269 research outputs found
Local models of two-temperature accretion disc coronae. I. Structure, outflows, and energetics
We use local stratified shearing-box simulations to elucidate the impact of
two-temperature thermodynamics on the thermal structure of coronae in
radiatively efficient accretion flows. Rather than treating the coronal plasma
as an isothermal fluid, we use a simple, parameterized cooling function that
models the collisional transfer of energy from the ions to the rapidly cooling
leptons. Two-temperature models naturally form temperature inversions, with a
hot, magnetically dominated corona surrounding a cold disc. Simulations with
net vertical flux (NF) magnetic fields launch powerful magnetocentrifugal winds
that would enhance accretion in a global system. The outflow rates are much
better converged with increasing box height than analogous isothermal
simulations, suggesting that the winds into two-temperature coronae may be
sufficiently strong to evaporate a thin disc and form a radiatively inefficient
accretion flow under some conditions. We find evidence for multiphase structure
in the corona, with broad density and temperature distributions, and we propose
criteria for the formation of a multiphase corona. The fraction of cooling in
the surface layers of the disc is substantially larger for NF fields compared
to zero net-flux configurations, with moderate NF simulations radiating
per cent of the flow's total luminosity above two midplane
scale-heights. Our work shows that NF fields may efficiently power the coronae
of luminous Seyfert galaxies and quasars, providing compelling motivation for
future studies of the heating mechanisms available to NF fields and the
interplay of radiation with two-temperature thermodynamics.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, 1 table, 2 appendices, submitted to MNRA
The Phase Out of Coal Power Generation in Britain and Germany: A Comparative Analysis of Drivers and Barriers
Britain and Germany are in the process of phasing out the use of coal in power generation and this represents a major shift in the energy supply system of both countries. The article compares the process of phasing out coal power generation in both countries. A PESTEL analysis technique is used to capture the external context of the coal phase out in both countries. This technique allows the identification of the drivers and barriers of the coal phase out, taking into account the differences between the two contexts. Important contrasts and lessons arise out of this comparative discussion of Britain and Germany. This comparison leads to an analysis of the risks and opportunities for the coal phase out in both countries and enables the transferability of the analysis to other countries that may face a decision to phase out coal. For instance, several central and eastern European nations are still reliant on coal in power generation, but may need to reconsider energy policy in view of their climate obligations. The evaluation of factors identified in the PESTEL analysis phase helps the formulation of suggestions for policymakers in relation to the management of the coal phase out
A Multiagent CyberBattleSim for RL Cyber Operation Agents
Hardening cyber physical assets is both crucial and labor-intensive.
Recently, Machine Learning (ML) in general and Reinforcement Learning RL) more
specifically has shown great promise to automate tasks that otherwise would
require significant human insight/intelligence. The development of autonomous
RL agents requires a suitable training environment that allows us to quickly
evaluate various alternatives, in particular how to arrange training scenarios
that pit attackers and defenders against each other. CyberBattleSim is a
training environment that supports the training of red agents, i.e., attackers.
We added the capability to train blue agents, i.e., defenders. The paper
describes our changes and reports on the results we obtained when training blue
agents, either in isolation or jointly with red agents. Our results show that
training a blue agent does lead to stronger defenses against attacks. In
particular, training a blue agent jointly with a red agent increases the blue
agent's capability to thwart sophisticated red agents.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on
Computational Science and Computational Intelligenc
Bayesian Calibrated Significance Levels Applied to the Spectral Tilt and Hemispherical Asymmetry
Bayesian model selection provides a formal method of determining the level of
support for new parameters in a model. However, if there is not a specific
enough underlying physical motivation for the new parameters it can be hard to
assign them meaningful priors, an essential ingredient of Bayesian model
selection. Here we look at methods maximizing the prior so as to work out what
is the maximum support the data could give for the new parameters. If the
maximum support is not high enough then one can confidently conclude that the
new parameters are unnecessary without needing to worry that some other prior
may make them significant. We discuss a computationally efficient means of
doing this which involves mapping p-values onto upper bounds of the Bayes
factor (or odds) for the new parameters. A p-value of 0.05 ()
corresponds to odds less than or equal to 5:2 which is below the `weak' support
at best threshold. A p-value of 0.0003 () corresponds to odds of
less than or equal to 150:1 which is the `strong' support at best threshold.
Applying this method we find that the odds on the scalar spectral index being
different from one are 49:1 at best. We also find that the odds that there is
primordial hemispherical asymmetry in the cosmic microwave background are 9:1
at best.Comment: 5 pages. V2: clarifying comments added in response to referee report.
Matches version to appear in MNRA
Mitochondrial acclimation potential to ocean acidification and warming of Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Background: Ocean acidification and warming are happening fast in the Arctic but little is known about the effects of ocean acidification and warming on the physiological performance and survival of Arctic fish.
