Excess Velocity Research Articles

Relaxation of nonequilibrium nanoparticle velocities in liquid medium

An optical speckle correlation method has been used to measure the velocities of nonequilibrium nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium. It is established that the excess velocity of nanoparticles upon the irradiation of their suspension by high-power laser pulses decreases with the time according to a law that is close to t−1 and the characteristic relaxation time reaches several dozen milliseconds.

Studies on intermolecular interaction on binary mixtures of methyl orange–water system: Excess molar functions of ultrasonic parameters at different concentrations and at different temperatures

Density ( ρ), viscosity ( η) and ultrasonic velocity ( u) of binary mixtures of methyl orange and water were measured at different concentrations and at different temperatures; several useful parameters such as excess volume, excess velocity, and excess adiabatic compressibility have been calculated. These parameters are used to explain the nature of intermolecular interactions taking place in the binary mixture. The above study is helpful in understanding the dye/solvent interaction at different concentration and temperatures.

An Experimental and Modeling Investigation of Synthetic Jets in a Coflow Wake

A round synthetic jet injected in a coflow wake is investigated experimentally in order to estimate the spreading and decaying rates of the jet while compensating for the actuator wake. The flow field of the jet and wake is measured using hot-wire anemometry. The spatial evolution of the synthetic jet is modeled similarly to a continuous turbulent jet in a coflow with some modifications for the pulsatile nature of the synthetic jet and the wake behind the flow actuator. The model employs an integral formulation that conserves the excess momentum flux in the jet along with a hypothesis which asserts that the rate of growth of the shear layer is proportional to the velocity of the dominant eddies in the jet relative to the surroundings. The characteristic velocity and length scales are derived from a corresponding top hat velocity profile. The jet in the far field is observed to exhibit self-similar behavior, as distinguished by the overlapping of the excess mean velocity profiles if scaled by the self-simi...

Hydrography and circulation near the crest of the East Pacific Rise between 9° and 10°N

Topography has a strong effect on the physical oceanography over the flanks and crests of the global mid-ocean ridge system. Here, we present an analysis of the hydrography and circulation near the crest of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) between 9° and 10°N, which coincides with an integrated study site (ISS) of the RIDGE2000 program. The analysis is based primarily on survey and mooring data collected during the LADDER project, which aimed to investigate oceanographic and topographic influences on larval retention and dispersal in hydrothermal vent communities. Results indicate that the yearly averaged regional mean circulation is characterized by a westward drift of 0.5–1 cm s −1 across the EPR axis and by north- and southward flows along the western and eastern upper ridge flanks, respectively. The westward drift is part of a basin-scale zonal flow that extends across most of the Pacific ocean near 10°N, whereas the meridional currents near the ridge crest are a topographic effect. In spite of considerable mesoscale variability, which dominates the regional circulation and dispersal on weekly to monthly time scales, quasi-synoptic surveys carried out during the mooring deployment and recovery cruises indicate sub-inertial circulations that are qualitatively similar to the yearly averaged flow but associated with significantly stronger velocities. Weekly averaged mooring data indicate that the anticyclonically sheared along-flank flows are associated with core speeds as high as 10 cm s −1 and extend ≈ 10 km off axis and 200 m above the ridge-crest topography. Near the northern limit of the study region, the Lamont Seamount Chain rises from the western ridge flank and restricts along-EPR flow to five narrow passages, where peak velocities in excess of 20 cm s −1 were observed. Outside the region of the ridge-crest boundary currents the density field over the EPR near 10°N is characterized by isopycnals dipping into the ridge flanks. Directly above the EPR axis the ridge-crest boundary currents give rise to an isopycnal dome. During times of strong westward cross-EPR flow isopycnal uplift over the eastern flank causes the cross-ridge density field below the doming isopycnals to be asymmetric, with higher densities over the eastern than over the western flank. The data collected during the LADDER project indicate that dispersal of hydrothermal products from the EPR ISS on long time scales is predominantly to the west, whereas mesoscale variability dominates dispersal on weekly to monthly time scales, which are particularly important in the context of larval dispersal.

