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An understanding of the factors limiting the open-circuit voltage (V-oc) and related photon energy loss mechanisms is critical to increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of small-molecule organic solar cells (OSCs), especially those with near-infrared (NIR) absorbers. In this work, two NIR boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) molecules are characterized for application in planar (PHJ) and bulk (BHJ) heterojunction OSCs. When two H atoms are substituted by F atoms on the peripheral phenyl rings of the molecules, the molecular aggregation type in the thin film changes from the H-type to J-type. For PHJ devices, the nonradiative voltage loss of 0.35 V in the J-aggregated BODIPY is lower than that of 0.49 V in the H-aggregated device. In BHJ devices with a nonradiative voltage loss of 0.35 V, a PCE of 5.5% is achieved with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) maximum of 68% at 700 nm.
Aims. In this study, we analyzed a filament system, which expanded between moving magnetic features (MMFs) of a decaying sunspot and opposite flux outside of the active region from the nearby quiet-Sun network. This configuration deviated from a classical arch filament system (AFS), which typically connects two pores in an emerging flux region. Thus, we called this system an extended AFS. We contrasted classical and extended AFSs with an emphasis on the complex magnetic structure of the latter. Furthermore, we examined the physical properties of the extended AFS and described its dynamics and connectivity. Methods. The extended AFS was observed with two instruments at the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST). The Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere (ROSA) imager provided images in three different wavelength regions, which covered the dynamics of the extended AFS at different atmospheric heights. The Interferometric Bidimensional Spectropolarimeter (IBIS) provided spectroscopic Ha data and spectropolarimetric data that was obtained in the near-infrared (NIR) Call lambda 8542 angstrom line. We derived the corresponding line-of-sight (LOS) velocities and used He II lambda 304 angstrom extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and LOS magnetograms of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) as context data. Results. The NIR Call Stokes-V maps are not suitable to definitively define a clear polarity inversion line and to classify this chromospheric structure. Nevertheless, this unusual AFS connects the MMFs of a decaying sunspot with the network field. At the southern footpoint, we measured that the flux decreases over time. We find strong downflow velocities at the footpoints of the extended AFS, which increase in a time period of 30 min. The velocities are asymmetric at both footpoints with higher velocities at the southern footpoint. An EUV brigthening appears in one of the arch filaments, which migrates from the northern footpoint toward the southern one. This activation likely influences the increasing redshift at the southern footpoint. Conclusions. The extended AFS exhibits a similar morphology as classical AFSs, for example, threaded filaments of comparable length and width. Major differences concern the connection from MMFs around the sunspot with the flux of the neighboring quietSun network, converging footpoint motions, and longer lifetimes of individual arch filaments of about one hour, while the extended AFS is still very dynamic.
Classical Wolf-Rayet (cWR) stars are at a crucial evolutionary stage for constraining the fates of massive stars. The feedback of these hot, hydrogen-depleted stars dominates their surrounding by tremendous injections of ionizing radiation and kinetic energy. The strength of a Wolf-Rayet (WR) wind decides the eventual mass of its remnant, likely a massive black hole. However, despite their major influence and importance for gravitational wave detection statistics, WR winds are particularly poorly understood. In this paper, we introduce the first set of hydrodynamically consistent stellar atmosphere models for cWR stars of both the carbon (C) and the nitrogen (N) sequence, i.e. WC and WN stars, as a function of stellar luminosity-to-mass ratio (or Eddington Gamma) and metallicity. We demonstrate the inapplicability of the CAK wind theory for cWR stars and confirm earlier findings that their winds are launched at the (hot) iron (Fe) opacity peak. For log Z/Z(circle dot) > -2, Fe is also the main accelerator throughout the wind. Contrasting previous claims of a sharp lower mass-loss limit forWR stars, we obtain a smooth transition to optically thin winds. Furthermore, we find a strong dependence of the mass-loss rates on Eddington Gamma, both at solar and subsolar metallicity. Increases inWCcarbon and oxygen abundances turn out to slightly reduce the predicted mass-loss rates. Calculations at subsolar metallicities indicate that below the metallicity of the Small Magellanic Cloud, WR mass-loss rates decrease much faster than previously assumed, potentially allowing for high black hole masses even in the local Universe.
Context. On 27 April 2015, when comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was at 1.76 au from the Sun and moving toward perihelion, the OSIRIS and VIRTIS-M instruments on board the Rosetta spacecraft simultaneously observed the evolving dust and gas coma during a complete rotation of the comet. Aims. We aim to characterize the spatial distribution of dust, H2O, and CO2 gas in the inner coma. To do this, we performed a quantitative analysis of the release of dust and gas and compared the observed H2O production rate with the rate we calculated using a thermophysical model. Methods. For this study we selected OSIRIS WAC images at 612 nm (dust) and VIRTIS-M image cubes at 612 nm, 2700 nm (H2O emission band), and 4200 nm (CO2 emission band). We measured the average signal in a circular annulus to study the spatial variation around the comet, and in a sector of the annulus to study temporal variation in the sunward direction with comet rotation, both at a fixed distance of 3.1 km from the comet center. Results. The spatial correlation between dust and water, both coming from the sunlit side of the comet, shows that water is the main driver of dust activity in this time period. The spatial distribution of CO2 is not correlated with water and dust. There is no strong temporal correlation between the dust brightness and water production rate as the comet rotates. The dust brightness shows a peak at 0 degrees subsolar longitude, which is not pronounced in the water production. At the same epoch, there is also a maximum in CO2 production. An excess of measured water production with respect to the value calculated using a simple thermophysical model is observed when the head lobe and regions of the southern hemisphere with strong seasonal variations are illuminated (subsolar longitude 270 degrees-50 degrees). A drastic decrease in dust production when the water production (both measured and from the model) displays a maximum occurs when typical northern consolidated regions are illuminated and the southern hemisphere regions with strong seasonal variations are instead in shadow (subsolar longitude 50 degrees-90 degrees). Possible explanations of these observations are presented and discussed.
The oceans and atmosphere interact via a multiplicity of feedback mechanisms, shaping to a large extent the global climate and its variability. To deepen our knowledge of the global climate system, characterizing and investigating this interdependence is an important task of contemporary research. However, our present understanding of the underlying large-scale processes is greatly limited due to the manifold interactions between essential climatic variables at different temporal scales. To address this problem, we here propose to extend the application of complex network techniques to capture the interdependence between global fields of sea-surface temperature (SST) and precipitation (P) at multiple temporal scales. For this purpose, we combine time-scale decomposition by means of a discrete wavelet transform with the concept of coupled climate network analysis. Our results demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to unravel the scale-specific interdependences between atmosphere and ocean and, thus, shed light on the emerging multiscale processes inherent to the climate system, which traditionally remain undiscovered when investigating the system only at the native resolution of existing climate data sets. Moreover, we show how the relevant spatial interdependence structures between SST and P evolve across time-scales. Most notably, the strongest mutual correlations between SST and P at annual scale (8-16 months) concentrate mainly over the Pacific Ocean, while the corresponding spatial patterns progressively disappear when moving toward longer time-scales. Published under license by AIP Publishing.
