Large Radial Distances Research Articles

Small-scale Current Sheets and Associated Switchback Activity in the Inner Heliosphere

Several long-standing theories postulate that turbulent dissipation can heat solar wind protons in situ. Turbulent dissipation can occur via current sheets, which are small-scale structures embedded in the solar wind magnetic field. This study examines the role that switchbacks—intermediate-scale reversals in the interplanetary magnetic field—may play in heating the solar wind by generating current sheets. We explore this possible relationship by analyzing the characteristics of current sheets within and around switchback regions. Previous studies investigated current sheet properties during Parker Solar Probe's first solar encounter, analyzed current sheets using a wide range of statistics, and explored trends that switchbacks follow with radial distance from the Sun. The present study builds on these works by analyzing the distribution and maximum values of solar wind current sheets using the Partial Variance of Increments method and focusing on how these properties correlate with the presence of switchbacks to better understand how switchbacks contribute to current sheet activity. We conclude that there are no increased current sheet populations observed within and around switchbacks, with most current sheets being observed outside switchbacks. We find a consistent distribution of current sheets regardless of whether there is concurrent switchback activity. We also observe that current sheets follow a uniform occurrence rate with increased distance from the Sun, while switchback regions significantly evolve with larger radial distances. Our findings suggest that local turbulence may be responsible for generating solar wind current sheets and does so with the same efficiency inside and outside of switchback regions.

Induced charges in a Thomas–Fermi metal: insights from molecular simulations

We study the charge induced in a Thomas–Fermi metal by an ion in vacuum, using an atomistic description employed in constant-potential molecular dynamics simulations, and compare the results with the predictions from continuum electrostatics. Specifically, we investigate the effects of the Thomas–Fermi screening length l TF and the position d of the ion with respect to the surface on the induced charge distribution in a graphite electrode. The continuum predictions capture most of the features observed with the atomistic description (except the oscillations due to the atomic sites of the graphite lattice), provided that d and l TF are larger than the inter-atomic distances within the electrode. At large radial distance from the ion, the finite l TF case can be well approximated by the solution for a perfect metal using an effective distance d + l TF . This requires a careful definition of the effective interface between the metal and vacuum for the continuum description. Our atomistic results support in particular an early analytical prediction (Vorotyntsev and Kornyshev, Sov. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 51, 509 (Mar., 1980)) for a single charge at the interface between a Thomas–Fermi metal and a polarisable medium, which remains to be tested in atomistic simulations with an explicit solvent.

MINDS: The DR Tau disk

Context. The MRS mode of the JWST-MIRI instrument has been shown to be a powerful tool to characterise the molecular gas emission of the inner region of planet-forming disks. Investigating their spectra allows us to infer the composition of the gas in these regions and, subsequently, the potential atmospheric composition of the forming planets. We present the JWST-MIRI observations of the compact T-Tauri disk, DR Tau, which are complemented by ground-based, high spectral resolution (R ~ 60 000–90 000) CO ro-vibrational observations. Aims. The aim of this work is to investigate the power of extending the JWST-MIRI CO observations with complementary, high-resolution, ground-based observations acquired through the SpExoDisks database, as JWST-MIRI’s spectral resolution (R ~ 1500– 3500) is not sufficient to resolve complex CO line profiles. In addition, we aim to infer the excitation conditions of other molecular features present in the JWST-MIRI spectrum of DR Tau and link those with CO. Methods. The archival complementary, high-resolution CO ro-vibrational observations were analysed with rotational diagrams. We extended these diagrams to the JWST-MIRI observations by binning and convolution with JWST-MIRI’s pseudo-Voigt line profile. In parallel, local thermal equilibrium (LTE) 0D slab models were used to infer the excitation conditions of the detected molecular species. Results. Various molecular species, including CO, CO2, HCN, and C2H2, are detected in the JWST-MIRI spectrum of DR Tau, with H2O being discussed in a subsequent paper. The high-resolution observations show evidence for two 12CO components: a broad component (full width at half maximum of FWHM ~33.5 km s−1) tracing the Keplerian disk and a narrow component (FWHM ~ 11.6 km s−1) tracing a slow disk wind. The rotational diagrams yield CO excitation temperatures of T ≥ 725 K. Consistently lower excitation temperatures are found for the narrow component, suggesting that the slow disk wind is launched from a larger radial distance. In contrast to the ground-based observations, much higher excitation temperatures are found if only the high-J transitions probed by JWST-MIRI are considered in the rotational diagrams. Additional analysis of the 12CO line wings suggests a larger emitting area than inferred from the slab models, hinting at a misalignment between the inner (i ~ 20°) and the outer disk (i ~ 5°). Compared to CO, we retrieved lower excitation temperatures of T ~ 325-900 K for 12CO2, HCN, and C2H2. Conclusions. We show that complementary, high-resolution CO ro-vibrational observations are necessary to properly investigate the excitation conditions of the gas in the inner disk and they are required to interpret the spectrally unresolved JWST-MIRI CO observations. These additional observations, covering the lower-J transitions, are needed to put better constraints on the gas physical conditions and they allow for a proper treatment of the complex line profiles. A comparison with JWST-MIRI requires the use of pseudo-Voigt line profiles in the convolution rather than simple binning. The combined high-resolution CO and JWST-MIRI observations can then be used to characterise the emission, in addition to the physical and chemical conditions of the other molecules with respect to CO. The inferred excitation temperatures suggest that CO originates from the highest atmospheric layers close to the host star, followed by HCN and C2H2 which emit, together with 13CO, from slightly deeper layers, whereas the CO2 emission originates from even deeper inside or further out of the disk.

