Structure and Surface Analysis of SHI Irradiated Thin Films of Cadmium Telluride

Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin films grown by thermal evaporation on quartz substrates were irradiated with swift (100 MeV) Ni + 4 ions at various fluences in the range 1011 – 1013 cm – 2. The modification in structure and surface morphology has been analyzed as a function of fluence using XRD and AFM techniques. The XRD showed a reduction in peak intensity and grain size with increasing fluence. The AFM micrographs of irradiated thin films show small spherical nanostructures. In addition to direct imaging, AFM profile data enable to derive the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the surface roughness. In the present work PSD spectra computed from AFM data were used for studying the surface morphology of films. The PSD curves were fitted with an appropriate analytic function and characteristic parameters were deduced and discussed in order to compare film morphology with varying fluence levels. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2960

Enhancement of Ethanol Production in Electrochemical Cell by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (CDBT2) and Wickerhamomyces anomalus (CDBT7)

Bioethanol (a renewable resource), blended with gasoline, is used as liquid transportation fuel worldwide and produced from either starch or lignocellulose. Local production and use of bioethanol supports local economies, decreases country's carbon footprint and promotes self-sufficiency. The latter is especially important for bio-resource-rich land-locked countries like Nepal that are seeking alternative transportation fuels and technologies to produce them. In that regard, in the present study, we have used two highly efficient ethanol producing yeast strains, viz., Saccharomyces cerevisiae (CDBT2) and Wickerhamomyces anomalous (CDBT7), in an electrochemical cell to enhance ethanol production. Ethanol production by CDBT2 (anodic chamber) and CDBT7 (cathodic chamber) control cultures, using 5% glucose as substrate, were 12.6 ± 0.42 and 10.1 ± 0.17 mg·mL−1 respectively. These cultures in the electrochemical cell, when externally supplied with 4V, the ethanol production was enhanced by 19.8 ± 0.50% and 23.7 ± 0.51%, respectively, as compared to the control cultures. On the other hand, co-culturing of those two yeast strains in both electrode compartments resulted only 3.96 ± 0.83% enhancement in ethanol production. Immobilization of CDBT7 in the graphite cathode resulted in lower enhancement of ethanol production (5.30 ± 0.82%), less than free cell culture of CDBT7. CDBT2 and CDBT7 when cultured in platinum nano particle coated platinum anode and neutral red-coated graphite cathode, respectively, ethanol production was substantially enhanced (52.8 ± 0.44%). The above experiments when repeated using lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate (reducing sugar content was 3.3%) as substrate, resulted in even better enhancement in ethanol production (61.5 ± 0.12%) as compared to glucose. The results concluded that CDBT2 and CDBT7 yeast strains produced ethanol efficiently from both glucose and lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate. Ethanol production was enhanced in the presence of low levels of externally applied voltage. Ethanol production was further enhanced with the better electron transport provision i.e., when neutral red was deposited on cathode and fine platinum nanoparticles were coated on the platinum anode

Effects and Detectability of Quasi-Single Field Inflation in the Large-Scale Structure and Cosmic Microwave Background

Quasi-single field inflation predicts a peculiar momentum dependence in the squeezed limit of the primordial bispectrum which smoothly interpolates between the local and equilateral models. This dependence is directly related to the mass of the isocurvatons in the theory which is determined by the supersymmetry. Therefore, in the event of detection of a non-zero primordial bispectrum, additional constraints on the parameter controlling the momentum-dependence in the squeezed limit becomes an important question. We explore the effects of these non-Gaussian initial conditions on large-scale structure and the cosmic microwave background, with particular attention to the galaxy power spectrum at large scales and scale-dependence corrections to galaxy bias. We determine the simultaneous constraints on the two parameters describing the QSF bispectrum that we can expect from upcoming large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background observations. We find that for relatively large values of the non-Gaussian amplitude parameters, but still well within current uncertainties, galaxy power spectrum measurements will be able to distinguish the QSF scenario from the predictions of the local model. A CMB likelihood analysis, as well as Fisher matrix analysis, shows that there is also a range of parameter values for which Planck data may be able distinguish between QSF models and the related local and equilateral shapes. Given the different observational weightings of the CMB and LSS results, degeneracies can be significantly reduced in a joint analysis.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figure

Constraining Scale-Dependent Non-Gaussianity with Future Large-Scale Structure and the CMB

We forecast combined future constraints from the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure on the models of primordial non-Gaussianity. We study the generalized local model of non-Gaussianity, where the parameter f_NL is promoted to a function of scale, and present the principal component analysis applicable to an arbitrary form of f_NL(k). We emphasize the complementarity between the CMB and LSS by using Planck, DES and BigBOSS surveys as examples, forecast constraints on the power-law f_NL(k) model, and introduce the figure of merit for measurements of scale-dependent non-Gaussianity.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; v2: references update

