Density Profiles (density + profile)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Kinds of Density Profiles

  • surface density profile


  • Selected Abstracts


    Using the Steepened Plasma Profile and Wave Breaking Threshold in Laser-Plasma Interaction

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 8 2008
    P. Zobdeh
    Abstract In this work we evaluate the interaction of high intense laser beam with a steepened density profile. During laser interaction with underdense plasma by freely expanding plasma regime, modification of density profile is possible. In this paper we have investigated the ultra short laser pulse interaction with nonisothermal and collisionless plasma. We consider self,focusing as an effective nonlinear phenomenon that tends to increase when the laser power is more than critical rate. By leading the expanded plasma to a preferred location near to critical density, laser reflection is obtained, so the density profile will be locally steepened. The electromagnetic fields are evaluated in this new profile. We show the amplitude and period of electrical field oscillation are increased by reducing the steepened scale length. Also our numerical results identify that by reducing the steepened scale length, the electrical field is increased to wave breaking threshold limit. This high gradient electrical field causes the effective beam loading during the wave breaking phenomenon. The wave breaking can be the initial point for other acceleration regime as cavity or channel guiding regime. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Broad Beam Ion Sources for Electrostatic Space Propulsion and Surface Modification Processes: From Roots to Present Applications

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 7 2007
    H. Neumann
    Abstract Ion thrusters or broad beam ion sources are widely used in electrostatic space propulsion and in high-end surface modification processes. A short historical review of the roots of electric space propulsion is given. In the following, we introduce the electrostatic ion thrusters and broad beam ion sources based on different plasma excitation principles and describe the similarities as well as the differences briefly. Furthermore, an overview on source plasma and ion beam characterisation methods is presented. Apart from that, a beam profile modelling strategy with the help of numerical trajectory codes as basis for a special grid system design is outlined. This modelling represents the basis for the adaptation of a grid system for required technological demands. Examples of model validation demonstrate their reliability. One of the main challenges in improvement of ion beam technologies is the customisation of the ion beam properties, e.g. the ion current density profile for specific demands. Methods of an ex-situ and in-situ beam profile control will be demonstrated. Examples for the use of ion beam technologies in space and on earth , the RIT-10 rescue mission of ESA's satellite Artemis, the RIT-22 for BepiColombo mission and the deposition of multilayer stacks for EUVL (Extreme Ultra Violet Lithography) mask blank application are provided in order to illustrate the potential of plasma-based ion beam sources. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Gyrofluid Turbulence Modelling of the Linear Device VINETA

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 7-9 2006
    G. N. Kervalishvili
    Abstract The two-moment version of the three-dimensional gyrofluid code GEM3 has been adapted for the simulation of drift-wave turbulence in the linear device VINETA [1]. In the modified GEM3 code gyrofluid equations for the density and parallel velocity of electrons and ions are solved for the cylindrical annulus. Computations are done for the electrostatic case using an exponential background density profile observed experimentally. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Temperature effects on the mass flow rate in the SBI and similar heat-release rate test equipment

    FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 1 2007
    Bart J. G. Sette
    Abstract In various medium-to-large-scale fire test equipments like the ISO room corner test (RC), and more recently, the single burning item test (SBI) the mass flow rate measurement of the combustion gases plays a key role in the determination of the heat-release rate and smoke-production rate. With the knowledge of the velocity profile and the temperature of the flow, the mass flow rate is obtained by measuring the velocity on the axis of the duct. This is done by means of a bi-directional probe based on the pitot principle. However, due to the variation of the mean temperature and the temperature gradient in any cross section of the duct, introduced by ever changing combustion gas temperatures, the velocity nor the density profile are constant in time. This paper examines the resulting uncertainty on the mass flow rate. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    A comparison of modern data analysis methods for X-ray and neutron specular reflectivity data

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2007
    A. Van Der Lee
    Data analysis methods for specular X-ray or neutron reflectivity are compared. The methods that have been developed over the years can be classified into different types. The so-called classical methods are based on Parrat's or Abelès' formalism and rely on minimization using more or less evolved Levenberg,Marquardt or simplex routines. A second class uses the same formalism, but optimization is carried out using simulated annealing or genetic algorithms. A third class uses alternative expressions for the reflectivity, such as the Born approximation or distorted Born approximation. This makes it easier to invert the specular data directly, coupled or not with classical least-squares or iterative methods using over-relaxation or charge-flipping techniques. A fourth class uses mathematical methods founded in scattering theory to determine the phase of the scattered waves, but has to be coupled in certain cases with (magnetic) reference layers. The strengths and weaknesses of a number of these methods are evaluated using simulated and experimental data. It is shown that genetic algorithms are by far superior to traditional and advanced least-squares methods, but that they fail when the layers are less well defined. In the latter case, the methods from the third or fourth class are the better choice, because they permit at least a first estimate of the density profile to be obtained that can be refined using the classical methods of the first class. It is also shown that different analysis programs may calculate different reflectivities for a similar chemical system. One reason for this is that the representation of the layers is either described by chemical composition or by scattering length or electronic densities, between which the conversion of the absorptive part is not straightforward. A second important reason is that routines that describe the convolution with the instrumental resolution function are not identical. [source]


