Institut für Physik und Astronomie
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In order to investigate their microcracking behaviour, the microstructures of several beta-eucryptite ceramics, obtained from glass precursor and cerammed to yield different grain sizes and microcrack densities, were characterized by laboratory and synchrotron x-ray refraction and tomography. Results were compared with those obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In SEM images, the characterized materials appeared fully dense but computed tomography showed the presence of pore clusters. Uniaxial tensile testing was performed on specimens while strain maps were recorded and analyzed by Digital Image Correlation (DIC). X-ray refraction techniques were applied on specimens before and after tensile testing to measure the amount of the internal specific surface (i.e., area per unit volume). X-ray refraction revealed that (a) the small grain size (SGS) material contained a large specific surface, originating from the grain boundaries and the interfaces of TiO2 precipitates; (b) the medium (MGS) and large grain size (LGS) materials possessed higher amounts of specific surface compared to SGS material due to microcracks, which decreased after tensile loading; (c) the precursor glass had negligible internal surface. The unexpected decrease in the internal surface of MGS and LGS after tensile testing is explained by the presence of compressive regions in the DIC strain maps and further by theoretical arguments. It is suggested that while some microcracks merge via propagation, more close mechanically, thereby explaining the observed X-ray refraction results. The mechanisms proposed would allow the development of a strain hardening route in ceramics.
Stress-induced damage evolution in cast AlSi12CuMgNi alloy with one- and two-ceramic reinforcements
(2017)
Two composites, consisting of an as-cast AlSi12CuMgNi alloy reinforced with 15 vol% Al2O3 short fibres and with 7 vol% Al2O3 short fibres + 15 vol% SiC particles, were studied. Synchrotron computed tomography disclosed distribution, orientation, and volume fraction of the different phases. In-situ compression tests during neutron diffraction in direction parallel to the fibres plane revealed the load partition between phases. Internal damage (fragmentation) of the Si phase and Al2O3 fibres was directly observed in CT reconstructions. Significant debonding between Al matrix and SiC particles was also found. Finally, based on the Maxwell scheme, a micromechanical model was utilized for the new composite with two-ceramic reinforcements; it rationalizes the experimental data and predicts the evolution of all internal stress components in each phase.
Context. Massive stars severely influence their environment by their strong ionizing radiation and by the momentum and kinetic energy input provided by their stellar winds and supernovae. Quantitative analyses of massive stars are required to understand how their feedback creates and shapes large scale structures of the interstellar medium. The giant H II region N206 in the Large Magellanic Cloud contains an OB association that powers a superbubble filled with hot X-ray emitting gas, serving as an ideal laboratory in this context. Aims. We aim to estimate stellar and wind parameters of all OB stars in N206 by means of quantitative spectroscopic analyses. In this first paper, we focus on the nine Of-type stars located in this region. We determine their ionizing flux and wind mechanical energy. The analysis of nitrogen abundances in our sample probes rotational mixing. Methods. We obtained optical spectra with the multi-object spectrograph FLAMES at the ESO-VLT. When possible, the optical spectroscopy was complemented by UV spectra from the HST, IUE, and FUSE archives. Detailed spectral classifications are presented for our sample Of-type stars. For the quantitative spectroscopic analysis we used the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. We determined the physical parameters and nitrogen abundances of our sample stars by fitting synthetic spectra to the observations. Results. The stellar and wind parameters of nine Of-type stars, which are largely derived from spectral analysis are used to construct wind momentum luminosity relationship. We find that our sample follows a relation close to the theoretical prediction, assuming clumped winds. The most massive star in the N206 association is an Of supergiant that has a very high mass-loss rate. Two objects in our sample reveal composite spectra, showing that the Of primaries have companions of late O subtype. All stars in our sample have an evolutionary age of less than 4 million yr, with the O2-type star being the youngest. All these stars show a systematic discrepancy between evolutionary and spectroscopic masses. All stars in our sample are nitrogen enriched. Nitrogen enrichment shows a clear correlation with increasing projected rotational velocities. Conclusions. The mechanical energy input from the Of stars alone is comparable to the energy stored in the N206 superbubble as measured from the observed X-ray and H alpha emission.
Statistical properties of a free-electron laser revealed by Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry
(2017)
We present a comprehensive experimental analysis of statistical properties of the self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron laser (FEL) FLASH by means of Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry. The experiments were performed at FEL wavelengths of 5.5, 13.4, and 20.8 nm. We determined the second-order intensity correlation function for all wavelengths and different operation conditions of FLASH. In all experiments a high degree of spatial coherence (above 50%) was obtained. Our analysis performed in spatial and spectral domains provided us with the independent measurements of an average pulse duration of the FEL that were below 60 fs. To explain the complicated behavior of the second-order intensity correlation function we developed an advanced theoretical model that includes the presence of multiple beams and external positional jitter of the FEL pulses. By this analysis we determined that in one of the experiments external positional jitter was about 25% of the beam size. We envision that methods developed in our study will be used widely for analysis and diagnostics of FEL radiation.
Low-frequency fluctuations are pervasively observed in the solar wind. The present paper theoretically calculates the steady state spectra of low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) fluctuations of the Alfvenic type for thermal equilibrium plasma. The analysis is based upon a recently formulated theory of spontaneously emitted EM fluctuations in magnetized thermal plasmas. It is found that the fluctuations in the magnetosonic mode branch is constant, while the kinetic Alfvenic mode spectrum is dependent on a form factor that is a function of perpendicular wave number. Potential applicability of the present work in the wider context of heliospheric research is also discussed.
