569 research outputs found
EPR studies of manganese centers in SrTiO3: Non-Kramers Mn3+ ions and spin-spin coupled Mn4+ dimers
X- and Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study is reported on the
SrTiO3 single crystals doped with 0.5-at.% MnO. EPR spectra originating from
the S = 2 ground state of Mn3+ ions are shown to belong to the three distinct
types of Jahn-Teller centres. The ordering of the oxygen vacancies due to the
reduction treatment of the samples and consequent formation of oxygen vacancy
associated Mn3+ centres are explained in terms of the localized charge
compensation. The EPR spectra of SrTiO3: Mn crystals show the presence of next
nearest neighbor exchange coupled Mn4+ pairs in the directions.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure
Process based model sheds light on climate sensitivity of Mediterranean tree-ring width
We use the process-based VS (Vaganov-Shashkin) model to investigate whether a regional <i>Pinus halepensis</i> tree-ring chronology from Tunisia can be simulated as a function of climate alone by employing a biological model linking day length and daily temperature and precipitation (AD 1959–2004) from a climate station to ring-width variations. We check performance of the model on independent data by a validation exercise in which the model's parameters are tuned using data for 1982–2004 and the model is applied to generate tree-ring indices for 1959–1981. The validation exercise yields a highly significant positive correlation between the residual chronology and estimated growth curve (<i>r</i>=0.76 <i>p</i><0.0001, <i>n</i>=23). The model shows that the average duration of the growing season is 191 days, with considerable variation from year to year. On average, soil moisture limits tree-ring growth for 128 days and temperature for 63 days. Model results depend on chosen values of parameters, in particular a parameter specifying a balance ratio between soil moisture and precipitation. Future work in the Mediterranean region should include multi-year natural experiments to verify patterns of cambial-growth variation suggested by the VS model
Advanced Three Level Approximation for Numerical Treatment of Cosmological Recombination
New public numerical code for fast calculations of the cosmological
recombination of primordial hydrogen-helium plasma is presented. The code is
based on the three-level approximation (TLA) model of recombination and allows
us to take into account some fine physical effects of cosmological
recombination simultaneously with using fudge factors. The code can be found at
http://www.ioffe.ru/astro/QC/CMBR/atlant/atlant.htmlComment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, to be submitted to MNRA
A study of boundary layer behavior associated with high NO concentrations at the South Pole using a minisodar, tether balloon, and sonic anemometer, Atmos
Abstract This paper focuses on the use of an acoustic sounder, or sodar, during the 2003 Antarctic Tropospheric Chemistry Investigation (ANTCI), to document the behavior of very shallow (o50 m) stable boundary layers thought to be one of the critical factors for explaining the very high levels of nitric oxide (NO) found in past field experiments at the South Pole. The use of a tethered balloon, profiling wind, temperature, NO, and ozone provided for a detailed interpretation of sodar data for the period 12-30 December 2003. For the same period, sonic anemometer 2-m turbulence measurements, averaged to 0.5 h, linked surface processes to the evolution of the boundary layer in response to changing radiative balance and synoptic weather changes. A mixing-layer detection method was developed and applied to half-hour average sodar amplitude profiles for the period 23 November-30 December 2003. These data also allowed for testing of simple diagnostic equations for the mixing-layer depth as well as estimates of vertical diffusion rates under stable conditions, the latter being important for the effective depth of the mixing layer vis-a`-vis the nonlinear NO chemistry postulated from earlier analyses. With the extended sampling period, two sub-seasonal regimes were examined: (1) a late-December period, with the full suite of supporting measurements, where the earlier results that shallow mixing layers associated with light winds and strong surface stability can be among the dominant factors leading to high NO levels were repeated and (2) a late November period that revealed additional complexities with very high NO concentrations appearing at times in concert with higher winds, weaker surface stability, and deeper mixing layers. The latter results are only consistent with a more complicated picture of how NO can build to very high levels that involves invoking the previously expressed dependence of elevated NO levels on nonlinear NO x (NO x ¼ NO+NO 2 ) chemistry, greater fluxes of NO x from the snowpack than previously observed at the South Pole, and the potential for enhanced NO x accumulation effects involving air parcels draining off the high platea
Effects of CMB temperature uncertainties on cosmological parameter estimation
We estimate the effect of the experimental uncertainty in the measurement of
the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on the extraction of
cosmological parameters from future CMB surveys. We find that even for an ideal
experiment limited only by cosmic variance up to l = 2500 for both the
temperature and polarisation measurements, the projected cosmological parameter
errors are remarkably robust against the uncertainty of 1 mK in the FIRAS
instrument's CMB temperature monopole measurement. The maximum degradation in
sensitivity is 20%, for the baryon density estimate, relative to the case in
which the monopole is known infinitely well. While this degradation is