Empirical Models of the Hβ Broad Emission Line Gas Density Field

Abstract We present the second iteration of the caramel-gas code, an empirical model of the broad-line region (BLR) gas density field. Building on the initial development and testing of caramel-gas, we expand the meaning of the model parameter α, which initially represented only the power-law index of the dependency of emissivity on radial distance. In this work, we test a more generalized radial power-law index, α, that also includes a description of the effective emitting size(s) of the BLR structure as a function of radial distance. We select a sample of 10 active galactic nuclei (AGN) from three different Lick AGN Monitoring Project campaigns to further validate the caramel-gas code and test the generalized radial power-law index, α. Our results confirm that the caramel-gas results are in general agreement with the published results determined using the original caramel code, further demonstrating that our forward modeling method is robust. We find that a positive radial power-law index is generally favored and propose three possible scenarios: (i) the BLR structure has increasing effective emitting size(s) at larger radial distances from the central source, (ii) emission is concentrated at the outer edges of the BLR, and (iii) stronger theoretical assumptions are needed to break the degeneracies inherent to the interpretation of reverberation mapping data in terms of underlying gas properties.

Modeling Field Line Curvature Scattering Loss of 1–10 MeV Protons During Geomagnetic Storms

AbstractThe proton radiation belt contains high fluxes of adiabatically trapped protons varying in energy from ∼one to hundreds of megaelectron volts (MeV). At large radial distances, magnetospheric field lines become stretched on the nightside of Earth and exhibit a small radius of curvature RC near the equator. This leads protons to undergo field line curvature (FLC) scattering, whereby changes to the first adiabatic invariant accumulate as field strength becomes nonuniform across a gyroorbit. The outer boundary of the proton belt at a given energy corresponds to the range of magnetic L shell over which this transition to nonadiabatic motion takes place, and is sensitive to the occurrence of geomagnetic storms. In this work, we first find expressions for nightside equatorial RC and field strength Be as functions of Dst and L* to fit the TS04 field model. We then apply the Tu et al. (2014, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014ja019864) condition for nonadiabatic onset to solve the outer boundary L*, and refine our expression for RC to achieve agreement with Van Allen Probes observations of 1–50 MeV proton flux over the 2014–2018 era. Finally, we implement this nonadiabatic onset condition into the British Antarctic Survey proton belt model (BAS‐PRO) to solve the temporal evolution of proton fluxes at L ≤ 4. Compared with observations, BAS‐PRO reproduces storm losses due to FLC scattering, but there is a discrepancy in mid‐2017 that suggests a ∼5 MeV proton source not accounted for. Our work sheds light on outer zone proton belt variability at 1–10 MeV and demonstrates a useful tool for real‐time forecasting.