Results: In this study we investigated the metabolic background of performance through analyses of cardiac mitochondrial function in response to control and elevated water temperatures and PCO2 of two gadoid fish species, Polar cod (Boreogadus saida), an endemic Arctic species, and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), which is a temperate to cold eurytherm and currently expanding into Arctic waters in the wake of ocean warming. We studied their responses to the above-mentioned drivers and their acclimation potential through analysing the cardiac mitochondrial function in permeabilised cardiac muscle fibres after 4 months of incubation at different temperatures (Polar cod: 0, 3, 6, 8 °C and Atlantic cod: 3, 8, 12, 16 °C), combined with exposure to present (400μatm) and year 2100 (1170μatm) levels of CO2.
OXPHOS, proton leak and ATP production efficiency in Polar cod were similar in the groups acclimated at 400μatm and 1170μatm of CO2, while incubation at 8 °C evoked increased proton leak resulting in decreased ATP production efficiency and decreased Complex IV capacity. In contrast, OXPHOS of Atlantic cod increased with temperature without compromising the ATP production efficiency, whereas the combination of high temperature and high PCO2 depressed OXPHOS and ATP production efficiency.
Conclusions: Polar cod mitochondrial efficiency decreased at 8 °C while Atlantic cod mitochondria were more resilient to elevated temperature; however, this resilience was constrained by high PCO2. In line with its lower habitat temperature and higher degree of stenothermy, Polar cod has a lower acclimation potential to warming than Atlantic cod
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High pressure chemical reactivity and structural study of the Na-P and Li-P systems
Pressure enables the synthesis of (Na/Li)3P compounds at RT bypassing established chemical methods while at higher pressure, both undergo a pressure-induced phase transition.</p
Buoyancy Instabilities in a Weakly Collisional Intracluster Medium
The intracluster medium of galaxy clusters is a weakly collisional, high-beta
plasma in which the transport of heat and momentum occurs primarily along
magnetic-field lines. Anisotropic heat conduction allows convective
instabilities to be driven by temperature gradients of either sign, the
magnetothermal instability (MTI) in the outskirts of non-isothermal clusters
and the heat-flux buoyancy-driven instability (HBI) in their cooling cores. We
employ the Athena MHD code to investigate the nonlinear evolution of these
instabilities, self-consistently including the effects of anisotropic viscosity
(i.e. Braginskii pressure anisotropy), anisotropic conduction, and radiative
cooling. We highlight the importance of the microscale instabilities that
inevitably accompany and regulate the pressure anisotropies generated by the
HBI and MTI. We find that, in all but the innermost regions of cool-core
clusters, anisotropic viscosity significantly impairs the ability of the HBI to
reorient magnetic-field lines orthogonal to the temperature gradient. Thus,
while radio-mode feedback appears necessary in the central few tens of kpc,
conduction may be capable of offsetting radiative losses throughout most of a
cool core over a significant fraction of the Hubble time. Magnetically-aligned
cold filaments are then able to form by local thermal instability. Viscous
dissipation during the formation of a cold filament produces accompanying hot
filaments, which can be searched for in deep Chandra observations of nearby
cool-core clusters. In the case of the MTI, anisotropic viscosity maintains the
coherence of magnetic-field lines over larger distances than in the inviscid
case, providing a natural lower limit for the scale on which the field can
fluctuate freely. In the nonlinear state, the magnetic field exhibits a folded
structure in which the field-line curvature and field strength are
anti-correlated.Comment: 20 pages, 20 figures, submitted to ApJ; Abstract abridge
“Service Encounter 2.0” : an investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers
The service encounter – one of the foundational concepts in service research – is fundamentally changing due to rapid evolutions in technology. In this paper, we offer an updated perspective on what we label the “Service Encounter 2.0”. To this end, we develop a conceptual framework that captures the essence of the Service Encounter 2.0 and provides a synthesis of the changing interdependent roles of technology, employees, and customers. We find that technology either augments or substitutes service employees, and can foster network connections. In turn, employees and customers are taking on the role of enabler, innovator, coordinator and differentiator. In addition, we identify critical areas for future research on this important topic
Flexible Ink‐Jet Printed Polymer Light‐Emitting Diodes using a Self‐Hosted Non‐Conjugated TADF Polymer
Thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitters have become the leading emissive materials for highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The deposition of these materials in scalable and cost-effective ways is paramount when looking toward the future of OLED applications. Herein, a simple OLED with fully solution-processed organic layers is introduced, where the TADF emissive layer is ink-jet printed. The TADF polymer has electron and hole conductive side chains, simplifying the fabrication process by removing the need for additional host materials. The OLED has a peak emission of 502 nm and a maximum luminance of close to 9600 cd m. The self-hosted TADF polymer is also demonstrated in a flexible OLED, reaching a maximum luminance of over 2000 cd m. These results demonstrate the potential applications of this self-hosted TADF polymer in flexible ink-jet printed OLEDs and, therefore, for a more scalable fabrication process
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