Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a gravitational trap and a low-temperature Fomblin coating

We present a new value for the neutron lifetime of 878.5 +- 0.7 stat. +- 0.3 syst. This result differs from the world average value (885.7 +- 0.8 s) by 6.5 standard deviations and by 5.6 standard deviations from the previous most precise result. However, this new value for the neutron lifetime together with a beta-asymmetry in neutron decay, Ao, of -0.1189(7) is in a good agreement with the Standard Model.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures; extended content with some correction

Three-dimensional cascaded system analysis of a 50 µm pixel pitch wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensor x-ray detector for digital breast tomosynthesis

High-resolution, low-noise x-ray detectors based on the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology have been developed and proposed for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). In this study, we evaluated the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a 50 ��m pixel pitch CMOS APS x-ray detector named DynAMITe (Dynamic Range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology). The two-dimensional (2D) angle-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were experimentally characterized and modeled using the cascaded system analysis at oblique incident angles up to 30��. The cascaded system model was extended to the 3D spatial frequency space in combination with the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction method to calculate the 3D and in-plane MTF, NNPS and DQE parameters. The results demonstrate that the beam obliquity blurs the 2D MTF and DQE in the high spatial frequency range. However, this effect can be eliminated after FBP image reconstruction. In addition, impacts of the image acquisition geometry and detector parameters were evaluated using the 3D cascaded system analysis for DBT. The result shows that a wider projection angle range (e.g. ��30��) improves the low spatial frequency (below 5 mm-1) performance of the CMOS APS detector. In addition, to maintain a high spatial resolution for DBT, a focal spot size of smaller than 0.3 mm should be used. Theoretical analysis suggests that a pixelated scintillator in combination with the 50 ��m pixel pitch CMOS APS detector could further improve the 3D image resolution. Finally, the 3D imaging performance of the CMOS APS and an indirect amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT) passive pixel sensor (PPS) detector was simulated and compared

The Reading Palaeofire Database : an expanded global resource to document changes in fire regimes from sedimentary charcoal records

Sedimentary charcoal records are widely used to reconstruct regional changes in fire regimes through time in the geological past. Existing global compilations are not geographically comprehensive and do not provide consistent metadata for all sites. Furthermore, the age models provided for these records are not harmonised and many are based on older calibrations of the radiocarbon ages. These issues limit the use of existing compilations for research into past fire regimes. Here, we present an expanded database of charcoal records, accompanied by new age models based on recalibration of radiocarbon ages using IntCal20 and Bayesian age-modelling software. We document the structure and contents of the database, the construction of the age models, and the quality control measures applied. We also record the expansion of geographical coverage relative to previous charcoal compilations and the expansion of metadata that can be used to inform analyses. This first version of the Reading Palaeofire Database contains 1676 records (entities) from 1480 sites worldwide. The database (RPDv1b - Harrison et al., 2021) is available at https://doi.org/10.17864/1947.000345.Peer reviewe

Simulating the Holocene lake-level record of Lake Bysjön, southern Sweden

Lake Bysjon, southern Sweden, has experienced major lake-level lowerings during the Holocene, with one interval about 9000 C- 14 yr B.P. when water level dropped ca. 7 m and the lake became closed, These changes were not solely due to known changes in radiation budgets or seasonal temperatures, Simulations with a lake-catchment model indicate that, given the actual changes in radiation and temperatures, all the observed lake-level lowerings (including the major lowering at 9000 degrees C yr B.P.) could have occurred in response to precipitation changes of <75 mm/yr when winter temperatures were warmer than today, In these circumstances, the reduction of runoff into the lake caused by increased evapotranspiration during the late winter and spring, combined with relatively small changes in precipitation, was sufficient for the lake to become closed, When winter temperatures were colder than today, the reduction in winter runoff related to reduced precipitation was only very slight and insufficient to lower the lake below threshold, In such circumstances, changes in outflow were sufficient to compensate for the combined changes in precipitation and runoff, and lake level therefore remained unchanged. (C) 1998 University of Washington

Simulation of proglacial lake shore displacement in Estonia

The Late Glacial shoreline database compiled for Estonia covers 149 sites on the proglacial lakes A1 (Voose) and A2 (Kemba). Eighty-two sites were used in further simulations. Point kriging interpolation with a linear trend approach was applied to create interpolated surfaces of water levels for checking the spatial correctness of data. The sites with altitudes visually not matching with sites nearby were discarded, as well as those with residuals of more than 1 mand 0.7 mrespectively. The final surfaces were analysed geostatistically by simulating isobases, direction of tilting, and shoreline gradient. The simulated isobases suggest that both proglacial lakes A1 and A2 were connected with the glacial lake in the Lake Peipsi basin. The interpolated surface aspect shows that the direction of tilting varies between 320° and 340°. The surface gradient of lake A1 is highest in the NW and SE parts of the study area (50 and 25 cm km-1, respectively), and that of lake A2 is highest in the NWand SE parts (40 and 20 cm km-1, respectively). Using the modelling data, the shoreline correlation between the two proglacial lakes has been revised

Recent lake-level and outflow variations at Lake Viljandi, Estonia: validation of a coupled lake-catchment modelling scheme for climate change studies

Changes in the depth of Lake Viljandi between 1940 and 1990 were simulated using a lake water and energy-balance model driven by standard monthly weather data. Catchment runoff was simulated using a one-dimensional hydrological model, with a two-layer soil, a single-layer snowpack, a simple representation of vegetation cover and similarly modest input requirements. Outflow was modelled as a function of lake level. The simulated record of lake level and outflow matched observations of lake-level variations (r = 0.78) and streamflow (r = 0.87) well. The ability of the model to capture both intra- and inter-annual variations in the behaviour of a specific lake, despite the relatively simple input requirements, makes it extremely suitable for investigations of the impacts of climate change on lake water balance

Mid- and late-Holocene shoreline changes along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland

In response to glacio-isostatic rebound in Estonia, a relative sea level fall occurred during the mid- and late-Holocene, and as a result, lowland regions in northern Estonia have experienced an evolution from sea to land. The mid- and late-Holocene shoreline changes along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland were reconstructed, using litho-, bio- and chronostratigraphical proxies from four lakes. The lakes are located within the Gulf of Finland drainage system at different altitudes between 18 and 4 m above the present sea level. The isolation from the sea and the onset of freshwater lacustrine sedimentation occurred in Tänavjärv basin at 5400 cal yr BP, in Klooga basin at 4200 cal yr BP, in Lohja basin at 2200 cal yr BP and in Käsmu basin at 1800 cal yr BP. Through the application of GIS-based analysis, a modern digital terrain model and reconstructed past water level surfaces, we present a series of scenarios of shoreline and palaeogeography changes occurring since 7800 cal yr BP. The land uplift rate, which was approximately 2.8 mm yr-1 7800 cal yr BP in the surroundings of Tänavjärv, has decreased to 2.2 mm yr-1 at present and that at Lohja from 2.4 to ca 2.0 mm yr-1, respectively. The relative sea level curves show a land uplift decrease, which is nearly linear since the mid-Holocene

Simulation of long-term thermal characteristics of three Estonian lakes

A one-dimensional surface energy-balance lake model, coupled to a thermodynamic model of lake ice, is used to simulate variations in the temperature of and evaporation from three Estonian lakes: Karujärv, Viljandi and Kirjaku. The model is driven by daily climate data, derived by cubic-spline interpolation from monthly mean data, and was run for periods of 8 years (Kirjaku) up to 30 years (Viljandi). Simulated surface water temperature is in good agreement with observations: mean differences between simulated and observed temperatures are from −0.8°C to +0.1°C. The simulated duration of snow and ice cover is comparable with observed. However, the model generally underpredicts ice thickness and overpredicts snow depth. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the model results are robust across a wide range (0.1–2.0 m−1) of lake extinction coefficient: surface temperature differs by less than 0.5°C between extreme values of the extinction coefficient. The model results are more sensitive to snow and ice albedos. However, changing the snow (0.2–0.9) and ice (0.15–0.55) albedos within realistic ranges does not improve the simulations of snow depth and ice thickness. The underestimation of ice thickness is correlated with the overestimation of snow cover, since a thick snow layer insulates the ice and limits ice formation. The overestimation of snow cover results from the assumption that all the simulated winter precipitation occurs as snow, a direct consequence of using daily climate data derived by interpolation from mean monthly data