Velocity-resolved observations of water in Comet Halley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Harold P.; Davis, D. Scott; Mumma, Michael J.; Weaver, Harold A.

1986-01-01

High resolution (lambda/delta lambda approx. = 3 x 10 to the 5th power) near-infrared observations of H2O emission from Comet Halley were acquired at the time of maximum post-perihelion geocentric Doppler shift. The observed widths and absolute positions of the H2O line profiles reveal characteristics of the molecular velocity field in the coma. These results support H2O outflow from a Sun-lit hemisphere or the entire nucleus, but not from a single, narrow jet emanating from the nucleus. The measured pre- and post-perihelion outflow velocities were 0.9 + or - 0.2 and 1.4 + or - 0.2 km/s, respectively. Temporal variations in the kinematic properties of the outflow were inferred from changes in the spectral line shapes. These results are consistent with the release of H2O into the coma from multiple jets.

Large-Scale periodic solar velocities: An observational study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dittmer, P. H.

1977-01-01

Observations of large-scale solar velocities were made using the mean field telescope and Babcock magnetograph of the Stanford Solar Observatory. Observations were made in the magnetically insensitive ion line at 5124 A, with light from the center (limb) of the disk right (left) circularly polarized, so that the magnetograph measures the difference in wavelength between center and limb. Computer calculations are made of the wavelength difference produced by global pulsations for spherical harmonics up to second order and of the signal produced by displacing the solar image relative to polarizing optics or diffraction grating.

Neutron stars velocities and magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paret, Daryel Manreza; Martinez, A. Perez; Ayala, Alejandro.; Piccinelli, G.; Sanchez, A.

2018-01-01

We study a model that explain neutron stars velocities due to the anisotropic emission of neutrinos. Strong magnetic fields present in neutron stars are the source of the anisotropy in the system. To compute the velocity of the neutron star we model its core as composed by strange quark matter and analice the properties of a magnetized quark gas at finite temperature and density. Specifically we have obtained the electron polarization and the specific heat of magnetized fermions as a functions of the temperature, chemical potential and magnetic field which allow us to study the velocity of the neutron star as a function of these parameters.

Mass-loss rates, ionization fractions, shock velocities, and magnetic fields of stellar jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartigan, Patrick; Morse, Jon A.; Raymond, John

1994-01-01

In this paper we calculate emission-line ratios from a series of planar radiative shock models that cover a wide range of shock velocities, preshock densities, and magnetic fields. The models cover the initial conditions relevant to stellar jets, and we show how to estimate the ionization fractions and shock velocities in jets directly from observations of the strong emission lines in these flows. The ionization fractions in the HH 34, HH 47, and HH 111 jets are approximately 2%, considerably smaller than previous estimates, and the shock velocities are approximately 30 km/s. For each jet the ionization fractions were found from five different line ratios, and the estimates agree to within a factor of approximately 2. The scatter in the estimates of the shock velocities is also small (+/- 4 km/s). The low ionization fractions of stellar jets imply that the observed electron densities are much lower than the total densities, so the mass-loss rates in these flows are correspondingly higher (approximately greater than 2 x 10(exp -7) solar mass/yr). The mass-loss rates in jets are a significant fraction (1%-10%) of the disk accretion rates onto young stellar objects that drive the outflows. The momentum and energy supplied by the visible portion of a typical stellar jet are sufficient to drive a weak molecular outflow. Magnetic fields in stellar jets are difficult to measure because the line ratios from a radiative shock with a magnetic field resemble those of a lower velocity shock without a field. The observed line fluxes can in principle indicate the strength of the field if the geometry of the shocks in the jet is well known.

Present-Day 3D Velocity Field of Eastern North America Based on Continuous GPS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudarzi, Mohammad Ali; Cocard, Marc; Santerre, Rock

2016-07-01

The Saint Lawrence River valley in eastern Canada was studied using observations of continuously operating GPS (CGPS) stations. The area is one of the most seismically active regions in eastern North America characterized by many earthquakes, which is also subject to an ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment. We present the current three-dimensional velocity field of eastern North America obtained from more than 14 years (9 years on average) of data at 112 CGPS stations. Bernese GNSS and GITSA software were used for CGPS data processing and position time series analysis, respectively. The results show the counterclockwise rotation of the North American plate in the No-Net-Rotation model with the average of 16.8 ± 0.7 mm/year constrained to ITRF 2008. We also present an ongoing uplift model for the study region based on the present-day CGPS observations. The model shows uplift all over eastern Canada with the maximum rate of 13.7 ± 1.2 mm/year and subsidence to the south mainly over northern USA with a typical rate of -1 to -2 mm/year and the minimum value of -2.7 ± 1.4 mm/year. We compared our model with the rate of radial displacements from the ICE-5G model. Both models agree within 0.02 mm/year at the best stations; however, our model shows a systematic spatial tilt compared to ICE-5G. The misfits between two models amount to the maximum relative subsidence of -6.1 ± 1.1 mm/year to the east and maximum relative uplift of 5.9 ± 2.7 mm/year to the west. The intraplate horizontal velocities are radially outward from the centers of maximum uplift and are inward to the centers of maximum subsidence with the typical velocity of 1-1.6 ± 0.4 mm/year that is in agreement with the ICE-5G model to the first order.

