3,782 research outputs found
Two-dimensional models of layered protoplanetary discs - II. The effect of a residual viscosity in the dead zone
We study axisymmetric models of layered protoplanetary discs taking radiative
transfer effects into account, and allowing for a residual viscosity in the
dead zone. We also explore the effect of different viscosity prescriptions. In
addition to the ring instability reported in the first paper of the series we
find an oscillatory instability of the dead zone, accompanied by variations of
the accretion rate onto the central star. We provide a simplified analytical
description explaining the mechanism of the oscillations. Finally, we find that
the residual viscosity enables stationary accretion in large regions of layered
discs. Based on results obtained with the help of a simple 1-D hydrocode we
identify these regions, and discuss conditions in which layered discs can give
rise to FU~Orionis phenomena.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Carbon Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae: An Analytic Model
The observable properties of a Type Ia supernova are sensitive to how the
nuclear runaway ignites in a Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf - at a single point
at its center, off-center, or at multiple points and times. We present a simple
analytic model for the runaway based upon a combination of stellar
mixing-length theory and recent advances in understanding Rayleigh-Benard
convection. The convective flow just prior to runaway is likely to have a
strong dipolar component, though higher multipoles may contribute appreciably
at the very high Rayleigh number (10) appropriate to the white dwarf
core. A likely outcome is multi-point ignition with an exponentially increasing
number of ignition points during the few tenths of a second that it takes the
runaway to develop. The first sparks ignite approximately 150 - 200 km off
center, followed by ignition at smaller radii. Rotation may be important to
break the dipole asymmetry of the ignition and give a healthy explosion.Comment: 14 pages, 0 figures, submitted to ApJ, corrected typo in first
author's nam
Attack of the Flying Snakes : Formation of Isolated HI Clouds By Fragmentation of Long Streams
The existence of long (> 100 kpc) HI streams and small (< 20 kpc)
free-floating HI clouds is well-known. While the formation of the streams has
been investigated extensively, and the isolated clouds are often purported to
be interaction debris, little research has been done on the formation of
optically dark HI clouds that are not part of a larger stream. One possibility
is that such features result from the fragmentation of more extended streams,
while another idea is that they are primordial, optically dark galaxies. We
test the validity of the fragmentation scenario (via harassment) using
numerical simulations. In order to compare our numerical models with
observations, we present catalogues of both the known long HI streams (42
objects) and free-floating HI clouds suggested as dark galaxy candidates (51
objects). In particular, we investigate whether it is possible to form compact
features with high velocity widths (> 100 km/s), similar to observed clouds
which are otherwise intriguing dark galaxy candidates. We find that producing
such features is possible but extremely unlikely, occurring no more than 0.2%
of the time in our simulations. In contrast, we find that genuine dark galaxies
could be extremely stable to harassment and remain detectable even after 5 Gyr
in the cluster environment (with the important caveat that our simulations only
explore harassment and do not yet include the intracluster medium, heating and
cooling, or star formation). We also discuss the possibility that such objects
could be the progenitors of recently discovered ultra diffuse galaxies.Comment: 46 pages, 27 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Pulsed Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules
Doppler-free two-photon electronic spectra of a large polyatomic molecule are recorded for the first time with pulsed laser radiation of near Fourier-transform limited bandwidth (Δvnot, vert, similar100 MHz). The resolution obtained is sufficient to resolve individual rotational lines. Due to the high density of these rotational transitions a strong Doppler-broadened background is observed, which is, however, subtantially reduced by suitable choice of photon polarizations. Different vibronic bands of benzene (C6H6) are investigated and very accurate rotational constants are found
Closed-circuit television welding- electrode guidance system
Closed-circuit TV camera is mounted parallel to electrode and moves along with it. Camera is scanned along seam so seam is viewed parallel with scan lines on TV monitor. Two fiber optics illuminators are attached to guidance system; they illuminate seam for TV camera
Re-entrant Nematic Phase Established for Several Homologous Biaromatic Liquid Crystals by Investigation of Binary Mixed Systems
Several homologous series of biaromatic liquid crystals with structure type CnH2n+1O • C6H4 • M•C6H4-CN are investigated. By studying the phase transition temperatures in binary mixed systems a "re-entrant" nematic phase N(re) is established for all compounds exhibiting smectic A phases. The virtual transition temperatures N(re) - SA are found to decrease with increasing chain length of the alkyloxy group. The influence of the middle group M on the re-entrant behaviour can be attributed mainly to its dipole moment. The temperature range of the smectic A phase decreases when the middle group dipole moment is additive to that of the nitrile group. To summarize it can be said that the "re-entrant" behaviour of biaromatic liquid crystals is found to be very similar to that of triaromatic systems reported recently
Simulations of nonlinear harmonic generation by an internal wave beam incident on a pycnocline
Internal wave beams generated by oceanic tidal flows propagate upward and
interact with the increasing stratification found at the pycnocline. The
nonlinear generation of harmonic modes by internal wave beams incident on a
pycnocline has recently been demonstrated by laboratory experiments and
numerical simulations. In these previous studies, the harmonic modes were
trapped within the pycnocline because their frequencies exceeded that of the
stratified fluid below. Here, two-dimensional numerical simulations are used
to explore the effect of incidence angle on harmonic generation at a thin
pycnocline. At incidence angles less than 30 degrees (typical of oceanic
beams), the lowest harmonic mode freely radiates in the form of an internal
wave beam rather than being trapped within the pycnocline. The results
indicate that nonlinear refraction is the primary mechanism for harmonic
generation at incidence angles exceeding 30 degrees, but that interaction of
the incident and reflected beams is more important at smaller incidence
angles. The simulations are compared to weakly nonlinear theory based on
refraction at the pycnocline. The results yield good agreement for trapped
harmonics, but weakly nonlinear theory substantially underpredicts the
amplitude of the radiated harmonics
Coulomb Screening of 2D Massive Dirac Fermions
A model of 2D massive Dirac fermions, interacting with a instantaneous
Coulomb interaction, is presented to mimic the physics of gapped graphene. The
static polarization function is calculated explicitly to analyze screening
effect at the finite temperature and density. Results are compared with the
massless case . We also show that various other works can be reproduced within
our model in a straightforward and unified manner
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