The StarScan plate measuring machine: overview and calibrations

The StarScan machine at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) completed measuring photographic astrograph plates to allow determination of proper motions for the USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC) program. All applicable 1940 AGK2 plates, about 2200 Hamburg Zone Astrograph plates, 900 Black Birch (USNO Twin Astrograph) plates, and 300 Lick Astrograph plates have been measured. StarScan comprises of a CCD camera, telecentric lens, air-bearing granite table, stepper motor screws, and Heidenhain scales to operate in a step-stare mode. The repeatability of StarScan measures is about 0.2 micrometer. The CCD mapping as well as the global table coordinate system has been calibrated using a special dot calibration plate and the overall accuracy of StarScan x,y data is derived to be 0.5 micrometer. Application to real photographic plate data shows that position information of at least 0.65 micrometer accuracy can be extracted from course grain 103a-type emulsion astrometric plates. Transformations between "direct" and "reverse" measures of fine grain emulsion plate measures are obtained on the 0.3 micrometer level per well exposed stellar image and coordinate, which is at the limit of the StarScan machine.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, accepted for PAS

Cu Zn disorder in stoichiometric Cu2ZnSn S1 xSex 4 semiconductors A complementary neutron and anomalous X ray diffraction study

The quaternary compound semiconductor Cu2ZnSn S1 xSex 4 CZTSSe which crystallizes in the kesterite type structure, is a promising material to be used as p type absorber layer in thin film solar cell applications based on earth abundant elements. The absorber band tailing caused by an exceptionally high Cu Zn disorder is believed to be one of the reasons for the limited open circuit voltage in CZTSSe based photovoltaic devices. This work is an experimental study of the Cu Zn disorder in a unique set of single phase, stoichiometric CZTSSe mixed crystals, synthesized by solid state reaction, by means of neutron powder diffraction and anomalous X ray powder diffraction. The existence of Cu Zn disorder was revealed as the only intrinsic point defect in these mixed crystals within the detection limits of our measurements. The order parameter Q was calculated on the basis of the occurring CuZn and ZnCu anti site defects causing the Cu Zn disorder. Variations of the order parameter with anion composition and the effect on the optoelectronic properties of the partial substitution of Se with S in Cu2ZnSn S1 xSex 4 was elaborate

High homogeneous freezing onsets of sulfuric acid aerosol at cirrus temperatures

Homogeneous freezing of aqueous solution aerosol particles is an important process for cloud ice formation in the upper troposphere. There the air temperature is low, the ice supersaturation can be high and the concentration of ice-nucleating particles is too low to initiate and dominate cirrus cloud formation by heterogeneous ice nucleation processes. The most common description to quantify homogeneous freezing processes is based on the water activity criterion (WAC) as proposed by Koop et al. (2000). The WAC describes the homogeneous nucleation rate coefficients only as a function of the water activity, which makes this approach well applicable in numerical models. In this study, we investigate the homogeneous freezing behavior of aqueous sulfuric acid aerosol particles by means of a comprehensive collection of laboratory-based homogeneous freezing experiments conducted at the AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud simulation chamber, which were conducted as part of 17 measurement campaigns since 2007. The most recent experiments were conducted during October 2020 with special emphasis on temperatures below 200 K. Aqueous sulfuric acid aerosol particles of high purity were generated by particle nucleation in a gas flow composed of clean synthetic air and sulfuric acid vapor, which was added to the AIDA chamber. The resulting chamber aerosol had number concentrations from 30 cm$^{-3}$ up to several thousand per cubic centimeter with particle diameters ranging from about 30 nm to 1.1 µm. Homogeneous freezing of the aerosol particles was measured at simulated cirrus formation conditions in a wide range of temperatures between 185 and 230 K with a steady increase of relative humidity during each experiment. At temperatures between about 205 K and about 230 K, the AIDA results agree well with the WAC-based predictions of homogeneous freezing onsets. At lower temperatures, however, the AIDA results show an increasing deviation from the WAC-based predictions towards higher freezing onsets. For temperatures between 185 and 205 K, the WAC-based ice saturation ratios for homogeneous freezing onsets increase from about 1.6 to 1.7, whereas the AIDA measurements show an increase from about 1.7 to 2.0 in the same temperature range. Based on the experimental results of our direct measurements, we suggest a new fit line to formulate the onset conditions of homogeneous freezing of sulfuric acid aerosol particles as an isoline for nucleation rate coefficients between 5×10$^{8}$ and 10$^{13}$ cm$^{-3}$ s$^{-1}$. The potential significant impacts of the higher homogeneous freezing thresholds, as directly observed in the AIDA experiments under simulated cirrus formation conditions, on the model prediction of cirrus cloud occurrence and related cloud radiative effects are discussed