Measuring the velocity field from type Ia supernovae in an LSST-like sky survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Odderskov, Io; Hannestad, Steen, E-mail: isho07@phys.au.dk, E-mail: sth@phys.au.dk

2017-01-01

In a few years, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will vastly increase the number of type Ia supernovae observed in the local universe. This will allow for a precise mapping of the velocity field and, since the source of peculiar velocities is variations in the density field, cosmological parameters related to the matter distribution can subsequently be extracted from the velocity power spectrum. One way to quantify this is through the angular power spectrum of radial peculiar velocities on spheres at different redshifts. We investigate how well this observable can be measured, despite the problems caused by areas with nomore » information. To obtain a realistic distribution of supernovae, we create mock supernova catalogs by using a semi-analytical code for galaxy formation on the merger trees extracted from N-body simulations. We measure the cosmic variance in the velocity power spectrum by repeating the procedure many times for differently located observers, and vary several aspects of the analysis, such as the observer environment, to see how this affects the measurements. Our results confirm the findings from earlier studies regarding the precision with which the angular velocity power spectrum can be determined in the near future. This level of precision has been found to imply, that the angular velocity power spectrum from type Ia supernovae is competitive in its potential to measure parameters such as σ{sub 8}. This makes the peculiar velocity power spectrum from type Ia supernovae a promising new observable, which deserves further attention.« less

2D He+ Pickup Ion Velocity Distribution Functions: STEREO PLASTIC Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drews, C.; Berger, L.; Peleikis, T.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2014-12-01

He+ pickup ions are either born from the ionization of interstellar neutral helium atoms inside our heliosphere, the so called interstellar pickup ions, or through the interaction of solar wind ions with small dust particles close to the Sun, the so called inner-source of pickup ions. Until now, most observations of He+ pickup ions were limited to reduced 1D velocity spectra, which are insufficient to study certain characteristics of the He+ Velocity Distribution Function (VDF). It is generally assumed that rapid pitch-angle scattering of freshly created pickup ions quickly leads to a fully isotropic He+ VDF. In the light of recent observations, this assumption has found to be oversimplified and needs to be re-investigated. Using He+ pickup ion data from the PLASTIC instrument on board the STEREO A spacecraft we reconstruct a reduced form of the He+ VDF in 2 dimensions (see figure). The reduced form of the He+ VDF allows us to study the pitch-angle distribution and anisotropy of the He+ VDF as a function of the solar magnetic field, B. Our observations show clear signs of a significant anisotropy of the He+ VDF and even indicates that, at least for certain configurations of B, it is not even fully gyrotropic. Our results further suggest, that the observed velocity and pitch-angle of He+ depends strongly on the solar magnetic field vector, B, the ecliptic longitude, λ, the solar wind speed, vsw, and the history of B. Consequently, we argue that reduced 1D velocity spectra of He+ are insufficient to study quantities like the pitch-angle scattering rate, τ, or the adiabatic cooling index γ.

Response of Velocity Anisotropy of Shale Under Isotropic and Anisotropic Stress Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaying; Lei, Xinglin; Li, Qi

2018-03-01

We investigated the responses of P-wave velocity and associated anisotropy in terms of Thomsen's parameters to isotropic and anisotropic stress fields on Longmaxi shales cored along different directions. An array of piezoelectric ceramic transducers allows us to measure P-wave velocities along numerous different propagation directions. Anisotropic parameters, including the P-wave velocity α along a symmetry axis, Thomsen's parameters ɛ and δ, and the orientation of the symmetry axis, could then be extracted by fitting Thomsen's weak anisotropy model to the experimental data. The results indicate that Longmaxi shale displays weakly intrinsic velocity anisotropy with Thomsen's parameters ɛ and δ being approximately 0.05 and 0.15, respectively. The isotropic stress field has only a slight effect on velocity and associated anisotropy in terms of Thomsen's parameters. In contrast, both the magnitude and orientation of the anisotropic stress field with respect to the shale fabric are important in controlling the evolution of velocity and associated anisotropy in a changing stress field. For shale with bedding-parallel loading, velocity anisotropy is enhanced because velocities with smaller angles relative to the maximum stress increase significantly during the entire loading process, whereas those with larger angles increase slightly before the yield stress and afterwards decrease with the increasing differential stress. For shale with bedding-normal loading, anisotropy reversal is observed, and the anisotropy is progressively modified by the applied differential stress. Before reaching the yield stress, velocities with smaller angles relative to the maximum stress increase more significantly and even exceed the level of those with larger angles. After reaching the yield stress, velocities with larger angles decrease more significantly. Microstructural features such as the closure and generation of microcracks can explain the modification of the velocity anisotropy

Orographic precipitation and vertical velocity characteristics from drop size and fall velocity spectra observed by disdrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dong-In; Kim, Dong-Kyun; Kim, Ji-Hyeon; Kang, Yunhee; Kim, Hyeonjoon

2017-04-01

During a summer monsoon season each year, severe weather phenomena caused by front, mesoscale convective systems, or typhoons often occur in the southern Korean Peninsula where is mostly comprised of complex high mountains. These areas play an important role in controlling formation, amount, and distribution of rainfall. As precipitation systems move over the mountains, they can develop rapidly and produce localized heavy rainfall. Thus observational analysis in the mountainous areas is required for studying terrain effects on the rapid rainfall development and its microphysics. We performed intensive field observations using two s-band operational weather radars around Mt. Jiri (1950 m ASL) during summertime on June and July in 2015-2016. Observation data of DSD (Drop Size Distribution) from Parsivel disdrometer and (w component) vertical velocity data from ultrasonic anemometers were analyzed for Typhoon Chanhom on 12 July 2015 and the heavy rain event on 1 July 2016. During the heavy rain event, a dual-Doppler radar analysis using Jindo radar and Gunsan radar was also conducted to examine 3-D wind fields and vertical structure of reflectivity in these areas. For examining up-/downdrafts in the windward or leeward side of Mt. Jiri, we developed a new scheme technique to estimate vertical velocities (w) from drop size and fall velocity spectra of Parsivel disdrometers at different stations. Their comparison with the w values observed by the 3D anemometer showed quite good agreement each other. The Z histogram with regard to the estimated w was similar to that with regard to R, indicating that Parsivel-estimated w is quite reasonable for classifying strong and weak rain, corresponding to updraft and downdraft, respectively. Mostly, positive w values (upward) were estimated in heavy rainfall at the windward side (D1 and D2). Negative w values (downward) were dominant even during large rainfall at the leeward side (D4). For D1 and D2, the upward w percentages were

The velocity field of a coronal mass ejection - The event of September 1, 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Low, B. C.; Hundhausen, A. J.

1987-01-01

The velocity field of a mass ejection that was observed by the coronagraph of the SMM satellite over the northwest limb of the sun at about 0600 UT on September 1, 1980 is studied in detail. A descriptive account of the event is given, concentrating on qualitative features of the mass motion and suggesting a possible origin of the unusual two-loop structure. The velocity field is analyzed quantitatively, and the implications of the results for the mass ejection theory are considered. It is concluded that a self-similar description of the velocity field is a gross oversimplification and that although some evidence of wave propagation can be found, the bright features in the mass ejection are plasma structures moving with frozen-in magnetic fields, rather than waves propagating through plasmas and magnetic fields.

What Do the Hitomi Observations Tell Us About the Turbulent Velocities in the Perseus Cluster?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ZuHone, John A.; Miller, Eric D.; Bulbul, Esra; Zhuravleva, Irina

2017-08-01

Recently, the Hitomi X-ray Observatory provided the first-ever direct measurements of Doppler line shifting and broadening from the hot plasma in clusters of galaxies via its observations of the Perseus Cluster. It has been reported that these observations demonstrate that the ICM in Perseus is "quiescent". It is indisputable that the velocities inferred from the measured line shifts and broadening are low, but what do these observations imply about the structure of the velocity field on scales smaller than the Hitomi PSF? We use hydrodynamic simulations of gas motions in a cool-core cluster in combination with synthetic Hitomi observations in order to compare the observed line-of-sight velocities to the 3D velocity structure of the ICM, and assess the impact of Hitomi's spatial resolution and the effects of varying the underlying ICM physics.

Estimating cosmic velocity fields from density fields and tidal tensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitaura, Francisco-Shu; Angulo, Raul E.; Hoffman, Yehuda; Gottlöber, Stefan

2012-10-01

In this work we investigate the non-linear and non-local relation between cosmological density and peculiar velocity fields. Our goal is to provide an algorithm for the reconstruction of the non-linear velocity field from the fully non-linear density. We find that including the gravitational tidal field tensor using second-order Lagrangian perturbation theory based upon an estimate of the linear component of the non-linear density field significantly improves the estimate of the cosmic flow in comparison to linear theory not only in the low density, but also and more dramatically in the high-density regions. In particular we test two estimates of the linear component: the lognormal model and the iterative Lagrangian linearization. The present approach relies on a rigorous higher order Lagrangian perturbation theory analysis which incorporates a non-local relation. It does not require additional fitting from simulations being in this sense parameter free, it is independent of statistical-geometrical optimization and it is straightforward and efficient to compute. The method is demonstrated to yield an unbiased estimator of the velocity field on scales ≳5 h-1 Mpc with closely Gaussian distributed errors. Moreover, the statistics of the divergence of the peculiar velocity field is extremely well recovered showing a good agreement with the true one from N-body simulations. The typical errors of about 10 km s-1 (1σ confidence intervals) are reduced by more than 80 per cent with respect to linear theory in the scale range between 5 and 10 h-1 Mpc in high-density regions (δ > 2). We also find that iterative Lagrangian linearization is significantly superior in the low-density regime with respect to the lognormal model.

Magnetic field and radial velocities of the star Chi Draconis A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Byeong-Cheol; Gadelshin, D.; Han, Inwoo; Kang, Dong-Il; Kim, Kang-Min; Valyavin, G.; Galazutdinov, G.; Jeong, Gwanghui; Beskrovnaya, N.; Burlakova, T.; Grauzhanina, A.; Ikhsanov, N. R.; Kholtygin, A. F.; Valeev, A.; Bychkov, V.; Park, Myeong-Gu

2018-01-01

We present high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of the spectroscopic binary χ Dra. Spectral lines in the spectrum of the main component χ Dra A show variable Zeeman displacement, which confirms earlier suggestions about the presence of a weak magnetic field on the surface of this star. Within about 2 yr of time base of our observations, the longitudinal component BL of the magnetic field exhibits variation from -11.5 ± 2.5 to +11.1 ± 2.1 G with a period of about 23 d. Considering the rotational velocity of χ Dra A in the literature and that newly measured in this work, this variability may be explained by the stellar rotation under the assumption that the magnetic field is globally stable. Our new measurements of the radial velocities (RV) in high-resolution I-spectra of χ Dra A refined the orbital parameters and reveal persistent deviations of RVs from the orbital curve. We suspect that these deviations may be due to the influence of local magnetically generated spots, pulsations, or a Jupiter-size planet orbiting the system.

Field-effect transistor having a superlattice channel and high carrier velocities at high applied fields

DOEpatents

Chaffin, R.J.; Dawson, L.R.; Fritz, I.J.; Osbourn, G.C.; Zipperian, T.E.

1984-04-19

In a field-effect transistor comprising a semiconductor having therein a source, a drain, a channel and a gate in operational relationship, there is provided an improvement wherein said semiconductor is a superlattice comprising alternating quantum well and barrier layers, the quantum well layers comprising a first direct gap semiconductor material which in bulk form has a certain bandgap and a curve of electron velocity versus applied electric field which has a maximum electron velocity at a certain electric field, the barrier layers comprising a second semiconductor material having a bandgap wider than that of said first semiconductor material, wherein the layer thicknesses of said quantum well and barrier layers are sufficiently thin that the alternating layers constitute a superlattice having a curve of electron velocity versus applied electric field which has a maximum electron velocity at a certain electric field, and wherein the thicknesses of said quantum well layers are selected to provide a superlattice curve of electron velocity versus applied electric field whereby, at applied electric fields higher than that at which the maximum electron velocity occurs in said first material when in bulk form, the electron velocities are higher in said superlattice than they are in said first semiconductor material in bulk form.

The height variation of supergranular velocity fields determined from simultaneous OSO 8 satellite and ground-based observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

November, L. J.; Toomre, J.; Gebbie, K. B.; Simon, G. W.

1979-01-01

Results are reported for simultaneous satellite and ground-based observations of supergranular velocities in the sun, which were made using a UV spectrometer aboard OSO 8 and a diode-array instrument operating at the exit slit of an echelle spectrograph attached to a vacuum tower telescope. Observations of the steady Doppler velocities seen toward the limb in the middle chromosphere and the photosphere are compared; the observed spectral lines of Si II at 1817 A and Fe I at 5576 A are found to differ in height of formation by about 1400 km. The results show that supergranular motions are able to penetrate at least 11 density scale heights into the middle chromosphere, that the patterns of motion correlate well with the cellular structure seen in the photosphere, and that the motion increases from about 800 m/s in the photosphere to at least 3000 m/s in the middle chromosphere. These observations imply that supergranular velocities should be evident in the transition region and that strong horizontal shear layers in supergranulation should produce turbulence and internal gravity waves.

