Investigation of the role of neutron transfer in the fusion of 32,34S with 197Au,208Pb using quasi-elastic scattering

Excitation functions for quasi-elastic scattering have been measured at backward angles for the systems 32,34S+197Au and 32,34S+208Pb for energies spanning the Coulomb barrier. Representative distributions, sensitive to the low energy part of the fusion barrier distribution, have been extracted from the data. For the fusion reactions of 32,34S with 197Au couplings related to the nuclear structure of 197Au appear to be dominant in shaping the low energy part of the barrier distibution. For the system 32S+208Pb the barrier distribution is broader and extends further to lower energies, than in the case of 34S+208Pb. This is consistent with the interpretation that the neutron pick-up channels are energetically more favoured in the 32S induced reaction and therefore couple more strongly to the relative motion. It may also be due to the increased collectivity of 32S, when compared with 34S

Pionenproduktion in Au-Au-Stößen bei 1,5 AGeV im Experiment und im UrQMD-Modell

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Produktion positiv und negativ geladener Pionen im System Au+Au bei einer kinetischen Strahlenergie von 1,5 GeV pro Nukleon. Diese Daten wurden im Juli 1998 mit dem Kaonenspektrometer KaoS gemessen. Es liegen Pi-Minus-Spektren bei drei verschiedenen Laborwinkeln (Theta Lab = 40°, 48°, 60°) vor sowie Pi-Plus-Spektren bei fünf Laborwinkeln(Theta Lab = 32°, 40°, 48°, 60°, 71,5°). Die Spektren können als Funktion der Energie im Nukleon-Nukleon-Schwerpunktssystem mit der Summe zweier Boltzmannverteilungen beschrieben werden, deren Steigung sich ebenso wie der unter Annahme isotroper Emission im Schwerpunktssytem integrierte Wirkungsquerschnitt mit dem Laborwinkel ändert. Als mögliche Ursache dieses Verhaltens wird untersucht, ob eine polare Anisotropie der Emission vorliegt. Eine solche wurde in früheren Experimenten [49, 50] für die Pionenproduktion in Proton-Proton-Stößen gefunden und als Effekt der p-Wellen-Produktion von Pionen interpretiert, bei der als Zwischenschritt eine Resonanz, zumeist eine Delta-Resonanz, angeregt wird. Die Zerfallskinematik dieser Resonanzen bewirkt duch ihren Drehimpuls eine Winkelverteilung der emittierten Pionen [24]. In Kern-Kern-Stößen führt die Abschattung von Pionen durch nicht an der Reaktion teilnehmende Nukleonen zu einer zusätzlichen Richtungsabhängigkeit der Emission. Unter der Annahme, daß Energie- und Winkelabhängigkeit separierbar sind, wird in einem einfachen Modell der Winkelanteil des differentiellen Wirkungsquerschnitts als Funktion des Kosinus des Schwerpunktswinkels mit einer Parabelform beschrieben. Um den Anpassungsparameter a2, der die Stäke der Anisotropie quantifiziert, zu ermitteln, stehen zwei Methoden zur Verfügung, die simultane Anpassung der bei festem Laborwinkel gemessenen Spektren und der Vergleich mit einer durch Schnitte durch die Laborimpulsspektren erzeugten Verteilung bei Theta cm = 90°. Beide Verfahren ermitteln erfolgreich den Anisotropieparameter aus in einer Monte-Carlo-Simulation erzeugten Spektren mit parabelförmiger Winkelverteilung. Die mit beiden Methoden ermittelten a2-Werte stimmen für Pi+ wie für Pi- im Rahmen der Fehler überein. Die Winkelverteilung der Pi+ ist mit a2 = 0,7 +- 0,1 stärker ausgeprägt als die der Pi- mit a2 = 0,4 +- 0,1, beide werden bevorzugt unter Theta cm = 0° und Theta cm = 180° emittiert. Allerdings zeigt sich in beiden Methoden eine starke Abhängigkeit von der Phasenraumabdeckung der Daten und beide sind nicht geeignet, eine Abhängigkeit des Anisotropieparameters von der Pionenenergie zu ermitteln...

