588 research outputs found
Excitation and relaxation in atom-cluster collisions
Electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom in atom-cluster collisions are
treated simultaneously and self-consistently by combining time-dependent
density functional theory with classical molecular dynamics. The gradual change
of the excitation mechanisms (electronic and vibrational) as well as the
related relaxation phenomena (phase transitions and fragmentation) are studied
in a common framework as a function of the impact energy (eV...MeV). Cluster
"transparency" characterized by practically undisturbed atom-cluster
penetration is predicted to be an important reaction mechanism within a
particular window of impact energies.Comment: RevTeX (4 pages, 4 figures included with epsf
Temperature-dependent rate coefficients for the reactions of the hydroxyl radical with the atmospheric biogenics isoprene, alpha-pinene and delta-3-carene
Pulsed laser methods for OH generation and detection were used to study atmospheric degradation reactions for three important biogenic gases: OHCisoprene (Reaction R1), OH+α-pinene (Reaction R2) and OH+Δ- 3-carene (Reaction R3). Gas-phase rate coefficients were characterized by non-Arrhenius kinetics for all three reactions. For (R1), k1 (241-356 K)= (1:93±0:08)× 10-11 exp{(466±12)/T} cm3 molecule-1 s-1 was determined, with a room temperature value of k1 (297 K)= (9:3± 0:4)×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, independent of bath-gas pressure (5-200 Torr) and composition (MDN2 or air). Accuracy and precision were enhanced by online optical monitoring of isoprene, with absolute concentrations obtained via an absorption cross section, αisoprene = (1:28±0:06)× 10-17 cm2 molecule-1 at λ = 184:95 nm, determined in this work. These results indicate that significant discrepancies between previous absolute and relative-rate determinations of k1 result in part from σ values used to derive the isoprene concentration in high-precision absolute determinations. Similar methods were used to determine rate coefficients (in 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1/ for (R2)-(R3): k2 (238-357 K)= (1:83±0:04) ×exp{(330±6)/T } and k3 (235-357 K)= (2:48±0:14) ×exp{(357±17)/T }. This is the first temperature-dependent dataset for (R3) and enables the calculation of reliable atmospheric lifetimes with respect to OH removal for e.g. boreal forest springtime conditions. Room temperature values of k2 (296 K)= (5:4±0:2) ×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and k3 (297 K)= (8:1±0:3)×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 were independent of bathgas pressure (7-200 Torr, N2 or air) and in good agreement with previously reported values. In the course of this work, 184.95 nm absorption cross sections were determined: σ = (1:54±0:08) ×10-17 cm2 molecule-1 for α-pinene and (2:40±0:12)×10-17 cm2 molecule-1 for 1-3-carene
Short-term plasticity of neuro-auditory processing induced by musical active listening training
Although there is strong evidence for the positive effects of musical training on auditory perception, processing, and training-induced neuroplasticity, there is still little knowledge on the auditory and neurophysiological short-term plasticity through listening training. In a sample of 37 adolescents (20 musicians and 17 nonmusicians) that was compared to a control group matched for age, gender, and musical experience, we conducted a 2-week active listening training (AULOS: Active IndividUalized Listening OptimizationS). Using magnetoencephalography and psychoacoustic tests, the short-term plasticity of auditory evoked fields and auditory skills were examined in a pre-post design, adapted to the individual neuro-auditory profiles. We found bilateral, but more pronounced plastic changes in the right auditory cortex. Moreover, we observed synchronization of the auditory evoked P1, N1, and P2 responses and threefold larger amplitudes of the late P2 response, similar to the reported effects of musical long-term training. Auditory skills and thresholds benefited largely from the AULOS training. Remarkably, after training, the mean thresholds improved by 12 dB for bone conduction and by 3–4 dB for air conduction. Thus, our findings indicate a strong positive influence of active listening training on neural auditory processing and perception in adolescence, when the auditory system is still developing
Direct measurements of OH and other product yields from the HO2 + CH3C(O)O2 reaction
