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At least 109 records · Page 6

Large eddy interactions in a turbulent channel flow

The dynamic processes of large eddies in a turbulent channel flow have been examined by utilizing an orthogonal expansion of the velocity fluctuation, known in the literature as the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Theorem. The mathematical form of these functions is unknown in contrast to the Fourier analysis. Attention is focused on the nonlinear, turbulence-turbulence interaction process in the dynamical equation for large eddies (the first term in the expansion). The nonlinear interactions of the components of the first mode are treated exactly, but influences of higher modes are modeled. This requires adjustment of both the skewness and the effective Reynolds number so that the energy equilibrium of the large eddies is ensured when the mean velocity distribution is assumed known for experiments. Computational results show that the first mode contributes significantly to turbulent intensities and possesses a structural and statistical character similar to that of the entire flow.

Hong, S. K.↗

Collisional dynamics of perturbed particle disks in the solar system

Theoretical and computational studies were carried out on galactic and planetary disks. With the goal of addressing important open questions centered on galactic structure, the cloudy interstellar medium, giant molecular clouds, and star formation in galactic disks and the collisional dynamics of perturbed particulate matter in planetary disks, focus was largely on the self-gravitational effects, dissipative effects, and collisional dynamics of cloud-particle disks. N-body, 'cloud-particle' computational algorithms were developed for the purpose of isolating the role of gaseous self gravity from the roles of other dominant physical mechanisms and dynamical processes, e.g. the collisional dynamics and dissipative processes. The efforts focused largely on galactic disks show that observational constraints provide stringent tests of the numerical simulation techniques developed. Self gravitational effects of the galactic interstellar medium's gas clouds are included by means of Fourier Transform technique.

Roberts, William W., Jr.↗

An on-board processor for a spaceborne Doppler precipitation radar : requirements and preliminary design

Use of Doppler velocity measurement in spaceborne precipitation radar is highly desirable, since it can allow more accurate retrieval of atmospheric latent heating, which depends on both cloud and rain microphysical processes and on dynamical processes, namely, vertical updrafts and downdrafts. However, if the rain within the antenna beam is very non-uniform, biases can result with conventional pulse-pair processing, and more sophisticated processing is required. The solution is a time-frequency approach, which uses the full Doppler spectrum at each point in time. Since precipitation radars normally operate continuously and collect large amounts of data, real-time, on-board processing of data is needed to reduce the data rate. The objective of this work is to develop an on-board data processor for spaceborne Doppler precipitation radar, using field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. This paper describes the simulations and analysis that have been completed during the first year of the project. This includes both analytical calculations and bit-true simulations that allow the effects of finite word length to be explored. Tradeoffs have also been considered between speed and space within the chosen FPGA part. The results of these analyses have been used to develop a complete set of requirements for the processor. Initial design work has begun, based on these requirements. The design is being implemented in Verilog, and a description of this early design effort is also be given.

on-board processing↗

Stratospheric Ozone: Transport, Photochemical Production and Loss

Observations from various satellite instruments (e.g., Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)) specify the latitude and seasonal variations of total ozone and ozone as a function of altitude. These seasonal variations change with latitude and altitude partly due to seasonal variation in transport and temperature, partly due to differences in the balance between photochemical production and loss processes, and partly due to differences in the relative importance of the various ozone loss processes. Comparisons of modeled seasonal ozone behavior with observations test the following: the seasonal dependence of dynamical processes where these dominate the ozone tendency; the seasonal dependence of photochemical processes in the upper stratosphere; and the seasonal change in the balance between photochemical and dynamical processes.

Douglass, A. R.↗

Observational Consequences of Galactic Oscillations

The normal mode oscillations of galaxies we reported recently are large enough to produce observational consequences. The two lowest order modes were both very strong and long lived: the fundamental is a "breathing" mode in which the entire galaxy expands and contracts homologously, while the second radial mode is spherically symmetrical and has one radial node. A sheet of neutral hydrogen in an oscillating galaxy partakes of the general oscillations, and the resulting velocity fields would normally be interpreted in terms of warps or oval distortions. More interestingly, the second radial mode might be a dynamical driver for bulges in early-type spiral galaxies. If bulges result from a dynamical process within the galaxy, there might be other observable properties driven by the same dynamical process. The hole often reported in neutral hydrogen in early type spiral galaxies is one such candidate. It has sometimes been reported to be about the same size as the bulge. We will discuss evidence from velocity fields concerning the fundamental mode and from the coincidence of bulge and HI hole sizes as evidence for the second mode.

