Determination of wind from NIMBUS 6 satellite sounding data

Objective methods of computing upper level and surface wind fields from NIMBUS 6 satellite sounding data are developed. These methods are evaluated by comparing satellite derived and rawinsonde wind fields on gridded constant pressure charts in four geographical regions. Satellite-derived and hourly observed surface wind fields are compared. Results indicate that the best satellite-derived wind on constant pressure charts is a geostrophic wind derived from highly smoothed fields of geopotential height. Satellite-derived winds computed in this manner and rawinsonde winds show similar circulation patterns except in areas of small height gradients. Magnitudes of the standard deviation of the differences between satellite derived and rawinsonde wind speeds range from approximately 3 to 12 m/sec on constant pressure charts and peak at the jet stream level. Fields of satellite-derived surface wind computed with the logarithmic wind law agree well with fields of observed surface wind in most regions. Magnitudes of the standard deviation of the differences in surface wind speed range from approximately 2 to 4 m/sec, and satellite derived surface winds are able to depict flow across a cold front and around a low pressure center

A comparative analysis of rawinsonde and NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellite profile data

Comparisons are made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered include temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters, including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from the NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellites were used. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed with observations. Results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large scale systems but that small scale features, such as frontal zones, cannot yet be resolved

Dissolved gas and isotopic tracers of denitrification

We present results from field studies in California (USA) where tritium-helium age dating is used in conjunction with major gases (N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, CO{sub 2}), noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe), and stable isotopes ({sup 15}N/{sup 14}N, {sup 18}O/{sup 16}O) in order to document nitrate loading and denitrification associated with confined animal agricultural operations and septic systems. Preliminary results show that in-field extraction of the full suite of dissolved gases will be possible using a new Gas Extraction System under development to augment the current Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry and Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry techniques. Ascribing observed groundwater nitrate levels to specific current and past land use practices is often complicated by uncertainty in groundwater age and the degree and locus of dentrification. Groundwater age dating at dairy field sites using the {sup 3}H-{sup 3}He method indicates that the highest nitrate concentrations (150-260 mg/L-NO3) occur in waters with apparent ages of <5 yrs, whereas older waters contain excess N{sub 2} from saturated zone denitrification [1]. At a residential septic system site in Livermore, CA, waters with young apparent ages (<1 yr) proximal to leach line drainage have lower nitrate concentrations and elevated nitrate {delta}{sup 15}N and {delta}{sup 18}O values consistent with denitrification, but little evidence for excess N{sub 2}, indicating that denitrification is occurring in the unsaturated zone. Degassing of groundwater can complicate efforts to calculate travel times [2] and to quantify denitrification. Degassed groundwater underlying dairy operations is formed by two distinct mechanisms: (1) recharge of manure lagoon water affected by biogenic gas ebullition [3] and (2) saturated zone denitrification producing N{sub 2} gas above solubility in groundwater. Gas loss due to both mechanisms is evident in the concentrations of noble gases and major gases in dairy groundwater samples

Gel-Electrophoresis and Diffusion of Ring-Shaped DNA

A model for the motion of ring-shaped DNA in a gel is introduced and studied by numerical simulations and a mean-field approximation. The ring motion is mediated by finger-shaped loops (hernias) that move in an amoeba-like fashion around the gel obstructions. This constitutes an extension of previous reptation tube treatments. It is shown that tension is essential for describing the dynamics in the presence of hernias. It is included in the model as long range interactions over stretched DNA regions. The mobility of ring-shaped DNA is found to saturate much as in the well-studied case of linear DNA. Experiments in polymer gels, however, show that the mobility drops exponentially with the DNA ring size. This is commonly attributed to dangling-ends in the gel that can impale the ring. The predictions of the present model are expected to apply to artificial 2D obstacle arrays (W.D. Volkmuth, R.H. Austin, Nature 358,600 (1992)) which have no dangling-ends. In the zero-field case an exact solution of the model steady-state is obtained, and quantities such as the average ring size are calculated. An approximate treatment of the ring dynamics is given, and the diffusion coefficient is derived. The model is also discussed in the context of spontaneous symmetry breaking in one dimension.Comment: 8 figures, LaTeX, Phys. Rev. E - in pres

Energy Efficient Mobile Routing in Actuator and Sensor Networks with Connectivity Preservation

International audienceIn mobile wireless sensor networks, flows sent from data col- lecting sensors to a sink could traverse inefficient resource expensive paths. Such paths may have several negative effects such as devices bat- tery depletion that may cause the network to be disconnected and packets to experience arbitrary delays. This is particularly problematic in event- based sensor networks (deployed in disaster recovery missions) where flows are of great importance. In this paper, we use node mobility to im- prove energy consumption of computed paths. Mobility is a two-sword edge, however. Moving a node may render the network disconnected and useless. We propose CoMNet (Connectivity preservation Mobile routing protocol for actuator and sensor NETworks), a localized mechanism that modifies the network topology to support resource efficient transmissions. To the best of our knowledge, CoMNet is the first georouting algorithm which considers controlled mobility to improve routing energy consump- tion while ensuring network connectivity. CoMNet is based on (i) a cost to progress metric which optimizes both sending and moving costs, (ii) the use of a connected dominating set to maintain network connectivity. CoMNet is general enough to be applied to various networks (actuator, sensor). Our simulations show that CoMNet guarantees network connec- tivity and is effective in achieving high delivery rates and substantial energy savings compared to traditional approaches

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum