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Constraining uncertainty in aerosol direct forcing
The uncertainty in present-day anthropogenic forcing is dominated by uncertainty in the strength of the contribution from aerosol. Much of the uncertainty in the direct aerosol forcing can be attributed to uncertainty in the anthropogenic fraction of aerosol in the present-day atmosphere, due to a lack of historical observations. Here we present a robust relationship between total present-day aerosol optical depth and the anthropogenic contribution across three multi-model ensembles and a large single-model perturbed parameter ensemble. Using observations of aerosol optical depth, we determine a reduced likely range of the anthropogenic component and hence a reduced uncertainty in the direct forcing of aerosol
On the spatio-temporal representativeness of observations
The discontinuous spatio-temporal sampling of observations has an impact when using them to construct climatologies or evaluate models. Here we provide estimates of this so-called representation error for a range of timescales and length scales (semi-annually down to sub-daily, 300 to 50 km) and show that even after substantial averaging of data significant representation errors may remain, larger than typical measurement errors. Our study considers a variety of observations: ground-site or in situ remote sensing (PM2.5, black carbon mass or number concentrations), satellite remote sensing with imagers or lidar (extinction). We show that observational coverage (a measure of how dense the spatiotemporal sampling of the observations is) is not an effective metric to limit representation errors. Different strategies to construct monthly gridded satellite L3 data are assessed and temporal averaging of spatially aggregated observations (super-observations) is found to be the best, although it still allows for significant representation errors. However, temporal collocation of data (possible when observations are compared to model data or other observations), combined with temporal averaging, can be very effective at reducing representation errors. We also show that ground-based and wideswath imager satellite remote sensing data give rise to similar representation errors, although their observational sampling is different. Finally, emission sources and orography can lead to representation errors that are very hard to reduce, even with substantial temporal averaging
Bound-to-bound and bound-to-continuum optical transitions in combined quantum dot - superlattice systems
By combining band gap engineering with the self-organized growth of quantum
dots, we present a scheme of adjusting the mid-infrared absorption properties
to desired energy transitions in quantum dot based photodetectors. Embedding
the self organized InAs quantum dots into an AlAs/GaAs superlattice enables us
to tune the optical transition energy by changing the superlattice period as
well as by changing the growth conditions of the dots. Using a one band
envelope function framework we are able, in a fully three dimensional
calculation, to predict the photocurrent spectra of these devices as well as
their polarization properties. The calculations further predict a strong impact
of the dots on the superlattices minibands. The impact of vertical dot
alignment or misalignment on the absorption properties of this dot/superlattice
structure is investigated. The observed photocurrent spectra of vertically
coupled quantum dot stacks show very good agreement with the calculations.In
these experiments, vertically coupled quantum dot stacks show the best
performance in the desired photodetector application.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR
Phase diagrams of in Double Exchange Model with added antiferromagnetic and Jahn-Teller interaction
The phase diagram of the multivalent manganites , in
space of temperature and doping , is a challenge for the theoretical
physics. It is an important test for the model used to study these compounds
and the method of calculation. To obtain theoretically this diagram for
, we consider the two-band Double Exchange Model for manganites with
added Jahn-Teller coupling and antiferromagnetic Heisenberg term. In order to
calculate Curie and N\'{e}el temperatures we derive an effective Heisenberg
model for a vector which describes the local orientation of the total
magnetization of the system. The exchange constants of this model are different
for different space directions and depend on the density of electrons,
antiferromagnetic constants and the Jahn-Teller energy. To reproduce the well
known phase transitions from A-type antiferromagnetism to ferromagnetism at low
and C-type antiferromagnetism to G-type antiferromagnetism at large , we
argue that the antiferromagnetic exchange constants should depend on the
lattice direction. We show that ferromagnetic to A-type antiferromagnetic
transition results from the Jahn-Teller distortion. Accounting adequately for
the magnon-magnon interaction, Curie and N\'{e}el temperatures are calculated.
The results are in very good agreement with the experiment and provide values
for the model parameters, which best describe the behavior of the critical
temperature for .Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
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