Low Relative Velocities Research Articles

A Two-month Mini-moon: 2024 PT5 Captured by Earth from September to November

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) that follow horseshoe paths, and approach our planet at close range and low relative velocity, may undergo mini-moon events in which their geocentric energy becomes negative for hours, days or months, but without completing one revolution around Earth while bound. An example of NEO experiencing such a temporarily captured flyby is 2022 NX1, which was a short-lived mini-moon in 1981 and 2022. Here, we show that the recently discovered small body 2024 PT5 follows a horseshoe path and it will become a mini-moon in 2024, from September 29 until November 25.

Spacecraft potential effects on low-energy ion measurements to be made by probe B1 of Comet Interceptor

ABSTRACT Spacecraft charging causes notorious issues for low-energy plasma measurements. The charged particles are accelerated towards or repelled from the spacecraft surface, affecting both their energy and travel direction. The latter results in a distortion of the effective field of view (FOV) of the instrument making the measurements. The Comet Interceptor mission, planned to be launched in 2029, will make a flyby of a long-period or interstellar comet that ideally is dynamically new. The mission comprises one main spacecraft A, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), and two sub-probes B1 and B2, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and ESA, respectively. The low-energy plasma measurements made by Comet Interceptor will likely be affected by the spacecraft potential in the case of low relative flyby velocities. On probe B1, the Cometary Ion Mass Spectrometer (CIMS) of the Plasma Suite is an ion mass spectrometer, capable of measuring ions with energies down to 10 eV/q. In this work, we use the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software to study the influence of the spacecraft potential on the low-energy ion measurements to be made by CIMS in the inner cometary magnetosphere. The results show that the effective FOV of CIMS is distorted at low energies when the flyby velocity is low. The distortion level is highly geometry dependent, and the largest distortions are caused by the magnetometer boom. Furthermore, the results show that cold ions with bulk velocities in the range 1–10 km s−1, flowing both radially away from and inward towards the nucleus, are detectable by the instrument considering the nominal observation geometry.

Source function from two-particle correlation through deblurring

In heavy-ion collisions, low relative-velocity two-particle correlations have been a tool for assessing space-time characteristics of particle emission. Those characteristics may be cast in the form of a relative emission source related to the correlation function through the Koonin-Pratt (KP) convolution formula that involves the relative wave-function for the particles in its kernel. In the literature, the source has been most commonly sought by parametrizing it in a Gaussian form and fitting to the correlation function. At times the source was more broadly imaged from the function, still employing a fitting. Here, we propose the use of the Richardson-Lucy (RL) optical deblurring algorithm for deducing the source from a correlation function. The RL algorithm originally follows from probabilistic Bayesian considerations and relies on the intensity distributions for the optical object and its image, as well as the convolution kernel, being positive definite, which is the case for the corresponding quantities of interest within the KP formula.

Hybrid Model Predictive Control of a Two-Body Wave Energy Converter with Mechanically Driven Power Take-Off

In this paper, a variable damper is proposed to regulate the efficiency of a two-body wave energy converter (WEC) with mechanically driven power take-off (PTO). The variable damper introduces logic constraints into the WEC system, which can be translated into a mixed logical dynamical form with the dynamics of real-valued variables, the dynamics of logic variables, and their interactions. A hybrid model predictive control (MPC) method is used to determine the control inputs, which has the capacity to handle various constraints. The performance is assessed through simulations to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The achievable performance improvements of the proposed hybrid MPC are shown by means of comparative analysis with uncontrolled WEC devices. The results show that the proposed hybrid MPC has a high requirement on the lower bound of the variable damper and the maximum damping is used only at low relative velocities to achieve the optimum phase, like latching control. The hybrid MPC performs exceptionally well under wave conditions with a small significant wave height and long wave period, improving the power generation of the uncontrolled system up to 22.5%. And, the prediction error has a significant effect on hybrid MPC performance, especially for long prediction horizon.

