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At least 217 records · Page 12

The radiation pressure-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability - Analysis and application to QSO emission line clouds

The growth of perturbations in a photoionized gas slab accelerated by radiation pressure under conditions like those in QSO emission-line regions is analyzed. A linear dispersion relation is derived, and numerical radiation-transfer calculations are performed to evaluate the coefficients and roots of that dispersion relation for L-alpha optical depths between 0.1 and 10,000. The nonlinear growth of the waves is estimated, and it is concluded that complete dispersal of the clouds is likely. On the basis of qualitative arguments it is suggested that clouds of greater optical depth are linearly stable.

Krolik, J. H.↗

Advanced Computational Aeroacoustics Methods for Fan Noise Prediction

Direct computation of fan noise is presently not possible. One of the major difficulties is the geometrical complexity of the problem. In the case of fan noise, the blade geometry is critical to the loading on the blade and hence the intensity of the radiated noise. The precise geometry must be incorporated into the computation. In computational fluid dynamics (CFD), there are two general ways to handle problems with complex geometry. One way is to use unstructured grids. The other is to use body fitted overset grids. In the overset grid method, accurate data transfer is of utmost importance. For acoustic computation, it is not clear that the currently used data transfer methods are sufficiently accurate as not to contaminate the very small amplitude acoustic disturbances. In CFD, low order schemes are, invariably, used in conjunction with unstructured grids. However, low order schemes are known to be numerically dispersive and dissipative. dissipative errors are extremely undesirable for acoustic wave problems. The objective of this project is to develop a high order unstructured grid Dispersion-Relation-Preserving (DRP) scheme. would minimize numerical dispersion and dissipation errors. contains the results of the funded portion of the project. scheme on an unstructured grid has been developed. constructed in the wave number space. The characteristics of the scheme can be improved by the inclusion of additional constraints. Stability of the scheme has been investigated. Stability can be improved by adopting the upwinding strategy.

Envia, Edmane↗

Multi-harmonic Rutherford island theory

Rutherford island theory, which governs the nonlinear evolution of tearing modes in tokamak plasmas, is generalized to take into account situations in which the conventional one-harmonic approximation is not valid. The analysis incorporates non-inductive currents driven by radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves injected into the plasma. A multi-harmonic tearing mode dispersion relation is derived that takes the form of a nonlinear inhomogeneous matrix eigenvalue problem. The dispersion relation is solved in the so-called two-harmonic approximation, in which only the principal Fourier harmonic of the perturbed magnetic flux and its first overtone are included in the calculation. In the absence of RF current drive, the nonlinear behavior of a tearing mode predicted in the two-harmonic approximation does not differ substantially from that predicted in the one-harmonic approximation. On the other hand, RF current drive that is sufficiently localized in the vicinity of the O-points of the mode's magnetic island chain is capable of triggering bifurcations of the O-points (which is impossible in the one-harmonic approximation). However, the current drive is incapable of triggering bifurcations of the island X-points. This finding is significant because Bardóczi and Evans recently observed bifurcations of magnetic island chain O-points in the presence of RF current drive in the DIII-D tokamak but did not observe bifurcations of the X-points. Finally, the changes in the topology of the magnetic island flux-surfaces induced by RF current drive are found to facilitate the stabilization of the tearing mode.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quasilinear theory for inhomogeneous plasma

Here, this paper presents quasilinear theory (QLT) for a classical plasma interacting with inhomogeneous turbulence. The particle Hamiltonian is kept general; for example, relativistic, electromagnetic and gravitational effects are subsumed. A Fokker–Planck equation for the dressed ‘oscillation-centre’ distribution is derived from the Klimontovich equation and captures quasilinear diffusion, interaction with the background fields and ponderomotive effects simultaneously. The local diffusion coefficient is manifestly positive-semidefinite. Waves are allowed to be off-shell (i.e. not constrained by a dispersion relation), and a collision integral of the Balescu–Lenard type emerges in a form that is not restricted to any particular Hamiltonian. This operator conserves particles, momentum and energy, and it also satisfies the H -theorem, as usual. As a spin-off, a general expression for the spectrum of microscopic fluctuations is derived. For on-shell waves, which satisfy a quasilinear wave-kinetic equation, the theory conserves the momentum and energy of the wave–plasma system. The action of non-resonant waves is also conserved, unlike in the standard version of QLT. Dewar's oscillation-centre QLT of electrostatic turbulence is proven formally as a particular case and given a concise formulation. Also discussed as examples are relativistic electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, and QLT for gravitational waves is proposed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Turbulence simulations of drift-Alfvén wave effects on edge-localized modes and divertor target heat flux width