Miller, R. H.↗

Control of Complex Dynamic Systems by Neural Networks

This paper considers the use of neural networks (NN's) in controlling a nonlinear, stochastic system with unknown process equations. The NN is used to model the resulting unknown control law. The approach here is based on using the output error of the system to train the NN controller without the need to construct a separate model (NN or other type) for the unknown process dynamics. To implement such a direct adaptive control approach, it is required that connection weights in the NN be estimated while the system is being controlled. As a result of the feedback of the unknown process dynamics, however, it is not possible to determine the gradient of the loss function for use in standard (back-propagation-type) weight estimation algorithms. Therefore, this paper considers the use of a new stochastic approximation algorithm for this weight estimation, which is based on a 'simultaneous perturbation' gradient approximation that only requires the system output error. It is shown that this algorithm can greatly enhance the efficiency over more standard stochastic approximation algorithms based on finite-difference gradient approximations.

Spall, James C.↗

Study of time-lapse processing for dynamic hydrologic conditions

The usefulness of dynamic display techniques in exploiting the repetitive nature of ERTS imagery was investigated. A specially designed Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console (ESIAC) was developed and employed to process data for seven ERTS principal investigators studying dynamic hydrological conditions for diverse applications. These applications include measurement of snowfield extent and sediment plumes from estuary discharge, Playa Lake inventory, and monitoring of phreatophyte and other vegetation changes. The ESIAC provides facilities for storing registered image sequences in a magnetic video disc memory for subsequent recall, enhancement, and animated display in monochrome or color. The most unique feature of the system is the capability to time lapse the imagery and analytic displays of the imagery. Data products included quantitative measurements of distances and areas, binary thematic maps based on monospectral or multispectral decisions, radiance profiles, and movie loops. Applications of animation for uses other than creating time-lapse sequences are identified. Input to the ESIAC can be either digital or via photographic transparencies.

Serebreny, S. M.↗

Abiotic Versus Biotic Pathogens: Replicative Growth in Host Tissues Key to Discriminating Between Biotoxic Injury and Active Pathogenesis

Life can be defined as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution; a self-bounded, self-replicating, and self-perpetuating entity [1]. This definition should hold for terrestrial as well as extraterrestrial life-forms. Although, it is reasonable to expect that a Mars life-form would be more adaptable to Mars-like conditions than to Earth-like environments, it remains possible that negative ecological or host interactions might occur if Mars microbiota were to be inadvertently released into the terrestrial environment. A biogenic infectious agent can be defined as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution and derives its sustenance from a living cell or from the by-products of cell death. Disease can be de-fined as the detrimental alteration of one or more ordered metabolic processes in a living host caused by the continued irritation of a primary causal factor or factors; disease is a dynamic process [2]. In contrast, an injury is due to an instantaneous event; injury is not a dynamic process [2]. A causal agent of disease is defined as a pathogen, and can be either abiotic or biotic in nature. Diseases incited by biotic pathogens are the exceptions, not the norms, in terrestrial host-microbe interactions. Disease induction in a plant host can be conceptually characterized using the Disease Triangle (Fig. 1) in which disease occurs only when all host, pathogen, and environ-mental factors that contribute to the development of disease are within conducive ranges for a necessary minimum period of time. For example, plant infection and disease caused by the wheat leaf rust fungus, Puccinia recondita, occur only if virulent spores adhere to genetically susceptible host tissues for at least 4-6 hours under favorable conditions of temperature and moisture [3]. As long as one or more conditions required for disease initiation are not available, disease symptoms will not develop.

Schuerger, Andrew C.↗

Electron-beam-driven chemical processes during liquid phase transmission electron microscopy

Liquid phase (or liquid cell) transmission electron microscopy (LP-TEM) has been established as a powerful tool for observing dynamic processes in liquids at nanometer to atomic length scales. However, the simple act of observation using electrons irreversibly alters the nature of the sample. A clear understanding of electron beam-driven processes during LP-TEM is required to interpret in situ observations and utilize the electron beam as a stimulus to drive nanoscale dynamic processes. In this review, we discuss recent advances toward understanding, quantifying, mitigating, and harnessing electron beam-driven chemical processes occurring during LP-TEM. We will highlight progress in several research areas, including modeling electron beam-induced radiolysis near interfaces, electron beam-induced nanocrystal formation, and radiation damage of soft materials and biomolecules.

Woehl, Taylor J.↗

Coupling Between the Thermosphere and the Stratosphere: the Role of Nitric Oxide

In order to understand the lower ionosphere and its probable control by dynamical processes, the behavior of nitric oxide below 100 km was investigated. A two dimensional model with coupled chemical and dynamical processes was constructed. Calculations based on the model reveal that the chemical conditions at the stratopause are related to the state of the thermosphere. This coupling mechanism can be partly explained by the downward transport of nitric oxide during the winter season, and consequently depends on the dynamical conditions in the mesosphere and in the lower thermosphere (mean circulation and waves). In summer, the photodissociation of nitric oxide plays an important role and the thermospheric NO abundance modulates the radiation field reaching the upper stratosphere. Perturbations in the nitric oxide concentration above the mesopause could therefore have an impact in the vicinity of the stratopause.

Brasseur, G.↗

Ultrafast photoinduced charge carrier dynamics of L-cysteine and oleylamine stabilized CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots coupled with gold nanoparticles

We have synthesized L-cysteine and oleylamine stabilized CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) and coupled them with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The PQDs and AuNPs, as well as their hybrid nanostructures (HNS), were characterized using UV–visible (UV–vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The UV–vis spectra show absorption bands of the HNS at 503 and 520 nm, attributed mainly to PQDs and AuNPs, respectively. The PQDs show a strong excitonic PL band peaked at 513 nm from PQDs. The HR-TEM results show the formation of hybrid structures between PQDs and AuNPs, which is also supported by the PL quenching of the PQDs by the coupled AuNPs. Ultrafast dynamics of the exciton and charge carriers in the HNS and pristine PQD were studied using femtosecond transient absorption. Multiexponential fitting of the dynamic data revealed the existence of shallow and deep trap states in pristine PQDs and ultrafast electron transfer from PQDs to AuNPs in the HNS. A kinetic model was proposed to account for the key dynamic processes involved and to extract the time for electron transfer from PQDs to AuNPs in the HNS, found to be ∼2 ps. Dynamic processes in pristine PQDs are largely unchanged by HNS formation with AuNPs.

Chemistry↗

Unusual satellite-electron signature within the Uranian magnetosphere and its implications regarding whistler electron loss processes

It has been reported that during the outbound (nightside) portion of the Voyager 2 encounter with the Uranian magnetosphere, intense whistler mode emissions were observed near the magnetic equator (lambda(sub m) approx. 16 deg) and at L shell values between approx. 5.5 and approx. 9 R(sub U). Comprehensive calculations of whistler-driven pitch angle diffusion, in previous work, have yielded strong diffusion electron lifetimes of approx. 1 hour for 20 to 40 keV electrons. In this paper we report on an unusual and sharply defined charged particle feature that: (1) involved electrons between 22 and 35 keV, (2) was observed during the time period of the intense whistler mode observations, (3) was aligned very accurately and sharply with the minimum L shell position (L approx. 7.5) of the satellite Ariel, and (4) has an appearance that suggests that electrons were removed only at and beyond Ariel's minimum-L. On the basis of our conclusion that the signature was caused by electron interactions with either Ariel or materials distributed along Ariel's orbit, the signature could not have been generated for at least 10 hours prior to its observation. Thus the calculated whistler loss times are in apparent conflict with the signature observation. A scenario of events is proposed to explain the data that involves substormlike electron acceleration on the Uranian nightside and a subsequent sculpting of the electron spatial distributions via interactions with Ariel or materials distributed along Ariel's orbit. The possibility exists that the accurate alignment of the sharp electron feature with Ariel's minimum-L, and the absorptionlike character of the feature, are accidental, and that the feature is caused by dynamical processes (e.g., substorms). In this case the dynamical processes must be quite dissimilar to those occurring in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Mauk, B. H.↗

Application of Core Dynamics Modeling to Core-Mantle Interactions

Observations have demonstrated that length of day (LOD) variation on decadal time scales results from exchange of axial angular momentum between the solid mantle and the core. There are in general four core-mantle interaction mechanisms that couple the core and the mantle. Of which, three have been suggested likely the dominant coupling mechanism for the decadal core-mantle angular momentum exchange, namely, gravitational core-mantle coupling arising from density anomalies in the mantle and in the core (including the inner core), the electromagnetic coupling arising from Lorentz force in the electrically conducting lower mantle (e.g. D-layer), and the topographic coupling arising from non-hydrostatic pressure acting on the core-mantle boundary (CMB) topography. In the past decades, most effort has been on estimating the coupling torques from surface geomagnetic observations (kinematic approach), which has provided insights on the core dynamical processes. In the meantime, it also creates questions and concerns on approximations in the studies that may invalidate the corresponding conclusions. The most serious problem is perhaps the approximations that are inconsistent with dynamical processes in the core, such as inconsistencies between the core surface flow beneath the CMB and the CMB topography, and that between the D-layer electric conductivity and the approximations on toroidal field at the CMB. These inconsistencies can only be addressed with numerical core dynamics modeling. In the past few years, we applied our MoSST (Modular, Scalable, Self-consistent and Three-dimensional) core dynamics model to study core-mantle interactions together with geodynamo simulation, aiming at assessing the effect of the dynamical inconsistencies in the kinematic studies on core-mantle coupling torques. We focus on topographic and electromagnetic core-mantle couplings and find that, for the topographic coupling, the consistency between the core flow and the CMB topography is critical for correct evaluation of the coupling torque.