    String Fit: a new structurally oriented X-ray and neutron reflectivity evaluation technique

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2001
    Erich Politsch
    A novel method for the analysis of neutron and X-ray reflectivity measurements is presented. In contrast to existing methods, the new data fitting approach is structurally oriented and therefore only requires information about the chemical structure of studied molecules and no other ad hoc assumptions. Apart from the inversion of reflectivity into scattering length density profile, the inversion of scattering length density profile into molecular arrangement is addressed systematically for non-trivial molecular conformations for the first time. This includes the calculation of structural characteristics, such as radius of gyration or chain order parameters, based on measured reflectograms. Another important option is the possibility to evaluate simultaneously neutron and X-ray reflectograms of a given sample. For better convergence, especially for complex simultaneous evaluations, an effective extension of the normally used least-squares deviation function is introduced. Different simulated molecular ensembles are used to illustrate the features of the new approach; typically, excellent agreement between the simulated starting and final deduced data sets is achieved. [source]


    Determination of lattice-transform density profiles for multilayered three-dimensional microcrystals in electron crystallography

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000
    Eva Dimmeler
    Electron crystallography on multilayered three-dimensional microcrystals has been limited in application by the need to define precisely the three-dimensional shape of the diffraction density profiles. A new method is presented here to obtain this profile from experimental spot positions which are shifted in a characteristic way from the expected Bragg positions. While the Bragg positions are defined by the diffraction geometry, the characteristic shift additionally depends on the density profile in Fourier space. In general, these two effects are intermingled. A new correlation approach is presented which uses characteristic shift patterns to separate these effects. This technique also allows the determination of all three crystallographic unit-cell dimensions from a single tilted electron diffraction pattern. It was tested on simulated diffraction patterns and applied to experimental data of frozen hydrated crystals of the protein catalase. Since multilayered catalase crystals with different numbers of crystallographic layers were studied, an inhomogeneous data set had to be evaluated. Processing of such data is now possible using the new correlation approach. [source]


    Modeling cell adhesion to a substrate with gradient in ligand density

    AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009
    Alireza S. Sarvestani
    Abstract Surface density profile of bioadhesive ligands greatly influences spreading and migration of cells on substrates. A 1D peeling model is developed to predict the equilibrium adhesion strength and peeling tension of a cell membrane, adhered on a substrate with linearly increasing density of ligands. Cell membrane is modeled as a linear elastic shell subjected to a tensile force applied at the free extremity and adhesive traction due to specific receptor-ligand interactions with the substrate. Membrane peeling tension increased with gradient slope and reached an asymptotic limit independent of gradient slope but proportional to receptor-ligand interaction energy. Peeling tension from substrates with negative gradient slope, at the rear edge of adhesion zone, was considerably lower than the tension from substrates with positive gradient slope at the leading edge, indicating that detachment is more likely to be initiated at the rear edge. This prediction leads to a possible mechanism for experimentally observed haptotactic locomotion of motile cells toward the direction of higher ligand density. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source]


    The effects of nebula surface density profile and giant-planet eccentricities on planetary accretion in the inner solar system

    METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 11 2002
    J. E. CHAMBERS
    Two surface density profiles are examined: a decaying profile with , , 1/a, where a is orbital semi-major axis, and a peaked profile in which , increases for a < 2 AU and decreases for a > 2 AU. The peaked profiles are generated by models of coagulation in an initially hot nebula. Models with initial ej,s = 0.05 (the current value) and 0.1 are considered. Simulations using the decaying profile with ej,s = 0.1 produce systems most like the observed planets in terms of mass-weighted mean a and the absence of a planet in the asteroid belt. Simulations with doubled , produce planets roughly twice as massive as the nominal case. Most initial embryos are removed in each simulation via ejection from the solar system or collision with the Sun. The asteroid belt is almost entirely cleared on a timescale of 10,100 Ma that depends sensitively on ej,s. Most initial mass with a < 2 AU survives, with the degree of mass loss increasing with a. Mass loss from the terrestrial region occurs on a timescale that is long compared to the mass loss time for the asteroid belt. Substantial radial mixing of material occurs in all simulations, but is greater in simulations with initital ej,s = 0.05. The degree of mixing is equivalent to a feeding zone of half width 1.5 and 0.9 AU for an Earth mass planet at 1 AU for the cases ej,s = 0.05 and 0.1, respectively. In simulations with ej,s = 0.05, roughly one-third and 5,10% of the mass contained in final terrestrial planets originated in the region a > 2.5 AU for the decaying and peaked profiles, respectively. In the case ej,s = 0.1, the median mass accreted from a > 2.5 AU is zero for both profiles. [source]