The real shape of non-Gaussianities

I review what bispectra and trispectra look like in real space, in terms of the sign of particular shaped triangles and tetrahedrons. Having an equilateral density bispectrum of positive sign corresponds to having concentrated overdensities surrounded by larger weaker underdensities. In 3D these are concentrated density filaments, as expected in large-scale structure. As the shape changes from equilateral to flattened the concentrated overdensities flatten into lines (3D planes). I then focus on squeezed bispectra, which can be thought of as correlations of changes in small-scale power with large-scale fields, and discuss the general non-perturbative form of the squeezed bispectrum and its angular dependence. A general trispectrum has tetrahedral form and I show examples of what this can look like in real space. Squeezed trispectra are of particular interest and come in two forms, corresponding to large-scale variance of small-scale power, and correlated modulations of an equilateral-form bispectrum. Flattened trispectra can be produced by line-like features in 2D, for example from cosmic strings, and randomly located features also give a non-Gaussian signal. There are relationships between the squeezed types of non-Gaussianity, and also a useful interpretation in terms of statistical anisotropy. I discuss the various possible physical origins of cosmological non-Gaussianities, both in terms of primordial perturbations and late-time dynamical and geometric effects.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures; Clarification regarding g_NL/two-leg squeezed shape, minor edits, reference updates (supersedes published version

BINGO: A code for the efficient computation of the scalar bi-spectrum

We present a new and accurate Fortran code, the BI-spectra and Non-Gaussianity Operator (BINGO), for the efficient numerical computation of the scalar bi-spectrum and the non-Gaussianity parameter f_{NL} in single field inflationary models involving the canonical scalar field. The code can calculate all the different contributions to the bi-spectrum and the parameter f_{NL} for an arbitrary triangular configuration of the wavevectors. Focusing firstly on the equilateral limit, we illustrate the accuracy of BINGO by comparing the results from the code with the spectral dependence of the bi-spectrum expected in power law inflation. Then, considering an arbitrary triangular configuration, we contrast the numerical results with the analytical expression available in the slow roll limit, for, say, the case of the conventional quadratic potential. Considering a non-trivial scenario involving deviations from slow roll, we compare the results from the code with the analytical results that have recently been obtained in the case of the Starobinsky model in the equilateral limit. As an immediate application, we utilize BINGO to examine of the power of the non-Gaussianity parameter f_{NL} to discriminate between various inflationary models that admit departures from slow roll and lead to similar features in the scalar power spectrum. We close with a summary and discussion on the implications of the results we obtain.Comment: v1: 5 pages, 5 figures; v2: 35 pages, 11 figures, title changed, extensively revised; v3: 36 pages, 11 figures, to appear in JCAP. The BINGO code is available online at http://www.physics.iitm.ac.in/~sriram/bingo/bingo.htm

Ectopic callose deposition into woody biomass modulates the nano-architecture of macrofibrils

Plant biomass plays an increasingly important role in the circular bioeconomy, replacing non-renewable fossil resources. Genetic engineering of this lignocellulosic biomass could benefit biorefinery transformation chains by lowering economic and technological barriers to industrial processing. However, previous efforts have mostly targeted the major constituents of woody biomass: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Here we report the engineering of wood structure through the introduction of callose, a polysaccharide novel to most secondary cell walls. Our multiscale analysis of genetically engineered poplar trees shows that callose deposition modulates cell wall porosity, water and lignin contents and increases the lignin–cellulose distance, ultimately resulting in substantially decreased biomass recalcitrance. We provide a model of the wood cell wall nano-architecture engineered to accommodate the hydrated callose inclusions. Ectopic polymer introduction into biomass manifests in new physico-chemical properties and offers new avenues when considering lignocellulose engineering

Addressing climate change with behavioral science:A global intervention tournament in 63 countries

Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change. However, it is unclear which strategies are most likely to motivate people to change their climate beliefs and behaviors. Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four climate mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, and an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interventions' effectiveness was small, largely limited to nonclimate skeptics, and differed across outcomes: Beliefs were strengthened mostly by decreasing psychological distance (by 2.3%), policy support by writing a letter to a future-generation member (2.6%), information sharing by negative emotion induction (12.1%), and no intervention increased the more effortful behavior-several interventions even reduced tree planting. Last, the effects of each intervention differed depending on people's initial climate beliefs. These findings suggest that the impact of behavioral climate interventions varies across audiences and target behaviors.</p