Numerical simulation of fluid-particle flow of jet in supercritical water environment

Supercritical water gasification provides a new approach to the green transformation of coal. Nevertheless, the flow characteristics of fluids and particles injected into the reactor through the nozzle still need to be further investigated. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the particle jet in supercritical water environment is carried out coupling Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with Discrete Phase Model (DPM). The simulation focuses on the effects of particle size, Stokes number, mass flux ratio and initial fluid velocity on the flow characteristic of the fluid-particle flow, especially on the vortex structure evolution, particle distribution and velocity profile. The findings are that as the particle size decreases and the initial fluid velocity increases, the evolution of vortex structures become increasingly fierce, such as the destruction of large-scale coherent structures, the disappearance of vortex ribs, and the lateral expansion of vortices in the development section. Particle distribution exhibits characteristics similar to the vortex structure, as particles adhere closely to the carrier fluid at low Stokes number (St < 1). On the contrary, with increasing of Stokes number (St > 1), the particles are freer from fluid interference and keep their original motion state moving forward. The fluid velocity at the center of the transverse interface jet decrease with increased mass flow ratio. For higher initial fluid velocities, particle distribution is more uniform, and more particles are carried to areas with larger radial distances.

First measurements of radon-220 diffusion in mice tumors, towards treatment planning in diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy.

Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy ("Alpha-DaRT") is a new method for treating solid tumors with alpha particles, relying on the release of the short-lived alpha-emitting daughter atoms of radium-224 from interstitial sources inserted into the tumor. Alpha-DaRT tumor dosimetry is governed by the spread of radium's progeny around the source, as described by an approximate framework called the "diffusion-leakage model". The most important model parameters are the diffusion lengths of radon-220 and lead-212, and their estimation is therefore essential for treatmentplanning. Previous works have provided initial estimates for the dominant diffusion length, by measuring the activity spread inside mice-borne tumors several days after the insertion of an Alpha-DaRT source. The measurements, taken when lead-212 was in secular equilibrium with radium-224, were interpreted as representing the lead-212 diffusion length. The aim of this work is to provide first experimental estimates for the diffusion length of radon-220, using a newmethodology. The diffusion length of radon-220 was estimated from autoradiography measurements of histological sectionstaken from 24 mice-borne subcutaneous tumors of five different types. Unlike previous studies, the source dwell time inside the tumor was limited to 30 min, to prevent the buildup of lead-212. To investigate the contribution of potential non-diffusive processes, experiments were done in two sets: fourteen in vivo tumors, where during the treatment the tumors were still carried by the mice with active blood supply, and 10 ex-vivo tumors, where the tumors were excised before source insertion and kept in a medium at with the sourceinside. The measured diffusion lengths of radon-220, extracted by fitting the recorded activity pattern up to 1.5mm from the source, lie in the range , with no significant difference between the average values measured in in-vivo and ex-vivo tumors: versus . However, in-vivo tumors display an enhanced spread of activity 2-3mm away from the source. This effect is not explained by the current model and is much less pronounced in ex-vivotumors. The average measured radon-220 diffusion lengths in both in-vivo and ex-vivo tumors are consistent with published data on the diffusion length of radon in water and lie close to the upper limit of the previously estimated range of . The observation that close to the source there is no apparent difference between in-vivo and ex-vivo tumors, and the good agreement with the theoretical model in this region suggest that the spread of radon-220 is predominantly diffusive in this region. The departure from the model prediction in in-vivo tumors at large radial distances may hint at potential vascular contribution, which will be the subject of futureworks.