A nova is a cataclysmic event on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary system that increases the overall brightness by several orders of magnitude. Although binary systems with a white dwarf are expected to be overabundant in globular clusters compared with in the Galaxy, only two novae from Galactic globular clusters have been observed. We present the discovery of an emission nebula in the Galactic globular cluster M 22 (NGC 6656) in observations made with the integral-field spectrograph MUSE. We extracted the spectrum of the nebula and used the radial velocity determined from the emission lines to confirm that the nebula is part of NGC 6656. Emission-line ratios were used to determine the electron temperature and density. It is estimated to have a mass of 1-17 x 10(-5) M-circle dot. This mass and the emission-line ratios indicate that the nebula is a nova remnant. Its position coincides with the reported location of a "guest star", an ancient Chinese term for transients, observed in May 48 BCE. With this discovery, this nova may be one of the oldest confirmed extra-solar events recorded in human history.
We report the discovery of a circular shell centred on the Be X-ray binary (BeXB) SXP 1323 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The shell was detected in an H α image obtained with the Very Large Telescope. Follow-up spectroscopy with the Southern African Large Telescope showed that the shell expands with a velocity of ≈100kms−1 and that its emission is due to shock excitation. We suggest that this shell is a remnant of the supernova explosion that led to the formation of SXP 1323’s neutron star ≈40000 yr ago. SXP 1323 represents the second known case of a BeXB associated with a supernova remnant (the first one is SXP 1062). Interestingly, both of these BeXBs harbour long-period pulsars and are located in a low-metallicity galaxy.
For the layered transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2, we establish through a unique experimental approach and density functional theory, how ultrafast charge transfer in 1T-TaS2 takes on isotropic three-dimensional character or anisotropic two-dimensional character, depending on the commensurability of the charge density wave phases of 1T-TaS2. The X-ray spectroscopic core-hole-clock method prepares selectively in-and out-of-plane polarized sulfur 3p orbital occupation with respect to the 1T-TaS2 planes and monitors sub-femtosecond wave packet delocalization. Despite being a prototypical two-dimensional material, isotropic three-dimensional charge transfer is found in the commensurate charge density wave phase (CCDW), indicating strong coupling between layers. In contrast, anisotropic two-dimensional charge transfer occurs for the nearly commensurate phase (NCDW). In direct comparison, theory shows that interlayer interaction in the CCDW phase - not layer stacking variations - causes isotropic three-dimensional charge transfer. This is presumably a general mechanism for phase transitions and tailored properties of dichalcogenides with charge density waves.
Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of hybrid charge transfer states at metal oxide/organic type-II heterojunctions exhibit bias-induced spectral shifts. The reasons for this phenomenon have been discussed controversially and arguments for either electric field-induced effects or the filling of trap states at the oxide surface have been put forward. Here, we combine the results of EL and photovoltaic measurements to eliminate the unavoidable effect of the series resistance of inorganic and organic components on the total voltage drop across the hybrid device. For SnOx combined with the conjugated polymer [ladder type poly-(para-phenylene)], we find a one-to-one correspondence between the blue-shift of the EL peak and the increase of the quasi-Fermi level splitting at the hybrid heterojunction, which we unambiguously assign to state filling. Our data are resembled best by a model considering the combination of an exponential density of states with a doped semiconductor. Published under license by AIP Publishing.
The angular size of a star is a critical factor in determining its basic properties1. Direct measurement of stellar angular diameters is difficult: at interstellar distances stars are generally too small to resolve by any individual imaging telescope. This fundamental limitation can be overcome by studying the diffraction pattern in the shadow cast when an asteroid occults a star2, but only when the photometric uncertainty is smaller than the noise added by atmospheric scintillation3. Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes used for particle astrophysics observations have not generally been exploited for optical astronomy due to the modest optical quality of the mirror surface. However, their large mirror area makes them well suited for such high-time-resolution precision photometry measurements4. Here we report two occultations of stars observed by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS)5 Cherenkov telescopes with millisecond sampling, from which we are able to provide a direct measurement of the occulted stars’ angular diameter at the ≤0.1 mas scale. This is a resolution never achieved before with optical measurements and represents an order of magnitude improvement over the equivalent lunar occultation method6. We compare the resulting stellar radius with empirically derived estimates from temperature and brightness measurements, confirming the latter can be biased for stars with ambiguous stellar classifications.
If not oriented perfectly isotropically, the strong dipole moment of polar organic semiconductor materials such as tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate)aluminum (Alq3) will lead to the buildup of a giant surface potential (GSP) and thus to a macroscopic dielectric polarization of the organic film. Despite this having been a known fact for years, the implications of such high potentials within an organic layer stack have only been studied recently. In this work, the influence of the GSP on hole injection into organic layers is investigated. Therefore, we apply a concept called dipolar doping to devices consisting of the prototypical organic materials N,N′-Di(1-naphthyl)-N,N′-diphenyl-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB) as nonpolar host and Alq3 as dipolar dopant with different mixing ratios to tune the GSP. The mixtures are investigated in single-layer monopolar devices as well as bilayer metal/insulator/semiconductor structures. Characterization is done electrically using current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, impedance spectroscopy, and charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage and time of flight, as well as with ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. We find a maximum in device performance for moderate to low doping concentrations of the polar species in the host. The observed behavior can be described on the basis of the Schottky effect for image-force barrier lowering, if the changes in the interface dipole, the carrier mobility, and the GSP induced by dipolar doping are taken into account.
We have investigated the structural dynamics in photoexcited 1,2-diiodotetrafluoroethane molecules (C2F4I2) in the gas phase experimentally using ultrafast electron diffraction and theoretically using FOMO-CASCI excited-state dynamics simulations. The molecules are excited by an ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulse to a state characterized by a transition from the iodine 5p perpendicular to orbital to a mixed 5p parallel to sigma hole and CF2 center dot antibonding orbital, which results in the cleavage of one of the carbon-iodine bonds. We have observed, with sub-Angstrom resolution, the motion of the nuclear wave packet of the dissociating iodine atom followed by coherent vibrations in the electronic ground state of the C2F4I radical. The radical reaches a stable classical (nonbridged) structure in less than 200 fs.
In this paper we investigate the magneto-optical (MO) and magnetic properties of bismuth iron garnet Bi3Fe5O12 thin films over a wide range of photon energies (1.6-3.5 eV) and temperatures (5-740 K). Depending on the photon energy range, the Faraday rotation (Theta(F)) and ellipticity (epsilon(F)) vary nonmonotonously with temperature. This behavior cannot be explained by a magnetization variation that can only decrease with increasing temperature. Theta(F) and epsilon(F) spectra have therefore been analyzed using a model based on two optical transitions of a diamagnetic nature, representing the tetrahedral and octahedral iron sites. Thus, the contribution of each magnetic sublattice has been extracted from the global macroscopic MO response and investigated as a function of temperature. The magnetic properties of octahedral and tetrahedral sublattices depend differently on temperature, suggesting a different anisotropy due to oxygen coordination. We have demonstrated that this relatively simple macroscopic measurement with a subsequent analysis can grant access to the information on the properties at a microscopic level. These results can advance the fundamental understanding of MO properties in multisublattice magnetic materials.
High-density polyethylene becomes optically transparent during tensile drawing when previously saturated with diesel fuel. This unusual phenomenon is investigated as it might allow conclusions with respect to the material behavior. Microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, density measurements are applied together with two scanning X-ray scattering techniques: wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and X-ray refraction, able to extract the spatially resolved crystal orientation and internal surface, respectively. The sorbed diesel softens the material and significantly alters the yielding characteristics. Although the crystallinity among stretched regions is similar, a virgin reference sample exhibits strain whitening during stretching, while the diesel-saturated sample becomes transparent. The WAXS results reveal a pronounced fiber texture in the tensile direction in the stretched region and an isotropic orientation in the unstretched region. This texture implies the formation of fibrils in the stretched region, while spherulites remain intact in the unstretched parts of the specimens. X-ray refraction reveals a preferred orientation of internal surfaces along the tensile direction in the stretched region of virgin samples, while the sample stretched in the diesel-saturated state shows no internal surfaces at all. Besides from stretching saturated samples, optical transparency is also obtained from sorbing samples in diesel after stretching.
Dielectric materials for electro-active (electret) and/or electro-passive (insulation) applications
(2019)
Dielectric materials for electret applications usually have to contain a quasi-permanent space charge or dipole polarization that is stable over large temperature ranges and time periods. For electrical-insulation applications, on the other hand, a quasi-permanent space charge or dipole polarization is usually considered detrimental. In recent years, however, with the advent of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission and high-voltage capacitors for energy storage, new possibilities are being explored in the area of high-voltage dielectrics. Stable charge trapping (as e.g. found in nano-dielectrics) or large dipole polarizations (as e.g. found in relaxor ferroelectrics and high-permittivity dielectrics) are no longer considered to be necessarily detrimental in electrical-insulation materials. On the other hand, recent developments in electro-electrets (dielectric elastomers), i.e. very soft dielectrics with large actuation strains and high breakdown fields, and in ferroelectrets, i.e. polymers with electrically charged cavities, have resulted in new electret materials that may also be useful for HVDC insulation systems. Furthermore, 2-dimensional (nano-particles on surfaces or interfaces) and 3-dimensional (nano-particles in the bulk) nano-dielectrics have been found to provide very good charge-trapping properties that may not only be used for more stable electrets and ferroelectrets, but also for better HVDC electrical-insulation materials with the possibility to optimize charge-transport and field-gradient behavior. In view of these and other recent developments, a first attempt will be made to review a small selection of electro-active (i.e. electret) and electro-passive (i.e. insulation) dielectrics in direct comparison. Such a comparative approach may lead to synergies in materials concepts and research methods that will benefit both areas. Furthermore, electrets may be very useful for sensing and monitoring applications in electrical-insulation systems, while high-voltage technology is essential for more efficient charging and poling of electret materials.
In the present study, the charge distribution and the charge transport across the thickness of 2- and 3-dimensional polymer nanodielectrics was investigated. Chemically surface-treated polypropylene (PP) films and low-density polyethylene nanocomposite films with 3 wt % of magnesium oxide (LDPE/MgO) served as examples of 2-D and 3-D nanodielectrics, respectively. Surface charges were deposited onto the non-metallized surfaces of the one-side metallized polymer films and found to broaden and to thus enter the bulk of the films upon thermal stimulation at suitable elevated temperatures. The resulting space-charge profiles in the thickness direction were probed by means of Piezoelectrically-generated Pressure Steps (PPSs). It was observed that the chemical surface treatment of PP which led to the formation of nano-structures or the use of bulk nanoparticles from LDPE/MgO nanocomposites enhance charge trapping on or in the respective polymer films and also reduce charge transport inside the respective samples.
Germanium oxide is a prototype network-forming oxide with pressure-induced structural changes similar to those found in crystals and amorphous silicate oxides at high pressure. Studying density and coordination changes in amorphous GeO2 allows for insight into structural changes in silicate oxides at very high pressure, with implications for the properties of planetary magmas. Here, we report the density of germanium oxide glass up to 133 GPa using the x-ray absorption technique, with very good agreement with previous experimental data at pressure below 40 GPa and recent calculation up to 140 GPa. Our data highlight four distinct compressibility domains, corresponding to changes of the local structure of GeO2. Above 80 GPa, our density data show a compressibility and bulk modulus similar to the counterpart crystal phase, and we propose that a compact distorted sixfold coordination, similar to the structural motif of the pyritelike crystalline GeO2 polymorph, is likely to be stable in that pressure range. Our density data point to a smooth continuous evolution of the average coordination for pressure above 20 GPa with persistent sixfold coordination, without sharp density or density slope discontinuities. These observations are in very good agreement with theoretical calculations and spectroscopic measurements, and our results indicate that glasses and melts may behave similarly to their high-pressure solid counterparts with comparable densities, compressibility, and possibly average coordination.
The in-depth understanding of charge carrier photogeneration and recombination mechanisms in organic solar cells is still an ongoing effort. In donor:acceptor (bulk) heterojunction organic solar cells, charge photogeneration and recombination are inter-related via the kinetics of charge transfer states-being singlet or triplet states. Although high-charge-photogeneration quantum yields are achieved in many donor:acceptor systems, only very few systems show significantly reduced bimolecular recombination relative to the rate of free carrier encounters, in low-mobility systems. This is a serious limitation for the industrialization of organic solar cells, in particular when aiming at thick active layers. Herein, a meta-analysis of the device performance of numerous bulk heterojunction organic solar cells is presented for which field-dependent photogeneration, charge carrier mobility, and fill factor are determined. Herein, a "spin-related factor" that is dependent on the ratio of back electron transfer of the triplet charge transfer (CT) states to the decay rate of the singlet CT states is introduced. It is shown that this factor links the recombination reduction factor to charge-generation efficiency. As a consequence, it is only in the systems with very efficient charge generation and very fast CT dissociation that free carrier recombination is strongly suppressed, regardless of the spin-related factor.