The reaction CH3C(O)O2 + HO2 → CH3C(O)OOH+O2 (Reaction R5a), CH3C(O)OH+O3 (Reaction R5b), CH3+CO2+OH+O2 (Reaction R5c) was studied in a series of experiments conducted at 1000 mbar and (293±2)K in the HIRAC simulation chamber. For the first time, products, (CH3C(O)OOH, CH3C(O)OH, O3 and OH) from all three branching pathways of the reaction have been detected directly and simultaneously. Measurements of radical precursors (CH3OH, CH3CHO), HO2 and some secondary products HCHO and HCOOH further constrained the system. Fitting a comprehensive model to the experimental data, obtained over a range of conditions, determined the branching ratios α(R5a) = 0.37±0.10, α(R5b) =0.12±0.04 and α(R5c) =0.51±0.12 (errors at 2σ level). Improved measurement/model agreement was achieved using k(R5) =(2.4±0.4)×10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, which is within the large uncertainty of the current IUPAC and JPL recommended rate coefficients for the title reaction. The rate coefficient and branching ratios are in good agreement with a recent study performed by Groß et al. (2014b); taken together, these two studies show that the rate of OH regeneration through Reaction (R5) is more rapid than previously thought. GEOS-Chem has been used to assess the implications of the revised rate coefficients and branching ratios; the modelling shows an enhancement of up to 5% in OH concentrations in tropical rainforest areas and increases of up to 10% at altitudes of 6-8 km above the equator, compared to calculations based on the IUPAC recommended rate coefficient and yield. The enhanced rate of acetylperoxy consumption significantly reduces PAN in remote regions (up to 30 %) with commensurate reductions in background NOx
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Optical properties of aerosol mixtures derived from sun-sky radiometry during SAMUM-2
The SAMUM-2 experiment took place in the Cape Verde is lands in January–February 2008. The colocated ground-based and airborne instruments allow the study of desert dust optical and microphysical properties in a closure experiment. The Meteorological Institute of the University of Munich deployed one sun-sky photometer and two tropospheric lidar systems. A travelling AERONET-Cimel sun-sky radiometer was also deployed. During the measurement period the aerosol scenario over Cape Verde mostly consisted of a dust layer below 2 km and a smoke-dust layer above 2–4 km a.s.l. The Saharan dust arrived at the site from the NE, whereas the smoke originated in the African equatorial region. This paper describes the main results of the Sun photometer observations, supported by lidar information. An analysis of the variations in the aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the range 340–1550 nm, the Ångström exponent, volume size distributions and single scattering albedo is presented. The aerosol mixtures are analysed by means of the fine mode fraction of the AOD provided by the sun-sky inversion data and the Spectral Deconvolution Algorithm. The mean AOD (500 nm) was 0.31, with associated low ångström exponent of 0.46. Several types of events were detected within the data set, with prevalence of dust or mixtures as characterized by the Ångstr¨om exponents of extinction and absorption and the fine mode fraction. Aerosol properties derived from sunphotometry were compared to in situ measurements of size distribution, effective radius and single scattering albedo
Carrier-envelope phase effects on the strong-field photoemission of electrons from metallic nanostructures
Sharp metallic nanotapers irradiated with few-cycle laser pulses are emerging
as a source of highly confined coherent electron wavepackets with attosecond
duration and strong directivity. The possibility to steer, control or switch
such electron wavepackets by light is expected to pave the way towards direct
visualization of nanoplasmonic field dynamics and real-time probing of electron
motion in solid state nanostructures. Such pulses can be generated by
strong-field induced tunneling and acceleration of electrons in the near-field
of sharp gold tapers within one half-cycle of the driving laser field. Here, we
show the effect of the carrier-envelope phase of the laser field on the
generation and motion of strong-field emitted electrons from such tips. This is
a step forward towards controlling the coherent electron motion in and around
metallic nanostructures on ultrashort length and time scales
Thermal and Chemical Freeze-out in Spectator Fragmentation
Isotope temperatures from double ratios of hydrogen, helium, lithium,
beryllium, and carbon isotopic yields, and excited-state temperatures from
yield ratios of particle-unstable resonances in 4He, 5Li, and 8Be, were
