5,520 research outputs found
Impact hazard protection efficiency by a small kinetic impactor
In this paper the ability of a small kinetic impactor spacecraft to mitigate an Earth-threatening asteroid is assessed by means of a novel measure of efficiency. This measure estimates the probability of a space system to deflect a single randomly-generated Earth-impacting object to a safe distance from the Earth. This represents a measure of efficiency that is not biased by the orbital parameters of a test-case object. A vast number of virtual Earth-impacting scenarios are investigated by homogenously distributing in orbital space a grid of 17,518 Earth impacting trajectories. The relative frequency of each trajectory is estimated by means Opik’s theory and Bottke’s near Earth objects model. A design of the entire mitigation mission is performed and the largest deflected asteroid computed for each impacting trajectory. The minimum detectable asteroid can also be estimated by an asteroid survey model. The results show that current technology would likely suffice against discovered airburst and local damage threats, whereas larger space systems would be necessary to reliably tackle impact hazard from larger threats. For example, it is shown that only 1,000 kg kinetic impactor would suffice to mitigate the impact threat of 27.1% of objects posing similar threat than that posed by Apophis
Horizon effects with surface waves on moving water
Surface waves on a stationary flow of water are considered, in a linear model
that includes the surface tension of the fluid. The resulting gravity-capillary
waves experience a rich array of horizon effects when propagating against the
flow. In some cases three horizons (points where the group velocity of the wave
reverses) exist for waves with a single laboratory frequency. Some of these
effects are familiar in fluid mechanics under the name of wave blocking, but
other aspects, in particular waves with negative co-moving frequency and the
Hawking effect, were overlooked until surface waves were investigated as
examples of analogue gravity [Sch\"utzhold R and Unruh W G 2002 Phys. Rev. D 66
044019]. A comprehensive presentation of the various horizon effects for
gravity-capillary waves is given, with emphasis on the deep water/short
wavelength case kh>>1 where many analytical results can be derived. A
similarity of the state space of the waves to that of a thermodynamic system is
pointed out.Comment: 30 pages, 15 figures. Minor change
Tungsten Bronze Barium Neodymium Titanate (Ba 6–3 Nd 8+2 Ti 18 O 54 ): An Intrinsic Nanostructured Material and Its Defect Distribution
We investigated the structure of the tungsten bronze barium neodymium titanates Ba6–3nNd8+2nTi18O54, which are exploited as microwave dielectric ceramics. They form a complex nanostructure, which resembles a nanofilm with stacking layers of ∼12 Å thickness. The synthesized samples of Ba6–3nNd8+2nTi18O54 (n = 0, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) are characterized by pentagonal and tetragonal columns, where the A cations are distributed in three symmetrically inequivalent sites. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron energy loss spectroscopy allowed for quantitative analysis of the site occupancy, which determines the defect distribution. This is corroborated by density functional theory calculations. Pentagonal columns are dominated by Ba, and tetragonal columns are dominated by Nd, although specific Nd sites exhibit significant concentrations of Ba. The data indicated significant elongation of the Ba columns in the pentagonal positions and of the Nd columns in tetragonal positions involving a zigzag arrangement of atoms along the b lattice direction. We found that the preferred Ba substitution occurs at Nd[3]/[4] followed by Nd[2] and Nd[1]/[5] sites, which is significantly different to that proposed in earlier studies. Our results on the Ba6–3nNd8+2nTi18O54 “perovskite” superstructure and its defect distribution are particularly valuable in those applications where the optimization of material properties of oxides is imperative; these include not only microwave ceramics but also thermoelectric materials, where the nanostructure and the distribution of the dopants will reduce the thermal conductivity
Degree of explanation
Partial explanations are everywhere. That is, explanations citing causes that explain some but not all of an effect are ubiquitous across science, and these in turn rely on the notion of degree of explanation. I argue that current accounts are seriously deficient. In particular, they do not incorporate adequately the way in which a cause’s explanatory importance varies with choice of explanandum. Using influential recent contrastive theories, I develop quantitative definitions that remedy this lacuna, and relate it to existing measures of degree of causation. Among other things, this reveals the precise role here of chance, as well as bearing on the relation between causal explanation and causation itself
Ambiguous figures and the content of experience
Representationalism is the position that the phenomenal character of an experience is either identical with, or supervenes on, the content of that experience. Many representationalists hold that the relevant content of experience is nonconceptual. I propose a counterexample to this form of representationalism that arises from the phenomenon of Gestalt switching, which occurs when viewing ambiguous figures. First, I argue that one does not need to appeal to the conceptual content of experience or to judgements to account for Gestalt switching. I then argue that experiences of certain ambiguous figures are problematic because they have different phenomenal characters but that no difference in the nonconceptual content of these experiences can be identified. I consider three solutions to this problem that have been proposed by both philosophers and psychologists and conclude that none can account for all the ambiguous figures that pose the problem. I conclude that the onus is on representationalists to specify the relevant difference in content or to abandon their position
Determination of the branching ratios and
Improved branching ratios were measured for the decay in a
neutral beam at the CERN SPS with the NA31 detector: and .
