Slow Acceleration Research Articles

Search forη-mesic Helium with the WASA-at-COSY detector

A search for the 4He − η bound state via exclusive measurement of the excitation function for the dd → 3Hepπ− reaction, was performed at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY-Jülich with the WASA-at-COSY detection system. The data were taken during a slow acceleration of the beam from 2.185GeV/c to 2.400GeV/c crossing the kinematic threshold for the η production in the dd → 4He η reaction at 2.336 GeV/c. The corresponding excess energy in the 4He − η system varied from −51.4 MeV to 22 MeV. The shape of the excitation function for the dd → 3Hepπ− was examined. No signal of the 4He − η bound state was observed in the excitation function.

Start-Stop Characteristics and Thermal Behavior of a Large Hybrid Airfoil Bearing For Aero-Propulsion Applications

Air/gas foil bearings (AFB) have shown a promise in high-speed micro to mid-sized turbomachinery. Compared to rolling element bearings, AFBs do not require oil lubrication circuits and seals, allowing the system to be less complicated and more environment-friendly. Due to the smaller number of parts required to support the rotor and no lubrication/seal system, AFBs provide compact solution to oil-free turbomachinery development.While foil bearing technology is mature in small industrial machines and power generation turbines, its application to aero-propulsion systems has been prohibited due to the reliability issues relevant to unique aero-propulsion environments such as severe rubbing due to the very slow acceleration of typically heavy rotors. This paper presents a hybrid air foil bearing (a combination of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic) with 102 mm in diameter designed for aero-propulsion applications, and preliminary test results on start-stop friction characteristics and thermal behavior at low speeds below 10,000 rpm are presented. The bearing could withstand 1000 start/stop cycles with 6 rev/s2 acceleration under a static load of 356 N (43.4 kPa).

Pollutant emissions from passenger cars in traffic congestion situation in the State of Kuwait: options and challenges

Rapid population growth in Kuwait, accompanied with rising standard of living, has resulted in a sweeping increase in the use of passenger vehicles for transportation. Consequently, deterioration of ambient air quality near major roadways has become an issue of public concern. The knowledge of real world road vehicle emission factors is an essential element to the development of any strategy aimed at the reduction of air pollution in urban areas. This work focuses on investigating exhaust emission pollutants from passenger cars for idle and slow acceleration (stop-and-go) traffic conditions. We found that vehicle emissions are minimal during idle mode for all vehicle categories. However, it was interesting to observe that during the slow acceleration mode HC and CO emissions increased for light vehicles with relatively high mileage (higher than 40,000 km). We can conclude from this study that with the growing vehicle ownership, and congestion it causes, the vehicular exhaust emissions is a major sources of air pollution in densely populated centers in the state of Kuwait, where idle and stop-and-go driving cycle is a common occurrence.

Factors That Differentiate Acceleration Ability in Field Sport Athletes

Speed and acceleration are essential for field sport athletes. However, the mechanical factors important for field sport acceleration have not been established in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to determine the biomechanical and performance factors that differentiate sprint acceleration ability in field sport athletes. Twenty men completed sprint tests for biomechanical analysis and tests of power, strength, and leg stiffness. The sprint intervals analyzed were 0-5, 5-10, and 0-10 m. The subjects were split into a faster and slower group based on 0- to 10-m velocity. A 1-way analysis of variance determined variables that significantly (p ≤ 0.05) distinguished between faster and slower acceleration. All subject data were then pooled for a correlation analysis to determine factors contributing most to acceleration. The results showed that 0- to 5-m (∼16% difference) and 0- to 10-m (∼11% difference) contact times for the faster group were significantly lower. Times to peak vertical and horizontal force during ground contact were lower for the faster group. This was associated with the reduced support times achieved by faster accelerators and their ability to generate force quickly. Ground contact force profiles during initial acceleration are useful discriminators of sprint performance in field sport athletes. For the strength and power measures, the faster group demonstrated a 14% greater countermovement jump and 48% greater reactive strength index. Significant correlations were found between velocity (0-5, 5-10, and 0-10 m) and most strength and power measures. The novel finding of this study is that training programs directed toward improving field sport sprint acceleration should aim to reduce contact time and improve ground force efficiency. It is important that even during the short sprints required for field sports, practitioners focus on good technique with short contact times.

