Spectrum Of Fluctuations Research Articles

The power spectrum of luminosity distance fluctuations in General Relativity

At low redshift, it is possible to combine spectroscopic information of galaxies with their luminosity or angular diameter distance to directly measure the projection of peculiar velocities (PV) along the line-of-sight. A PV survey probing a large fraction of the sky is subject to so-called wide-angle effects, arising from the variation of the line-of-sight across the sky, and other sub-leading projection effects due to the propagation of the photons in a perturbed cosmological background. In this work, for the first time, we provide a complete description, within linear theory and General Relativity, of the power spectrum of luminosity distance fluctuations, clarifying its relation to the observables in a PV survey. We find that wide-angle effects will be detected at high significance by future observations and will have to be included in the cosmological analysis. Other relativistic projections effects could also be detected provided accurate, per object, distances are available.

Forecasting Constraints from Surface Brightness Fluctuations in Galaxy Clusters

Studies of surface brightness (SB) fluctuations in the intracluster medium present an indirect estimate of turbulent pressure support and associated Mach numbers. While high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy can directly constrain line-of-sight gas motions, including those due to turbulence, such observations are relatively expensive and will be limited to nearby, bright clusters. In this respect, SB fluctuations are the most economical means to constrain turbulent motions at large cluster radii across a range of redshifts and masses. To forecast what current and future X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich facilities may achieve in SB fluctuation studies, I review and synthesize matters of accuracy and precision with respect to calculating power spectra of SB fluctuations, from which turbulent properties are derived. Balancing concerns of power spectrum accuracy and precision across a range of spatial scales, I propose the use of three annuli with [0, 0.4]R 500, [0.4, 1]R 500, and [1, 1.5]R 500. Adopting these three regions, I calculate the uncertainty in the hydrostatic mass bias, σbM , that can be achieved for various instruments in several scenarios. I find that Lynx and AtLAST are competitive in their constraints at R 500, while AtLAST should perform better when constraining σbM at R 200.

A wall-modeled large-eddy simulation of the unsteady flow in a water-jet pump based on the turbulent length scales

Non-zonal hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) are commonly used for predicting unsteady flows in pumps. However, these hybrid methods often face challenges in the transition between the RANS and LES regions, known as the “grey area” problem. In this study, a pure LES approach, coupled with wall modeling to eliminate this issue, was employed to simulate unsteady flow in a water-jet pump (WJP). A grid generation method, based on turbulent length scales derived from a precursor RANS calculation, was developed to address the complexities of grid design in wall-modeled large-eddy simulations (WMLESs) for complex geometries. Initially, the accuracy of the wall model was validated in the fully developed channel flow. The grid generation method and the accuracy of WMLES in predicting unsteady fluctuations were validated using the flow over a flat strut with an asymmetrically beveled trailing edge. The predicted fluctuation spectra at monitored points showed strong agreement with experimental data. The grid generation method was then applied to WMLES of flow in a WJP, where experimental measurements of the pump head rise and torque were accurately calculated by the numerical simulations. The results from three different grid resolutions were compared with experimental data, revealing significant changes in the predicted mean and transient fields as the grid was refined. The grid based on the turbulent length scales reproduced both the hydrodynamics and transient vortices with high accuracy and detailed resolution. These comparisons demonstrated that pure LES with wall modeling effectively predicts the mean and fluctuating characteristics of high Reynolds number flows with reasonable computational cost. The turbulent length scale-based WMLES enhance the fidelity of computational tools for simulating pump flows.

Single-pulse Emissions of PSRs J1611–0114 and J1617+1123

In this paper, the emissions from two pulsars, PSRs J1611−0114 and J1617+1123, were investigated using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope operating at a central frequency of 1250 MHz. The average pulse profile of PSR J1611−0114 shows two components, the first of which is relatively weak in intensity. The two-dimensional pulse stack exhibits an obvious nulling phenomenon, with an estimated nulling fraction of 40.1% ± 5.4%. The durations of the nulls and bursts are consistent with power-law distributions, and no periodic nulling phenomenon is found. The results from PSR J1617+1123 demonstrate that the average pulse profile is composed of four components. The peak intensity of the fourth component varies significantly, causing an unstable integrated profile. In addition, the modulation characteristics of J1611−0114 and J1617+1123 were studied by analyzing the modulation index, longitude resolved fluctuation spectrum and two-dimensional fluctuation spectrum using the software PSRSALSA. It was found that the two pulsars exhibit intensity modulation. In particular, J1611−0114 displays even–odd modulation, with the modulation period of approximately two pulses. The modulation period of J1617+1123 is relatively broad. There is an obvious subpulse drift phenomenon, and the value of P 2 is ∼0.125c/P 0, corresponding to 12 pulse longitude bins, and the drift rate (P 2/P 3) is about 0.29.

