17,986 research outputs found
Modulation of Negative Work Output from a Steering Muscle of the Blowfly Calliphora Vicina
Of the 17 muscles responsible for flight control in flies, only the first basalar muscle (b1) is known to fire an action potential each and every wing beat at a precise phase of the wing-beat period. The phase of action potentials in the b1 is shifted during turns, implicating the b1 in the control of aerodynamic yaw torque. We used the work loop technique to quantify the effects of phase modulation on the mechanical output of the b1 of the blowfly Calliphora vicina. During cyclic length oscillations at 10 and 50 Hz, the magnitude of positive work output by the b1 was similar to that measured previously from other insect muscles. However, when tested at wing-beat frequency (150 Hz), the net work performed in each cycle was negative. The twitch kinetics of the b1 suggest that negative work output reflects intrinsic specializations of the b1 muscle. Our results suggest that, in addition to a possible role as a passive elastic element, the phase-sensitivity of its mechanical properties may endow the b1 with the capacity to modulate wing-beat kinematics during turning maneuvers
Strongly interacting neutrinos as the highest energy cosmic rays
We show that all features of the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray spectrum from
10^{17} eV to 10^{21} eV can be described with a simple power-like injection
spectrum of protons under the assumption that the neutrino-nucleon
cross-section is significantly enhanced at center of mass energies above
\approx 100 TeV. In our scenario, the cosmogenic neutrinos produced during the
propagation of protons through the cosmic microwave background initiate air
showers in the atmosphere, just as the protons. The total air shower spectrum
induced by protons and neutrinos shows excellent agreement with the
observations. A particular possibility for a large neutrino-nucleon
cross-section exists within the Standard Model through electroweak
instanton-induced processes.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, talk given at Beyond the Desert '03, Castle
Ringberg, 9-14 June, 200
Radiance and Doppler shift distributions across the network of the quiet Sun
The radiance and Doppler-shift distributions across the solar network provide
observational constraints of two-dimensional modeling of transition-region
emission and flows in coronal funnels. Two different methods, dispersion plots
and average-profile studies, were applied to investigate these distributions.
In the dispersion plots, we divided the entire scanned region into a bright and
a dark part according to an image of Fe xii; we plotted intensities and Doppler
shifts in each bin as determined according to a filtered intensity of Si ii. We
also studied the difference in height variations of the magnetic field as
extrapolated from the MDI magnetogram, in and outside network. For the
average-profile study, we selected 74 individual cases and derived the average
profiles of intensities and Doppler shifts across the network. The dispersion
plots reveal that the intensities of Si ii and C iv increase from network
boundary to network center in both parts. However, the intensity of Ne viii
shows different trends, namely increasing in the bright part and decreasing in
the dark part. In both parts, the Doppler shift of C iv increases steadily from
internetwork to network center. The average-profile study reveals that the
intensities of the three lines all decline from the network center to
internetwork region. The binned intensities of Si ii and Ne viii have a good
correlation. We also find that the large blue shift of Ne viii does not
coincide with large red shift of C iv. Our results suggest that the network
structure is still prominent at the layer where Ne viii is formed in the quiet
Sun, and that the magnetic structures expand more strongly in the dark part
than in the bright part of this quiet Sun region.Comment: 10 pages,9 figure
String order and hidden topological symmetry in the SO(2n+1) symmetric matrix product states
We have introduced a class of exactly soluble Hamiltonian with either
SO(2n+1) or SU(2) symmetry, whose ground states are the SO(2n+1) symmetric
matrix product states. The hidden topological order in these states can be
fully identified and characterized by a set of nonlocal string order
parameters. The Hamiltonian possesses a hidden
topological symmetry. The breaking of this hidden symmetry leads to
degenerate ground states with disentangled edge states in an open chain system.