Ultra diffuse galaxies in the Hydra I cluster from the LEWISProject: Phase-Space distribution and globular cluster richness

ABSTRACT Although ultra diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are found in large numbers in clusters of galaxies, the role of the cluster environment in shaping their low surface brightness and large sizes is still uncertain. Here, we examine a sample of UDGs in the Hydra I cluster (D = 51 Mpc) with new radial velocities obtained as part of the LEWIS (Looking into the faintest with MUSE) project using VLT/MUSE data. Using a phase-space, or infall diagnostic, diagram we compare the UDGs to other known galaxies in the Hydra I cluster and to UDGs in other clusters. The UDGs, along with the bulk of regular Hydra I galaxies, have low relative velocities and are located near the cluster core, and thus consistent with very early infall into the cluster. Combining with literature data, we do not find the expected trend of GC-rich UDGs associated with earlier infall times. This result suggests that quenching mechanisms other than cluster infall should be further considered, e.g. quenching by strong feedback or in cosmic sheets and filaments. Tidal stripping of GCs in the cluster environment also warrants further modelling.

Experimental study into the effect of wind-ice misalignment on the development of ice-induced vibrations of offshore wind turbines

The effect of misalignment between wind- and ice loading direction on the development of ice-induced vibrations of offshore wind turbines has been investigated experimentally. In the experiments a hybrid test setup was used to study the structural response to combined loading from physical model ice and numerically applied wind. The motivation for this study was the high uncertainty in the design of offshore wind turbine support structures in cold regions, caused by scarcity of full-scale and model-scale data on ice-structure interaction. Test results revealed that misaligned scenarios result in the development of sustained ice-induced vibrations in the ice load direction. The test results also showed that ice-induced vibrations can develop up to higher ice drift speeds for misaligned scenarios than for aligned scenarios. Both observations are considered to be related to low total damping in the ice drift direction for a misaligned scenario. Further comparison between a 90°-misaligned operational and an aligned idling scenario revealed that wind-induced structural displacements perpendicular to the ice drift direction do not cause the ice to fail. On the contrary, it was shown that the ice constrains the wind-induced motion for low relative velocities between ice and structure. For high relative velocities, wind-induced displacements approach those in open water as the ice fails in rapid succession at the sides of the structure during crushing. The analysis of a misaligned scenario with a smaller misalignment angle revealed that vibrations occur perpendicular to the ice drift direction and are characterized by relatively low amplitude and high frequency. The ice, being in contact with the structure, neither prevented those vibrations nor failed.

Peak loads during dynamic ice-structure interaction caused by rapid ice strengthening at near-zero relative velocity

A series of ice penetration tests with a rigid structure, with controlled oscillation, and with a single-degree-of-freedom structure were performed to investigate the peak load-velocity dependence for ethanol-doped model ice during a test campaign at the Aalto Ice and Wave Tank. For the rigid structure and controlled-oscillation tests, the ice drift speed ranged between 1 and 150 mm s−1. In the controlled-oscillation tests, amplitudes of oscillation between 0.40 and 15.90 mm and frequencies of oscillation between 0.143 and 4 Hz were prescribed such that the relative velocity between ice and structure never became negative. A constant ice drift deceleration experiment with a single-degree-of-freedom structure was performed to investigate the development of frequency lock-in and intermittent crushing in the model ice and compare the results with the rigid structure and controlled-oscillation tests. It was found that the peak load-velocity dependence identified in the rigid structure tests was not always uniquely defined as identified in the controlled-oscillation tests because the loading history affected the peak load at ice failure. A rapid strengthening of the ice developed at low relative velocity and carried over to high relative velocity until the ice failure dissipated the strengthening effect. The strengthening effect, observed in the rigid structure and controlled-oscillation tests, was also observed during frequency lock-in and intermittent crushing in the single-degree-of-freedom structure test. The observations in the present study indicate that the so-called velocity and compliance effects in ice-structure interaction originate from the same strengthening effect. It then follows that peak loads on compliant structures cannot exceed peak loads on rigid structures in the same ice conditions, with the only difference being that the peak loads on compliant structures occur at apparently higher far-field ice drift speeds due to the change in relative velocity.

Hyper-Eddington black hole growth in star-forming molecular clouds and galactic nuclei: can it happen?