We investigate spin-wave resonance modes and their damping in insulating thin films of bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet by performing femtosecond magneto-optical pump-probe experiments. For large magnetic fields in the range below the magnetization saturation, we find that the damping of high-order standing spin-wave (SSW) modes is about 40 times lower than that for the fundamental one. The observed phenomenon can be explained by considering different features of magnetic anisotropy and exchange fields that, respectively, define the precession frequency for fundamental and high-order SSWs. These results provide further insight into SSWs in iron garnets and may be exploited in many new photomagnonic devices.
Charge-density rearrangements after metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excitation in an iron photosensitizer are investigated by R. M Jay, A. Fohlisch et al. in their Communication (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201904761). By using time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy, surprising covalency-effects are revealed that inhibit charge-separation at the intra-molecular level. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism is proposed to be generally in effect for all commonly used photosensitizers in light-harvesting applications, which challenges the common perception of electronic charge-transfer.
Many solar wind observations at 1 au indicate that the proton (as well as electron) temperature anisotropy is limited. The data distribution in the (A(a), beta(a),(parallel to))-plane have a rhombic-shaped form around beta(a),(parallel to) similar to 1. The boundaries of the temperature anisotropy at beta(a),(parallel to) > 1 can be well explained by the threshold conditions of the mirror (whistler) and oblique proton (electron) firehose instabilities in a bi-Maxwellian plasma, whereas the physical mechanism of the similar restriction at beta(a),(parallel to) < 1 is still under debate. One possible option is Coulomb collisions, which we revisit in the current work. We derive the relaxation rate nu(A)(aa) of the temperature anisotropy in a bi-Maxwellian plasma that we then study analytically and by observed proton data from WIND. We found that nu(A)(pp) increases toward small beta(p),(parallel to) < 1. We matched the data distribution in the (A(p), beta(p),(parallel to))-plane with the constant contour nu(A)(pp) = 2.8 . 10(-6) s(-1), corresponding to the minimum value for collisions to play a role. This contour fits rather well the left boundary of the rhombic-shaped data distribution in the (A(p), beta(p),(parallel to))-plane. Thus, Coulomb collisions are an interesting candidate for explaining the limitations of the temperature anisotropy in the solar wind with small beta(a),(parallel to) < 1 at 1 au.
A comprehensive analysis of the variable temporal and spatial responses of tropical-subtropical high-altitude glaciers to climate change is critical for successful model predictions and environmental risk assessment in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. High-frequency Holocene glacier chronostratigraphies are therefore reconstructed in 79 glaciated valleys across the orogen using 519 published and 16 new terrestrial cosmogenic 10Be exposure age dataset. Published 10Be ages are compiled only for moraine boulders (excluding bedrock ages). These ages are recalculated using the latest ICE-D production rate calibration database and the scaling scheme models. Outliers for the individual moraine are detected using the Chauvenet's criterion. In addition, past equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) are determined using the area-altitude (AA), area accumulation ratio (AAR), and toe-headwall accumulation ratio (THAR) methods for each glacier advance. The modern maximum elevations of lateral moraines (MELM) are also used to estimate modern ELAs and as an independent check on mean ELAs derived using the above three methods. These data may serve as an essential archive for future studies focusing on the cryospheric and environmental changes in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. A more comprehensive analysis of the published and new 10Be ages and ELA results and a list of references are presented in Saha et al. (2019, High-frequency Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. Quaternary Science Reviews, 220, 372–400).
Cosmic-ray hydrodynamics
(2019)
Star formation in galaxies appears to be self-regulated by energetic feedback processes. Among the most promising agents of feedback are cosmic rays (CRs), the relativistic ion population of interstellar and intergalactic plasmas. In these environments, energetic CRs are virtually collisionless and interact via collective phenomena mediated by kinetic-scale plasma waves and large-scale magnetic fields. The enormous separation of kinetic and global astrophysical scales requires a hydrodynamic description. Here, we develop a new macroscopic theory for CR transport in the self-confinement picture, which includes CR diffusion and streaming. The interaction between CRs and electromagnetic fields of Alfvenic turbulence provides the main source of CR scattering, and causes CRs to stream along the magnetic field with the Alfven velocity if resonant waves are sufficiently energetic. However, numerical simulations struggle to capture this effect with current transport formalisms and adopt regularization schemes to ensure numerical stability. We extent the theory by deriving an equation for the CRmomentum density along the mean magnetic field and include a transport equation for the Alfven-wave energy. We account for energy exchange of CRs and Alfven waves via the gyroresonant instability and include other wave damping mechanisms. Using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that our new theory enables stable, self-regulated CR transport. The theory is coupled to magnetohydrodynamics, conserves the total energy and momentum, and correctly recovers previous macroscopic CR transport formalisms in the steady-state flux limit. Because it is free of tunable parameters, it holds the promise to provide predictable simulations of CR feedback in galaxy formation.
We consider the dynamics of the Kuramoto ensemble oscillators not included in a common synchronized cluster, where the mean field is subject to fluctuations. The fluctuations can be either related to the finite size of the ensemble or superimposed on the mean field in the form of common noise due to the constructive features of the system. It is shown that the states of such oscillators with close natural frequencies appear correlated with each other, since the mean-field fluctuations act as common noise. We quantify the effect with the synchronization index of two oscillators, which is calculated numerically and analytically as a function of the frequency difference and noise intensity. The results are rigorous for large ensembles with additional noise superimposed on the mean field and are qualitatively true for the systems where the mean-field fluctuations are due to the finite size of the ensemble. In the latter case, the effect is found to be independent of the number of oscillators in the ensemble.