Galaxies evolve on cosmological timescales and to study this evolution we can either study the stellar populations, tracing the star formation and chemical enrichment, or the dynamics, tracing interactions and mergers of galaxies as well as accretion. In the last decades this field has become one of the most active research areas in modern astrophysics and especially the use of integral field spectrographs furthered our understanding. This work is based on data of NGC 5102 obtained with the panoramic integral field spectrograph MUSE. The data are analysed with two separate and complementary approaches: In the first part, standard methods are used to measure the kinematics and than model the gravitational potential using these exceptionally high-quality data. In the second part I develop the new method of surface brightness fluctuation spectroscopy and quantitatively explore its potential to investigate the bright evolved stellar population.
Measuring the kinematics of NGC 5102 I discover that this low-luminosity S0 galaxy hosts two counter rotating discs. The more central stellar component co-rotates with the large amount of HI gas. Investigating the populations I find strong central age and metallicity gradients with a younger and more metal rich central population. The spectral resolution of MUSE does not allow to connect these population gradients with the two counter rotating discs.
The kinematic measurements are modelled with Jeans anisotropic models to infer the gravitational potential of NGC 5102. Under the self-consistent mass-follows-light assumption none of the Jeans models is able to reproduce the observed kinematics. To my knowledge this is the strongest evidence evidence for a dark matter dominated system obtained with this approach so far. Including a Navarro, Frenk & White dark matter halo immediately solves the discrepancies. A very robust result is the logarithmic slope of the total matter density. For this low-mass galaxy I find a value of -1.75 +- 0.04, shallower than an isothermal halo and even shallower than published values for more massive galaxies. This confirms a tentative relation between total mass slope and stellar mass of galaxies.
The Surface Brightness Fluctuation (SBF) method is a well established distance measure, but due to its sensitive to bright stars also used to study evolved stars in unresolved stellar populations. The wide-field spectrograph MUSE offers the possibility to apply this technique for the first time to spectroscopic data. In this thesis I develop the spectroscopic SBF technique and measure the first SBF spectrum of any galaxy. I discuss the challenges for measuring SBF spectra that rise due to the complexity of integral field spectrographs compared to imaging instruments.
Since decades, stellar population models indicate that SBFs in intermediate-to-old stellar systems are dominated by red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch stars. Especially the later carry significant model uncertainties, making these stars a scientifically interesting target. Comparing the NGC 5102 SBF spectrum with stellar spectra I show for the first time that M-type giants cause the fluctuations. Stellar evolution models suggest that also carbon rich thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch stars should leave a detectable signal in the SBF spectrum. I cannot detect a significant contribution from these stars in the NGC 5102 SBF spectrum.
I have written a stellar population synthesis tool that predicts for the first time SBF spectra. I compute two sets of population models: based on observed and on theoretical stellar spectra. In comparing the two models I find that the models based on observed spectra predict weaker molecular features. The comparison with the NGC 5102 spectrum reveals that these models are in better agreement with the data.
X-ray reflectivity measurements of femtosecond laser-induced transient gratings (TG) are applied to demonstrate the spatiotemporal coherent control of thermally induced surface deformations on ultrafast time scales. Using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction we unambiguously measure the amplitude of transient surface deformations with sub-angstrom resolution. Understanding the dynamics of femtosecond TG excitations in terms of superposition of acoustic and thermal gratings makes it possible to develop new ways of coherent control in x-ray diffraction experiments. Being the dominant source of TG signal, the long-living thermal grating with spatial period. can be canceled by a second, time-delayed TG excitation shifted by Lambda/2. The ultimate speed limits of such an ultrafast x-ray shutter are inferred from the detailed analysis of thermal and acoustic dynamics in TG experiments.
A non-resonant cosmic ray (CR) current-driven instability may operate in the shock precursors of young supernova remnants and be responsible for magnetic-field amplification, plasma heating and turbulence. Earlier simulations demonstrated magnetic-field amplification, and in kinetic studies a reduction of the relative drift between CRs and thermal plasma was observed as backreaction. However, all published simulations used periodic boundary conditions, which do not account for mass conservation in decelerating flows and only allow the temporal development to be studied. Here we report results of fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations with open boundaries that permit inflow of plasma on one side of the simulation box and outflow at the other end, hence allowing an investigation of both the temporal and the spatial development of the instability. Magnetic-field amplification proceeds as in studies with periodic boundaries and, observed here for the first time, the reduction of relative drifts causes the formation of a shock-like compression structure at which a fraction of the plasma ions are reflected. Turbulent electric field generated by the non-resonant instability inelastically scatters CRs, modifying and anisotropizing their energy distribution. Spatial CR scattering is compatible with Bohm diffusion. Electromagnetic turbulence leads to significant non-adiabatic heating of the background plasma maintaining bulk equipartition between ions and electrons. The highest temperatures are reached at sites of large-amplitude electrostatic fields. Ion spectra show supra-thermal tails resulting from stochastic scattering in the turbulent electric field. Together, these modifications in the plasma flow will affect the properties of the shock and particle acceleration there.
