740 research outputs found
High efficiency thermionic converter studies
Research in thermionic energy conversion technology is reported. The objectives were to produce converters suitable for use in out of core space reactors, radioisotope generators, and solar satellites. The development of emitter electrodes that operate at low cesium pressure, stable low work function collector electrodes, and more efficient means of space charge neutralization were investigated to improve thermionic converter performance. Potential improvements in collector properties were noted with evaporated thin film barium oxide coatings. Experiments with cesium carbonate suggest this substance may provide optimum combinations of cesium and oxygen for thermionic conversion
Binary neutron-star mergers with Whisky and SACRA: First quantitative comparison of results from independent general-relativistic hydrodynamics codes
We present the first quantitative comparison of two independent
general-relativistic hydrodynamics codes, the Whisky code and the SACRA code.
We compare the output of simulations starting from the same initial data and
carried out with the configuration (numerical methods, grid setup, resolution,
gauges) which for each code has been found to give consistent and sufficiently
accurate results, in particular in terms of cleanness of gravitational
waveforms. We focus on the quantities that should be conserved during the
evolution (rest mass, total mass energy, and total angular momentum) and on the
gravitational-wave amplitude and frequency. We find that the results produced
by the two codes agree at a reasonable level, with variations in the different
quantities but always at better than about 10%.Comment: Published on Phys. Rev.
Multi-patch methods in general relativistic astrophysics - I. Hydrodynamical flows on fixed backgrounds
Many systems of interest in general relativistic astrophysics, including
neutron stars, accreting compact objects in X-ray binaries and active galactic
nuclei, core collapse, and collapsars, are assumed to be approximately
spherically symmetric or axisymmetric. In Newtonian or fixed-background
relativistic approximations it is common practice to use spherical polar
coordinates for computational grids; however, these coordinates have
singularities and are difficult to use in fully relativistic models. We
present, in this series of papers, a numerical technique which is able to use
effectively spherical grids by employing multiple patches. We provide detailed
instructions on how to implement such a scheme, and present a number of code
tests for the fixed background case, including an accretion torus around a
black hole.Comment: 26 pages, 20 figures. A high-resolution version is available at
http://www.cct.lsu.edu/~bzink/papers/multipatch_1.pd
Accurate evolutions of inspiralling neutron-star binaries: prompt and delayed collapse to black hole
Binary neutron-star (BNS) systems represent primary sources for the
gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. We present a systematic investigation in
full GR of the dynamics and GW emission from BNS which inspiral and merge,
producing a black hole (BH) surrounded by a torus. Our results represent the
state of the art from several points of view: (i) We use HRSC methods for the
hydrodynamics equations and high-order finite-differencing techniques for the
Einstein equations; (ii) We employ AMR techniques with "moving boxes"; (iii) We
use as initial data BNSs in irrotational quasi-circular orbits; (iv) We exploit
the isolated-horizon formalism to measure the properties of the BHs produced in
the merger; (v) Finally, we use two approaches, based either on gauge-invariant
perturbations or on Weyl scalars, to calculate the GWs. These techniques allow
us to perform accurate evolutions on timescales never reported before (ie ~30
ms) and to provide the first complete description of the inspiral and merger of
a BNS leading to the prompt or delayed formation of a BH and to its ringdown.
We consider either a polytropic or an ideal fluid EOS and show that already
with this idealized EOSs a very interesting phenomenology emerges. In
particular, we show that while high-mass binaries lead to the prompt formation
of a rapidly rotating BH surrounded by a dense torus, lower-mass binaries give
rise to a differentially rotating NS, which undergoes large oscillations and
emits large amounts of GWs. Eventually, also the NS collapses to a rotating BH
surrounded by a torus. Finally, we also show that the use of a non-isentropic
EOS leads to significantly different evolutions, giving rise to a delayed
collapse also with high-mass binaries, as well as to a more intense emission of
GWs and to a geometrically thicker torus.Comment: 35 pages, 29 figures, corrected few typos to match the published
version. High-resolution figures and animations can be found at
http://numrel.aei.mpg.de/Visualisations/Archive/BinaryNeutronStars/Relativistic_Meudon/index.htm
Counting on the motor system: Rapid action planning reveals the format- and magnitude-dependent extraction of numerical quantity
Symbolic numbers (e.g., 2 ) acquire their meaning by becoming linked to the core nonsymbolic quantities they represent (e.g., two items). However, the extent to which symbolic and nonsymbolic information converges onto the same internal core representations of quantity remains a point of considerable debate. As nearly all previous work on this topic has employed perceptual tasks requiring the conscious reporting of numerical magnitudes, here we question the extent to which numerical processing via the visual-motor system might shed further light on the fundamental basis of how different number formats are encoded.We show, using a rapid reaching task and a detailed analysis of initial arm trajectories, that there are key differences in how the quantity information extracted from symbolic Arabic numerals and nonsymbolic collections of discrete items are used to guide action planning. In particular, we found that the magnitude derived from discrete dots resulted in movements being biased by an amount directly proportional to the actual quantities presented whereasthe magnitude derived from numerals resulted in movements being biased only by the relative (e.g., larger than) quantities presented. In addition, we found that initial motor plans were more sensitive to changes in numerical quantity within small (1-3) than large (5-15) number ranges, irrespective of their format (dots or numerals). In light of previous work, our visual-motor results clearly show that the processing of numerical quantity information is both format and magnitude dependent. © 2014 ARVO
