Thermal Expansion and Magnetostriction Studies of a Kondo Lattice Compound: Ceagsb2

We have investigated a single crystal of CeAgSb2 using low field ac-susceptibility, thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements in the temperature range 1.5K to 90K. The ac-susceptibility exhibits a sharp peak at 9.7K for both B//c and B perp c due to the magnetic ordering of the Ce moment. The thermal expansion coefficient alpha, exhibits highly anisotropic behaviour between 3K and 80K : alpha is positive for dL/L perp c, but negative for dL/L // c. Furthermore, alpha (for dL/L) perp c (i.e. in ab-plane) exhibits a sharp peak at TN followed by a broad maximum at 20K, while a sharp negative peak at TN followed by a minimum at 20K has been observed for (dL/L //) the c direction. The observed maximum and minimum in alpha(T) at 20K have been attributed to the crystalline field effect on the J=5/2 state of the Ce3+ ion. The magnetostriction also exhibits anisotropic behaviour with a large magnetostriction along the c-axis. The ab-plane magnetostriction exhibits a peak at B=3.3T at 3K, which is consistent with the observed peak in the magnetoresistance measurements.Comment: 4 Pages (B5), 3 figures, submitted to SCES200

Space-Based Analysis of the Cloud Thermodynamic Phase Transition for Varying Microphysical and Meteorological Regimes

International audiencePhase transitions leading to cloud glaciation occur at temperatures that vary between -38°C and 0°C depending on aerosol types and concentrations, the meteorology, and cloud microphysical and macrophysical parameters, although the relationships remain poorly understood. Here, we statistically retrieve a cloud glaciation temperature from two passive space-based instruments that are part of the NASA/CNES A-Train, the POLarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances (POLDER) and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We compare the glaciation temperature for varying bins of cloud droplet effective radius, latitude, and large-scale vertical pressure velocity and specific humidity at 700 hPa. Cloud droplet size has the strongest influence on glaciation temperature: For cloud droplets larger than 21 μm, the glaciation temperature is 6°C higher than for cloud droplets smaller than 9 μm. Stronger updrafts are also associated with lower glaciation temperatures

Effects of long-range aerosol transport on the microphysical properties of low-level liquid clouds in the Arctic

The properties of low-level liquid clouds in the Arctic can be altered by long-range pollution transport to the region. Satellite, tracer transport model, and meteorological data sets are used here to determine a net aerosol–cloud interaction (ACI^net) parameter that expresses the ratio of relative changes in cloud microphysical properties to relative variations in pollution concentrations while accounting for dry or wet scavenging of aerosols en route to the Arctic. For a period between 2008 and 2010, ACI^net is calculated as a function of the cloud liquid water path, temperature, altitude, specific humidity, and lower tropospheric stability. For all data, ACI^net averages 0.12 ± 0.02 for cloud-droplet effective radius and 0.16 ± 0.02 for cloud optical depth. It increases with specific humidity and lower tropospheric stability and is highest when pollution concentrations are low. Carefully controlling for meteorological conditions we find that the liquid water path of arctic clouds does not respond strongly to aerosols within pollution plumes. Or, not stratifying the data according to meteorological state can lead to artificially exaggerated calculations of the magnitude of the impacts of pollution on arctic clouds

Description and validation of an AOT product over land at the 0.6 μm channel of the SEVIRI sensor onboard MSG

The Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) aboard Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) launched in 2003 by EUMETSAT is dedicated to the Nowcasting applications and Numerical Weather Prediction and to the provision of observations for climate monitoring and research. We use the data in visible and near infrared (NIR) channels to derive the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) over land. The algorithm is based on the assumption that the top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectance increases with the aerosol load. This is a reasonable assumption except in case of absorbing aerosols above bright surfaces. We assume that the minimum in a 14-days time series of the TOA reflectance is, once corrected from gaseous scattering and absorption, representative of the surface reflectance. The AOT and the aerosol model (a set of 5 models is used), are retrieved by matching the simulated TOA reflectance with the TOA reflectances measured by SEVIRI in its visible and NIR spectral bands. <br><br> The high temporal resolution of the data acquisition by SEVIRI allows to retrieve the AOT every 15 min with a spatial resolution of 3 km at sub-satellite point, over the entire SEVIRI disk covering Europe, Africa and part of South America. The resulting AOT, a level 2 product at the native temporal and spatial SEVIRI resolutions, is presented and evaluated in this paper. <br><br> The AOT has been validated using ground based measurements from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET), a sun-photometer network, focusing over Europe for 3 months in 2006. The SEVIRI estimates correlate well with the AERONET measurements, <i>r</i> = 0.64, with a slight overestimate, bias = −0.017. The sources of errors are mainly the cloud contamination and the bad estimation of the surface reflectance. The temporal evolutions exhibited by both datasets show very good agreement which allows to conclude that the AOT Level 2 product from SEVIRI can be used to quantify the aerosol content and to monitor its daily evolution with a high temporal frequency. The comparison with daily maps of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOT level 3 product shows qualitative good agreement in the retrieved geographic patterns of AOT. <br><br> Given the high spatial and temporal resolutions obtained with this approach, our results have clear potential for applications ranging from air quality monitoring to climate studies. This paper presents a first evaluation and validation of the derived AOT over Europe in order to document the overall quality of a product that will be made publicly available to the users of the aforementioned research communities