    Abundances, masses and weak-lensing mass profiles of galaxy clusters as a function of richness and luminosity in ,CDM cosmologies

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010
    Stefan Hilbert
    ABSTRACT We test the concordance , cold dark matter (,CDM) cosmology by comparing predictions for the mean properties of galaxy clusters to observations. We use high-resolution N -body simulations of cosmic structure formation and semi-analytic models of galaxy formation to compute the abundance, mean density profile and mass of galaxy clusters as a function of richness and luminosity, and we compare these predictions to observations of clusters in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) maxBCG catalogue. We discuss the scatter in the mass,richness relation, the reconstruction of the cluster mass function from the mass,richness relation and fits to the weak-lensing cluster mass profiles. The impact of cosmological parameters on the predictions is investigated by comparing results from galaxy models based on the Millennium Simulation (MS) and the WMAP1 simulation to those from the WMAP3 simulation. We find that the simulated weak-lensing mass profiles and the observed profiles of the SDSS maxBCG clusters agree well in shape and amplitude. The mass,richness relations in the simulations are close to the observed relation, with differences ,30 per cent. The MS and WMAP1 simulations yield cluster abundances similar to those observed, whereas abundances in the WMAP3 simulation are two to three times lower. The differences in cluster abundance, mass and density amplitude between the simulations and the observations can be attributed to differences in the underlying cosmological parameters, in particular the power spectrum normalization ,8. Better agreement between predictions and observations should be reached with a normalization 0.722 < ,8 < 0.9 (probably closer to the upper value), i.e. between the values underlying the two simulation sets. [source]


    Dynamical response to supernova-induced gas removal in spiral galaxies with dark matter halo

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008
    Hiroko Koyama
    ABSTRACT We investigate the dynamical response, in terms of disc size and rotation velocity, to mass loss by supernovae in the evolution of spiral galaxies. A thin baryonic disc having the Kuzmin density profile embedded in a spherical dark matter halo having a density profile proposed by Navarro, Frenk & White is considered. For the purpose of comparison, we also consider the homogeneous and r,1 profiles for dark matter in a truncated spherical halo. Assuming for simplicity that the dark matter distribution is not affected by mass-loss from discs and the change of baryonic disc matter distribution is homologous, we evaluate the effects of dynamical response in the resulting discs. We found that the dynamical response only for an adiabatic approximation of mass-loss can simultaneously account for the rotation velocity and disc size as observed particularly in dwarf spiral galaxies, thus reproducing the Tully,Fisher relation and the size versus magnitude relation over the full range of magnitude. Furthermore, we found that the mean specific angular momentum in discs after the mass-loss becomes larger than that before the mass-loss, suggesting that the mass-loss would most likely occur from the central disc region where the specific angular momentum is low. [source]


    Understanding the halo-mass and galaxy-mass cross-correlation functions

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008
    Eric Hayashi
    ABSTRACT We use the Millennium Simulation (MS) to measure the cross-correlation between halo centres and mass (or equivalently the average density profiles of dark haloes) in a Lambda cold dark matter (,CDM) cosmology. We present results for radii in the range 10 h,1 kpc < r < 30 h,1 Mpc and for halo masses in the range 4 × 1010 < M200 < 4 × 1014 h,1 M,. Both at z= 0 and at z= 0.76 these cross-correlations are surprisingly well fitted if the inner region is approximated by a density profile of NFW or Einasto form, the outer region by a biased version of the linear mass autocorrelation function, and the maximum of the two is adopted where they are comparable. We use a simulation of galaxy formation within the MS to explore how these results are reflected in cross-correlations between galaxies and mass. These are directly observable through galaxy,galaxy lensing. Here also we find that simple models can represent the simulation results remarkably well, typically to ,10 per cent. Such models can be used to extend our results to other redshifts, to cosmologies with other parameters, and to other assumptions about how galaxies populate dark haloes. Our galaxy formation simulation already reproduces current galaxy,galaxy lensing data quite well. The characteristic features predicted in the galaxy,galaxy lensing signal should provide a strong test of the ,CDM cosmology as well as a route to understanding how galaxies form within it. [source]


    Three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of the large-scale structure of W50,SS433