Characterization of the D″ beneath the Galapagos Islands using SKKS and SKS waveforms

SKS and SKKS waveforms from 16 events occurring between 2003 and 2005 in the Tonga Trench that were recorded by the BOLIVAR array are analyzed to determine the structure of the D″ layer beneath the Galapagos Islands. 248 differential travel-time residuals of SKKS-SKS are measured and reveal a region of positive residuals of differential travel times in the northeast portion of the sampled region. Analyzing correlation statistics between the measured SKKS-SKS residuals and the observed absolute travel time delay of the individual SKS and SKKS phases for two events with high data quality, we determine that the residual differential travel time is due to excess low velocity along the SKKS raypaths. First order modeling of three potential low velocity structures, ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZ), plume conduit, D″ structure, indicates that the observed SKKS-SKS residuals can be best explained by a low velocity anomaly within the D″ layer. To determine the presence of lower mantle anisotropy, amplitude ratios of the radial and transverse component of SKS and SKKS waveform are calculated and compared. Regions with significant presence of seismic anisotropy are interpreted as the edge of the flow field associated with a hypothetical mantle upwelling.

Experimental Results on a 7-m-Long Plasma-Driven Electromagnetic Launcher

The Institute for Advanced Technology (IAT) at The University of Texas at Austin has been conducting research aimed at achieving muzzle velocities in excess of 7 km/s using a plasma-driven electromagnetic launcher. Plasma-driven railguns are susceptible to bore effects that limit muzzle speeds to about 6 km/s. The velocity ceiling is believed to be the result of the viscous drag of material ablated from the bore of the launcher. Ablation of bore materials, especially the insulators, is caused by the intense heat radiated by plasma armatures, especially at low speeds. The experiments reported in this paper are focused on overcoming the velocity ceiling of 6 km/s. A proof-of-principle experiment has been designed to launch 5-10 g polycarbonate projectiles to muzzle velocities in excess of 7 km/s with modest acceleration loads of 500 kG. Our approach to controlling bore ablation involves the following elements: (1) using magnetic augmentation to reduce power dissipation in the plasma; (2) using high-purity alumina insulators to raise the ablation resistance of the bore; (3) using pre-acceleration to prevent ablation of the bore materials at low velocity; and (4) using a synchronously driven distributed power supply to electrically isolate stages. This paper describes the consequences of excessive bore ablation, the rationale for the IAT experiment, and the results obtained during testing in 2009.

Current Distribution and Contact Mechanisms in Static Railgun Experiments With Brush Armatures

The use of brush armatures for accelerating railgun projectiles allows muzzle velocities in excess of 2.5 km/s and contact transition velocities of at least 1.8 km/s in middle-caliber launchers to be obtained. The technology developed at ISL is based on the use of multiple brush armatures. Asymmetric wear has been observed in dynamic launch experiments when the brushes were separated in shot direction. This indicates the presence of asymmetric current distribution. In this paper, mechanisms determining the current distribution of multiple brush armatures are investigated using a static approach. Experiments were performed using a section of the ISL EMA3 railgun with 270-mm-long rails. It had a caliber of 15 mm x 30 mm and was connected to a 150-kJ capacitor bank. Three series of experiments focusing on specific parameter variations are presented. The current distributions were recorded using small Rogowski coils placed around the brushes. Magnetoresistive sensors were used for highly local measurements of magnetic fields in the vicinity of the brushes. Results reveal insight into the contact behavior of multiple brush armatures. More specifically, phase transitions at the brush-rail interfaces can be observed. This is typical in dynamic experiments when the current commutates from one brush to another. The experiments are discussed with the help of PSPICE simulations.

A computational study and correlation of premixed isooctane–air laminar reaction front properties under spark ignited and spark assisted compression ignition engine conditions

To address the need for reliable premixed laminar burning velocity and thickness information within the spark assisted compression ignition (SACI) combustion regime, a large dataset of simulated reaction fronts has been generated in this work. A transient one dimensional premixed laminar flame simulation was applied to isooctane–air mixtures using a 215 species chemical kinetic mechanism. The simulation was exercised over fuel–air equivalence ratios, unburned gas temperatures and pressures ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, 298 to 1000 K and 1 to 250 bar, respectively, a range that extends beyond that of previous researchers. Steady reaction fronts with burning velocities in excess of 5 cm/s could not be established under all of these conditions, especially when burned gas temperatures were below 1500 K and/or when characteristic reaction front times were on the order of the unburned gas ignition delay. Steady premixed laminar burning velocities were correlated using a modified two-equation form based upon the asymptotic structure of a laminar flame, which produced an average error of 2.5% between the simulated and correlated laminar burning velocities, with a standard deviation of 3.0%. Additional correlations were constructed for reaction front thickness and adiabatic flame temperature. The resulting premixed laminar burning velocity correlation showed good agreement with experiments and existing correlations within the spark-ignited (SI) regime. Analysis of the simulated characteristic reaction front times and ignition delays suggests that homogeneous SACI combustion is most useful under medium and high load operating conditions.

