The effects of Prandtl number on black hole accretion flows

Recent numerical simulations of MHD turbulence, under very different driving conditions, and by several different investigators, all indicate a sensitivity of the rms fluctuations to the ratio of the microscopic viscosity to resistivity. This dimensionless quantity is known as the magnetic Prandtl number Pm. In general, standard astrophysical accretion disks are characterized by Pm  1 throughout their radial extent, while low luminosity accretors (e.g. Sag A^*) have Pm  1. Here, we show that standard α models of black hole accretion disks have a transition radius, measured in tens of Schwarzschild radii, at which the flow goes from Pm  1 to Pm  1. Moreover, this transition may well be dynamically unstable, leading to a sort of two-phase “Prandtl number medium” We advance the idea that this is the physical reason underlying the change in the accretion properties of the inner regions of Keplerian disks, leading to a truncation of the cool disk (Pm  1) and the onset of hot, low density gas flow (Pm  1).     

Thorough analysis of input physics in CESAM and CLÉS codes

This contribution is not about the quality of the agreement between stellar models computed by CESAM and CLÉS codes, but more interesting, on what ESTA-Task 1 run has taught us about these codes and about the input physics they use. We also quantify the effects of different implementations of the same physics on the seismic properties of the stellar models, that in fact is the main aim of ESTA experiments.     

A close look at Saturn's rings with Cassini VIMS

Soon after the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft entered orbit about Saturn on 1 July 2004, its Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer obtained two continuous spectral scans across the rings, covering the wavelength range 0.35-5.1 μm, at a spatial resolution of 15-25 km. The first scan covers the outer C and inner B rings, while the second covers the Cassini Division and the entire A ring. Comparisons of the VIMS radial reflectance profile at 1.08 μm with similar profiles at a wavelength of 0.45 μm assembled from Voyager images show very little change in ring structure over the intervening 24 years, with the exception of a few features already known to be noncircular. A model for single-scattering by a classical, many-particle-thick slab of material with normal optical depths derived from the Voyager photopolarimeter stellar occultation is found to provide an excellent fit to the observed VIMS reflectance profiles for the C ring and Cassini Division, and an acceptable fit for the inner B ring. The A ring deviates significantly from such a model, consistent with previous suggestions that this region may be closer to a monolayer. An additional complication here is the azimuthally-variable average optical depth associated with “self-gravity wakes” in this region and the fact that much of the A ring may be a mixture of almost opaque wakes and relatively transparent interwake zones. Consistently with previous studies, we find that the near-infrared spectra of all main ring regions are dominated by water ice, with a typical regolith grain radius of 5-20 μm, while the steep decrease in visual reflectance shortward of 0.6 μm is suggestive of an organic contaminant, perhaps tholin-like. Although no materials other than H₂O ice have been identified with any certainty in the VIMS spectra of the rings, significant radial variations are seen in the strength of the water-ice absorption bands. Across the boundary between the C and B rings, over a radial range of ∼7000 km, the near-IR band depths strengthen considerably. A very similar pattern is seen across the outer half of the Cassini Division and into the inner A ring, accompanied by a steepening of the red slope in the visible spectrum shortward of 0.55 μm. We attribute these trends—as well as smaller-scale variations associated with strong density waves in the A ring—to differing grain sizes in the tholin-contaminated icy regolith that covers the surfaces of the decimeter-to-meter sized ring particles. On the largest scale, the spectral variations seen by VIMS suggest that the rings may be divided into two larger ‘ring complexes,’ with similar internal variations in structure, optical depth, particle size, regolith texture and composition. The inner complex comprises the C and B rings, while the outer comprises the Cassini Division and A ring.     

Distribution and chronology of Pleistocene permafrost features in France: Database and first results

Numerous periglacial features (polygons, nets, soil stripes, ice‐wedge pseudomorphs and sand‐wedge casts, involutions) have been recorded in France by examining bibliographical sources and aerial photographs. These data show that a large part of France was affected by permafrost during the Pleistocene and only the southern Aquitaine Basin and Languedoc seem to have been beyond its maximum extent. The first OSL ages obtained from the aeolian infill of wedge structures indicate that at least two phases of thermal contraction cracking occurred in southwestern France between ～25 and 36 ka. Chronostratigraphical data from loess in northern France indicate that these episodes correspond to the formation of ice‐wedge networks associated with tundra gleys. In the latter region, two additional permafrost episodes probably occurred during the Last Glacial, the older one corresponding to the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 around 60 ka and the more recent one to MIS 2 around 19–16 ka. Although stratigraphical data indicate that these episodes were relatively short (about one millennium), relict permafrost may have existed for longer periods in northern France.     

The F4 tornado of August 3, 2008, in Northern France: Case study of a tornadic storm in a low CAPE environment

A strong tornado hit seven cities of northern France in the late evening of Sunday, 3 August 2008, causing severe damage along its 19 km path from Pont-sur-Sambre to Boussois. Three people were killed in the collapse of their house and 18 were injured. More than 1000 houses were damaged and several thousand trees were uprooted or fallen down.The authors led a damage survey in the hours that followed the disaster, then investigated this case, in order to determine the characteristics of this tornado precisely and to better understand the conditions that led to its formation. Weather radar analysis shows that the convective cell that gave rise to the tornado took on a fairly pronounced S-shaped structure, with a persistent mesocyclone in the central part of the convective system. The synoptic and mesoscale pattern associated with this severe storm was very dynamic, and characterized by a coupling between a low-level jet and a highly divergent jet-stream. The authors have reconstructed a vertical profile for this case study, in order to describe the tornadic environment precisely. The reconstructed profile reveals two main elements, namely an environment having a very modest vertical instability on one hand, and the presence of intense wind shear, notably in the lowest layers of the atmosphere on the other hand. This conclusion is supported by the analysis of many instability and shear parameters.     

