2,948 research outputs found

    FOOD RETAILING

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    Agribusiness,

    SU(3) techniques for angular momentum projected matrix elements in multi‐cluster problems

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    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87456/2/518_1.pd

    Tidal dissipation in rotating giant planets

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    [Abridged] Tides may play an important role in determining the observed distributions of mass, orbital period, and eccentricity of the extrasolar planets. In addition, tidal interactions between giant planets in the solar system and their moons are thought to be responsible for the orbital migration of the satellites, leading to their capture into resonant configurations. We treat the underlying fluid dynamical problem with the aim of determining the efficiency of tidal dissipation in gaseous giant planets. In cases of interest, the tidal forcing frequencies are comparable to the spin frequency of the planet but small compared to its dynamical frequency. We therefore study the linearized response of a slowly and possibly differentially rotating planet to low-frequency tidal forcing. Convective regions of the planet support inertial waves, while any radiative regions support generalized Hough waves. We present illustrative numerical calculations of the tidal dissipation rate and argue that inertial waves provide a natural avenue for efficient tidal dissipation in most cases of interest. The resulting value of Q depends in a highly erratic way on the forcing frequency, but we provide evidence that the relevant frequency-averaged dissipation rate may be asymptotically independent of the viscosity in the limit of small Ekman number. In short-period extrasolar planets, if the stellar irradiation of the planet leads to the formation of a radiative outer layer that supports generalized Hough modes, the tidal dissipation rate can be enhanced through the excitation and damping of these waves. These dissipative mechanisms offer a promising explanation of the historical evolution and current state of the Galilean satellites as well as the observed circularization of the orbits of short-period extrasolar planets.Comment: 74 pages, 12 figures, submitted to The Astrophysical Journa

    Diurnal and annual variations of meteor rates at the arctic circle

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    Meteors are an important source for (a) the metal atoms of the upper atmosphere metal layers and (b) for condensation nuclei, the existence of which are a prerequisite for the formation of noctilucent cloud particles in the polar mesopause region. For a better understanding of these phenomena, it would be helpful to know accurately the annual and diurnal variations of meteor rates. So far, these rates have been little studied at polar latitudes. Therefore we have used the 33 MHz meteor radar of the ALOMAR observatory at 69&deg; N to measure the meteor rates at this location for two full annual cycles. This site, being within 3&deg; of the Arctic circle, offers in addition an interesting capability: The axis of its antenna field points (almost) towards the North ecliptic pole once each day of the year. In this particular viewing direction, the radar monitors the meteoroid influx from (almost) the entire ecliptic Northern hemisphere. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> We report on the observed diurnal variations (averaged over one month) of meteor rates and their significant alterations throughout the year. The ratio of maximum over minimum meteor rates throughout one diurnal cycle is in January and February about 5, from April through December 2.3&plusmn;0.3. If compared with similar measurements at mid-latitudes, our expectation, that the amplitude of the diurnal variation is to decrease towards the North pole, is not really borne out. <P style='line-height: 20px;'> Observations with the antenna axis pointing towards the North ecliptic pole showed that the rate of deposition of meteoric dust is substantially larger during the Arctic NLC season than the annual mean deposition rate. The daylight meteor showers of the Arietids, Zeta Perseids, and Beta Taurids supposedly contribute considerably to the June maximum of meteor rates. We note, though, that with the radar antenna pointing as described above, all three meteor radiants are close to the local horizon but all three radiants were detected

    Simulations of core convection in rotating A-type stars: Differential rotation and overshooting

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    We present the results of 3--D simulations of core convection within A-type stars of 2 solar masses, at a range of rotation rates. We consider the inner 30% by radius of such stars, thereby encompassing the convective core and some of the surrounding radiative envelope. We utilize our anelastic spherical harmonic (ASH) code, which solves the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in the anelastic approximation, to examine highly nonlinear flows that can span multiple scale heights. The cores of these stars are found to rotate differentially, with central cylindrical regions of strikingly slow rotation achieved in our simulations of stars whose convective Rossby number (R_{oc}) is less than unity. Such differential rotation results from the redistribution of angular momentum by the nonlinear convection that strongly senses the overall rotation of the star. Penetrative convective motions extend into the overlying radiative zone, yielding a prolate shape (aligned with the rotation axis) to the central region in which nearly adiabatic stratification is achieved. This is further surrounded by a region of overshooting motions, the extent of which is greater at the equator than at the poles, yielding an overall spherical shape to the domain experiencing at least some convective mixing. We assess the overshooting achieved as the stability of the radiative exterior is varied, and the weak circulations that result in that exterior. The convective plumes serve to excite gravity waves in the radiative envelope, ranging from localized ripples of many scales to some remarkable global resonances.Comment: 48 pages, 16 figures, some color. Accepted to Astrophys. J. Color figures compressed with appreciable loss of quality; a PDF of the paper with better figures is available at http://lcd-www.colorado.edu/~brownim/core_convectsep24.pd

    Equipotential Surfaces and Lagrangian points in Non-synchronous, Eccentric Binary and Planetary Systems

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    We investigate the existence and properties of equipotential surfaces and Lagrangian points in non-synchronous, eccentric binary star and planetary systems under the assumption of quasi-static equilibrium. We adopt a binary potential that accounts for non-synchronous rotation and eccentric orbits, and calculate the positions of the Lagrangian points as functions of the mass ratio, the degree of asynchronism, the orbital eccentricity, and the position of the stars or planets in their relative orbit. We find that the geometry of the equipotential surfaces may facilitate non-conservative mass transfer in non-synchronous, eccentric binary star and planetary systems, especially if the component stars or planets are rotating super-synchronously at the periastron of their relative orbit. We also calculate the volume-equivalent radius of the Roche lobe as a function of the four parameters mentioned above. Contrary to common practice, we find that replacing the radius of a circular orbit in the fitting formula of Eggleton (1983) with the instantaneous distance between the components of eccentric binary or planetary systems does not always lead to a good approximation to the volume-equivalent radius of the Roche-lobe. We therefore provide generalized analytic fitting formulae for the volume-equivalent Roche lobe radius appropriate for non-synchronous, eccentric binary star and planetary systems. These formulae are accurate to better than 1% throughout the relevant 2-dimensional parameter space that covers a dynamic range of 16 and 6 orders of magnitude in the two dimensions.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 2 Tables, Accepted by the Astrophysical Journa

    On the Correlation between the Magnetic Activity Levels, the Metallicities and the Radii of Low-Mass Stars

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    The recent burst in the number of radii measurements of very low-mass stars from eclipsing binaries and interferometry of single stars has opened more questions about what can be causing the discrepancy between the observed radii and the ones predicted by the models. The two main explanations being proposed are a correlation between the radius of the stars and their activity levels or their metallicities. This paper presents a study of such correlations using all the data published to date. The study also investigates correlations between the radii deviation from the models and the masses of the stars. There is no clear correlation between activity level and radii for the single stars in the sample. Those single stars are slow rotators with typical velocities v_rot sini < 3.0 km s^-1. A clear correlation however exists in the case of the faster rotating members of binaries. This result is based on the of X-ray emission levels of the stars. There also appears to be an increase in the deviation of the radii of single stars from the models as a function of metallicity, as previously indicated by Berger et al. (2006). The stars in binaries do not seem to follow the same trend. Finally, the Baraffe et al. (1998) models reproduce well the radius observations below 0.30-0.35Msun, where the stars become fully convective, although this result is preliminary since almost all the sample stars in that mass range are slow rotators and metallicities have not been measured for most of them. The results in this paper indicate that stellar activity and metallicity play an important role on the determination of the radius of very low-mass stars, at least above 0.35Msun.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication on Ap

    Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamics of Pre-Core Collapse: Oxygen Shell Burning

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    By direct hydrodynamic simulation, using the Piecewise Parabolic Method (PPM) code PROMETHEUS, we study the properties of a convective oxygen burning shell in a SN 1987A progenitor star prior to collapse. The convection is too heterogeneous and dynamic to be well approximated by one-dimensional diffusion-like algorithms which have previously been used for this epoch. Qualitatively new phenomena are seen. The simulations are two-dimensional, with good resolution in radius and angle, and use a large (90-degree) slice centered at the equator. The microphysics and the initial model were carefully treated. Many of the qualitative features of previous multi-dimensional simulations of convection are seen, including large kinetic and acoustic energy fluxes, which are not accounted for by mixing length theory. Small but significant amounts of carbon-12 are mixed non-uniformly into the oxygen burning convection zone, resulting in hot spots of nuclear energy production which are more than an order of magnitude more energetic than the oxygen flame itself. Density perturbations (up to 8%) occur at the `edges' of the convective zone and are the result of gravity waves generated by interaction of penetrating flows into the stable region. Perturbations of temperature and electron fraction at the base of the convective zone are of sufficient magnitude to create angular inhomogeneities in explosive nucleosynthesis products, and need to be included in quantitative estimates of yields. Combined with the plume-like velocity structure arising from convection, the perturbations will contribute to the mixing of nickel-56 throughout supernovae envelopes. Runs of different resolution, and angular extent, were performed to test the robustness of theseComment: For mpeg movies of these simulations, see http://www.astrophysics.arizona.edu/movies.html Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa
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