Ultrasonic Velocities, Densities, and Refractive Indices of Binary Mixtures of Polyethylene Glycol 250 Dimethyl Ether with 1-Propanol and with 1-Butanol

Measurements of the ultrasonic velocity (u), density (ρ) and refractive index (n) for binary mixtures of polyethylene glycol 250 dimethyl ether with 1-propanol and 1-butanol have been made at three temperatures (T=293, 303 and 31 K) over the entire composition range in order to investigate the nature of intermolecular interactions between the components of these liquid mixtures. Various excess thermodynamic properties such as the excess ultrasonic velocity (Δu), deviation in isentropic compressibility (Δk S ), excess intermolecular free length \((L_{\mathrm{f}}^{\mathrm{E}})\), excess acoustic impedance (Z E), excess pseudo-Gruneisen parameter (Γ E), and molar refraction deviation (ΔR m) were calculated using experimental values of the ultrasonic velocity, density and refractive index and were then represented with the Redlich-Kister polynomial equation. The observed excess deviation parameter values were explained on the basis of the strength of intermolecular interactions between the components of the mixtures. Estimations of the refractive index and ultrasonic velocity have also been made using various empirical relations and are discussed in terms of the average percentage deviations (APD).

The enigmatic young brown dwarf binary FU Tau: accretion and activity

FU Tau belongs to a rare class of young, wide brown dwarf binaries. We have resolved the system in a Chandra X-ray observation and detected only the primary, FU Tau A. Hard X-ray emission, presumably from a corona, is present but, unexpectedly, we detect also a strong and unusually soft component from FU Tau A. Its X-ray properties, so far unique among brown dwarfs, are very similar to those of the T Tauri star TW Hya. The analogy with TW Hya suggests that the dominating soft X-ray component can be explained by emission from accretion shocks. However, the typical free-fall velocities of a brown dwarf are too low for an interpretation of the observed X-ray temperature as post-shock region. On the other hand, velocities in excess of the free-fall speed are derived from archival optical spectroscopy, and independent pieces of evidence for strong accretion in FU Tau A are found in optical photometry. The high X-ray luminosity of FU Tau A coincides with a high bolometric luminosity confirming an unexplained trend among young brown dwarfs. In fact, FU Tau A is overluminous with respect to evolutionary models while FU Tau B is on the 1 Myr isochrone suggesting non-contemporaneous formation of the two components in the binary. The extreme youth of FU Tau A could be responsible for its peculiar X-ray properties, in terms of atypical magnetic activity or accretion. Alternatively, rotation and magnetic field effects may reduce the efficiency of convection which in turn affects the effective temperature and radius of FU Tau A shifting its position in the HR diagram. Although there is no direct prove of this latter scenario so far we present arguments for its plausibility.

WARM MOLECULAR HYDROGEN EMISSION IN NORMAL EDGE-ON GALAXIES NGC 4565 AND NGC 5907

We have observed warm molecular hydrogen in two nearby edge-on disk galaxies, NGC 4565 and NGC 5907, using the Spitzer high-resolution infrared spectrograph. The 0-0 S(0) 28.2 micron and 0-0 S(1) 17.0 micron pure rotational lines were detected out to 10 kpc from the center of each galaxy on both sides of the major axis, and in NGC 4565 the S(0) line was detected at r = 15 kpc on one side. This location lies beyond a steep drop in the radio continuum emission from cosmic rays in the disk. Despite indications that star formation activity decreases with radius, the H2 excitation temperature and the ratio of the H2 line and the far-IR luminosity surface densities, Sigma_L(H2}/Sigma_L(TIR}, change very little as a function of radius, even into the diffuse outer region of the disk of NGC 4565. This suggests that the source of excitation of the H2 operates over a large range of radii, and is broadly independent of the strength and relative location of UV emission from young stars. Although excitation in photodissociation regions is the most common explanation for the widespread H2 emission, cosmic ray heating or shocks cannot be ruled out. The inferred mass surface densities of warm molecular hydrogen in both edge-on galaxies differ substantially, being 4(-60) M_solar/pc^2 and 3(-50) M_solar/pc^2 at r = 10 kpc for NGC 4565 and NGC 5907, respectively. The higher values represent very unlikely point-source upper limits. The point source case is not supported by the observed emission distribution in the spectral slits. These mass surface densities cannot support the observed rotation velocities in excess of 200 km/s. Therefore, warm molecular hydrogen cannot account for dark matter in these disk galaxies, contrary to what was implied by a previous ISO study of the nearby edge-on galaxy NGC 891.

NMA Membership Application

Stability constants of two complexes of anisole with aniline and N-methylaniline (NMA) are determined from the measured ultrasonic velocity in n-hexane medium at four different temperatures. Acoustic and excess thermo acoustic parameters [excess ultrasonic velocity (uE), excess molar volume (VE), excess internal pressure (πiE)] are reported for these systems at four different temperatures. The trend in acoustic and excess parameters with concentration in the two systems establishes the formation of hydrogen bonded complexes between anisole and the two amines. Thermodynamic properties are computed for the two complexes from the variation in K with temperature. The formation of these complexes is also established by UV spectral method and their spectral characteristics and stability constants are determined. K values of these complexes obtained by ultrasonic and UV spectroscopic techniques agree well. Aniline forms more stable complex than N-methylaniline with anisole in n-hexane medium.

MGA trajectory planning with an ACO-inspired algorithm

Given a set of celestial bodies, the problem of finding an optimal sequence of swing-bys, deep space manoeuvres (DSM) and transfer arcs connecting the elements of the set is combinatorial in nature. The number of possible paths grows exponentially with the number of celestial bodies. Therefore, the design of an optimal multiple gravity assist (MGA) trajectory is a NP-hard mixed combinatorial–continuous problem. Its automated solution would greatly improve the design of future space missions, allowing the assessment of a large number of alternative mission options in a short time. This work proposes to formulate the complete automated design of a multiple gravity assist trajectory as an autonomous planning and scheduling problem. The resulting scheduled plan will provide the optimal planetary sequence and a good estimation of the set of associated optimal trajectories. The trajectory model consists of a sequence of celestial bodies connected by two-dimensional transfer arcs containing one DSM. For each transfer arc, the position of the planet and the spacecraft, at the time of arrival, are matched by varying the pericentre of the preceding swing-by, or the magnitude of the launch excess velocity, for the first arc. For each departure date, this model generates a full tree of possible transfers from the departure to the destination planet. Each leaf of the tree represents a planetary encounter and a possible way to reach that planet. An algorithm inspired by ant colony optimization (ACO) is devised to explore the space of possible plans. The ants explore the tree from departure to destination adding one node at the time: every time an ant is at a node, a probability function is used to select a feasible direction. This approach to automatic trajectory planning is applied to the design of optimal transfers to Saturn and among the Galilean moons of Jupiter. Solutions are compared to those found through more traditional genetic-algorithm techniques.

A fast tour design method using non-tangent v-infinity leveraging transfer

The announced missions to the Saturn and Jupiter systems renewed the space community interest in simple design methods for gravity assist tours at planetary moons. A key element in such trajectories are the V-Infinity Leveraging Transfers (VILT) which link simple impulsive maneuvers with two consecutive gravity assists at the same moon. VILTs typically include a tangent impulsive maneuver close to an apse location, yielding to a desired change in the excess velocity relative to the moon. In this paper we study the VILT solution space and derive a linear approximation which greatly simplifies the computation of the transfers, and is amenable to broad global searches. Using this approximation, Tisserand graphs, and heuristic optimization procedure we introduce a fast design method for multiple-VILT tours. We use this method to design a trajectory from a highly eccentric orbit around Saturn to a 200-km science orbit at Enceladus. The trajectory is then recomputed removing the linear approximation, showing a Δv change of <4%. The trajectory is 2.7 years long and comprises 52 gravity assists at Titan, Rhea, Dione, Tethys, and Enceladus, and several deterministic maneuvers. Total Δv is only 445 m/s, including the Enceladus orbit insertion, almost 10 times better then the 3.9 km/s of the Enceladus orbit insertion from the Titan–Enceladus Hohmann transfer. The new method and demonstrated results enable a new class of missions that tour and ultimately orbit small mass moons. Such missions were previously considered infeasible due to flight time and Δv constraints.

Chute Aerators. I: Air Transport Characteristics

Chutes with flow velocities in excess of some 20 to 30 m/s are usually prone to cavitation damage. Therefore, these flows are aerated using chute aerators. The current literature describes the aerator efficiency mainly in terms of the air entrainment coefficient as the ratio of the entrained air and the water discharges. However, this global coefficient neither specifies the air distribution nor its detrainment rate. The present investigation focuses on the flow structure and the air transport downstream of chute aerators. Systematic hydraulic model tests were conducted including a data analysis of the spatial air concentration distribution in both the near and the far aerator fields. Based on these, three flow zones were introduced, namely: 1 jet zone; 2 reattachment and spray zone; and 3 far-field zone. It was further found that aerators have primarily an effect on the average air concentration, whereas the increase of the bottom air concentration is typically small.

