Dynamo saturation in direct simulations of the multi‐phase turbulent interstellar medium

The ordered magnetic field observed via polarised synchrotron emission in nearby disc galaxies can be explained by a mean‐field dynamo operating in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). Additionally, vertical‐flux initial conditions are potentially able to influence this dynamo via the occurrence of the magnetorotational instability (MRI). We aim to study the influence of various initial field configurations on the saturated state of the mean‐field dynamo. This is motivated by the observation that different saturation behaviour was previously obtained for different supernova rates. We perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of three‐dimensional local boxes of the vertically stratified, turbulent interstellar medium, employing shearing‐periodic boundary conditions horizontally. Unlike in our previous work, we also impose a vertical seed magnetic field. We run the simulations until the growth of the magnetic energy becomes negligible. We furthermore perform simulations of equivalent 1D dynamo models, with an algebraic quenching mechanism for the dynamo coefficients. We compare the saturation of the magnetic field in the DNS with the algebraic quenching of a mean‐field dynamo. The final magnetic field strength found in the direct simulation is in excellent agreement with a quenched α) dynamo. For supernova rates representative of the Milky Way, field losses via a Galactic wind are likely responsible for saturation. We conclude that the relative strength of the turbulent and regular magnetic fields in spiral galaxies may depend on the galaxy's star formation rate. We propose that a mean field approach with algebraic quenching may serve as a simple sub‐grid scale model for galaxy evolution simulations including a prescribed feedback from magnetic fields. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamics of warm inflation with gauge fields in Bianchi type I universe model

In this paper, we study the dynamics of warm inflation in which slow-roll inflation is driven by non-Abelian gauge fields. To this end, we use the geometry of locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type I universe model. We construct dynamical equations, i.e., first model field equation, energy conservation equations and equation of motion under slow-roll approximation. In order to discuss inflationary perturbations, we evaluate parameters like scalar and tensor power spectra as well as scalar and tensor spectral indices. We also evaluate inflaton, directional Hubble parameter, slow-roll and perturbation parameters as well as tensor-scalar ratio as a function of inflaton during intermediate and logamediate inflationary eras. It is concluded that anisotropic inflationary universe model with non-Abelian gauge fields remains compatible with WMAP7.     

Ultraviolet spectroscopic study of EU UMa and ST LMi from HST and IUE observations

We present the first orbit-resolved ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of the two polar systems EU UMa and ST LMi obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph (HST FOS) and International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) during their intermediate- and low-luminosity states in the period between 1982 and 2003. Different line profiles of the two systems showing variations of line fluxes at different orbital phases are presented. This paper focuses on the C IV emission line at 1550 Å produced in the accretion stream, presenting calculations of spectral line fluxes, ultraviolet luminosities, and accretion rates for the two systems. Our analysis of the spectroscopic data reveals changes with orbital phase of the emission line profiles that correspond to the light curve variations of both EU UMa and ST LMi in the optical and infrared bands. The variations of line fluxes are attributed to variations of both density and temperature as a result of a changing rate of mass transfer from the secondary star to the white dwarf. The ultraviolet luminosity and accretion rate of EU UMa are smaller than the ultraviolet luminosity and accretion rate of ST LMi.     

Two Opposite Extreme Events in Seasonal Mean Winter Rainfall over East China during the Past Three Decades

In this study,the extremes of winter seasonal mean precipitation have been investigated by using daily precipitation data from 91 stations in East China,the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/the National Center for Atmospheric Research(NCEP/NCAR)monthly reanalysis,and sea surface temperature data from the Hadley Centre for 1979–2007.The largest anomalous rainfall amount was observed in regions south of the Yangtze River.In the most recent three decades,extreme events in the seasonal mean winter precipitation occurred in 1985 and 1997.Because it was influenced mainly by a La Ni a event,the precipitation in 1985 showed a deficit following a stronger winter monsoon.The rainfall amount in 1997 was influenced by El Ni o and was significantly larger than normal with a weaker winter monsoon.Both the circulation anomalies and wave energy dispersions during the winters of 1985 and 1997 differed significantly.In 1985,the North Atlantic Oscillation anomalously excited the Eurasian-Pacific teleconnection and circumglobal teleconnection phenomena.Consequently,Rossby wave energy propagated along the north and south branches of the westerlies,strengthening the East Asian trough along with a stronger winter monsoon,which facilitated the wintertime dry extreme in East China.In1997,however,Rossby wave energy propagated from low latitudes northeastward into the southern part of China,resulting in a weaker winter monsoon and the wettest winter.The results of this study will be helpful for future monitoring and prediction of extreme winter rainfall events in East China.     