Optical control of magnetization using femtosecond laser without applying any external magnetic field offers the advantage of switching magnetic states at ultrashort time scales. Recently, all-optical helicity-dependent switching (AO-HDS) has drawn a significant attention for potential information and data storage device applications. In this work, we employ element and magnetization sensitive photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) to investigate the role of heating in AO-HDS for thin films of the rare-earth transition-metal alloy TbFe. Spatially resolved measurements in a 3–5 μm sized stationary laser spot demonstrate that AO-HDS is a local phenomenon in the vicinity of thermal demagnetization in a ‘ring’ shaped region. The efficiency of AO-HDS further depends on a local temperature profile around the demagnetized region and thermally activated domain wall motion. We also demonstrate that the thickness of the film determines the preferential switching direction for a particular helicity.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of 3d transition metals provides unique information on the local metal charge and spin states by directly probing 3d-derived molecular orbitals through 2p-3d transitions. However, this soft x-ray technique has been rarely used at synchrotron facilities for mechanistic studies of metalloenzymes due to the difficulties of x-ray-induced sample damage and strong background signals from light elements that can dominate the low metal signal. Here, we combine femtosecond soft x-ray pulses from a free-electron laser with a novel x-ray fluorescence-yield spectrometer to overcome these difficulties. We present L-edge absorption spectra of inorganic high-valent Mn complexes (Mn similar to 6-15 mmol/l) with no visible effects of radiation damage. We also present the first L-edge absorption spectra of the oxygen evolving complex (Mn4CaO5) in Photosystem II (Mn < 1 mmol/l) at room temperature, measured under similar conditions. Our approach opens new ways to study metalloenzymes under functional conditions. (C) 2017 Author(s).
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are unique local laboratories for studying the formation and evolution of small galaxies in exquisite detail. The Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH) is an NOAO community Dark Energy Camera (DECam) survey of the Clouds mapping 480 deg2 (distributed over similar to 2400 square degrees at similar to 20% filling factor) to similar to 24th. mag in ugriz. The primary goals of SMASH are to identify low surface brightness stellar populations associated with the stellar halos and tidal debris of the Clouds, and to derive spatially resolved star formation histories. Here, we present a summary of the survey, its data reduction, and a description of the first public Data Release (DR1). The SMASH DECam data have been reduced with a combination of the NOAO Community Pipeline, the PHOTRED automated point-spread-function photometry pipeline, and custom calibration software. The astrometric precision is similar to 15 mas and the accuracy is similar to 2 mas with respect to the Gaia reference frame. The photometric precision is similar to 0.5%-0.7% in griz and similar to 1% in u with a calibration accuracy of similar to 1.3% in all bands. The median 5s point source depths in ugriz are 23.9, 24.8, 24.5, 24.2, and 23.5 mag. The SMASH data have already been used to discover the Hydra II Milky Way satellite, the SMASH 1 old globular cluster likely associated with the LMC, and extended stellar populations around the LMC out to R. similar to. 18.4 kpc. SMASH DR1 contains measurements of similar to 100 million objects distributed in 61 fields. A prototype version of the NOAO Data Lab provides data access and exploration tools.
Simultaneous dynamic characterization of charge and structural motion during ferroelectric switching
(2017)
Monitoring structural changes in ferroelectric thin films during electric field induced polarization switching is important for a full microscopic understanding of the coupled motion of charges, atoms, and domainwalls in ferroelectric nanostructures. We combine standard ferroelectric test sequences of switching and nonswitching electrical pulses with time-resolved x-ray diffraction to investigate the structural response of a nanoscale Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3 ferroelectric oxide capacitor upon charging, discharging, and polarization reversal. We observe that a nonlinear piezoelectric response of the ferroelectric layer develops on a much longer time scale than the RC time constant of the device. The complex atomic motion during the ferroelectric polarization reversal starts with a contraction of the lattice, whereas the expansive piezoelectric response sets in after considerable charge flow due to the applied voltage pulses on the electrodes of the capacitor. Our simultaneous measurements on a working device elucidate and visualize the complex interplay of charge flow and structural motion and challenges theoretical modeling.
The evolution of the crystal structure and crystallographic texture of porous synthetic cordierite was studied by in situ high-temperature neutron diffraction up to 1373 K, providing the first in situ high-temperature texture measurement of this technologically important material. It was observed that the crystal texture slightly weakens with increasing temperature, concurrently with subtle changes in the crystal structure. These changes are in agreement with previous work, leading the authors to the conclusion that high-temperature neutron diffraction allows reliable crystallographic characterization of materials with moderate texture. It was also observed that structural changes occur at about the glass transition temperature of the cordierite glass (between 973 and 1073 K). Crystal structure refinements were conducted with and without quantitative texture analysis being part of the Rietveld refinement, and a critical comparison of the results is presented, contributing to the sparse body of literature on combined texture and crystal structure refinements.
Up until recently, signatures of the ultrarelativistic electron loss driven by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the Earth's outer radiation belt have been limited to direct or indirect measurements of electron precipitation or the narrowing of normalized pitch angle distributions in the heart of the belt. In this study, we demonstrate additional observational evidence of ultrarelativistic electron loss that can be driven by resonant interaction with EMIC waves. We analyzed the profiles derived from Van Allen Probe particle data as a function of time and three adiabatic invariants between 9 October and 29 November 2012. New local minimums in the profiles are accompanied by the narrowing of normalized pitch angle distributions and ground‐based detection of EMIC waves. Such a correlation may be indicative of ultrarelativistic electron precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere caused by resonance with EMIC waves.
What are the features of partitioning of crystalline materials on the surface of a two-component icosahedral vesicle? We model the response of the rigid hardly stretchable crystalline icosahedra upon addition of a softer component on its surface. We demonstrate how the soft phase "invades" the shell regions with the highest elastic energy density around 12 5-fold topological defects. We explore the phase diagram of these inhomogeneous shells as a function of the soft material fraction, shell radius, and elastic moduli of the two phases. The findings are compared with the recent computer simulation findings, and their biological relevance, for example, for the structure of icosahedral viruses, is also discussed.
The dynamics of fragmentation and vibration of molecular systems with a large number of coupled degrees of freedom are key aspects for understanding chemical reactivity and properties. Here we present a resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) study to show how it is possible to break down such a complex multidimensional problem into elementary components. Local multimode nuclear wave packets created by X-ray excitation to different core-excited potential energy surfaces (PESs) will act as spatial gates to selectively probe the particular ground-state vibrational modes and, hence, the PES along these modes. We demonstrate this principle by combining ultra-high resolution RIXS measurements for gas-phase water with state-of-the-art simulations.
