7,428 research outputs found
Local re-acceleration and a modified thick target model of solar flare electrons
The collisional thick target model (CTTM) of solar hard X-ray (HXR) bursts
has become an almost 'Standard Model' of flare impulsive phase energy transport
and radiation. However, it faces various problems in the light of recent data,
particularly the high electron beam density and anisotropy it involves.} {We
consider how photon yield per electron can be increased, and hence fast
electron beam intensity requirements reduced, by local re-acceleration of fast
electrons throughout the HXR source itself, after injection.} {We show
parametrically that, if net re-acceleration rates due to e.g. waves or local
current sheet electric () fields are a significant fraction of
collisional loss rates, electron lifetimes, and hence the net radiative HXR
output per electron can be substantially increased over the CTTM values. In
this local re-acceleration thick target model (LRTTM) fast electron number
requirements and anisotropy are thus reduced. One specific possible scenario
involving such re-acceleration is discussed, viz, a current sheet cascade (CSC)
in a randomly stressed magnetic loop.} {Combined MHD and test particle
simulations show that local fields in CSCs can efficiently
accelerate electrons in the corona and and re-accelerate them after injection
into the chromosphere. In this HXR source scenario, rapid synchronisation and
variability of impulsive footpoint emissions can still occur since primary
electron acceleration is in the high Alfv\'{e}n speed corona with fast
re-acceleration in chromospheric CSCs. It is also consistent with the
energy-dependent time-of-flight delays in HXR features.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure
Planetary astronomy
The authors profile the field of astronomy, identify some of the key scientific questions that can be addressed during the decade of the 1990's, and recommend several facilities that are critically important for answering these questions. Scientific opportunities for the 1990' are discussed. Areas discussed include protoplanetary disks, an inventory of the solar system, primitive material in the solar system, the dynamics of planetary atmospheres, planetary rings and ring dynamics, the composition and structure of the atmospheres of giant planets, the volcanoes of IO, and the mineralogy of the Martian surface. Critical technology developments, proposed projects and facilities, and recommendations for research and facilities are discussed
Penrose Diagram for a Transient Black Hole
A Penrose diagram is constructed for a spatially coherent black hole that
smoothly begins an accretion, then excretes symmetrically as measured by a
distant observer, with the initial and final states described by a metric of
Minkowski form. Coordinate curves on the diagram are computationally derived.
Causal relationships between space-time regions are briefly discussed. The life
cycle of the black hole demonstrably leaves asymptotic observers in an
unaltered Minkowski space-time of uniform conformal scale.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, spelling correction
Long-Term Stability of Horseshoe Orbits
Unlike Trojans, horseshoe coorbitals are not generally considered to be
long-term stable (Dermott and Murray, 1981; Murray and Dermott, 1999). As the
lifetime of Earth's and Venus's horseshoe coorbitals is expected to be about a
Gyr, we investigated the possible contribution of late-escaping inner planet
coorbitals to the lunar Late Heavy Bombardment. Contrary to analytical
estimates, we do not find many horseshoe objects escaping after first 100 Myr.
In order to understand this behaviour, we ran a second set of simulations
featuring idealized planets on circular orbits with a range of masses. We find
that horseshoe coorbitals are generally long lived (and potentially stable) for
systems with primary-to-secondary mass ratios larger than about 1200. This is
consistent with results of Laughlin and Chambers (2002) for equal-mass pairs or
coorbital planets and the instability of Jupiter's horseshoe companions (Stacey
and Connors, 2008). Horseshoe orbits at smaller mass ratios are unstable
because they must approach within 5 Hill radii of the secondary. In contrast,
tadpole orbits are more robust and can remain stable even when approaching
within 4 Hill radii of the secondary.Comment: Accepted for MNRA
The spectral difference between solar flare HXR coronal and footpoint sources due to wave-particle interactions
Investigate the spatial and spectral evolution of hard X-ray (HXR) emission
from flare accelerated electron beams subject to collisional transport and
wave-particle interactions in the solar atmosphere. We numerically follow the
propagation of a power-law of accelerated electrons in 1D space and time with
the response of the background plasma in the form of Langmuir waves using the
quasilinear approximation.}{We find that the addition of wave-particle
interactions to collisional transport for a transient initially injected
electron beam flattens the spectrum of the footpoint source. The coronal source
is unchanged and so the difference in the spectral indices between the coronal
and footpoint sources is \Delta \gamma > 2, which is larger than expected from
purely collisional transport. A steady-state beam shows little difference
between the two cases, as has been previously found, as a transiently injected
electron beam is required to produce significant wave growth, especially at
higher velocities. With this transiently injected beam the wave-particle
interactions dominate in the corona whereas the collisional losses dominate in
the chromosphere. The shape of the spectrum is different with increasing
electron beam density in the wave-particle interaction case whereas with purely
collisional transport only the normalisation is changed. We also find that the
starting height of the source electron beam above the photosphere affects the
spectral index of the footpoint when Langmuir wave growth is included. This may
account for the differing spectral indices found between double footpoints if
asymmetrical injection has occurred in the flaring loop.Comment: 10 pages, 10 FIgures, accepted for publication in A&
Density-Dependence as a Size-Independent Regulatory Mechanism
The growth function of populations is central in biomathematics. The main
dogma is the existence of density dependence mechanisms, which can be modelled
with distinct functional forms that depend on the size of the population. One
important class of regulatory functions is the -logistic, which
generalises the logistic equation. Using this model as a motivation, this paper