Intraseasonal and interannual zonal circulations over the Equatorial Indian Ocean

El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and given phases of the Madden?CJulian Oscillation (MJO) show similar regional signatures over the Equatorial Indian Ocean, consisting in an enhancement or reversing of the convective and dynamic zonal gradients between East Africa and the Maritime Continent of Indonesia. This study analyses how these two modes of variability add or cancel their effects at their respective timescales, through an investigation of the equatorial cellular circulations over the central Indian Ocean. Results show that (1) the wind shear between the lower and upper troposphere is related to marked regional rainfall anomalies and is embedded in larger-scale atmospheric configurations, involving the Southern Oscillation; (2) the intraseasonal (30?C60?days) and interannual (4?C5?years) timescales are the most energetic frequencies that modulate these circulations, confirming the implication of the MJO and ENSO; (3) extreme values of the Indian Ocean wind shear result from the combination of El Ni?o and the MJO phase enhancing atmospheric convection over Africa, or La Ni?a and the MJO phase associated with convective activity over the Maritime Continent. Consequences for regional rainfall anomalies over East Africa and Indonesia are then discussed.     

Relationship between valve activity, microalgae concentration in the water and toxin accumulation in the digestive gland of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas exposed to Alexandrium minutum

The complexity of the relationships between Alexandrium minutum (A.m.) concentration in the water ([A.m.]_w), Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning contamination in the digestive gland ([PSP]_dg) and valve behavior was explored in oysters Crassostrea gigas. Two experiments were conducted, during which oysters’ valve behaviour were analyzed. Oysters, first acclimated for 10-days with the non harmful microalgae Heterocapsa triquetra (H.t.), were exposed to four microalgae mixtures at constant total concentrations of 10 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹ (experiment-1) and 5 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹ (experiment-2): 100% A.m.; 50% A.m.-50% H.t.; 25% A.m.-75% H.t.; 100% H.t. At the end of experiment-2, [PSP]_dg were measured.At 10 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹, the microalgal ingestion decreased (p < 0.05) with increasing [A.m.]_w but not at 5 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹ (p > 0.05). The frequency of microclosures specifically increased with [A.m.]_w (p < 0.05) and the opening duration with [PSP]_dg (p < 0.0001). Oysters exhibiting the maximum increase in opening duration also exhibited the highest [PSP]_dg. The results are discussed in terms of oyster physiology and origin of the behavioral response.     

The rate of water loss from olivine-hosted melt inclusions

Diffusive water loss from olivine-hosted melt inclusions has been reported previously. This process must be considered when interpreting melt inclusion data. This study measured the rate of water loss from olivine-hosted melt inclusions during heating-stage experiments to test a previous diffusive reequilibration model and the hydrogen diffusion mechanism that controls the rate. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions were heated to a constant temperature in reduced Ar gas in a heating stage for a few hours, and unpolarized Fourier transform infrared spectra were repeatedly measured through the inclusions. Water loss occurred rapidly in the experiments. Within a few hours, the water absorbance at 3,500 cm⁻¹ wavenumber decreased by half. The observed water loss rate can be explained by the diffusive reequilibration model and hydrogen diffusion in olivine coupled with metal vacancy. The beginning of water loss was different in the low- and high-temperature experiments. At low temperatures (1,423 and 1,437 K), water loss did not occur in the initial 1 or 2 h. At high temperatures (1,471–1,561 K), water loss began immediately. The initial time period without water loss at low temperatures may be explained by a hydrogen fugacity barrier in the host olivine. At low temperatures, the internal pressure may be lower than the equilibrium pressure of melt inclusion and olivine, causing lower hydrogen fugacity in the melt inclusion than in the olivine, which will delay the water loss from the melt inclusion. The tested model and diffusivity were used to estimate the rate of water loss during homogenization experiments and magma eruption and cooling. For 1-h homogenization experiment, the model shows that large inclusions (50 μm radius) in large olivines (500 μm radius) are robust against water loss, while large or small inclusions (50–10 μm radius) in small olivines (150 μm radius) may suffer 30–100% water loss. For natural samples, the correlation between water concentration and melt inclusion and olivine sizes may be helpful to infer the initial water concentration, degree of diffusive reequilibration, and magma cooling rate.     

Complex conductivity response to microbial growth and biofilm formation on phenanthrene spiked medium

Several laboratory studies have recently demonstrated the utility of geophysical methods for the investigation of microbial-induced changes over contaminated sites. However, it remains difficult to distinguish the effects due to the new physical properties imparted by microbial processes, to bacterial growth, or to the development of bacterial biofilm. We chose to study the influence of biofilm formation on geophysical response using complex conductivity measurements (0.1-1000 Hz) in phenanthrene-contaminated media. Biotic assays were conducted with two phenanthrene (PHE) degrading bacterial strains: Burkholderia sp (NAH1), which produced biofilm and Stenophomonas maltophilia (MATE10), which did not, and an abiotic control. Results showed that bacterial densities for NAH1 and MATE10 strains continuously increased at the same rate during the experiment. However, the complex conductivity signature showed noticeable differences between the two bacteria, with a phase shift of 50 mrad at 4 Hz for NAH1, which produced biofilm. Biofilm volume was quantified by Scanning Confocal Laser Microscopy (SCLM). Significant correlations were established between phase shift decrease and biofilm volume for NAH1 assays. Results suggest that complex conductivity measurements, specifically phase shift, can be a useful indicator of biofilm formation inside the overall signal of microbial activity on contaminated sites.