From the first number an upper limit for and transitions in neutral kaon decay is derived. Using older results for the
Ke3/K3 fraction, the 3 branching ratio is found to be , about a factor three more
precise than from previous experiments
The Basics of Water Waves Theory for Analogue Gravity
This chapter gives an introduction to the connection between the physics of
water waves and analogue gravity. Only a basic knowledge of fluid mechanics is
assumed as a prerequisite.Comment: 36 pages. Lecture Notes for the IX SIGRAV School on "Analogue
Gravity", Como (Italy), May 201
Mass Calibration and Cosmological Analysis of the SPT-SZ Galaxy Cluster Sample Using Velocity Dispersion and X-ray Measurements
We present a velocity dispersion-based mass calibration of the South Pole
Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect survey (SPT-SZ) galaxy cluster sample.
Using a homogeneously selected sample of 100 cluster candidates from 720 deg2
of the survey along with 63 velocity dispersion () and 16 X-ray Yx
measurements of sample clusters, we simultaneously calibrate the
mass-observable relation and constrain cosmological parameters. The
calibrations using and Yx are consistent at the level,
with the calibration preferring ~16% higher masses. We use the full
cluster dataset to measure . The
SPT cluster abundance is lower than preferred by either the WMAP9 or
Planck+WMAP9 polarization (WP) data, but assuming the sum of the neutrino
masses is eV, we find the datasets to be consistent at the
1.0 level for WMAP9 and 1.5 for Planck+WP. Allowing for larger
further reconciles the results. When we combine the cluster and
Planck+WP datasets with BAO and SNIa, the preferred cluster masses are
higher than the Yx calibration and higher than the
calibration. Given the scale of these shifts (~44% and ~23% in mass,
respectively), we execute a goodness of fit test; it reveals no tension,
indicating that the best-fit model provides an adequate description of the
data. Using the multi-probe dataset, we measure and
. Within a CDM model we find eV. We present a consistency test of the cosmic growth rate.
Allowing both the growth index and the dark energy equation of state
parameter to vary, we find and ,
demonstrating that the expansion and the growth histories are consistent with a
LCDM model ().Comment: Accepted by ApJ (v2 is accepted version); 17 pages, 6 figure
Analysis of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Mass-Observable Relations using South Pole Telescope Observations of an X-ray Selected Sample of Low Mass Galaxy Clusters and Groups
(Abridged) We use 95, 150, and 220GHz observations from the SPT to examine
the SZE signatures of a sample of 46 X-ray selected groups and clusters drawn
from ~6 deg^2 of the XMM-BCS. These systems extend to redshift z=1.02, have
characteristic masses ~3x lower than clusters detected directly in the SPT data
and probe the SZE signal to the lowest X-ray luminosities (>10^42 erg s^-1)
yet.
We develop an analysis tool that combines the SZE information for the full
ensemble of X-ray-selected clusters. Using X-ray luminosity as a mass proxy, we
extract selection-bias corrected constraints on the SZE significance- and
Y_500-mass relations. The SZE significance- mass relation is in good agreement
with an extrapolation of the relation obtained from high mass clusters.
However, the fit to the Y_500-mass relation at low masses, while in good
agreement with the extrapolation from high mass SPT clusters, is in tension at
2.8 sigma with the constraints from the Planck sample. We examine the tension
with the Planck relation, discussing sample differences and biases that could
contribute.
We also present an analysis of the radio galaxy point source population in
this ensemble of X-ray selected systems. We find 18 of our systems have 843 MHz
SUMSS sources within 2 arcmin of the X-ray centre, and three of these are also
detected at significance >4 by SPT. Of these three, two are associated with the
group brightest cluster galaxies, and the third is likely an unassociated
quasar candidate. We examine the impact of these point sources on our SZE
scaling relation analyses and find no evidence of biases. We also examine the
impact of dusty galaxies using constraints from the 220 GHz data. The stacked
sample provides 2.8 significant evidence of dusty galaxy flux, which
would correspond to an average underestimate of the SPT Y_500 signal that is
(17+-9) per cent in this sample of low mass systems.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
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