The dynamics of fragmentation and vibration of molecular systems with a large number of coupled degrees of freedom are key aspects for understanding chemical reactivity and properties. Here we present a resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) study to show how it is possible to break down such a complex multidimensional problem into elementary components. Local multimode nuclear wave packets created by X-ray excitation to different core-excited potential energy surfaces (PESs) will act as spatial gates to selectively probe the particular ground-state vibrational modes and, hence, the PES along these modes. We demonstrate this principle by combining ultra-high resolution RIXS measurements for gas-phase water with state-of-the-art simulations.
We study the degree of second-order coherence of the emission of a high-power multi-quantum well superluminescent diode with a lateral tapered amplifier section with and without optical feedback. When operated in an external cavity, the degree of second-order coherence changed from the almost thermal case of g((2))(0)approximate to 1.9 towards the mostly coherent case of g((2)) (0) approximate to 1.2 when the injection current at the tapered section was increased. We found good agreement with semi-classical laser theory near and below threshold while above laser threshold a slightly higher g((2))(0) was observed. As a free running device, the superluminescent diode yielded more than 400 mW of optical output power with good spatial beam quality of M-slow(2) < 1.6. In this case, the degree of second-order coherence dropped only slightly from 1.9 at low powers to 1.6 at the maximum output power. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of a high-power tapered superluminescent diode concerning the degree of second-order coherence. Such a device might be useful for real-world applications probing the second order coherence function, such as ghost imaging.
The SusKat-ABC (Sustainable Atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley-Atmospheric Brown Clouds) international air pollution measurement campaign was carried out from December 2012 to June 2013 in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley is a bowl-shaped basin with a severe air pollution problem. This paper reports measurements of two major greenhouse gases (GHGs), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with the pollutant CO, that began during the campaign and were extended for 1 year at the SusKat-ABC supersite in Bode, a semi-urban location in the Kathmandu Valley. Simultaneous measurements were also made during 2015 in Bode and a nearby rural site (Chanban) similar to 25 km (aerial distance) to the southwest of Bode on the other side of a tall ridge. The ambient mixing ratios of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured with a cavity ring-down spectrometer (G2401; Picarro, USA) along with meteorological parameters for 1 year (March 2013-March 2014). These measurements are the first of their kind in the central Himalayan foothills. At Bode, the annual average mixing ratios of CO2 and CH4 were 419.3 (+/- 6.0) ppm and 2.192 (+/- 0.066) ppm, respectively. These values are higher than the levels observed at background sites such as Mauna Loa, USA (CO2: 396.8 +/- 2.0 ppm, CH4: 1.831 +/- 0.110 ppm) and Waliguan, China (CO2: 397.7 +/- 3.6 ppm, CH4: 1.879 +/- 0.009 ppm) during the same period and at other urban and semi-urban sites in the region, such as Ahmedabad and Shadnagar (India). They varied slightly across the seasons at Bode, with seasonal average CH4 mixing ratios of 2.157 (+/- 0.230) ppm in the pre-monsoon season, 2.199 (+/- 0.241) ppm in the monsoon, 2.210 (+/- 0.200) ppm in the post-monsoon, and 2.214 (+/- 0.209) ppm in the winter season. The average CO2 mixing ratios were 426.2 (+/- 25.5) ppm in the pre-monsoon, 413.5 (+/- 24.2) ppm in the monsoon, 417.3 (+/- 23.1) ppm in the postmonsoon, and 421.9 (+/- 20.3) ppm in the winter season. The maximum seasonal mean mixing ratio of CH4 in winter was only 0.057 ppm or 2.6% higher than the seasonal minimum during the pre-monsoon period, while CO2 was 12.8 ppm or 3.1% higher during the pre-monsoon period (seasonal maximum) than during the monsoon (seasonal minimum). On the other hand, the CO mixing ratio at Bode was 191% higher during the winter than during the monsoon season. The enhancement in CO2 mixing ratios during the pre-monsoon season is associated with additional CO2 emissions from forest fires and agro-residue burning in northern South Asia in addition to local emissions in the Kathmandu Valley. Published CO = CO2 ratios of different emission sources in Nepal and India were compared with the observed CO = CO2 ratios in this study. This comparison suggested that the major sources in the Kathmandu Valley were residential cooking and vehicle exhaust in all seasons except winter. In winter, brick kiln emissions were a major source. Simultaneous measurements in Bode and Chanban (15 July-3 October 2015) revealed that the mixing ratios of CO2, CH4, and CO were 3.8, 12, and 64% higher in Bode than Chanban. The Kathmandu Valley thus has significant emissions from local sources, which can also be attributed to its bowl-shaped geography that is conducive to pollution build-up. At Bode, all three gas species (CO2, CH4, and CO) showed strong diurnal patterns in their mixing ratios with a pronounced morning peak (ca. 08:00), a dip in the afternoon, and a gradual increase again through the night until the next morning. CH4 and CO at Chanban, however, did not show any noticeable diurnal variations. These measurements provide the first insights into the diurnal and seasonal variation in key greenhouse gases and air pollutants and their local and regional sources, which is important information for atmospheric research in the region.