Normalized velocity profiles of field-measured turbidity currents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xu, Jingping

2010-01-01

Multiple turbidity currents were recorded in two submarine canyons with maximum speed as high as 280 cm/s. For each individual turbidity current measured at a fixed station, its depth-averaged velocity typically decreased over time while its thickness increased. Some turbidity currents gained in speed as they traveled downcanyon, suggesting a possible self-accelerating process. The measured velocity profiles, first in this high resolution, allowed normalizations with various schemes. Empirical functions, obtained from laboratory experiments whose spatial and time scales are two to three orders of magnitude smaller, were found to represent the field data fairly well. The best similarity collapse of the velocity profiles was achieved when the streamwise velocity and the elevation were normalized respectively by the depth-averaged velocity and the turbidity current thickness. This normalization scheme can be generalized to an empirical function Y = exp(–αXβ) for the jet region above the velocity maximum. Confirming theoretical arguments and laboratory results of other studies, the field turbidity currents are Froude-supercritical.

The velocity field of growing ear cartilage.

PubMed Central

Cox, R W; Peacock, M A

1978-01-01

The velocity vector field of the growing rabbit ear cartilage has been investigated between 12 and 299 days. Empirical curves have been computed for path lines and for velocities between 12 and 87 days. The tissue movement has been found to behave as an irrotational flow of material. Stream lines and velocity equipotential lines have been calculated and provide akinematic description of the changes during growth. The importance of a knowledge of the velocity vector in physical descriptions of growth and morphological differentiation at the tissue and cellular levels is emphasized. PMID:689993

Eye Velocity Gain Fields in MSTd During Optokinetic Stimulation

PubMed Central

Brostek, Lukas; Büttner, Ulrich; Mustari, Michael J.; Glasauer, Stefan

2015-01-01

Lesion studies argue for an involvement of cortical area dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) in the control of optokinetic response (OKR) eye movements to planar visual stimulation. Neural recordings during OKR suggested that MSTd neurons directly encode stimulus velocity. On the other hand, studies using radial visual flow together with voluntary smooth pursuit eye movements showed that visual motion responses were modulated by eye movement-related signals. Here, we investigated neural responses in MSTd during continuous optokinetic stimulation using an information-theoretic approach for characterizing neural tuning with high resolution. We show that the majority of MSTd neurons exhibit gain-field-like tuning functions rather than directly encoding one variable. Neural responses showed a large diversity of tuning to combinations of retinal and extraretinal input. Eye velocity-related activity was observed prior to the actual eye movements, reflecting an efference copy. The observed tuning functions resembled those emerging in a network model trained to perform summation of 2 population-coded signals. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that MSTd implements the visuomotor transformation from retinal to head-centered stimulus velocity signals for the control of OKR. PMID:24557636

Critical points of the cosmic velocity field and the uncertainties in the value of the Hubble constant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Hao; Naselsky, Pavel; Mohayaee, Roya, E-mail: liuhao@nbi.dk, E-mail: roya@iap.fr, E-mail: naselsky@nbi.dk

2016-06-01

The existence of critical points for the peculiar velocity field is a natural feature of the correlated vector field. These points appear at the junctions of velocity domains with different orientations of their averaged velocity vectors. Since peculiar velocities are the important cause of the scatter in the Hubble expansion rate, we propose that a more precise determination of the Hubble constant can be made by restricting analysis to a subsample of observational data containing only the zones around the critical points of the peculiar velocity field, associated with voids and saddle points. On large-scales the critical points, where themore » first derivative of the gravitational potential vanishes, can easily be identified using the density field and classified by the behavior of the Hessian of the gravitational potential. We use high-resolution N-body simulations to show that these regions are stable in time and hence are excellent tracers of the initial conditions. Furthermore, we show that the variance of the Hubble flow can be substantially minimized by restricting observations to the subsample of such regions of vanishing velocity instead of aiming at increasing the statistics by averaging indiscriminately using the full data sets, as is the common approach.« less

Electric-field control of magnetic domain-wall velocity in ultrathin cobalt with perpendicular magnetization.

PubMed

Chiba, D; Kawaguchi, M; Fukami, S; Ishiwata, N; Shimamura, K; Kobayashi, K; Ono, T

2012-06-06

Controlling the displacement of a magnetic domain wall is potentially useful for information processing in magnetic non-volatile memories and logic devices. A magnetic domain wall can be moved by applying an external magnetic field and/or electric current, and its velocity depends on their magnitudes. Here we show that the applying an electric field can change the velocity of a magnetic domain wall significantly. A field-effect device, consisting of a top-gate electrode, a dielectric insulator layer, and a wire-shaped ferromagnetic Co/Pt thin layer with perpendicular anisotropy, was used to observe it in a finite magnetic field. We found that the application of the electric fields in the range of ± 2-3 MV cm(-1) can change the magnetic domain wall velocity in its creep regime (10(6)-10(3) m s(-1)) by more than an order of magnitude. This significant change is due to electrical modulation of the energy barrier for the magnetic domain wall motion.

An algorithm to estimate unsteady and quasi-steady pressure fields from velocity field measurements.

PubMed

Dabiri, John O; Bose, Sanjeeb; Gemmell, Brad J; Colin, Sean P; Costello, John H

2014-02-01

We describe and characterize a method for estimating the pressure field corresponding to velocity field measurements such as those obtained by using particle image velocimetry. The pressure gradient is estimated from a time series of velocity fields for unsteady calculations or from a single velocity field for quasi-steady calculations. The corresponding pressure field is determined based on median polling of several integration paths through the pressure gradient field in order to reduce the effect of measurement errors that accumulate along individual integration paths. Integration paths are restricted to the nodes of the measured velocity field, thereby eliminating the need for measurement interpolation during this step and significantly reducing the computational cost of the algorithm relative to previous approaches. The method is validated by using numerically simulated flow past a stationary, two-dimensional bluff body and a computational model of a three-dimensional, self-propelled anguilliform swimmer to study the effects of spatial and temporal resolution, domain size, signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-plane effects. Particle image velocimetry measurements of a freely swimming jellyfish medusa and a freely swimming lamprey are analyzed using the method to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach when applied to empirical data.

