arXiv subjects

A. Allen

Publications and source records attributed to A. Allen.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2014

BOUT++: Recent and current developments

BOUT++ is a 3D nonlinear finite-difference plasma simulation code, capable of solving quite general systems of PDEs, but targeted particularly on studies of the edge region of tokamak plasmas. BOUT++ is publicly available, and has been adopted by a growing number of researchers worldwide. Here we present improvements which have been made to the code since its original release, both in terms of structure and its capabilities. Some recent applications of these methods are reviewed, and areas of active development are discussed. We also present algorithms and tools which have been developed to enable creation of inputs from analytic expressions and experimental data, and for processing and visualisation of output results. This includes a new tool Hypnotoad for the creation of meshes from experimental equilibria. Algorithms have been implemented in BOUT++ to solve a range of linear algebraic problems encountered in the simulation of reduced MHD and gyro-fluid models: A preconditioning scheme is presented which enables the plasma potential to be calculated efficiently using iterative methods supplied by the PETSc library, without invoking the Boussinesq approximation. Scaling studies are also performed of a linear solver used as part of physics-based preconditioning to accelerate the convergence of implicit time-integration schemes.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2006

Gravitational collapse of magnetized clouds. I. Ideal MHD accretion flow

We study the self-similar collapse of an isothermal magnetized rotating cloud in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) regime. In the limit of small distance from the accreting protostar we find an analytic solution that corresponds to free-fall onto a central mass point. The density distribution is not spherically symmetric but depends on the mass loading of magnetic field lines, which can be obtained by matching our inner solution to an outer collapse solution previously computed by Allen, Shu & Li. The concentration of magnetic field trapped by the central mass point under field-freezing, independent on the details of the starting state, creates a split monopole configuration where the magnetic field strength increases as the inverse square of the distance from the center. Under such conditions, the inflow eventually becomes subalfvenic and the outward transfer of angular momentum by magnetic braking very efficient, thus preventing the formation of a centrifugally supported disk. Instead, the azimuthal velocity of the infalling gas decreases to zero at the center, and the gas spirals into the star. Therefore, the dissipation of dynamically important levels of magnetic field is a fundamental requisite for the formation of protoplanetary disks around young stars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Sound Velocity in Liquid and Glassy Selenium

The speed of longitudinal sound waves at 7 and 22 MHz has been measured in liquid, supecooled, and amorphous selenium, including the region around the glass transition temperature, Tg, near 35 C. In amorphous selenium the speed of shear waves at 7 MHz was also measured. The experiments were performed with high purity Se (99.9999%) hermetically sealed in an evacuated quartz ampoule. Four temperature regions with strongly different relaxation times can be distinguished between room temperature and the melting point: (1) a glassy state below Tg, which is stable on the time scale of the experiments, (2) a glassy state above Tg,, which is metastable on the time scale of the experiments, (3) a region where homogeneous crystal nucleation occurs, and (4) a supercooled liquid, which is stable on the time scale of the experiments. Each region is marked by a change in the slope of the temperature dependence of the sound velocity. Near the glass transition temperature the velocities of longitudinal and transverse sound exhibit hysteresis with a step-like drop on heating and a more continuous rise on cooling. The step-like anomaly in sound velocity may be a general property of the glass transition.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2003

Collapse of Magnetized Singular Isothermal Toroids: I. Non-Rotating Case

We study numerically the collapse of non-rotating, self-gravitating, magnetized, singular isothermal toroids characterized by sound speed, $a$, and level of magnetic to thermal support, $H_0$. In qualitative agreement with previous treatments by Galli & Shu and other workers, we find that the infalling material is deflected by the field lines towards the equatorial plane, creating a high-density, flattened structure -- a pseudodisk. The pseudodisk contracts dynamically in the radial direction, dragging the field lines threading it into a highly pinched configuration that resembles a split monopole. The oppositely directed field lines across the midplane and the large implied stresses may play a role in how magnetic flux is lost in the actual situation in the presence of finite resistivity or ambipolar diffusion. The infall rate into the central regions is given to 5% uncertainty by the formula, $\dot M = (1+H_0)a^3/G$, where $G$ is the universal gravitational constant, anticipated by semi-analytical studies of the self-similar gravitational collapses of the singular isothermal sphere and isopedically magnetized disks. The introduction of finite initial rotation results in a complex interplay between pseudodisk and true (Keplerian) disk formation that is examined in a companion paper.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Collapse of Magnetized Singular Isothermal Toroids: II. Rotation and Magnetic Braking

We study numerically the collapse of rotating, magnetized molecular cloud cores, focusing on rotation and magnetic braking during the main accretion phase of isolated star formation. Motivated by previous numerical work and analytic considerations, we idealize the pre-collapse core as a magnetized singular isothermal toroid, with a constant rotational speed everywhere. The collapse starts from the center, and propagates outwards in an inside-out fashion, satisfying exact self-similarity in space and time. For rotation rates and field strengths typical of dense low-mass cores, the main feature remains the flattening of the mass distribution along field lines -- the formation of a pseudodisk, as in the nonrotating cases. The density distribution of the pseudodisk is little affected by rotation. On the other hand, the rotation rate is strongly modified by pseudodisk formation. Most of the centrally accreted material reaches the vicinity of the protostar through the pseudodisk. The specific angular momentum can be greatly reduced on the way, by an order of magnitude or more, even when the pre-collapse field strength is substantially below the critical value for dominant cloud support. The efficient magnetic braking is due to the pinched geometry of the magnetic field in the pseudodisk, which strengthens the magnetic field and lengthens the level arm for braking. Both effects enhance the magnetic transport of angular momentum from inside to outside. The excess angular momentum is carried away in a low-speed outflow that has, despite claims made by other workers, little in common with observed bipolar molecular outflows. We discuss the implications of our calculations for the formation of true disks that are supported against gravity by rotation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

On the Absorption of X-rays in the Interstellar Medium

We present an improved model for the absorption of X-rays in the ISM intended for use with data from future X-ray missions with larger effective areas and increased energy resolution such as Chandra and XMM, in the energy range above 100eV. Compared to previous work, our formalism includes recent updates to the photoionization cross section and revised abundances of the interstellar medium, as well as a treatment of interstellar grains and the H2molecule. We review the theoretical and observational motivations behind these updates and provide a subroutine for the X-ray spectral analysis program XSPEC that incorporates our model.

astro-ph↗