Cavity Ring-down UV spectroscopy of the C2Σ+^2\Sigma^+-X2Π^2\Pi electronic transition of CH

Rotationally resolved spectra of the C$^2\Sigma^+$-X$^2\Pi$ electronic system of the CH radical were measured using cavity ring-down spectroscopy in supersonically expanding, planar hydrocarbon plasma. The experimental conditions allowed the study of highly excited rotational levels starting from vibrationally excited states. Here we present some 200+ new or more accurately recorded transitions in the 0-0, 1-1 and 2-2 vibronic bands in the ultraviolet between 30900-32400 cm$^{-1}$ (324-309 nm). The resulting data, compared to earlier measurements, allows for the determination of more precise molecular constants for each vibrational state and therefore more precise equilibrium values. From this an equilibrium bond length of 1.115798(17) \r{A} for the C$^2{\Sigma}^+$ state is determined. A comprehensive list with observed transitions for each band has been compiled from all available experimental studies and constraints are placed on the predissociation lifetimes

Communication Patterns in Mean Field Models for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks are usually composed of a large number of nodes, and with the increasing processing power and power consumption efficiency they are expected to run more complex protocols in the future. These pose problems in the field of verification and performance evaluation of wireless networks. In this paper, we tailor the mean-field theory as a modeling technique to analyze their behavior. We apply this method to the slotted ALOHA protocol, and establish results on the long term trends of the protocol within a very large network, specially regarding the stability of ALOHA-type protocols.Comment: 22 pages, in LNCS format, Submitted to QEST'1

Diversity receiver

The invention is directed to the reception of high rate radio signals (for example DVB-T signals) while the receiver is moving at a high speed (for example in or with a car). Two or more antennas (12, 16) are closely spaced and arranged behind each other in the direction of motion (v) for receiving the radio signals. A difference (S2(t)-S1(t)) of a signal (S1(t)) obtained via the first antenna (12) and a signal (S2(t)) obtained via the second antenna (16) serves as an estimation of the spatial derivative of the receiving channel transfer function. This spatial derivative is interpreted as a temporal derivative and exploited to cancel or at least reduce distortions (for example ICI) due to rapid receiving channel variations

Thermal H/D exchange in polar ice - deuteron scrambling in space

We have investigated the thermally induced proton/deuteron exchange in mixed amorphous H$_2$O:D$_2$O ices by monitoring the change in intensity of characteristic vibrational bending modes of H$_2$O, HDO, and D$_2$O with time and as function of temperature. The experiments have been performed using an ultra-high vacuum setup equipped with an infrared spectrometer that is used to investigate the spectral evolution of homogeneously mixed ice upon co-deposition in thin films, for temperatures in the 90 to 140 K domain. With this non-energetic detection method we find a significantly lower activation energy for H/D exchange -- $3840 \pm 125$ K -- than previously reported. Very likely this is due to the amorphous nature of the interstellar ice analogues involved. This provides reactive timescales ($\tau70$ K) fast enough for the process to be important in interstellar environments. Consequently, an astronomical detection of D$_2$O will be even more challenging because of its potential to react with H$_2$O to form HDO. Furthermore, additional experiments, along with previous studies, show that proton/deuteron swapping also occurs in ice mixtures of water with other hydrogen bonded molecules, in particular on the OH and NH moieties. We conclude that H/D exchange in ices is a more general process that should be incorporated into ice models that are applied to protoplanetary disks or to simulate the warming up of cometary ices in their passage of the perihelion, to examine the extent of its influence on the final deuteron over hydrogen ratio.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA