Shock oscillation model for quasi-periodic oscillations in stellar mass and supermassive black holes

We numerically examine centrifugally supported shock waves in 2D rotating accretion flows around a stellar mass  (10 M_⊙)  and a supermassive  (10⁶ M_⊙)  black holes over a wide range of input accretion rates of     . The resultant 2D shocks are unstable with time and the luminosities show quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) with modulations of a factor of 2–3 and with periods of a tenth of a second to several hours, depending on the black hole masses. The shock oscillation model may explain the intermediate frequency QPOs with 1–10 Hz observed in the stellar mass black hole candidates and also suggest the existence of QPOs with the period of hours in active galactic nuclei. When the accretion rate     is low, the luminosity increases in proportion to the accretion rate. However, when     greatly exceeds the Eddington critical rate     , the luminosity is insensitive to the accretion rate and is kept constantly around  ∼3 L _E  . On the other hand, the mass-outflow rate     increases in proportion to     and it amounts to about a few per cent of the input mass-flow rate.     

Shock-induced temperatures of MgO

Shock-compressed MgO radiates thermally at temperatures between 2900 and 3700 K in the 170–200 GPa pressure range. A simple energy-transport model of the shocked-MgO-targets distinguishes between different shock-induced radiation sources in these targets and provides estimates of spectral absorption-coefficients, α _ΛMgO, for shocked MgO (e.g. at 203 GPa, α _ΛMgO˜ 630, 7500, 4200 and 3800 m⁻¹, at 450, 600, 750 and 900 nm, respectively). The experimentally inferred temperatures of the shock-compressed states of MgO are consistent with temperatures calculated for MgO assuming that (1) it deforms as an elastic fluid, (2) has a Dulong-Petit value for specific heat at constant volume in its shocked state, and (3) undergoes no phase transformation below 200 GPa.     

On turbulence in the quasi-perpendicular bow shock

In this paper we propose to review the fundamental aspects of turbulence theories and their relevance to particle distribution functions observed by the cluster satellites in the quasi-perpendicular shock. The paper focusses on the hierarchical model describing the different levels of plasma turbulence; from the linear theory, through the quasi-linear remedy, to strong turbulence theories in the context of the earth's bow shock. We will discuss very briefly the validity of these approximations, and their relevance as far as satellite observations are concerned. In particular, we will discuss the development of non-Gaussian features in the ion distribution functions through the evaluation of higher order moments such as the kurtosis or flatness and the skewness. We have found that the profile of the kurtosis versus skewness tends to collapse to a parabolic line. This in turn allows us to draw analogies with neutral fluid turbulence where such a collapse of the kurtosis-skewness profile has been observed.     

Formation of one-dimensional waves for resonant flow in a channel

When a forcing moves in a shallow channel at a velocity near the phase velocity for linear long waves, energy cannot escape from the forcing at the linear group velocity and nonlinear effects become important in describing the resulting flow. This flow is termed resonant or transcritical. It has been found both experimentally and numerically that large amplitude upstream propagating waves are generated by the forcing. These waves are straight crested, even though the forcing is two-dimensional. It is shown that these upstream waves become straight crested due to geometrical effects aided by the presence of side walls. Using energy conservation, approximate values of the amplitude of the upstream waves are obtained which are compared with recent experimental and numerical results.     

Expression of heat shock protein 70 in a permanent cell line (EPC) exposed to sediment extracts from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Heat shock proteins 70 (hsp70) are known to be induced by a great variety of chemical stressors. The effects of different environmental contaminants, which were identified in sediments of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea as main contaminants or as contaminants of special toxicological interest, on the extent of expression of hsp70 in a permanent cell line Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) were investigated. Concentrations of the single contaminants leading to elevated hsp70 levels were compared to the respective concentrations of these contaminants encountered in the sediment extracts thus allowing an assessment of their contribution to the toxicity of these sediments. Analysis of hsp70 was performed using western blotting techniques with subsequent comparative quantification by densitometry. Eleven of thirteen contaminants have shown a dose-dependent increase in hsp70 levels. An expression of hsp70 was observed in most cases between 0.1 and 10 microg/mL test solution. Some of the investigated stressors led to extremely high hsp70 contents even at low concentrations. However, in most cases contaminant concentrations in sediments were too low to cause an effect. For this reason, effects of the tested sediments are attributed to other contaminants or rather to mixtures of stressors.     

Ion acceleration and Alfvén wave generation at the Earth’s bow shock

The processes of ion acceleration and Alfvén wave generation by accelerated particles at the Earth’s bow shock are studied within a quasi-linear approach. Steady-state ion and wave spectra are shown to be established in a time of 0.3–4 h, depending on the background level of Alfvénic turbulence in the solar wind. The Alfvén waves produced by accelerated ions are confined within the frequency range 10^?2–1 Hz and their spectral peak with a wave amplitude βB ～ B comparable to the interplanetary magnetic field strength B corresponds to the frequency v = (2–3) × 10^?2 Hz. The high-frequency part of the wave spectrum (v > 0.2 Hz) undergoes damping by thermal ions. The calculated spectra of the accelerated ions and the Alfvén waves generated by them reproduce the main features observed in experiments.     

万米级深海陶瓷耐压结构水下内爆流场数值模拟

耐压结构是深海潜器的重要组成部分,但在深海的高压环境中却存在内爆的风险。为研究陶瓷耐压结构水下内爆的流场特性,使用针对可压缩多相流问题开发的开源代码,采用直接数值模拟,应用自适应直角网格,对两种压力条件下的耐压结构水下内爆进行了数值模拟。通过低压模拟结果与理论解和试验值比较,验证了模拟方法的有效性,进而开展万米级深海陶瓷耐压结构水下内爆模拟。分析发现：陶瓷耐压结构发生内爆后,其内部气腔存在多次压缩—反弹现象,深海环境压力越大则反弹越不明显;气腔反弹阶段,在结构外部将产生数倍于深海环境压力的冲击波,且传播速度接近声速;冲击波压力峰值与到球心距离呈负指数幂函数关系;在相同深海环境压力下,耐压结构外部监测点的冲击波压力与球体半径呈正比例关系。     

Intermediate school's trip to India: Preparing for competence

In November 2010, students from a Palmerston North intermediate school embarked on a 2‐week excursion to India. Qualitative research was carried out before, during and after the trip. Results discussed in this article focus primarily on the students' account of their trip, especially their perceived cultural competence and their explanation for it. Accounts of their competence are also offered by the parents and teachers, for example, they especially valued the students' extensive school‐based preparation. Insights gained from the experiences of this trip may be applied to other, including older, cohorts of students embarking on overseas school field trips.     

Model dependence of transonic properties of accretion flows around black holes

We analytically study how the behaviour of accretion flows changes when the flow model is varied. We study the transonic properties of the conical flow, a flow of constant height and a flow in vertical equilibrium, and show that all these models are basically identical, provided that the polytropic constant is suitably changed from one model to another. We show that this behaviour is extendible even when standing shocks are produced in the flow. The parameter space where shocks are produced remains roughly identical in all these models when the same transformation among the polytropic indices is used. We present applications of these findings.