6,415 research outputs found
Zonal Jets as Transport Barriers in Planetary Atmospheres
The connection between transport barriers and potential vorticity (PV)
barriers in PV-conserving flows is investigated with a focus on zonal jets in
planetary atmospheres. A perturbed PV-staircase model is used to illustrate
important concepts. This flow consists of a sequence of narrow eastward and
broad westward zonal jets with a staircase PV structure; the PV-steps are at
the latitudes of the cores of the eastward jets. Numerically simulated
solutions to the quasigeostrophic PV conservation equation in a perturbed
PV-staircase flow are presented. These simulations reveal that both eastward
and westward zonal jets serve as robust meridional transport barriers. The
surprise is that westward jets, across which the background PV gradient
vanishes, serve as robust transport barriers. A theoretical explanation of the
underlying barrier mechanism is provided. It is argued that transport barriers
near the cores of westward zonal jets, across which the background PV gradient
is small, are found in Jupiter's midlatitude weather layer and in the Earth's
summer hemisphere subtropical stratosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in JA
Ray stability in weakly range-dependent sound channels
Ray stability is investigated in environments consisting of a
range-independent background sound-speed profile on which a range-dependent
perturbation, such as that produced by internal waves in deep ocean
environments, is superimposed. Numerical results show that ray stability is
strongly influenced by the background sound speed profile. Ray instability is
shown to increase with increasing magnitude of alpha := I omega^{prime} /
omega, where 2 pi / omega(I) is the range of a ray double loop and I is the ray
action variable. The mechanism, shear-induced instability enhancement, by which
alpha controls ray instability is described.Comment: To appear in JAS
Trapped Rainbow Techniques for Spectroscopy on a Chip and Fluorescence Enhancement
We report on the experimental demonstration of the broadband "trapped
rainbow" in the visible range using arrays of adiabatically tapered optical
nano waveguides. Being a distinct case of the slow light phenomenon, the
trapped rainbow effect could be applied to optical signal processing, and
sensing in such applications as spectroscopy on a chip, and to providing
enhanced light-matter interactions. As an example of the latter applications,
we have fabricated a large area array of tapered nano-waveguides, which exhibit
broadband "trapped rainbow" effect. Considerable fluorescence enhancement due
to slow light behavior in the array has been observed.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Published in Applied Physics
Health in my community: Conducting and evaluating photovoice as a tool to promote environmental health and leadership among Latino/a youth
BackgroundThe PhotoVoice method has shown substantial promise for work with youth in metropolitan areas, yet its potential for use with Latino youth from agricultural areas has not been well documented.ObjectivesThis project was designed to teach environmental health to 15 high school youth while building their individual and community capacity for studying and addressing shared environmental concerns. The project also aimed to test the utility of PhotoVoice with Latino agricultural youth.MethodsFifteen members of the Youth Community Council (YCC), part of a 15-year project with farmworker families in Salinas, CA, took part in a 12-week PhotoVoice project. Their pictures captured the assets and strengths of their community related to environmental health, and were then analyzed by participants. A multi-pronged evaluation was conducted.ResultsYCC members identified concerns such as poor access to affordable, healthy foods and lack of safe physical spaces in which to play, as well as assets, including caring adults and organizations, and open spaces in surrounding areas. Participants presented their findings on radio, television, at local community events, and to key policy makers. The youth also developed two action plans, a successful 5K run/walk and a school recycling project, still in progress. Evaluation results included significant changes in such areas as perceived ability to make presentations, leadership, and self-confidence, as well as challenges including transportation, group dynamics, and gaining access to people in power.ConclusionThe PhotoVoice method shows promise for environmental health education and youth development in farmworker communities
Travel time stability in weakly range-dependent sound channels
Travel time stability is investigated in environments consisting of a
range-independent background sound-speed profile on which a highly structured
range-dependent perturbation is superimposed. The stability of both
unconstrained and constrained (eigenray) travel times are considered. Both
general theoretical arguments and analytical estimates of time spreads suggest
that travel time stability is largely controlled by a property of the background sound speed profile. Here, is
the range of a ray double loop and is the ray action variable. Numerical
results for both volume scattering by internal waves in deep ocean environments
and rough surface scattering in upward refracting environments are shown to
confirm the expectation that travel time stability is largely controlled by
.Comment: Submitted to J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 30 June 200
Spin transport in graphene nanostructures
Graphene is an interesting material for spintronics, showing long spin
relaxation lengths even at room temperature. For future spintronic devices it
is important to understand the behavior of the spins and the limitations for
spin transport in structures where the dimensions are smaller than the spin
relaxation length. However, the study of spin injection and transport in
graphene nanostructures is highly unexplored. Here we study the spin injection
and relaxation in nanostructured graphene with dimensions smaller than the spin
relaxation length. For graphene nanoislands, where the edge length to area
ratio is much higher than for standard devices, we show that enhanced spin-flip
processes at the edges do not seem to play a major role in the spin relaxation.
On the other hand, contact induced spin relaxation has a much more dramatic
effect for these low dimensional structures. By studying the nonlocal spin
transport through a graphene quantum dot we observe that the obtained values
for spin relaxation are dominated by the connecting graphene islands and not by
the quantum dot itself. Using a simple model we argue that future nonlocal
Hanle precession measurements can obtain a more significant value for the spin
relaxation time for the quantum dot by using high spin polarization contacts in
combination with low tunneling rates
Experimental observation of the trapped rainbow
We report on the first experimental demonstration of the broadband "trapped
rainbow" in the visible frequency range using an adiabatically tapered
waveguide. Being a distinct case of the slow light phenomenon, the trapped
rainbow effect could be applied to optical computing and signal processing, and
to providing enhanced light-matter interactions.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figur
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