ABSTRACT Formation of supermassive black holes (BHs) remains a theoretical challenge. In many models, especially beginning from stellar relic ‘seeds,’ this requires sustained super-Eddington accretion. While studies have shown BHs can violate the Eddington limit on accretion disc scales given sufficient ‘fuelling’ from larger scales, what remains unclear is whether or not BHs can actually capture sufficient gas from their surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). We explore this in a suite of multiphysics high-resolution simulations of BH growth in magnetized, star-forming dense gas complexes including dynamical stellar feedback from radiation, stellar mass-loss, and supernovae, exploring populations of seeds with masses $\sim 1\!-\!10^{4}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$. In this initial study, we neglect feedback from the BHs: so this sets a strong upper limit to the accretion rates seeds can sustain. We show that stellar feedback plays a key role. Complexes with gravitational pressure/surface density below $\sim 10^{3}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }\, {\rm pc^{-2}}$ are disrupted with low star formation efficiencies so provide poor environments for BH growth. But in denser cloud complexes, early stellar feedback does not rapidly destroy the clouds but does generate strong shocks and dense clumps, allowing $\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of randomly initialized seeds to encounter a dense clump with low relative velocity and produce runaway, hyper-Eddington accretion (growing by orders of magnitude). Remarkably, mass growth under these conditions is almost independent of initial BH mass, allowing rapid intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) formation even for stellar-mass seeds. This defines a necessary (but perhaps not sufficient) set of criteria for runaway BH growth: we provide analytic estimates for the probability of runaway growth under different ISM conditions.

Closing of the astrotail

Context. The structure of astrospheres depends on the interaction between the host star and the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). Observations of astrospheres offer new opportunities to learn about the details of this interaction. Aims. The aim of this work is to study the global structure of astrospheres, concentrating on the case of strong interstellar magnetic field and low relative velocity between the star and the ISM. Methods. We used a simple magnetohydrodynamical numerical code to simulate the interaction between the stellar wind and the ISM, using different assumptions about the interstellar magnetic field strength, the velocity of the star, and the parameters of the interstellar medium. From the resulting time-stationary solutions, we derived the mass flux distribution of the stellar plasma inside the astrosphere, with particular attention to the flow topology. Results. We find that the tube-like topology of the astrosphere can occur for an interstellar magnetic field strength of 7 µG (a realistic value in the Galactic disk region), provided that the velocity of the star relative to the ISM is low enough (0.5 km s−1 ). The two-stream structure of the stellar wind mass flow appears to some extent in all our models.

Experimental study on ice-structure interaction phenomena of vertically sided structures

This study analyses the results from basin tests with a vertically sided cylindrical pile loaded by ice failing in crushing. Tests were performed with a ‘rigid’ structure and with structural models representing a series of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) oscillators covering a wide range of mass, frequency, and damping values. The structural models were represented by a real-time hybrid test setup, which combined physical and numerical components to measure real ice forces, apply the forces to a numerical structural model, and simulate the dynamics of the tested structural models in real-time. The test results are analysed and simple numerical simulations are performed to assess the relevance of several ice force characteristics observed from the ‘rigid’ structure tests to the ice-induced vibrations in the SDOF oscillators. The results from the rigid structure tests show that the median ice forcing frequency is linearly related to the ice drift speed. The mean and standard deviation of the ice forces on the rigid structure show a negative force-velocity gradient at low ice drift speeds and indications of a positive force-velocity gradient at higher ice drift speeds. The comparison of experimental results to the simulations of the single-degree-of-freedom oscillator tests shows that the positive force-velocity gradient at higher ice drift speeds allows to best capture the dynamics during continuous brittle crushing as observed in the experiments. Furthermore, the comparison shows that frequency lock-in initiation is primarily driven by the velocity-independent spatial frequency spectrum of the ice force signal. The added damping caused by the positive force-velocity gradient must be considered to capture the frequency lock-in initiation speeds measured in the constant deceleration experiments. The consideration of the negative force-velocity gradient at low relative velocities is not needed to capture these frequency lock-in initiation speeds as observed in the experiments. However, once frequency lock-in is initiated, the negative gradient is needed to correctly capture the dynamics during frequency lock-in. Analysis of the results shows that the peak forces during intermittent crushing at the end of the load build-up phase have a dependence on relative velocity equal to the load dependence on velocity of rigid structures at low speed. This indicates that intermittent crushing is not a purely brittle type of interaction.

Radar Observations of Old Centaur Rocket from 1966

Abstract We report the results of radar observations of a near-Earth object discovered on 17 September 2020, with the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope at the Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii. Initially, this object was considered an asteroid and even received the standard provisional designation 2020 SO by the Minor Planet Center. However, its Earth-like orbit and low relative velocity suggested that the object may be of artificial origin, being the Centaur rocket booster from the Surveyor 2 mission that was launched to the Moon on 20 September 1966. In the period from November 2020 to March 2021, this object approached the Earth twice within one lunar distance of the Earth. Radar observations were conducted on 30 November in bistatic mode with the 70-m Goldstone Solar System Radar DSS-14 and 32-m radio telescope RT-32 at the Svetloe Observatory, while the object was in the visibility window of two antennas at about 200 thousand km from the Earth. The main goal of the study was to determine the physical properties of this object using radar astronomy to clarify its origin.

