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The presence of turbulence in astrophysical magnetic fields can have a significant effect on the diffusion of particles and, therefore, should be taken into account when performing simulations involving particle propagation. After reviewing the constructionof the turbulent magnetic field component, we incorporate this feature in two separate projects. In the first, we consider the possible source(s) of hadronic cosmic rays thought to be responsible for the diffuse TeV gamma-ray emission in the vicinity ofthe Galactic center. Assuming a completely turbulent magnetic field with an average strength of 10-100microG, we find that relativistic protons do not travel far enough to produce gamma-rays spatially correlated with the giant molecular clouds, as seen by HESS,when injected into the interstellar medium by a single point source, such as the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. Increasing the number of point sources to five does improve the longitudinal extent of the emission but either shows only weak correlation with the molecular gas or highlights the source positions - both pictures areinconsistent with HESS observations. We conclude that protons must be accelerated throughout the Galactic center region via e.g. a second-order Fermi process in order to reproduce the HESS gamma-ray map if the magnetic field there is completely turbulent. Secondly, we examine the possible link between the asymmetric 511keV electron-positron annihilation emission from the inner Galactic disk and hard low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). Three different magnetic field configurations were considered: a completely turbulent field, a field in which the turbulent component has equal energy density as the mean component, and a strongly ordered field with little turbulence. Assuming the environment around each LMXB system is the same, we find that the LMXBs alone cannot account for all the positrons necessary to sufficiently fill the region regardless of the particular magnetic field structure chosen. Another transport mechanism (e.g. a galactic wind) in addition to the diffusive motion caused by the magnetic field fluctuations and/or allowing the LMXBs to be embedded in different phases of the interstellar medium is needed for the LMXB picture to remain a viable possibility.

This dissertation investigates the effect of airfoil steady loading on the sound generated by the interaction of an isolated, zero-thickness airfoil with a high-frequency convected disturbance. The analysis is based on a linearization of the inviscid equations of motion about a nonuniform mean flow. The mean flow is assumed to be two-dimensional and subsonic. Throughout most of the dissertation, we assume that the Mach number is 0(1), though in one section we concentrate on the leading-edge region and study the behavior of the sound field as the Mach number tends to zero. The small parameter representing the amount of airfoil camber and incidence angle, and the large parameter representing the ratio of airfoil chord to disturbance wavelength, are utilized in a singular perturbation analysis. The analysis shows that essentially all of the sound is generated at the leading and trailing edges, in regions the size of the disturbance wavelength. The solution in the local-leading-edge region reveals several sound-generating mechanisms which do not exist for an airfoil with no mean loading. These mechanisms are not present at the trailing edge; the trailing edge is important only as a scatterer of the sound produced at the leading edge. The propagation of sound away from the airfoil edges is described by geometric acoustics, with the amplitude varying on the scale of the airfoil chord and the phase varying on the much smaller scale of the disturbance wavelength. In addition, a diffraction-type transition region exists downstream of the airfoil. Calculations of radiated acoustic power show that the sound field depends strongly on Mach number, gust characteristics, and airfoil steady loading. Small changes in these properties can produce large changes in radiated power levels. Most importantly, we find that the amount of power radiated correlates very well with the strength of the mean flow around the leading edge.

This is a study of the plasma diffusion processes relevant to the physical nature of the Io plasma torus at Jupiter. A knowledge of the diffusion processes involved in the Io plasma torus is essential to an understanding of the spatial structure and energetics of the torus. The only published theory of Io torus plasma diffusion, centrifugally driven flux tube interchange instability, is based on turbulent plasma interchange instability. We have examined physical properties that lead us to conclude that flux tube interchange diffusion is not a valid mechanism in the plasma torus. The collisional nature of the hot torus plasma is seen through its observed EUV emissions which dominate the energy loss from the system. Further, the torus plasma parameters fall in the range of values satisfying the criteria for the use of collisional transport theory to derive a collisional diffusion coefficient. The collisional nature of the torus plasma is characterized in the long mean free path regime where classical transport theory breaks down. We study the Chapman-Enskog method of calculating the plasma diffusion coefficient from a solution of the Boltzmann equation. Simplifying approximations of a fully ionized plasma dominated by Coulomb elastic charged particle collisions are made to derive an ad hoc non-classical diffusion coefficient which results in slow differential diffusion rates for the various sulfur and oxygen ions in the plasma torus. The radial spatial structure and energetics of the plasma torus is modeled by employing the collisional diffusion coefficient in a computer model calculation of collisional ionization-diffusive equilibrium and energy branching. The computer model employs the known significant plasma reactions involving the torus sulfur and oxygen species, utilizing the most recently available atomic parameters. In view of the failure of Neutral Cloud Theory to adequately power the copious amounts of UV radiation emitted by the Io plasma torus, we employed the radial plasma model to investigate this "energy crisis." Toward this end, we investigate the application to our plasma model of a proposed heterogeneous source of energetic electrons and a proposal of inward diffusing energetic outer-magnetospheric OII and SII ions as ad hoc heat inputs to the plasma torus electrons, in order to maintain a steady state energy balance.

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This thesis deals with the characterization of the dependence on the flow geometry of the streamwise fluctuations of the stagnation point of vortex breakdown in axisymmetric tubes and over delta wing aircraft. The statistical analysis presented herein shows that in an axisymmetric tube the 'darting' about the mean stagnation point are distributed normally for the two Reynolds numbers: ReD = 230,000 and 300,000 (independently of the Reynolds number in the range noted). The darting over a delta wing is not only non-Gaussian but also exhibits rather large localized fluctuations (Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.04 to 0.1), presumably due to the strong influence of the surrounding flow and the geometrical conditions: increase of circulation along the trailing edge, the abrupt separation of flow at the base of the delta wing, and other protuberances that emerge from the upper and lower surfaces of the wing (support elements in laboratory and stabilizers on delta wing aircraft). It is concluded that the behavior of vortex breakdown is strongly dependent on the surrounding geometry and that only experiments in axisymmetric tubes can provide the purest form of vortex breakdown for numerical simulations and analytical studies towards the understanding of the internal turbulence and its spectrum within the breakdown bubble for theoretical and industrial purposes. / US Navy (USN) author.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.