Related papers: Solar sail with inflatable toroidal shell
Magnetic turbulence in the solar wind is treated from the point of view of electrodynamics. This can be done based on the use of Poynting's theorem attributing all turbulent dynamics to the spectrum of turbulent conductivity. For two…
Planetary topography can either be modeled as a load supported by the lithosphere, or as a dynamical effect due to lithospheric flexure caused by mantle convection. In both cases the response of the lithosphere to external forces can be…
We study analytically the development of gravitational instability in an expanding shell having finite thickness. We consider three models for the radial density profile of the shell: (i) an analytic uniform-density model, (ii) a…
A theory of chiral lipid membranes is proposed on the basis of a concise free energy density which includes the contributions of the bending and the surface tension of membranes, as well as the chirality and orientational variation of…
The solar torsional oscillations, i.e., the perturbations of the angular velocity of rotation associated with the eleven-year activity cycle, are a manifestation of the interaction among the interior magnetic fields, amplified and modulated…
We study the evolution of turbulence in the solar wind by solving numerically the full 3D magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) equations embedded in a radial mean wind. The corresponding equations (expanding box model or EBM) have been considered…
We explore how thermal fluctuations affect the mechanics of thin amorphous spherical shells. In flat membranes with a shear modulus, thermal fluctuations increase the bending rigidity and reduce the in-plane elastic moduli in a…
Many stars exhibit strong magnetic fields, some of which are thought to be of primordial origin and others a sign of magnetic dynamo processes. We briefly review the results of observational studies of solar-type stars seeking to evaluate…
We show that the kinematics of the shells seen around some elliptical galaxies provide a new, independent means for measuring the gravitational potentials of elliptical galaxies out to large radii. A numerical simulation of a set of shells…
We calculate the tidal torque on a uniformly rotating 1 Msun star at various stages of core hydrogen burning by an orbiting companion. We apply the `traditional approximation' and solve the radial part of the tidal perturbations by matrix…
Irradiance variability has been monitored from space for more than two decades. Even if data are coming from different sources, it is well established that a temporal variability exists which can be set to as approximately 0.1%, in phase…
The intense turbulence present in the solar convection zone is a major challenge to both theory and simulation as one tries to understand the origins of the striking differential rotation profile with radius and latitude that has been…
Context. Solar eruptions and high flare activity often accompany the rapid rotation of sunspots. The study of sunspot rotation and the mechanisms driving this motion are therefore key to our understanding of how the solar atmosphere attains…
Solar eruptive behavior is often modeled with magnetohydrodynamic simulations of magnetic flux emergence. The usual geometry considered is that of a horizontal cylindrical magnetic flux tube. An alternative is the toroidal tube geometry…
The radiation pressure exerted by incoherent light on diverse surfaces is examined. The thermodynamic rule, first given by Carnot in 1824, describes the limitation to the amount of free energy that can be obtained from a source of thermal…
A propulsion concept in which a spacecraft interacts with high-velocity pellets and the interstellar medium is proposed. The pellets are slower than the spacecraft and are accelerated backwards as they are overtaken, imparting a forward…
We propose a solar dynamo model distributed in the bulk of the convection zone with the toroidal magnetic field the flux concentrated in the near-surface layer. We show that if the boundary conditions at the top of the dynamo region allow…
Tidal dissipation is responsible for circularizing the orbits and synchronizing the spins of solar-type close binary stars, but the mechanisms responsible are not fully understood. Previous work has indicated that significant enhancements…
The correlation scale and the Taylor scale are evaluated for interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations from two-point, single time correlation function using the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Wind, and Cluster spacecraft data during…
We calculate the dynamical tides raised on a non-rotating solar-type star by a close stellar or planetary companion. Dissipation arising from a turbulent viscosity operating in the convection zone and radiative damping in the radiative core…