21,643 research outputs found
Three-dimensional modeling of lightning-induced electromagnetic pulses on Venus, Jupiter and Saturn
While lightning activity in Venus is still controversial, its existence in
Jupiter and Saturn was first detected by the Voyager missions and later on
confirmed by Cassini and New Horizons optical recordings in the case of
Jupiter, and recently by Cassini on Saturn in 2009. Based on a recently
developed 3D model we investigate the influence of lightning-emitted
electromagnetic pulses (EMP) on the upper atmosphere of Venus, Saturn and
Jupiter. We explore how different lightning properties such as total energy
released and orientation (vertical, horizontal, oblique) can produce
mesospheric transient optical emissions of different shapes, sizes and
intensities. Moreover, we show that the relatively strong background magnetic
field of Saturn can enhance the lightning-induced quasi-electrostatic and
inductive electric field components above 1000 km of altitude producing
stronger transient optical emissions that could be detected from orbital
probes
Nickel hydrogen bipolar battery electrode design
The preferred approach of the NASA development effort in nickel hydrogen battery design utilizes a bipolar plate stacking arrangement to obtain the required voltage-capacity configuration. In a bipolar stack, component designs must take into account not only the typical design considerations such as voltage, capacity and gas management, but also conductivity to the bipolar (i.e., intercell) plate. The nickel and hydrogen electrode development specifically relevant to bipolar cell operation is discussed. Nickel oxide electrodes, having variable type grids and in thicknesses up to .085 inch are being fabricated and characterized to provide a data base. A selection will be made based upon a system level tradeoff. Negative (hydrpogen) electrodes are being screened to select a high performance electrode which can function as a bipolar electrode. Present nickel hydrogen negative electrodes are not capable of conducting current through their cross-section. An electrode was tested which exhibits low charge and discharge polarization voltages and at the same time is conductive. Test data is presented
CPT and Lorentz violation effects in hydrogen-like atoms
Within the framework of Lorentz-violating extended electrodynamics, the Dirac
equation for a bound electron in an external electromagnetic field is
considered assuming the interaction with a CPT-odd axial vector background
. The quasi-relativistic Hamiltonian is obtained using a -series
expansion. Relativistic Dirac eigenstates in a spherically-symmetric potential
are found accurate up to the second order in . -induced CPT-odd
corrections to the electromagnetic dipole moment operators of a bound electron
are calculated that contribute to the anapole moment of the atomic orbital and
may cause a specific asymmetry of the angular distribution of the radiation of
a hydrogen atom.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure; (5.14) is corrected to conform to the
normalization convention for Laguerre polynomials adopted at present; minor
grammatical change
Transition radiation by matter-wave solitons in optical lattices
We demonstrate that matter-wave solitary pulses formed from Bose condensed
atoms moving inside optical lattices continuously radiate dispersive matter
waves with prescribed momentum. Our analytical results for the radiation
parameters and the soliton decay rate are found to be in excellent agreement
with numerical modelling performed for experimentally relevant parameters.Comment: accepted to PR
Multiple hydrodynamical shocks induced by Raman effect in photonic crystal fibres
We theoretically predict the occurrence of multiple hydrodynamical-like shock
phenomena in the propagation of ultrashort intense pulses in a suitably
engineered photonic crystal fiber. The shocks are due to the Raman effect,
which acts as a nonlocal term favoring their generation in the focusing regime.
It is shown that the problem is mapped to shock formation in the presence of a
slope and a gravity-like potential. The signature of multiple shocks in XFROG
signals is unveiled
Present and Future Gamma-Ray Probes of the Cygnus OB2 Environment
The MAGIC Collaboration has provided new observational data pertaining to the
TeV J2032+4130 gamma-ray source (within the Cygnus OB2 region), for energies
E_gamma >400 GeV. It is then appropriate to update the impact of these data on
gamma-ray production mechanisms in stellar associations. We consider two
mechanisms of gamma-ray emission, pion production and decay (PION) and
photo-excitation of high-energy nuclei followed by prompt photo-emission from
the daughter nuclei (A*). We find that while the data can be accommodated with
either scenario, the A* features a spectral bump, corresponding to the
threshold for exciting the Giant Dipole Resonance, which can serve to
discriminate between them. We comment on neutrino emission and detection from
the region if the PION and/or A* processes are operative. We also touch on the
implications for this analysis of future Fermi and Cerenkov Telescope Array
data.Comment: 6 pp, 2 figs. Matching version publihed in Phys. Rev.
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