Magnetic draping of merging cores and radio bubbles in clusters of galaxies

Sharp fronts observed by the Chandra satellite between dense cool cluster cores moving with near-sonic velocity through the hotter intergalactic gas, require strong suppression of thermal conductivity across the boundary. This may be due to magnetic fields tangential to the contact surface separating the two plasma components. We point out that a super-Alfvenic motion of a plasma cloud (a core of a merging galaxy) through a weakly magnetized intercluster medium leads to 'magnetic draping', formation of a thin, strongly magnetized boundary layer with a tangential magnetic field. For supersonic cloud motion,   M _s≥ 1  , magnetic field inside the layer reaches near-equipartition values with thermal pressure. Typical thickness of the layer is  ∼ L / M ²_A≪ L   , where L is the size of the obstacle (plasma cloud) moving with Alfvén Mach number   M _A≫ 1  . To a various degree, magnetic draping occurs for both subsonic and supersonic flows, random and ordered magnetic fields and it does not require plasma compressibility. The strongly magnetized layer will thermally isolate the two media and may contribute to the Kelvin–Helmholtz stability of the interface. Similar effects occur for radio bubbles, quasi-spherical expanding cavities blown up by active galactic nucleus jets; in this case, the thickness of the external magnetized layer is smaller,  ∼ L / M ³_A≪ L   .     

Corrections to Solar Thermal Structure when a Turbulent Magnetic Field is Included

Correction of non-ideal effect due to a magnetic fluctuating tensor is derived from the ideal MHD equations. The inclusion of a magnetic turbulent field leads to modifications of the hydrostatic equilibrium equation and thermodynamical variables such as the temperature T, the adiabatic exponent γ, the adiabatic temperature gradient △↓ad and the temperature gradient △↓. In particular, the modifications in the adiabatic and radiative temperature gradients will result in a change in the Schwarzchild criterion, hence in the location of the base of the convective zone. Incorporating the modifications, we construct a modified thermodynamical equilibrium structure of the Sun.     

Topographic zonation of infiltration in the hilly loess region,north china

Field infiltration tests using portable rainfall infiltrometers were conducted in the Wangjiagou experimental basin in the hilly loess region of north China. Based on data collected at 27 sites, a topographic zonation of infiltration characteristics was observed. The average steady infiltration rate and the average ponding time decreased from the hilltop to the hillslope and further decreased to the gully wall. Such a zonation is closely related to the variations of topography, soil and land use conditions in the study area. A general infiltration model is proposed. Collected field data are used to establish the applicability of the proposed model in the study area.     

On the equation of state for the Λ field

The recently detected accelerated expansion of the Universe is related to the existence of a new type of matter called the Λ field or quintessence. Constraints were obtained on its equation of state from the absence of clustering of this matter on scales much smaller than the cosmological horizon. The question of how these constraints affect the possibility of fitting the accelerated expansion by such cosmological models as the Chaplygin gas model is discussed.     

The Convergence of Newton–Raphson Iteration with Kepler's Equation

Conway (Celest. Mech. 39, 199–211, 1986) drew attention to the circumstance that when the Newton–Raphson algorithm is applied to Kepler's equation for very high eccentricities there are certain apparently capricious and random values of the eccentricity and mean anomaly for which convergence seems not to be easily reached when the starting guess for the eccentric anomaly is taken to be equal to the mean anomaly. We examine this chaotic behavior and show that rapid convergence is always reached if the first guess for the eccentric anomaly is π. We present graphs and an empirical formula for obtaining an even better first guess. We also examine an unstable situation where iterations oscillate between two in correct results until the instability results in sudden convergence to the unique correct solution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ekman层风速随高度分布方程的数值解试验

根据大气水平运动方程推导出Ekman层风速随高度分布方程,该分布可用二阶线性微分方程表示,用有限差分法求解该二阶线性微分方程的边值问题的数值解,并给出计算程序,输出结果。将结果与经典解析解比较,讨论了经典解的正确性和适用范围。     

Solving Kepler's equation with high efficiency and accuracy

We present a method for solving Kepler's equation for elliptical orbits that represents a gain in efficiency and accuracy compared with those currently in use. The gain is obtained through a starter algorithm which uses Mikkola's ideas in a critical range, and less costly methods elsewhere. A higher-order Newton method is used thereafter. Our method requires two trigonometric evaluations.     

Neutral particle collisional relaxation of suprathermal distributions in aeronomy

There are numerous situations in laboratory experiments and in atmospheric science that are characterized by distributions of energetic neutral species with extended high-energy tails. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the relaxation of such isotropic nonequilibrium distributions of neutral species. We consider a minor constituent, referred to as the test-particle dilutely dispersed in a second component that acts as a heat bath at equilibrium. A hard sphere cross section is assumed for the collisions of the test particles and the heat bath particles, and collisions between test particles are not included in the analysis. We study the approach to equilibrium with a finite difference method of solution of the Boltzmann equation. The solution of the Boltzmann equation is also presented as an expansion in the eigenfunctions of the Boltzmann collision operator. The main objective of the paper is the calculation of the energy-dependent relaxation times for the distribution function. It is anticipated that these relaxation times will not exhibit a strong energy dependence owing to the energy-independent hard sphere cross section. This relaxation behaviour is important in the characterization of nonthermal populations of energetic atoms in aeronomy. The results are compared with a similar analysis for Coulomb collisions described in the preceeding paper.     

Astrophysical Implications of the Recent Shocked Deuterium Experiments

In the last few years, deuterium has been the focus of a high level of laboratory activity that was sparked by a disagreement on the experimental value of the maximum compression along the Hugoniot. Astrophysically, the uncertainty in the EOS of hydrogen is most consequential in models of the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn since a significant fraction of their mass falls in the region where the EOS uncertainty is largest. We present a study of the range of interior structures allowed by the shock-compression experiments on deuterium and constrained by astrophysical observations of the two planets. We find that the EOS uncertainty must be reduced to less than 3% along the planet’s isentrope to get good interior models of Jupiter. These models provide values for the mass of a core of heavy elements (other than H and He) and the total mass of heavy elements in these planets. The amount and distribution of heavy elements are quite sensitive to the EOS of hydrogen and constitute important clues to their formation process.     

Advances in radiative transfer

This review describes advances in radiative transfer theory since about 1985. We stress fundamental aspects and emphasize modern methods for the numerical solution of the transfer equation for spatially multidimensional problems, for both unpolarized and polarized radiation. We restrict the discussion to two-level atoms with noninverted populations for given temperature, density and velocity fields. Unfortunately this article was originally published with typesetter's errors: The correct publication date was 25 February 2006, not 3 January 2006. The content was not in the final form. The publishers wish to apologize for this mistake. The online version of the original version can be found at /10.1007/s00159-005-0025-8.