A wireless RF CMOS mixed-signal interface for soil moisture measurements

This paper describes a wireless RF CMOS interface for soil moisture measurements. The interface basically comprises a Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) modulator for acquiring an external sensor signal, and a RF section where data is transmitted to a local processing unit. The ΔΣ modulator is a single-bit, second-order modulator and it is implemented using switched-capacitors techniques in a fully-differential topology. With a sampling frequency of 423.75 kHz and an oversampling ratio (OSR) of 256, the modulator achieves a dynamic range of 98.7 dB (16.1 bit). The output of the modulator is applied to a counter, as a first-order decimation filter, and the result is stored. Prior to transmission, data is encoded as a pulse width modulated signal and assembled in a frame containing preamble and checksum control fields. This frame is then transmitted through a power amplifier operating at 433.92 MHz in class-E mode. To evaluate the ΔΣ modulator performance, the bitstream was acquired and transferred to a personal computer to perform digital filtering and decimation using MATLAB. The soil moisture sensor is based on dual-probe heat-pulse (DPHP) method and is implemented by using an integrated temperature sensor and a heater. After applying a heat-pulse for a fixed period of time, the temperature rise, that is a function of soil moisture, generates a differential voltage that is amplified and applied to the mixed-signal interface input. The described interface can also be used with other kinds of environmental sensors in a wireless sensors network. The CMOS mixed-signal interface has been implemented in a single-chip using a standard CMOS 0.7 μm process (AMI C07M-A, n-well, 2 metals and 1 poly)

Rainfall interception modelling: is the wet bulb approach adequate to estimate mean evaporation rate from wet/saturated canopies in all forest types?

The Penman–Monteith equation has been widely used to estimate the maximum evaporation rate (E) from wet/saturated forest canopies, regardless of canopy cover fraction. Forests are then represented as a big leaf and interception loss considered essentially as a one-dimensional process. With increasing forest sparseness the assumptions behind this big leaf approach become questionable. In sparse forests it might be better to model E and interception loss at the tree level assuming that the individual tree crowns behave as wet bulbs (‘‘wet bulb approach”). In this study, and for five different forest types and climate conditions, interception loss measurements were compared to modelled values (Gash’s interception model) based on estimates of E by the Penman–Monteith and the wet bulb approaches. Results show that the wet bulb approach is a good, and less data demanding, alternative to estimate E when the forest canopy is fully ventilated (very sparse forests with a narrow canopy depth). When the canopy is not fully ventilated, the wet bulb approach requires a reduction of leaf area index to the upper, more ventilated parts of the canopy, needing data on the vertical leaf area distribution, which is seldom-available. In such cases, the Penman–Monteith approach seems preferable. Our data also show that canopy cover does not per se allow us to identify if a forest canopy is fully ventilated or not. New methodologies of sensitivity analyses applied to Gash’s model showed that a correct estimate of E is critical for the proper modelling of interception loss

Measurement of W Polarisation at LEP

The three different helicity states of W bosons produced in the reaction e+ e- -> W+ W- -> l nu q q~ at LEP are studied using leptonic and hadronic W decays. Data at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt s = 183-209 GeV are used to measure the polarisation of W bosons, and its dependence on the W boson production angle. The fraction of longitudinally polarised W bosons is measured to be 0.218 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.016 where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation

Search for Anomalous Couplings in the Higgs Sector at LEP

Anomalous couplings of the Higgs boson are searched for through the processes e^+ e^- -> H gamma, e^+ e^- -> e^+ e^- H and e^+ e^- -> HZ. The mass range 70 GeV < m_H < 190 GeV is explored using 602 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies sqrt(s)=189-209 GeV. The Higgs decay channels H -> ffbar, H -> gamma gamma, H -> Z\gamma and H -> WW^(*) are considered and no evidence is found for anomalous Higgs production or decay. Limits on the anomalous couplings d, db, Delta(g1z), Delta(kappa_gamma) and xi^2 are derived as well as limits on the H -> gamma gamma and H -> Z gamma decay rates

Measurement of W Polarisation at LEP

The three different helicity states of W bosons produced in the reaction e+ e- -> W+ W- -> l nu q q~ at LEP are studied using leptonic and hadronic W decays. Data at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt s = 183-209 GeV are used to measure the polarisation of W bosons, and its dependence on the W boson production angle. The fraction of longitudinally polarised W bosons is measured to be 0.218 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.016 where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation

Bose-Einstein Correlations of Neutral and Charged Pions in Hadronic Z Decays

Bose-Einstein correlations of both neutral and like-sign charged pion pairs are measured in a sample of 2 million hadronic Z decays collected with the L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is performed in the four-momentum difference range 300 MeV < Q < 2 GeV. The radius of the neutral pion source is found to be smaller than that of charged pions. This result is in qualitative agreement with the string fragmentation model

Z Boson Pair-Production at LEP

Events stemming from the pair-production of Z bosons in e^+e^- collisions are studied using 217.4 pb^-1 of data collected with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies from 200 GeV up to 209 GeV. The special case of events with b quarks is also investigated. Combining these events with those collected at lower centre-of-mass energies, the Standard Model predictions for the production mechanism are verified. In addition, limits are set on anomalous couplings of neutral gauge bosons and on effects of extra space dimensions

Neutral-Current Four-Fermion Production in e+e- Interactions at LEP

Neutral-current four-fermion production, e+e- -> ffff is studied in 0.7/fb of data collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies root(s)=183-209GeV. Four final states are considered: qqvv, qqll, llll and llvv, where l denotes either an electron or a muon. Their cross sections are measured and found to agree with the Standard Model predictions. In addition, the e+e- -> Zgamma* -> ffff process is studied and its total cross section at the average centre-of-mass energy 196.6GeV is found to be 0.29 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.03 pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.22 pb. Finally, the mass spectra of the qqll final states are analysed to search for the possible production of a new neutral heavy particle, for which no evidence is found

Measurement of Exclusive rho+rho- Production in Mid-Virtuality Two-Photon Interactions and Study of the gamma gamma* -> rho rho Process at LEP

Exclusive rho+rho- production in two-photon collisions between a quasi-real photon, gamma, and a mid-virtuality photon, gamma*, is studied with data collected at LEP at centre-of-mass energies root(s)=183-209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 684.8pb^-1. The cross section of the gamma gamma* -> rho+ rho- process is determined as a function of the photon virtuality, Q^2, and the two-photon centre-of-mass energy, W_gg, in the kinematic region: 0.2GeV^2 < Q^2 <0.85GeV^2 and 1.1GeV < W_gg < 3GeV. These results, together with previous L3 measurements of rho0 rho0 and rho+ rho- production, allow a study of the gamma gamma* -> rho rho process over the Q^2-region 0.2GeV^2 < Q^2 < 30 GeV^2

Measurement of the Running of the Electromagnetic Coupling at Large Momentum-Transfer at LEP

The evolution of the electromagnetic coupling, alpha, in the momentum-transfer range 1800GeV^2 < -Q^2 < 21600GeV^2 is studied with about 40000 Bhabha-scattering events collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies 189-209GeV. The running of alpha is parametrised as: alpha(Q^2) = alpha_0/(1-C Delta alpha(Q^2)), where alpha_0=\alpha(Q^2=0) is the fine-structure constant and C=1 corresponds to the evolution expected in QED. A fit to the differential cross section of the e+e- ->e+e- process for scattering angles in the range |cos theta|<0.9 excludes the hypothesis of a constant value of alpha, C=0, and validates the QED prediction with the result: C = 1.05 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.14, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic