Large-eddy simulation of a turbulent mixing layer

The three dimensional, time dependent (incompressible) vorticity equations were used to simulate numerically the decay of isotropic box turbulence and time developing mixing layers. The vorticity equations were spatially filtered to define the large scale turbulence field, and the subgrid scale turbulence was modeled. A general method was developed to show numerical conservation of momentum, vorticity, and energy. The terms that arise from filtering the equations were treated (for both periodic boundary conditions and no stress boundary conditions) in a fast and accurate way by using fast Fourier transforms. Use of vorticity as the principal variable is shown to produce results equivalent to those obtained by use of the primitive variable equations

The X-ray flaring properties of Sgr A* during six years of monitoring with Swift

Starting in 2006, Swift has been targeting a region of ~21'X21' around Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) with the onboard X-ray telescope. The short, quasi-daily observations offer an unique view of the long-term X-ray behavior of the supermassive black hole. We report on the data obtained between 2006 February and 2011 October, which encompasses 715 observations with a total accumulated exposure time of ~0.8 Ms. A total of six X-ray flares were detected with Swift, which all had an average 2-10 keV luminosity of Lx (1-4)E35 erg/s (assuming a distance of 8 kpc). This more than doubles the number of such bright X-ray flares observed from Sgr A*. One of the Swift-detected flares may have been softer than the other five, which would indicate that flares of similar intensity can have different spectral properties. The Swift campaign allows us to constrain the occurrence rate of bright (Lx > 1E35 erg/s) X-ray flares to be ~0.1-0.2 per day, which is in line with previous estimates. This analysis of the occurrence rate and properties of the X-ray flares seen with Swift offers an important calibration point to asses whether the flaring behavior of Sgr A* changes as a result of its interaction with the gas cloud that is projected to make a close passage in 2013.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables. Shortened, accepted to Ap

Advection-Dominated Accretion with Infall and Outflows

We present self-similar solutions for advection-dominated accretion flows with radial viscous force in the presence of outflows from the accretion flow or infall. The axisymmetric flow is treated in variables integrated over polar sections and the effects of infall and outflows on the accretion flow are parametrised for possible configurations compatible with the self-similar solution. We investigate the resulting accretion flows for three different viscosity laws and derive upper limits on the viscosity parameter alpha. In addition, we find a natural connection to non-rotating and spherical accretion with turbulent viscosity, which is assumed to persist even without differential rotation. Positive Bernoulli numbers for advection-dominated accretion allow a fraction of the gas to be expelled in an outflow and the upper limit on the viscosity predicts that outflows are inevitable for equations of state close to an ideal gas.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Jamming, two-fluid behaviour and 'self-filtration' in concentrated particulate suspensions

We study the flow of model experimental hard sphere colloidal suspensions at high volume fraction $\Phi$ driven through a constriction by a pressure gradient. Above a particle-size dependent limit $\Phi_0$, direct microscopic observations demonstrate jamming and unjamming--conversion of fluid to solid and vice versa--during flow. We show that such a jamming flow produces a reduction in colloid concentration $\Phi_{x}$ downstream of the constriction. We propose that this `self-filtration' effect is the consequence of a combination of jamming of the particulate part of the system and continuing flow of the liquid part, i.e. the solvent, through the pores of the jammed solid. Thus we link the concept of jamming in colloidal and granular media with a 'two-fluid'-like picture of the flow of concentrated suspensions. Results are also discussed in the light of Osborne Reynolds' original experiments on dilation in granular materials.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Implications of the X-ray Variability for the Mass of MCG-6-30-15

