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At least 235 records · Page 13

THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DEPENDENCE OF CORONAL HEATING BY ALFVEN WAVE TURBULENCE

The solar atmosphere may be heated by Alfven waves that propagate up from the convection zone and dissipate their energy in the chromosphere and corona. To further test this theory, we consider wave heating in an active region observed on 2012 March 7. A potential field model of the region is constructed, and 22 field lines representing observed coronal loops are traced through the model. Using a three-dimensional (3D) reduced magnetohydrodynamics code, we simulate the dynamics of Alfven waves in and near the observed loops. The results for different loops are combined into a single formula describing the average heating rate Q as a function of position within the observed active region. We suggest this expression may be approximately valid also for other active regions, and therefore may be used to construct 3D, time-dependent models of the coronal plasma. Such models are needed to understand the role of thermal non-equilibrium in the structuring and dynamics of the Sun's corona.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE DYNAMICS OF RAPID REDSHIFTED AND BLUESHIFTED EXCURSIONS IN THE SOLAR Hα LINE

We analyze high temporal and spatial resolution time-series of spectral scans of the Hα line obtained with the CRisp Imaging SpectroPolarimeter instrument mounted on the Swedish Solar Telescope. The data reveal highly dynamic, dark, short-lived structures known as Rapid Redshifted and Blueshifted Excursions (RREs, RBEs) that are on-disk absorption features observed in the red and blue wings of spectral lines formed in the chromosphere. We study the dynamics of RREs and RBEs by tracking their evolution in space and time, measuring the speed of the apparent motion, line of sight (LOS) Doppler velocity, and transverse velocity of individual structures. A statistical study of their measured properties shows that RREs and RBEs have similar occurrence rates, lifetimes, lengths, and widths. They also display non-periodic, nonlinear transverse motions perpendicular to their axes at speeds of 4–31 km s{sup −1}. Furthermore, both types of structures either appear as high speed jets and blobs that are directed outwardly from a magnetic bright point with speeds of 50–150 km s{sup −1}, or emerge within a few seconds. A study of the different velocity components suggests that the transverse motions along the LOS of the chromospheric flux tubes are responsible for the formation and appearance of these redshifted/blueshifted structures. The short lifetime and fast disappearance of the RREs/RBEs suggests that, similar to type II spicules, they are rapidly heated to transition region or even coronal temperatures. We speculate that the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability triggered by observed transverse motions of these structures may be a viable mechanism for their heating.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Development and testing of laser Doppler system components for wake vortex monitoring. Volume 1: Scanner development, laboratory and field testing and system modeling

A servo-controlled range/elevation scanner for the laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) was developed and tested in the field to assess its performance in detecting and monitoring aircraft trailing vortices in an airport environment. The elevation scanner provides a capability to manually point the LDV telescope at operator chosen angles from 3.2 deg. to 89.6 deg within 0.2 deg, or to automatically scan the units between operator chosen limits at operator chosen rates of 0.1 Hz to 0.5 Hz. The range scanner provides a capability to manually adjust the focal point of the system from a range of 32 meters to a range of 896 meters under operator control, or to scan between operator chosen limits and at rates from 0.1 Hz to 6.9 Hz. The scanner controls are designed to allow simulataneous range and elevation scanning so as to provide finger scan patterns, arc scan patterns, and vertical line scan patterns. The development and testing of the unit is discussed, along with a fluid dynamic model of the wake vortex developed in a laser Doppler vortex sensor simulation program.

Wilson, D. J.↗

Accretion onto magnetized neutron stars - Structure and interchange instability of a model magnetosphere

A self-consistent model is analyzed for the spherical infall of weakly magnetized plasma into the magnetosphere of a slowly rotating, strongly magnetized neutron star. It is shown that spherical infall is probably a good approximation for X-ray sources which accrete from a stellar wind. The location of the standoff shock which halts the hypersonic infall is estimated along with the emission from the shocked layer. The location of the equilibrium magnetopause and the structure of the magnetic field within it are calculated; it is found that the magnetic poles are true cusps and that the entry of gas due to equilibrium flow across a cusp is almost certainly dominated by the interchange instability near the magnetic equator. The energy principle is applied to derive necessary conditions for the occurrence of this instability. The results indicate that the strong magnetic-pressure gradient stabilizes the gas unless moderately strong radiative cooling takes place and that the cooled plasma enters the magnetosphere as long filaments capable of moving between field lines. The rate at which the equilibrium magnetopause can 'absorb' mass and momentum is derived, the validity of the approximations employed is discussed, and the likely evolution of the sinking filaments is outlined to show that the spatial distribution of the plasma is determined mainly by the dynamics and thermodynamics of the filaments rather than the magnetic-field structure.