Deep Chandra Observation of the Remarkable Ionization Cones of NGC 5252

Seyfert galaxy NGC 5252 harbors enormously extended ionization cones that have been previously detected in the optical and X-ray band, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the interaction between the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) and the surrounding gas in the AGN host galaxy. We present deep Chandra imaging spectroscopy of NGC 5252 with a total exposure time of 230 ks. The morphology in the soft X-rays shows resolved extended structure from the nucleus to a large radial distance, and for the first time we detect the outermost X-ray arc at ∼20 kpc. The X-ray cone mostly follows the direction of the optical ionization cones in the southeast and northwest directions, about 20° misaligned with the major axis of the galactic disk of NGC 5252. Fitting the spectra extracted from radial sectors with photoionization models supports that extended emission is mainly photoionized by the central AGN. We also examine the variation of the photoionization parameter along the radial extension and infer a decreasing ionizing continuum of the central engine by a factor of ∼50 over the past 64,000 yr. These findings are consistent with previous suggestions that NGC 5252 resembles a quasar relic with an M ∼ 109 M ⊙ supermassive black hole that went through a minor merger event and switched to a low accretion rate state.

Deciphering dark matter: A computational analysis of stellar velocity distributions

This study examines the dark matter density in the Galaxy by fitting recent data on stellar rotational velocities. We employ a model including the disk, the bulge, and the dark matter halo. The disks density is parameterized using a modified Bessel function, and the bulge is modeled using both the De Vaucouleurs and Exponential Sphere functions to better fit large and small radii respectively. The dark halo is modeled using the generalized Navarro-Frenk-White profile, with slope parameters for standard NFW and Moore profiles, and an Isothermal profile for comparison. The fit of the model parameters is established using local Dark Matter density and total Dark Matter mass as boundary conditions, with circular velocities derived via a Newtonian approach. The least chi-square ( 2 ) method is used for rotation curve fitting. Results demonstrate successful fitting of rotational velocity data and significant influence of the DH at large radial distances from the Galactic center.

Small-scale stellar haloes: detecting low surface brightness features in the outskirts of Milky Way dwarf satellites

ABSTRACT Dwarf galaxies are valuable laboratories for dynamical studies related to dark matter and galaxy evolution, yet it is currently unknown just how physically extended their stellar components are. Satellites orbiting the Galaxy’s potential may undergo tidal stripping by the host, or alternatively, may themselves have accreted smaller systems whose debris populates the dwarf’s own stellar halo. Evidence of these past interactions, if present, is best searched for in the outskirts of the satellite. However, foreground contamination dominates the signal at these large radial distances, making observation of stars in these regions difficult. In this work, we introduce an updated algorithm for application to Gaia data that identifies candidate member stars of dwarf galaxies, based on spatial, colour–magnitude and proper motion information, and which allows for an outer component to the stellar distribution. Our method shows excellent consistency with spectroscopically confirmed members from the literature despite having no requirement for radial velocity information. We apply the algorithm to all ∼60 Milky Way dwarf galaxy satellites, and we find nine dwarfs (Boötes 1, Boötes 3, Draco 2, Grus 2, Segue 1, Sculptor, Tucana 2, Tucana 3, and Ursa Minor) that exhibit evidence for a secondary, low-density outer profile. We identify many member stars which are located beyond 5 half-light radii (and in some cases, beyond 10). We argue these distant stars are likely tracers of dwarf stellar haloes or tidal streams, though ongoing spectroscopic follow-up will be required to determine the origin of these extended stellar populations.

Absorption of hybrid fibre modes by Cs atoms in quadrupole transitions

We evaluate the rate of the absorption of an optical nanofibre mode by a Cs atom in an electric quadrupole transition. With the Cs atom localised near the outer surface of the optical nano-fibre, an interaction occurs between the atomic quadrupole tensor components and the gradients of the vector components of the electric field of a hybrid fibre mode. The absorption rate is evaluated as a function of the radial position of the atom from the fibre axis, assuming a specific value of the laser power and we use experimentally accessible parameters. We find that the absorption of the hybrid modes by the Cs atom decreases as the atom recedes away from the fibre axis and it formally vanishes at sufficiently large radial distances. Close to the fibre, however, the absorption rate for the input power chosen can be two orders of magnitude larger than the quadrupole de-excitation rate despite the moderate power used.

