Calorimetric Ionization Detector

A new mode of operation for ionization detectors is described. The amount of ionization produced in a detector is determined by measuring the amount of heat generated during the carrier collection process. Very high detection sensitivities, including single carrier detection, may be achieved at cryogenic temperatures. Results from an experimental device operated at T = 0.3K is presented

Concentration of atomic hydrogen diffused into silicon in the temperature range 900–1300 °C

Boron-doped Czochralski silicon samples with [B]~1017 cm−3 have been heated at various temperatures in the range 800–1300 °C in an atmosphere of hydrogen and then quenched. The concentration of [H-B] pairs was measured by infrared localized vibrational mode spectroscopy. It was concluded that the solubility of atomic hydrogen is greater than [Hs] = 5.6 × 1018 exp( − 0.95 eV/kT)cm−3 at the temperatures investigated

Generative BIM workspace for AEC conceptual design automation: prototype development

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management on 10/07/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2020-0256 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose: The integration and automation of the whole design and implementation process have become a pivotal factor in construction projects. Problems of process integration, particularly at the conceptual design stage, often manifest through a number of significant areas, from design representation, cognition and translation to process fragmentation and loss of design integrity. Whilst building information modelling (BIM) applications can be used to support design automation, particularly through the modelling, amendment and management stages, they do not explicitly provide whole design integration. This is a significant challenge. However, advances in generative design now offer significant potential for enhancing the design experience to mitigate this challenge. Design/methodology/approach: The approach outlined in this paper specifically addresses BIM deficiencies at the conceptual design stage, where the core drivers and indicators of BIM and generative design are identified and mapped into a generative BIM (G-BIM) framework and subsequently embedded into a G-BIM prototype. This actively engages generative design methods into a single dynamic BIM environment to support the early conceptual design process. The developed prototype followed the CIFE “horseshoe” methodology of aligning theoretical research with scientific methods to procure architecture, construction and engineering (AEC)-based solutions. This G-BIM prototype was also tested and validated through a focus group workshop engaging five AEC domain experts. Findings: The G-BIM prototype presents a valuable set of rubrics to support the conceptual design stage using generative design. It benefits from the advanced features of BIM tools in relation to illustration and collaboration (coupled with BIM's parametric change management features). Research limitations/implications: This prototype has been evaluated through multiple projects and scenarios. However, additional test data is needed to further improve system veracity using conventional and non-standard real-life design settings (and contexts). This will be reported in later works. Originality/value: Originality and value rest with addressing the shortcomings of previous research on automation during the design process. It also addresses novel computational issues relating to the implementation of generative design systems, where, for example, instead of engaging static and formal description of the domain concepts, G-BIM actively enhances the applicability of BIM during the early design stages to generate optimised (and more purposeful) design solutions.Published versio

Derivative spectroscopy and the continuous relaxation spectrum

Derivative spectroscopy is conventionally understood to be a collection of techniques for extracting fine structure from spectroscopic data by means of numerical differentiation. In this paper we extend the conventional interpretation of derivative spectroscopy with a view to recovering the continuous relaxation spectrum of a viscoelastic material from oscillatory shear data. To achieve this, the term “spectroscopic data” is allowed to include spectral data which have been severely broadened by the action of a strong low-pass filter. Consequently, a higher order of differentiation than is usually encountered in conventional derivative spectroscopy is required. However, by establishing a link between derivative spectroscopy and wavelet decomposition, high-order differentiation of oscillatory shear data can be achieved using specially constructed wavelet smoothing. This method of recovery is justified when the reciprocal of the Fourier transform of the filter function (convolution kernel) is an entire function, and is particularly powerful when the associated Maclaurin series converges rapidly. All derivatives are expressed algebraically in terms of scaling functions and wavelets of different scales, and the recovered relaxation spectrum is expressible in analytic form. An important feature of the method is that it facilitates local recovery of the spectrum, and is therefore appropriate for real scenarios where the oscillatory shear data is only available for a finite range of frequencies. We validate the method using synthetic data, but also demonstrate its use on real experimental data

Spatial and seasonal variations of atmospheric sulfur concentrations and dry deposition at 16 rural and suburban sites in China