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008
    Jesús Zavala
    ABSTRACT We present 3D hydrodynamical simulations of a precessing jet propagating inside a supernova remnant (SNR) shell, particularly applied to the W50,SS433 system in a search for the origin of its peculiar elongated morphology. Several runs were carried out with different values for the mass-loss rate of the jet, the initial radius of the SNR, and the opening angle of the precession cone. We found that our models successfully reproduce the scale and morphology of W50 when the opening angle of the jets is set to 10° or if this angle linearly varies with time. For these models, more realistic runs were made considering that the remnant is expanding into an interstellar medium with an exponential density profile (as H i observations suggest). Taking into account all these ingredients, the large-scale morphology of the W50,SS433 system, including the asymmetry between the lobes (formed by the jet,SNR interaction), is well reproduced. [source]


    Appropriate SCF basis sets for orbital studies of galaxies and a ,quantum-mechanical' method to compute them

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008
    Constantinos Kalapotharakos
    ABSTRACT We address the question of an appropriate choice of basis functions for the self-consistent field (SCF) method of simulation of the N -body problem. Our criterion is based on a comparison of the orbits found in N -body realizations of analytical potential,density models of triaxial galaxies, in which the potential is fitted by the SCF method using a variety of basis sets, with those of the original models. Our tests refer to maximally triaxial Dehnen ,-models for values of , in the range 0 ,,, 1, i.e. from the harmonic core up to the weak cusp limit. When an N -body realization of a model is fitted by the SCF method, the choice of radial basis functions affects significantly the way the potential, forces or derivatives of the forces are reproduced, especially in the central regions of the system. We find that this results in serious discrepancies in the relative amounts of chaotic versus regular orbits, or in the distributions of the Lyapunov characteristic exponents, as found by different basis sets. Numerical tests include the Clutton-Brock and the Hernquist,Ostriker basis sets, as well as a family of numerical basis sets which are ,close' to the Hernquist,Ostriker basis set (according to a given definition of distance in the space of basis functions). The family of numerical basis sets is parametrized in terms of a quantity , which appears in the kernel functions of the Sturm,Liouville equation defining each basis set. The Hernquist,Ostriker basis set is the ,= 0 member of the family. We demonstrate that grid solutions of the Sturm,Liouville equation yielding numerical basis sets introduce large errors in the variational equations of motion. We propose a quantum-mechanical method of solution of the Sturm,Liouville equation which overcomes these errors. We finally give criteria for a choice of optimal value of , and calculate the latter as a function of the value of ,, i.e. of the power-law exponent of the radial density profile at the central regions of the galaxy. [source]


    Dynamical modelling of luminous and dark matter in 17 Coma early-type galaxies

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2007
    J. Thomas
    ABSTRACT Dynamical models for 17 early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster are presented. The galaxy sample consists of flattened, rotating as well as non-rotating early-types including cD and S0 galaxies with luminosities between MB=,18.79 and ,22.56. Kinematical long-slit observations cover at least the major-axis and minor-axis and extend to 1,4reff. Axisymmetric Schwarzschild models are used to derive stellar mass-to-light ratios and dark halo parameters. In every galaxy, the best fit with dark matter matches the data better than the best fit without. The statistical significance is over 95 per cent for eight galaxies, around 90 per cent for five galaxies and for four galaxies it is not significant. For the highly significant cases, systematic deviations between models without dark matter and the observed kinematics are clearly seen; for the remaining galaxies, differences are more statistical in nature. Best-fitting models contain 10,50 per cent dark matter inside the half-light radius. The central dark matter density is at least one order of magnitude lower than the luminous mass density, independent of the assumed dark matter density profile. The central phase-space density of dark matter is often orders of magnitude lower than that in the luminous component, especially when the halo core radius is large. The orbital system of the stars along the major-axis is slightly dominated by radial motions. Some galaxies show tangential anisotropy along the minor-axis, which is correlated with the minor-axis Gauss,Hermite coefficient H4. Changing the balance between data-fit and regularization constraints does not change the reconstructed mass structure significantly: model anisotropies tend to strengthen if the weight on regularization is reduced, but the general property of a galaxy to be radially or tangentially anisotropic does not change. This paper is aimed to set the basis for a subsequent detailed analysis of luminous and dark matter scaling relations, orbital dynamics and stellar populations. [source]


    Tidal mass loss from collisionless systems

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007
    Marios Kampakoglou
    ABSTRACT We examine the problem tidally induced mass loss from collisionless systems, such as dark matter haloes. We develop a model for tidal mass loss, based upon the phase-space distribution of particles, which accounts for how both tidal and Coriolis torques perturb the angular momentum of each particle in the system. This allows us to study how both the density profile and velocity anisotropy affect the degree of mass loss , we present basic results from such a study. Our model predicts that mass loss is a continuous process even in a static tidal field, a consequence of the fact that mass loss weakens the potential of the system making it easier for further mass loss to occur. We compare the predictions of our model with N -body simulations of idealized systems in order to check its validity. We find reasonable agreement with the N -body simulations except for in the case of very strong tidal fields, where our results suggest that a higher order perturbation analysis may be required. The continuous tidally induced mass loss predicted by our model can lead to substantial reduction in satellite mass in cases where the traditional treatment predicts no mass loss. As such, our results may have important consequences for the orbits and survival of low-mass satellites in dark matter haloes. [source]


    A Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field survey of globular cluster populations around M87 , II.