We present new, contemporaneous Hubble Space Telescope STIS and XMM-Newton observations of the O7. III(n) ((f)) star xi Per. We supplement the new data with archival IUE spectra, to analyze the variability of the wind lines and X-ray flux of xi Per. The variable wind of this star is known to have a 2.086-day periodicity. We use a simple, heuristic spot model that fits the low-velocity (near-surface) IUE wind line variability very well, to demonstrate that the low-velocity absorption in the new STIS spectra of N IV lambda 1718 and Si IV lambda 1402 vary with the same 2.086-day period. It is remarkable that the period and amplitude of the STIS data agree with those of the IUE spectra obtained 22 yr earlier. We also show that the time variability of the new XMM-Newton fluxes is also consistent with the 2.086-day period. Thus, our new, multiwavelength coordinated observations demonstrate that the mechanism that causes the UV wind line variability is also responsible for a significant fraction of the X-rays in single O stars. The sequence of events for the multiwavelength light-curve minima is Si IV lambda 1402, N IV lambda 1718, and X-ray flux, each separated by a phase of about 0.06 relative to the 2.086-day period. Analysis of the X-ray fluxes shows that they become softer as they weaken. This is contrary to expectations if the variability is caused by periodic excess absorption. Furthermore, the high-resolution X-ray spectra suggest that the individual emission lines at maximum are more strongly blueshifted. If we interpret the low-velocity wind line light curves in terms of our model, it implies that there are two bright regions, i.e., regions with less absorption, separated by 180 degrees, on the surface of the star. We note that the presence and persistence of two spots separated by 180 degrees suggest that a weak dipole magnetic field is responsible for the variability of the UV wind line absorption and X-ray flux in xi Per.
We explore the production and escape of ionizing photons in young galaxies by investigating the ultraviolet and optical emission-line properties of models of ionization-bounded and density-bounded H II regions, active-galactic-nucleus (AGN) narrow-line regions, and radiative shocks computed all using the same physically consistent description of element abundances and depletion on to dust grains down to very low metallicities. We compare these models with a reference sample of metal-poor star-forming galaxies and Lyman-continuum (LyC) leakers at various redshifts, which allows the simultaneous exploration of more spectral diagnostics than typically available at once for individual subsamples. We confirm that current single- and binary-star population synthesis models do not produce hard-enough radiation to account for the high-ionization emission of the most metal-poor galaxies. Introducing either an AGN or radiative-shock component brings models into agreement with observations. A published model including X-ray binaries is an attractive alternative to reproduce the observed rise in He II lambda 4686/H beta ratio with decreasing oxygen abundance in metal-poor star-forming galaxies, but not the high observed He II lambda 4686/H beta ratios of galaxies with large EW(H beta). A source of harder ionizing radiation appears to be required in these extreme objects, such as an AGN or radiative-shock component, perhaps linked to an initial-mass-function bias towards massive stars at low metallicity. This would also account for the surprisingly high [O I]/[O III] ratios of confirmed LyC leakers relative to ionization-bounded models. We find no simple by-eye diagnostic of the nature of ionizing sources and the escape of LyC photon, which require proper simultaneous fits of several lines to be discriminated against.
The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is known to exhibit pronounced variability in the high-energy (100MeV < E < 100 GeV) gamma-ray band, which is continuously monitored with Fermi-LAT. During two periods of high activity in April 2014 and June 2015 target-of-opportunity observations were undertaken with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in the very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray domain. While the observation in 2014 provides an upper limit, the observation in 2015 results in a signal with 8 : 7 sigma significance above an energy threshold of 66 GeV. No VHE variability was detected during the 2015 observations. The VHE photon spectrum is soft and described by a power-law index of 4.2 +/- 0.3. The H.E.S.S. data along with a detailed and contemporaneous multiwavelength data set provide constraints on the physical parameters of the emission region. The minimum distance of the emission region from the central black hole was estimated using two plausible geometries of the broad-line region and three potential intrinsic spectra. The emission region is confidently placed at r greater than or similar to 1 : 7 X 1017 cm from the black hole, that is beyond the assumed distance of the broad-line region. Time-dependent leptonic and lepto-hadronic one-zone models were used to describe the evolution of the 2015 flare. Neither model can fully reproduce the observations, despite testing various parameter sets. Furthermore, the H.E.S.S. data were used to derive constraints on Lorentz invariance violation given the large redshift of 3C 279.
The phase diagram of water harbors controversial views on underlying structural properties of its constituting molecular moieties, its fluctuating hydrogen-bonding network, as well as pair-correlation functions. In this work, long energy-range detection of the X-ray absorption allows us to unambiguously calibrate the spectra for water gas, liquid, and ice by the experimental atomic ionization cross-section. In liquid water, we extract the mean value of 1.74 +/- 2.1% donated and accepted hydrogen bonds per molecule, pointing to a continuous-distribution model. In addition, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering with unprecedented energy resolution also supports continuous distribution of molecular neighborhoods within liquid water, as do X-ray emission spectra once the femtosecond scattering duration and proton dynamics in resonant X-ray-matter interaction are taken into account. Thus, X-ray spectra of liquid water in ambient conditions can be understood without a two-structure model, whereas the occurrence of nanoscale-length correlations within the continuous distribution remains open.
We review our current knowledge of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko nucleus composition as inferred from measurements made by remote sensing and in-situ instruments aboard Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander. Spectrophotometric properties (albedos, color indexes and Hapke parameters) of 67P/CG derived by Rosetta are discussed in the context of other comets previously explored by space missions. Composed of an assemblage made of ices, organic materials and minerals, cometary nuclei exhibit very dark and red surfaces which can be described by means of spectrophotometric quantities and reproduced with laboratory measurements. The presence of surface water and carbon dioxide ices was found by Rosetta to occur at localized sites where the activity driven by solar input, gaseous condensation or exposure of pristine inner layers can maintain these species on the surface. Apart from these specific areas, 67P/CG’s surface appears remarkably uniform in composition with a predominance of organic materials and minerals. The organic compounds contain abundant hydroxyl group and a refractory macromolecular material bearing aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The mineral components are compatible with a mixture of silicates and fine-grained opaques, including Fe-sulfides, like troilite and pyrrhotite, and ammoniated salts. In the vicinity of the perihelion several active phenomena, including the erosion of surface layers, the localized activity in cliffs, fractures and pits, the collapse of overhangs and walls, the transfer and redeposition of dust, cause the evolution of the different regions of the nucleus by inducing color, composition and texture changes.
Saturn’s main ring system is associated with a set of small moons that either are embedded within it or interact with the rings to alter their shape and composition. Five close flybys of the moons Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora, and Epimetheus were performed between December 2016 and April 2017 during the ring-grazing orbits of the Cassini mission. Data on the moons’ morphology, structure, particle environment, and composition were returned, along with images in the ultraviolet and thermal infrared. We find that the optical properties of the moons’ surfaces are determined by two competing processes: contamination by a red material formed in Saturn’s main ring system and accretion of bright icy particles or water vapor from volcanic plumes originating on the moon Enceladus.
