Sequential sporadic-E layers at low latitudes in the Indian sector

International audienceA study of the formation and movement of sequential Sporadic-E layers observed during the night-time hours at two Indian low-latitude stations, SHAR (dip 10°N) and Waltair (dip 20°N) shows that the layer are formed around 19:00 h. IST at altitudes of ~180 km. They descend to the normal E-region altitude of about 100 km in three to four hours and becomes blanketing type of Es before they disappear. However, the absence of these descending layers at an equatorial station, Trivandrum (dip 2°N) gives the experimental evidence for wind shear theory. The meridional neutral wind derived from the height variation of the F-layer showed significant poleward wind during the descent of these layers. Hence it is inferred that these layers are formed as a consequence of the convergence of plasma by the poleward wind and the equatorward propagating gravity waves (inferred from the height fluctuations of F-layer)

Transient isomerisation and inverse electronic relaxation of infrared multiple-photon excited Pentafluoropyridine

Pentafluoropyridine (PFP) undergoes fast structural isomerisation to fulvenes when irradiated with 9R(16) CO2 laser line in the fluence range 0.5-1.5 J/cm2. The unstable fulvenes slowly decay back to PFP in ms time scale. No detectable permanent dissociation of PFP was observed in the above low fluence experiments. However, by using focused CO2 laser beam for the irradiation of PFP, an emission of light in the visible/near-UV was observed. The time evolution of the luminescence reveals three peaks at 390, 460 and 500 nm on a broad background emission of 300-680 nm. These bands are assigned to the fluorescence of PFP via inverse electronic relaxation (IER) and C2 Swan bands. On prolonged irradiation of PFP in focused condition a small extent of permanent dissociation was observed with the major products as C2F4, a sooty yellow deposit and another compound presumed to be Dewar PFP

Selective IR laser chemistry of CDF<SUB>3</SUB> in natural fluoroform

Selective decomposition of CDF3 at natural abundance level (&#8776;150ppm) in fluoroform has been achieved by infra-red multiple-photon excitation at moderate substrate pressure using 100 ns FWHM CO2 laser pulses. Effects of energy fluence, number of laser pulses, buffer gas pressure and substrate pressure on decomposition yield and bulk selectivity are reported and discussed

Characteristics of VHF radiowave scintillations over a solar cycle (1983?1993) at a low-latitude station: Waltair (17.7°N, 83.3°E)

International audienceThe characteristics of VHF radiowave scintillations at 244 MHz (FLEETSAT) during a complete solar cycle (1983?93) at a low-latitude station, Waltair (17.7°N, 83.3°E), are presented. The occurrence of night-time scintillations shows equinoctial maxima and summer minima in all the epochs of solar activity, and follows the solar activity. The daytime scintillation occurrence is negatively correlated with the solar activity and shows maximum occurrence during the summer months in a period of low solar activity. The occurrence of night-time scintillations is inhibited during disturbed days of high solar activity and enhanced during low solar activity

HYDROGEL: RESPONSIVE STRUCTURES FOR DRUG DELIVERY

Hydrogels are water-swollen 3D networks made of polymers, proteins, small molecules, or colloids. They are porous in structure and entrap/encapsulate large amounts of therapeutic agents and biopharmaceuticals. Their unique properties like biocompatibility, biodegradability, sensitivity to various stimuli, and the ability to be easily conjugated with hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs with a controlled-release profile make hydrogels a smart drug delivery system. Smart hydrogel systems with various chemically and structurally responsive moieties exhibit responsiveness to external stimuli including temperature, pH, ionic concentration, light, magnetic fields, electrical fields, and chemical and biological stimuli with selected triggers includes polymers with multiple responsive properties have also been developed elegantly combining two or more stimuli-responsive mechanisms. This article emphasized the types, features, and various stimuli systems that produce responsive delivery of drugs

Temporal and spatial variations in TEC using simultaneous measurements from the Indian GPS network of receivers during the low solar activity period of 2004?2005

International audienceWith the recent increase in the satellite-based navigation applications, the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and the L-band scintillation measurements have gained significant importance. In this paper we present the temporal and spatial variations in TEC derived from the simultaneous and continuous measurements made, for the first time, using the Indian GPS network of 18 receivers located from the equator to the northern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region and beyond, covering a geomagnetic latitude range of 1° S to 24° N, using a 16-month period of data for the low sunspot activity (LSSA) years of March 2004 to June 2005. The diurnal variation in TEC at the EIA region shows its steep increase and reaches its maximum value between 13:00 and 16:00 LT, while at the equator the peak is broad and occurs around 16:00 LT. A short-lived day minimum occurs between 05:00 to 06:00 LT at all the stations from the equator to the EIA crest region. Beyond the crest region the day maximum values decrease with the increase in latitude, while the day minimum in TEC is flat during most of the nighttime hours, i.e. from 22:00 to 06:00 LT, a feature similar to that observed in the mid-latitudes. Further, the diurnal variation in TEC show a minimum to maximum variation of about 5 to 50 TEC units, respectively, at the equator and about 5 to 90 TEC units at the EIA crest region, which correspond to range delay variations of about 1 to 8 m at the equator to about 1 to 15 m at the crest region, at the GPS L1 frequency of 1.575 GHz. The day-to-day variability is also significant at all the stations, particularly during the daytime hours, with maximum variations at the EIA crest regions. Further, similar variations are also noticed in the corresponding equatorial electrojet (EEJ) strength, which is known to be one of the major contributors for the observed day-to-day variability in TEC. The seasonal variation in TEC maximizes during the equinox months followed by winter and is minimum during the summer months, a feature similar to that observed in the integrated equatorial electrojet (IEEJ) strength for the corresponding seasons. In the Indian sector, the EIA crest is found to occur in the latitude zone of 15° to 25° N geographic latitudes (5° to 15° N geomagnetic latitudes). The EIA also maximizes during equinoxes followed by winter and is not significant in the summer months in the LSSA period, 2004?2005. These studies also reveal that both the location of the EIA crest and its peak value in TEC are linearly related to the IEEJ strength and increase with the increase in IEEJ

Carbon-13 enrichment by IR laser chemistry of CHF<SUB>3</SUB>-Cl<SUB>2</SUB>

IR laser chemistry of CHF3 is investigated in both neat form and in the presence of Cl2 for carbon-13 enrichment. Infrared multiple-photon dissociation of CHF3 is an order of magnitude more efficient in the scavenged system compared to the neat case. The photolysis of CHF3/Cl2 mixture results in two products, viz., CF2Cl2 and C2F4Cl2 but with different enrichment factors. The parametric studies show that C2F4Cl2 arises due to MPD of CF2Cl2 in secondary photolysis