The use of low-frequency current fluctuations in measuring the mobility of holes in the MEH-PPV polymer

A diagnostic method based on the evaluation of low-frequency current fluctuation spectra is presented. When measuring the current through a p-type MEH-PPV sample, the occurrence of fluctuation is observable which can be measured with an AC amplifier. A model has been proposed that proves that the fluctuations originate from the interaction between the valence band and the band gap traps. The mean value of the amplitudes of these fluctuations increases linearly with decreasing frequency with a slope from which the product of mobility and lifetime of current carriers µpτp= (9 ± 3) × 10−15 cm2V−1 was obtained. The hole lifetime of (0.27 ± 0.01) ns was evaluated from the luminescence relaxation using the time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique. The mobility value (3 ± 1) × 10−5 cm2 V−1s−1 calculated using the above methods was compared with the mobility 1.8 × 10−5 cm2 V−1s−1 determined by the CELIV method (Charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage) and good agreement was obtained.

Global Analysis of the Extended Decreases in Cosmic Rays Observed with Worldwide Networks of Neutron Monitors and Muon Detectors: Temporal Variation of the Rigidity Spectrum and Its Implication

This paper presents the global analysis of two extended decreases in the galactic cosmic-ray intensity observed by worldwide networks of ground-based detectors in 2012. This analysis is capable of separately deriving the cosmic-ray density (or omnidirectional intensity) and anisotropy, each as a function of time and rigidity. A simple diffusion model along the spiral field line between Earth and a cosmic-ray barrier indicates the long duration of these events, resulting from about 190° eastern extent of a barrier such as an interplanetary shock followed by the sheath region and/or the corotating interaction region (CIR). It is suggested that the coronal mass ejection merging with and compressing the preexisting CIR at its flank can produce such an extended barrier. The derived rigidity spectra of the density and anisotropy both vary in time during each event period. In particular we find that the temporal feature of the “phantom Forbush decrease (FD)” reported in an analyzed period is dependent on rigidity, and looks quite different at different rigidities. From these rigidity spectra of the density and anisotropy, we derive the rigidity spectrum of the average parallel mean free path of pitch angle scattering along the spiral field line and infer the power spectrum of the magnetic fluctuation and its temporal variation. The possible physical cause of the strong rigidity dependence of the phantom FD is also discussed. These results demonstrate the high-energy cosmic rays observed at Earth responding to remote space weather.

Spectral properties of solar wind plasma flux and magnetic field fluctuations across fast reverse interplanetary shocks

We have analyzed spectra of fluctuations in the solar wind plasma flux and the magnetic field magnitude near the front of a fast reverse shocks, using data from the BMSW device (Bright Monitor of Solar Wind) operating on the SPEKTR-R satellite. Its time resolution made it possible to study plasma flux fluctuations up to a frequency of 16 Hz. Magnetic field data was taken mainly from the WIND satellite, for which the frequency of the fluctuations considered was up to 5.5 Hz. The slope of the spectra of the solar wind flux fluctuations on MHD scales has been shown to be close to the slope of the spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations in the disturbed region. On kinetic scales, the difference can be significant. For the region ahead of the front, the difference in the slope of the spectrum can be quite large both in the MHD and in the kinetic region. The frequency of the break of the flux spectrum ranges from 0.6 to 1.3 Hz, which corresponds to the scale of the proton inertial length. In a number of events, however, the shape of the spectrum indicates the influence of the proton gyroradius frequency, which is usually 0.05–0.15 Hz. The break in the power spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations also more often ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 Hz. In this case, the slope of the MHD part of the spectrum changes little, but in the kinetic part it increases slightly when moving to the disturbed region.

Анализ спектров флуктуаций величины потока плазмы и модуля магнитного поля на обратных ударных волнах

We have analyzed spectra of fluctuations in the solar wind plasma flux and the magnetic field magnitude near the front of a fast reverse shocks, using data from the BMSW device (Bright Monitor of Solar Wind) operating on the SPEKTR-R satellite. Its time resolution made it possible to study plasma flux fluctuations up to a frequency of 16 Hz. Magnetic field data was taken mainly from the WIND satellite, for which the frequency of the fluctuations considered was up to 5.5 Hz. The slope of the spectra of the solar wind flux fluctuations on MHD scales has been shown to be close to the slope of the spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations in the disturbed region. On kinetic scales, the difference can be significant. For the region ahead of the front, the difference in the slope of the spectrum can be quite large both in the MHD and in the kinetic region. The frequency of the break of the flux spectrum ranges from 0.6 to 1.3 Hz, which corresponds to the scale of the proton inertial length. In a number of events, however, the shape of the spectrum indicates the influence of the proton gyroradius frequency, which is usually 0.05–0.15 Hz. The break in the power spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations also more often ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 Hz. In this case, the slope of the MHD part of the spectrum changes little, but in the kinetic part it increases slightly when moving to the disturbed region.

Data-Based Kinematic Viscosity and Rayleigh–Taylor Mixing Attributes in High-Energy Density Plasmas

We explore properties of matter and characteristics of Rayleigh–Taylor mixing by analyzing data gathered in the state-of-the-art fine-resolution experiments in high-energy density plasmas. The eminent quality data represent fluctuations spectra of the X-ray imagery intensity versus spatial frequency. We find, by using the rigorous statistical method, that the fluctuations spectra are accurately captured by a compound function, being a product of a power law and an exponential and describing, respectively, self-similar and scale-dependent spectral parts. From the self-similar part, we find that Rayleigh–Taylor mixing has steep spectra and strong correlations. From the scale-dependent part, we derive the first data-based value of the kinematic viscosity in high-energy density plasmas. Our results explain the experiments, agree with the group theory and other experiments, and carve the path for better understanding Rayleigh–Taylor mixing in nature and technology.

1/fα noise in the Robin Hood model

Abstract We consider the Robin Hood dynamics, a one-dimensional extremal self-organized critical model that describes the low-temperature creep phenomenon. One of the key quantities is the time evolution of the state variable (force noise). To understand the temporal correlations, we compute the power spectra of the local force fluctuations and apply finite-size scaling to get scaling functions and critical exponents. We find a signature of the 1 / f α noise for the local force with a nontrivial value of the spectral exponent 0 < α < 2 . We also examine temporal fluctuations in the position of the extremal site and a local activity signal. We present results for different local interaction rules of the model.

Critical analysis of replacing dark matter and dark energy with a model of stochastic spacetime

We analyze consequences of trying to replace dark matter and dark energy with models of stochastic spacetime. In particular, we analyze the model put forth by ref. [1], in which it is claimed that “post-quantum classical gravity” (PQCG), a stochastic theory of gravity, leads to modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) behavior on galactic scales that reproduces galactic rotation curves, and leads to dark energy. We show that this analysis has four basic problems: (i) the equations of PQCG do not lead to a new large scale force of the form claimed in the paper, (ii) the form claimed is not of the MONDian form anyhow and so does not correspond to observed galactic dynamics, (iii) the spectrum of fluctuations is very different from observations, and (iv) we also identify some theoretical problems in these models.

Detecting relativistic Doppler by multi-tracing a single galaxy population

New data from ongoing galaxy surveys, such as the Euclid satellite and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), are expected to unveil physics on the largest scales of our universe. Dramatically affected by cosmic variance, these scales are of interest to large-scale structure studies as they exhibit relevant corrections due to general relativity (GR) in the n-point statistics of cosmological random fields. We focus on the relativistic, sample-dependent Doppler contribution to the observed clustering of galaxies, whose detection will further confirm the validity of GR in cosmological regimes. Sample- and scale-dependent, the Doppler term is more likely to be detected via cross-correlation measurements, where it acts as an imaginary correction to the power spectrum of fluctuations in galaxy number counts. We present a method allowing us to exploit multi-tracer benefits from a single data set, by subdividing a galaxy population into two sub-samples, according to galaxies’ luminosity/magnitude. To overcome cosmic variance we rely on a multi-tracer approach, and to maximise the detectability of the relativistic Doppler contribution in the data, we optimise sample selection. As a result, we find the optimal split and forecast the relativistic Doppler detection significance for both a DESI-like Bright Galaxy Sample and a Euclid-like Hα galaxy population.

Extended Cyclotron Resonant Heating of the Turbulent Solar Wind

Circularly polarized, nearly parallel propagating waves are prevalent in the solar wind at ion-kinetic scales. At these scales, the spectrum of turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind steepens, often called the transition range, before flattening at sub-ion scales. Circularly polarized waves have been proposed as a mechanism to couple electromagnetic fluctuations to ion gyromotion, enabling ion-scale dissipation that results in observed ion-scale steepening. Here we study Parker Solar Probe observations of an extended stream of fast solar wind ranging from ∼15 to 55 R ⊙. We demonstrate that, throughout the stream, transition range steepening at ion scales is associated with the presence of significant left-handed ion-kinetic-scale waves, which are thought to be ion cyclotron waves. We implement quasilinear theory to compute the rate at which ions are heated via cyclotron resonance with the observed circularly polarized waves given the empirically measured proton velocity distribution functions. We apply the Von Kármán decay law to estimate the turbulent decay of the large-scale fluctuations, which is equal to the turbulent energy cascade rate. We find that the ion cyclotron heating rates are correlated with, and amount to a significant fraction of, the turbulent energy cascade rate, implying that cyclotron heating is an important dissipation mechanism in the solar wind.

Characteristics of Scalar Frequency-Wave Spectrum of Wall Pressure Fluctuations at Gradient-Free Turbulent Boundary Layer

Characteristics of Scalar Frequency-Wave Spectrum of Wall Pressure Fluctuations at Gradient-Free Turbulent Boundary Layer

Holographic fluids from 5D dilaton gravity

We study a solvable class of five-dimensional dilaton gravity models that continuously interpolate between anti-de Sitter (AdS5), linear dilaton (LD5) and positively curved spacetimes as a function of a continuous parameter ν. The dilaton vacuum expectation value is set by a potential localized on a flat brane. We chart the elementary properties of these backgrounds for any admissible ν, and determine stability conditions of the brane-dilaton system. We find that the spectrum of metric fluctuations can be either continuous or discrete. It features a massless graviton mode confined between the brane and the curvature singularity, and a massive radion mode tied to brane-dilaton stability. We show that, in the presence of a bulk black hole, the holographic theory living on the brane features a perfect fluid. The equation of state of the holographic fluid interpolates between radiation, pressureless matter and vacuum energy as a function of ν. This extends earlier findings on holographic fluids. Our results suggest that the thermodynamics of the fluid mirrors precisely the thermodynamics of the bulk black hole.

Coherent feedback ground state cooling of the mechanical resonator in quadratic optomechanical system assisted by an atomic ensemble

We propose a scheme for cooling a mechanical resonator to its ground state in a quadratic optomechanical system, assisted by an atomic ensemble in the unresolved sideband regime. The system features an auxiliary cavity directly coupled to an optical cavity, with a portion of the optical cavity’s output field being fed back through an asymmetric beam splitter. Utilizing quantum Langevin and master equations, we derive the optical fluctuation spectrum, the cooling rate, and the mean phonon number of the mechanical resonator. Our results demonstrate that the feedback mechanism substantially enhances the cooling rate. Furthermore, under optimal cooling conditions, the mechanical resonator achieves ground state cooling even with weaker optomechanical coupling strengths and higher auxiliary cavity dissipation rates, thereby mitigating the experimental constraints associated with these parameters. Additionally, we provide the feasible ranges for optomechanical coupling strength and atomic decay rates. Our findings suggest promising avenues for quantum manipulation in nonlinear systems and its applications in macroscopic optical devices.

Condensation mechanism and pressure fluctuation of a steam centrifugal compressor based on a non-equilibrium condensation model

In this paper, the condensation mechanism and pressure fluctuation of a steam centrifugal compressor are deeply studied based on a non-equilibrium condensation model. The wet steam model is generated to predict the flow characteristics and the condensation of the steam centrifugal compressor. The effect of different inlet temperatures on the steam condensation characteristics is deeply explored. Numerical results show that the steam condensation phenomenon on the high span surface is increasingly obvious, and the mass fraction of liquid steam first increases and then decreases with the increase in temperature. The droplet particle diameter and the droplet number gradually increase with the increase in temperature. It is also found that the blade loading on the impeller blade also becomes more unstable with the increase in inlet temperature. The amplitude spectrum of pressure fluctuation on the both sides of impeller blade and diffuser blade is analyzed through the fast Fourier transform. The pressure fluctuation in the flow channel becomes severe first and then becomes stable with the increase in temperature, which is well consistent with the variation trend of liquid mass fraction. The quantitative relationship between condensation strength and operating temperature is established to explore the variation trend essence of surface-average wetness fraction of different span surfaces at different inlet temperatures, which further reveals the condensation sensitivity to temperature at different blade heights. It is further found that the condensation strength on the low span surface and the average wetness fraction of steam condensation in the flow field increasingly decrease with the increase in inlet temperature.

Discussion of sound propagation through the turbulent Martian atmosphere and implications for inference of turbulence spectra.

Chide et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 155, 420-435 (2024)] provide a first attempt to infer the spectrum of temperature fluctuations on Mars from experimental data on the variances of travel-time and log-amplitude fluctuations recorded by the microphone on board the Perseverance rover. However, the theoretical formulations that were used to interpret the travel-time data have limitations. In addition to explaining those issues, this article also outlines approaches for predicting statistical characteristics of acoustic signals in the Martian atmosphere. In particular, the experimentally observed dependence of the travel-time variance on the propagation range can be attributed to ground-blocking of buoyantly produced turbulent velocity fluctuations and the non-Markov character of phase fluctuations.

Impact of dark sector preheating on CMB observables

The prediction of a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of curvature and tensor fluctuations is among the main features of cosmic inflation. The current measurements of the primordial fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) provide tight constraints on the amplitude of the scalar and tensor spectra, and the scalar tilt. However, the precise connection between these observables and a given inflationary model, depends on the expansion history between the end of inflation and the beginning of the radiation dominated era, which corresponds to the reheating epoch. This mapping between horizon exit and reentry of fluctuations, parametrized by the number of e-folds N*, can therefore be affected by the presence of a transient epoch of non-perturbative particle production during reheating (preheating). Using a combination of perturbative and lattice computations, we quantify the impact of preheating in a non-equilibrated dark matter sector on the CMB observables, under the assumption of a simultaneous perturbative decay of the inflaton into Standard Model particles. Combined with structure formation constraints, this allows us to impose stringent bounds on the post-inflationary reheating temperature.

Induced gravitational wave interpretation of PTA data: a complete study for general equation of state

We thoroughly study the induced gravitational wave interpretation of the possible gravitational wave background reported by PTA collaborations, considering the unknown equation of state w of the early universe. We perform a Bayesian analysis of the NANOGrav data using the publicly available PTArcade code together with SIGWfast for the numerical integration of the induced gravitational wave spectrum. We focus on two cases: a monochromatic and a log-normal primordial spectrum of fluctuations. For the log-normal spectrum, we show that, while the results are not very sensitive to w when the GW peak is close to the PTA window, radiation domination is out of the 2σ contours when only the infra-red power-law tail contributes. For the monochromatic spectrum, the 2σ bounds yield 0.1 ≲ w ≲ 0.9 so that radiation domination is close to the central value. We also investigate the primordial black hole (PBH) abundance for both monochromatic and log-normal power spectrum. We show that, in general terms, a larger width and stiffer equation of state alleviates the overproduction of PBHs. No PBH overproduction requires w ≲ 0.57 up to 2-σ level for the monochromatic spectrum. Furthermore, including bounds from the cosmic microwave background, we find in general that the mass range of the PBH counterpart is bounded by 10-5 M ⊙ ≲ M PBH ≲ 10-1 M ⊙. Lastly, we find that the PTA signal can explain the microlensing events reported by OGLE for w ~ 0.7. Our work showcases a complete treatment of induced gravitational waves and primordial black holes for general w for future data analysis.