1,775 research outputs found
A different glance to the site testing above Dome C
Due to the recent interest shown by astronomers towards the Antarctic Plateau
as a potential site for large astronomical facilities, we assisted in the last
years to a strengthening of site testing activities in this region,
particularly at Dome C. Most of the results collected so far concern
meteorologic parameters and optical turbulence measurements based on different
principles using different instruments. At present we have several elements
indicating that, above the first 20-30 meters, the quality of the optical
turbulence above Dome C is better than above whatever other site in the world.
The challenging question, crucial to know which kind of facilities to build on,
is to establish how much better the Dome C is than a mid-latitude site. In this
contribution we will provide some complementary elements and strategies of
analysis aiming to answer to this question. We will try to concentrate the
attention on critical points, i.e. open questions that still require
explanation/attention.Comment: 3 figures, EAS Publications Series, Volume 25, 2007, pp.5
Synchronization of unidirectional time delay chaotic networks and the greatest common divisor
We present the interplay between synchronization of unidirectional coupled
chaotic nodes with heterogeneous delays and the greatest common divisor (GCD)
of loops composing the oriented graph. In the weak chaos region and for GCD=1
the network is in chaotic zero-lag synchronization, whereas for GCD=m>1
synchronization of m-sublattices emerges. Complete synchronization can be
achieved when all chaotic nodes are influenced by an identical set of delays
and in particular for the limiting case of homogeneous delays. Results are
supported by simulations of chaotic systems, self-consistent and mixing
arguments, as well as analytical solutions of Bernoulli maps.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
The role of climate change and human pressure on forest decline in the early Holocene on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau – an ecohydrological modelling approach
Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013
B
Wind speed vertical distribution at Mt. Graham
The characterization of the wind speed vertical distribution V(h) is
fundamental for an astronomical site for many different reasons: (1) the wind
speed shear contributes to trigger optical turbulence in the whole troposphere,
(2) a few of the astroclimatic parameters such as the wavefront coherence time
(tau_0) depends directly on V(h), (3) the equivalent velocity V_0, controlling
the frequency at which the adaptive optics systems have to run to work
properly, depends on the vertical distribution of the wind speed and optical
turbulence. Also, a too strong wind speed near the ground can introduce
vibrations in the telescope structures. The wind speed at a precise pressure
(200 hPa) has frequently been used to retrieve indications concerning the tau_0
and the frequency limits imposed to all instrumentation based on adaptive
optics systems, but more recently it has been proved that V_200 (wind speed at
200 hPa) alone is not sufficient to provide exhaustive elements concerning this
topic and that the vertical distribution of the wind speed is necessary. In
this paper a complete characterization of the vertical distribution of wind
speed strength is done above Mt.Graham (Arizona, US), site of the Large
Binocular Telescope. We provide a climatological study extended over 10 years
using the operational analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), we prove that this is representative of the wind
speed vertical distribution at Mt. Graham with exception of the boundary layer
and we prove that a mesoscale model can provide reliable nightly estimates of
V(h) above this astronomical site from the ground up to the top of the
atmosphere (~ 20 km).Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures (whereof 3 colour), accepted by MNRAS May 27,
201
Dome C site testing: surface layer, free atmosphere seeing and isoplanatic angle statistics
This paper analyses 3.5 years of site testing data obtained at Dome C,
Antarctica, based on measurements obtained with three DIMMs located at three
different elevations. Basic statistics of the seeing and the isoplanatic angle
are given, as well as the characteristic time of temporal fluctuations of these
two parameters, which we found to around 30 minutes at 8 m. The 3 DIMMs are
exploited as a profiler of the surface layer, and provide a robust estimation
of its statistical properties. It appears to have a very sharp upper limit
(less than 1 m). The fraction of time spent by each telescope above the top of
the surface layer permits us to deduce a median height of between 23 m and 27
m. The comparison of the different data sets led us to infer the statistical
properties of the free atmosphere seeing, with a median value of 0.36 arcsec.
The C_n^2 profile inside the surface layer is also deduced from the seeing data
obtained during the fraction of time spent by the 3 telescopes inside this
turbulence. Statistically, the surface layer, except during the 3-month summer
season, contributes to 95 percent of the total turbulence from the surface
level, thus confirming the exceptional quality of the site above it
Design considerations for table-top, laser-based VUV and X-ray free electron lasers
A recent breakthrough in laser-plasma accelerators, based upon ultrashort
high-intensity lasers, demonstrated the generation of quasi-monoenergetic
GeV-electrons. With future Petawatt lasers ultra-high beam currents of ~100 kA
in ~10 fs can be expected, allowing for drastic reduction in the undulator
length of free-electron-lasers (FELs). We present a discussion of the key
aspects of a table-top FEL design, including energy loss and chirps induced by
space-charge and wakefields. These effects become important for an optimized
table-top FEL operation. A first proof-of-principle VUV case is considered as
well as a table-top X-ray-FEL which may open a brilliant light source also for
new ways in clinical diagnostics.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Appl. Phys.
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