Arons, J.↗

High-throughput nuclear resonance time domain interferometry using annular slits

Nuclear resonance time domain interferometry (NR-TDI) is used to study the slow dynamics of liquids (that do not require Mössbauer isotopes) at atomic and molecular length scales. Here the TDI method of using a stationary two-line magnetized 57 Fe foil as a source and a stationary single-line stainless steel foil analyzer is employed. The new technique of adding an annular slit in front of a single silicon avalanche photodiode detector enables a wide range of momentum transfers (1 to 100 nm -1 by varying the distance between the annular slits and sample) with a high count rate of up to 160 Hz with a Δ q resolution of ±1.7 nm -1 at q = 14 nm -1 . The sensitivity of this method in determining relaxation times is quantified and discussed. The Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) model was used to extract relaxation times for glycerol. These relaxation times give insight into the dynamics of the electron density fluctuations of glycerol as a function of temperature and momentum transfers.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Dynamic and static corrosion of chromium-alumina refractory in simulated nuclear waste glass

Monofrax® K-3, a chromium–alumina refractory, is widely used in nuclear waste glass melters due to its high durability. However, aggressive vitrification conditions still lead to corrosion that limits melter lifespan. Here, this study investigates two key corrosion modes, subsurface and melt-line corrosion, under static and dynamic conditions, using a custom setup enabling precise control of melt velocity and temperature. Experimental results, interpreted using diffusion-limited dissolution models, show that (i) subsurface corrosion increases by approximately 10% per mm/s increase in melt velocity, while melt-line corrosion remains virtually unaffected, (ii) corrosion rate dependence on temperature is inversely proportional to melt viscosity, and (iii) glass composition affects both corrosion modes similarly, based on Cr 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , and alkali contents. The experimental data also allowed the determination of diffusion coefficients of major dissolving species, which were found to be consistent between the melt-line and subsurface corrosion models, indicating their suitability for future CFD studies.

12 - MGMT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTE↗

Zero Gyro Kalman Filtering in the Presence of a Reaction Wheel Failure

Typical implementation of Kalman filters for spacecraft attitude estimation involves the use of gyros for three-axis rate measurements. When there are less than three axes of information available, the accuracy of the Kalman filter depends highly on the accuracy of the dynamics model. This is particularly significant during the transient period when a reaction wheel with a high momentum fails, is taken off-line, and spins down. This paper looks at how a reaction wheel failure can affect the zero-gyro Kalman filter performance for the Hubble Space Telescope and what steps are taken to minimize its impact.

Hur-Diaz, Sun↗

Zero Gyro Kalman Filtering in the presence of a Reaction Wheel Failure

Typical implementation of Kalman filters for spacecraft attitude estimation involves the use of gyros for three-axis rate measurements. When there are less than three axes of information available, the accuracy of the Kalman filter depends highly on the accuracy of the dynamics model. This is particularly significant during the transient period when a reaction wheel with a high momentum fails, is taken off-line, and spins down. This paper looks at how a reaction wheel failure can affect the zero-gyro Kalman filter performance for the Hubble Space Telescope and what steps are taken to minimize its impact.

Hur-Diaz, Sun↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Bubbling in a Viscous Fluid for Validation of Waste Glass Melter Modeling

At the Hanford site, radioactive waste stored in underground tanks is slated for vitrification for final disposal. A comprehensive knowledge of the glass batch melting process will be useful in optimizing the process, which could potentially reduce the cost and duration of this multi-billion dollar cleanup effort. We are developing a high-fidelity heat transfer model of a Joule-heated ceramic lined melter to improve the understanding of the complex, inter-related processes occurring with the melter. The glass conversion rates in the cold cap layer are dependent on promoting efficient heat transfer. In practice, heat transfer is augmented by inserting air bubblers into the molten glass. However, the computational simulations must be validated to provide confidence in the solutions. As part of a larger validation procedure, it is beneficial to split the physics of the melter into smaller systems to validate individually. The substitution of molten glass for a simulant liquid with similar density and viscosity at room temperature provides a way to study mixing through bubbling as an isolated effect without considering the heat transfer dynamics. The simulation results are compared to experimental data obtained by the Vitreous State Laboratory at the Catholic University of America using bubblers placed within a large acrylic tank that is similar in scale to a pilot glass waste melter. Comparisons are made for surface area of the rising air bubbles between experiments and CFD simulations for a variety of air flow rates and bubble injection depths. Also, computed bubble rise velocity is compared to a well-accepted expression for bubble terminal velocity.

bubbling↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Bubbling in a Viscous Fluid for Validation of Waste Glass Melter Modeling

At the Hanford site, radioactive waste stored in underground tanks is slated for vitrification for final disposal. A comprehensive knowledge of the glass batch melting process will be useful in optimizing the process, which could potentially reduce the cost and duration of this multi-billion dollar cleanup effort. We are developing a high-fidelity heat transfer model of a Joule-heated ceramic lined melter to improve the understanding of the complex, inter-related processes occurring with the melter. The glass conversion rates in the cold cap layer are dependent on promoting efficient heat transfer. In practice, heat transfer is augmented by inserting air bubblers into the molten glass. However, the computational simulations must be validated to provide confidence in the solutions. As part of a larger validation procedure, it is beneficial to split the physics of the melter into smaller systems to validate individually. The substitution of molten glass for a simulant liquid with similar density and viscosity at room temperature provides a way to study mixing through bubbling as an isolated effect without considering the heat transfer dynamics. The simulation results are compared to experimental data obtained by the Vitreous State Laboratory at the Catholic University of America using bubblers placed within a large acrylic tank that is similar in scale to a pilot glass waste melter. Comparisons are made for surface area of the rising air bubbles between experiments and CFD simulations for a variety of air flow rates and bubble injection depths. Also, computed bubble rise velocity is compared to a well-accepted expression for bubble terminal velocity (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Light regulation of light-harvesting antenna size substantially enhances photosynthetic efficiency and biomass yield in green algae

One of the major factors limiting biomass productivity in algae is the low thermodynamic efficiency of photosynthesis. The greatest thermodynamic inefficiencies in photosynthesis occur during the conversion of light into chemical energy. At full sunlight the light-harvesting antenna captures photons at a rate nearly 10 times faster than the rate-limiting step in photosynthetic electron transport. Excess captured energy is dissipated by non-productive pathways including the production of reactive oxygen species. Substantial improvements in photosynthetic efficiency have been achieved by reducing the optical cross-section of the light-harvesting antenna by selectively reducing chlorophyll b levels and peripheral light-harvesting complex subunits. Smaller light-harvesting antenna, however, may not exhibit optimal photosynthetic performance in low or fluctuating light environments. Additionally, we describe a translational control system to dynamically adjust light-harvesting antenna sizes for enhanced photosynthetic performance. Furthermore, by expressing a chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO) gene having a 5' mRNA extension encoding a Nab1 translational repressor binding site in a CAO knockout line it was possible to continuously alter chlorophyll b levels and correspondingly light-harvesting antenna sizes by light-activated Nab1 repression of CAO expression as a function of growth light intensity. Significantly, algae having light-regulated antenna sizes had substantially higher photosynthetic rates and two-fold greater biomass productivity than the parental wild-type strains as well as near wild-type ability to carry out state transitions and non-photochemical quenching. These results have broad implications for enhanced algae and plant biomass productivity.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Cloud-resolving model intercomparison of an MC3E squall line case: Part I-Convective updrafts: CRM Intercomparison of a Squall Line

A constrained model intercomparison study of a mid-latitude mesoscale squall line is performed using the Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model at 1-km horizontal grid spacing with eight cloud microphysics schemes, to understand specific processes that lead to the large spread of simulated cloud and precipitation at cloud-resolving scales, with a focus of this paper on convective cores. Various observational data are employed to evaluate the baseline simulations. All simulations tend to produce a wider convective area than observed, but a much narrower stratiform area, with most bulk schemes overpredicting radar reflectivity. The magnitudes of the virtual potential temperature drop, pressure rise, and the peak wind speed associated with the passage of the gust front are significantly smaller compared with the observations, suggesting simulated cool pools are weaker. Simulations also overestimate the vertical velocity and Ze in convective cores as compared with observational retrievals. The modeled updraft velocity and precipitation have a significant spread across the eight schemes even in this strongly dynamically-driven system. The spread of updraft velocity is attributed to the combined effects of the low-level perturbation pressure gradient determined by cold pool intensity and buoyancy that is not necessarily well correlated to differences in latent heating among the simulations. Variability of updraft velocity between schemes is also related to differences in ice-related parameterizations, whereas precipitation variability increases in no-ice simulations because of scheme differences in collision-coalescence parameterizations.

Fan, Jiwen↗

Feasibility of using thermal response methods for nonintrusive compressed air flow measurement

Robust, low-cost nonintrusive flow meters are of interest in many industries. Particularly, a reliable nonintrusive flow measurement for the diagnosis of air leaks in compressed air systems is desirable. Measurement of the air flow due to leaks in the system ensures an accurate estimation of potential cost and energy savings. This study evaluates a novel method of using thermal responses to nonintrusively measure leakage rates in compressed air lines. The method uses heat and the resulting thermal response to calculate the flow rate inside the compressed air line. Compared to the current methods for flow measurement, this method can simplify flow measurement while decreasing the sensitivity to errors when measuring flow rates. In this study, the methodology of the proposed method is explained along with the potential advantages to the design. Two approaches are evaluated: a dynamic step response and sinusoidal frequency response. Simulated tests evaluate the feasibility of the proposed methods, followed by experiments that validate the simulation results. A clear correlation between the thermal step response and the flow rate indicate viability of the proposed method in simulation. Experimental results yielded similar results, confirming the validity of the proposed method. The results of a field test in an industrial environment demonstrate the capability of the approach to other flow rate measurement techniques.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A numerical study of three-dimensional vortex breakdown

A numerical simulation of bubble-type vortex breakdown using a unique discrete form of the full 3-D, unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations was performed. The Navier-Stokes equations were written in a vorticity-velocity form and the physical problem was not restricted to axisymmetric flow. The problem was parametized on a Rossby- Reynolds-number basis. Utilization of this parameter duo was shown to dictate the form of the free-field boundary condition specification and allowed control of axial breakdown location within the computational domain. The structure of the breakdown bubble was studied through time evolution plots of planar projected velocity vectors as well as through plots of particle traces and vortex lines. These results compared favorably with previous experimental studies. In addition, profiles of all three velocity components are presented at various axial stations and a Fourier analysis was performed to identify the dominant circumferential modes. The dynamics of the breakdown process were studied through plots of axial variation of rate of change of integrated total energy and rate of change of integrated enstrophy, as well as through contour plots of velocity, vorticity and pressure.

Spall, Robert E.↗

Depolarizing collisions with hydrogen: Neutral and singly ionized alkaline earths

Depolarizing collisions are elastic or quasielastic collisions that equalize the populations and destroy the coherence between the magnetic sublevels of atomic levels. In astrophysical plasmas, the main depolarizing collider is neutral hydrogen. We consider depolarizing rates on the lowest levels of neutral and singly ionized alkali earths Mg I, Sr I, Ba I, Mg II, Ca II, and Ba II, due to collisions with H°. We compute ab initio potential curves of the atom-H° system and solve the quantum mechanical dynamics. From the scattering amplitudes, we calculate the depolarizing rates for Maxwellian distributions of colliders at temperatures T ≤ 10,000 K. A comparative analysis of our results and previous calculations in the literature is completed. We discuss the effect of these rates on the formation of scattering polarization patterns of resonant lines of alkali earths in the solar atmosphere, and their effect on Hanle effect diagnostics of solar magnetic fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Ultrafast extreme-ultraviolet ARPES studies of electronic dynamics in two-dimensional materials

The intriguing electronic properties of two-dimensional materials motivates experiments to resolve their rapid, microscopic interactions and dynamics across momentum space. Essential insight into the electronic momentum-space dynamics can be obtained directly via time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES). We discuss the development of a high-repetition rate trARPES setup that employs a bright source of narrowband, extreme-UV harmonics around 22.3 eV, and its application to sensitive studies of materials dynamics. In the bulk transition-metal dichalcogenide MoSe2 momentum-space quasiparticle scattering is observed after resonant excitation at the K-point exciton line, resulting in the time-delayed buildup of electrons at the Σ-point conduction band minimum. We will discuss this and other aspects of the non-equilibrium electronic response accessible with the extreme-UV trARPES probe.

Buss, Jan Heye↗

Signal Analysis of Gas Tungsten Arc Welds

Gas tungsten arc welding is a process in which the input parameters such as current, voltage and travel speed, can be easily controlled and/or monitored. However, weld quality is not solely a function of these parameters. An adaptive method of observing weld quality is desired to improve weld quality assurance. The use of dynamic electrical properties of the welding arc as a weld quality monitor was studied. The electrical properties of the arc are characterized by the current voltage transfer function. The hardware and software necessary to collect the data at a maximum rate of 45 kHz and to allow the off-line processing of this data are tested. The optimum input current waveform is determined. Bead-on-plate welds to observe such characteristics of the weld as the fundamental frequency of the puddle are studied. Future work is planned to observe changes of the arc response with changes in joint geometry, base metal chemistry, and shielding gas composition are discussed.

Eagar, T. W.↗

Neutral winds in the lower thermosphere from Dynamics Explorer 2

Doppler line profile measurements of the OI lambda 557.7 nm 'green line' emission, made by the Fabry-Perot interferometer on Dynamics Explorer 2, have provided altitude profiles of the meridional component of the lower thermospheric neutral wind. The wind inversion technique of Nardi has been used to extract the neutral wind profiles from the line-of-sight measurements. Individual lambda 557.7 nm Doppler line profiles and inverted volume-emission-rate and neutral-wind profiles are presented. Neutral wind measurements from the about 120 km altitude level, obtained on multiple orbital passes over the summer hemisphere polar region, have been merged to produce a synthesized averaged 'vector' wind field in geomagnetic coordinates. The wind pattern exhibits a region of anticyclonic vorticity in the daytime sector of the magnetic polar cap. Averaged winds of about 300 m/sec in the equatorial direction are observed in the early morning sector. The satellite winds are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of the NCAR and UCL thermosphere general circulation models, with significant regional discrepancies evident in both magnitude and direction.

Killeen, T. L.↗