Routes to develop a [S]/([S]+[Se]) gradient in wide band-gap Cu2ZnGe(S,Se)4 thin-film solar cells

Wide band-gap kesterite-based solar cells are very attractive to be used for tandem devices as well as for semi-transparent photovoltaic cells. Here, Cu2ZnGe(S,Se)4 (CZGSSe) thin films have been grown by sulfurization of co-evaporated Cu2ZnGeSe4. The influence of a NaF precursor layer and of a Se capping film on CZGSSe absorbers and solar cells has been investigated. It has been found that the distribution of [S]/([S]+[Se]) through the CZGSSe absorber layer is strongly dependent on the Na content. Na promotes the diffusion of S towards the bulk of the absorber layer. Thicker NaF layers>6 nm lead to a higher S content in the bulk of the absorber layer, but to a decreased accumulation of sulphur at the surface, as detected by GIXRD, GD-OES, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. A relationship between Jsc, FF and Na-content supplied was found; higher Na content resulted in improved solar cell efficiencies. It has also been possible to modify the [S]/([S]+[Se])-gradient throughout the CZGSSe film by the absence of the Se capping layer, achieving devices with 2.7% performance and Eg = 2.0 eV. This work reveals two ways to control the [S]/([S]+[Se]) depth-profile to produce wide band gap CZGSSe absorber layers for efficient solar cells

Structural characterization of off stoichiometric kesterite type Cu2ZnGeSe4 compound semiconductors from cation distribution to intrinsic point defect density

The substitution of Ge4 for Sn4 in Cu2ZnSn S,Se 4 CZTSSe kesterite type absorber layers for thin film solar cells has proven to enhance the opto electronic properties of the material. By cationic substitution, in general, the optical bandgap can be more readily designed for the purpose of bandgap engineering, and the substitution of Sn4 by Ge4 , in particular, widens the optical bandgap such that it can be employed both for photovoltaics as well as solar fuel quarrying by photocatalytic water splitting. This work is an experimental study of intrinsic point defects in off stoichiometric kesterite type Cu2ZnGeSe4 CZGSe by means of neutron powder diffraction. We revealed the existence of copper vacancies VCu , various cation antisite defects CuZn, ZnCu, ZnGe, CuGe as well as interstitials Cui, Zni in a wide range of off stoichiometric polycrystalline material synthesized by solid state reaction. In addition to the off stoichiometry type specific defects, Cu Zn disorder is always present in the kesterite type CZGSe phase. While compositional changes are clearly reflected by the tetragonal deformation c 2a, the lattice parameters a, c seem differently responding to point defect types and concentration variations, respectively. The CuGe antisite defect which is known to greatly deteriorate the opto electronic properties exists only in Cu rich CZGSe, but appears already in CZGSe with Cu Zn Ge amp; 8776;1. Furthermore we showed by diffuse reflectance hyperspectral imaging a widening of the energy bandgap in off stoichiometric kesterite type CZGSe with decreasing Cu Zn G

Structural and Optoelectronic Characterization of AgxCu1 x ZnSnSe4 solid solution

As the open circuit voltage in CZTSSe devices is believed to be limited by absorber band tailing caused by the exceptionally high density of Cu Zn disorder, replacing of Cu with Ag this density is predicted to drop. In this study, neutron diffraction and diffuse reflectance were applied to evaluate the crystal structure and optoelectronic properties of the Ag 1 x Cu x 2 ZnSnSe 4 solid solution ACZTSe . The results allow us to suggest that in spite of both end members of the solid solution being reported to crystallize in kesterite type structure, at least Ag 1 x Cu x 2 ZnSnSe4 with x 0.17 and 0.46 crystallize in the stannite type structure and thus block Cu Zn disorde

Escherichia coli induces apoptosis and proliferation of mammary cells

Mammary cell apoptosis and proliferation were assessed after injection of Escherichia coli into the left mammary quarters of six cows. Bacteriological analysis of foremilk samples revealed coliform infection in the injected quarters of four cows. Milk somatic cell counts increased in these quarters and peaked at 24 h after bacterial injection. Body temperature also increased, peaking at 12 h postinjection, The number of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in the mastitic tissue than in the uninfected control. Expression of Bax and interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme increased in the mastitic tissue at 24 h and 72 h postinfection, whereas Bcl-2 expression decreased at 24 h but did not differ significantly from the control at 72 h postinfection, Induction of matrix metalloproteinase-g, stromelysin-1 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator was also observed in the mastitic tissue. Moreover, cell proliferation increased in the infected tissue, These results demonstrate that Escherichia coli-induced mastitis promotes apoptosis and cell proliferation