7,777 research outputs found
Investigation of ground effects on large and small scale models of a three fan V/STOL aircraft configuration
Induced lift of a subsonic, three fan, lift/cruise, V/STOL aircraft configuration was investigated using scale modes of a multimission aircraft whose design incorporates a nose mounted lift fan and two lift/cruise units located over the wing. Configuration effects were assessed for lift improvement devices, lift/cruise nozzle rails, nozzle perimeter plates, and alternate nose fan exit hubs. Tests were conducted at four model heights (H/D = 0.95, 1.53, 3.06 and 6.45, where D is the average nozzle exit diameter equal to 0.997 m.) Results are presented and discussed
Escalation of error catastrophe for enzymatic self-replicators
It is a long-standing question in origin-of-life research whether the
information content of replicating molecules can be maintained in the presence
of replication errors. Extending standard quasispecies models of non-enzymatic
replication, we analyze highly specific enzymatic self-replication mediated
through an otherwise neutral recognition region, which leads to
frequency-dependent replication rates. We find a significant reduction of the
maximally tolerable error rate, because the replication rate of the fittest
molecules decreases with the fraction of functional enzymes. Our analysis is
extended to hypercyclic couplings as an example for catalytic networks.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; accepted at Europhys. Let
Bifurcations and Chaos in Time Delayed Piecewise Linear Dynamical Systems
We reinvestigate the dynamical behavior of a first order scalar nonlinear
delay differential equation with piecewise linearity and identify several
interesting features in the nature of bifurcations and chaos associated with it
as a function of the delay time and external forcing parameters. In particular,
we point out that the fixed point solution exhibits a stability island in the
two parameter space of time delay and strength of nonlinearity. Significant
role played by transients in attaining steady state solutions is pointed out.
Various routes to chaos and existence of hyperchaos even for low values of time
delay which is evidenced by multiple positive Lyapunov exponents are brought
out. The study is extended to the case of two coupled systems, one with delay
and the other one without delay.Comment: 34 Pages, 14 Figure
Control of unstable steady states by time-delayed feedback methods
We show that time-delayed feedback methods, which have successfully been used
to control unstable periodic ortbits, provide a tool to stabilize unstable
steady states. We present an analytical investigation of the feedback scheme
using the Lambert function and discuss effects of both a low-pass filter
included in the control loop and non-zero latency times associated with the
generation and injection of the feedback signal.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure
Stellar Populations in the Phoenix Dwarf (dIrr/dSph) Galaxy as Observed by HST/WFPC2
We present HST/WFPC2 photometry of the central regions of the Phoenix dwarf.
Accurate photometry allows us to: 1) confirm the existence of the horizontal
branch previously detected by ground-based observations, and use it to
determine a distance to Phoenix, 2) clearly detect the existence of multiple
ages in the stellar population of Phoenix, 3) determine a mean metallicity of
the old red giant branch stars in Phoenix, and suggest that Phoenix has evolved
chemically over its lifetime, 4) extract a rough star formation history for the
central regions which suggests that Phoenix has been forming stars roughly
continuously over its entire lifetime.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 22 pages including 6 figures + 1 figure in JPEG
forma
Sierpinski signal generates spectra
We investigate the row sum of the binary pattern generated by the Sierpinski
automaton: Interpreted as a time series we calculate the power spectrum of this
Sierpinski signal analytically and obtain a unique rugged fine structure with
underlying power law decay with an exponent of approximately 1.15. Despite the
simplicity of the model, it can serve as a model for spectra in a
certain class of experimental and natural systems like catalytic reactions and
mollusc patterns.Comment: 4 pages (4 figs included). Accepted for publication in Physical
Review
Two distinct halo populations in the solar neighborhood. Evidence from stellar abundance ratios and kinematics
Precise abundance ratios are determined for 94 dwarf stars with 5200 < Teff <
6300 K, -1.6 < [Fe/H] < -0.4, and distances D < 335 pc. Most of them have halo
kinematics, but 16 thick-disk stars are included. Equivalent widths of atomic
lines are measured from VLT/UVES and NOT/FIES spectra with resolutions R =
55000 and R = 40000, respectively. An LTE abundance analysis based on MARCS
models is applied to derive precise differential abundance ratios of Na, Mg,
Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Ni with respect to Fe.
The halo stars fall into two populations, clearly separated in [alpha/Fe],
where alpha refers to the average abundance of Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti. Differences
in [Na/Fe] and [Ni/Fe] are also present with a remarkably clear correlation
between these two abundance ratios. The `high-alpha' stars may be ancient disk
or bulge stars `heated' to halo kinematics by merging satellite galaxies or
they could have formed as the first stars during the collapse of a
proto-Galactic gas cloud. The kinematics of the `low-alpha' stars suggest that
they have been accreted from dwarf galaxies, and that some of them may
originate from the omega Cen progenitor galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A as a four-page Letter with five pages
of online materia
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