10,394 research outputs found
A new approach for estimating northern peatland gross primary productivity using a satellite-sensor-derived chlorophyll index
Carbon flux models that are largely driven by remotely sensed data can be used to estimate gross primary productivity (GPP) over large areas, but despite the importance of peatland ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, relatively little attention has been given to determining their success in these ecosystems. This paper is the first to explore the potential of chlorophyll-based vegetation index models for estimating peatland GPP from satellite data. Using several years of carbon flux data from contrasting peatlands, we explored the relationships between the MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI) and GPP, and determined whether the inclusion of environmental variables such as PAR and temperature, thought to be important determinants of peatland carbon flux, improved upon direct relationships. To place our results in context, we compared the newly developed GPP models with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) GPP product. Our results show that simple MTCI-based models can be used for estimates of interannual and intra-annual variability in peatland GPP. The MTCI is a good indicator of GPP and compares favorably with more complex products derived from the MODIS sensor on a site-specific basis. The incorporation of MTCI into a light use efficiency type model, by means of partitioning the fraction of photosynthetic material within a plant canopy, shows most promise for peatland GPP estimation, outperforming all other models. Our results demonstrate that satellite data specifically related to vegetation chlorophyll content may ultimately facilitate improved quantification of peatland carbon flux dynamics
Methodology for Three Dimensional Nozzle Design
Criteria for the selection and methods of analysis for designing a hypersonic scramjet nozzle are discussed. The criteria are based on external and internal flow requirements, related to drag, lift, and pitching moments of the vehicle and thrust of the engine. The steps involved in establishing the criteria are analyzed. Mathematical models of the design procedure are provided
Wall jet analysis for circulation control aerodynamics. Part 2: Zonal modeling concepts for wall jet/potential flow coupling
Work currently in progress to update an existing transonic circulation control airfoil analysis method is described. Existing methods suffer from two dificiencies: the inability to predict the shock structure of the underexpanded supersonic jets; and the insensitivity of the calculation to small changes in the Coanda surface geometry. A method developed for the analysis of jet exhaust plumes in supersonic flow is being modified for the case of the underexpanded wall jet. In the subsonic case, the same wall jet model was modified to include the calculation of the normal pressure gradient. This model is currently being coupled with the transonic circulation control airfoil analysis
Numerical program for analysis of three-dimensional supersonic exhaust flow fields (CHAR 3D)
Choice of reference plane orientation depends on specific nozzle geometry, with different configurations requiring different reference plane systems. In addition, for given configuration several reference systems may be used in different regions of flow field, so each system is locally aligned with flow
Non-equilibrium inelastic electronic transport: Polarization effects and vertex corrections to the self-consistent Born approximation
We study the effect of electron-vibron interactions on the inelastic
transport properties of single-molecule nanojunctions. We use the
non-equilibrium Green's functions technique and a model Hamiltonian to
calculate the effects of second-order diagrams (double-exchange DX and
dressed-phonon DPH diagrams) on the electron-vibration interaction and consider
their effects across the full range of parameter space. The DX diagram,
corresponding to a vertex correction, introduces an effective dynamical
renormalization of the electron-vibron coupling in both the purely inelastic
and the inelastic-resonant features of the IETS. The purely inelastic features
correspond to an applied bias around the energy of a vibron, while the
inelastic-resonant features correspond to peaks (resonance) in the conductance.
The DPH diagram affects only the inelastic resonant features. We also discuss
the circumstances in which the second-order diagrams may be approximated in the
study of more complex model systems.Comment: To be published in PR
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