1,821 research outputs found
Atmospheric image blur with finite outer scale or partial adaptive correction
Seeing-limited resolution in large telescopes working over wide wavelength
range depends substantially on the turbulence outer scale and cannot be
adequately described by one "seeing" value. We attempt to clarify frequent
confusions on this matter. We study the effects of finite turbulence outer
scale and partial adaptive corrections by means of analytical calculations and
numerical simulations. If a von Karman turbulence model is adopted, a simple
approximate formula captures the dependence of atmospheric long-exposure
resolution on the outer scale over the entire practically interesting range of
telescope diameters and wavelengths. In the infrared (IR), the difference with
the standard Kolmogorov seeing formula can exceed a factor of two. We find that
low-order adaptive turbulence correction produces residual wave-fronts with
effectively small outer scale, so even very low compensation order leads to a
substantial improvement in resolution over seeing, compared to the standard
theory. Seeing-limited resolution of large telescopes, especially in the IR, is
currently under-estimated by not accounting for the outer scale. On the other
hand, adaptive-optics systems designed for diffraction-limited imaging in the
IR can improve the resolution in the visible by as much as two times.Comment: A&A accepte
Plasma turbulence simulations with X-points using the flux-coordinate independent approach
In this work, the Flux-Coordinate Independent (FCI) approach to plasma
turbulence simulations is formulated for the case of generic, static magnetic
fields, including those possessing stochastic field lines. It is then
demonstrated that FCI is applicable to nonlinear turbulent problems with and
without X-point geometry. In particular, by means of simulations with the
FENICIA code, it is shown that the standard features of ITG modes are recovered
with reduced toroidal resolution. Finally, ITG turbulence under the influence
of a static island is studied on the transport timescale with ITER-like
parameters, showing the wide range of applicability of the method
High Energy Phenomena in Clusters of Galaxies
Several phenomena in high energy astrophysics have been recently related to
clusters of galaxies and to cosmic ray interactions occurring inside these
structures. In many of these phenomena the observable effects depend on the
energy density of cosmic rays confined in the Intra Cluster (IC) medium, which
is a poorly known quantity. We propose here that useful indications about this
quantity can be obtained from present and future observations of galaxy
clusters in the radio and hard X-ray frequency ranges.Comment: 5 pages, 3 Figures, Latex (using espcrc2,epsfig), to appear in the
Proceedings of the TAUP97, Eds. A. DiCredico et al., in press. Send comments
to S.Colafrancesco: [email protected]
L-H transition dynamics in fluid turbulence simulations with neoclassical force balance
Spontaneous transport barrier generation at the edge of a magnetically
confined plasma is investigated. To this end, a model of electrostatic
turbulence in three-dimensional geometry is extended to account for the impact
of friction between trapped and passing particles on the radial electric field.
Non-linear flux-driven simulations are carried out, and it is shown that
considering the radial and temporal variations of the neoclassical friction
coefficients allows for a transport barrier to be generated above a threshold
of the input power
Neutrinos and Gamma Rays from Galaxy Clusters
The next generation of neutrino and gamma-ray detectors should provide new
insights into the creation and propagation of high-energy protons within galaxy
clusters, probing both the particle physics of cosmic rays interacting with the
background medium and the mechanisms for high-energy particle production within
the cluster. In this paper we examine the possible detection of gamma-rays (via
the GLAST satellite) and neutrinos (via the ICECUBE and Auger experiments) from
the Coma cluster of galaxies, as well as for the gamma-ray bright clusters
Abell 85, 1758, and 1914. These three were selected from their possible
association with unidentified EGRET sources, so it is not yet entirely certain
that their gamma-rays are indeed produced diffusively within the intracluster
medium, as opposed to AGNs. It is not obvious why these inconspicuous
Abell-clusters should be the first to be seen in gamma-rays, but a possible
reason is that all of them show direct evidence of recent or ongoing mergers.
Their identification with the EGRET gamma-ray sources is also supported by the
close correlation between their radio and (purported) gamma-ray fluxes. Under
favorable conditions (including a proton spectral index of 2.5 in the case of
Abell 85, and sim 2.3 for Coma, and Abell 1758 and 1914), we expect ICECUBE to
make as many as 0.3 neutrino detections per year from the Coma cluster of
galaxies, and as many as a few per year from the Abell clusters 85, 1758, and
1914. Also, Auger may detect as many as 2 events per decade at ~ EeV energies
from these gamma-ray bright clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
- …