A Polarimetric Phased Array Antenna for E-SAR in L-Band

The design of a new L-band antenna for DLR’s airborne synthetic aperture radar system (E-/F-SAR) is presented. Beside operations in L-band new components for a system upgrade were developed. These components are intro-duced. Special interest of this paper is the development of the dual-polarized L-Band antenna with enhanced bandwidth of 150MHz. The antenna feed network is equipped with 2bit hybrid phase shifters to steer the beam between 25° and 40° in elevation. For mounting the antenna at the fuselage of a Dornier Do 228-212 aircraft a rack is described to house several antenna configuration

River Run Off Measurement With SAR Along Track Interferometry

The paper summarizes the need for global space borne river run-off measurements. It reports about an airborne SAR experiment aimed to measure the surface velocity of the river Isar in Bavaria / Germany. The results from two different SAR techniques, including Along Track Interferometry (ATI) show good correspondence. Finally suggestions for further studies are given

Nouvelles découvertes de Lycopodes aplatis (Diphasiastrum) dans l’Odenwald de Hesse

In den Jahren 2003 und 2004 gelangen Nachweise mehrerer Flachbärlapp- Arten (Diphasiastrum) im hessischen Odenwald bei Beerfelden und Olfen. Von herausragender Bedeutung ist der Fund von D. oellgaardii, welches seit rund 50 Jahren in Hessen als erloschen galt. Daneben wurden D. complanatum und D. tristachyum an je einer Lokalität neu entdeckt. Die Diphasiastrum-Arten besiedeln an den Wuchsorten bei Beerfelden und Olfen anthropogene Sekundärstandorte (Skipiste oder Straßenböschung). Syntaxonomisch lassen sich die Bestände innerhalb der Ordnung Ulicetalia minoris zum Genisto pilosae-Callunetum oder zu einer Deschampsia-flexuosa-Vaccinium-myrtillus- Gesellschaft stellen. An beiden Wuchsorten wachsen die Flachbärlappe auf stark sauren, mäßig frischen, sandigen Lehmböden. Die Wuchsorte erhalten volle Freilandhelligkeit oder sind mäßig beschattet. Neben populationsbiologischen Parametern wie Anzahl der Sprosse und Fertilität werden Daten zur Gefährdung der Bestände genannt. Eine Neueinstufung für zwei der drei beobachteten Diphasiastrum-Arten in der Roten Liste für Hessen wird vorgeschlagen.Between 2003 and 2004 new records of several Diphasiastrum species in the Hesse Odenwald region near Beerfelden and Olfen were made. Especially important is the record of D. oellgaardii which was assumed to be extinct in Hesse since 50 years. Beside this, D. complanatum and D. tristachyum were recorded at one new site each. The growing sites near Beerfelden and Olfen are secondary habitats of anthropogeneous origin (a skiing track and a road slope). The respective plant communities belong to the order Ulicetalia minoris (Genisto pilosae-Callunetum and Deschampsia flexuosa-Vaccinium myrtillus community). At both sides the Diphasiastrum species are growing on strongly acidic, moderately moist and sandy to loamy soil. One of the growing sites is full sunny, the other is half shaded. For each population, size, degree of fertility and information about threat factors are given. Suggestions for a new threat assessment for the Red Data Book of Hesse were made for two of the three observed Diphasiastrum species.Dans les années 2003–2004, plusieurs espèces de Lycopodes aplatis ont été découvertes dans l’Odenwald près de Beerfelden et Olfen. La présence de D. oellgaardii est d’une signification éminente car il était réputé comme disparu de la Hesse depuis bien 50 ans. En outre D. complanatum et D. tristachyum ont été découverts chacun dans un lieu différent. Les espèces de Diphasiastrum peuplent des sites secondaires anthropogènes (pistes de ski, talus en bordure des routes) près de Beerfelden et Olfen. Du point de vue syntaxonomique, la végétation peut être classée dans l’ordre des Ulicetalia minoris au Genisto pilosae-Callunetum ou à la communauté de Deschampsia flexuosa-Vaccinium myrtillus. Dans les deux stations, les Lycopodes aplatis poussent sur des sols sableux argileux fortement acides, moyennement frais. Les stations sont ensoleillées ou peu ombragées. A côté de paramètres biologiques de population tels que nombre de pieds et fertilité, des indications de menace de disparition sont présentées. Une nouvelle classification dans la Liste rouge de Hesse pour 2 des 3 espèces de Diphasiastrum est proposée