An analysis of six simultaneous wind records taken near Vancouver

Abstract

Hourly wind speeds and directions taken at six sites near Vancouver, Canada over a period of one year during 1971–1972 have been analyzed. Mean magnitude ratios obtained for different wind directions under high wind conditions vary from about 0.3 to 1.4 and can be explained qualitatively by local shelter effects, local terrain effects or anemometer heights. The mean magnitude ratio is in every case shown to be essentially identical to the ratio of mean wind magnitudes, for high wind conditions; this is justified by simple analysis. The standard deviation of the magnitude ratio lies between 0.24 and 0.69 of the mean ratio. Uncertainty in this mean ratio, which is an important link in wind engineering design, may have to be incorporated into statistical design procedures to avoid taking unknown risks in the estimation of design wind speeds.     

Observing Magnetic Fields in Star-Forming Regions

Magnetic field strengths and directions can be estimated using many different observational techniques that span a wide range of wavelengths. Each observational method favours different regimes of scale size, density and other physical conditions. The available techniques and their ranges of applicability are briefly described and the current status of observations is reviewed, with particular emphasis on high-resolution observations of star-forming regions.     

Helicoidal magneto-electron waves in interstellar molecular clouds

We investigate the evolution of the magnetic flux density in a magnetically supported molecular cloud driven by Hall and Ohmic components of the electric field generated by the flows of thermal electrons. Particular attention is given to the wave transport of the magnetic field in a cloud whose gas dynamics is dominated by electron flows; the mobility of neutrals and ions is regarded as heavily suppressed. It is shown that electromagnetic waves penetrating such a cloud can be converted into helicons – weakly damped, circularly polarized waves in which the densities of the magnetic flux and the electron current undergo coherent oscillations. These waves are interesting in their own right, because for electron magnetohydrodynamics the low-frequency helicoidal waves have the same physical significance as the transverse Alfvén waves do for a single-component magnetohydrodynamics. The latter, as is known, are considered to be responsible for the widths of molecular lines detected in dark, magnetically supported clouds. From our numerical estimates for the group velocity and the rate of dissipation of helicons it follows that a possible contribution of these waves to the broadening of molecular lines is consistent with the conditions typical of dark molecular clouds.     

The iron Kα lines as a tool for magnetic field estimations in non-flat accretion flows

Observations of AGNs and microquasars by ASCA, RXTE, Chandra and XMM-Newton indicate the existence of broad X-ray emission lines of ionized heavy elements in their spectra. Such spectral lines were discovered also in X-ray spectra of neutron stars and X-ray afterglows of GRBs. Recently, Zakharov et al. [MNRAS 342 (2003) 1325] described a procedure to estimate an upper limit of the magnetic fields in regions from which X-ray photons are emitted. The authors simulated typical profiles of the iron Kα line in the presence of magnetic field and compared them with observational data in the framework of the widely accepted accretion disk model. Here we further consider typical Zeeman splitting in the framework of a model of non-flat accretion flows, which is a generalization of previous consideration into non-equatorial plane motion of particles emitting X-ray photons. Using perspective facilities of space borne instruments (e.g., Constellation-X mission) a better resolution of the blue peak structure of iron Kα line will allow to evaluate the magnetic fields with higher accuracy.     

Spot patterns and differential rotation in the eclipsing pre-cataclysmic variable binary, V471 Tau

We present surface spot maps of the K2V primary star in the pre-cataclysmic variable binary system, V471 Tau. The spot maps show the presence of large high-latitude spots located at the sub-white dwarf longitude region. By tracking the relative movement of spot groups over the course of four nights (eight rotation cycles), we measure the surface differential rotation rate of the system. Our results reveal that the star is rotating rigidly with a surface shear rate,  dΩ= 1.6 ± 6 mrad d⁻¹  . The single active star AB Dor has a similar spectral type, rotation period and activity level as the K star in V471 Tau, but displays much stronger surface shear  (46 < dΩ < 58 mrad d⁻¹)  . Our results suggest that tidal locking may inhibit differential rotation; this reduced shear, however, does not affect the overall magnetic activity levels in active K dwarfs.