We summarize the current state of observations of circumplanetary dust populations, including both dilute and dense rings and tori around the giant planets, ejecta clouds engulfing airless moons, and rings around smaller planetary bodies throughout the Solar System. We also discuss the theoretical models that enable these observations to be understood in terms of the sources, sinks and transport of various dust populations. The dynamics and resulting transport of the particles can be quite complex, due to the fact that their motion is influenced by neutral and plasma drag, radiation pressure, and electromagnetic forcesall in addition to gravity. The relative importance of these forces depends on the environment, as well as the makeup and size of the particles. Possible dust sources include the generation of ejecta particles by impacts, active volcanoes and geysers, and the capture of exogenous particles. Possible dust sinks include collisions with moons, rings, or the central planet, erosion due to sublimation and sputtering, even ejection and escape from the circumplanetary environment.
Polar crown filaments form above the polarity inversion line between the old magnetic flux of the previous cycle and the new magnetic flux of the current cycle. Studying their appearance and their properties can lead to a better understanding of the solar cycle. We use full-disk data of the Chromospheric Telescope (ChroTel) at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain, which were taken in three different chromospheric absorption lines (H alpha lambda 6563 angstrom, Ca II K lambda 3933 angstrom, and He I lambda 10830 angstrom), and we create synoptic maps. In addition, the spectroscopic He I data allow us to compute Doppler velocities and to create synoptic Doppler maps. ChroTel data cover the rising and decaying phase of Solar Cycle 24 on about 1000 days between 2012 and 2018. Based on these data, we automatically extract polar crown filaments with image-processing tools and study their properties. We compare contrast maps of polar crown filaments with those of quiet-Sun filaments. Furthermore, we present a super-synoptic map summarizing the entire ChroTel database. In summary, we provide statistical properties, i.e. number and location of filaments, area, and tilt angle for both the maximum and the declining phase of Solar Cycle 24. This demonstrates that ChroTel provides a promising data set to study the solar cycle.
The movement of microswimmers is often described by active Brownian particle models. Here we introduce a variant of these models with several internal states of the swimmer to describe stochastic strategies for directional swimming such as run and tumble or run and reverse that are used by microorganisms for chemotaxis. The model includes a mechanism to generate a directional bias for chemotaxis and interactions with external fields (e.g., gravity, magnetic field, fluid flow) that impose forces or torques on the swimmer. We show how this modified model can be applied to various scenarios: First, the run and tumble motion of E. coli is used to establish a paradigm for chemotaxis and investigate how it is affected by external forces. Then, we study magneto-aerotaxis in magnetotactic bacteria, which is biased not only by an oxygen gradient towards a preferred concentration, but also by magnetic fields, which exert a torque on an intracellular chain of magnets. We study the competition of magnetic alignment with active reorientation and show that the magnetic orientation can improve chemotaxis and thereby provide an advantage to the bacteria, even at rather large inclination angles of the magnetic field relative to the oxygen gradient, a case reminiscent of what is expected for the bacteria at or close to the equator. The highest gain in chemotactic velocity is obtained for run and tumble with a magnetic field parallel to the gradient, but in general a mechanism for reverse motion is necessary to swim against the magnetic field and a run and reverse strategy is more advantageous in the presence of a magnetic torque. This finding is consistent with observations that the dominant mode of directional changes in magnetotactic bacteria is reversal rather than tumbles. Moreover, it provides guidance for the design of future magnetic biohybrid swimmers. Author summary In this paper, we propose a modified Active Brownian particle model to describe bacterial swimming behavior under the influence of external forces and torques, in particular of a magnetic torque. This type of interaction is particularly important for magnetic biohybrids (i.e. motile bacteria coupled to a synthetic magnetic component) and for magnetotactic bacteria (i.e. bacteria with a natural intracellular magnetic chain), which perform chemotaxis to swim along chemical gradients, but are also directed by an external magnetic field. The model allows us to investigate the benefits and disadvantages of such coupling between two different directionality mechanisms. In particular we show that the magnetic torque can speed chemotaxis up in some conditions, while it can hinder it in other cases. In addition to an understanding of the swimming strategies of naturally magnetotactic organisms, the results may guide the design of future biomedical devices.
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are one of the main research topics of the photovoltaic community; with efficiencies now reaching up to 24%, PSCs are on the way to catching up with classical inorganic solar cells. However, PSCs have not yet reached their full potential. In fact, their efficiency is still limited by nonradiative recombination, mainly via trap-states and by losses due to the poor transport properties of the commonly used transport layers (TLs). Indeed, state-of-the-art TLs (especially if organic) suffer from rather low mobilities, typically within 10(-5) and 10(-2) cm(-2) V-1 s(-1), when compared to the high mobilities, 1-10 cm(-2) V-1 s(-1), measured for perovskites. This work presents a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the mobility, thickness, and doping density of the transport layers based on combined experimental and modeling results of two sets of devices made of a solution-processed high-performing triple-cation (PCE approximate to 20%). The results are also cross-checked on vacuum-processed MAPbI(3) devices. From this analysis, general guidelines on how to optimize a TL are introduced and especially a new and simple formula to easily calculate the amount of doping necessary to counterbalance the low mobility of the TLs.
This paper presents a study of the galactic environment of a chemically pristine (<0.6 per cent solar metallicity) Lyman Limit system (LLS) discovered along the sightline towards QSO SDSSJ 135726.27+043541.4 (Z(QSO) = 1.233) at projected distance d = 126 physical kpc (pkpc) from a luminous red galaxy (LRG) at z = 0.33. Combining deep Hubble Space Telescope images, MUSE integral field spectroscopic data, and wide-field redshift survey data has enabled an unprecedented, ultradeep view of the environment around this LRG-LLS pair. A total of 12 galaxies, including the LRG, are found at d less than or similar to 400 pkpc and line-of-sight velocity Delta v < 600 km S-1 of the LLS, with intrinsic luminosity ranging from 0.001 L-* to 2 L-* and a corresponding stellar mass range of M-star approximate to 10(7-11) M-circle dot. All 12 galaxies contribute to a total mass of M-star = 1.6 x 10(11) M-circle dot with approximate to 80 per cent contained in the LRG. The line-of-sight velocity dispersion of these galaxies is found to be sigma (group) = 230 km s(-1) with the centre of mass at d(group) = 118 pkpc and line-of-sight velocity offset of Delta v(group) = 181 km s(-1) from the LLS. Three of these are located at d less than or similar to 100 pkpc from the LLS, and they are all faint with intrinsic luminosity less than or similar to 0.02 L-* and gas-phase metallicity of approximate to 10 per cent solar in their interstellar medium. The disparity in the chemical enrichment level between the LLS and the group members suggests that the LLS originates in infalling intergalactic medium and that parts of the intergalactic gas near old and massive galaxies can still remain chemically pristine through the not too distant past.