Depth profile analyses by femtosecond laser ablation (multicollector) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for resolving chemical and isotopic gradients in minerals

Femtosecond laser ablation (fs-LA) coupled to a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) instrument has been proven to be a powerful means to analyze isotope ratios of “non-traditional” stable isotope systems with high spatial resolution, precision, and accuracy. The technique has been successfully applied, e.g., to investigate diffusion-generated isotopic zoning of the elements Li, Mg, and Fe in magmatic crystals. Here, we present a novel sampling technique employing a fs-LA system that is equipped with a computer numerical control (CNC) laser stage, using the open-source software LinuxCNC. Combining this laser set up with ICP-MS or MC-ICP-MS allows us to perform depth profile analyses of major and trace elements, respectively, as well as metal stable isotope variations of Fe and Mg in olivine crystals and in experimental diffusion couples. Samples are ablated in circular patterns with profile diameters of 100–200 µm using a laser spot size of 25–30 µm. Depending on the scan speed and the repetition rate of the laser, each ablated sample layer is between 300 nm and 3.0 µm thick. The integrated signal of one ablated layer represents one data point of the depth profile. We have tested this technique by analyzing 5–50 µm deep depth profiles (consisting of 15–25 individual layers) of homogeneous and chemically zoned olivine crystal cuboids. The minor and trace element analyses of the zoned cuboids, conducted by fs-LA-ICP-MS, were compared with “horizontal” profiles analyzed in polished sections of the cuboids with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Furthermore, we analyzed Fe–Mg isotopic depth profiles of the same cuboids with fs-LA-MC-ICP-MS, of which the chemically zoned ones also showed isotopic zoning at identical scales. Isotopic depth profiles were also conducted on an unzoned olivine cuboid that was coated with a 26Mg- and 56Fe-enriched olivine thin film (of ∼ 800 nm) in order to investigate top-to-bottom contamination during depth profiling. Our results indicate that (i) concentration data acquired by fs-LA depth profiling match well with EPMA data, (ii) precise and accurate Fe and Mg isotopic data can be obtained (i.e., precision and accuracy are ≤ 0.12 ‰ and ≤ 0.15 ‰ for both δ26Mg and δ56Fe, respectively), and (iii) potential top-to-bottom contamination during depth profiling of isotope ratios can be avoided. The technique presented herein is particularly suitable for the investigation of minerals or glasses with chemical and/or isotopic gradients (e.g., diffusion zoning) vertical to planar surfaces. It can also be applied in materials sciences in order to analyze thin films, coatings, or surface contaminations on solids

A P-band 5-way Unequal Split High Power Divider for SAR Applications

The design and test of 5-way high power divider operating at P-band for the airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system of DLR is presented. Distinctive features are high bandwidth, high power and an unequal power split on the 5 output ports

Abstract involutions of algebraic groups and of Kac-Moody groups

Based on the second author's thesis in this article we provide a uniform treatment of abstract involutions of algebraic groups and of Kac-Moody groups using twin buildings, RGD systems, and twisted involutions of Coxeter groups. Notably we simultaneously generalize the double coset decompositions established by Springer and by Helminck-Wang for algebraic groups and by Kac-Wang for certain Kac-Moody groups, we analyze the filtration studied by Devillers-Muhlherr in the context of arbitrary involutions, and we answer a structural question on the combinatorics of involutions of twin buildings raised by Bennett-Gramlich-Hoffman-Shpectorov

Bistatic Experiment Using TerraSAR-X and DLR’s new F-SAR System

A bistatic X-band experiment was successfully performed early November 2007. TerraSAR-X was used as transmitter and DLR’s new airborne radar system F-SAR, which was programmed to acquire data in a quasi-continuous mode to avoid echo window synchronization issues, was used as bistatic receiver. Precise phase and time referencing between both systems, which is essential for obtaining high resolution SAR images, was derived during the bistatic processing. Hardware setup and performance analyses of the bistatic configuration are pre-sented together with first processing results that verify the predicted synchronization and imaging performance