On-site forest fire smoke detection by low-power autonomous vision sensor

Early detection plays a crucial role to prevent forest fires from spreading. Wireless vision sensor networks deployed throughout high-risk areas can perform fine-grained surveillance and thereby very early detection and precise location of forest fires. One of the fundamental requirements that need to be met at the network nodes is reliable low-power on-site image processing. It greatly simplifies the communication infrastructure of the network as only alarm signals instead of complete images are transmitted, anticipating thus a very competitive cost. As a first approximation to fulfill such a requirement, this paper reports the results achieved from field tests carried out in collaboration with the Andalusian Fire-Fighting Service (INFOCA). Two controlled burns of forest debris were realized (www.youtube.com/user/vmoteProject). Smoke was successfully detected on-site by the EyeRISTM v1.2, a general-purpose autonomous vision system, built by AnaFocus Ltd., in which a vision algorithm was programmed. No false alarm was triggered despite the significant motion other than smoke present in the scene. Finally, as a further step, we describe the preliminary laboratory results obtained from a prototype vision chip which implements, at very low energy cost, some image processing primitives oriented to environmental monitoring.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación 2006-TIC-2352, TEC2009-1181

Portable IR dye laser optofluidic microresonator as a temperature and chemical sensor

A compact and portable optofluidic microresonator has been fabricated and characterized. It is based on a Fabry-Perot microcavity consisting essentially of two tailored dichroic Bragg mirrors prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering deposition. The microresonator has been filled with an ethanol solution of Nile-Blue dye. Infrared laser emission has been measured with a pump threshold as low as 0.12 MW/cm2 and an external energy conversion efficiency of 41%. The application of the device as a temperature and a chemical sensor is demonstrated. Small temperature variations as well as small amount of water concentrations in the liquid laser medium are detected as a shift of the resonant laser modes.España Mineco MAT2013-40852-R MAT2013-46649-C4-4-PMALTA CSD2007-0045FUNCOAT MAT2015-69035-REDCEU-FEDER P12- FQM-2265 P10-FQM-690

Cosmological simulations using a static scalar-tensor theory

We present $\Lambda$CDM $N$-body cosmological simulations in the framework of a static general scalar-tensor theory of gravity. Due to the influence of the non-minimally coupled scalar field, the gravitational potential is modified by a Yukawa type term, yielding a new structure formation dynamics. We present some preliminary results and, in particular, we compute the density and velocity profiles of the most massive group.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conference Series: VII Mexican School on Gravitation and Mathematical Physics. 26 November to 1 December 2006, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexic

Differences in n-type doping efficiency between Al- and Ga-ZnO films

A careful and wide comparison between Al and Ga as substitutional dopants in the ZnO wurtzite structure is presented. Both cations behave as n-type dopants and their inclusion improves the optical and electrical properties of the ZnO matrix, making it more transparent in the visible range and rising up its electrical conductivity. However, the same dopant/Zn ratio leads to a very different doping efficiency when comparing Al and Ga, being the Ga cation a more effective dopant of the ZnO film. The measured differences between Al- and Ga-doped films are explained with the hypothesis that different quantities of these dopant cations are able to enter substitutionally in the ZnO matrix. Ga cations seem to behave as perfect substitutional dopants, while Al cation might occupy either substitutional or interstitial sites. Moreover, the subsequent charge balance after doping appear to be related with the formation of different intrinsic defects that depends on the dopant cation. The knowledge of the doped-ZnO films microstructure is a crucial step to optimize the deposition of transparent conducting electrodes for solar cells, displays, and other photoelectronic devices.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2007-60996, MAT2008-06858-C02-02, MAT2008- 06330, TEC2010-16700FUNCOAT CSD2008-00023- CONSOLIDER INGENIOSonderforschungsbereich SFB 76

The Spanish Network on Environmental DMAs: introduction and main activities

Comunicación presentada en: V Reunión Española de Ciencia y Tecnología de Aerosoles – RECTA 2011 celebrada del 27 al 29 de junio de 2011 en CIEMAT, Madrid

OCURRENCIA DE GRANULITAS EN EL SECTOR SEPTENTRIONAL DE LA CORDILLERA OCCIDENTAL DE COLOMBIA

El siguiente artículo presenta una nueva unidad compuesta por rocas metamórficas de alto grado localizada en la parte norte de los Andes colombianos: la Granulita de Pantanillo. Esta unidad está expuesta cerca de Santa Fé de Antioquia (Departamento de Antioquia), donde el valle del río Cauca divide las cordilleras Occidental y Central. Las granulitas son expuestas en el lado occidental de la falla Cauca-Almaguer, que es la falla más occidental del sistema Cauca-Romeral. Esta falla representa el límite principal entre litosferas continental y oceánica en los Andes colombianos. Las principales paragénesis minerales determinadas en estas rocas son Pl + Amp (Hbl?) + Ol + Opx +Spl (hercinite) + opacos, Pl + Cpx + Opx, y Pl + Qtz + Opx + Cpx. Estas asociaciones minerales son indicativas de alto grado, condiciones de la facies granulita y relativamente baja P. La composición química de la Granulita de Pantanillo varía entre basaltos toleíticos de alto Mg y basalto komatiiticos. Los diagramas de elementos traza son planos, similares al N-MORB, pero más empobrecidos, un rasgo indicativo de un protolito plutónico, aunque el protolito volcánico no puede descartarse. Diagramas de discriminación tectónica basados en elementos traza sugieren que el protolito de las granulitas pudo haber sido formado en un arco toleítico. Una datación 40Ar/39Ar en roca total de la Ganulita de Pantanillo arrojó una edad de 216,2 ± 14,2 Ma y una datación K/Ar en anfíbol dio una edad de 360,7 ± 12,4 Ma. Sin embargo, el bajo contenido de potasio en las muestras hace que las edades no sean confiables. La posibilidad de exceso de argón en las muestras es bastante probable, por lo que el significado geológico de las dataciones es incierto en el momento.   Palabras clave: Granulita, Pantanillo, basalto komatiitico, Cordillera Occidental.The following paper introduces a new unit composed of high-grade metamorphic rocks in the northern part of the Colombian Andes: the Pantanillo Granulite. The unit is exposed near Santa Fe de Antioquia (Antioquia Province), where the Cauca River Valley divides the Western and Central Cordilleras. The granulites are exposed in the western side of the Cauca-Almaguer Fault, which is the westernmost fault of the Cauca-Romeral system. This fault represents the main boundary between continental and oceanic lithospheres in the Colombian Andes. The chief mineral parageneses determined in these rocks are Pl + Amp (hbl?) + Ol + Opx + Spl (hercynite) + opaques, Pl + Cpx + Opx, and Pl + Qtz + Opx + Cpx. These mineral associations are indicative of high- grade, granulite-facies conditions at relatively low P. The chemical composition of antanillo Granulite ranges between high-Mg tholeiitic basalt and komatiitic basalt. Trace-element diagrams are flat, similar to N-MORB, but somewhat depleted, a feature indicative of a plutonic protolith, although a volcanic one cannot be precluded. Tectonic discrimination diagrams based on trace elements suggest the granulite’s protolith may have been formed in a tholeiitic arc. Whole-rock 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Pantanillo Granulite yielded 216.2 ± 14.2 Ma and K/Ar dating of amphibole yielded 360.7 ± 12.4 Ma. However, the very low content of potassium in these samples renders the ages practically useless. The possibility of excess argon in the  amples is quite probable, so the geological meaning of the datings is uncertain at the moment   Keywords:  granulite, Pantanillo, komatiitic basalt, Western Cordiller

Obtención de estireno a partir de residuos de poliestireno expandido mediante pirolisis catalítica

En este trabajo se estudió un proceso de pirolisis catalítica que permite transformar los residuos de poliestireno expandido a su monómero de estireno, con la finalidad de ser reutilizado en la industria del poliestireno para la fabricación de nuevos productos y, de esta manera, efectuar su reciclaje. El poliestireno, a diferencia de otros polímeros, tiene un gran potencial para producir su monómero a través de un proceso de pirolisis y es posible aumentar su rendimiento utilizando un catalizador adecuado. Debido a la baja densidad del poliestireno expandido (0.012 g/mL) es necesario reducir su volumen, disolviéndolo en un solvente apropiado. Los criterios para seleccionar el solvente fueron: buena solubilidad del poliestireno, no estar clasificado como tóxico, tener bajo costo y disponibilidad en el mercado. Se realizaron pruebas con diferentes catalizadores básicos para determinar cuál es el que proporciona el mejor rendimiento. Se determinó la cinética de la reacción de pirolisis del poliestireno expandido.In this work it was studied a catalytic pyrolysis process that allows to transform waste expanded polystyrene to its styrene monomer, in order to be reused in the polystyrene industry for the manufacture of new products and, in this way, to carry out its recycling. Polystyrene, unlike other polymers, has great potential to produce its monomer through a pyrolysis process and it is possible to increase its yield using a suitable catalyst. Due to the low density of expanded polystyrene (0.012 g/mL) it is necessary to reduce its volume, dissolving it into an appropriate solvent. The criteria for selecting the solvent were: polystyrene good solubility, not being classified as toxic, having low cost and availability in the market. Tests were performed with different basic catalysts to determine which one provides the best yield. The kinetics of expanded polystyrene pyrolysis reaction were determined