Astrophysical opacity

An array of problems in astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics is dependent on our understanding of the evolution and structure of stars. Stellar structure and evolution, in turn, depend on how the nuclear energy generated in the stellar center is transported to the surface. Energy transport by photons is a primary transfer mechanism. Recent improvements in the calculation of the radiative properties of stellar matter have helped resolve several long-standing discrepancies between observations and the predictions of theoretical models.     

Astrophysical observations: lensing and eclipsing Einstein's theories

Albert Einstein postulated the equivalence of energy and mass, developed the theory of special relativity, explained the photoelectric effect, and described Brownian motion in five papers, all published in 1905, 100 years ago. With these papers, Einstein provided the framework for understanding modern astrophysical phenomena. Conversely, astrophysical observations provide one of the most effective means for testing Einstein's theories. Here, I review astrophysical advances precipitated by Einstein's insights, including gravitational redshifts, gravitational lensing, gravitational waves, the Lense-Thirring effect, and modern cosmology. A complete understanding of cosmology, from the earliest moments to the ultimate fate of the universe, will require developments in physics beyond Einstein, to a unified theory of gravity and quantum physics.     

Magnetohydrodynamic production of relativistic jets

A number of astronomical systems have been discovered that generate collimated flows of plasma with velocities close to the speed of light. In all cases, the central object is probably a neutron star or black hole and is either accreting material from other stars or is in the initial violent stages of formation. Supercomputer simulations of the production of relativistic jets have been based on a magnetohydrodynamic model, in which differential rotation in the system creates a magnetic coil that simultaneously expels and pinches some of the infalling material. The model may explain the basic features of observed jets, including their speed and amount of collimation, and some of the details in the behavior and statistics of different jet-producing sources.     

Gas jets associated with star formation

Young stellar objects of both high and low luminosity emit energetic jets or winds of material that are often highly collimated and often bipolar. Near the stars, turbulent swept-up gas is observed in the emission of interstellar molecules such as carbon monoxide, and small, bright regions of water maser emission and the nebulous bright patches known as Herbig-Haro objects appear to be participating in the outflows. There are striking changes in chemical abundances associated with the attendant shocks. Probably every star goes through this phase, which may mark the end of its period of accretion.     

Chromospheric anemone jets as evidence of ubiquitous reconnection

The heating of the solar chromosphere and corona is a long-standing puzzle in solar physics. Hinode observations show the ubiquitous presence of chromospheric anemone jets outside sunspots in active regions. They are typically 3 to 7 arc seconds = 2000 to 5000 kilometers long and 0.2 to 0.4 arc second = 150 to 300 kilometers wide, and their velocity is 10 to 20 kilometers per second. These small jets have an inverted Y-shape, similar to the shape of x-ray anemone jets in the corona. These features imply that magnetic reconnection similar to that in the corona is occurring at a much smaller spatial scale throughout the chromosphere and suggest that the heating of the solar chromosphere and corona may be related to small-scale ubiquitous reconnection.     

Simulations of jets driven by black hole rotation

The origin of jets emitted from black holes is not well understood; however, there are two possible energy sources: the accretion disk or the rotating black hole. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations show a well-defined jet that extracts energy from a black hole. If plasma near the black hole is threaded by large-scale magnetic flux, it will rotate with respect to asymptotic infinity, creating large magnetic stresses. These stresses are released as a relativistic jet at the expense of black hole rotational energy. The physics of the jet initiation in the simulations is described by the theory of black hole gravitohydromagnetics.     

Micro/nano encapsulation via electrified coaxial liquid jets

We report a method to generate steady coaxial jets of immiscible liquids with diameters in the range of micrometer/nanometer size. This compound jet is generated by the action of electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) forces with a diameter that ranges from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers. The eventual jet breakup results in an aerosol of monodisperse compound droplets with the outer liquid surrounding or encapsulating the inner one. Following this approach, we have produced monodisperse capsules with diameters varying between 10 and 0.15 micrometers, depending on the running parameters.     

Disintegration of charged liquid jets: results with isopropyl alcohol

Disintegration processes occurring with charged jets of isopropyl alcohol differ in several respects from results obtained with water. Although bimodal distributions of drop size shift to smaller diameters with increasing electrification for both liquids, the lower surface tension of the alcohol promotes the formation of secondary jets and a fan configuration not observed for water.     