AbstractThe large emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in China have raised worldwide concerns due to its contribution to acid rain and particulate pollution. Monitoring sulfur (S) concentrations and estimating its deposition are important for evaluating air quality and its effects on ecosystems and human health. To date atmospheric dry S deposition in China remains unclear due to the paucity of measurements, especially in rural regions where the ecosystems are sensitive to acid deposition. In this study, we monitored both SO2 and particulate SO42− (pSO42−) concentrations at 8 sites south and 8 sites north of the Huai River in rural and suburban parts of China between 2010 and 2012. The measured concentration of SO2 and pSO42− were combined with GEOS-Chem modeled dry deposition velocities to estimate dry S deposition inputs to the surfaces. SO2 and pSO42− concentrations were high from October/November to next March/April and they (esp. SO2) decreased sharply since March/April at the northern sites, reflecting elevated SO2 emissions by winter heating (which normally starts in October/November and ends in March/April in the north of the Huai River). However the southern sites did not show this trend. Annual dry deposition of SO2 plus pSO42− in this study ranged from 3.1 to 27.1 kg S ha−1 across all the sites in the year 2011 (except one site from May 2011 to April 2012) and showed large spatial variation. The sites in northern China had greater dry deposition due to the higher S concentrations compared with sites in southern China. We also found relatively low pSO42−/pNO3- ratios at most sites, reflecting NOx emissions had a larger influence than SO2 emissions on particle composition during the 2010–2012 period at the measurement sites. Our results suggest that dry S deposition is still important input to ecosystems in spite of slow reduction of Chinese national SO2 emissions since 2005. More research on both wet and dry S deposition and their impacts on the environment and human health should be carried out following the introduction of policies to reduce SO2 emissions

Astrophysical S_{17}(0) factor from a measurement of d(7Be,8B)n reaction at E_{c.m.} = 4.5 MeV

Angular distribution measurements of $^2$H($^7$Be,$^7$Be)$^2$H and $^2$H($^7$Be,$^8$B)$n$ reactions at $E_{c.m.}\sim$~4.5 MeV were performed to extract the astrophysical $S_{17}(0)$ factor using the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) method. For this purpose a pure, low emittance $^7$Be beam was separated from the primary $^7$Li beam by a recoil mass spectrometer operated in a novel mode. A beam stopper at 0$^{\circ}$ allowed the use of a higher $^7$Be beam intensity. Measurement of the elastic scattering in the entrance channel using kinematic coincidence, facilitated the determination of the optical model parameters needed for the analysis of the transfer data. The present measurement significantly reduces errors in the extracted $^7$Be(p,$\gamma$) cross section using the ANC method. We get $S_{17}$~(0)~=~20.7~$\pm$~2.4 eV~b.Comment: 15 pages including 3 eps figures, one figure removed and discussions updated. Version to appear in Physical Review

Large-Mass Ultra-Low Noise Germanium Detectors: Performance and Applications in Neutrino and Astroparticle Physics

A new type of radiation detector, a p-type modified electrode germanium diode, is presented. The prototype displays, for the first time, a combination of features (mass, energy threshold and background expectation) required for a measurement of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering in a nuclear reactor experiment. The device hybridizes the mass and energy resolution of a conventional HPGe coaxial gamma spectrometer with the low electronic noise and threshold of a small x-ray semiconductor detector, also displaying an intrinsic ability to distinguish multiple from single-site particle interactions. The present performance of the prototype and possible further improvements are discussed, as well as other applications for this new type of device in neutrino and astroparticle physics (double-beta decay, neutrino magnetic moment and WIMP searches).Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Idylls of socialism : the Sarajevo Documentary School and the problem of the Bosnian sub-proletariat

This historical overview of the Sarajevo Documentary School considers the films, in the light of their recent re-emergence, as indicative of both the legacy of socialist realism (even in the context of Yugoslav media) and attempted social engineering in the Bosnia of the 1960s and 1970s. The argument is made that the documentaries, despite their questionable aesthetic status (in respect of cinma-vrit and ethnography) and problematic ideological strategies and attempted interventions, document a history and offer insights that counter the prevailing revisionist trends in the presentation of Eastern and Central European history

Impact of Nutrient Management on Wheat/Vegetable Yields and the Fate of 15N-Labeled Fertilizer in the Yangtze River Basin

The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) crosses three economic zones and major agricultural regions of eastern, central, and western China. Increasing non-point source pollution, caused by excessive nitrogen (N) inputs to farms, is one of the main causes of water contamination in the YRB. To improve N fertilizer use efficiency, we conducted a field experiment using 15N-labeled urea at three sites located in upstream, midstream, and downstream regions of the YRB to evaluate the impacts of improved fertilizer management on crop yield, fertilizer N recovery, and losses in three crop rotations: rice–wheat (RW), rice–vegetable (RV) [tuber mustard at Jiangjin (Chongqing), cabbage at Shayang (Hubei), and savoy cabbage at Rugao (Jiangsu)] and maize–wheat (MW). Applying only 50% of the traditional application of N and P fertilizer maintained the wheat yield at Jiangjin and Shayang and savoy cabbage yield at Rugao. However, it caused a 27% reduction of the wheat yield at Rugao. The 15N recovery showed that 27% of the fertilizer N was retained in the soil and that 25% less fertilizer N was lost to the environment compared to the traditional fertilizer application. Improved fertilizer management would reduce the environmental cost of farming in the YRB, but with some consequences to winter crop yields