Equatorial ozone characteristics as measured at Natal (5.9 deg S, 35.2 deg W)

Ozone density profiles obtained through electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sonde measurements at Natal were analyzed. Time variations, as expected, are small. Outstanding features of the data are tropospheric densities substantially higher than those measured at other stations, and also a total ozone content that is higher than the averages given by satellite measurements

The Flow Field Upstream Of A Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

A mathematical model is developed for a steady-state axi-symmetric upstream flow of a porous disc, in a uniform flow field . The special case of the upstream flow of a windmill, with and without a nacelle, is treated. First, the windmill is considered as a uniform distribution of sources and then as a linear distribution of sources. Solutions for the blade disc o f the wind field upstream are obtained in the form of stream1 ines and velocity vector components. Sample flow patterns upstream o f the blade disc o f the UMass 25 kW wind turbine are presented for several power levels. Documented computer programs applicable to any wind turbine are appended

Generalized vortex-model for the inverse cascade of two-dimensional turbulence

We generalize Kirchhoff's point vortex model of two-dimensional fluid motion to a rotor model which exhibits an inverse cascade by the formation of rotor clusters. A rotor is composed of two vortices with like-signed circulations glued together by an overdamped spring. The model is motivated by a treatment of the vorticity equation representing the vorticity field as a superposition of vortices with elliptic Gaussian shapes of variable widths, augmented by a suitable forcing mechanism. The rotor model opens up the way to discuss the energy transport in the inverse cascade on the basis of dynamical systems theory.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figure

Kinetic theory of point vortex systems from the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon hierarchy

Kinetic equations are derived from the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon (BBGKY) hierarchy for point vortex systems in an infinite plane. As the level of approximation for the Landau equation, the collision term of the kinetic equation derived coincides with that by Chavanis ({\it Phys. Rev. E} {\bf 64}, 026309 (2001)). Furthermore, we derive a kinetic equation corresponding to the Balescu-Lenard equation for plasmas, using the theory of the Fredholm integral equation. For large $N$, this kinetic equation is reduced to the Landau equation above.Comment: 10 pages, No figures. To be published in Physical Review E, 76-

Vacancy localization in the square dimer model

We study the classical dimer model on a square lattice with a single vacancy by developing a graph-theoretic classification of the set of all configurations which extends the spanning tree formulation of close-packed dimers. With this formalism, we can address the question of the possible motion of the vacancy induced by dimer slidings. We find a probability 57/4-10Sqrt[2] for the vacancy to be strictly jammed in an infinite system. More generally, the size distribution of the domain accessible to the vacancy is characterized by a power law decay with exponent 9/8. On a finite system, the probability that a vacancy in the bulk can reach the boundary falls off as a power law of the system size with exponent 1/4. The resultant weak localization of vacancies still allows for unbounded diffusion, characterized by a diffusion exponent that we relate to that of diffusion on spanning trees. We also implement numerical simulations of the model with both free and periodic boundary conditions.Comment: 35 pages, 24 figures. Improved version with one added figure (figure 9), a shift s->s+1 in the definition of the tree size, and minor correction

Theory of impedance networks: The two-point impedance and LC resonances

We present a formulation of the determination of the impedance between any two nodes in an impedance network. An impedance network is described by its Laplacian matrix L which has generally complex matrix elements. We show that by solving the equation L u_a = lambda_a u_a^* with orthonormal vectors u_a, the effective impedance between nodes p and q of the network is Z = Sum_a [u_{a,p} - u_{a,q}]^2/lambda_a where the summation is over all lambda_a not identically equal to zero and u_{a,p} is the p-th component of u_a. For networks consisting of inductances (L) and capacitances (C), the formulation leads to the occurrence of resonances at frequencies associated with the vanishing of lambda_a. This curious result suggests the possibility of practical applications to resonant circuits. Our formulation is illustrated by explicit examples.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures; v4: typesetting corrected; v5: Eq. (63) correcte

Structure and function in flow networks

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Photonic multilayer structure of Begonia chloroplasts enhances photosynthetic efficiency

Enhanced light harvesting is an area of interest for optimizing both natural photosynthesis and artificial solar energy capture1,2. Iridescence has been shown to exist widely and in diverse forms in plants and other photosynthetic organisms and symbioses3,4, but there has yet to be any direct link demonstrated between iridescence and photosynthesis. Here we show that epidermal chloroplasts, also known as iridoplasts, in shade-dwelling species of Begonia5, notable for their brilliant blue iridescence, have a photonic crystal structure formed from a periodic arrangement of the light-absorbing thylakoid tissue itself. This structure enhances photosynthesis in two ways: by increasing light capture at the predominantly green wavelengths available in shade conditions, and by directly enhancing quantum yield by 5-10% under low-light conditions. These findings together imply that the iridoplast is a highly modified chloroplast structure adapted to make best use of the extremely low-light conditions in the tropical forest understorey in which it is found5,6. A phylogenetically diverse range of shade-dwelling plant species has been found to produce similarly structured chloroplasts7-9, suggesting that the ability to produce chloroplasts whose membranes are organized as a multilayer with photonic properties may be widespread. In fact, given the well-established diversity and plasticity of chloroplasts10,11, our results imply that photonic effects may be important even in plants that do not show any obvious signs of iridescence to the naked eye but where a highly ordered chloroplast structure may present a clear blue reflectance at the microscale. Chloroplasts are generally thought of as purely photochemical; we suggest that one should also think of them as a photonic structure with a complex interplay between control of light propagation, light capture and photochemistry