Kuang, Weijia↗

Subtropical middle atmosphere dynamics observed by the Chung Li radar

The Chung Li Radar (24.91 N; 121.24 E) has been operating since 1986. A five beam observational configuration was used on a regular basis to study the various dynamics processes in the atmosphere-lower stratosphere height region. Due to its geographical location, the annual Typhoon and Mei-Yu seasons provide good opportunities to study the various interesting dynamic processes such as instabilities, generation of gravity waves, wave mean field interaction, etc. Three dimensional air motions due to these fronts are presented. Special cases of gravity wave generation, propagation and their effects on the turbulent layers are discussed.

Fu, I. J.↗

Frequency-Domain Deconvolution for Flight Dynamics Applications

A deconvolution method is presented for estimating input data from measured output data and a model of the dynamic process involved. The method uses an optimal Wiener filter for separating the measured data into signal and noise components, and a high-accuracy Fourier transform for inverting the model dynamics in the frequency domain. The method is an extension of optimal Fourier smoothing, and uses a technique to enhance the contrast between the signal and noise spectra in designing the Wiener filter. The deconvolution method was applied to simulation and flight test data for the purposes of removing unwanted distortions introduced by signal-conditioning filters and sensor dynamics, and for reconstructing turbulence inputs from measured sensor data. Results indicated hat the method performs well given good signal-to-noise levels and accurate models of the dynamic process.

Grauer, Jared A.↗

Novel transition dynamics of topological solitons

Continuous phase transitions can be classified into ones characterized by local-order parameters and others that need additional topological constraints. The critical dynamics near the former transitions have been extensively studied, but the latter is less understood. We fill this gap in knowledge by studying the transition dynamics to a parity-breaking topological ground state called the chiral soliton lattice in quantum chromodynamics at finite temperature, baryon chemical potential, and an external magnetic field. We find a slowing down of the soliton’s translational motion as the critical magnetic field approaches, while the local relaxation rate to the solitonic state remains finite. The time required to converge to the stationary state strongly depends on the symmetry of the initial configuration, determining whether translational motion occurs during the dynamic process. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Nishimura, Kentaro↗

Understanding the eco-geomorphologic feedback of coastal marsh under sea level rise: vegetation dynamic representations, processes interaction, and parametric sensitivity

A growing number of coastal eco-geomorphologic modeling studies have been conducted to understand coastal marsh evolution under sea-level rise (SLR). Although these models quantify marsh topographic change as a function of sedimentation and erosion, their representations of vegetation dynamics that control organic sedimentation differ. How vegetation dynamic schemes contribute to simulation outcomes is not well quantified. Additionally, the sensitivity of modeling outcomes to parameter selection in the available formulations has not been rigorously tested to date, especially under the influence of an accelerating SLR. In this paper, we used a coastal eco-geomorphologic model with different vegetation dynamic schemes to investigate the eco-geomorphologic feedbacks of coastal marshes and parametric sensitivity under SLR scenarios. We found that marsh platform relief increased with sea level rise rate. The simulations with different vegetation schemes exhibited different spatial-temporal variations in elevation and biomass. The nonlinear Spartina scheme presented the most resilient prediction with generally the highest marsh accretion and vegetation biomass, and the least elevation relief under SLR. But the linear Spartina scheme predicts the lowest unvegetated-vegetated ratio. We also found that vegetation-related parameters and sediment diffusivity, which were not well measured or discussed in previous studies, were identified as some of the most critical parameters. Additionally, the model sensitivity to vegetation-related parameters increased with SLR rates. The identified most sensitive parameters may inform how to appropriately choose modeling representations of key processes and parameters for different coastal marsh landscapes under SLR, and demonstrate the importance of future field measurements of these key parameters.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Direct Imaging of Antiferromagnet-Ferromagnet Phase Transition in van der Waals Antiferromagnet CrSBr

The advent of van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials offers unprecedented opportunities for spintronics and magneto-optic devices. Combining magnetic Kerr microscopy and density functional theory calculations, the AFM-FM transition is investigated and a surprising abnormal magneto-optic anisotropy in vdW CrSBr associated with different magnetic phases (FM, AFM, or paramagnetic state) is discovered. This unique magneto-optic property leads to different anisotropic optical reflectivity from different magnetic states, permitting direct imaging of the AFM Néel vector orientation and the dynamic process of the AFM-FM transition within a magnetic field. Using Kerr microscopy, not only the domain nucleation and propagation process is imaged but also the intermediate spin-flop state in the AFM-FM transition is identified. In conclusion, the unique magneto-optic property and clear identification of the dynamics process of the AFM-FM phase transition in CrSBr demonstrate the promise of vdW magnetic materials for future spintronic technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