Dissipation Instability in the Accretion Disk

The model of a geometrically thin gaseous disk in the external gravitational potential is considered. The dinamics of small nonaxisymmetric perturbations in the plane of the accretion disk with dissipative effects is investigated. It is showed, that conditions of development and parameters of unstable oscillation modes in the opticaly thick accretion disk are strongly depended on the models of viscosity and opacity.Comment: Plain TeX, 6 pages, 2 figures (GIF), Submitted to Astron. Astrophys. Transaction

Fluorescence Lidar Multicolor Imaging of Vegetation

Multicolor imaging of vegetation fluorescence following laser excitation is reported for distances of 50 m. A mobile laser-radar system equipped with a Nd:YAG laser transmitter and a 40-cm-diameter telescope was utilized. The laser light was Raman shifted to 397 nm with pulse energies of approximately 30 mJ. An image-intensified CCD camera with a specially designed split-mirror Cassegrainian telescope was utilized for the simultaneous recording of fluorescence images of leaves and branches in four different spectral bands. Additionally, fluorescence spectra at selected points within the detection area were measured with an image-intensified diode array system. Image processing permits extraction of information related to the physiological status of the vegetation and might prove useful in forest decline research

Influence of surface oxide characteristics and speciation on corrosion, electrochemical properties and metal release of atomized 316L stainless steel powders

Surface oxide characteristics of powder particles are important to consider for any toxicological risk assessment based on in-vitro or in-vivo tests. This study focuses on a multi-analytical approach (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning- and transmission electron microscopy, and different electrochemical techniques) for in-depth characterization of surface oxides of inert-gas-atomized (GA) AISI 316L stainless steel powder, compared with massive sheet and a water-atomized (WA) 316L powder. Implications of differences in surface oxide phases and their surface distribution on corrosion, electrochemical properties and metal release are systematically discussed. Cr was enriched in an inner surface layer for both GA powders, with Mn and S enriched in the outermost surface oxide. The surface oxide was 2-5 nm thick for both GA powder size fractions, amorphous for the GA powder size

Influence of surface oxide characteristics and speciation on corrosion, electrochemical properties and metal release of atomized 316L stainless steel powders

Surface oxide characteristics of powder particles are important to consider for any toxicological risk assessment based on in-vitro or in-vivo tests. This study focuses on a multi-analytical approach (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning- and transmission electron microscopy, and different electrochemical techniques) for in-depth characterization of surface oxides of inert-gas-atomized (GA) AISI 316L stainless steel powder, compared with massive sheet and a water-atomized (WA) 316L powder. Implications of differences in surface oxide phases and their surface distribution on corrosion, electrochemical properties and metal release are systematically discussed. Cr was enriched in an inner surface layer for both GA powders, with Mn and S enriched in the outermost surface oxide. The surface oxide was 2-5 nm thick for both GA powder size fractions, amorphous for the GA powder size

New Analytical Formula for Supercritical Accretion Flows

We examine a new family of global analytic solutions for optically thick accretion disks, which includes the supercritical accretion regime. We found that the ratio of the advection cooling rate, $Q_{\rm adv}$, to the viscous heating rate, $Q_{\rm vis}$, i.e., $f=Q_{\rm adv}/Q_{\rm vis}$, can be represented by an analytical form dependent on the radius and the mass accretion rate. The new analytic solutions can be characterized by the photon-trapping radius, \rtrap, inside which the accretion time is less than the photon diffusion time in the vertical direction; the nature of the solutions changes significantly as this radius is crossed. Inside the trapping radius, $f$ approaches $f \propto r^0$, which corresponds to the advection-dominated limit ($f \sim 1$), whereas outside the trapping radius, the radial dependence of $f$ changes to $f \propto r^{-2}$, which corresponds to the radiative-cooling-dominated limit. The analytical formula for $f$ derived here smoothly connects these two regimes. The set of new analytic solutions reproduces well the global disk structure obtained by numerical integration over a wide range of mass accretion rates, including the supercritical accretion regime. In particular, the effective temperature profiles for our new solutions are in good agreement with those obtained from numerical solutions. Therefore, the new solutions will provide a useful tool not only for evaluating the observational properties of accretion flows, but also for investigating the mass evolution of black holes in the presence of supercritical accretion flows.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Welding fume nanoparticles from solid and flux-cored wires: Solubility, toxicity, and role of fluorides

Welding fume particles are hazardous. Their toxicity likely depends on their composition and reactivity. This study aimed at exploring the role of sodium or other fluorides (NaF), which are intentionally added to flux-cored wire electrodes for stainless steel welding, on the solubility (in phosphate buffered saline) and toxicity of the generated welding fume particles. A multi-analytical particle characterization approach along with in-vitro cell assays was undertaken. The release of Cr(VI) and Mn from the particles was tested as a function of fluoride solution concentration. The welding fume particles containing NaF released significantly higher amounts of Cr(VI) compared with solid wire reference fumes, which was associated with increased cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in-vitro. No crystalline Na or potassium (K) containing chromates were observed. Cr(VI) was incorporated in an amorphous mixed oxide. Solution-added fluorides did not increase the solubility of Cr(VI), but contributed to a reduced Mn release from both solid and flux-cored wire fume particles and the reduction of Cr(VI) release from solid wire fume particles. Chemical speciation modeling suggested that metal fluoride complexes were not formed. The presence of NaF in the welding electrodes did not have any direct, but possibly an indirect, role in the Cr(VI) solubility of welding fumes

Radiation pressure instability driven variability in the accreting black holes

The time dependent evolution of the accretion disk around black hole is computed. The classical description of the $\alpha$-viscosity is adopted so the evolution is driven by the instability operating in the innermost radiation-pressure dominated part of the accretion disk. We assume that the optically thick disk always extends down to the marginally stable orbit so it is never evacuated completely. We include the effect of the advection, coronal dissipation and vertical outflow. We show that the presence of the corona and/or the outflow reduce the amplitude of the outburst. If only about half of the energy is dissipated in the disk (with the other half dissipated in the corona and carried away by the outflow) the outburst amplitude and duration are consistent with observations of the microquasar GRS 1915+105. Viscous evolution explains in a natural way the lack of direct transitions from the state C to the state B in color-color diagram of this source. Further reduction of the fraction of energy dissipated in the optically thick disk switches off the outbursts which may explain why they are not seen in all high accretion rate sources being in the Very High State.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figures; accepted to Ap