acceptable, we note that reducing the uncertainty in the current temperature
measurement by a factor of five will bring it down to the per cent level. We
also estimate the effect of the uncertainty in the dipole temperature
measurement. Assuming the overall calibration of the data to be dominated by
the dipole error of 0.2% from FIRAS, the sensitivity degradation is
insignificant and does not exceed 10% in any parameter direction.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, uses iopart.cls, v2: added discussion of CMB
dipole uncertainty, version accepted by JCA
Elastic Spin Relaxation Processes in Semiconductor Quantum Dots
Electron spin decoherence caused by elastic spin-phonon processes is
investigated comprehensively in a zero-dimensional environment. Specifically, a
theoretical treatment is developed for the processes associated with the
fluctuations in the phonon potential as well as in the electron procession
frequency through the spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions in the
semiconductor quantum dots. The analysis identifies the conditions (magnetic
field, temperature, etc.) in which the elastic spin-phonon processes can
dominate over the inelastic counterparts with the electron spin-flip
transitions. Particularly, the calculation results illustrate the potential
significance of an elastic decoherence mechanism originating from the
intervalley transitions in semiconductor quantum dots with multiple equivalent
energy minima (e.g., the X valleys in SiGe). The role of lattice anharmonicity
and phonon decay in spin relaxation is also examined along with that of the
local effective field fluctuations caused by the stochastic electronic
transitions between the orbital states. Numerical estimations are provided for
typical GaAs and Si-based quantum dots.Comment: 57 pages, 14 figure
Atmospheric Gravity Perturbations Measured by Ground-Based Interferometer with Suspended Mirrors
A possibility of geophysical measurements using the large scale laser
interferometrical gravitational wave antenna is discussed. An interferometer
with suspended mirrors can be used as a gradiometer measuring variations of an
angle between gravity force vectors acting on the spatially separated
suspensions. We analyze restrictions imposed by the atmospheric noises on
feasibility of such measurements. Two models of the atmosphere are invoked: a
quiet atmosphere with a hydrostatic coupling of pressure and density and a
dynamic model of moving region of the density anomaly (cyclone). Both models
lead to similar conclusions up to numerical factors. Besides the hydrostatic
approximation, we use a model of turbulent atmosphere with the pressure
fluctuation spectrum f^{-7/3} to explore the Newtonian noise in a higher
frequency domain (up to 10 Hz) predicting the gravitational noise background
for modern gravitational wave detectors. Our estimates show that this could
pose a serious problem for realization of such projects. Finally, angular
fluctuations of spatially separated pendula are investigated via computer
simulation for some realistic atmospheric data giving the level estimate
10^{-11} rad/sqrt(Hz) at frequency 10^{-4} Hz. This looks promising for the
possibility of the measurement of weak gravity effects such as Earth inner core
oscillations.Comment: 13 pages, 4 pigures, LaTeX. To be published in Classical and Quantum
Gravit
Petromagnetic features of sediments at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic boundary: Results from the Gams section
The paper continues a cycle of petromagnetic investigations of epicontinental deposits at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic (K/T) boundary and is devoted to the study of the Gams section (Austria). Using thermomagnetic analysis, the following magnetic phases are identified: goethite (TC = 90-150°C), hemoilmenite (TC = 200-300°C), metallic nickel (TC = 350-360°C), magnetite and titanomagnetite (T C = 550-610°C), Fe-Ni alloy (TC = 640-660°C), and metallic iron (TC = 740-770°C). Their concentrations are determined from M (T). In all samples, ensembles of magnetic grains have similar coercivity spectra and are characterized by a high coercivity. An exception is the lower coercivity of the boundary clay layer due to grains of metallic nickel and iron. With rare exceptions, the studied sediments are anisotropic and generally possess a magnetic foliation, which indicates a terrigenous accumulation of magnetic minerals. Many samples of sandy-clayey rocks have an inverse magnetic fabric associated with the presence of acicular goethite. The values of paramagnetic and diamagnetic components in the deposits are calculated. According to the results obtained, the K/T boundary is marked by a sharp increase in the concentration of Fe hydroxides. The distribution of titanomagnetite reflects its dispersal during eruptive activity, which is better expressed in the Maastrichtian and at the base of the layer J. The along-section distribution of metallic iron, most likely of cosmic origin, is rather uniformly chaotic. The presence of nickel, most probably of impact origin, is a particularly local phenomenon as yet. The K/T boundary is not directly related to an impact event. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2008
Joint Thermal Treatment of Heavy Oil and Liquid Products of Fast Wood Pyrolysis for Producing Fuels and Chemicals
© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Joint thermal treatment of heavy oil and liquid products of fast wood pyrolysis is investigated. Thermal analysis shows that the coke yield does not increase if the liquid products are added up to 20 mass%. The liquid wood-pyrolysis products decompose much earlier than heavy oil. However, the decomposition of the blends is essentially the same as pure-oil decomposition
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