-100 kG. Such
imploded fields are however more compressed in the transport region than in the
laser absorption region. When fast electrons encounter increasing field
strength, magnetic mirroring can reflect a substantial fraction of them and
reduce coupling to the fuel. A hollow magnetic pipe, which peaks at a finite
radius, is presented as one field configuration which circumvents mirroring.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figures, submitted to Phys. Plasma
X-ray total mass estimate for the nearby relaxed cluster A3571
We constrain the total mass distribution in the cluster A3571, combining
spatially resolved ASCA temperature data with ROSAT imaging data with the
assumption that the cluster is in hydrostatic equilibrium. The total mass
within r_500 (1.7/h_50 Mpc) is M_500 = 7.8[+1.4,-2.2] 10^14/ h_50 Msun at 90%
confidence, 1.1 times smaller than the isothermal estimate. The Navarro, Frenk
& White ``universal profile'' is a good description of the dark matter density
distribution in A3571. The gas density profile is shallower than the dark
matter profile, scaling as r^{-2.1} at large radii, leading to a monotonically
increasing gas mass fraction with radius. Within r_500 the gas mass fraction
reaches a value of f_gas = 0.19[+0.06,-0.03] h_50^{-3/2} (90% confidence
errors). Assuming that this value of f_gas is a lower limit for the the
universal value of the baryon fraction, we estimate the 90% confidence upper
limit of the cosmological matter density to be Omega_m < 0.4.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Ap
Cone-Guided Fast Ignition with no Imposed Magnetic Fields
Simulations of ignition-scale fast ignition targets have been performed with
the new integrated Zuma-Hydra PIC-hydrodynamic capability. We consider an
idealized spherical DT fuel assembly with a carbon cone, and an
artificially-collimated fast electron source. We study the role of E and B
fields and the fast electron energy spectrum. For mono-energetic 1.5 MeV fast
electrons, without E and B fields, the energy needed for ignition is E_f^{ig} =
30 kJ. This is about 3.5x the minimal deposited ignition energy of 8.7 kJ for
our fuel density of 450 g/cm^3. Including E and B fields with the resistive
Ohm's law E = \eta J_b gives E_f^{ig} = 20 kJ, while using the full Ohm's law
gives E_f^{ig} > 40 kJ. This is due to magnetic self-guiding in the former
case, and \nabla n \times \nabla T magnetic fields in the latter. Using a
realistic, quasi two-temperature energy spectrum derived from PIC laser-plasma
simulations increases E_f^{ig} to (102, 81, 162) kJ for (no E/B, E = \eta J_b,
full Ohm's law). This stems from the electrons being too energetic to fully
stop in the optimal hot spot depth.Comment: Minor revisions in response to referee comment
Formation of helical states in wormlike polymer chains
We propose a potential for wormlike polymer chains which can be used to model
the low-temperature conformational structures. We successfully reproduced helix
ground states up to 6.5 helical loops, using the multicanonical Monte Carlo
simulation method. We demonstrate that the coil-helix transition involves four
distinct phases: coil(gaslike), collapsed globular(liquidlike), and two helical
phases I and II (both solidlike). The helix I phase is characterized by a
helical structure with dangling loose ends, and the helix II phase corresponds
to a near perfect helix ordering in the entire crystallized chain.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Submitted to PR
Two Galaxy Clusters: A3565 and A3560
We report 102 new redshifts and magnitudes for a sample of galaxies to RF ~
15.5 mag in a 2.17 deg x 2.17 deg region centered on the galaxy IC 4296, the
most luminous member of the A3565 cluster. Up to the limiting magnitude we find
29 cluster members, and measure a velocity dispersion of 228 km/s. The
estimated total mass for this system is ~ 3.0 x h**-1 10**13 Msun (where h =
H0/100 km/s/Mpc), and its dynamical properties are quite typical of poor
clusters presenting X-ray emission. We also find that galaxies with absorption
lines are more concentrated towards the center of the cluster, while systems
with emission lines are mainly located in the outer parts. The small velocity
dispersion of the cluster, coupled to the known presence of an interacting pair
of galaxies, and the large extent of the brightest cluster galaxy, could
indicate that galaxy formation through mergers may still be underway in this
system. The surveyed region also contains galaxies belonging to the Shapley
Concentration cluster A3560. Within 30 arc min of the cluster center, we detect
32 galaxies, for which we measure a velocity dispersion of 588 km/s and a mass
of ~2 x h**-1 10**14 Msun. However, because our sample is restricted to
galaxies brighter than M*, these values should be considered only as rough
estimates.Comment: 33 pages, including 6 tables and 9 postscript figures. Uses AAS Latex
macros. Postscript file and ASCII versions of Tables 4 and 6 are available at
http://www.dan.on.br/other_surveys/a3565.html. Scheduled for September 1999
issue of The Astronomical Journa
Study of molecular spin-crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films
We report on the growth by evaporation under high vacuum of high-quality thin
films of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) that maintain the expected
electronic structure down to a thickness of 10 nm and that exhibit a
temperature-driven spin transition. We have investigated the current-voltage
characteristics of a device based on such films. From the space charge-limited
current regime, we deduce a mobility of 6.5x10-6 cm2/V?s that is similar to the
low-range mobility measured on the widely studied
tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminium organic semiconductor. This work paves the
way for multifunctional molecular devices based on spin-crossover complexes
Hypercontractivity on the -Araki-Woods algebras
Extending a work of Carlen and Lieb, Biane has obtained the optimal
hypercontractivity of the -Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semigroup on the
-deformation of the free group algebra. In this note, we look for an
extension of this result to the type III situation, that is for the
-Araki-Woods algebras. We show that hypercontractivity from to
can occur if and only if the generator of the deformation is bounded.Comment: 17 page
Dynamics of Sleep-Wake Transitions During Sleep
We study the dynamics of the awakening during the night for healthy subjects
and find that the wake and the sleep periods exhibit completely different
behavior: the durations of wake periods are characterized by a scale-free
power-law distribution, while the durations of sleep periods have an
exponential distribution with a characteristic time scale. We find that the
characteristic time scale of sleep periods changes throughout the night. In
contrast, there is no measurable variation in the power-law behavior for the
durations of wake periods. We develop a stochastic model which agrees with the
data and suggests that the difference in the dynamics of sleep and wake states
arises from the constraints on the number of microstates in the sleep-wake
system.Comment: Final form with some small corrections. To be published in
Europhysics Letters, vol. 57, issue no. 5, 1 March 2002, pp. 625-63
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