We present a search for magnetically broadened gamma-ray emission around active galactic nuclei (AGNs), using VERITAS observations of seven hard-spectrum blazars. A cascade process occurs when multi-TeV gamma-rays from an AGN interact with extragalactic background light (EBL) photons to produce electron-positron pairs, which then interact with cosmic microwave background photons via inverse-Compton scattering to produce gamma-rays. Due to the deflection of the electron- positron pairs, a non-zero intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) would potentially produce detectable effects on the angular distribution of the cascade emission. In particular, an angular broadening compared to the unscattered emission could occur. Through non-detection of angularly broadened emission from 1ES 1218 vertical bar 304, the source with the largest predicted cascade fraction, we exclude a range of IGMF strengths around 10(-14) G at the 95% confidence level. The extent of the exclusion range varies with the assumptions made about the intrinsic spectrum of 1ES. 1218+304 and the EBL model used in the simulation of the cascade process. All of the sources are used to set limits on the flux due to extended emission.
Scientific Objectives of Electron Losses and Fields INvestigation Onboard Lomonosov Satellite
(2017)
The objective of the Electron Losses and Fields INvestigation on board the Lomonosov satellite ( ELFIN-L) project is to determine the energy spectrum of precipitating energetic electrons and ions and, together with other polar-orbiting and equatorial missions, to better understand the mechanisms responsible for scattering these particles into the atmosphere. This mission will provide detailed measurements of the radiation environment at low altitudes. The 400-500 km sun-synchronous orbit of Lomonosov is ideal for observing electrons and ions precipitating into the atmosphere. This mission provides a unique opportunity to test the instruments. Similar suite of instruments will be flown in the future NSF-and NASA-supported spinning CubeSat ELFIN satellites which will augment current measurements by providing detailed information on pitch-angle distributions of precipitating and trapped particles.
Electron flux in the Earth’s outer radiation belt is highly variable due to a delicate balance between competing acceleration and loss processes. It has been long recognized that Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves may play a crucial role in the loss of radiation belt electrons. Previous theoretical studies proposed that EMIC waves may account for the loss of the relativistic electron population. However, recent observations showed that while EMIC waves are responsible for the significant loss of ultra-relativistic electrons, the relativistic electron population is almost unaffected. In this study, we provide a theoretical explanation for this discrepancy between previous theoretical studies and recent observations. We demonstrate that EMIC waves mainly contribute to the loss of ultra-relativistic electrons. This study significantly improves the current understanding of the electron dynamics in the Earth’s radiation belt and also can help us understand the radiation environments of the exoplanets and outer planets.
Extreme weather events like heatwaves and floods severely affect societies with impacts ranging from economic damages to losses in human lifes. Global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is expected to increase their frequency and intensity, particularly in the warm season. Next to these thermodynamic changes, climate change might also impact the large scale atmospheric circulation.Such dynamic changes might additionally act on the occurence of extreme weather events, but involved mechanisms are often highly non-linear. Therefore, large uncertainty exists on the exact nature of these changes and the related risks to society. Particularly in the densely populated mid-latitudes weather patterns are governed by the large scale circulation like the jet-streams and storm tracks. Extreme weather in this region is often related to persistent weather systems associated with a strongly meandering jet-stream. Such meanders are called Rossby waves. Under specific conditions they can become slow moving, stretched around the entire hemisphere and generate simultaneaous heat- and rainfall extremes in far-away regions.
This thesis aims at enhancing the understanding of synoptic-scale, circumglobal Rossby waves and the associated risks of dynamical changes to society. More specific, the analyses investigate their relation to extreme weather, regions at risk, under which conditions they are generated, and the influence of anthropogenic climate change on those conditions now, in the past and in the future.
I find that circumglobal Rossby waves promoted simultaneous occuring weather extremes across the northern hemisphere in several recent summers. Further, I present evidence that they are often linked to quasiresonant-amplification of planetary waves. These events include the 2003 European heatwave and the Moscow heatwave of 2010. This non-linear mechanism acts on the upper level flow through trapping and amplification of stationary synoptic scale waves. I show that this resonance mechanism acts in both hemispheres and is related to extreme weather. A main finding is that circumglobal Rossby waves primarily occur as two specific teleconnection patterns associated with a wave 5 and wave 7 pattern in the northern hemisphere, likely due to the favourable longitudinal distance of prominent mountain ridges here. Furthermore, I identify those regions which are particularly at risk: The central United States, western Europe and the Ukraine/Russian region. Moreover, I present evidence that the wave 7 pattern has and extreme weather in these regions. My results suggest that the increase in frequency can be linked to favourable changes in large scale temperature gradients, which I show to be largely underestimated by model simulations. Using surface temperature fingerprint as proxy for investigating historic and future model ensembles, evidence is presented that anthropogenic warming has likely increased the probability for the occurence of circumglobal Rossby waves. Further it is shown that this might lead to a doubling of such events until the end of the century under a high-emission scenario.
Overall, this thesis establishes several atmosphere-dynamical pathways by which changes in large scale temperature gradients might link to persistent boreal summer weather. It highlights the societal risks associated with the increasing occurence of a newly discovered Rossby wave teleconnection pattern, which has the potential to cause simultaneaous heat-extremes in the mid-latitudinal bread-basket regions. In addition, it provides further evidence that the traditional picture by which quasi-stationary Rossby waves occur only in the low wavenumber regime, should be reconsidered.
