Mass transfer interaction of moving particles in a reactive dispersive system

Mass transfer from a system of particles moving linearly in a viscous fluid is considered. A chemical reaction on the particle surfaces is taken into account. The analysis is based on the investigation of concentration and velocity fields in a particle wake and of the distortion of these fields due to particles interaction. The values of both local and average Sherwood numbers are calculated.The results obtained are applied to the system of drops and solid spherical particles moving in line along the axis of uniform Stokes flow. It is shown, that if the distance 1 between the particles satisfies the condition (a is the sphere radius and P is the Peclet number) then the total diffusion flux to the surface of kth sphere is as follows

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. Here k is the particle number along the stream (for the leading particle k = 1), I₁ is the diffusion flux to the leading particle: n = 1 for drops, n = 2 for solid particles.     

Correlation between oxygen excess density and critical transition temperature in superconducting Bi-2201, Bi-2212 and Bi-2223

It is suggested that oxygen excess in undoped material of the high temperature superconducting bismuth family creates periodic two-dimensional Cu³⁺-ion patches in the copper–oxygen planes. These nanostructures have a size of square and show a strong linear relationship to their critical transition temperatures T_c.     

Study of notches in the Earth’s plasmasphere based on data of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">MAGION-5</Emphasis> satellite

Depleted narrow (localized in longitude) regions (field tubes) in the plasmasphere, recently discovered in He⁺ radiation measurements on the IMAGE spacecraft, were first directly observed by the Magion-5 satellite. The low-density regions (notches) occupy <～ 10–30° in longitude and extend from L ～ 2–3 to the plasmasphere boundary in neighboring plasmasphere regions with larger densities. The Magion-5 data give evidence that in the low-density regions temperature is enhanced as compared to the neighboring denser plasmasphere regions. Formation of notches in the plasmasphere is, apparently, associated with AE intensification during weak magnetic storms, while strong magnetic storms usually result in the overall reduction of plasmasphere dimensions. However, even a strong magnetic storm on April 6–7, 2000 (max K _p = 9-and min D _st ～ ?290 nT), but accompanied by an isolated AE impulse, resulted in a density decrease only in the longitudinally limited post-midnight sector of the plasmasphere.     

Liquid rocket engine test facility engineering challenges

Liquid rocket engines for launch vehicles and space crafts as well as their subsystems need to be verified and qualified during hot-runs. A high test cadence combined with a flexible test team helps to reduce the cost for test verification during development/qualification as well as during acceptance testing for production. Test facility intelligence allows to test subsystems in the same manner as during complete engine system tests and will therefore reduce development time and cost.This paper gives an overview of the maturing of test engineering know how for rocket engine test stands as well as high altitude test stands for small propulsion thrusters at EADS-ST in Ottobrunn and Lampoldshausen and is split into two parts:

• Part 1 gives a historical overview of the EADS-ST test stands at Ottobrunn and Lampoldshausen since the beginning of Rocket propulsion activities in the 1960s.

• Part 2 gives an overview of the actual test capabilities and the test engineering know-how for test stand construction/adaptation and their use during running programs.

Examples of actual realised facility concepts are given to demonstrate cost saving potential for test programs in both cases for development/qualification issues as well as for production purposes.

Stationary Nose Structures of Protons in the Inner Magnetosphere: Observations by the ION Instrument onboard the Interball-2 Satellite and Modeling

Nose structures are objects formed by H⁺ particles penetrating into the inner magnetosphere [1, 2]. We present the results of experimental studies and numerical modeling of the nose structures. Statistical processing of the observations of nose structures in 1997 by the ION instrument onboard the Interball-2 satellite at heights of 10000–15000 km demonstrates that the probability of formation of the nose structures under quiet magnetic conditions (with current values K _p = 0–1) in the nighttime sector of the magnetosphere is 90%. The probability of observation of the nose structures in the daytime sector equals 50% at the current value K _p = 0–1, and the correlation between the observations of nose structures and K _p can be improved (up to 75%) if the K _p index is taken 6 h before the observed events. It is shown that nose structures are a characteristic feature not only of the substorm processes but also of quasi-stationary phenomena in the quiet magnetosphere. The nose structures observed in magnetically quiet periods are called stationary nose structures in this work. By modeling drift trajectories for protons, it is shown that the stationary nose structures are formed in all sectors of the MLT. The stationary nose structures observed by the ION instrument are modeled in the night, morning, and daytime sectors of the MLT. The relation between the stationary nose structures and ion spectral gaps is considered.     

