Atmospheric frontal zone studies

The research supported by this contract and directed Activities in the inversion and interpretation of data produced by the Nimbus-7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) are reported. There were five principal subjects: (1) modeling of the emissivity of foam patches on the ocean surface; (2) inversion of radiometric data by a multidimensional algorithm; (3) an operational water vapor retrieval algorithm; (4) inference of Antarctic firm accumulation rates; and (5) inference of water vapor over the Arctic sea ice

On the predictive power of Local Scale Invariance

Local Scale Invariance (LSI) is a theory for anisotropic critical phenomena designed in the spirit of conformal invariance. For a given representation of its generators it makes non-trivial predictions about the form of universal scaling functions. In the past decade several representations have been identified and the corresponding predictions were confirmed for various anisotropic critical systems. Such tests are usually based on a comparison of two-point quantities such as autocorrelation and response functions. The present work highlights a potential problem of the theory in the sense that it may predict any type of two-point function. More specifically, it is argued that for a given two-point correlator it is possible to construct a representation of the generators which exactly reproduces this particular correlator. This observation calls for a critical examination of the predictive content of the theory.Comment: 17 pages, 2 eps figure

Adaptive dual-comb spectroscopy in the green region

Dual-comb spectroscopy is extended to the visible spectral range with a set-up based on two frequency-doubled femtosecond ytterbium-doped fiber lasers. The dense rovibronic spectrum of iodine around 19240 cm-1 is recorded within 12 ms at Doppler-limited resolution with a simple scheme that only uses free-running femtosecond lasers

On the numerical solution of Kronecker-based infinite level-dependent QBD processes

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Infinite level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death (LDQBD) processes can be used to model Markovian systems with countably infinite multidimensional state spaces. Recently it has been shown that sums of Kronecker products can be used to represent the nonzero blocks of the transition rate matrix underlying an LDQBD process for models from stochastic chemical kinetics. This paper extends the form of the transition rates used recently so that a larger class of models including those of call centers can be analyzed for their steady-state. The challenge in the matrix analytic solution then is to compute conditional expected sojourn time matrices of the LDQBD model under low memory and time requirements after truncating its countably infinite state space judiciously. Results of numerical experiments are presented using a Kronecker-based matrix-analytic solution on models with two or more countably infinite dimensions and rules of thumb regarding better implementations are derived. In doing this, a more recent approach that reduces memory requirements further by enabling the computation of steady-state expectations without having to obtain the steady-state distribution is also considered. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

High temperature dielectric properties of Apical, Kapton, Peek, Teflon AF, and Upilex polymers

Reliable lightweight systems capable of providing electrical power at the magawatt level are a requirement for future manned space exploration missions. This can be achieved by the development of high temperature insulating materials which are not only capable of surviving the hostile space environment but can contribute to reducing the mass and weight of the heat rejection system. In this work, Apical, Upilex, Kapton, Teflon AF, and Peek polymers are characterized for AC and DC dielectric breakdown in air and in silicone oil at temperatures up to 250 C. The materials are also tested in terms of their dielectric constant and dissipation factor at high temperatures with an electrical stress of 60 Hz, 200 V/mil present. The effects of thermal aging on the properties of the films are determined after 15 hours of exposure to 200 and 250 C, each. The results obtained are discussed and conclusions are made concerning the suitability of these dielectrics for use in capacitors and cable insulations in high temperature environments

Tandem Solar Cell Concept Using Black Silicon for Enhanced Infrared Absorption

AbstractIn this work we present a novel tandem solar cell concept that is based on enhanced below band gap infrared absorption. The solar cell structure is based on silicon and infrared activated Black Silicon. Infrared active Black Silicon is produced by exposing silicon to fs-laser pulses. It features an enhanced IR absorption, when processed under a sulfur-containing atmosphere. Then sulfur is incorporated into the silicon lattice during laser processing providing energy states in the band gap. This silicon based tandem cell thus absorbs light with wavelengths beyond 1.1μm. This can potentially increase the overall efficiency. In this paper we present the first experimental realization of this concept. We use a standard aluminium-back-surface-field (Al-BSF) silicon solar cell and implement a Black Silicon solar cell on its rear side for enhanced IR absorption. Current and voltage measurements show the feasibility of our concept

Ageing in disordered magnets and local scale-invariance

The ageing of the bond-disordered two-dimensional Ising model quenched to below its critical point is studied through the two-time autocorrelator and thermoremanent magnetization (TRM). The corresponding ageing exponents are determined. The form of the scaling function of the TRM is well described by the theory of local scale-invariance.Comment: Latex2e, with epl macros, 7 pages, final for

Unusual features of long-range density fluctuations in glass-forming organic liquids : a Rayleigh and Rayleigh-Brillouin light scattering in study

A new feature of glass-forming liquids, i.e., long-range density fluctuations of the order of 100 nm, has been extensively characterized by means of static light scattering, photon correlation spectroscopy and Rayleigh-Brillouin spectroscopy in orthoterphenyl (OTP) and 1,1-di(4'-methoxy-5' methyl-phenyl)-cyclohexane (BMMPC). These long-range density fluctuations result in the following unusual features observed in a light scattering experiment. which are not described by the existing theories: (i) strong q-dependent isotropic excess Rayleigh intensity, (ii) additional slow component in the polarized photon correlation function, and (iii) high Landau-Placzek ratio. These unusual features are equilibrium properties of the glass-forming liquids and depend only on temperature, provided that the sample has been equilibrated long enough. The temperature-dependent equilibration times were measured for BMMPC and are about 11 orders of magnitude longer than the a process. It was found that the glass-forming liquid OTP may occur in two states: with and without long-range density fluctuations (''clusters"). We have characterized the two states by static and dynamic light scattering in the temperature range from T-g to T-g + 200 K. The relaxation times of the a process as well as the parameters of the Brillouin line are identical in both OTP with and without clusters. The a process (density fluctuations) in OTP was characterized by measuring either the polarized (VV) or depolarized (VH) correlation function, which are practically identical and a-independent. This feature, which is commonly observed in glass-forming liquids, is not fully explained by the existing theories

Ageing in bosonic particle-reaction models with long-range transport

Ageing in systems without detailed balance is studied in bosonic contact and pair-contact processes with Levy diffusion. In the ageing regime, the dynamical scaling of the two-time correlation function and two-time response function is found and analysed. Exact results for non-equilibrium exponents and scaling functions are derived. The behaviour of the fluctuation-dissipation ratio is analysed. A passage time from the quasi-stationary regime to the ageing regime is defined, in qualitative agreement with kinetic spherical models and p-spin spherical glasses.Comment: Latex2e, 24 pages, with 9 figures include