Kinematic Clues to OB Field Star Origins: Radial Velocities, Runaways, and Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Januszewski, Helen; Castro, Norberto; Oey, Sally; Becker, Juliette; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Mateo, Mario; Simón-Díaz, Sergio; Bjorkman, Jon E.; Bjorkman, Karen; Sigut, Aaron; Smullen, Rachel; M2FS Team

2018-01-01

Field OB stars are a crucial probe of star formation in extreme conditions. Properties of massive stars formed in relative isolation can distinguish between competing star formation theories, while the statistics of runaway stars allow an indirect test of the densest conditions in clusters. To address these questions, we have obtained multi-epoch, spectroscopic observations for a spatially complete sample of 48 OB field stars in the SMC Wing with the IMACS and M2FS multi-object spectrographs at the Magellan Telescopes. The observations span 3-6 epochs per star, with sampling frequency ranging from one day to about one year. From these spectra, we have calculated the radial velocities (RVs) and, in particular, the systemic velocities for binaries. Thus, we present the intrinsic RV distribution largely uncontaminated by binary motions. We estimate the runaway frequency, corresponding to the high velocity stars in our sample, and we also constrain the binary frequency. The binary frequency and fitted orbital parameters also place important constraints on star formation theories, as these properties drive the process of runaway ejection in clusters, and we discuss these properties as derived from our sample. This unique kinematic analysis of a high mass field star population thus provides a new look at the processes governing formation and interaction of stars in environments at extreme densities, from isolation to dense clusters.

A Unified Geodetic Vertical Velocity Field (UGVVF), Version 1.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmalzle, G.; Wdowinski, S.

2014-12-01

Tectonic motion, volcanic inflation or deflation, as well as oil, gas and water pumping can induce vertical motion. In southern California these signals are inter-mingled. In tectonics, properly identifying regions that are contaminated by other signals can be important when estimating fault slip rates. Until recently vertical deformation rates determined by high precision Global Positioning Systems (GPS) had large uncertainties compared to horizontal components and were rarely used to constrain tectonic models of fault motion. However, many continuously occupied GPS stations have been operating for ten or more years, often delivering uncertainties of ~1 mm/yr or less, providing better constraints for tectonic modeling. Various processing centers produced GPS time series and estimated vertical velocity fields, each with their own set of processing techniques and assumptions. We compare vertical velocity solutions estimated by seven data processing groups as well as two combined solutions (Figure 1). These groups include: Central Washington University (CWU) and New Mexico Institute of Technology (NMT), and their combined solution provided by the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) through the UNAVCO website. Also compared are the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC) and their combined solution provided as part of the NASA MEaSUREs project. Smaller velocity fields included are from Amos et al., 2014, processed at the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory, Shen et al., 2011, processed by UCLA and called the Crustal Motion Map 4.0 (CMM4) dataset, and a new velocity field provided by the University of Miami (UM). Our analysis includes estimating and correcting for systematic vertical velocity and uncertainty differences between groups. Our final product is a unified velocity field that contains the median values of the adjusted velocity fields and their uncertainties. This product will be periodically updated when new velocity fields

Using observations of slipping velocities to test the hypothesis that reconnection heats the active region corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai; Longcope, Dana; Guo, Yang; Ding, Mingde

2017-08-01

Numerous proposed coronal heating mechanisms have invoked magnetic reconnection in some role. Testing such a mechanism requires a method of measuring magnetic reconnection coupled with a prediction of the heat delivered by reconnection at the observed rate. In the absence of coronal reconnection, field line footpoints move at the same velocity as the plasma they find themselves in. The rate of coronal reconnection is therefore related to any discrepancy observed between footpoint motion and that of the local plasma — so-called slipping motion. We propose a novel method to measure this velocity discrepancy by combining a sequence of non-linear force-free field extrapolations with maps of photospheric velocity. We obtain both from a sequence of vector magnetograms of an active region (AR). We then propose a method of computing the coronal heating produced under the assumption the observed slipping velocity was due entirely to coronal reconnection. This heating rate is used to predict density and temperature at points along an equilibrium loop. This, in turn, is used to synthesize emission in EUV and SXR bands. We perform this analysis using a sequence of HMI vector magnetograms of a particular AR and compare synthesized images to observations of the same AR made by SDO. We also compare differential emission measure inferred from those observations to that of the modeled corona.

Velocity field calculation for non-orthogonal numerical grids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flach, G. P.

2015-03-01

Computational grids containing cell faces that do not align with an orthogonal (e.g. Cartesian, cylindrical) coordinate system are routinely encountered in porous-medium numerical simulations. Such grids are referred to in this study as non-orthogonal grids because some cell faces are not orthogonal to a coordinate system plane (e.g. xy, yz or xz plane in Cartesian coordinates). Non-orthogonal grids are routinely encountered at the Savannah River Site in porous-medium flow simulations for Performance Assessments and groundwater flow modeling. Examples include grid lines that conform to the sloping roof of a waste tank or disposal unit in a 2D Performance Assessment simulation,more » and grid surfaces that conform to undulating stratigraphic surfaces in a 3D groundwater flow model. Particle tracking is routinely performed after a porous-medium numerical flow simulation to better understand the dynamics of the flow field and/or as an approximate indication of the trajectory and timing of advective solute transport. Particle tracks are computed by integrating the velocity field from cell to cell starting from designated seed (starting) positions. An accurate velocity field is required to attain accurate particle tracks. However, many numerical simulation codes report only the volumetric flowrate (e.g. PORFLOW) and/or flux (flowrate divided by area) crossing cell faces. For an orthogonal grid, the normal flux at a cell face is a component of the Darcy velocity vector in the coordinate system, and the pore velocity for particle tracking is attained by dividing by water content. For a non-orthogonal grid, the flux normal to a cell face that lies outside a coordinate plane is not a true component of velocity with respect to the coordinate system. Nonetheless, normal fluxes are often taken as Darcy velocity components, either naively or with accepted approximation. To enable accurate particle tracking or otherwise present an accurate depiction of the velocity field for a

The Seismo-Generated Electric Field Probed by the Ionospheric Ion Velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

(Tiger) Liu, Jann-Yenq

2017-04-01

The ion density, ion temperature, and the ion velocity probed by IPEI (ionospheric Plasma and Electrodynamics Instrument) onboard ROCSAT (i.e. FORMOSAT-1), and the global ionospheric map (GIM) of the total electron content (TEC) derived from measurements of ground-based GPS receivers are employed to study seismo-ionospheric precursors (SIPs) of the 31 March 2002 M6.8 Earthquake in Taiwan. The GIM TEC and ROCSAT/IPEI ion density significantly decrease specifically over the epicenter area 1-5 days before the earthquake, which suggests that the associated SIPs have observed. The ROCSAT/IPEI ion temperature reveals no significant changes before and after the earthquake, while the latitude-time-TEC plots extracted from the GIMs along the Taiwan longitude illustrate that the equatorial ionization anomaly significantly weakens and moves equatorward, which indicates that the daily dynamo electric field has been disturbed and cancelled by possible seismo-generated electric field on 2 days before (29 March) the earthquake. Here, for the first time a vector parameter of ion velocity is employed to study SIPs. It is found that ROCSAT/IPEI ion velocity becomes significantly downward, which confirms that a westward electric field of about 0.91mV/m generated during the earthquake preparation period being essential 1-5 days before the earthquake. Liu, J. Y., and C. K. Chao (2016), An observing system simulation experiment for FORMOSAT-5/AIP detecting seismo-ionospheric precursors, Terrestrial Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, DOI: 10.3319/TAO.2016.07.18.01(EOF5).

Potential, velocity, and density fields from sparse and noisy redshift-distance samples - Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dekel, Avishai; Bertschinger, Edmund; Faber, Sandra M.

1990-01-01

A method for recovering the three-dimensional potential, velocity, and density fields from large-scale redshift-distance samples is described. Galaxies are taken as tracers of the velocity field, not of the mass. The density field and the initial conditions are calculated using an iterative procedure that applies the no-vorticity assumption at an initial time and uses the Zel'dovich approximation to relate initial and final positions of particles on a grid. The method is tested using a cosmological N-body simulation 'observed' at the positions of real galaxies in a redshift-distance sample, taking into account their distance measurement errors. Malmquist bias and other systematic and statistical errors are extensively explored using both analytical techniques and Monte Carlo simulations.

Assimilation of drifters' trajectories in velocity fields from coastal radar and model via the Lagrangian assimilation algorithm LAVA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berta, Maristella; Bellomo, Lucio; Griffa, Annalisa; Gatimu Magaldi, Marcello; Marmain, Julien; Molcard, Anne; Taillandier, Vincent

2013-04-01

The Lagrangian assimilation algorithm LAVA (LAgrangian Variational Analysis) is customized for coastal areas in the framework of the TOSCA (Tracking Oil Spills & Coastal Awareness network) Project, to improve the response to maritime accidents in the Mediterranean Sea. LAVA assimilates drifters' trajectories in the velocity fields which may come from either coastal radars or numerical models. In the present study, LAVA is applied to the coastal area in front of Toulon (France). Surface currents are available from a WERA radar network (2km spatial resolution, every 20 minutes) and from the GLAZUR model (1/64° spatial resolution, every hour). The cluster of drifters considered is constituted by 7 buoys, transmitting every 15 minutes for a period of 5 days. Three assimilation cases are considered: i) correction of the radar velocity field, ii) correction of the model velocity field and iii) reconstruction of the velocity field from drifters only. It is found that drifters' trajectories compare well with the ones obtained by the radar and the correction to radar velocity field is therefore minimal. Contrarily, observed and numerical trajectories separate rapidly and the correction to the model velocity field is substantial. For the reconstruction from drifters only, the velocity fields obtained are similar to the radar ones, but limited to the neighbor of the drifter paths.

Velocity shear Kelvin-Helmholtz instability with inhomogeneous DC electric field in the magnetosphere of Saturn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandpal, Praveen; Kaur, Rajbir; Pandey, R. S.

2018-01-01

In this paper parallel flow velocity shear Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has been studied in two different extended regions of the inner magnetosphere of Saturn. The method of the characteristic solution and kinetic approach has been used in the mathematical calculation of dispersion relation and growth rate of K-H waves. Effect of magnetic field (B), inhomogeneity (P/a), velocity shear scale length (Ai), temperature anisotropy (T⊥ /T||), electric field (E), ratio of electron to ion temperature (Te /Ti), density gradient (εnρi) and angle of propagation (θ) on the dimensionless growth rate of K-H waves in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn has been observed with respect to k⊥ρi . Calculations of this theoretical analysis have been done taking the data from the Cassini in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn in the two extended regions of Rs ∼4.60-4.01 and Rs ∼4.82-5.0. In our study velocity shear, temperature anisotropy and magnitude of the electric field are observed to be the major sources of free energy for the K-H instability in both the regions considered. The inhomogeneity of electric field, electron-ion temperature ratio, and density gradient have been observed playing stabilizing effect on K-H instability. This study also indicates the effect of the vicinity of icy moon Enceladus on the growth of K-H instability.

Recovering the full velocity and density fields from large-scale redshift-distance samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertschinger, Edmund; Dekel, Avishai

1989-01-01

A new method for extracting the large-scale three-dimensional velocity and mass density fields from measurements of the radial peculiar velocities is presented. Galaxies are assumed to trace the velocity field rather than the mass. The key assumption made is that the Lagrangian velocity field has negligible vorticity, as might be expected from perturbations that grew by gravitational instability. By applying the method to cosmological N-body simulations, it is demonstrated that it accurately reconstructs the velocity field. This technique promises a direct determination of the mass density field and the initial conditions for the formation of large-scale structure from galaxy peculiar velocity surveys.