Flugzeugmessungen troposphärischen Schwefeldioxids und Schwefelsäuremessungen im Abgas von Dieselmotoren

Schwefelhaltige Spurengase fördern die Bildung und das Wachstum atmosphärischer Aerosolteilchen und haben damit indirekt Auswirkungen auf das Klima der Erde. Eine zentrale Komponente des atmosphärischen Schwefelkreislaufs ist Schwefeldioxid. Es gelangt direkt aus natürlichen und anthropogenen Quellen in die Atmosphäre, entsteht aber auch als Oxidationsprodukt anderer schwefelhaltiger Gase. Flugzeuggetragene Messungen von Schwefeldioxid in der Troposphäre über Südbrasilien in Höhen von 0.7 bis 13km ergaben in der freien Troposphäre in einzelnen Schichten Schwefeldioxidwerte ähnlich den Messergebnissen am Boden. Modellrechnungen deuten auf Ferntransport von Schwefeldioxid aus Kupferhütten oder Vulkanen in den Anden hin. Konvektion pielt eine wichtige Rolle beim Vertikaltransport in die obere Troposphäre. In der Atmosphäre wird Schwefeldioxid innerhalb einiger Tage zu Schwefelsäure umgewandelt. Beim Einsatz von Oxidationskatalysatoren zur Nachverbrennung von Ruß in Dieselmotoren geschieht dies auch im Abgas von Dieselfahrzeugen, so dass diese Schwefelsäure emittieren. Als Aerosolbildner führt sie dann in der Abgasfahne zu einer Erhöhung der Konzentration von Kleinstpartikeln, die nur einige Nanometer groß sind. Diese Partikel können tief in die menschliche Lunge eindringen und gesundheitliche Schäden verursachen. Messungen an einem Diesel-PKW und an einem LKW-Motor auf einem Motorprüfstand bestätigten, dass der Einsatz von Rußfiltern in Kombination mit Oxidationskatalysatoren zu einer Erhöhung der Schwefelsäurekonzentration im Abgas führt

Investigation of chlorine radical chemistry in the Eyjafjallajkull volcanic plume using observed depletions in non-methane hydrocarbons

As part of the effort to understand volcanic plume composition and chemistry during the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajkull, the CARIBIC atmospheric observatory was deployed for three special science flights aboard a Lufthansa passenger aircraft. Measurements made during these flights included the collection of whole air samples, which were analyzed for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs). Hydrocarbon concentrations in plume samples were found to be reduced to levels below background, with relative depletions characteristic of reaction with chlorine radicals (Cl). Recent observations of halogen oxides in volcanic plumes provide evidence for halogen radical chemistry, but quantitative data for free halogen radical concentrations in volcanic plumes were absent. Here we present the first observation-based calculations of Cl radical concentrations in volcanic plumes, estimated from observed NMHC depletions. Inferred Cl concentrations were between 1.3 × 10 and 6.6 × 10 Cl cm. The relationship between NMHC variability and local lifetimes was used to investigate the ratio between OH and Cl within the plume, with [OH]/[Cl] estimated to be ∼37. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union

A multi-step nucleation process determines the kinetics of prion-like domain phase separation

The nucleation mechanisms of biological protein phase separation are poorly understood. Here, the authors perform time-resolved SAXS experiments with the low-complexity domain (LCD) of hnRNPA1 and uncover multiple kinetic regimes on the micro- to millisecond timescale. Initially, individual proteins collapse. Nucleation then occurs via two steps distinguished by their protein cluster size distributions

Rapid growth of HFC-227ea (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-Heptafluoropropane) in the atmosphere

We report the first measurements of 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane (HFC-227ea), a substitute for ozone depleting compounds, in remote regions of the atmosphere and present evidence for its rapid growth. Observed mixing ratios ranged from below 0.01 ppt in deep firn air to 0.59 ppt in the northern mid-latitudinal upper troposphere. Firn air samples collected in Greenland were used to reconstruct a history of atmospheric abundance. Year-on-year increases were deduced, with acceleration in the growth rate from 0.026 ppt per year in 2000 to 0.057 ppt per year in 2007. Upper tropospheric air samples provide evidence for a continuing growth until late 2009. Fur- thermore we calculated a stratospheric lifetime of 370 years from measurements of air samples collected on board high altitude aircraft and balloons. Emission estimates were determined from the reconstructed atmospheric trend and suggest that current "bottom-up" estimates of global emissions for 2005 are too high by more than a factor of three

Bromine from short-lived source gases in the extratropical northern hemispheric upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS)

We present novel measurements of five short-lived brominated source gases (CH2Br2, CHBr3, CH2ClBr, CHCl2Br and CHClBr2). These rather short-lived gases are an important source of bromine to the stratosphere, where they can lead to depletion of ozone. The measurements have been obtained using an in situ gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS) system on board the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). The instrument is extremely sensitive due to the use of chemical ionization, allowing detection limits in the lower parts per quadrillion (ppq, 10−15) range. Data from three campaigns using HALO are presented, where the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) of the northern hemispheric mid-to-high latitudes were sampled during winter and during late summer to early fall. We show that an observed decrease with altitude in the stratosphere is consistent with the relative lifetimes of the different compounds. Distributions of the five source gases and total organic bromine just below the tropopause show an increase in mixing ratio with latitude, in particular during polar winter. This increase in mixing ratio is explained by increasing lifetimes at higher latitudes during winter. As the mixing ratios at the extratropical tropopause are generally higher than those derived for the tropical tropopause, extratropical troposphere-to-stratosphere transport will result in elevated levels of organic bromine in comparison to air transported over the tropical tropopause. The observations are compared to model estimates using different emission scenarios. A scenario with emissions mainly confined to low latitudes cannot reproduce the observed latitudinal distributions and will tend to overestimate organic bromine input through the tropical tropopause from CH2Br2 and CHBr3. Consequently, the scenario also overestimates the amount of brominated organic gases in the stratosphere. The two scenarios with the highest overall emissions of CH2Br2 tend to overestimate mixing ratios at the tropical tropopause, but they are in much better agreement with extratropical tropopause mixing ratios. This shows that not only total emissions but also latitudinal distributions in the emissions are of importance. While an increase in tropopause mixing ratios with latitude is reproduced with all emission scenarios during winter, the simulated extratropical tropopause mixing ratios are on average lower than the observations during late summer to fall. We show that a good knowledge of the latitudinal distribution of tropopause mixing ratios and of the fractional contributions of tropical and extratropical air is needed to derive stratospheric inorganic bromine in the lowermost stratosphere from observations. In a sensitivity study we find maximum differences of a factor 2 in inorganic bromine in the lowermost stratosphere from source gas injection derived from observations and model outputs. The discrepancies depend on the emission scenarios and the assumed contributions from different source regions. Using better emission scenarios and reasonable assumptions on fractional contribution from the different source regions, the differences in inorganic bromine from source gas injection between model and observations is usually on the order of 1 ppt or less. We conclude that a good representation of the contributions of different source regions is required in models for a robust assessment of the role of short-lived halogen source gases on ozone depletion in the UTLS

Trapping, chemistry, and export of trace gases in the South Asian summer monsoon observed during CARIBIC flights in 2008

The CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) passenger aircraft observatory performed in situ measurements at 10–12 km altitude in the South Asian summer monsoon anticyclone between June and September 2008. These measurements enable us to investigate this atmospheric region (which so far has mostly been observed from satellites) using the broad suite of trace gases and aerosol particles measured by CARIBIC. Elevated levels of a variety of atmospheric pollutants (e.g. carbon monoxide, total reactive nitrogen oxides, aerosol particles, and several volatile organic compounds) were recorded. The measurements provide detailed information about the chemical composition of air in different parts of the monsoon anticyclone, particularly of ozone precursors. While covering a range of 3500 km inside the monsoon anticyclone, CARIBIC observations show remarkable consistency, i.e. with distinct latitudinal patterns of trace gases during the entire monsoon period. Using the CARIBIC trace gas and aerosol particle measurements in combination with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART, we investigated the characteristics of monsoon outflow and the chemical evolution of air masses during transport. The trajectory calculations indicate that these air masses originated mainly from South Asia and mainland Southeast Asia. Estimated photochemical ages of the air were found to agree well with transport times from a source region east of 90–95° E. The photochemical ages of the air in the southern part of the monsoon anticyclone were systematically younger (less than 7 days) and the air masses were mostly in an ozone-forming chemical mode. In its northern part the air masses were older (up to 13 days) and had unclear ozone formation or destruction potential. Based on analysis of forward trajectories, several receptor regions were identified. In addition to predominantly westward transport, we found evidence for efficient transport (within 10 days) to the Pacific and North America, particularly during June and September, and also of cross-tropopause exchange, which was strongest during June and July. Westward transport to Africa and further to the Mediterranean was the main pathway during July