determined for spectator fragmentation, following collisions of 197Au with
targets ranging from C to Au at incident energies of 600 and 1000 MeV per
nucleon. A deviation of the isotopic from the excited-state temperatures is
observed which coincides with the transition from residue formation to
multi-fragment production, suggesting a chemical freeze-out prior to thermal
freeze-out in bulk disintegrations.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, small changes as
suggested by the editors and referee
Investigating an indirect aviation effect on mid-latitude cirrus clouds – linking lidar-derived optical properties to in situ measurements
Aviation has a large impact on the Earth's atmosphere and climate by various
processes. Line-shaped contrails and contrail cirrus clouds lead to changes
in the natural cirrus cloud cover and have a major contribution to the
effective radiative forcing from aviation. In addition, aviation-induced
aerosols might also change the microphysical properties and optical
properties of naturally formed cirrus clouds. Latter aerosol–cloud
interactions show large differences in the resulting effective radiative
forcing, and our understanding on how aviation-induced aerosols affect cirrus
cloud properties is still poor. Up to now, observations of this aviation-induced aerosol effect have been rare. In this study, we use combined airborne
lidar and in situ ice cloud measurements to investigate differences in the
microphysical and optical properties of naturally formed cirrus clouds,
which formed in regions that are highly affected by aviation-induced aerosol
emissions and, of those, which formed in regions rather unaffected by
aviation. Urbanek et al. (2018) showed that those cirrus clouds, which are
more affected by aviation-induced soot emission, are characterized by larger
values of the particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR). In this follow-on
study we relate collocated lidar measurements performed aboard HALO during
the ML-CIRRUS mission of the particle linear depolarization ratio with
in situ cloud probe measurements of the number concentration and effective
diameter of the ice particles. In situ measurements for both cloud types
(high-PLDR-mode – aviation-affected – and low-PLDR-mode – pristine – cirrus) can
be reliably compared in a temperature range between 210 and 215 K. Within
this temperature range we find that high-PLDR-mode cirrus clouds tend to
show larger effective ice particle diameters with a median value of 61.4
compared to 50.7 µm for low-PLDR-mode pristine cirrus
clouds. Larger effective ice particles in aviation-influenced (high-PLDR-mode) cirrus are connected to lower ice particle number concentration with a
median value of 0.05 compared to 0.11 cm−3 (low-PLDR-mode),
which evolved in more pristine regions with only little impact from
aviation. We suspect that a suppression of homogeneous ice formation by the
heterogeneously freezing soot aerosol particles included in the areas
affected by air traffic is the cause of the reduced ice crystal
concentrations.</p
Time Scales in Spectator Fragmentation
Proton-proton correlations and correlations of p-alpha, d-alpha, and t-alpha
from spectator decays following Au + Au collisions at 1000 AMeV have been
measured with an highly efficient detector hodoscope. The constructed
correlation functions indicate a moderate expansion and low breakup densities
similar to assumptions made in statistical multifragmentation models. In
agreement with a volume breakup rather short time scales were deduced employing
directional cuts in proton-proton correlations.
PACS numbers: 25.70.Pq, 21.65.+f, 25.70.MnComment: 8 pages, with 5 included figures; To appear in the proceedings of the
CRIS 2000 conference; Also available from
http://www-kp3.gsi.de/www/kp3/aladin_publications.htm
Breakup Density in Spectator Fragmentation
Proton-proton correlations and correlations of protons, deuterons and tritons
with alpha particles from spectator decays following 197Au + 197Au collisions
at 1000 MeV per nucleon have been measured with two highly efficient detector
hodoscopes. The constructed correlation functions, interpreted within the
approximation of a simultaneous volume decay, indicate a moderate expansion and
low breakup densities, similar to assumptions made in statistical
multifragmentation models.
PACS numbers: 25.70.Pq, 21.65.+f, 25.70.Mn, 25.75.GzComment: 11 pages, LaTeX with 3 included figures; Also available from
http://www-kp3.gsi.de/www/kp3/aladin_publications.htm
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