The velocity function of gas-rich galaxies

We measure the distribution function of rotational velocities phi(V_c) of late-type galaxies from the HIPASS galaxy catalogue. Previous measurements of the late-type velocity function are indirect, derived by converting the galaxy luminosity function using the relation between galaxy luminosity and rotation velocity (the Tully-Fisher relation). The advantage of HIPASS is that space densities and velocity widths are both derived from the same survey data. We find good agreement with earlier inferred measurements of phi(V_c), but we are able to define the space density of objects with V_c as low as 30 km/s. The measured velocity function is `flat' (power-law slope alpha ~ -1.0) below V_c = 100 km/s. We compare our results with predictions based on LCDM simulations and find good agreement for rotational velocities in excess of 100 km/s, but at lower velocities current models over-predict the space density of objects. At V_c=30 km/s this discrepancy is approximately a factor 20.

Optimal interplanetary rendezvous combining electric sail and high thrust propulsion system

The aim of this paper is to study, from a mission analysis point of view, the performance of a hybrid propulsion concept for a two-dimensional transfer towards a planet of the Solar System. The propulsion system is obtained by combining a chemical thruster, used for the phases of Earth escape and/or target planet capture, with an electric sail, which provides a continuous thrust during the heliocentric transfer. Two possible mission scenarios are investigated: in the first case the sailcraft reaches the target planet with zero hyperbolic excess velocity, thus performing a classical rendezvous mission in a heliocentric framework. In the second mission scenario, a given final hyperbolic excess velocity relative to the planet is tolerated in order to decrease the mission flight time. The amount of final hyperbolic excess velocity is used as a simulation parameter for a tradeoff study in which the minimum flight time is related to the total velocity variation required by the chemical thruster to accomplish the mission, that is, for Earth escape and planetary capture.

10.1007/s11444-008-2001-2

Spectroscopic observations of three lenticular (S0) galaxies (NGC 1167, NGC 4150, and NGC 6340) and one SBa galaxy (NGC 2273) have been taken with the 6-m telescope of the Special AstrophysicalObservatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences aimed to study the structure and kinematic properties of early-type disk galaxies. The radial profiles of the stellar radial velocities and the velocity dispersion are measured. N-body simulations are used to construct dynamical models of galaxies containing a stellar disk, bulge, and halo. The masses of individual components are estimated formaximum-mass disk models. A comparison of models with estimated rotational velocities and the stellar velocity dispersion suggests that the stellar disks in lenticular galaxies are overheated; i.e., there is a significant excess velocity dispersion over the minimum level required to maintain the stability of the disk. This supports the hypothesis that the stellar disks of S0 galaxies were subject to strong gravitational perturbations. The relative thickness of the stellar disks in the S0 galaxies considered substantially exceed the typical disk thickness of spiral galaxies.

On the velocity dispersion of young star clusters: super-virial or binaries?

Many young extra-galactic clusters have a measured velocity dispersion that is too high for the mass derived from their age and total luminosity, which has led to the suggestion that they are not in virial equilibrium. Most of these clusters are confined to a narrow age range centred around 10 Myr because of observational constraints. At this age the cluster light is dominated by luminous evolved stars, such as red supergiants, with initial masses of ~13-22 Msun for which (primordial) binarity is high. In this study we investigate to what extent the observed excess velocity dispersion is the result of the orbital motions of binaries. We demonstrate that estimates for the dynamical mass of young star clusters, derived from the observed velocity dispersion, exceed the photometric mass by up-to a factor of 10 and are consistent with a constant offset in the square of the velocity dispersion. This can be reproduced by models of virialised star clusters hosting a massive star population of which ~25 is in binaries, with typical mass ratios of ~0.6 and periods of ~1000 days. We conclude that binaries play a pivotal role in deriving the dynamical masses of young (~10 Myr) moderately massive and compact (<1e5 Msun; > 1 pc) star clusters.

Dielectrophoretic deflection of ink jets

In continuous ink jet systems, streams of ∼10 pL liquid droplets (diameter ∼30 µm) are ejected from an orifice at rates of up to 350 000 per second with velocities in excess of 20 m s−1. Applications as diverse as printing, MEMS fabrication and microarraying benefit from this technology; however, reliable manipulation of the jet, including basic on/off control and steering of the liquid droplets, remains difficult to achieve. We report a novel scheme to manipulate the trajectories of droplets that rebound at shallow angles from a solid substrate using the dielectrophoretic force exerted by patterned electrodes. Varying the voltage applied to the electrodes provides precise control of the rebounding trajectories, mainly by shifting the location of the droplet impact. This technique can also be used to implement on/off control of the droplet stream. A simple dynamic model successfully predicts the modified trajectories of the droplets.