A Markov Chain based method for generating long-range dependence

This paper describes a model for generating time series which exhibit the statistical phenomenon known as long-range dependence (LRD). A Markov Modulated Process based upon an infinite Markov chain is described. The work described is motivated by applications in telecommunications where LRD is a known property of time-series measured on the internet. The process can generate a time series exhibiting LRD with known parameters and is particularly suitable for modelling internet traffic since the time series is in terms of ones and zeros which can be interpreted as data packets and inter-packet gaps. The method is extremely simple computationally and analytically and could prove more tractable than other methods described in the literatureComment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Global Analysis of Aerosol Properties Above Clouds

The seasonal and spatial varability of Aerosol Above Cloud (AAC) properties are derived from passive satellite data for the year 2008. A significant amount of aerosols are transported above liquid water clouds on the global scale. For particles in the fine mode (i.e., radius smaller than 0.3 m), including both clear sky and AAC retrievals increases the global mean aerosol optical thickness by 25(+/- 6%). The two main regions with man-made AAC are the tropical Southeast Atlantic, for biomass burning aerosols, and the North Pacific, mainly for pollutants. Man-made AAC are also detected over the Arctic during the spring. Mineral dust particles are detected above clouds within the so-called dust belt region (5-40 N). AAC may cause a warming effect and bias the retrieval of the cloud properties. This study will then help to better quantify the impacts of aerosols on clouds and climate

Cloud thermodynamic phase inferred from merged POLDER and MODIS data

International audienceThe global spatial and diurnal distribution of cloud properties is a key issue for understanding the hydrological cycle, and critical for advancing efforts to improve numerical weather models and general circulation models. Satellite data provides the best way of gaining insight into global cloud properties. In particular, the determination of cloud thermodynamic phase is a critical first step in the process of inferring cloud optical and microphysical properties from satellite measurements. It is important that cloud phase be derived together with an estimate of the confidence of this determination, so that this information can be included with subsequent retrievals (optical thickness, effective particle radius, and ice/liquid water content). In this study, we combine three different and well documented approaches for inferring cloud phase into a single algorithm. The algorithm is applied to data obtained by the MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and POLDER3 (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth Reflectance) instruments. It is shown that this synergistic algorithm can be used routinely to derive cloud phase along with an index that helps to discriminate ambiguous phase from confident phase cases. The resulting product provides a semi-continuous confidence index ranging from confident liquid to confident ice instead of the usual discrete classification of liquid phase, ice phase, mixed phase (potential combination of ice and liquid particles), or simply unknown phase clouds. This approach is expected to be useful for cloud assimilation and modeling efforts while providing more insight into the global cloud properties derived from satellite data

Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: application to 3MI and MSPI

The vertical distribution of cloud cover has a significant impact on a large number of meteorological and climatic processes. Cloud top altitude and cloud geometrical thickness are then essential. Previous studies established the possibility of retrieving those parameters from multi-angular oxygen A-band measurements. Here we perform a study and comparison of the performances of future instruments. The 3MI (Multi-angle, Multi-channel and Multi-polarization Imager) instrument developed by EUMETSAT, which is an extension of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, and MSPI (Multi-angles Spectro-Polarimetric Imager) develoloped by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will measure total and polarized light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere–surface system in several spectral bands (from UV to SWIR) and several viewing geometries. Those instruments should provide opportunities to observe the links between the cloud structures and the anisotropy of the reflected solar radiation into space. Specific algorithms will need be developed in order to take advantage of the new capabilities of this instrument. However, prior to this effort, we need to understand, through a theoretical Shannon information content analysis, the limits and advantages of these new instruments for retrieving liquid and ice cloud properties, and especially, in this study, the amount of information coming from the A-Band channel on the cloud top altitude (CTOP) and geometrical thickness (CGT). We compare the information content of 3MI A-Band in two configurations and that of MSPI. Quantitative information content estimates show that the retrieval of CTOP with a high accuracy is possible in almost all cases investigated. The retrieval of CGT seems less easy but possible for optically thick clouds above a black surface, at least when CGT > 1–2 km

'Dressage Is Full of Queens!' Masculinity, Sexuality and Equestrian Sport

Attitudes towards sexuality are changing and levels of cultural homophobia decreasing, yet there remain very few openly gay men within sport. As a proving ground for heteromasculinity, sport has traditionally been a hostile environment for gay men. This article is based on an ethnographic study within a sporting subworld in which gay men do appear to be accepted: equestrian sport. Drawing on inclusive masculinity theory, equestrian sport is shown to offer an unusually tolerant environment for gay men in which heterosexual men of all ages demonstrate low levels of homophobia. Inclusive masculinity theory is a useful framework for exploring the changing nature of masculinities and this study demonstrates that gay men are becoming increasingly visible and accepted within once unreceptive locales, such as sport and rural communities. However, this more tolerant attitude is purchased at the expense of a subordinated feminine Other, perpetuating the dominance of men within competitive sport. © The Author(s) 2012