A series of BOUT++ turbulence simulations are performed for two Pre-Fusion Power Operation (PFPO-1,2) phases of the ITER Research plan proclaimed in 2019. Linear simulation results show that PFPO-1 is unstable to Peeling-ballooning modes (PB), while the PFPO-2 is unstable to the coupling of PB and Drift-Alfvén wave (DAW) instabilities. The linear results are qualitatively consistent with the dispersion relation of DAW. To study the influence of the DAW on the edge-localized mode (ELM) crash, the PFPO-2 is adopted in this section. Different from the grassy ELM in [Li et al 2022 Nucl. Fusion 62, 096030], nonlinear simulations show that the ELM size of PFPO-2 is almost one-third of the grassy ELM, representing a distinct small ELM. However, simulations then show that if the PB instability is removed, the fluctuation amplitude drops by an order of magnitude and the ELM crash disappears, which is in accord with the theory in [Xu et al 2010 Physical Review Letters, Vol. 105, 175005] and the results in [Li et al 2022 Nucl. Fusion 62, 096030], confirming that the PB instability is a necessary condition for an ELM crash. Furthermore, removing the DAW drive also suppresses ELM crashes, implying that PB instability is necessary but insufficient for PFPO-2 ELM and that DAW could amplify PB-driven turbulence. In addition, by integrating results of both PFPO phases by BOUT++ turbulence analysis with heat flux width (λ q ) and electron thermal diffusivity (χ e ), these simulations establish a predictive framework for heat flux width and its dominant mechanisms, thereby providing a comprehensive scheme for the prediction of the heat flux width. Moreover, simulations indicate that DAW driving can increase the transport coefficient by enhancing the turbulent transport, leading to a broadened heat flux width once the transport coefficient exceeds

Drift-Alfvén wave↗

The electron beam instability revisited: Growth above and below f sub p

The growth of electrostatic waves near the plasma frequency (fp) due to an unstable electron beam is investigated by solving the unmagnetized electrostatic dispersion equation numerically. The numerical solutions are compared with analytic theories for reactive (or fluid-type) and kinetic versions of the beam instability, and for the O'Neil/Malmberg connection of the beam and Langmuir modes. Conditions for growth significantly above or below fp are given. Three general results are found: (1) The unstable waves do not grow on a mode with Langmuir dispersion except in the limit of a very dilute beam with growth on O'Neil/Malmberg's connected mode; (2) The properties of the unstable mode depend strongly on beam parameters such as beam density, speed and temperature; and (3) The frequency of maximum growth frequently lies significantly above or below fp, and differs significantly from that predicted by the Langmuir dispersion relation. Results imply important consequences for theories of strong turbulence and nonlinear wave-wave processes, and observational identification of fp from observed wave frequencies.

Cairns, I. H.↗

Nonperturbative aspects of the electromagnetic pion form factor at high energies

The structure of hadronic form factors at high energies and their deviations from perturbative quantum chromodynamics provide insight on nonperturbative dynamics. Using an approach that is consistent with dispersion relations, we construct a model that simultaneously accounts for the pion wave function, gluonic exchanges, and quark Reggeization. In particular, we find that quark Reggeization can be investigated at high energies by studying scaling violation of the form factor.

Form factors↗

Ion acoustic waves in a multi-ion plasma.

An exact treatment of the multispecies ion acoustic dispersion relation is given for an argon/helium plasma. Phase velocity and damping are obtained as a function of ion-electron temperature ratio and relative densities of the two species. There are two important modes in the plasma, with quite different phase velocities, which are referred to as principal heavy ion mode and principal light ion mode. Which of these is dominant depends on the relative densities of the two components, but, in general, the light ion mode becomes important for surprisingly small light ion contamination. Approximate analytic expressions are derived from damping rates and phase velocities and their domains of validity are investigated. Relevance of the results for the investigation of collisionless shocks is discussed.

Fried, B. D.↗

Voyager 2 observations of Saturn's northern mid-latitude cloud features - Morphology, motions, and evolution

Voyager 2 images provide a basis for detailed study of the morphology and circulation of Saturn's northern midlatitudes. Both Saturn's large-scale cloud bands and the distribution of its local cloud features have a characteristic zonal organization. The region between 30 N and 45 N contains two oppositely directed jets in close proximity, with many bright, active features in the westward jet, and an unusual ribbonlike wave feature encircling the planet in the eastward jet. Several of the smaller features within the westward jet do not remain at fixed latitudes and interact with each other. One group of v-shaped features is found to have periods of high activity correlated with the passage of a cyclonic bright spot. The ribbon wave was Fourier analyzed to determine its spectral composition. The greatest power is near wave number 9, with significant additional peaks appearing at planetary wave numbers 19, 25-27, 35-38, and 47-51. The phase velocity increases with wave number but is not well described by a Rossby-Haurwitz dispersion relation. The curvature of the mean wind profile obtained from cloud tracking indicates that the westward jet exceeds the standard barotropic instability condition, while the eastward jet marginally exceeds the deep-circulation instability condition of Ingersoll and Pollard (1982). The rms eddy velocities on Saturn are less than half as large as those observed on Jupiter.