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2006
    Colour, spatial distribution
    ABSTRACT We have performed a wide-field imaging survey of the globular cluster (GC) populations around M87 with Suprime-Cam on the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope. A field extending from the centre of M87 out to a radius of ,0.5 Mpc was observed through the BVI filters. By investigating the GC colour distribution as a function of distance from M87 and NGC 4552, another luminous Virgo elliptical in our survey field, it is found that clear bimodality [(V,I)peak, 1.0 and 1.2] is seen only in the inner regions (,10 kpc) of the host galaxies and that it becomes weaker with radius due to the decreasing contribution of the red GC (V,I > 1.1) subpopulation. It is also found (both around M87 and around NGC 4552) that while the spatial distribution of the red GCs is as centrally concentrated as the host galaxy halo light distribution, the distribution of the blue GCs (V,I, 1.1) tends to be more extended. However, the blue GC distribution around M87 is not as extended as the Virgo cluster mass density profile. Based on these facts, we argue that the contribution of GCs associated with the Virgo cluster [e.g. intergalactic GCs (i-GCs)] is not significant around M87 and is not the primary reason for the high SN value of M87. Instead, most of the blue GCs around luminous ellipticals, as well as the red GCs, are presumed to be associated with the host galaxy. We model the radial profile of GC surface densities out to ,0.5 Mpc from M87 by a superposition of the GC populations associated with M87 and with NGC 4552. It is found that there are some regions where the GC surface densities are larger than that which is expected from this model, suggesting the existence of an additional i-GC population independent of the luminous ellipticals. By comparing the estimated i-GC surface density with the luminosity density of the intracluster stellar population inferred from the intergalactic planetary nebulae in the Virgo cluster, we obtain a crude estimate of i-GC specific frequency SN= 2.9+4.2,1.5. If this SN value represents the stellar population tidally stripped by a massive central galaxy from other (less-luminous) galaxies, the contribution of tidally captured GCs in the GC population of M87 would need to be low to be consistent with the high SN value of M87. [source]


    The distribution and kinematics of early high-, peaks in present-day haloes: implications for rare objects and old stellar populations

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005
    Jürg Diemand
    ABSTRACT We show that the hierarchical assembly of cold dark matter haloes preserves the memory of the initial conditions. Using N -body cosmological simulations, we demonstrate that the present-day spatial distribution and kinematics of objects that formed within early(z, 10) protogalactic systems (old stars, satellite galaxies, globular clusters, massive black holes, etc.) depends mostly on the rarity of the peak of the primordial density field to which they originally belonged. Only for objects forming at lower redshifts does the exact formation site within the progenitor halo (e.g. whether near the centre or in an extended disc) become important. In present-day haloes, material from the rarer early peaks is more centrally concentrated and falls off more steeply with radius compared to the overall mass distribution, has a lower velocity dispersion, moves on more radial orbits, and has a more elongated shape. Population II stars that formed within protogalactic haloes collapsing from ,2.5, fluctuations would follow today an r,3.5 density profile with a half-light radius of 17 kpc and a velocity anisotropy that increases from isotropic in the inner regions to nearly radial at the halo edge. This agrees well with the radial velocity dispersion profile of Galaxy halo stars from the recent work of Battaglia et al. and with the anisotropic orbits of nearby halo stars. [source]


    The effect of a finite mass reservoir on the collapse of spherical isothermal clouds and the evolution of protostellar accretion