Tracing Interstellar Magnetic Field Using Velocity Gradient Technique: Application to Atomic Hydrogen Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuen, Ka Ho; Lazarian, A., E-mail: kyuen2@wisc.edu, E-mail: lazarian@astro.wisc.edu

The advancement of our understanding of MHD turbulence opens ways to develop new techniques to probe magnetic fields. In MHD turbulence, the velocity gradients are expected to be perpendicular to magnetic fields and this fact was used by González-Casanova and Lazarian to introduce a new technique to trace magnetic fields using velocity centroid gradients (VCGs). The latter can be obtained from spectroscopic observations. We apply the technique to GALFA-H i survey data and then compare the directions of magnetic fields obtained with our technique to the direction of magnetic fields obtained using PLANCK polarization. We find an excellent correspondence betweenmore » the two ways of magnetic field tracing, which is obvious via the visual comparison and through the measuring of the statistics of magnetic field fluctuations obtained with the polarization data and our technique. This suggests that the VCGs have a potential for measuring of the foreground magnetic field fluctuations, and thus provide a new way of separating foreground and CMB polarization signals.« less

Experimental study of the free surface velocity field in an asymmetrical confluence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creelle, Stephan; Mignot, Emmanuel; Schindfessel, Laurent; De Mulder, Tom

2017-04-01

The hydrodynamic behavior of open channel confluences is highly complex because of the combination of different processes that interact with each other. To gain further insights in how the velocity uniformization between the upstream channels and the downstream channel is proceeding, experiments are performed in a large scale 90 degree angled concrete confluence flume with a chamfered rectangular cross-section and a width of 0.98m. The dimensions and lay-out of the flume are representative for a prototype scale confluence in e.g. drainage and irrigation systems. In this type of engineered channels with sharp corners the separation zone is very large and thus the velocity difference between the most contracted section and the separation zone is pronounced. With the help of surface particle tracking velocimetry the velocity field is recorded from upstream of the confluence to a significant distance downstream of the confluence. The resulting data allow to analyze the evolution of the incoming flows (with a developed velocity profile) that interact with the stagnation zone and each other, causing a shear layer between the two bulk flows. Close observation of the velocity field near the stagnation zone shows that there are actually two shear layers in the vicinity of the upstream corner. Furthermore, the data reveals that the shear layer observed more downstream between the two incoming flows is actually one of the two shear layers next to the stagnation zone that continues, while the other shear layer ceases to exist. The extensive measurement domain also allows to study the shear layer between the contracted section and the separation zone. The shear layers of the stagnation zone between the incoming flows and the one between the contracted flow and separation zone are localized and parameters such as the maximum gradient, velocity difference and width of the shear layer are calculated. Analysis of these data shows that the shear layer between the incoming flows

Muscle Force-Velocity Relationships Observed in Four Different Functional Tests.

PubMed

Zivkovic, Milena Z; Djuric, Sasa; Cuk, Ivan; Suzovic, Dejan; Jaric, Slobodan

2017-02-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate the shape and strength of the force-velocity relationships observed in different functional movement tests and explore the parameters depicting force, velocity and power producing capacities of the tested muscles. Twelve subjects were tested on maximum performance in vertical jumps, cycling, bench press throws, and bench pulls performed against different loads. Thereafter, both the averaged and maximum force and velocity variables recorded from individual trials were used for force-velocity relationship modeling. The observed individual force-velocity relationships were exceptionally strong (median correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.930 to r = 0.995) and approximately linear independently of the test and variable type. Most of the relationship parameters observed from the averaged and maximum force and velocity variable types were strongly related in all tests (r = 0.789-0.991), except for those in vertical jumps (r = 0.485-0.930). However, the generalizability of the force-velocity relationship parameters depicting maximum force, velocity and power of the tested muscles across different tests was inconsistent and on average moderate. We concluded that the linear force-velocity relationship model based on either maximum or averaged force-velocity data could provide the outcomes depicting force, velocity and power generating capacity of the tested muscles, although such outcomes can only be partially generalized across different muscles.

Muscle Force-Velocity Relationships Observed in Four Different Functional Tests

PubMed Central

Zivkovic, Milena Z.; Djuric, Sasa; Cuk, Ivan; Suzovic, Dejan; Jaric, Slobodan

2017-01-01

Abstract The aims of the present study were to investigate the shape and strength of the force-velocity relationships observed in different functional movement tests and explore the parameters depicting force, velocity and power producing capacities of the tested muscles. Twelve subjects were tested on maximum performance in vertical jumps, cycling, bench press throws, and bench pulls performed against different loads. Thereafter, both the averaged and maximum force and velocity variables recorded from individual trials were used for force–velocity relationship modeling. The observed individual force-velocity relationships were exceptionally strong (median correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.930 to r = 0.995) and approximately linear independently of the test and variable type. Most of the relationship parameters observed from the averaged and maximum force and velocity variable types were strongly related in all tests (r = 0.789-0.991), except for those in vertical jumps (r = 0.485-0.930). However, the generalizability of the force-velocity relationship parameters depicting maximum force, velocity and power of the tested muscles across different tests was inconsistent and on average moderate. We concluded that the linear force-velocity relationship model based on either maximum or averaged force-velocity data could provide the outcomes depicting force, velocity and power generating capacity of the tested muscles, although such outcomes can only be partially generalized across different muscles. PMID:28469742

Impacts of distinct observations during the 2009 Prince William Sound field experiment: A data assimilation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhijin; Chao, Yi; Farrara, John D.; McWilliams, James C.

2013-07-01

A set of data assimilation experiments, known as Observing System Experiments (OSEs) are performed to assess the relative impacts of different types of observations acquired during the 2009 Prince William Sound Field Experiment. The observations assimilated consist primarily of two types: High Frequency (HF) radar surface velocities and vertical profiles of temperature/salinity (T/S) measured by ships, moorings, an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and a glider. The impact of all the observations, HF radar surface velocities, and T/S profiles is assessed. Without data assimilation, a frequently occurring cyclonic eddy in the central Sound is overly persistent and intense. The assimilation of the HF radar velocities effectively reduces these biases and improves the representation of the velocities as well as the T/S fields in the Sound. The assimilation of the T/S profiles improves the large scale representation of the temperature/salinity and also the velocity field in the central Sound. The combination of the HF radar surface velocities and sparse T/S profiles results in an observing system capable of representing the circulation in the Sound reliably and thus producing analyses and forecasts with useful skill.

