A hybrid boundary for the prediction of intake wave dynamics in IC engines

This paper concerns the calculation of wave dynamics in the intake systems of naturally aspirated internal combustion (I.C.) engines. In particular it presents a method for improving the boundary conditions required to solve the one-dimensional Euler equations that are commonly used to describe the wave dynamics in time and space. A number of conclusions are reached in this work. The first relates to the quasi-steady state inflow boundary specified in terms of ingoing and outgoing characteristics that is commonly adopted for engine simulation. This is correctly specified by using the pair of primitive variables pressure (p) and density (ρ) but will be unrealistic at frequencies above a Hemholtz number of 0.1 as only stagnation values po, ρo are used. For the case of I.C. engine intake simulations this sets a maximum frequency of around 300Hz. Above that frequency the results obtained will become increasingly unrealistic. Secondly, a hybrid time and frequency domain boundary has been developed and tested against linear acoustic theory. This agrees well with results obtained using a quasi-steady state boundary at low frequencies (Helmholtz number less than 0.1) and should remain realistic at higher frequencies in the range of Helmholtz number 0.1 - 1.84. Thirdly, the cyclic nature of the operation of the IC engine has been exploited to make use of the inverse Fourier transform to develop an analytical hybrid boundary that functions for non-sinusoidal waves in ducts. The method is self starting, does not rely on iterations over complete cycles and is entirely analytical and therefore is an improvement over earlier hybrid boundaries

Fully Constrained Majorana Neutrino Mass Matrices Using Σ(72×3)\Sigma(72\times 3)

In 2002, two neutrino mixing ansatze having trimaximally-mixed middle ($\nu_2$) columns, namely tri-chi-maximal mixing ($\text{T}\chi\text{M}$) and tri-phi-maximal mixing ($\text{T}\phi\text{M}$), were proposed. In 2012, it was shown that $\text{T}\chi\text{M}$ with $\chi=\pm \frac{\pi}{16}$ as well as $\text{T}\phi\text{M}$ with $\phi = \pm \frac{\pi}{16}$ leads to the solution, $\sin^2 \theta_{13} = \frac{2}{3} \sin^2 \frac{\pi}{16}$, consistent with the latest measurements of the reactor mixing angle, $\theta_{13}$. To obtain $\text{T}\chi\text{M}_{(\chi=\pm \frac{\pi}{16})}$ and $\text{T}\phi\text{M}_{(\phi=\pm \frac{\pi}{16})}$, the type~I see-saw framework with fully constrained Majorana neutrino mass matrices was utilised. These mass matrices also resulted in the neutrino mass ratios, $m_1:m_2:m_3=\frac{\left(2+\sqrt{2}\right)}{1+\sqrt{2(2+\sqrt{2})}}:1:\frac{\left(2+\sqrt{2}\right)}{-1+\sqrt{2(2+\sqrt{2})}}$. In this paper we construct a flavour model based on the discrete group $\Sigma(72\times 3)$ and obtain the aforementioned results. A Majorana neutrino mass matrix (a symmetric $3\times 3$ matrix with 6 complex degrees of freedom) is conveniently mapped into a flavon field transforming as the complex 6 dimensional representation of $\Sigma(72\times 3)$. Specific vacuum alignments of the flavons are used to arrive at the desired mass matrices.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1402.085

Deviations from Tribimaximal Neutrino Mixing using a Model with Δ(27)\Delta(27) Symmetry

We present a model of neutrino mixing based on the flavour group $\Delta(27)$ in order to account for the observation of a non-zero reactor mixing angle ($\theta_{13}$). The model provides a common flavour structure for the charged-lepton and the neutrino sectors, giving their mass matrices a `circulant-plus-diagonal' form. Mass matrices of this form readily lead to mixing patterns with realistic deviations from tribimaximal mixing, including non-zero $\theta_{13}$. With the parameters constrained by existing measurements, our model predicts an inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. We obtain two distinct sets of solutions in which the atmospheric mixing angle lies in the first and the second octants. The first (second) octant solution predicts the lightest neutrino mass, $m_3 \sim 29~\text{meV}$ ($m_3 \sim 65~\text{meV}$) and the $CP$ phase, $\delta_{CP} \sim -\frac{\pi}{4}$ ($\delta_{CP} \sim \frac{\pi}{2}$), offering the possibility of large observable $CP$ violating effects in future experiments.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Spatial Relationship between Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections

We report on the spatial relationship between solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed during 1996-2005 inclusive. We identified 496 flare-CME pairs considering limb flares (distance from central meridian > 45 deg) with soft X-ray flare size > C3 level. The CMEs were detected by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). We investigated the flare positions with respect to the CME span for the events with X-class, M-class, and C-class flares separately. It is found that the most frequent flare site is at the center of the CME span for all the three classes, but that frequency is different for the different classes. Many X-class flares often lie at the center of the associated CME, while C-class flares widely spread to the outside of the CME span. The former is different from previous studies, which concluded that no preferred flare site exists. We compared our result with the previous studies and conclude that the long-term LASCO observation enabled us to obtain the detailed spatial relation between flares and CMEs. Our finding calls for a closer flare-CME relationship and supports eruption models typified by the CSHKP magnetic reconnection model.Comment: 7 pages; 4 figures; Accepted by the Astrophysical Journa

Positive selection underlies Faster-Z evolution of gene expression in birds.

The elevated rate of evolution for genes on sex chromosomes compared to autosomes (Fast-X or Fast-Z evolution) can result either from positive selection in the heterogametic sex, or from non-adaptive consequences of reduced relative effective population size. Recent work in birds suggests that Fast-Z of coding sequence is primarily due to relaxed purifying selection resulting from reduced relative effective population size. However, gene sequence and gene expression are often subject to distinct evolutionary pressures, therefore we tested for Fast-Z in gene expression using next-generation RNA-sequencing data from multiple avian species. Similar to studies of Fast-Z in coding sequence, we recover clear signatures of Fast-Z in gene expression, however in contrast to coding sequence, our data indicate that Fast-Z in expression is due to positive selection acting primarily in females. In the soma, where gene expression is highly correlated between the sexes, we detected Fast-Z in both sexes, although at a higher rate in females, suggesting that many positively selected expression changes in females are also expressed in males. In the gonad, where inter-sexual correlations in expression are much lower, we detected Fast-Z for female gene expression, but crucially, not males. This suggests that a large amount of expression variation is sex-specific in its effects within the gonad. Taken together, our results indicate that Fast-Z evolution of gene expression is the product of positive selection acting on recessive beneficial alleles in the heterogametic sex. More broadly, our analysis suggests that the adaptive potential of Z chromosome gene expression may be much greater than that of gene sequence, results which have important implications for the role of sex chromosomes in speciation and sexual selection

Gamma-Ray Burst Spectral Features: Interpretation as X-ray Emission From A Photoionized Plasma

Numerous reports have been made of features, either in emission or absorption, in the 10 - 1000 keV spectra of some gamma-ray bursts. Originally interpreted in the context of Galactic neutron star models as cyclotron line emission and $e^+ - e^-$ annihilation features, the recent demonstration that the majority of GRBs lie at cosmological distances make these explanations unlikely. In this letter, we adopt a relativistic fireball model for cosmological GRBs in which dense, metal rich blobs or filaments of plasma are entrained in the relativistic outflow. In the context of this model, we investigate the conditions under which broadband features, similar to those detected, can be observed. We find a limited region of parameter space capable of reproducing the observed GRB spectra. Finally, we discuss possible constraints further high-energy spectral observations could place on fireball model parameters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters Four pages, 2 figure

Stable, inflatable life raft for high seas rescue operations

Raft is easily deployed and highly maneuverable in water. It has false bottom of water ballast containers attached to underside, making it exceptionally stable platform from which swimmers can operate. Raft is attachable to external moorings