arXiv subjects

James Stone

Publications and source records attributed to James Stone.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Fundamental differences between SPH and grid methods

We have carried out a hydrodynamical code comparison study of interacting multiphase fluids. The two commonly used techniques of grid and smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) show striking differences in their ability to model processes that are fundamentally important across many areas of astrophysics. Whilst Eulerian grid based methods are able to resolve and treat important dynamical instabilities, such as Kelvin-Helmholtz or Rayleigh-Taylor, these processes are poorly or not at all resolved by existing SPH techniques. We show that the reason for this is that SPH, at least in its standard implementation, introduces spurious pressure forces on particles in regions where there are steep density gradients. This results in a boundary gap of the size of the SPH smoothing kernel over which information is not transferred.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics at CIPANP 2003

In the nuclear and particle astrophysics session of CIPANP 2003 we heard talks on a number of topics, focused for the most part into four broad areas. Here we outline the discussions of the standard cosmological model, dark matter searches, cosmic rays, and neutrino astrophysics. The robustness of theoretical and experimental programs in all of these areas is very encouraging, and we expect to have many questions answered, and new ones asked, in time for CIPANP 2006.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Simulations of Convection in Radiation-Dominated Accretion Disks

The standard equilibrium for radiation-dominated accretion disks has long been known to be viscously, thermally, and convectively unstable, but the nonlinear development of these instabilities---hence the actual state of such disks---has not yet been identified. By performing local two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of disks, we demonstrate that convective motions can release heat sufficiently rapidly as to substantially alter the vertical structure of the disk. If the dissipation rate within a vertical column is proportional to its mass, the disk settles into a new configuration thinner by a factor of two than the standard radiation-supported equilibrium. If, on the other hand, the vertically-integrated dissipation rate is proportional to the vertically-integrated total pressure, the disk is subject to the well-known thermal instability. Convection, however, biases the development of this instability toward collapse. The end result of such a collapse is a gas pressure-dominated equilibrium at the original column density.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The Stability of Radiatively Cooled Jets in Three Dimensions

The effect of optically thin radiative cooling on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of three dimensional jets is investigated via linear stability theory and nonlinear hydrodynamical simulation. Two different cooling functions are considered: radiative cooling is found to have a significant effect on the stability of the jet in each case. The wavelengths and growth rates of unstable modes in the numerical simulations are found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Disruption of the jet is found to be sensitive to the precessional frequency at the origin with lower frequencies leading to more rapid disruption. Strong nonlinear effects are observed as the result of the large number of normal modes in three dimensions which provide rich mode-mode interactions. These mode-mode interactions provide new mechanisms for the formation of knots in the flows. Significant structural features found in the numerical simulations appear similar to structures observed on protostellar jets.

astro-ph↗