A Juno‐Era View of Electric Currents in Jupiter's Magnetodisk

AbstractRecent observations from Juno provided a detailed view of Jupiter's magnetodisk, including its magnetic fields, waves, plasmas, and energetic particles. Here, we contribute to Juno results by determining the electric currents threading the magnetodisk and their coupling to field‐aligned currents (FACs) in the midnight‐to‐dawn local time sector. We first derive from Juno magnetic field data the spatial distributions of the height‐integrated radial (Ir) and azimuthal (Ia) currents in the magnetodisk, and then calculate the FACs from the divergence of the two current components. The Ir‐associated FAC, Jr, flows into and out of the magnetodisk at small and large radial distances, respectively, approximately consistent with the axisymmetric corotation enforcement model. On the other hand, Ia decreases with increasing local time everywhere in the local time sector covered, indicating an additional FAC (Ja) flowing out of the magnetodisk. From Ia and Ja, we conclude that the influence of the solar wind, which compresses the dayside magnetosphere and thus breaks the axisymmetry of currents and fields, reaches deep to a radial distance of at least about 25 Jupiter radii. Our results provide observational constraints on Jupiter's magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling current systems, on their relation to the main auroral emission and on the radial mass transport rate in the magnetodisk, which we estimate to be close to ∼1,500 kg/s.

Traversable Lorentzian wormhole on the Shtanov-Sahni braneworld with matter obeying the energy conditions

In this paper we have explored the possibility of constructing a traversable wormhole on the Shtanov-Sahni braneworld with a timelike extra dimension. We find that the Weyl curvature singularity at the throat of the wormhole can be removed with physical matter satisfying the NEC ρ + p ≥ 0, even in the absence of any effective Λ-term or any type of charge source on the brane. (The NEC is however violated by the effective matter description on the brane arising due to effects of higher dimensional gravity.) Besides satisfying NEC the matter constituting the wormhole also satisfies the Strong Energy Condition (SEC), ρ + 3p ≥ 0, leading to the interesting possibility that normal matter on the brane may be harnessed into a wormhole. Incidentally, these conditions also need to be satisfied to realize a non-singular bounce and cyclic cosmology on the brane [1] where both past and future singularities can be averted. Thus, such a cyclic universe on the brane, constituted of normal matter can naturally contain wormholes. The wormhole shape function on the brane with a time-like extra dimension represents the tubular structure of the wormhole spreading out at large radial distances much better than in wormholes constructed in a braneworld with a spacelike extra dimension and have considerably lower mass resulting in minimization of the amount of matter required to construct a wormhole. Wormholes in the Shtanov-Sahni (SS) braneworld also have sufficiently low tidal forces, facilitating traversability. Additionally they are found to be stable and exhibit a repulsive geometry. We are left with the intriguing possibility that both types of curvature singularity can be resolved with the SS model, which we discuss at the end of the concluding section.

Local positive feedback in the overall negative: the impact of quasar winds on star formation in the FIRE cosmological simulations

ABSTRACT Negative feedback from accreting supermassive black holes is considered crucial in suppressing star formation and quenching massive galaxies. However, several models and observations suggest that black hole feedback may have a positive effect, triggering star formation by compressing interstellar medium gas to higher densities. We investigate the dual role of black hole feedback using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environment (FIRE) project, incorporating a novel implementation of hyper-refined accretion-disc winds. Focusing on a massive, star-forming galaxy at z ∼ 2 ($M_{\rm halo} \sim 10^{12.5}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$), we demonstrate that strong quasar winds with a kinetic power of ∼1046 erg s−1, persisting for over 20 Myr, drive the formation of a central gas cavity and significantly reduce the surface density of star formation across the galaxy’s disc. The suppression of star formation primarily occurs by limiting the availability of gas for star formation rather than by evacuating the pre-existing star-forming gas reservoir (preventive feedback dominates over ejective feedback). Despite the overall negative impact of quasar winds, we identify several potential indicators of local positive feedback, including (1) the spatial anticorrelation between wind-dominated regions and star-forming clumps, (2) higher local star formation efficiency in compressed gas at the edge of the cavity, and (3) increased contribution of outflowing material to local star formation. Moreover, stars formed under the influence of quasar winds tend to be located at larger radial distances. Our findings suggest that both positive and negative AGN feedback can coexist within galaxies, although the local positive triggering of star formation has a minor influence on global galaxy growth.