This study introduces a thermally responsive, polymer-based electrode system. The key component is a surface-attached, temperature-responsive poly(oligoethylene glycol) methacrylate (poly(OEGMA)) type polymer bearing photoreactive benzophenone and carboxy groups containing side chains. The responsive behavior of the polymer in aqueous media has been investigated by turbidimetry measurements. Polymer films are formed on gold substrates by means of the photoreactive 2(dicyclohexylphosphino)benzophenone (DPBP) through photocrosslinking. The electrochemical behavior of the resulting polymer-substrate interface has been investigated in buffered [Fe(CN)6](3-)/[Fe (CN)6](4-)solutions at room temperature and under temperature variation by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV experiments show that with increasing temperature structural changes of the polymer layer occur, which alter the output of the electrochemical measurement. Repeated heating/cooling cycles analyzed by CV measurements and pH changes analyzed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) reveal the reversible nature of the restructuring process. The immobilized films are further modified by covalent coupling of two small biomolecules - a hydrophobic peptide and a more hydrophilic one. These attached components influence the hydrophobicity of the layer in a different way the resulting change of the temperature-caused behavior has been studied by CV indicating a different state of the polymer after coupling of the hydrophobic peptide.
Recently a multitude of empirically derived damage models have been applied to project future tropical cyclone (TC) losses for the United States. In their study (Geiger et al 2016 Environ. Res. Lett. 11 084012) compared two approaches that differ in the scaling of losses with socio-economic drivers: the commonly-used approach resulting in a sub-linear scaling of historical TC losses with a nation's affected gross domestic product (GDP), and the disentangled approach that shows a sub-linear increase with affected population and a super-linear scaling of relative losses with per capita income. Statistics cannot determine which approach is preferable but since process understanding demands that there is a dependence of the loss on both GDP per capita and population, an approach that accounts for both separately is preferable to one which assumes a specific relation between the two dependencies. In the accompanying comment, Rybski et al argued that there is no rigorous evidence to reach the conclusion that high-income does not protect against hurricane losses. Here we affirm that our conclusion is drawn correctly and reply to further remarks raised in the comment, highlighting the adequateness of our approach but also the potential for future extension of our research.
The influence of relaxation processes on the thermal electret stability of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) free-standing films filled with titanium dioxide (TiO2) of the rutile modification are investigated by means of a combination of dielectric methods (dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) and thermally stimulated surface-potential decay (TSSPD)), supplemented by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Films with 2, 4, 6 and 8 vol.% TiO2 are compared to each other and to non-filled samples. Filling HIPS with up to 8 vol.% of TiO2 enhances the elastic modulus below the glass transition and increases the thermal electret stability above the glass transition without significantly increasing the DC conductivity. The improvement of the electret stability is caused by the build-up of an interface polarization which decays only gradually if the glass transition is exceeded. Two kinds of Arrhenius processes are considered in order to explain the decay of the composite-polymer electrets: (1) charge release from chemical traps located at the phenyl rings of the polymer chain with an activation energy of E-a = 1.1 eV after passing the glass transition at about 100 degrees C and (2) charge release from traps formed by the TiO2 particles with E-a = 2.4 eV at temperatures above 130 degrees C. Finally, the activation energies are discussed with respect to their significance.
High photon energy losses limit the open-circuit voltage (V-OC) and power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, an optimization route is presented which increases the V-OC by reducing the interfacial area between donor (D) and acceptor (A). This optimization route concerns a cascade device architecture in which the introduction of discontinuous interlayers between alpha-sexithiophene (alpha-6T) (D) and chloroboron subnaphthalocyanine (SubNc) (A) increases the V-OC of an alpha-6T/SubNc/SubPc fullerene-free cascade OSC from 0.98 V to 1.16 V. This increase of 0.18 V is attributed solely to the suppression of nonradiative recombination at the D-A interface. By accurately measuring the optical gap (E-opt) and the energy of the charge-transfer state (E-CT) of the studied OSC, a detailed analysis of the overall voltage losses is performed. E-opt - qV(OC) losses of 0.58 eV, which are among the lowest observed for OSCs, are obtained. Most importantly, for the V-OC-optimized devices, the low-energy (700 nm) external quantum efficiency (EQE) peak remains high at 79%, despite a minimal driving force for charge separation of less than 10 meV. This work shows that low-voltage losses can be combined with a high EQE in organic photovoltaic devices.
A maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method is developed to predict flow rates or pressure gradients in hydraulic pipe networks without sufficient information to give a closed-form (deterministic) solution. This methodology substantially extends existing deterministic flow network analysis methods. It builds on the MaxEnt framework previously developed by the authors. This study uses a continuous relative entropy defined on a reduced parameter set, here based on the external flow rates. This formulation ensures consistency between different representations of the same network. The relative entropy is maximized subject to observable constraints on the mean values of a subset of flow rates or potential differences, the frictional properties of each pipe, and physical constraints arising from Kirchhoff’s first and second laws. The new method is demonstrated by application to a simple one-loop network and a 1,123-node, 1,140-pipe water distribution network in the suburb of Torrens, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Reduced Interface-Mediated Recombination for High Open-Circuit Voltages in CH3NH3PbI3 Solar Cells
(2017)
Perovskite solar cells with all-organic transport layers exhibit efficiencies rivaling their counterparts that employ inorganic transport layers, while avoiding high-temperature processing. Herein, it is investigated how the choice of the fullerene derivative employed in the electron-transporting layer of inverted perovskite cells affects the open-circuit voltage (V-OC). It is shown that nonradiative recombination mediated by the electron-transporting layer is the limiting factor for the V-OC in the cells. By inserting an ultrathin layer of an insulating polymer between the active CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite and the fullerene, an external radiative efficiency of up to 0.3%, a V-OC as high as 1.16 V, and a power conversion efficiency of 19.4% are realized. The results show that the reduction of nonradiative recombination due to charge-blocking at the perovskite/organic interface is more important than proper level alignment in the search for ideal selective contacts toward high V-OC and efficiency.