The bright Seyfert 1 galaxy \mcg shows large variability on a variety of time scales. We study the \aproxlt 3 day time scale variability using a set of simultaneous archival observations that were obtained from \rxte and the {\it Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics} (\asca). The \rxte\ observations span nearly $10^6$ sec and indicate that the X-ray Fourier Power Spectral Density has an rms variability of 16%, is flat from approximately 10^{-6} - 10^{-5} Hz, and then steepens into a power law $\propto f^{-\alpha}$ with \alpha\aproxgt 1. A further steepening to $\alpha \approx 2$ occurs between 10^{-4}-10^{-3} Hz. The shape and rms amplitude are comparable to what has been observed in \ngc and \cyg, albeit with break frequencies that differ by a factor of 10^{-2} and 10^{4}, respectively. If the break frequencies are indicative of the central black hole mass, then this mass may be as low as $10^6 {\rm M}_\odot$. An upper limit of $\sim 2$ ks for the relative lag between the 0.5-2 keV \asca band compared to the 8-15 keV \rxte band was also found. Again by analogy with \ngc and \cyg, this limit is consistent with a relatively low central black hole mass.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, uses emulateapj.sty and apjfonts.sty, revised version, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Searching for additional heating - [OII] emission in the diffuse ionized gas of NGC891, NGC4631 and NGC3079

We present spectroscopic data of ionized gas in the disk--halo regions of three edge-on galaxies, NGC 891, NGC 4631 and NGC 3079, covering a wavelength range from [\ion{O}{2}] $\lambda$3727\AA to [\ion{S}{2}] $\lambda$6716.4\AA. The inclusion of the [\ion{O}{2}] emission provides new constraints on the properties of the diffuse ionized gas (DIG), in particular, the origin of the observed spatial variations in the line intensity ratios. We used three different methods to derive electron temperatures, abundances and ionization fractions along the slit. The increase in the [\ion{O}{2}]/H$\alpha$ line ratio towards the halo in all three galaxies requires an increase either in electron temperature or in oxygen abundance. Keeping the oxygen abundance constant yields the most reasonable results for temperature, abundances, and ionization fractions. Since a constant oxygen abundance seems to require an increase in temperature towards the halo, we conclude that gradients in the electron temperature play a significant role in the observed variations in the optical line ratios from extraplanar DIG in these three spiral galaxies.Comment: 43 pages, 29 figure

Interstellar H-Alpha Line Profiles toward HD 93521 and the Lockman Window

We have used the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM) facility to measure the interstellar H-Alpha emission toward the high Galactic latitude O star HD 93521 (l = 183.1, b = +62.2). Three emission components were detected having radial velocities of -10 km s^{-1}, -51 km s^{-1}, and -90 km s^{-1} with respect to the local standard of rest (LSR) and H-Alpha intensities of 0.20 R, 0.15 R, and 0.023 R, respectively, corresponding to emission measures of 0.55 cm^{-6} pc, 0.42 cm^{-6} pc, and 0.06 cm^{-6} pc. We have also detected an H-Alpha emission component at -1 km s^{-1} (LSR) with an intensity of 0.20 R (0.55 cm^{-6} pc) toward the direction l = 148.5, b = +53.0, which lies in the region of exceptionally low H I column density known as the Lockman Window. In addition, we studied the direction l = 163.5, b = +53.5. Upper limits on the possible intensity of Galactic emission toward this direction are 0.11 R at the LSR and 0.06 R at -50 km s^{-1}. We also detected and characterized twelve faint (~0.03-0.15 R), unidentified atmospheric lines present in WHAM H-Alpha spectra. Lastly, we have used WHAM to obtain [O I] 6300 spectra along the line of sight toward HD 93521. We place an upper limit of 0.060 R on the [O I] intensity of the -51 km s^{-1} component. If the temperature of the gas is 10,000 K within the H-Alpha emitting region, the hydrogen ionization fraction n(H+)/n(H_total) > 0.6.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures. Acccepted for publication in the 1 Feb issue of The Astronomical Journa

Graphite/polyimide laminates with near-zero thermal expansion

Composite structures can be laminated to have very low coefficients of thermal expansion. Such structures are light and strong and have many uses where expansion or contraction with temperature change is undesirable. One application is with instruments that measure thermal expansion