Peculiarities of long-wave radio bursts from solar flares preceding strong geomagnetic storms

Radio bursts in the frequency range of 100–1500 kHz, recorded in 1997–2000 on the INTERBALL-1 satellite during the solar flares preceding the strong geomagnetic storms with D _st < ?100 nT, are analyzed in this paper. The observed long-wave III-type radio bursts of solar origin at frequencies of 1460 and 780 kHz were characterized by large values of the flux S _f = 10^?15 ?10^?17 W/m² Hz and duration longer than 10 min. The rapid frequency drift of a modulated radio burst continued up to a frequency of 250 kHz, which testified that the exciting agent (a beam of energetic electrons) propagated from the Sun to the Earth. All such flares were characterized by the appearance of halo coronal mass ejections, observed by the LASCO/SOHO, and by the presence of a southward B_z-component of the IMF, measured on the ACE and WIND spacecraft. In addition, shortly after radio bursts, the INTERBALL-1 satellite has recorded the fluxes of energetic electrons with E > 40 keV.     

An Investigation into Vertical Bias Effects

ABSTRACT

In three experiments, after exploring a virtual environment (VE), adult participants made spatial judgments about the location of target objects that were higher and lower than their perceived test location within the VE. In Experiment 1, the locations of the target objects were inferred from verbal instructions. The main results were a tendency to judge objects as closer to the horizontal plane than their true locations, and more efficient downward than upward judgments. Both effects generally accord with findings reported by Wilson et al. (2004a Wilson, P. N., Foreman, N., Stanton, D. and Duffy, H. 2004a. Memory for targets in a multilevel simulated environment: Evidence for vertical asymmetry in spatial memory. Memory & Cognition, 32: 283–297. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], 2004b Wilson, P. N., Foreman, N., Stanton, D. and Duffy, H. 2004b. Memory for targets in a multi-level simulated-environment: A comparison between able-bodied and physically disabled children. British Journal of Psychology, 95: 325–338.  [Google Scholar]). In Experiments 2 and 3, which were closely modeled on the design of the Wilson et al. studies, regression to the horizontal plane was noted but no downward bias was observed. A misperception in the viewing height between the floors and ceilings of the virtual rooms was apparent in both experiments. The results from the present study together with earlier investigations suggest different hierarchical encoding of between-axis and within-axis information.     

Dual-Task Interference in Spatial Reorientation: Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Factors

Abstract

Language has been proposed as a medium that serves to promote spatial orientation through integrating geometric and featural information (Spelke, 2003 Spelke, E. S. 2003. “What makes us smart? Core knowledge and natural language”. In Language in mind: Advances in the study of language and thought, Edited by: Gentner, D. and Goldin-Meadow, S. 277–312. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press..  [Google Scholar]). This proposal has been explored in dual-task experiments where linguistic resources are blocked by verbal shadowing. Although some studies report disruption in using environmental cues for spatial reorientation, findings have not been consistently replicated, and the source of disruption to reorientation by verbal shadowing remains unclear. We examined conditions under which verbal shadowing affects reorientation. Shadowing of meaningful language disrupted healthy adults' use of geometric and featural information to reorient only when task instructions were unclear and when extraneous visual information provided a source of nonlinguistic interference. Reorientation was examined during the shadowing of meaningful prose or nonword syllables and was similar under both concurrent task conditions. These results indicate that language is not necessary for spatial cue integration.     

Similarities in Object and Event Segmentation: A Geometric Approach to Event Path Segmentation

Abstract

Events, like objects, can be decomposed into parts. Path, the spatiotemporal trajectory of an object during an event, is the most commonly labeled event feature across the world's languages, provides important social information, and is increasingly central to theories of general event segmentation. However, little is understood about how adults visually segment paths. We apply theories developed for object segmentation to help understand path segmentation. Overall subjects segmented equivalent object shapes and event paths in similar ways following patterns predicted by Singh and Hoffman's (2001) Singh, M. and Hoffman, D. D. 2001. “Parts-based representations of visual shape and implications for visual cognition.”. In From fragments to objects—Segmentation and grouping in vision Edited by: Shipley, T. F. and Kellman, P. J. 401–459. New York, NY: Elsevier Science..  [Google Scholar] geometric analysis of object parts. There were two notable differences between object and event segmentation: (1) event parsing occurred at points of negative curvature minima and positive curvature maxima as opposed to simply negative curvature minima; and (2) event parsing was more frequent and variable than object parsing. Implications of these results for event perception and categorization are discussed.     

Numerical simulation of effects of the August 11, 1999 solar eclipse in the outer ionosphere

The results of a numerical simulation of such parameters of the topside ionosphere as concentration N _e and temperature T _e of electrons, and concentration n(H⁺) and fluxes along the magnetic field lines Φ(H⁺) of H⁺ ions at an altitude of ～2000 km for the conditions of the August 11, 1999 solar eclipse are presented. The calculations were performed using the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere of the Earth (GSM TIP). It is shown that during the eclipse, in addition to a region of decreased values of T _e in the Northern Hemisphere and in the magnetically conjugate region in the Southern Hemisphere, regions of electron heating emerge in both hemispheres. Simultaneously, an extended region of decreased values of N _e comes into existence and moves behind the Moon’s shadow. Regions with decreased (down to ～30%) and enhanced (up to ～50%) concentrations of H⁺ ions are detected in the global distribution of these ions.     