Sromovsky, L. A.↗

Characteristics of Electromagnetic Pulse Propagation in Metal

It is well known that the solution of the diffusion equation for an electromagnetic field with a time harmonic term, e(sup iwt), is in the form of a traveling wave whose amplitude attenuates over distance into a conducting medium. As the attenuation is an increasing function of frequency, the high frequency components attenuate more rapidly than those of low ones upon entering a well conducting object. At the same time, the phase velocity of an individual component is also an increasing function of frequency causing a broadening of the pulse traveling inside a conductor. In the results of our previous study of numerical simulations, the problem of using a gaussian input pulse was immediately clear. First, having the dominant frequency components distributed around zero, the movement of the peak was not well defined. Second, with the amplitude of fourier components varying slowly over a wide range, the dispersion-induced blurring of the peak position was seen to be severe. For the present study, we have used a gaussian modulated single frequency sinusoidal wave, i. e., the carrier, as an input pulse in an effort to improve the issues related to the unclear movement of peak and dispersion as described above. This was based on the following two anticipated advantages: First, the packet moves in a conductor at the group velocity calculated at the carrier frequency, which means it is well controllable. Second, the amplitude of frequency components other than that of the carrier can be almost negligible, such that the effect of dispersion can be significantly reduced. A series of experiments of transmitting electromagnetic pulses through aluminum plates of various thickness was performed to test the validity of the above points. The results of numerical simulation based on wave propagation are discussed with respect to the experimental results. Finally, a simple simulation was performed based on diffusion of a continuous sine wave input and the results are compared with those of a single frequency sinusoidal wave observed over time at difference locations inside a conductor.

Namkung, M.↗

Coherent mode and turbulence measurements with a fast camera

This study employs a fast camera with frame rates up to 900,000 fps to measure the transfer of energy across spatial scales in helicon source plasmas and during flux rope mergers and the measurement of azimuthal mode structures in helicon plasmas. By extracting pixel-scale dispersion relations and power spectral density (PSD) measurements, we measure the details of turbulent wave modes and energy distribution across a broad range of spatial scales within the plasma. We confirm the presence of drift waves in helicon plasmas, as well as the existence of strong dissipation regions in the PSD at electron skin depth scales for both helicon and flux rope merger experiments. This approach overcomes many limitations of conventional probes, providing high spatial and temporal resolution, without perturbing the plasma.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

Surface Fermi contours and phonon anomalies at the surface of the random alloy

Abstract The impact of compositional disorder on physical properties is a subject of prime focus in many materials systems. In this paper, we report photoemission measurements of Mo 1− x Re x (110)-(1 × 1)H alloy surfaces to probe the relationship between the surface Fermi contours and giant Kohn anomalies observed in the surface phonon dispersion relations. Our measured nesting vectors precisely predict the composition dependence of the anomalous wave vectors.

Okada, Michio (ORCID:0000000276894288)↗

Application of the coded long-pulse technique to plasma line studies of the ionosphere

Recently, the coded long-pulse radar technique was tested at Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico using photoelectron-enhanced plasma lines in the daytime ionosphere. The technique immediately proved to be a powerful diagnostic tool for studying natural ionospheric phenomena. Our initial observations indicate that extremely accurate measurements of absolute electron density (0.01 to 0.03% error bars) can be achieved with an altitude resolution of 150 m and a temporal resolution of approx. 2 s. In addition, the technique provides information about electron density structure within a 150-m altitude cell and yields parameters from which the energy spectrum of suprathermal electrons (equal to or greater than 5 eV) can be deduced. Our earliest measurements are used to illustrate applications of the coded long-pulse technique to several aeronomic/ionsospheric areas of current interest. These include studies of neutral wave motions in the lower thermosphere, measurements of ion composition in the F(sub 1) region/upper ionosphere, and investigations of electron-gas thermal balance and photoelectron energy loss processes. The technique can be utilized to examine irregularity formation in the F region, probe electron acceleration processes in ionospheric modification experiments, verify the magnetic field dependence of Langmuir wave damping, and more generally test higher order corrections suggested for the Langmuir dispersion relation. It is anticipated that the latter tests will facilitate measurements of ionospheric currents.

