Free-Vertex Tetrahedral Finite-Element Representation and Its Use for Estimating Density Distribution of Irregularly-Shaped Asteroids

In this article, we present a free-vertex tetrahedral finite-element representation of irregularly shaped small bodies, which provides an alternative solution for estimating asteroid density distribution. We derived the transformations between gravitational potentials expressed by the free-vertex tetrahedral finite elements and the spherical harmonic functions. Inversely, the density of each free-vertex tetrahedral finite element can be estimated via the least-squares method, assuming a spherical harmonic gravitational function is present. The proposed solution is illustrated by modeling gravitational potential and estimating the density distribution of the simulated asteroid 216 Kleopatra.

Non-radially pulsating stars as microlensing sources

ABSTRACT We study the microlensing of non-radially pulsating (NRP) stars. Pulsations are formulated for stellar radius and temperature using spherical harmonic functions with different values of l, m. The characteristics of the microlensing light curves from NRP stars are investigated in relation to different pulsation modes. For the microlensing of NRP stars, the light curve is not a simple multiplication of the magnification curve and the intrinsic luminosity curve of the source star, unless the effect of finite source size can be ignored. Three main conclusions can be drawn from the simulated light curves. First, for modes with m ≠ 0 and when the viewing inclination is more nearly pole-on, the stellar luminosity towards the observer changes little with pulsation phase. In this case, high-magnification microlensing events are chromatic and can reveal the variability of these source stars. Secondly, some combinations of pulsation modes produce nearly degenerate luminosity curves (e.g. (l, m) = (3, 0), (5, 0)). The resulting microlensing light curves are also degenerate, unless the lens crosses the projected source. Finally, for modes involving m = 1, the stellar brightness centre does not coincide with the coordinate centre, and the projected source brightness centre moves in the sky with pulsation phase. As a result of this time-dependent displacement in the brightness centroid, the time of the magnification peak coincides with the closest approach of the lens to the brightness centre as opposed to the source coordinate centre. Binary microlensing of NRP stars and in caustic-crossing features are chromatic.

Visualisasi Fungsi Legendre dan Perilaku dari Permukaan Bola Harmonik dengan Menggunakan Bahasa Pemrograman Matlab

Telah dilakukan penelitian yang berhubungan dengan medan potensial gravitasi di permukaan bumi yang merupakan persamaan harmonik bola. Harmonik bola tersebut merupakan penyelesaian dari persamaan Laplace, dalam sistem koordinat bola. Persamaan ini dikenal dengan Associated Legendre Functions. Pada penelitian ini dikembangkan visualisasi Associated Legendre Functions atau disebut juga dengan Spherical Harmonic Functions dalam tampilan 1D, 2D, 3D dengan menggunakan pemrograman MATLAB. Telah berhasil dikembang visualisasi dalam koordinat bola untuk fungsi r + Pnm(x) dengan r = 5 dan Pnm(x) yaitu Associated Legendre Functions untuk derajat n = dari 1 sampai 7 dan dengan orde m ≤ n.

Thermal tides in rotating hot Jupiters

ABSTRACT We calculate tidal torque due to semidiurnal thermal tides in rotating hot Jupiters, taking account of the effects of radiative cooling in the envelope and of the planets rotation on the tidal responses. We use a simple Jovian model composed of a nearly isentropic convective core and a thin radiative envelope. To represent the tidal responses of rotating planets, we employ series expansions in terms of spherical harmonic functions $Y_l^m$ with different ls for a given m. For low-forcing frequency, there occurs frequency resonance between the forcing and the g- and r-modes in the envelope and inertial modes in the core. We find that the resonance enhances the tidal torque, and that the resonance with the g- and r-modes produces broad peaks and that with the inertial modes very sharp peaks, depending on the magnitude of the non-adiabatic effects associated with the oscillation modes. We also find that the behaviour of the tidal torque as a function of the forcing frequency (or period) is different between prograde and retrograde forcing, particularly for long forcing periods because the r-modes, which have long periods, exist only on the retrograde side.

Model for the Correlation between Anodic Dissolution Resistance and Crystallographic Texture in Pipeline Steels

This paper presents a novel physical–mathematical model to describe the relationship between the crystallographic texture and corrosion behavior of American petroleum institute (API) 5L steels. Symmetric spherical harmonic functions were used to estimate the material’s corrosion resistance from crystallographic texture measurements. The predictions of the average corrosion resistance index made from the crystallographic texture were in good agreement with those obtained from potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements for the studied steels. This agreement validates the capacity of this model and opens the possibility of applying it as a novel criterion for materials selection and design stages to combat corrosion problems.

Characteristics of a Spectral Inverse of the Laplacian Using Spherical Harmonic Functions on a Cubed-Sphere Grid for Background Error Covariance Modeling

In this study, a spectral inverse method using spherical harmonic functions (SHFs) represented on a cubed-sphere grid (SHF inverse) is proposed. The purpose of the spectral inverse method studied is to help with data assimilation. The grid studied is the one that results from a spectral finite element decomposition of the six faces of the cubed sphere on Gauss–Legendre–Lobatto (GLL) points with equiangular gnomonic projection. For a given discretization of the cube in this form, as the total wavenumber of the test functions increases, there comes a point at which the cube’s eigenstructure fails to be able to replicate the spherical harmonic functions. The authors call this point a limit wavenumber in using the SHF inverse. In common with the authors’ previous research, the allowable total wavenumber of the SHF inverse increases more effectively with an enhanced polynomial order. The use of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the Laplacian, discretized on the grid spacing used in this study, to the Poisson equation is compared with the benchmark set by using the spherical harmonics solution to the problem. In terms of accuracy, the SHF inverse is superior to a direct inverse of the Laplacian using eigendecomposition. The feasibility of SHF inverse in operational implementation is examined under a massive computational environment.