PLASMOID RELEASES IN THE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET AND ASSOCIATED CORONAL HOLE BOUNDARY LAYER EVOLUTION

As the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is corotating past STEREO-B, near-Earth spacecraft ACE, Wind and Cluster, and STEREO-A over more than three days between 2008 January 10 and 14, we observe various sections of (near-pressure-balanced) flux-rope- and magnetic-island-type plasmoids in the associated heliospheric plasma sheet (HPS). The plasmoids can qualify as slow interplanetary coronal mass ejections and are relatively low proton beta (<0.5) structures, with small length scales (an order of magnitude lower than typical magnetic cloud values) and low magnetic field strengths (2-8 nT). One of them, in particular, detected at STEREO-B, corresponds to the first reported evidence of a detached plasmoid in the HPS. The in situ signatures near Earth are associated with a long-decay X-ray flare and a slow small-scale streamer ejecta, observed remotely with white-light coronagraphs aboard STEREO-B and SOHO and tracked by triangulation. Before the arrival of the HPS, a coronal hole boundary layer (CHBL) is detected in situ. The multi-spacecraft observations indicate a CHBL stream corotating with the HCS but with a decreasing speed distribution suggestive of a localized or transient nature. While we may reasonably assume that an interaction between ejecta and CHBL provides the source of momentum for the slow ejecta's acceleration, the outstanding composition properties of the CHBL near Earth provide here circumstantial evidence that this interaction or possibly an earlier one, taking place during streamer swelling when the ejecta rises slowly, results in additional mixing processes.

UPGRADING EMMA TO USE LOW-FREQUENCY RF CAVITIES

EMMA is an experiment to study beam dynamics in fixed field alternating gradient accelerators (FFAGs). It accelerates the beam in about 10 turns using 1.3 GHz cavities in a mode like that used for muon accelerators. Many applications of FFAGs prefer to have slower acceleration, typically thousands of turns. To do so in EMMA would require the RF system to be replaced with a low-frequency, high-gradient system. This paper describes the motivation for studying slow acceleration in EMMA and the required parameters for an RF system to do that. It then describes the technology needed for the RF system.

THE Hα VARIATIONS OF THE LUMINOUS BLUE VARIABLE P CYGNI: DISCRETE ABSORPTION COMPONENTS AND THE SHORT S DORADUS-PHASE

P Cygni is a prototype of the Luminous Blue Variables (or S Doradus variables), and the star displays photometric and emission line variability on a timescale of years (known as the "short S Doradus phase" variations). Here we present new high resolution H-alpha spectroscopy of P Cyg that we combine with earlier spectra and concurrent V-band photometry to document the emission and continuum flux variations over a 24 y time span. We show that the emission and continuum fluxes vary in concert on timescales of 1.6 y and longer, but differ on shorter timescales. The H-alpha profile shape also varies on the photometric timescales, and we describe the observed co-variations of the emission peak and absorption trough properties. We argue that the episodes of photometric and emission brightening are caused by increases in the size of the emission region that are related to variations in wind mass loss rate and outflow speed. We find evidence of blueward accelerating, Discrete Absorption Components (DACs) in the absorption trough of the H-alpha profile, and these features have slower accelerations and longer durations than those observed in other lines. The DAC strengths also appear to vary on the photometric timescales, and we suggest that the propagation of the DAC-related wind structures is closely related to changes in the overall wind mass loss rate and velocity.

A computational investigation on the reducing lateral vibration of rotors with rolling-element bearings passing through critical speeds by means of tuning the stiffness of the system supports

Since there are manufacturing and assembling inaccuracies rotors are always slightly imbalanced. Their rapid angular acceleration leads to an increase in the magnitude of the tangential component of the imbalance forces. The slow acceleration enables the development of an almost steady state vibration. In both cases the amplitude of their oscillation is high. The frequency tuning achieved by changing the stiffness of the rotor supports represents one approach to its attenuation. Stiffness decreases shortly before reaching the critical speed, and after crossover, the stiffness increases again. As almost all publications and computer procedures from the field of rotor dynamics deal only with the case when the rotor turns at a constant angular speed, derivation of the equations of motion of the rotor rotating at variable velocities and investigation of the operating conditions and individual parameters of the supports on the vibration of the rotor passing critical speeds represent the fully new contribution of this paper. The critical revolutions are determined from the Campbell diagram. To solve the equations of motion the Newmark method has been proposed and tested.

The mechanism of detonation attenuation by a porous medium and its subsequent re-initiation

The attenuation and re-initiation mechanism of detonations transmitted through a porous section consisting of a two-dimensional array of staggered cylinders was investigated experimentally and numerically for acetylene–oxygen mixtures. It was found that the leading order attenuation mechanism is the wave diffraction around the cylinders. The local re-amplification permitting the self-propagation of the wave was due to wave reflections from adjacent obstacles. The critical conditions for transmittance of a detonation wave were found to correspond approximately to a pore size equal to approximately 30–60 detonation induction lengths, or one to two cell sizes. For quenched detonations, the re-initiation mechanism was found to rely on wave reflections from neighbouring pores. Depending on the mixture sensitivity, one or several shock reflections may be necessary to re-amplify the attenuated detonation wave back to a self-sustained wave. For the latter case, a novel mechanism was identified, where each shock reflection gives rise to a significant enhancement of the gas reactivity and burnout of large portions of unreacted gas. This leads to a slow acceleration of the leading front, punctuated by small-scale local sudden re-accelerations. The resulting wave interactions give rise to a topologically complex reaction zone structure consisting of alternating layers of reacted and unreacted gas. The role of turbulent diffusive burning during this transient is discussed.

Rab32 Modulates Apoptosis Onset and Mitochondria-associated Membrane (MAM) Properties

The mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM) has emerged as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signaling hub that accommodates ER chaperones, including the lectin calnexin. At the MAM, these chaperones control ER homeostasis but also play a role in the onset of ER stress-mediated apoptosis, likely through the modulation of ER calcium signaling. These opposing roles of MAM-localized chaperones suggest the existence of mechanisms that regulate the composition and the properties of ER membrane domains. Our results now show that the GTPase Rab32 localizes to the ER and mitochondria, and we identify this protein as a regulator of MAM properties. Consistent with such a role, Rab32 modulates ER calcium handling and disrupts the specific enrichment of calnexin on the MAM, while not affecting the ER distribution of protein-disulfide isomerase and mitofusin-2. Furthermore, Rab32 determines the targeting of PKA to mitochondrial and ER membranes and through its overexpression or inactivation increases the phosphorylation of Bad and of Drp1. Through a combination of its functions as a PKA-anchoring protein and a regulator of MAM properties, the activity and expression level of Rab32 determine the speed of apoptosis onset.

Diastolic flow velocity pattern of the left anterior descending coronary artery in hypertrophied heart, with special reference to the difference between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of diastolic flow velocity pattern of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and the difference in diastolic LAD flow velocity pattern between hypertensive LVH and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The flow velocity pattern was recorded at the mid-portion of the LAD by high-frequency transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in 22 patients with HCM, 10 hypertensive patients with LVH [LVH(+)HT], and 9 hypertensive patients without LVH [LVH(-)HT]. The diastolic flow pattern was analyzed. Standard two-dimensional echocardiogram and apexcardiogram (ACG) were also recorded. The interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and the sum of the IVST and LV posterior wall thickness (PWT) (IVST+PWT) were greater in HCM than in HT (p<0.01) patients. Early diastolic upstroke time (D-UT) of the LAD flow velocity wave was longest in HCM, and was longer in LVH(+)HT than in LVH(-)HT (p<0.01) patients. Direct correlation was found between D-UT and IVST, IVST+PWT in patients with LVH(+)HT and LVH(-)HT (r=0.80, 0.79, respectively; p<0.01), but no correlation was found between these parameters in HCM. Late-diastolic step (LDS) formation of the LAD flow velocity wave was observed in 68% of HCM, 20% of LVH(+)HT, but none of the LVH(-)HT patients. The A wave ratio of ACG was higher in patients with LDS than in those without (p<0.01). The LDS occurred coincidently with the A wave of ACG. The diastolic LAD flow velocity pattern in hypertrophied heart is characterized by slow acceleration and LDS formation, reflecting impaired relaxation and increased stiffness of the LV, respectively. These abnormalities correlate with the degree of hypertrophy in hypertensive heart, but do not correlate with that in HCM.

