Threshold for particle entrainment into suspension

ABSTRACT Laboratory observations regarding the limit conditions for particle entrainment into suspension are presented. A high‐speed video system was used to investigate conditions for the entrainment of sediment particles and glass beads lying over a smooth boundary as well as over a rough bed. The results extend experimental conditions of previous studies towards finer particle sizes. A criterion for the limit of entrainment into suspension is proposed which is a function of the ratio between the flow shear velocity and particle settling velocity. Observations indicate that particles totally immersed within the viscous sublayer can be entrained into suspension by the flow, which contradicts the conclusions of previous researchers. A theoretical analysis of the entrainment process within the viscous sublayer, based on force–balance considerations, is used to show that this phenomenon is related to turbulent flow events of high instantaneous values of the Reynolds stress, in agreement with previous observations. In the case of experiments with a rough bed, a hiding effect was observed, which tends to preclude the entrainment of particles finer than the roughness elements. This implies that, as the ratio between particle and roughness element sizes becomes smaller, progressively higher bed shear stresses are required to entrain particles into suspension. On the other hand, an overexposure effect was also observed, which indicates that a particle moving on a smooth bed is more prone to be entrained than the same particle moving on a bed formed by identical particles.     

The exceptional X-ray variability of the dwarf Seyfert nucleus NGC 4395

An analysis of the X-ray variability of the low-luminosity Seyfert nucleus NGC 4395, based on a long XMM–Newton observation, is presented. The power spectrum shows a clear break from a flat spectrum  (α≈ 1)  to a steeper spectrum  (α≈ 2)  at a frequency   f _br= 0.5–3.0 × 10⁻³ Hz  , comparable to the highest characteristic frequency found previously in a Seyfert galaxy. This extends the measured   M _BH− f _br  values to lower M _BH than previous studies of Seyfert galaxies, and is consistent with an inverse scaling of variability frequency with black hole mass. The variations observed are among the most violent seen in an active galactic nuclei to date, with the fractional rms amplitude  ( F _var)  exceeding 100 per cent in the softest band. The amplitude of the variations seems intrinsically higher in NGC 4395 than most other Seyfert galaxies, even after accounting for the differences in characteristic frequencies. The origin of this difference is not clear, but it is unlikely to be a high accretion rate (   L / L _Edd≲ 20  per cent for NGC 4395). The variations clearly follow the linear rms–flux relation, further supporting the idea that this is a ubiquitous characteristics of accreting black holes. The variations are highly coherent between different energy bands with any frequency-dependent time delay limited to ≲1 per cent.     

Exciting molecular hydrogen in the central galaxies of cooling flows

The origin of rovibrational H₂ emission in the central galaxies of cooling flow clusters is poorly understood. Here we address this issue using data from our near-infrared spectroscopic survey of 32 of the most line-luminous such systems, presented in the companion paper by Edge et al.
We consider excitation by X-rays from the surrounding intracluster medium (ICM), ultra-violet (UV) radiation from young stars, and shocks. The   v = 1–0  K -band lines with upper levels within  10⁴ K  of the ground state appear to be mostly thermalized (implying gas densities  ≳10⁵ cm⁻³  ), with the excitation temperature typically exceeding 2000 K, as found earlier by Jaffe, Bremer & van der Werf. Together with the lack of strong   v = 2–0  lines in the H -band, this rules out UV radiative fluorescence.
Using the cloudy photoionization code, we deduce that the H₂ lines can originate in a population of dense clouds, exposed to the same hot  ( T ∼ 50 000 K)  stellar continuum as the lower density gas which produces the bulk of the forbidden optical line emission in the Hα-luminous systems. This dense gas may be in the form of self-gravitating clouds deposited directly by the cooling flow, or may instead be produced in the high-pressure zones behind strong shocks. Furthermore, the shocked gas is likely to be gravitationally unstable, so collisions between the larger clouds may lead to the formation of globular clusters.     

Chandra X-ray observations of the 3C 295 cluster core

We examine the properties of the X-ray gas in the central regions of the distant ( z =0.46) , X-ray luminous cluster of galaxies surrounding the powerful radio source 3C 295, using observations made with the Chandra Observatory . Between radii of 50 and 500 kpc, the cluster gas is approximately isothermal with an emission-weighted temperature, kT ∼5 keV . Within the central 50-kpc radius this value drops to kT ∼3.7 keV . The spectral and imaging Chandra data indicate the presence of a cooling flow within the central 50-kpc radius of the cluster, with a mass deposition rate of approximately 280 M_⊙ yr⁻¹. We estimate an age for the cooling flow of 1–2 Gyr , which is approximately 1000 times older than the central radio source. We find no evidence in the X-ray spectra or images for significant heating of the X-ray gas by the radio source. We report the detection of an edge-like absorption feature in the spectrum for the central 50-kpc region, which may be caused by oxygen-enriched dust grains. The implied mass in metals seen in absorption could have been accumulated by the cooling flow over its lifetime. Combining the results on the X-ray gas density profile with radio measurements of the Faraday rotation measure in 3C 295, we estimate the magnetic field strength in the region of the cluster core to be B ∼12 μG .     

Stratospheric trace gas analysis from ions: H2O and HNO3

A new method for stratospheric trace gas analysis based upon in situ ion composition measurements is presented. The strength of the method lies in its extremely high sensitivity which at present allows for detection limits of the order of 100–1000 molecules cm^?3 corresponding to volume mixing ratios of the order of 10^?15–10^?14 around 35 km altitude. The typical uncertainty of derived trace gas abundances is plus or minus a factor of about two. A disadvantage lies in the selectivity of the method which is restricted to trace gases having either large proton affinities, dipole moments or gas phase acidities. Analyses of water vapor and nitric acid vapor in the upper stratosphere are presented.