Identifying causal relations from observational data sets has posed great challenges in data-driven causality inference studies. One of the successful approaches to detect direct coupling in the information theory framework is transfer entropy. However, the core of entropy-based tools lies on the probability estimation of the underlying variables. Herewe propose a data-driven approach for causality inference that incorporates recurrence plot features into the framework of information theory. We define it as the recurrence measure of conditional dependence (RMCD), and we present some applications. The RMCD quantifies the causal dependence between two processes based on joint recurrence patterns between the past of the possible driver and present of the potentially driven, excepting the contribution of the contemporaneous past of the driven variable. Finally, it can unveil the time scale of the influence of the sea-surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean on the precipitation in the Amazonia during recent major droughts.
We propose a method of reconstruction of the network coupling matrix for a basic voltage-model of the neural field dynamics. Assuming that the multivariate time series of observations from all nodes are available, we describe a technique to find coupling constants which is unbiased in the limit of long observations. Furthermore, the method is generalized for reconstruction of networks with time-delayed coupling, including the reconstruction of unknown time delays. The approach is compared with other recently proposed techniques.
We present an approach for reconstructing networks of pulse-coupled neuronlike oscillators from passive observation of pulse trains of all nodes. It is assumed that units are described by their phase response curves and that their phases are instantaneously reset by incoming pulses. Using an iterative procedure, we recover the properties of all nodes, namely their phase response curves and natural frequencies, as well as strengths of all directed connections.
In this paper, we present a multi wavelength investigation of the star-forming complex IRAS 20286+4105, located in the Cygnus X region. Near-infrared K-band data are used to revisit the cluster/stellar group identified in previous studies. Radio continuum observations at 610 and 1280 MHz show the presence of a H II region possibly powered by a star of spectral type B0-B0.5. The cometary morphology of the ionized region is explained by invoking the bowshock model, where the likely association with a nearby supernova remnant is also explored. A compact radio knot with a non-thermal spectral index is detected towards the centre of the cloud. Mid-infrared data from the Spitzer Legacy Survey of the Cygnus X region show the presence of six Class I young stellar objects inside the cloud. Thermal dust emission in this complex is modelled using Herschel far-infrared data to generate dust temperature and column density maps. Herschel images also show the presence of two clumps in this region, the masses of which are estimated to be similar to 175 and 30 M-circle dot. The mass-radius relation and the surface density of the clumps mean that they do not qualify as massive star-forming sites. An overall picture of a runaway star ionizing the cloud and a triggered population of intermediatemass, Class I sources located towards the cloud centre emerges from this multiwavelength study. Variation in the dust emissivity spectral index is shown to exist in this region and is seen to have an inverse relation with the dust temperature.
Can the statistical properties of single-electron transfer events be correctly predicted within a common equilibrium ensemble description? This fundamental in nanoworld question of ergodic behavior is scrutinized within a very basic semi-classical curve-crossing problem. It is shown that in the limit of non-adiabatic electron transfer (weak tunneling) well-described by the Marcus-Levich-Dogonadze (MLD) rate the answer is yes. However, in the limit of the so-called solvent-controlled adiabatic electron transfer, a profound breaking of ergodicity occurs. Namely, a common description based on the ensemble reduced density matrix with an initial equilibrium distribution of the reaction coordinate is not able to reproduce the statistics of single-trajectory events in this seemingly classical regime. For sufficiently large activation barriers, the ensemble survival probability in a state remains nearly exponential with the inverse rate given by the sum of the adiabatic curve crossing (Kramers) time and the inverse MLD rate. In contrast, near to the adiabatic regime, the single-electron survival probability is clearly non-exponential, even though it possesses an exponential tail which agrees well with the ensemble description. Initially, it is well described by a Mittag-Leffler distribution with a fractional rate. Paradoxically, the mean transfer time in this classical on the ensemble level regime is well described by the inverse of the nonadiabatic quantum tunneling rate on a single particle level. An analytical theory is developed which perfectly agrees with stochastic simulations and explains our findings.
We present time-resolved x-ray reflectivity measurements on laser excited coherent and incoherent surface deformations of thin metallic films. Based on a kinematical diffraction model, we derive the surface amplitude from the diffracted x-ray intensity and resolve transient surface excursions with sub-angstrom spatial precision and 70 ps temporal resolution. The analysis allows for decomposition of the surface amplitude into multiple coherent acoustic modes and a substantial contribution from incoherent phonons which constitute the sample heating. Published by AIP Publishing.
Anomalous diffusion is being discovered in a fast growing number of systems. The exact nature of this anomalous diffusion provides important information on the physical laws governing the studied system. One of the central properties analysed for finite particle motion time series is the intrinsic variability of the apparent diffusivity, typically quantified by the ergodicity breaking parameter EB. Here we demonstrate that frequently EB is insufficient to provide a meaningful measure for the observed variability of the data. Instead, important additional information is provided by the higher order moments entering by the skewness and kurtosis. We analyse these quantities for three popular anomalous diffusion models. In particular, we find that even for the Gaussian fractional Brownian motion a significant skewness in the results of physical measurements occurs and needs to be taken into account. Interestingly, the kurtosis and skewness may also provide sensitive estimates of the anomalous diffusion exponent underlying the data. We also derive a new result for the EB parameter of fractional Brownian motion valid for the whole range of the anomalous diffusion parameter. Our results are important for the analysis of anomalous diffusion but also provide new insights into the theory of anomalous stochastic processes.