Clinical Implication of High VOR Gain in Slow Harmonic Acceleration

Background and ObjectivesZZThe purpose of this study was to verify if high vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in slow harmonic acceleration (SHA) test can be considered as a hallmark of a distinct disease entity. We hypothesized that patients with high VOR gain in the SHA test can be classified as a distinct disease group and looked for evidence that can support this hypothesis. Subjects and MethodZZFor this study, 306 patients who had undergone a rotation chair test were enrolled. We checked other VOR measurements (caloric test and step velocity) and clinical manifestation of the patients with high gain in SHA (HG group). The data were compared to those of the migraine associated vertigo (MAV), benign recurrent vertigo (BRV) and psychogenic dizziness (PsyD). ResultsZZAn abnormally long time constant and a large response to the caloric test were found more frequently in the patient group with high gain in SHA. The incidence of high gain in SHA was significantly higher in MAV, BRV and PsyD. The clinical manifestation of HG group was not distinguishable from the effects of BRV and PsyD. But MAV was different from HG group. ConclusionZZWe failed to find any evidence that the patients with high gain in the SHA could be classified as a distinct disease group. It seems that high gain is not merely a non-specific or incidental finding but a reproducible finding that reflects an aspect of the subject’s vestibular function. Also, the high gain in SHA is more suggestive of BRV or PsyD than MAV. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2009;52:874-9 Key WordsZZHigh gain·Vestibulo-ocular reflex·Rotation chair test·Sinusoidal harmonic acceleration test.

The 3rd Cranial Nerve Palsy due to Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurism Mimicking Acute Vestibulopathy (Vestbular Neuritis)

We present a 66-year old woman complaining of dizziness and vomiting for the previous three days. Her symptoms were quite similar to vestibular neuritis except for mild headache. Spontaneous nystagmus recording, head shake test, and slow harmonic acceleration results were also similar to vestibular neuritis. But the caloric test was not consistent with the chair test results. During the neurologic examination, ptosis, mydriasis, and the diplopia in the left eye were detected, which was indicative of central organic pathology. Bilateral posterior communicating artery aneurysm that was compressing the left oculomotor nerve was detected by CT angiography. A careful and precise neurologic examination should never be neglected when examining a dizzy patient. It was also noticeable that, acute third nerve palsy may present as intermittent saccades which mimic spontaneous nystagmus in vestibular neuritis. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2009;52:784-8 Key WordsZZOculomotor nerve·Aneurysm·Posterior communicating artery aneurysm.

Growth of a short fatigue crack – A long term simulation using a dislocation technique