Dual-Arm Box Grabbing With Impact-Aware MPC Utilizing Soft Deformable End-Effector Pads

Safely generating impacts is challenging due to subsequent discontinuous velocity jumps and high impact forces. For this reason, state-of-the-art multi-robot controllers performing collaborative object manipulation typically approach contacts with low relative velocities. We instead aim for high-speed bi-manual impact-aware swift grabbing tasks, generating intentionally maximum feasible impacts. Therefore, we propose that the robot end-effector tips be equipped with deformable soft pads. The hardware modification partially absorbs the shock and enables us to control the deformation state during the prolonged impact duration. Mapping the robot's structural hardware constraints from the high-dimensional configuration-space to the low-dimensional contact-space enables us to model the bounded deformation dynamics explicitly. Exploiting constrained model-predictive control, we maximize the impact velocity within the feasible limits for dual-arm setups with deformable end-effector tips. Our control paradigm is assessed with real-robot experiments on two redundant Panda manipulators, demonstrating high pre-impact velocities for boxes with varying weights and size. The approach also applies to grabbing soft objects with rigid end-effectors.

Centaur 2013 VZ70: Debris from Saturn’s irregular moon population?

Context. Saturn has an excess of irregular moons. This is thought to be the result of past collisional events. Debris produced during such episodes in the neighborhood of a host planet can evolve into co-orbitals trapped in quasi-satellite and/or horseshoe resonant states. A recently announced centaur, 2013 VZ70, follows an orbit that could be compatible with those of prograde Saturn’s co-orbitals. Aims. We perform an exploration of the short-term dynamical evolution of 2013 VZ70 to confirm or reject a co-orbital relationship with Saturn. A possible connection with Saturn’s irregular moon population is also investigated. Methods. We studied the evolution of 2013 VZ70 backward and forward in time using N-body simulations, factoring uncertainties into the calculations. We computed the distribution of mutual nodal distances between this centaur and a sample of moons. Results. We confirm that 2013 VZ70 is currently trapped in a horseshoe resonant state with respect to Saturn but that it is a transient co-orbital. We also find that 2013 VZ70 may become a quasi-satellite of Saturn in the future and that it may experience brief periods of capture as a temporary irregular moon. This centaur might also pass relatively close to known irregular moons of Saturn. Conclusions. Although an origin in trans-Neptunian space is possible, the hostile resonant environment characteristic of Saturn’s neighborhood favors a scenario of in situ formation via impact, fragmentation, or tidal disruption as 2013 VZ70 can experience encounters with Saturn at very low relative velocity. An analysis of its orbit within the context of those of the moons of Saturn suggests that 2013 VZ70 could be related to the Inuit group, particularly Siarnaq, the largest and fastest rotating member of the group. Also, the mutual nodal distances of 2013 VZ70 and the moons Fornjot and Thrymr are below the first percentile of the distribution.

A dynamical analysis of the Taurid Complex: evidence for past orbital convergences

ABSTRACT The goal of this work is to determine if the dynamics of individual Taurid Complex (TC) objects are consistent with the formation of the complex via fragmentation of a larger body, or if the current orbital affinities between the TC members result from other dynamical processes. To this end, the orbital similarity through the time of comet 2P/Encke, 51 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), and 16 Taurid fireballs was explored. Clones of each body were numerically simulated backwards in time, and epochs when significant fractions of the clones of any two bodies approached each other with both a low Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance and small relative velocity were identified. Only 12 pairs of bodies in our sample show such an association in the past 20 000 yr, primarily circa 3200 BCE. These include 2P/Encke and NEAs 2004 TG10, 2005 TF50, 2005 UR, 2015 TX24, and several Southern Taurid fireballs. We find this orbital convergence to be compatible with the fragmentation of a large parent body 5000–6000 yr ago, resulting in the separation of 2P/Encke and several NEAs associated with the TC, as well as some larger meteoroids now recorded in the Taurid stream. However, the influence of purely dynamical processes may offer an alternative explanation for this orbital rapprochement without requiring a common origin between these objects. In order to discriminate between these two hypotheses, future spectral surveys of the TC asteroids are required.

Gas-rich dwarf galaxies as a new probe of dark matter interactions with ordinary matter

We use observations of gas-rich dwarf galaxies to derive constraints on dark matter scattering with ordinary matter. We require that heating/cooling due to DM interacting with gas in the Leo T dwarf galaxy not exceed the ultra-low radiative cooling rate of the gas. This enables us to set $(i)$ stronger bounds than all the previous literature on ultra-light hidden photon DM for nearly all of the mass range $10^{-23}\lesssim m_\mathrm{DM} \lesssim 10^{-10}$ eV, $(ii)$ limits on sub-GeV millicharged DM which add to the constraints on the recent EDGES 21cm absorption anomaly, and $(iii)$ constraints on DM-baryon interactions directly at low relative velocities $v_\mathrm{rel}\sim 17$ km/s. Our study opens a new direction at using observations of gas-rich dwarf galaxies from previous, current and upcoming optical and 21cm surveys to probe physics beyond the standard model.

A study of factors affecting torque transmission in permanent magnet-based magnetorheological fluid clutch

In this article, the study of several factors affecting the torque transmission capability of a permanent magnet-based, drum-type magnetorheological fluid (MRF) clutch is presented. These factors are: number of magnetic poles in the magnet assembly, material of the clutch, MRF layer thickness, and relative rotational velocity between the input and output stages of the clutch. For this purpose, a special single-MRF layer clutch was designed and fabricated, one which allows the convenient assembly and disassembly to reduce preparation time for testing. The average transmitted torque of this clutch under several combinations of the aforementioned factors was recorded and analyzed. Additionally, several magnetostatic simulations of the clutch were carried out, and both the magnetic flux density and transmittable torque calculated from the results of these simulation were compared against experimental measurements. It was found that magnet assemblies with lower number of magnetic poles resulted in higher torque outputs, however, the effectiveness of the utilized torque variation mechanism was reduced due to magnetic saturation of the components of the clutch. The material of the clutch was found to have a significant effect at low relative rotational velocities, resulting in a nonlinear relationship between transmitted torque and relative angular velocity. This nonlinear effect was more significant when aluminum was used in the components which interact directly with the MR fluid whereas the use of ferromagnetic components reduced this effect. Finally, the thickness of the MRF layer was found to have a significant effect on the transmitted torque of the MRF clutch, although not according to what magnetostatic simulations predict.

Time evolution of gaps in stellar streams in axisymmetric Stäckel potentials

Context. When a subhalo interacts with a cold stellar stream, the otherwise nearly smooth distribution of stars is disturbed, and this creates a gap. The properties of these gaps depend on the interaction parameters. Their characterisation could thus lead to a determination of the mass spectrum of the perturbers and might reveal the existence of dark subhalos orbiting the Milky Way. Aims. Our goal is to construct a fully analytical model of the formation and evolution of gaps embedded in streams orbiting in a realistic Milky Way potential. Methods. To this end, we extended our previous model for spherical potentials and predict the properties of gaps in streams evolving in axisymmetric Stäckel potentials. We used action-angles and their simple behaviour to calculate the divergence of initially nearby orbits that are slightly perturbed by the interaction with a subhalo. Results. Our model, corroborated by N-body experiments, predicts that the size of a gap grows linearly with time. We obtain analytical expressions for the dependences of the growth rate on the orbit of the stream, the properties of the subhalo (mass and scale radius), and the geometry of the encounter (relative velocity and impact parameter). We find that the density at the centre of the gap decreases with time as a power law in the same way as the density of a stream. This causes the density contrast between a pristine and a perturbed stream on the same orbit to asymptotically reach a constant value that only depends on the encounter parameters. Conclusions. We find that at a fixed age, smallish gaps are sensitive mostly to the mass of the subhalo, while gaps formed by subhalo flybys with a low relative velocity, or when the stream and subhalo move in parallel, are degenerate to the encounter parameters.