Djuth, Frank T.↗

Analysis of non-interacting binaries with luminous cool primaries

High dispersion long wave redundant (LWR) spectra are analyzed for the differential velocity between hot and cool components of heretofore single lined spectroscopic binaries with late type giant or supergiant primaries. Cross correlation of a composite spectrum against early and late type standard stars yields relative velocities with an accuracy of 0.2 to 0.3 kms. When the orbit of the primay is known, the differential measurement from IUE gives the mass ratio of the system. Low dispersion short wave prime (SWP) and LWR flux spectra are used together with ground-based photometry to disentangle the composite energy distributions of the binaries. Temperatures of both components, their relative luminosities, and the reddening of the system are obtained. Assuming the hot secondaries to be main sequence stars, their probable luminosities and masses may be obtained from their temperatures. Then absolute magnitudes and masses may be obtained for the evolved primaries with more confidence than with existing techniques.

Parsons, S. B.↗

Excitations of low-frequency hydromagnetic waves by freshly created ions in the solar wind

Low-frequency hydromagnetic waves excited by newborn ions in the solar wind plasma are studied. The freshly created ions appear in the solar wind frame with a ring beam distribution. Both Alfven and fast magnetosonic waves are made unstable by the presence of the newborn ions. The dependence of the growth rate of both waves on the newborn ion density, the angle between the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind flow, and the angle of wave propagation relative to the IMF is investigated. Analytic approximations for the growth rates are presented, and numerical solutions of the dispersion equation are shown. The approximations are quite close to the numerically determined growth rates. It is found that the waves grow preferentially in the direction parallel to the IMF, and that the growth rates increase with both newborn ion density and the angle between the IMF and the solar wind flow.

Price, C. P.↗

Subcritical collisionless shock waves

The development history of theoretical accounts of low Mach number collisionless shock waves is related to recent observational advancements, with attention to weaker shocks in which shock steepening is limited by dispersion and/or anomalous resistivity and whose character is primarily determined by the dispersive properties of the ambient plasma. Attention has focused on nearly perpendicular shocks where dispersive scale lengths become small and the associated cross-field currents become strong enough to generate significant plasma wave turbulence. A number of oblique, low Mach number bow shocks have been studied on the basis of data from the ISEE dual spacecraft pair, allowing an accurate determination of shock scale lengths.

Mellott, M. M.↗

A Celestial route to AdS bulk locality

We prove a precise form of AdS bulk locality by deriving analytical two-sided bounds on bulk Wilson coefficients. Our bounds are on the Wilson coefficients themselves, rather than their ratios, as is typically found in the literature. Inspired by the Celestial amplitudes program in flat space, we perform a Celestial transform of the CFT Mellin amplitude of four identical scalars. Using the crossing symmetric dispersion relation (CSDR), we express the resulting amplitude in terms of crossing symmetric conformal partial waves. The partial waves satisy remarkable positivity properties which along with the unitarity of the CFT prove sufficient to derive the bounds. We then employ our methods in the limit of large AdS radius and recover known bounds on flat space Wilson coefficients and new bounds on their large radius corrections. We check that the planar Mellin amplitude of four stress-tensor multiplets in $\mathcal{N}$ = 4 SYM satisfies our bounds. Finally, using null constraints, we derive a form of low-spin dominance in AdS EFTs. We find that the low-spin dominance is strongest in flat space and weakens as we move away from flat space towards higher AdS curvature.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Simulation study of particle transport by weakly coherent mode in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

A simulation study has been conducted of the physical mechanisms behind the weakly coherent mode (WCM) and its produced particle transport in the I-mode edge plasmas by using the BOUT++ code. The WCM is identified in our simulations by its poloidal and radial distributions as well as its frequency and wavenumber spectra. Its produced radial particle flux is calculated and compared with the experimental value. The good agreement indicates that the WCM is an important particle transport channel in the I-mode pedestal. It is found that the WCM can transport particles across the strong outer shear layer of the Er well established in the formation of I-mode, based on which a possible explanation is provided why I-mode does not feature a density pedestal. The key point lies in the change of the cross-phase between the electric potential and density fluctuations induced by the E × B Doppler shift. In the strong shear layer, although the electric potential fluctuation is significantly suppressed, the cross-phase is close to π/2, resulting in a strong drive of the density fluctuation and particle transport. To identify the physical nature of the WCM, a linear dispersion relation for drift Alfvén modes is derived in the slab geometry. A drift Alfvén wave instability is found to have similar dependence to the simulated linear instability behind the WCM on the resistivity and the parallel electron pressure gradient and thermal force terms in the parallel Ohm's law.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