Turbulent jets and eddies in the california current and inferred cross-shore transports

The instantaneous California Current is seen to consist of intense meandering current filaments (jets) intermingled with synoptic-mesoscale eddies. These quasi-geostrophic jets entrain cold, upwelled coastal waters and rapidly advect them far offshore; this behavior accounts for the elongated, cool surface features that are seen extending across the California Current region in satellite infrared imagery. The associated advective mechanism should provide significant cross-shore transports of heat, nutrients, biota, and pollutants. The dynamics of the current system should be crucially influenced by its highly variable structure.     

Iron emission lines from extended x-ray jets in SS 433: reheating of atomic nuclei

Powerful relativistic jets are among the most ubiquitous and energetic observational consequences of accretion around supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes in x-ray binary (XRB) systems. But despite more than three decades of study, the structure and composition of these jets remain unknown. Here we present spatially resolved x-ray spectroscopy of arc second-scale x-ray jets from XRB SS 433 analyzed with the Chandra advanced charge-coupled device imaging spectrometer. These observations reveal evidence for a hot continuum and Doppler-shifted iron emission lines from spatially resolved regions. Apparently, in situ reheating of the baryonic component of the jets takes place in a flow that moves with relativistic bulk velocity even more than 100 days after launch from the binary core.     

Large-scale,decelerating, relativistic x-ray jets from the microquasar XTE J1550-564

We have detected, at x-ray and radio wavelengths, large-scale moving jets from the microquasar XTE J1550-564. Plasma ejected from near the black hole traveled at relativistic velocities for at least 4 years. We present direct evidence for gradual deceleration in a relativistic jet. The broadband spectrum of the jets is consistent with synchrotron emission from high-energy (up to 10 tera-electron volts) particles that were accelerated in the shock waves formed within the relativistic ejecta or by the interaction of the jets with the interstellar medium. XTE J1550-564 offers a rare opportunity to study the dynamical evolution of relativistic jets on time scales inaccessible for active galactic nuclei jets, with implications for our understanding of relativistic jets from Galactic x-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei.     

横流中三维线源型倾斜正浮力射流近区特性的数值研究

利用混合有限分析法及交错网格的思想,对横流中有限长线源型倾斜正浮力射流进行了数值计算,成功模拟了端涡现象及其发展过程,得出了产生端涡现象的界限值,还给出了射流横断面上温度最大值偏离对称平面的偏离值与流速比的关系式。数值结果清晰地显示浮射流背流面存在马蹄形的流动结构。     

Modeling the nucleus and jets of comet 81P/Wild 2 based on the Stardust encounter data

We interpret the nucleus properties and jet activity from the Stardust spacecraft imaging and the onboard dust monitoring system data. Triangulation of 20 jets shows that 2 emanate from the nucleus dark side and 16 emanate from sources that are on slopes where the Sun's elevation is greater than predicted from the fitted triaxial ellipsoid. Seven sources, including five in the Mayo depression, coincide with relatively bright surface spots. Fitting the imaged jets, the spikelike temporal distribution of dust impacts indicates that the spacecraft crossed thin, densely populated sheets of particulate ejecta extending from small sources on the rotating nucleus, consistent with an emission cone model.     

多孔淹没紊动射流三维流场模拟及消能分析

采用RNGk-ε紊流模型,结合万家寨引黄入晋工程第1区段压力管道出口多喷孔淹没射流消能,进行了三维数值模拟研究,对不同喷孔个数时流场的时均特性和紊动特性进行了比较,分析讨论了多孔淹没射流进入消力池后的水流运动规律与消能机理。结果表明,射流动量的分散程度是决定消能效果的关键,在保持孔口总面积不变的条件下,随着喷孔数的增加,消能效果显著提高,但当喷孔数增加到60个时,其变化显著减缓。多喷孔射流进入消能水体后,射流水股与周围水体接触面积极大增加,在距离喷孔出口0.41 m左右时射流能量迅速衰减,加之各水股间的相互卷吸、掺混,形成了多个强剪切消能区,消能率较高。同时,由于各漩滚的相互作用,可有效地减小其对消力池固壁的冲刷。