introduces a simple dynamical reformulation that generalises many growth
functions. The reformulation consists of two equations, one for population
size, and one for the growth rate. Furthermore, the model shows that although
population is density-dependent, the dynamics of the growth rate does not
depend either on population size, nor on the carrying capacity. Actually, the
growth equation is uncoupled from the population size equation, and the model
has only two parameters, a Malthusian parameter and a competition
coefficient . Distinct sign combinations of these parameters reproduce
not only the family of -logistics, but also the van Bertalanffy,
Gompertz and Potential Growth equations, among other possibilities. It is also
shown that, except for two critical points, there is a general size-scaling
relation that includes those appearing in the most important allometric
theories, including the recently proposed Metabolic Theory of Ecology. With
this model, several issues of general interest are discussed such as the growth
of animal population, extinctions, cell growth and allometry, and the effect of
environment over a population.Comment: 41 Pages, 5 figures Submitted to JT
Effect of binary collisions on electron acceleration in magnetic reconnection
Context. The presence of energetic X-ray sources in the solar corona indicates there are additional transport effects in the acceleration region. A prime method of investigation is to add collisions into models of particle behaviour at the reconnection region.<p></p>
Aims. We investigate electron test particle acceleration in a simple model of an X-type reconnection region. In particular, we explore the possibility that collisions will cause electrons to re-enter the acceleration more frequently, in turn causing particles to be accelerated to high energies.<p></p>
Methods. The deterministic (Lorentz) description of particle gyration and acceleration has been coupled to a model for the effects of collisions. The resulting equations are solved numerically using Honeycutt’s extension of the RK4 method to stochastic differential equations. This approach ensures a correct description of collisional energy loss and pitch-angle scattering combined with a sufficiently precise description of gyro-motion and acceleration.<p></p>
Results. Even with initially mono-energetic electrons, the competition between collisions and acceleration results in a distribution of electron energies. When realistic model parameters are used, electrons achieve X-ray energies. A possible model for coronal hard X-ray sources is indicated.
Conclusions. Even in competition with energy losses, pitch-angle scattering results in a small proportion of electrons reaching higher energies than they would in a collisionless situation.<p></p>
The macro-economic effects of health co-benefits associated with climate change mitigation strategies
The UK government has specific targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction to
lower the risk of dangerous climate change. Strategies to reduce GHG emissions are
sometimes perceived as expensive and difficult to implement but previous work has
demonstrated significant potential health co-benefits from ‘Active Travel and low carbon
driving’, ‘Housing Insulation/Ventilation’, and ‘Healthy Diet’ scenarios which may be
attractive to policymakers. Here a Computable General Equilibrium model is used to assess
the financial effects of such health co-benefits on the wider economy including changes in
labour force, social security payments and healthcare costs averted. Results suggest that for
all scenarios the financial impacts of the health co-benefits will be positive and increased
active travel in particular is likely to make a substantial contribution, largely due to health
care costs averted.
Strategies to reduce GHG emissions and improve health are likely to result in substantial and
increasing positive contributions to the economy which may offset some potential economic
costs and thereby be seen more favourably in times of economic austerity
Turbulent cross-field transport of non-thermal electrons in coronal loops: theory and observations
<p><b>Context:</b> A fundamental problem in astrophysics is the interaction between magnetic turbulence and charged particles. It is now possible to use Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations of hard X-rays (HXR) emitted by electrons to identify the presence of turbulence and to estimate the magnitude of the magnetic field line diffusion coefficient at least in dense coronal flaring loops.</p>
<p><b>Aims:</b> We discuss the various possible regimes of cross-field transport of non-thermal electrons resulting from broadband magnetic turbulence in coronal loops. The importance of the Kubo number K as a governing parameter is emphasized and results applicable in both the large and small Kubo number limits are collected.</p>
<p><b>Methods:</b> Generic models, based on concepts and insights developed in the statistical theory of transport, are applied to the coronal loops and to the interpretation of hard X-ray imaging data in solar flares. The role of trapping effects, which become important in the non-linear regime of transport, is taken into account in the interpretation of the data.</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> For this flaring solar loop, we constrain the ranges of parallel and perpendicular correlation lengths of turbulent magnetic fields and possible Kubo numbers. We show that a substantial amount of magnetic fluctuations with energy ~1% (or more) of the background field can be inferred from the measurements of the magnetic diffusion coefficient inside thick-target coronal loops.</p>
Simulations of partially coherent focal plane imaging arrays: Fisher matrix approach to performance evaluation
Focal plane arrays of bolometers are increasingly employed in astronomy at
far--infrared to millimetre wavelengths. The focal plane fields and the
detectors are both partially coherent in these systems, but no account has
previously been taken of the effect of partial coherence on array performance.
In this paper, we use our recently developed coupled--mode theory of detection
together with Fisher information matrix techniques from signal processing to
characterize the behaviour of partially coherent imaging arrays. We investigate
the effects of the size and coherence length of both the source and the
detectors, and the packing density of the array, on the amount of information
that can be extracted from observations with such arrays.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRAS 7th March 200
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