Energy dependence of the characteristic decay time of proton fluxes in solar cosmic ray events

Energetic solar proton events within the energy interval 1–48 MeV at the stage of their decay are considered over the period of 1974–2001. The dependence of the characteristic decay time on the proton energy in the assumed power-law representation τ(E) =E ^?n is analyzed for the events with an exponential decay form. The dependence of n on the heliolongitude of the flare (the particles source on the Sun) is studied.     

Ray Based Diffraction Tomography of the Ionosphere and Laboratory Inhomogeneous Plasma

A new procedure for restoration of the plasma inhomogeneities with improved resolution is suggested. The procedure deals with the double weighted Fourier transform (DWFT) of the observed wavefield in coordinates of both receivers = (x, y) and sources ₀ = (x ₀, y ₀) [1]. Phase increments between the sources and receivers, being found from DWFT representation, can be used for extracting information on small perturbations of the dielectric constant ~(, z) in a way similar to traditional radio tomography. The resulting resolution of the method is close to the diffraction limit = h/D in the horizontal direction and z = (h/D)² in the vertical direction, where h is the height of inhomogeneities and D is the length of the ground-based receiving system.     

Dynamics of the 0.3–100 MeV Proton Energy Spectra in the Inner Heliosphere in Quiet Periods of 1974–1991

Variations of the proton spectra in the 0.3–100 MeV energy range based on the data of various instruments installed onboard the IMP-8 satellite are studied for very quiet, quiet, and quasi-stable solar activity periods during the years 1974–1991. As many as 118 spectra were approximated by two power laws: the left-hand and galactic branches of the spectrum were fitted by the AE ^– function and a dependence of the CE type, respectively, the sum J(E) = AE ^– + CE providing the total spectrum. It is shown that the spectra vary within a solar cycle with a shift of the minimum energy (E _min) to higher energies with increasing solar activity. It follows from the relations between the spectrum parameters thus obtained that, in particular periods of time, an increase (decrease) of the particle flux in the low-energy branch of the spectrum and an intensification (depression) of the GCR particle flux modulation take place simultaneously. This is manifested in a shift of the spectrum parallel to the energy axis. The study of the spectra in the most quiet time during three successive solar minima have shown that low-energy (0.3–10 MeV) protons, as well as GCR, are subject to the 22-year variation in the solar magnetic cycle.     

Energy Spectrum of Galactic 10–100 MeV Protons in Quiet Sun Periods

The dynamics of the proton energy spectrum during the solar cycle is studied. The spectra were determined by 1–100 MeV particle fluxes measured by different instruments mounted aboard the Earth's IMP-8 satellite for more than one hundred quiet-time intervals in the period between 1974 and 1991. The galactic branch of the spectra (E _p > 10 MeV) constructed for every quiet interval was fitted by a power law function, J =CE . The theory predicts that in the 1–100 MeV energy range, where the adiabatic cooling of particles is dominant, = 1, while we have derived a double-peak distribution. The main maximum has the mean value = 1.35. The mean value of the second, much weaker maximum, is = 0.95. Within the main maximum, values are distributed in accordance with the Gaussian law with a standard deviation D/ = 0.12. The substantial difference of from unity requires the elaboration of a new model of modulation processes in the inner heliosphere. The values corresponding to the second maximum show that modulation processes correspond sometimes to theoretical conceptions. It is shown that correlates weakly with parameters A and describing the solar branch of the spectrum (J(E) = AE ^–). At the same time, a more significant correlation is observed between and the solar activity index, R _z, the counting rate of the Deep River neutron monitor, and the energy value in the minimum of the energy spectrum flux, E _min.     

Sporadic structures and small-scale irregularity in the nighttime polar ionosphere in the period of high solar activity according to the data of radio occultation measurements on satellite-to-satellite paths

Results of the analysis of 327 sessions of radio occultation on satellite-to-satellite paths are presented. The data are taken in the nighttime polar ionosphere in the regions with latitudes of 67°–88°, and in the period of high solar activity from October 26, 2003 to November 9, 2003. Typical ionospheric changes in the amplitude and phase of decimeter radio waves on paths GPS satellites-CHAMP satellite are presented. It is demonstrated that these data make it possible to determine characteristics of the sporadic E _s structures in the lower ionosphere at heights of 75–120 km. Histograms of distribution of the lower and upper boundaries, thickness, and intensity of the E _s structures are presented. Dispersion and spectra of amplitude fluctuations of decimeter radio waves caused by small-scale irregularity of the ionospheric plasma are analyzed. The relation of the polar E _s structures and intensity of small-scale plasma irregularity to various manifestations of solar activity is discussed. The efficiency of monitoring the ionospheric disturbances caused by shock waves of the solar wind by the radio occultation method on satellite-to-satellite paths is demonstrated.