1,712 research outputs found
Crackling Noise, Power Spectra and Disorder Induced Critical Scaling
Crackling noise is observed in many disordered non-equilibrium systems in
response to slowly changing external conditions. Examples range from Barkhausen
noise in magnets to acoustic emission in martensites to earthquakes. Using the
non-equilibrium random field Ising model, we derive universal scaling
predictions for the dependence of the associated power spectra on the disorder
and field sweep rate, near an underlying disorder-induced non-equilibrium
critical point. Our theory applies to certain systems in which the crackling
noise results from avalanche-like response to a (slowly) increasing external
driving force, and is characterized by a broad power law scaling regime of the
power spectra. We compute the critical exponents and discuss the relevance of
the results to experiments.Comment: 27 Latex Pages, 14 eps figure
An XMM-Newton Observation of the Local Bubble Using a Shadowing Filament in the Southern Galactic Hemisphere
We present an analysis of the X-ray spectrum of the Local Bubble, obtained by
simultaneously analyzing spectra from two XMM-Newton pointings on and off an
absorbing filament in the Southern galactic hemisphere (b ~ -45 deg). We use
the difference in the Galactic column density in these two directions to deduce
the contributions of the unabsorbed foreground emission due to the Local
Bubble, and the absorbed emission from the Galactic halo and the extragalactic
background. We find the Local Bubble emission is consistent with emission from
a plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium with a temperature and an emission measure of 0.018 cm^{-6} pc. Our
measured temperature is in good agreement with values obtained from ROSAT
All-Sky Survey data, but is lower than that measured by other recent XMM-Newton
observations of the Local Bubble, which find
(although for some of these observations it is possible that the foreground
emission is contaminated by non-Local Bubble emission from Loop I). The higher
temperature observed towards other directions is inconsistent with our data,
when combined with a FUSE measurement of the Galactic halo O VI intensity. This
therefore suggests that the Local Bubble is thermally anisotropic.
Our data are unable to rule out a non-equilibrium model in which the plasma
is underionized. However, an overionized recombining plasma model, while
observationally acceptable for certain densities and temperatures, generally
gives an implausibly young age for the Local Bubble (\la 6 \times 10^5 yr).Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 16 pages, 9
figure
Average shape of fluctuations for subdiffusive walks
We study the average shape of fluctuations for subdiffusive processes, i.e.,
processes with uncorrelated increments but where the waiting time distribution
has a broad power-law tail. This shape is obtained analytically by means of a
fractional diffusion approach. We find that, in contrast with processes where
the waiting time between increments has finite variance, the fluctuation shape
is no longer a semicircle: it tends to adopt a table-like form as the
subdiffusive character of the process increases. The theoretical predictions
are compared with numerical simulation results.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication Phys. Rev. E (Replaced
for the latest version, in press.) Section II rewritte
A Hard X-ray Study of the Normal Star-Forming Galaxy M83 with NuSTAR
We present results from sensitive, multi-epoch NuSTAR observations of the
late-type star-forming galaxy M83 (d=4.6 Mpc), which is the first investigation
to spatially resolve the hard (E>10 keV) X-ray emission of this galaxy. The
nuclear region and ~ 20 off-nuclear point sources, including a previously
discovered ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source, are detected in our NuSTAR
observations. The X-ray hardnesses and luminosities of the majority of the
point sources are consistent with hard X-ray sources resolved in the starburst
galaxy NGC 253. We infer that the hard X-ray emission is most likely dominated
by intermediate accretion state black hole binaries and neutron star low-mass
X-ray binaries (Z-sources). We construct the X-ray binary luminosity function
(XLF) in the NuSTAR band for an extragalactic environment for the first time.