The Chromospheric Telescope (ChroTel) is a small 10-cm robotic telescope at Observatorio del Teide on Tenerife (Spain), which observes the entire sun in Hα, Ca ii K, and He i 10 830 Å. We present a new calibration method that includes limb-darkening correction, removal of nonuniform filter transmission, and determination of He i Doppler velocities. Chromospheric full-disk filtergrams are often obtained with Lyot filters, which may display nonuniform transmission causing large-scale intensity variations across the solar disk. Removal of a 2D symmetric limb-darkening function from full-disk images results in a flat background. However, transmission artifacts remain and are even more distinct in these contrast-enhanced images. Zernike polynomials are uniquely appropriate to fit these large-scale intensity variations of the background. The Zernike coefficients show a distinct temporal evolution for ChroTel data, which is likely related to the telescope's alt-azimuth mount that introduces image rotation. In addition, applying this calibration to sets of seven filtergrams that cover the He i triplet facilitates the determination of chromospheric Doppler velocities. To validate the method, we use three datasets with varying levels of solar activity. The Doppler velocities are benchmarked with respect to cotemporal high-resolution spectroscopic data of the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS). Furthermore, this technique can be applied to ChroTel Hα and Ca ii K data. The calibration method for ChroTel filtergrams can be easily adapted to other full-disk data exhibiting unwanted large-scale variations. The spectral region of the He i triplet is a primary choice for high-resolution near-infrared spectropolarimetry. Here, the improved calibration of ChroTel data will provide valuable context data.
Quorum-sensing bacteria in a growing colony of cells send out signalling molecules (so-called “autoinducers”) and themselves sense the autoinducer concentration in their vicinity. Once—due to increased local cell density inside a “cluster” of the growing colony—the concentration of autoinducers exceeds a threshold value, cells in this clusters get “induced” into a communal, multi-cell biofilm-forming mode in a cluster-wide burst event. We analyse quantitatively the influence of spatial disorder, the local heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of cells in the colony, and additional physical parameters such as the autoinducer signal range on the induction dynamics of the cell colony. Spatial inhomogeneity with higher local cell concentrations in clusters leads to earlier but more localised induction events, while homogeneous distributions lead to comparatively delayed but more concerted induction of the cell colony, and, thus, a behaviour close to the mean-field dynamics. We quantify the induction dynamics with quantifiers such as the time series of induction events and burst sizes, the grouping into induction families, and the mean autoinducer concentration levels. Consequences for different scenarios of biofilm growth are discussed, providing possible cues for biofilm control in both health care and biotechnology.
Quorum-sensing bacteria in a growing colony of cells send out signalling molecules (so-called “autoinducers”) and themselves sense the autoinducer concentration in their vicinity. Once—due to increased local cell density inside a “cluster” of the growing colony—the concentration of autoinducers exceeds a threshold value, cells in this clusters get “induced” into a communal, multi-cell biofilm-forming mode in a cluster-wide burst event. We analyse quantitatively the influence of spatial disorder, the local heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of cells in the colony, and additional physical parameters such as the autoinducer signal range on the induction dynamics of the cell colony. Spatial inhomogeneity with higher local cell concentrations in clusters leads to earlier but more localised induction events, while homogeneous distributions lead to comparatively delayed but more concerted induction of the cell colony, and, thus, a behaviour close to the mean-field dynamics. We quantify the induction dynamics with quantifiers such as the time series of induction events and burst sizes, the grouping into induction families, and the mean autoinducer concentration levels. Consequences for different scenarios of biofilm growth are discussed, providing possible cues for biofilm control in both health care and biotechnology.
Brownian motion and beyond: first-passage, power spectrum, non-Gaussianity, and anomalous diffusion
(2019)
Brownian motion is a ubiquitous physical phenomenon across the sciences. After its discovery by Brown and intensive study since the first half of the 20th century, many different aspects of Brownian motion and stochastic processes in general have been addressed in Statistical Physics. In particular, there now exists a very large range of applications of stochastic processes in various disciplines. Here we provide a summary of some of the recent developments in the field of stochastic processes, highlighting both the experimental findings and theoretical frameworks.
Sortases are enzymes occurring in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Sortase A (SrtA), the best studied sortase class, plays a key role in anchoring surface proteins with the recognition sequence LPXTG covalently to oligoglycine units of the bacterial cell wall. This unique transpeptidase activity renders SrtA attractive for various purposes and motivated researchers to study multiple in vivo and in vitro ligations in the last decades. This ligation technique is known as sortase-mediated ligation (SML) or sortagging and developed to a frequently used method in basic research. The advantages are manifold: extremely high substrate specificity, simple access to substrates and enzyme, robust nature and easy handling of sortase A. In addition to the ligation of two proteins or peptides, early studies already included at least one artificial (peptide equipped) substrate into sortagging reactions - which demonstrates the versatility and broad applicability of SML. Thus, SML is not only a biology-related technique, but has found prominence as a major interdisciplinary research tool. In this review, we provide an overview about the use of sortase A in interdisciplinary research, mainly for protein modification, synthesis of protein-polymer conjugates and immobilization of proteins on surfaces.
Border effect corrections for diagonal line based recurrence quantification analysis measures
(2019)
Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) defines a number of quantifiers, which base upon diagonal line structures in the recurrence plot (RP). Due to the finite size of an RP, these lines can be cut by the borders of the RP and, thus, bias the length distribution of diagonal lines and, consequently, the line based RQA measures. In this letter we investigate the impact of the mentioned border effects and of the thickening of diagonal lines in an RP (caused by tangential motion) on the estimation of the diagonal line length distribution, quantified by its entropy. Although a relation to the Lyapunov spectrum is theoretically expected, the mentioned entropy yields contradictory results in many studies. Here we summarize correction schemes for both, the border effects and the tangential motion and systematically compare them to methods from the literature. We show that these corrections lead to the expected behavior of the diagonal line length entropy, in particular meaning zero values in case of a regular motion and positive values for chaotic motion. Moreover, we test these methods under noisy conditions, in order to supply practical tools for applied statistical research.
In globally coupled ensembles of identical oscillators so-called chimera states can be observed. The chimera state is a symmetry-broken regime, where a subset of oscillators forms a cluster, a synchronized population, while the rest of the system remains a collection of nonsynchronized, scattered units. We describe here a blinking chimera regime in an ensemble of seven globally coupled rotators (Kuramoto oscillators with inertia). It is characterized by a death-birth process, where a long-term stable cluster of four oscillators suddenly dissolves and is very quickly reborn with a new reshuffled configuration. We identify three different kinds of rare blinking events and give a quantitative characterization by applying stability analysis to the long-lived chaotic state and to the short-lived regular regimes that arise when the cluster dissolves.