In this study, the growth of a short edge crack during more than 14 000 cycles of fatigue loading is investigated in detail. An edge crack, in a semi-infinite body with no pre-existing obstacles present, is modelled in a boundary element approach by a distribution of dislocation dipoles. The fatigue cycles are fully reversed ( R = - 1 ) , and the load range is well below the threshold for long fatigue cracks. The developing local plasticity consists of discrete edge dislocations that are emitted from the crack tip. The movements of discrete dislocations are restricted to slip along preferred slip planes. The present model is restricted to a 2D plane strain problem with a through-thickness crack, assuming no 3D irregularities. A remote load is applied perpendicular to the crack extension line, and the material parameters are those of a BCC crystal structure. The competition between influence of the global loading on and local shielding of the crack tip governs the crack growth. The growth rate increases in discrete steps with short periods of retardation, from approximately the size of Burgers vector, b, up to 25 b per cycle as the length of the crack is tripled. The plastic zone changes from having an elongated, slender form to include a low angle grain boundary, which, eventually, divides into two parts. The crack growth is found to change from constant acceleration to constant growth rate as the event of the low-angle grain boundary split is approached. The results are compared to long crack characteristics, for which linear elastic fracture mechanics and Paris law can be used to predict fatigue crack growth. The exponent in Paris law varies between 1 and 0 in the present study, i.e. smaller than typical values for ductile BCC materials. The ratio between static and cyclic plastic zone sizes is found to increase during crack growth, and the angle of the general plastic zone direction increases, showing a tendency towards long crack values. The characteristics of the simulated crack growth, found in the present study, are typical for below-threshold growth, with slow acceleration, constant growth rate, and, eventually, either arrest or transition to long crack growth behaviour, as reported in the literature.

Resonance crossing and dynamic aperture in nonscaling fixed field alternating gradient accelerators

Operation with natural chromaticity in a linear nonscaling fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator causes crossing of the low order resonances such as integer and half-integer. Although those resonances are not systematic ones, small errors, such as a typical misalignment of $10\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ rms, significantly increase particle amplitude when the accelerator is operated with a slow acceleration rate. For example, there is practically no dynamic aperture if it takes 1000 turns to finish the whole acceleration cycle. Chromaticity correction with sextupole and octupole reduces the maximum available dynamic aperture in a lattice without errors. On the other hand, the accelerator becomes less sensitive to errors. To use a nonscaling FFAG for applications where, unlike a muon accelerator, the large acceptance is not a high priority demand (such as a proton driver or a particle therapy accelerator), chromaticity correction seems to be an essential ingredient.

Slow acceleration and deacceleration through a Hopf bifurcation: Power ramps, target nucleation, and elliptic bursting

From the periodicity of regional climate change to sustained oscillations in living cells, the transition between stationary and oscillatory behavior is often through a Hopf bifurcation. When a parameter slowly passes or ramps through a Hopf bifurcation there is a delayed transition to sustained oscillations and an associated memory effect where onset is dependent on the initial state of the system. Most theoretical studies of the delay and memory effect assume constant ramp speeds, overlooking the problem of slow parameter acceleration or deacceleration through the Hopf bifurcation. Using both numerical and analytic methods, we show that slow nonlinear ramps can significantly increase or decrease the onset threshold, changing profoundly our understanding of the associated memory effect. We found that slow parameter acceleration increases the threshold, whereas slow deacceleration decreases the threshold. The theory is applied to the formation of pacemakers in the unstirred Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction and the onset of elliptic bursting in the context of nerve membrane excitability. We show that our results generalize to all systems where slow passage through a Hopf bifurcation is the underlying mechanism for onset.

THE WEBT CAMPAIGN ON 3C279 IN 2006

The quasar 3C 279 was the target of an extensive multiwavelength monitoring campaign from January through April 2006, including an optical-IR-radio Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) campaign and Target of Opportunity X-ray and soft γ-ray observations with Chandra and INTEGRAL in mid-January 2006, with additional X-ray coverage by RXTE and Swift XRT as well as independent very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray observations by MAGIC, which led to the first-ever reported tentative detection of a quasar at VHE γ-rays. In this paper we summarize the results of the WEBT campaign. The source exhibited substantial variability of optical flux and spectral shape, with a characteristic time scale of a few days. The variability patterns throughout the optical BVRI bands were very closely correlated with each other, while there was no obvious correlation between the optical and radio variability. In intriguing contrast to other (in particular, BL Lac type) blazars, we find a lag of shorter-wavelength behind longer-wavelength variability throughout the RVB wavelength ranges, with a time delay increasing with increasing frequency. Spectral hardening during flares appears delayed with respect to a rising optical flux. This, in combination with the very steep IR-optical continuum spectral index of αo ~ 1.5 – 2.0, may indicate a highly oblique magnetic field configuration near the base of the jet, leading to inefficient particle acceleration and a very steep electron injection spectrum. An alternative explanation through a slow (time scale of several days) acceleration mechanism would require an unusually low magnetic field of B &lt; 0.2 G , about an order of magnitude lower than inferred from previous analyses of simultaneous SEDs of 3C 279 and other FSRQs with similar properties.

A Simulation of a Coronal Mass Ejection Propagation and Shock Evolution in the Lower Solar Corona

We present a detailed simulation of the evolution of a moderately slow coronal mass ejection (CME; 800 km s−1 at 5 R☉, where R☉ is solar radii) in the lower solar corona (2-5 R☉). The configuration of the Sun's magnetic field is based on the MDI data for the solar surface during Carrington rotation 1922. The pre-CME background solar wind is generated using the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model. To initiate a CME, we inserted a modified Titov-Demoulin flux rope in an active region near the solar equator using the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). After the initiation stage (within 2.5 R☉), the CME evolves at a nearly constant and slow acceleration of the order of 100 m s−2, which corresponds to an intermediate-acceleration CME. Detailed analysis of the pressures shows that the thermal pressure accounts for most of the acceleration of the CME. The magnetic pressure contributes to the acceleration early in the evolution and becomes negligible when the CME moves beyond ~3 R☉. We also present the evolution of the shock geometry near the nose of the CME, which shows that the shock is quasi parallel most of the time.

Lipoprotein separation in a novel iodixanol density gradient, for composition, density, and phenotype analysis

Separation of lipoproteins by traditional sequential salt density floatation is a prolonged process ( approximately 72 h) with variable recovery, whereas iodixanol-based, self-generating density gradients provide a rapid ( approximately 4 h) alternative. A novel, three-layered iodixanol gradient was evaluated for its ability to separate lipoprotein fractions in 63 subjects with varying degrees of dyslipidemia. Lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoproteins were measured in 21 successive iodixanol density fractions. Iodixanol fractionation was compared with sequential floatation ultracentrifugation. Iodixanol gradient formation showed a coefficient of variation of 0.29% and total lipid recovery from the gradient of 95.4% for cholesterol and 84.7% for triglyceride. Recoveries for VLDL-, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoproteins were approximately 10% higher with iodixanol compared with sequential floatation. The iodixanol gradient effectively discriminated classic lipoproteins and their subfractions, and there was evidence for improved resolution of lipoproteins with the iodixanol gradient. LDL particles subfractionated by the gradient showed good correlation between density and particle size with small, dense LDL (<25.5 nm) separated in fractions with density >1.028 g/dl. The new iodixanol density gradient enabled rapid separation with improved resolution and recovery of all lipoproteins and their subfractions, providing important information with regard to LDL phenotype from a single centrifugation step with minimal in-vitro modification of lipoproteins.

Ionospheric electron upflow in the polar cap region: Derived from ISIS 2 measurements

Using the mass conservation equation, the parallel electron upflow velocity normalized by the base velocity in the polar cap region of the topside ionosphere is derived as a function of electron density and neutral species densities. The normalized parallel velocity profiles are evaluated using ISIS 2 electron density observations and neutral species density profiles from the MSIS model. From the cases analyzed, the derived velocity profiles show a similar trend of (a) a region of slow acceleration below an altitude of ∼500 km, (b) a region of fast acceleration (∼500 km–1100 km), and (c) another region of weak or no acceleration (&gt;∼1100 km). A simple analytical function is proposed to empirically describe the normalized parallel velocity profile. The parameters in the function have been determined by a multivariate least squares fit of calculated profiles to the analytical expression. These parameters define the magnitude and the height of maximum acceleration. For the cases studied the maximum acceleration height occurred in the range of 731–908 km. The parallel velocity can increase by a factor of up to 6 within the acceleration region. The results from the cases studied suggest that the chosen analytical function suitably describes the normalized parallel electron velocity in the high‐latitude topside ionosphere. Furthermore, the acceleration mechanisms have been investigated using the electron momentum equation. On the basis of an existing model of the electron temperature, our results suggest that the enhanced pressure gradient force may be the main driver of the observed acceleration in the electron upflow.