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005
    E. I. Vorobyov
    ABSTRACT Motivated by recent observations that detect an outer boundary for starless cores, and evidence for time-dependent mass accretion in the Class 0 and Class I protostellar phases, we re-examine the case of spherical isothermal collapse in the case of a finite mass reservoir. The presence of a core boundary, implemented through a constant-volume approximation in our simulation, results in the generation of an inward-propagating rarefaction wave. This steepens the gas density profile from r,2 (self-similar value) to r,3 or steeper. After a protostar forms, the mass accretion rate evolves through three distinct phases: (1) an early phase of decline in , which is a non-self-similar effect due to rapid and spatially non-uniform infall in the pre-stellar phase; (2) for large cores, an intermediate phase of near-constant from the infall of the outer part of the self-similar density profile, which has low (subsonic) infall speed in the pre-stellar phase; and (3) a late phase of rapid decline in when accretion occurs from the region affected by the inward-propagating rarefaction wave. Our model clouds of small to intermediate size make a direct transition from phase (1) to phase (3) above. Both the first and second phase (if the latter is indeed present) are characterized by a temporally increasing bolometric luminosity Lbol, while Lbol is decreasing in the third (final) phase. We identify the period of temporally increasing Lbol with the Class 0 phase, and the later period of terminal accretion and decreasing Lbol with the Class I phase. The peak in Lbol corresponds to the evolutionary time when 50 ± 15 per cent of the cloud mass has been accreted by the protostar. This is in agreement with the classification scheme proposed in the early 1990s by André et al.; our model adds a physical context to their interpretation. We show how our results can be used to explain tracks of envelope mass Menv versus Lbol for protostars in Taurus and Ophiuchus. We also develop an analytic formalism that successfully reproduces the protostellar accretion rate from profiles of density and infall speed in the pre-stellar phase. It shows that the spatial gradient of infall speed that develops in the pre-stellar phase is a primary cause of the temporal decline in during the early phase of protostellar accretion. [source]


    Gemini/GMOS imaging of globular clusters in the Virgo galaxy NGC 4649 (M60)

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2004
    Duncan A. Forbes
    ABSTRACT We present Sloan g and i imaging from the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph (GMOS) instrument on the Gemini North telescope for the globular cluster (GC) system around the Virgo galaxy NGC 4649 (M60). Our three pointings, taken in good seeing conditions, cover an area of about 90 square arcmin. We detect 2151 unresolved sources. Applying colour and magnitude selection criteria to this source list gives 995 candidate GCs. Our source list is greater than 90 per cent complete to a magnitude of i= 23.6, and has little contamination from background galaxies. We find fewer than half a dozen potential ultracompact dwarf galaxies around NGC 4649. Foreground extinction from the nearby spiral NGC 4647 is limited to be AV < 0.1. We confirm the bimodality in the GC colour distribution found by earlier work using Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 imaging. As is commonly seen in other galaxies, the red GCs are concentrated towards the centre of the galaxy, having a steeper number density profile than the blue GC subpopulation. The varying ratio of red-to-blue GCs with radius can largely explain the overall GC system colour gradient. The underlying galaxy starlight has a similar density profile slope and colour to the red GCs. This suggests a direct connection between the galaxy field stars and the red GC subpopulation. We estimate a total GC population of 3700 ± 900, with the uncertainty dominated by the extrapolation to larger radii than observed. This total number corresponds to a specific frequency SN= 4.1 ± 1.0. Future work will present properties derived from GMOS spectra of the NGC 4649 GCs. [source]


    The Tully,Fisher relation and its implications for the halo density profile and self-interacting dark matter

    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2000
    H. J. Mo
    We show that the Tully,Fisher relation observed for spiral galaxies can be explained in the current scenario of galaxy formation without invoking subtle assumptions, provided that galactic-sized dark haloes have low concentrations which do not change significantly with halo circular velocity. This conclusion does not depend significantly on whether haloes have cuspy or flat profiles in the inner region. In such a system, both the disc and the halo may contribute significantly to the maximum rotation of the disc, and the gravitational interaction between the disc and halo components leads to a tight relation between the disc mass and maximum rotation velocity. The model can therefore be tested by studying the Tully,Fisher zero points for galaxies with different disc mass-to-light ratios. With model parameters (such as the ratio between disc and halo mass, the specific angular momentum of disc material, disc formation time) chosen in plausible ranges, the model can well accommodate the zero-point, slope and scatter of the observed Tully,Fisher relation, as well as the observed large range of disc surface densities and sizes. In particular, the model predicts that low surface brightness disc galaxies obey a Tully,Fisher relation very similar to that of normal discs, if the disc mass-to-light ratio is properly taken into account. About half of the gravitational force at maximum rotation comes from the disc component for normal discs, while the disc contribution is lower for galaxies with a lower surface density. The halo profile required by the Tully,Fisher relation is as concentrated as that required by the observed rotation curves of faint discs, but less concentrated than that given by current simulations of cold dark matter (CDM) models. We discuss the implication of such profiles for structure formation in the Universe and for the properties of dark matter. Our results cannot be explained by some of the recent proposals for resolving the conflict between conventional CDM models and the observed rotation-curve shapes of faint galaxies. If dark matter self-interaction (either scattering or annihilation) is responsible for the shallow profile, the observed Tully,Fisher relation requires the interaction cross-section ,X to satisfy ,,X|v|,/mX,10,16 cm3 s,1 GeV,1, where mX is the mass of a dark matter particle. [source]


    Hydrodynamic modelling of the axial density profile in the riser of a low-density circulating fluidized bed

    THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2001
    Kathleen Smolders
    Abstract The axial density profile is an important characteristic of the CFB riser and a key parameter in the CFB design. A simple, but reliable model is needed to predict the density profiles. Elutriation-based models treat the dense phase at the bottom of the riser as a dense bubbling bed whereas the dilute phase higher up can be looked upon as the entrainment zone above the dense bed. The elutriation model, as originally presented by Rhodes et al. (1986) and based on Wen et al. (1982) is extensively studied and modified. In spite of the modifications, the use of entrainment models has certain clear limitations due to a wide range of predictions as evident from Table 1. Elutriation rates are calculated based on the hydrodynamic phenomena in the dense bed and a fitting procedure for the entrainment decay constant (,) was performed. Le profil de masse volumique axiale est une caractéristique importante de la colonne montante d'un lit fluidisé circulant (CFB) et un paramètre clé dans la conception du CFB. Un modèle simple mais fiable est nécessaire pour prédire les profils de masse volumique. Les modèles basés sur I'élutriation traitent la phase dense dans la partie inférieure de la colonne comme un lit bouillonnant dense, alors que la phase diluée dans la partie supéieure peut ,tre vue comme la zone d'entra,nement au-dessus du lit dense. Le modèle d'élutriation, tel qu'il fut présenté à l'origine par Rhodes et al. (1986) et basé sur Wen et al. (1982), est largement étudié et modifié. Malgré ces modifications, le recours aux modèles d'entra,nement présente des limites évidentes à cause d'une vaste gamme de prédictions comme le montre clairement le tableau 1. Les vitesses d'élutriation sont calculées d'après les phénomènes hydrodynamiques dans le lit dense et une procédure de calage est utilisée pour la constante de diminution d'entra,nement (,). [source]


    A statistical model for unwarping of 1-D electrophoresis gels

    ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 22 2005
    Chris Glasbey Professor
    Abstract A statistical model is proposed which relates density profiles in 1-D electrophoresis gels, such as those produced by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), to databases of profiles of known genotypes. The warp in each gel lane is described by a trend that is linear in its parameters plus a first-order autoregressive process, and density differences are modelled by a mixture of two normal distributions. Maximum likelihood estimates are computed efficiently by a recursive algorithm that alternates between dynamic time warping to align individual lanes and generalised-least-squares regression to ensure that the warp is smooth between lanes. The method, illustrated using PFGE of Escherichia coli O157 strains, automatically unwarps and classifies gel lanes, and facilitates manual identification of new genotypes. [source]


    Extracting bird migration information from C-band Doppler weather radars

    IBIS, Issue 4 2008
    HANS VAN GASTEREN
    Although radar has been used in studies of bird migration for 60 years, there is still no network in Europe for comprehensive monitoring of bird migration. Europe has a dense network of military air surveillance radars but most systems are not directly suitable for reliable bird monitoring. Since the early 1990s, Doppler radars and wind profilers have been introduced in meteorology to measure wind. These wind measurements are known to be contaminated with insect and bird echoes. The aim of the present research is to assess how bird migration information can be deduced from meteorological Doppler radar output. We compare the observations on migrating birds using a dedicated X-band bird radar with those using a C-band Doppler weather radar. The observations were collected in the Netherlands, from 1 March to 22 May 2003. In this period, the bird radar showed that densities of more than one bird per km3 are present in 20% of all measurements. Among these measurements, the weather radar correctly recognized 86% of the cases when birds were present; in 38% of the cases with no birds detected by the bird radar, the weather radar claimed bird presence (false positive). The comparison showed that in this study reliable altitudinal density profiles of birds cannot be obtained from the weather radar. However, when integrated over altitude, weather radar reflectivity is correlated with bird radar density. Moreover, bird flight speeds from both radars show good agreement in 78% of cases, and flight direction in 73% of cases. The usefulness of the existing network of weather radars for deducing information on bird migration offers a great opportunity for a European-wide monitoring network of bird migration. [source]


    Influence of the carrier diffusion process on the transient response of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL MODELLING: ELECTRONIC NETWORKS, DEVICES AND FIELDS, Issue 1 2003
    M. S. Torre
    Abstract We investigate the transverse mode dynamics of weakly index-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL). The turn-on time of transverse modes are calculated by implementing a model for the VCSEL dynamics including diffusion and transport/capture phenomena. It takes into account the spatial dependence of the two carrier density profiles associated with the confined carriers in the quantum wells, and with the unconfined carriers in the barrier region. Devices of different aperture diameter under different excitation conditions are also studied. The model displays the correct turn-on time dependence on the injection current density when compared with the experimental data available. We show that the turn-on time of the modes increases when capture time increases and escape time decreases and also when diffusion increases. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Models for the adsorption and self-assembly of ethanol and 1-decanethiol on Au(111) surfaces.

