Viscous to Inertial Crossover in Liquid Drop Coalescence

Using an electrical method and high-speed imaging we probe drop coalescence down to 10 ns after the drops touch. By varying the liquid viscosity over two decades, we conclude that at sufficiently low approach velocity where deformation is not present, the drops coalesce with an unexpectedly late crossover time between a regime dominated by viscous and one dominated by inertial effects. We argue that the late crossover, not accounted for in the theory, can be explained by an appropriate choice of length-scales present in the flow geometry.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Widespread evidence for heterogeneous accretion of the terrestrial planets and planetisimals

The abundance and relative proportion of highly siderophile elements (HSEs) in Earth’s mantle deviate from those predicted by low-pressure equilibrium partitioning between metal and silicate during formation of the core. For many elements, high-pressure equilibration in a deep molten silicate layer (or ‘magma ocean’) may account for this discrepancy [1], but some highly siderophile element abundances demand the late addition, a ‘late veneer’, of extraterrestrial material (i.e. heterogeneous accretion) after core formation was complete [2]. Siderophile elements in smaller asteroidal bodies will not be affected by high-pressure metal-silicate equilibration and so, with highly efficient core formation [3] and if a ‘late veneer’ is absent, significant differences in the proportions of HSEs can be anticipated. Here we present new HSE abundance and 187Os/188Os isotope data for basaltic meteorites, the HEDs (howardites, eucrites and diogenites thought to sample the asteroid 4 Vesta), anomalous eucrites (considered to be from distinct Vesta-like parent bodies) angrites and aubrites (from unidentified parent bodies) and SNCs (thought to be from Mars). Our data, taken with those for lunar rocks [4], demonstrate that these igneous meteorites all formed from mantle sources that possessed chondritic (i.e. primitive solar system) elemental and isotope compositions, indicating that late accretion is not unique to Earth, but is a common feature of differentiated planets and asteroidal bodies. Variations in the total HSE abundance suggest that the proportion of ‘late veneer’ added is a simple consequence of the size of each body (cross-section and/or gravitational-attraction), and may account for the volatile element budget, and the oxidationstate of Earth, Mars, the Moon and Vesta

Quantifying flow and stress in ice mélange, the world’s largest granular material.

Tidewater glacier fjords are often filled with a collection of calved icebergs, brash ice, and sea ice. For glaciers with high calving rates, this “m ́elange” of ice can be jam-packed, so that the flow of ice fragments is mostly determined by granular interactions. In the jammed state, ice m ́elange has been hypothesized to influence iceberg calving and capsize, dispersion and attenuation of ocean waves, injection of freshwater into fjords, and fjord circulation. However, detailed measurements of ice m ́elange are lacking due to difficulties in instrumenting remote, ice-choked fjords. Here we characterize the flow and associated stress in icem ́elange, using a combination of terrestrial radar data, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations. We find that, during periods of terminus quiescence, ice m ́elange experiences laminar flow over timescales of hours to days. The uniform flow fields are bounded by shear margins along fjord walls where force chains between granular icebergs terminate. In addition, the average force per unit width that is transmitted to the glacier terminus, which can exceed 107N/m, increases exponentially with them ́elange length-to-width ratio. These “buttressing” forces are sufficiently high to inhibit the initiation of large-scale calving events, supporting the notion that ice m ́elange can be viewed as a weak granular ice shelf that transmits stresses from fjord walls back to glacier termini.Ye

An Evaluation of Tennessee Soybean Growers’ Views on a New Generation Cooperative to Produce Biodiesel

Substituting petroleum diesel with biodiesel could decrease air emissions, reduce reliance on foreign oil, and help expand markets for U.S. farmers. Soybean producers can potentially capture this value-added by forward integrating the processing of soybeans into biodiesel via a New Generation Cooperative (NGC). Using probit analysis, this study examines factors influencing soybean producers’ willingness to participate in an NGC to produce biodiesel. Tobit analysis is used to examine the factors influencing the number of shares the soybean producer would be willing to purchase. Survey results indicate that over 70% of the soybean producers in the study group are interested in investing in an NGC to produce biodiesel. Among those producers willing to participate, the average number of shares they would purchase was just under 3,460.biodiesel, New Generation Cooperative, probit analysis, soybean producers, tobit analysis, Marketing, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

High Spectral and Spatial Resolution Observations of Shocked Molecular Hydrogen at the Galactic Center

The presence of OH (1720 MHz) masers, and the absence of counterparts at 1665/1667 MHz has proved to be a clear diagnostic of shocked molecular gas associated with Galactic supernova remnants. This suggests that shocked molecular gas should be associated with the OH (1720 MHz) masers that have been detected in the circumnuclear disk (CND) and Sgr A East at the Galactic center. In order to test this hypothesis, we observed the H$_2$ 1--0 S(1) and Br $\gamma$ lines using NICMOS on the HST and UNSWIRF on the AAT, near the regions where OH (1720 MHz) masers are detected in the CND and Sgr A East. We present the distribution of H$_2$ in the North and South lobes of the CND and in Sgr A East. H$_2$ emission accompanies almost all of the maser spots detected at the Galactic center. In particular, we find a striking filamentary structure near the Northwest of the CND and evidence that shocked molecular gas is associated with the 70 \kms molecular cloud at the Galactic center. We argue that the emission from the CND could arise in gas heated by the dissipation of the random motion of clumps by collisions or the dissipation of turbulence in a more homogeneous medium. In addition, highly red-shifted gas of up to 140 \kms\ close to the eastern edge of the Sgr A East shell is detected. These observations combined with OH (1720 MHz) results suggest that the H$_2$ gas is shocked and accelerated by the expansion of Sgr A East into the 50 and the 70 \kms cloud and into the lobes of the CND.Comment: 31 pages plus 14 figures, ApJ (in press