Magnetospheric Line Radiation Observed Close to the Source: Properties and Propagation

AbstractMagnetospheric Line Radiation (MLR) is a type of whistler mode electromagnetic wave phenomenon observed in the inner magnetosphere at frequencies of a few kilohertz, that is characterized by a frequency modulation of the wave intensity. Although such events are quite regularly observed by ground‐based stations and low‐altitude spacecraft, their observations in the equatorial region at larger radial distances (i.e., close to tentative source regions) are extremely limited, likely due to the generally low frequency resolution of available measurements. A systematic search for MLR in continuous intervals of high‐resolution multicomponent wave data obtained by the Van Allen Probes spacecraft detects 15 events. They occur primarily on the dayside at frequencies between about 1 and 5 kHz, propagating with oblique wave normals away from the geomagnetic equator. For one event, simultaneous ground‐based observations are available, providing limits on the spatial extent of the event: it does not extend beyond the high‐density plasmasphere region. An electrostatic wave at a frequency corresponding to the modulation frequency of MLR is observed in three events. This is likely linked to the event formation mechanism and has not been observed before. Our results can lead to an understanding of the formation mechanism of MLR.

A direct numerical simulation study for confined non-isothermal jet impingement at moderate nozzle-to-plate distances: Capturing jet-to-ambient density effects

A direct numerical simulation (DNS) campaign is deployed for a series of confined downward oriented, non-isothermal turbulent impinging jet configurations. A baseline Reynolds number of 9960 is obtained through a precursor DNS pipe flow simulation (Reτ=505). Three jet temperature configurations (confinement height to nozzle diameter of three) enter a cylindrical domain that share ambient and impingement plate temperatures (298.15K). The range of jet temperatures are crafted such that the ratio of inlet to ambient density varies from unity to 0.52, showcasing the effect of density disparity on flow characteristics such as core collapse, radial mixing of momentum and energy, near-wall stagnation behavior, wall-jet profiles, and large-scale vortical structures. Surface quantities provided include mean radial heat flux and wall-shear stress profiles, and heat flux histograms at select radial stations. Results showcase increased radial normal stresses for higher temperature jets that support increased mixing, resulting in large-scale recirculation structures that are smaller, while retaining similar normalized radial wall profiles for shear stress, heat flux and pressure. Radial plots for wall shear stress and Nusselt number showcase strong radial decay as compared to previous configurations that share similar jet and ambient temperatures. For the 373.15 K case, a Gaussian-like histogram for heat fluxes at the impingement plate transitions to a log-normal profile as radial distances increase. In contrast, the 573.15 K configuration displays a bi-modal heat flux characteristic at the impingement plate, and in similar manner to the moderate temperature counterpart, transitions to a log-normal profile at larger radial distances.

Study of Solar Energetic Particle Events with Ulysses, ACE Observations and Numerical Simulations

We study the latitudinal extent of the near-relativistic electron events of 10 June 2000 and 26 December 2001, observed by both Ulysses and ACE. From the observations it is shown that the intensity of ACE was quite different from that of Ulysses. Through the numerical simulations, we obtain the SEPs time-intensity profiles, which generally fit well to the observations. To compare the observations we obtained the best fit parameters for the simulations. We suggest that the transport effects, especially the perpendicular diffusion effect, can cause the difference between the intensity profiles of ACE and Ulysses, which is dominated by particle transport at a large radial distance and high-latitude when a spacecraft has poor magnetic connection to the particle source. Furthermore, we present the particle source from the best fit parameters to show that the start and peak times of the particle sources are between the onset and max times of a flare in all the energy channels. Moreover, we propose models for the peak intensity and half width of the particle source, and the time interval from the flare onset to the particle source peak time. We show that the models generally agree with the best fit parameters.