The QuaStar Survey: Detecting Hidden Low-velocity Gas in the Milky Way’s Circumgalactic Medium

Abstract From our position embedded within the Milky Way’s interstellar medium, we have limited ability to detect gas at low relative velocities in the extended Galactic halo because those spectral lines are blended with much stronger signals from dense foreground gas. As a result, the content of the Milky Way’s circumgalactic medium (CGM) is poorly constrained at ∣v LSR∣ ≲150 km s−1. To overcome this complication, the QuaStar survey applies a spectral differencing technique using paired quasar−star sight lines to measure the obscured content of the Milky Way’s CGM for the first time. We present measurements of the C iv doublet (λ λ1548, 1550), a rest-frame UV metal line transition, detected in Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra of 30 halo-star/quasar pairs evenly distributed across the sky at Galactic latitudes ∣b∣ > 30°. The 30 halo stars have well-constrained distances (d ≈ 5–14 kpc) and are paired with quasars separated by <2.°8. We argue that the difference in absorption between the quasar and stellar sight lines originates primarily in the Milky Way’s extended CGM beyond ∼10 kpc. For the Milky Way’s extended, low-velocity CGM (∣v∣ <150 km s−1), we place an upper limit on the mean C iv column density of Δ log N LVCGM < 13.39 and find a covering fraction of f C IV , LVCGM ( log N > 13.65 ) = 20% [6/30], a value significantly lower than the covering fraction for star-forming galaxies at low redshift. Our results suggest either that the bulk of Milky Way’s C iv -traced CGM lies at low Galactic latitudes or that the Milky Way’s CGM is lacking in warm, ionized material compared to low-redshift (z < 0.1) star-forming galaxy halos.

OSSOS. XXI. Collision Probabilities in the Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt

Abstract Here, we present results on the intrinsic collision probabilities, P I , and range of collision speeds, V I , as a function of the heliocentric distance, r, in the trans-Neptunian region. The collision speed is one of the parameters that serves as a proxy for a collisional outcome (e.g., disruption and scattering of fragments, or formation of a crater, as both processes are related to the impact energy). We utilize an improved and debiased model of the trans-Neptunian object (TNO) region from the “Outer Solar System Origins Survey” (OSSOS). It provides a well-defined model of TNO orbital distribution, based on multiple opposition observations of more than 1000 bodies. We compute collisional probabilities for the OSSOS models of the main classical, resonant, detached+outer, and scattering TNO populations. The intrinsic collision probabilities and collision speeds are computed using Öpik’s approach, as revised and modified by Wetherill for noncircular and inclined orbits. The calculations are carried out for each of the dynamical TNO groups, allowing for inter-population collisions as well as collisions within each TNO population, resulting in 28 combinations in total. Our results indicate that collisions in the trans-Neptunian region are possible over a wide range in (r, V I ) phase space. Although collisions are calculated to happen within r ∼ 20–200 au and V I ∼ 0.1 km s−1 to as high as V I ∼ 9 km s−1, most of the collisions are likely to happen at low relative velocities V I < 1 km s−1 and are dominated by the main classical belt.

Thermally sprayed coatings for highly stressed sliding bearings

Sliding bearings have to fulfil various requirements depending on the operating conditions. Conventional sliding bearings, however, cannot be used for critical operating conditions such as frequent acceleration and shut-down procedures or they require the use of complex manufacturing processes and cost-intensive material solutions. For this reason, complex multilayer systems or rolling bearings are currently used for frequent start-up cycles and low relative velocities. New material systems and manufacturing processes are of particular interest in order to operate sliding bearings cost-effectively and reliably even under these increased requirements.Within the scope of this study, new material concepts are developed by thermal spraying. Thermal spraying allows the production of innovative material combinations, which cannot be produced by melting metallurgy. In addition, coatings can be applied by thermal spraying on a wide variety of geometries directly on the bearing support structure, thus achieving increased freedom of design and additional cost savings compared to conventional processes. The coating concepts are based on a cobalt or bronze matrix into which friction-reducing solid lubricants can be integrated during the coating process. One particular goal of the coating concepts is to improve the operating properties under critical conditions, such as low relative velocities and high loads. Therefore, the developed coatings are tested on a modified ring-on-disc tribometer and are compared to a reference sliding bearing material produced by conventional casting. To verify the coating capability, the most promising coating is investigated on a full-scale main bearing test bench of a wind turbine. For the first time, a thermally sprayed coating and a new conical sliding bearing design are evaluated as a substitution for currently used rolling bearings as main bearings in wind turbines. Hereby, it is demonstrated whether these new coating concepts can meet the requirements of this highly stressed bearing position.