(Press-News.org) Research led by astrophysicists at the University of Warwick has resolved a 40 year old problem with observations of turbulence in the solar wind first made by the probe Mariner Five. The research resolves an issue with what is by far the largest and most interesting natural turbulence lab accessible to researchers today.
Our current understanding tells us that turbulence in the solar wind should not be affected by the speed and direction of travel of that solar wind. However when the first space probes attempted to measure that turbulence they found their observations didn't quite match that physical law. The first such data to be analysed from Mariner 5 in 1971 found a small but nonetheless irritatingly clear pattern in the turbulence perpendicular to both the direction of the travel and the magnetic field the solar wind was travelling through.
While it was an irritating aberration the affect was relatively small and has been essentially ignored by physicists until now. However the most recent space missions to look at the solar wind, such as the Cluster mission, are examining it with such sensitive and highly accurate modern instrumentation that what was once a small aberration was threatening to become a significant stumbling block to us getting a deeper understanding of what is going on in the solar wind – which is effectively the solar system's largest and most interesting natural turbulence lab.
Research led by Andrew Turner and Professor Sandra Chapman in Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics at the University of Warwick has found a solution to this 40 year old problem. The research team looked at data from the Cluster mission and they also created a virtual model of how magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence builds up in the Solar wind. They then flew a virtual space probe through that virtual model in a range of directions unlike the single direction of travel open to a probe such as Mariner 5.
University of Warwick researcher Andrew Turner said that what they found was that:
"The analysis clearly showed that when all these results were considered together any correlation between changes in the turbulence in the solar wind and the direction of travel simply disappeared. The observed non-axisymmetric anisotropy may simply arise as a sampling effect of using just one probe taking a single particular path through the solar wind."
INFORMATION:
The research paper, entitled Non-axisymmetric Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence, is published in PRL and is by A.J. Turner, S. Chapman B. Hnat Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, University of Warwick; G. Gogoberidze, Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, University of Warwick and the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Ilia State University; and W.C.Müller of the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik.
For further information please contact:
Andrew Turner
Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics
University of Warwick
Tel: +44(0)75251 63843
A.J.Turner@warwick.ac.uk
Prof Sandra Chapman
Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics
University of Warwick
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/cfsa
S.C.Chapman@warwick.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)24 76523390
or
Peter Dunn
Communications Office, University House,
University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 8UW, United Kingdom
email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)24 76 523708 Mobile/Cell: +44 (0)7767 655860
40-year-old Mariner 5 solar wind problem finds answer -- turbulence doesn't go with the flow
2011-08-27
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Relocation for Ex-Spouses With Children In California
2011-08-27
It is increasingly common for parents to relocate in today's mobile society. Some do so because of military deployment orders. Others move to pursue professional opportunities. Some people relocate to care for ailing family members.
Under California law, a parent who has been awarded primary custody of a child may change his or her residence, even if the parent has previously agreed not to do so. However, a move is subject to approval by the court. Essentially, a court will not allow a move if it is not in the best interests of the child.
This is especially important ...
Facebook Profiles Could Jeopardize Disability Benefits
2011-08-27
Through social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace, more and more of our personal lives are ending up flashed across the Internet. While many thoroughly enjoy social networking and its many benefits, being careless with your profile can have grave financial consequences: disability insurers and even the Social Security Administration are increasingly turning to sites like Facebook to dig up evidence that can be used to deny a disability claim.
Photos, Posts Can Be Problematic
The issue at question in most Social Security Disability cases is whether or not ...
Lack of free play among children is causing harm, say experts in American Journal of Play
2011-08-27
CHESTNUT HILL, MA (8-26-11) -- Hovering helicopter parents who restrict their kids' unstructured play may actually harm, rather than help, children according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play, a scholarly journal which has gathered a distinguished group of experts to probe the near-extinction of free play and its effects on children and society.
"Remarkably, over the last 50 years, opportunities for children to play freely have declined continuously and dramatically in the United States and other developed nations; and that decline continues, with serious ...
Sensor chip for monitoring tumors
2011-08-27
A surgery is usually one of the first therapy options in cancer treatment. However, some tumors, such as brain tumors, can be difficult to operate on if there is a risk of damaging surrounding nerve tissue. Other cancerous tumors, such as prostate carcinoma, grow at a very slow rate and primarily affect older patients. Operating in these cases often lowers patients' quality of life without significantly extending their life expectancy.
A team of medical engineers headed by Prof. Bernhard Wolf at the TUM Heinz Nixdorf Chair of Medical Electronics have now developed a ...
The Debt Ceiling Deal: How Will it Impact You?
2011-08-27
Each year, the U.S. Congress sets a budget to determine how the country will spend its money. However, the U.S. does not raise enough revenue to cover every dollar that is being spent. Therefore, the budget includes revenues that need to be borrowed from other sources. This part of the process does not necessarily include discussion about where the borrowed money will come from, or if Congress will okay borrowing these additional funds.
Back in April, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stated that the U.S. would be in default on August 2nd of this year if the debt ...
New study finds no nutritional difference between free-range and cage-produced eggs
2011-08-27
CHAMPAIGN, IL (August 26, 2011) – Eggs produced by free-range hens are often perceived by the public to be nutritionally superior to eggs obtained from layers kept in traditional battery cages. However, a recent scientific study has called this popular perception into question by finding essentially no differences in the nutritional quality of eggs produced by hens from both management systems, said the Poultry Science Association (PSA).The findings also showed that cholesterol levels in all eggs were lower than U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, prompting the USDA ...
Hand-held unit to detect cancer in poorer countries
2011-08-27
EAST LANSING, Mich. — An engineering researcher and a global health expert from Michigan State University are working on bringing a low-cost, hand-held device to nations with limited resources to help physicians detect and diagnose cancer.
Syed Hashsham, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at MSU, is developing the Gene-Z device, which is operated using an iPod Touch or Android-based tablet and performs genetic analysis on microRNAs and other genetic markers. MicroRNAs are single-stranded molecules that regulate genes; changes in certain microRNAs have ...
Colorado's Harsh Penalties for Sex Crime Convictions
2011-08-27
There are few things as eye-opening as being charged with a crime. Just knowing that you could be facing prison time can be a scary thought to someone who has no experience with the criminal justice system. Not knowing what to do next or where to turn can leave a person completely unprepared to protect their rights.
But not all crimes are created equal, as certain charges by their very nature carry serious potential consequences. Most sex crimes fit into this category, as the Colorado legislature has created very specific sentences that must be imposed if someone is ...
Lower socioeconomic status linked with heart disease despite improvements in other risk factor
2011-08-27
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — People with lower socioeconomic status are much more likely to develop heart disease than those who are wealthier or better educated, according to a recent UC Davis study. Published online in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, the outcomes also show that this risk persists even with long-term progress in addressing traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.
"Being poor or having less than a high school education can be regarded as an extra risk when assessing a patient's chances of developing cardiovascular ...
New study shows that Florida's reefs cannot endure a 'cold snap'
2011-08-27
Miami — August 26, 2011 — Remember frozen iguanas falling from trees during Florida's 2010 record-breaking cold snap? Well, a new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science shows that Florida's corals also dropped in numbers due to the cold conditions.
"It was a major setback," said Diego Lirman, associate professor at the UM Rosenstiel School and lead author of the study. "Centuries-old coral colonies were lost in a matter of days."
The chilly January temperatures caused the most catastrophic loss of corals ...