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2010
    A comparative study by computer simulation
    Abstract Results from computer simulations, based on different models to study theadsorption and self-assembly of the ethanol and 1-decanethiol on gold surfaces, Au(111), are presented. Canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulations were performed at 298 K using two different force fields. One from DFT calculations, where the gold electrode has an explicit structure (corrugated electrode), and the other representing an electrode, in which the structure is taken into account on an average way (flat electrode). The behavior of the ethanol adsorption on gold surfaces, with and without the 1-decanethiol presence, is analyzed. The introduction of molecular flexibility is also discussed. The relative surface density for the ethanol oxygen, adsorbed on gold, and the density profiles, in different conditions, show that the structure of the surface has a fundamental role on the way the adsorption takes place, not only on the preferential adsorption sites of the surface but also on the ethanol distribution over the electrodes. Potentials of mean force have also been calculated for the two surface models, giving the free energy barriers to the 1-decanethiol crossing of the solvent adsorption layers. The average tilt angle, obtained with a single thiol molecule in the simulation box, presents the values: ,26° for the rigid molecule model and 74° ± 18° for the flexible one. These differences are analyzed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010 [source]


    Determination of lattice-transform density profiles for multilayered three-dimensional microcrystals in electron crystallography

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000
    Eva Dimmeler
    Electron crystallography on multilayered three-dimensional microcrystals has been limited in application by the need to define precisely the three-dimensional shape of the diffraction density profiles. A new method is presented here to obtain this profile from experimental spot positions which are shifted in a characteristic way from the expected Bragg positions. While the Bragg positions are defined by the diffraction geometry, the characteristic shift additionally depends on the density profile in Fourier space. In general, these two effects are intermingled. A new correlation approach is presented which uses characteristic shift patterns to separate these effects. This technique also allows the determination of all three crystallographic unit-cell dimensions from a single tilted electron diffraction pattern. It was tested on simulated diffraction patterns and applied to experimental data of frozen hydrated crystals of the protein catalase. Since multilayered catalase crystals with different numbers of crystallographic layers were studied, an inhomogeneous data set had to be evaluated. Processing of such data is now possible using the new correlation approach. [source]


    A new force field for simulating phosphatidylcholine bilayers

    JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2010
    David Poger
    Abstract A new force field for the simulation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in the liquid-crystalline, fluid phase at zero surface tension is presented. The structure of the bilayer with the area per lipid (0.629 nm2; experiment 0.629,0.64 nm2), the volume per lipid (1.226 nm3; experiment 1.229,1.232 nm3), and the ordering of the palmitoyl chains (order parameters) are all in very good agreement with experiment. Experimental electron density profiles are well reproduced in particular with regard to the penetration of water into the bilayer. The force field was further validated by simulating the spontaneous assembly of DPPC into a bilayer in water. Notably, the timescale on which membrane sealing was observed using this model appears closer to the timescales for membrane resealing suggested by electroporation experiments than previous simulations using existing models. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010 [source]


    Group contribution prediction of surface charge density profiles for COSMO-RS(Ol)

    AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 12 2007
    Tiancheng Mu
    Abstract A new method for predicting the surface charge density distribution (, profile) and cavity volume of molecules based on group contributions was developed. The original , profiles used for the regression were obtained using Gaussian 03 B3LYP/6-311G(d,p). In total 1363 , profiles were used for the regression of group parameters. Group definitions are identical to those used previously for boiling point estimation. Original and estimated , profiles were used to predict activity coefficients at infinite dilution and VLE data of binary systems using the COSMO-RS(Ol) model. The results were compared with the experimental data stored in the Dortmund Data Bank. In many cases the results were of comparable accuracy. However, for a few compounds, poor results were obtained, in particular for conjugated components like nitrobenzenes. The method offers a fast and reliable generation of , profiles to be used with COSMO-RS(Ol) within its range of applicability. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007 [source]


    Characterization of downflowing high velocity fluidized beds

    AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000
    Chunshe Cao
    A downer-riser circulating high velocity fluidization apparatus was developed to study the fundamentals of downflowing gas-solid particle mixtures. The acceleration and deceleration of solids due to the influences of the entrance and exit sections result in a relatively uniform axial solids distribution. Radial solid density profiles detected with an X-ray imaging system in the downer show the existence of a core-annulus flow with a dilute core surrounded by a denser wall region. Local solids flux profiles were obtained with an aspirating probe device and the solid velocity profile obtained from the two measured quantities. These confirm that the majority of solids segregates in a wall region that flows faster than the dilute core region. Thus, the shorter residence time in the high-speed downer wall region is coupled with faster reaction rates due to the accompanying high concentration of catalyst, while the dilute core has slower reaction rates with longer residence time due to the lower catalyst concentration and flow velocity. This results in much more uniform reaction extent over the cross-sectional area of the downer and, therefore, should improve the product selectivity. [source]