19,203 research outputs found
Some remarks on the visible points of a lattice
We comment on the set of visible points of a lattice and its Fourier
transform, thus continuing and generalizing previous work by Schroeder and
Mosseri. A closed formula in terms of Dirichlet series is obtained for the
Bragg part of the Fourier transform. We compare this calculation with the
outcome of an optical Fourier transform of the visible points of the 2D square
lattice.Comment: 9 pages, 3 eps-figures, 1 jpeg-figure; updated version; another
article (by M. Baake, R. V. Moody and P. A. B. Pleasants) with the complete
solution of the spectral problem will follow soon (see math.MG/9906132
Magnetic Field Uniformity Across the GF 9-2 YSO, L1082C Dense Core, and GF 9 Filamentary Dark Cloud
The orientation of the magnetic field (B-field) in the filamentary dark cloud
GF 9 was traced from the periphery of the cloud into the L1082C dense core that
contains the low-mass, low-luminosity Class 0 young stellar object (YSO) GF 9-2
(IRAS 20503+6006). This was done using SOFIA HAWC+ dust thermal emission
polarimetry (TEP) at 216 um in combination with Mimir near-infrared background
starlight polarimetry (BSP) conducted at H-band (1.6 um) and K-band (2.2 um).
These observations were augmented with published I-band (0.77 um) BSP and
Planck 850 um TEP to probe B-field orientations with offset from the YSO in a
range spanning 6000 AU to 3 pc. No strong B-field orientation change with
offset was found, indicating remarkable uniformity of the B-field from the
cloud edge to the YSO environs. This finding disagrees with weak-field models
of cloud core and YSO formation. The continuity of inferred B-field
orientations for both TEP and BSP probes is strong evidence that both are
sampling a common B-field that uniformly threads the cloud, core, and YSO
region. Bayesian analysis of Gaia DR2 stars matched to the Mimir BSP stars
finds a distance to GF 9 of 270 +/- 10 pc. No strong wavelength dependence of
B-field orientation angle was found, contrary to previous claims.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures ApJ, accepte
Air hydrodynamics of the ultrafast laser-triggered spark gap
We present space and time resolved measurements of the air hydrodynamics
induced by ultrafast laser pulse excitation of the air gap between two
electrodes at high potential difference. We explore both plasma-based and
plasma-free gap excitation. The former uses the plasma left in the wake of
femtosecond filamentation, while the latter exploits air heating by
multiple-pulse resonant excitation of quantum molecular wavepackets. We find
that the cumulative electrode-driven air density depression channel initiated
by the laser plays the dominant role in the gap evolution leading to breakdown
Time--Evolving Statistics of Chaotic Orbits of Conservative Maps in the Context of the Central Limit Theorem
We study chaotic orbits of conservative low--dimensional maps and present
numerical results showing that the probability density functions (pdfs) of the
sum of iterates in the large limit exhibit very interesting
time-evolving statistics. In some cases where the chaotic layers are thin and
the (positive) maximal Lyapunov exponent is small, long--lasting
quasi--stationary states (QSS) are found, whose pdfs appear to converge to
--Gaussians associated with nonextensive statistical mechanics. More
generally, however, as increases, the pdfs describe a sequence of QSS that
pass from a --Gaussian to an exponential shape and ultimately tend to a true
Gaussian, as orbits diffuse to larger chaotic domains and the phase space
dynamics becomes more uniformly ergodic.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication as a Regular Paper in
the International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, on Jun 21, 201
Rapid and accurate polarimetric radar measurements of ice crystal fabric orientation at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site
The crystal orientation fabric (COF) of ice sheets records the past history of ice sheet deformation and influences present-day ice flow dynamics. Though not widely implemented, coherent ice-penetrating radar is able to detect bulk anisotropic fabric patterns by exploiting the birefringence of ice crystals at radar frequencies, with the assumption that one of the crystallographic axes is aligned in the vertical direction. In this study, we conduct a suite of quad-polarimetric measurements consisting of four orthogonal antenna orientation combinations near the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Ice Core site. From these measurements, we are able to quantify the azimuthal fabric asymmetry at this site to a depth of 1400 m at a bulk-averaged resolution of up to 15 m. Our estimates of fabric asymmetry closely match corresponding fabric estimates directly measured from the WAIS Divide Ice Core. While ice core studies are often unable to determine the absolute fabric orientation due to core rotation during extraction, we are able to identify and conclude that the fabric orientation is depth-invariant to at least 1400 m, equivalent to 6700 years BP (years before 1950), and aligns closely with the modern surface strain direction at WAIS Divide. Our results support the claim that the deformation regime at WAIS Divide has not changed substantially through the majority of the Holocene. Rapid polarimetric determination of bulk fabric asymmetry and orientation compares well with much more laborious sample-based COF measurements from thin ice sections. Because it is the bulk-averaged fabric that ultimately influences ice flow, polarimetric radar methods provide an opportunity for its accurate and widespread mapping and its incorporation into ice flow models.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) research grant NE/S006788/1
National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant #173902
Enhancing proton acceleration by using composite targets
Efficient laser ion acceleration requires high laser intensities, which can
only be obtained by tightly focusing laser radiation. In the radiation pressure
acceleration regime, where the tightly focused laser driver leads to the
appearance of the fundamental limit for the maximum attainable ion energy, this
limit corresponds to the laser pulse group velocity as well as to another limit
connected with the transverse expansion of the accelerated foil and consequent
onset of the foil transparency. These limits can be relaxed by using composite
targets, consisting of a thin foil followed by a near critical density slab.
Such targets provide guiding of a laser pulse inside a self-generated channel
and background electrons, being snowplowed by the pulse, compensate for the
transverse expansion. The use of composite targets results in a significant
increase in maximum ion energy, compared to a single foil target case.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
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