Phase-field simulations of velocity selection in rapidly solidified binary alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Jun; Greenwood, Michael; Haataja, Mikko; Provatas, Nikolas

2006-09-01

Time-dependent simulations of two-dimensional isothermal Ni-Cu dendrites are simulated using a phase-field model solved with a finite-difference adaptive mesh refinement technique. Dendrite tip velocity selection is examined and found to exhibit a transition between two markedly different regimes as undercooling is increased. At low undercooling, the dendrite tip growth rate is consistent with the kinetics of the classical Stefan problem, where the interface is assume to be in local equilibrium. At high undercooling, the growth velocity selected approaches a linear dependence on melt undercooling, consistent with the continuous growth kinetics of Aziz and with a one-dimensional steady-state phase-field asymptotic analysis of Ahmad [Phys. Rev. E 58, 3436 (1998)]. Our simulations are also consistent with other previously observed behaviors of dendritic growth as undercooling is increased. These include the transition of dendritic morphology to absolute stability and nonequilibrium solute partitioning. Our results show that phase-field models of solidification, which inherently contain a nonzero interface width, can be used to study the dynamics of complex solidification phenomena involving both equilibrium and nonequilibrium interface growth kinetics.

Three-Dimensional Velocity Field De-Noising using Modal Projection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Sarah; Ameli, Siavash; Szeri, Andrew; Shadden, Shawn

2017-11-01

PCMRI and Doppler ultrasound are common modalities for imaging velocity fields inside the body (e.g. blood, air, etc) and PCMRI is increasingly being used for other fluid mechanics applications where optical imaging is difficult. This type of imaging is typically applied to internal flows, which are strongly influenced by domain geometry. While these technologies are evolving, it remains that measured data is noisy and boundary layers are poorly resolved. We have developed a boundary modal analysis method to de-noise 3D velocity fields such that the resulting field is divergence-free and satisfies no-slip/no-penetration boundary conditions. First, two sets of divergence-free modes are computed based on domain geometry. The first set accounts for flow through ``truncation boundaries'', and the second set of modes has no-slip/no-penetration conditions imposed on all boundaries. The modes are calculated by minimizing the velocity gradient throughout the domain while enforcing a divergence-free condition. The measured velocity field is then projected onto these modes using a least squares algorithm. This method is demonstrated on CFD simulations with artificial noise. Different degrees of noise and different numbers of modes are tested to reveal the capabilities of the approach. American Heart Association Award 17PRE33660202.

Linear velocity fields in non-Gaussian models for large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.

1992-01-01

Linear velocity fields in two types of physically motivated non-Gaussian models are examined for large-scale structure: seed models, in which the density field is a convolution of a density profile with a distribution of points, and local non-Gaussian fields, derived from a local nonlinear transformation on a Gaussian field. The distribution of a single component of the velocity is derived for seed models with randomly distributed seeds, and these results are applied to the seeded hot dark matter model and the global texture model with cold dark matter. An expression for the distribution of a single component of the velocity in arbitrary local non-Gaussian models is given, and these results are applied to such fields with chi-squared and lognormal distributions. It is shown that all seed models with randomly distributed seeds and all local non-Guassian models have single-component velocity distributions with positive kurtosis.

How to Reconcile the Observed Velocity Function of Galaxies with Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, Alyson M.; Papastergis, Emmanouil; Christensen, Charlotte R.; Governato, Fabio; Stilp, Adrienne; Quinn, Thomas R.; Wadsley, James

2017-11-01

Within a Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) scenario, we use high-resolution cosmological simulations spanning over four orders of magnitude in galaxy mass to understand the deficit of dwarf galaxies in observed velocity functions (VFs). We measure velocities in as similar a way as possible to observations, including generating mock H I data cubes for our simulated galaxies. We demonstrate that this apples-to-apples comparison yields an “observed” VF in agreement with observations, reconciling the large number of low-mass halos expected in a ΛCDM cosmological model with the low number of observed dwarfs at a given velocity. We then explore the source of the discrepancy between observations and theory and conclude that the dearth of observed dwarf galaxies is primarily explained by two effects. The first effect is that galactic rotational velocities derived from the H I linewidth severely underestimate the maximum halo velocity. The second effect is that a large fraction of halos at the lowest masses are too faint to be detected by current galaxy surveys. We find that cored DM density profiles can contribute to the lower observed velocity of galaxies but only for galaxies in which the velocity is measured interior to the size of the core (˜3 kpc).

Vertical rise velocity of equatorial plasma bubbles estimated from Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) observations and HIRB model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulasi Ram, S.; Ajith, K. K.; Yokoyama, T.; Yamamoto, M.; Niranjan, K.

2017-06-01

The vertical rise velocity (Vr) and maximum altitude (Hm) of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) were estimated using the two-dimensional fan sector maps of 47 MHz Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR), Kototabang, during May 2010 to April 2013. A total of 86 EPBs were observed out of which 68 were postsunset EPBs and remaining 18 EPBs were observed around midnight hours. The vertical rise velocities of the EPBs observed around the midnight hours are significantly smaller ( 26-128 m/s) compared to those observed in postsunset hours ( 45-265 m/s). Further, the vertical growth of the EPBs around midnight hours ceases at relatively lower altitudes, whereas the majority of EPBs at postsunset hours found to have grown beyond the maximum detectable altitude of the EAR. The three-dimensional numerical high-resolution bubble (HIRB) model with varying background conditions are employed to investigate the possible factors that control the vertical rise velocity and maximum attainable altitudes of EPBs. The estimated rise velocities from EAR observations at both postsunset and midnight hours are, in general, consistent with the nonlinear evolution of EPBs from the HIRB model. The smaller vertical rise velocities (Vr) and lower maximum altitudes (Hm) of EPBs during midnight hours are discussed in terms of weak polarization electric fields within the bubble due to weaker background electric fields and reduced background ion density levels.