The soil and plant biogeochemistry sampling design for The National Ecological Observatory Network
Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles are evident around the world, from changes to forest structure and function due to atmospheric deposition, to eutrophication of surface waters from agricultural effluent, and increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will contribute to understanding human effects on biogeochemical cycles from local to continental scales. The broad NEON biogeochemistry measurement design focuses on measuring atmospheric deposition of reactive mineral compounds and CO2 fluxes, ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient stocks, and surface water chemistry across 20 eco‐climatic domains within the United States for 30 yr. Herein, we present the rationale and plan for the ground‐based measurements of C and nutrients in soils and plants based on overarching or “high‐level” requirements agreed upon by the National Science Foundation and NEON. The resulting design incorporates early recommendations by expert review teams, as well as recent input from the larger natural sciences community that went into the formation and interpretation of the requirements, respectively. NEON\u27s efforts will focus on a suite of data streams that will enable end‐users to study and predict changes to biogeochemical cycling and transfers within and across air, land, and water systems at regional to continental scales. At each NEON site, there will be an initial, one‐time effort to survey soil properties to 1 m (including soil texture, bulk density, pH, baseline chemistry) and vegetation community structure and diversity. A sampling program will follow, focused on capturing long‐term trends in soil C, nitrogen (N), and sulfur stocks, isotopic composition (of C and N), soil N transformation rates, phosphorus pools, and plant tissue chemistry and isotopic composition (of C and N). To this end, NEON will conduct extensive measurements of soils and plants within stratified random plots distributed across each site. The resulting data will be a new resource for members of the scientific community interested in addressing questions about long‐term changes in continental‐scale biogeochemical cycles, and is predicted to inspire further process‐based research
Correlated Gravitational Wave and Neutrino Signals from General-Relativistic Rapidly Rotating Iron Core Collapse
We present results from a new set of 3D general-relativistic hydrodynamic
simulations of rotating iron core collapse. We assume octant symmetry and focus
on axisymmetric collapse, bounce, the early postbounce evolution, and the
associated gravitational wave (GW) and neutrino signals. We employ a
finite-temperature nuclear equation of state, parameterized electron capture in
the collapse phase, and a multi-species neutrino leakage scheme after bounce.
The latter captures the important effects of deleptonization, neutrino cooling
and heating and enables approximate predictions for the neutrino luminosities
in the early evolution after core bounce. We consider 12-solar-mass and
40-solar-mass presupernova models and systematically study the effects of (i)
rotation, (ii) progenitor structure, and (iii) postbounce neutrino leakage on
dynamics, GW, and, neutrino signals. We demonstrate, that the GW signal of
rapidly rotating core collapse is practically independent of progenitor mass
and precollapse structure. Moreover, we show that the effects of neutrino
leakage on the GW signal are strong only in nonrotating or slowly rotating
models in which GW emission is not dominated by inner core dynamics. In rapidly
rotating cores, core bounce of the centrifugally-deformed inner core excites
the fundamental quadrupole pulsation mode of the nascent protoneutron star. The
ensuing global oscillations (f~700-800 Hz) lead to pronounced oscillations in
the GW signal and correlated strong variations in the rising luminosities of
antineutrino and heavy-lepton neutrinos. We find these features in cores that
collapse to protoneutron stars with spin periods <~ 2.5 ms and rotational
energies sufficient to drive hyper-energetic core-collapse supernova
explosions. Hence, joint GW + neutrino observations of a core collapse event
could deliver strong evidence for or against rapid core rotation. [abridged]Comment: 29 pages, 14 figures. Replaced with version matching published
versio
Accurate Visuomotor Control below the Perceptual Threshold of Size Discrimination
Background: Human resolution for object size is typically determined by psychophysical methods that are based on conscious perception. In contrast, grasping of the same objects might be less conscious. It is suggested that grasping is mediated by mechanisms other than those mediating conscious perception. In this study, we compared the visual resolution for object size of the visuomotor and the perceptual system. Methodology/Principal Findings: In Experiment 1, participants discriminated the size of pairs of objects once through perceptual judgments and once by grasping movements toward the objects. Notably, the actual size differences were set below the Just Noticeable Difference (JND). We found that grasping trajectories reflected the actual size differences between the objects regardless of the JND. This pattern was observed even in trials in which the perceptual judgments were erroneous. The results of an additional control experiment showed that these findings were not confounded by task demands. Participants were not aware, therefore, that their size discrimination via grasp was veridical. Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that human resolution is not fully tapped by perceptually determined thresholds
- …