The purity of the analysed samples (e.g. quartz) with respect to chemical composition and radionuclide contamination is essential for geomorphologic applications using so-called terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCNs). To guarantee this, numerous cleaning and dissolution procedures have been developed. At the DREsden Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (DREAMS) facility, we also work on enhancing the chemical quartz-enrichment methodology from bulk rock and dissolution of quartz. Repeated exposure of the bulk material to acid mixtures (HCl/H2SiF6) at room temperature for cleaning and its monitoring by optical microscopy works for most quartz-rich samples. The quartz dissolution in HF under rather mild conditions (at room temperature on a shaker-table) has the advantage to leave difficult-to-dissolve minerals (e.g., tourmaline, zircon, rutile, sillimanite, kyanite, chromite, corundum), not separated by other physical methods before, as residue. Our comparison with a high-temperature dissolution method (in a microwave) indicates an additional amount of interfering elements, such as in average about 3 mg of Ti, more than 7 mg of Al, and about 22 mu g of Be (for 50 g SiO2), is added to the sample, hence showing the superiority of our mild method. This way, we reduce problems for chemistry and AMS, but also ensure better comparability to production rates of cleaner stoichiometric quartz from calibration sites.
Rotating stellar convection transports angular momentum towards the equator, generating the characteristic equatorial acceleration of the solar rotation while the radial flux of angular momentum is always inwards. New numerical box simulations for the meridional cross-correlation < u(theta)u(phi)>, however, reveal the angular momentum transport towards the poles for slow rotation and towards the equator for fast rotation. The explanation is that for slow rotation a negative radial gradient of the angular velocity always appears, which in combination with a so-far neglected rotation-induced off-diagonal eddy viscosity term nu(perpendicular to) provides "antisolar rotation" laws with a decelerated equator Similarly, the simulations provided positive values for the rotation-induced correlation < u(r)u(theta)>, which is relevant for the resulting latitudinal temperature profiles (cool or warm poles) for slow rotation and negative values for fast rotation. Observations of the differential rotation of slowly rotating stars will therefore lead to a better understanding of the actual stress-strain relation, the heat transport, and the underlying model of the rotating convection.
Chorus waves play an important role in the dynamic evolution of energetic electrons in the Earth's radiation belts and ring current. Using more than 5 years of Van Allen Probe data, we developed a new analytical model for upper‐band chorus (UBC; 0.5fce < f < fce) and lower‐band chorus (LBC; 0.05fce < f < 0.5fce) waves, where fce is the equatorial electron gyrofrequency. By applying polynomial fits to chorus wave root mean square amplitudes, we developed regression models for LBC and UBC as a function of geomagnetic activity (Kp), L, magnetic latitude (λ), and magnetic local time (MLT). Dependence on Kp is separated from the dependence on λ, L, and MLT as Kp‐scaling law to simplify the calculation of diffusion coefficients and inclusion into particle tracing codes. Frequency models for UBC and LBC are also developed, which depends on MLT and magnetic latitude. This empirical model is valid in all MLTs, magnetic latitude up to 20°, Kp ≤ 6, L‐shell range from 3.5 to 6 for LBC and from 4 to 6 for UBC. The dependence of root mean square amplitudes on L are different for different bands, which implies different energy sources for different wave bands. This analytical chorus wave model is convenient for inclusion in quasi‐linear diffusion calculations of electron scattering rates and particle simulations in the inner magnetosphere, especially for the newly developed four‐dimensional codes, which require significantly improved wave parameterizations.
On 2015 July 18, near perihelion at a heliocentric distance of 1.28 au, the Visible InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS-M) on board the Rosetta spacecraft had the opportunity of observing dust activity in the inner coma with a view of the night side (shadowed side) of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. At the time of the measurements we present here, we observe a dust plume that originates on the far side of the nucleus. We are able to identify the approximate location of its source at the boundary between the Hapi and Anuket regions, and we find that it has been in darkness for some hours before the observation. Assuming that this time span is equal to the conductive time scale, we obtain a thermal inertia in the range 25-36 W K-1 m(-2) s(-1/2). These thermal inertia values can be used to verify with a 3D finite-element method (REM) numerical code whether the surface and subsurface temperatures agree with the values found in the literature. We explored three different configurations: (1) a layer of water ice mixed with dust beneath a dust mantle of 5 mm with thermal inertia of 36 J m(-2) K-1 S-0.5 ; (2) the same structure, but with thermal inertia of 100 J m(-2) K-1 S-0.5; (3) an ice-dust mixture that is directly exposed. Of these three configurations, the first seems to be the most reasonable, both for the low thermal inertia and for the agreement with the surface and subsurface temperatures that have been found for the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spectral properties of the plume show that the visible dust color ranged from 16 +/- 4.8%/100 nm to 13 +/- 2.6%/100 nm, indicating that this plume has no detectable color gradient. The morphology of the plume can be classified as a narrow jet that has an estimated total ejected mass of between 6 and 19 tons when we assume size distribution indices between -2.5 and -3.
Due to advances in science and technology towards smaller and more powerful processing units, the fabrication of micrometer sized machines for different tasks becomes more and more possible. Such micro-robots could revolutionize medical treatment of diseases and shall support to work on other small machines. Nevertheless, scaling down robots and other devices is a challenging task and will probably remain limited in near future. Over the past decade the concept of bio-hybrid systems has proved to be a promising approach in order to advance the further development of micro-robots. Bio-hybrid systems combine biological cells with artificial components, thereby benefiting from the functionality of living biological cells. Cell-driven micro-transport is one of the most prominent applications in the emerging field of these systems. So far, micrometer sized cargo has been successfully transported by means of swimming bacterial cells. The potential of motile adherent cells as transport systems has largely remained unexplored.
This thesis concentrates on the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as a potential candidate for an amoeboid bio-hybrid transport system. The use of this model organism comes with several advantages. Due to the unspecific properties of Dictyostelium adhesion, a wide range of different cargo materials can be used for transport. As amoeboid cells exceed bacterial cells in size by one order of magnitude, also the size of an object carried by a single cell can also be much larger for an amoeba. Finally it is possible to guide the cell-driven transport based on the chemotactic behavior of the amoeba. Since cells undergo a developmentally induced chemotactic aggregation, cargo could be assembled in a self-organized manner into a cluster. It is also possible to impose an external chemical gradient to guide the amoeboid transport system to a desired location.
To establish Dictyostelium discoideum as a possible candidate for bio-hybrid transport systems, this thesis will first investigate the movement of single cells. Secondly, the interaction of cargo and cells will be studied. Eventually, a conceptional proof will be conducted, that the cheomtactic behavior can be exploited either to transport a cargo self-organized or through an external chemical source.