Such matrix product states can be regarded as cluster states, applicable to
measurement-based quantum computation.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Upflows in the upper transition region of the quiet Sun
We investigate the physical meaning of the prominent blue shifts of Ne VIII,
which is observed to be associated with quiet-Sun network junctions (boundary
intersections), through data analyses combining force-free-field extrapolations
with EUV spectroscopic observations. For a middle-latitude region, we
reconstruct the magnetic funnel structure in a sub-region showing faint
emission in EIT-Fe 195. This funnel appears to consist of several smaller
funnels that originate from network lanes, expand with height and finally merge
into a single wide open-field region. However, the large blue shifts of Ne VIII
are generally not associated with open fields, but seem to be associated with
the legs of closed magnetic loops. Moreover, in most cases significant upflows
are found in both of the funnel-shaped loop legs. These quasi-steady upflows
are regarded as signatures of mass supply to the coronal loops rather than the
solar wind. Our observational result also reveals that in many cases the
upflows in the upper transition region (TR) and the downflows in the middle TR
are not fully cospatial. Based on these new observational results, we suggest
different TR structures in coronal holes and in the quiet Sun.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, will appear in the Proceedings of the Solar wind
12 conferenc
Test Plans. Lightweight Durable TPS: Tasks 1,2,4,5, and 6
The objective of this task is to develop the fluted core flexible blankets, also referred to as the Tailorable Advanced Blanket Insulation (TABI), to a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6. This task is one of the six tasks under TA 3, Lightweight Durable TPS study, of the Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) program. The purpose of this task is to develop a durable and low maintenance flexible TPS blanket material to be implemented on the SSTO vehicle
Emission heights of coronal bright points on Fe XII radiance map
We study the emission heights of the coronal bright points (BPs) above the
photosphere in the bipolar magnetic loops that are apparently associated with
them. As BPs are seen in projection against the disk their true emission
heights are unknown. The correlation of the BP locations on the Fe XII radiance
map from EIT with the magnetic field features (in particular neutral lines) was
investigated in detail. The coronal magnetic field was determined by an
extrapolation of the photospheric field to different altitudes above the disk.
It was found that most BPs sit on or near a photospheric neutral line, but that
the emission occurs at a height of about 5 Mm. Some BPs, while being seen in
projection, still seem to coincide with neutral lines, although their emission
takes place at heights of more than 10 Mm. Such coincidences almost disappear
for emissions above 20 Mm. We also projected the upper segments of the 3-D
magnetic field lines above different heights, respectively, on to the x-y
plane. The shape of each BP was compared with the respective field-line segment
nearby. This comparison suggests that most coronal BPs are actually located on
the top of their associated magnetic loops. Finally, we calculated for each
selected BP region the correlation coefficient between the Fe XII intensity
enhancement and the horizontal component of the extrapolated magnetic field
vector at the same x-y position in planes of different heights, respectively.
We found that for almost all the BP regions we studied the correlation
coefficient, with increasing height, increases to a maximal value and then
decreases again. The height corresponding to this maximum was defined as the
correlation height, which for most bright points was found to range below 20
Mm.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Event-specific chorus wave and electron seed population models in DREAM3D using the Van Allen Probes
Abstract The DREAM3D diffusion model is applied to Van Allen Probes observations of the fast dropout and strong enhancement of MeV electrons during the October 2012 double-dip storm. We show that in order to explain the very different behavior in the two dips, diffusion in all three dimensions (energy, pitch angle, and Lo) coupled with data-driven, event-specific inputs, and boundary conditions is required. Specifically, we find that outward radial diffusion to the solar wind-driven magnetopause, an event-specific chorus wave model, and a dynamic lower-energy seed population are critical for modeling the dynamics. In contrast, models that include only a subset of processes, use statistical wave amplitudes, or rely on inward radial diffusion of a seed population, perform poorly. The results illustrate the utility of the high resolution, comprehensive set of Van Allen Probes\u27 measurements in studying the balance between source and loss in the radiation belt, a principal goal of the mission. Key Points DREAM3D uses event-specific driving conditions measured by Van Allen Probes Electron dropout is due to outward radial diffusion to compressed magnetopause Event-specific chorus and seed electrons are necessary for the enhancement
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