The M83 XLF has a steeper XLF than the X-ray binary XLF in NGC 253, consistent
with previous measurements by Chandra at softer X-ray energies. The NuSTAR
integrated galaxy spectrum of M83 drops quickly above 10 keV, which is also
seen in the starburst galaxies NGC253, NGC 3310 and NGC 3256. The NuSTAR
observations constrain any AGN to be either highly obscured or to have an
extremely low luminosity of 10 erg/s (10-30 keV), implying it
is emitting at a very low Eddington ratio. An X-ray point source consistent
with the location of the nuclear star cluster with an X-ray luminosity of a few
times 10 erg/s may be a low-luminosity AGN but is more consistent with
being an X-ray binary.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ (25 pages, 17 figures
Hysteresis and Avalanches in the Random Anisotropy Ising Model
The behaviour of the Random Anisotropy Ising model at T=0 under local
relaxation dynamics is studied. The model includes a dominant ferromagnetic
interaction and assumes an infinite anisotropy at each site along local
anisotropy axes which are randomly aligned. Two different random distributions
of anisotropy axes have been studied. Both are characterized by a parameter
that allows control of the degree of disorder in the system. By using numerical
simulations we analyze the hysteresis loop properties and characterize the
statistical distribution of avalanches occuring during the metastable evolution
of the system driven by an external field. A disorder-induced critical point is
found in which the hysteresis loop changes from displaying a typical
ferromagnetic magnetization jump to a rather smooth loop exhibiting only tiny
avalanches. The critical point is characterized by a set of critical exponents,
which are consistent with the universal values proposed from the study of other
simpler models.Comment: 40 pages, 21 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Evaluation of potential of high Si high C steel nanostructured bainite for wear and fatigue applications
The present study is concerned with the potential of high carbon, high silicon steel grades isothermally transformed to bainite at low temperature (<300 C). The first part gives an overview of the design principles, allowing very high strength and ductility to be achieved while minimising transformation duration. Wear and fatigue properties are then investigated for over 10 variants of such materials, manufactured in the laboratory or industrially. The results are discussed against published data. Tensile strengths above 2 GPa are routinely achieved, with, in one case, an exceptional and unprecedented total elongation of over 20%. Bainite plate thickness and retained austenite content are shown to be important factors in controlling the yield strength, though additional, non-negligible parameters remain to be quantified. Rolling-sliding wear performances are found to be exceptional, with as little as 1% of the specific wear rate of conventional 100Cr6 isothermally transformed to bainite. It is suggested that this results from the decomposition of retained austenite in the worn layer, which considerably increases hardness and presumably introduces compressive residual stresses. Fatigue performance was slightly improved over 100Cr6 for one of the two industrially produced materials but significantly lower otherwise. Factors controlling fatigue resistance require further investigations. © 2013 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Published by Maney on behalf of the Institute.Peer Reviewe
Thermal radiation processes
We discuss the different physical processes that are important to understand
the thermal X-ray emission and absorption spectra of the diffuse gas in
clusters of galaxies and the warm-hot intergalactic medium. The ionisation
balance, line and continuum emission and absorption properties are reviewed and
several practical examples are given that illustrate the most important
diagnostic features in the X-ray spectra.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Space Science
Reviews, special issue "Clusters of galaxies: beyond the thermal view",
Editor J.S. Kaastra, Chapter 9; work done by an international team at the
International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, organised by J.S.
Kaastra, A.M. Bykov, S. Schindler & J.A.M. Bleeke
Replication, Pathogenesis and Transmission of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus in Non-Immune Pigs
The declaration of the human influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (H1N1/09) raised important questions, including origin and host range [1,2]. Two of the three pandemics in the last century resulted in the spread of virus to pigs (H1N1, 1918; H3N2, 1968) with subsequent independent establishment and evolution within swine worldwide [3]. A key public and veterinary health consideration in the context of the evolving pandemic is whether the H1N1/09 virus could become established in pig populations [4]. We performed an infection and transmission study in pigs with A/California/07/09. In combination, clinical, pathological, modified influenza A matrix gene real time RT-PCR and viral genomic analyses have shown that infection results in the induction of clinical signs, viral pathogenesis restricted to the respiratory tract, infection dynamics consistent with endemic strains of influenza A in pigs, virus transmissibility between pigs and virus-host adaptation events. Our results demonstrate that extant H1N1/09 is fully capable of becoming established in global pig populations. We also show the roles of viral receptor specificity in both transmission and tissue tropism. Remarkably, following direct inoculation of pigs with virus quasispecies differing by amino acid substitutions in the haemagglutinin receptor-binding site, only virus with aspartic acid at position 225 (225D) was detected in nasal secretions of contact infected pigs. In contrast, in lower respiratory tract samples from directly inoculated pigs, with clearly demonstrable pulmonary pathology, there was apparent selection of a virus variant with glycine (225G). These findings provide potential clues to the existence and biological significance of viral receptor-binding variants with 225D and 225G during the 1918 pandemic [5]
Multi-frequency study of supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Confirmation of the supernova remnant status of DEM L205
We present new X-ray and radio data of the LMC SNR candidate DEM L205,
obtained by XMM-Newton and ATCA, along with archival optical and infrared
observations. We use data at various wavelengths to study this object and its
complex neighbourhood, in particular in the context of the star formation
activity, past and present, around the source. We analyse the X-ray spectrum to
derive some remnant's properties, such as age and explosion energy. Supernova
remnant features are detected at all observed wavelengths: soft and extended
X-ray emission is observed, arising from a thermal plasma with a temperature kT
between 0.2 keV and 0.3 keV. Optical line emission is characterised by an
enhanced [SII]/Halpha ratio and a shell-like morphology, correlating with the
X-ray emission. The source is not or only tentatively detected at near-infrared
wavelengths (< 10 microns), but there is a detection of arc-like emission at
mid and far-infrared wavelengths (24 and 70 micron) that can be unambiguously
associated with the remnant. We suggest that thermal emission from dust heated
by stellar radiation and shock waves is the main contributor to the infrared
emission. Finally, an extended and faint non-thermal radio emission correlates
with the remnant at other wavelengths and we find a radio spectral index
between -0.7 and -0.9, within the range for SNRs. The size of the remnant is
~79x64 pc and we estimate a dynamical age of about 35000 years. We definitely
confirm DEM L205 as a new SNR. This object ranks amongst the largest remnants
known in the LMC. The numerous massive stars and the recent outburst in star
formation around the source strongly suggest that a core-collapse supernova is
the progenitor of this remnant. (abridged)Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
- …