Directly tracing the vertical stratification of molecules in protoplanetary disks

Context. The specific location from where molecules emit in a protoplanetary disk depends on the system properties. Therefore, directly constraining the emitting regions radially, azimuthally, and vertically is key to studying the environment of planet formation. Due to the difficulties and lack of high resolution observations, most of the current observational constraints for the vertical distribution of molecular emission rely on indirect methods. Aims. We aim to directly trace the vertical location of the emitting surface of multiple molecular tracers in protoplanetary disks. Our sample of disks includes Elias 2-27, WaOph 6, and the sources targeted by the MAPS ALMA Large Program. The set of molecules studied includes CO isotopologues in various transitions, HCN, CN, H2CO, HCO+, C2H, and c-C3H2. Methods. The vertical emitting region is determined directly from the channel maps by tracing the location of emission maxima along the upper surface. This method has been used in previous studies, but here we implement an accurate masking of the channel emission in order to recover the vertical location of the emission surface even at large radial distances from the star and for low-S/N lines. Parametric models are used to describe the emission surfaces and characterize any structure within the vertical profile. Results. The vertical location of the emitting layer is obtained for ten different molecules and transitions in HD 163296. In the rest of the sample it is possible to vertically locate between four and seven lines. Brightness temperature profiles are obtained for the entire sample and for all CO isotopologues. IM Lup, HD 163296, and MWC 480 12CO and 13CO show vertical modulations, which are characterized and found to be coincident with dust gaps and kinematical perturbations. We also present estimates of the gas pressure scale height in the disks from the MAPS sample. Compared to physical-chemical models, we find good agreement with the vertical location of CO isotopologues. In HD 163296, CN and HCN trace a similar intermediate layer, which is expected from physical-chemical models. For the other disks, we find that UV flux tracers and the vertical profiles of HCN and C2H are lower than predicted in theoretical models. HCN and H2CO show a highly structured vertical profile, possibly indicative of different formation pathways in the case of H2CO. Conclusions. It is possible to trace the vertical locations of multiple molecular species that in turn trace a wide variety of physical and chemical disk properties. The distribution of CO isotopologues is in agreement with theoretical predictions, and the emission is found at a wide range of vertical heights, z/r = 0.5–0.05. The vertical location of CO may be inversely related to the stellar mass. Other molecular lines are mostly found at z/r ≤ 0.15. The vertical layering of molecules is in agreement with theoretical predictions in some systems, but not in all. Therefore, dedicated physical-chemical models are needed to further study and understand the diversity of the emission surfaces.

The Radial Variation of the Solar Wind Turbulence Spectra near the Kinetic Break Scale from Parker Solar Probe Measurements

In this study we examine the radial dependence of the inertial and dissipation range indices, as well as the spectral break separating the inertial and dissipation range in power density spectra of interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations using Parker Solar Probe data from the fifth solar encounter between ∼0.1 and ∼0.7 au. The derived break wavenumber compares reasonably well with previous estimates at larger radial distances and is consistent with gyro-resonant damping of Alfvénic fluctuations by thermal protons. We find that the inertial scale power-law index varies between approximately −1.65 and −1.45. This is consistent with either the Kolmogorov (−5/3) or Iroshnikov–Kraichnan (−3/2) values, and has a very weak radial dependence with a possible hint that the spectrum becomes steeper closer to the Sun. The dissipation range power-law index, however, has a clear dependence on radial distance (and turbulence age), decreasing from −3 near 0.7 au (4 days) to −4 [±0.3] at 0.1 au (0.75 days) closer to the Sun.

A Novel Space-Time Marching Method for Solving Linear and Nonlinear Transient Problems

In this study, a novel space-time (ST) marching method is presented to solve linear and nonlinear transient flow problems in porous media. The method divides the ST domain into subdomains along the time axis. The solutions are approximated using ST polyharmonic radial polynomial basis functions (RPBFs) in the ST computational domain. In order to proceed along the time axis, we use the numerical solution at the current timespan of the two ST subdomains in the computational domain as the initial conditions of the next stage. The fictitious time integration method (FTIM) is subsequently employed to solve the nonlinear equations. The novelty of the proposed method is attributed to the division of the ST domain along the time axis into subdomains such that the dense and ill-conditioned matrices caused by the excessive number of boundary and interior points and the large ST radial distances can be avoided. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a high accuracy in solving linear and nonlinear transient problems. Compared to the conventional time marching and ST methods, the proposed meshless approach provides more accurate solutions and reduces error accumulation.