Anomalous diffusion is being discovered in a fast growing number of systems. The exact nature of this anomalous diffusion provides important information on the physical laws governing the studied system. One of the central properties analysed for finite particle motion time series is the intrinsic variability of the apparent diffusivity, typically quantified by the ergodicity breaking parameter EB. Here we demonstrate that frequently EB is insufficient to provide a meaningful measure for the observed variability of the data. Instead, important additional information is provided by the higher order moments entering by the skewness and kurtosis. We analyse these quantities for three popular anomalous diffusion models. In particular, we find that even for the Gaussian fractional Brownian motion a significant skewness in the results of physical measurements occurs and needs to be taken into account. Interestingly, the kurtosis and skewness may also provide sensitive estimates of the anomalous diffusion exponent underlying the data. We also derive a new result for the EB parameter of fractional Brownian motion valid for the whole range of the anomalous diffusion parameter. Our results are important for the analysis of anomalous diffusion but also provide new insights into the theory of anomalous stochastic processes.
Anomalous diffusion is being discovered in a fast growing number of systems. The exact nature of this anomalous diffusion provides important information on the physical laws governing the studied system. One of the central properties analysed for finite particle motion time series is the intrinsic variability of the apparent diffusivity, typically quantified by the ergodicity breaking parameter EB. Here we demonstrate that frequently EB is insufficient to provide a meaningful measure for the observed variability of the data. Instead, important additional information is provided by the higher order moments entering by the skewness and kurtosis. We analyse these quantities for three popular anomalous diffusion models. In particular, we find that even for the Gaussian fractional Brownian motion a significant skewness in the results of physical measurements occurs and needs to be taken into account. Interestingly, the kurtosis and skewness may also provide sensitive estimates of the anomalous diffusion exponent underlying the data. We also derive a new result for the EB parameter of fractional Brownian motion valid for the whole range of the anomalous diffusion parameter. Our results are important for the analysis of anomalous diffusion but also provide new insights into the theory of anomalous stochastic processes.
We analyze the effects of covalent interactions in Ni 2p3d resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra from aqueous Ni2+ ions and find that the relative RIXS intensities of ligand-to-metal charge-transfer final states with respect to the ligand-field final states reflect the covalent mixing between Ni 3d and water orbitals. Specifically, the experimental intensity ratio at the Ni L-3-edge allows to determine that the Ni 3d orbitals have on average 5.5% of water character. We propose that 2p3d RIXS at the Ni L-3-edge can be utilized to quantify covalency in Ni complexes without the use of external references or simulations.
We present calculations on the quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects in 1s and 2s single and double ionization potentials of noble gases from Ne to Rn as perturbations on relativistic four-component Dirac-Fock wavefunctions. The most dominant effect originates from the self-energy of the core-electron that yields corrections of similar order as the transverse interaction. For 1s ionization potentials, a match within few eV against the known experimental values is obtained, and our work reveals considerable QED effects in the photoelectron binding energies across the periodic table-most strikingly even for Ne. We perform power-law fits for the corrections as a function of Z and interpolate the QED correction of similar to-0.55 eV for S1s. Due to this, the K-edge electron spectra of the third row and below need QED for a match in the absolute energy when using state-of-the-art instrumentation. Published by AIP Publishing.
High-frequency (HF) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the gold standard for the treatment of medically refractory movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, with a significant potential for application to other neurological diseases. The standard setup of HF DBS utilizes an open-loop stimulation protocol, where a permanent HF electrical pulse train is administered to the brain target areas irrespectively of the ongoing neuronal dynamics. Recent experimental and clinical studies demonstrate that a closed-loop, adaptive DBS might be superior to the open-loop setup. We here combine the notion of the adaptive high-frequency stimulation approach, that aims at delivering stimulation adapted to the extent of appropriately detected biomarkers, with specifically desynchronizing stimulation protocols. To this end, we extend the delayed feedback stimulation methods, which are intrinsically closed-loop techniques and specifically designed to desynchronize abnormal neuronal synchronization, to pulsatile electrical brain stimulation. We show that permanent pulsatile high-frequency stimulation subjected to an amplitude modulation by linear or nonlinear delayed feedback methods can effectively and robustly desynchronize a STN-GPe network of model neurons and suggest this approach for desynchronizing closed-loop DBS.
Prospects for Cherenkov Telescope Array Observations of the Young Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946
(2017)
We perform simulations for future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observations of RX J1713.7-3946, a young supernova remnant (SNR) and one of the brightest sources ever discovered in very high energy (VHE) gamma rays. Special attention is paid to exploring possible spatial (anti) correlations of gamma rays with emission at other wavelengths, in particular X-rays and CO/H I emission. We present a series of simulated images of RX J1713.7-3946 for CTA based on a set of observationally motivated models for the gamma-ray emission. In these models, VHE gamma rays produced by high-energy electrons are assumed to trace the nonthermal X-ray emission observed by XMM-Newton, whereas those originating from relativistic protons delineate the local gas distributions. The local atomic and molecular gas distributions are deduced by the NANTEN team from CO and H I observations. Our primary goal is to show how one can distinguish the emission mechanism(s) of the gamma rays (i.e., hadronic versus leptonic, or a mixture of the two) through information provided by their spatial distribution, spectra, and time variation. This work is the first attempt to quantitatively evaluate the capabilities of CTA to achieve various proposed scientific goals by observing this important cosmic particle accelerator.
Janus emulsions, containing olive oil (OO) and silicone oil (SiO), were formed in presence of polyelectrolyte complex particles, i.e., gelatin-sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA) complexes. The diameter of completely engulfed Janus droplets can be tuned between 50 and 200 mu m by varying the gelatin/NaPAA complex particle size between 200 and 400 nm. The gelatin/NaPAA complex particles adsorbed at the olive oil interface decrease the interfacial tension and stabilize the resulting completely engulfed Pickering Janus emulsions. Long-term stable Janus gels can be synthesized in presence of gelatin/sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) mixtures. In that case Coulombic forces are of relevance with regard to the stabilization of the Janus droplets embedded in a gelatin/NaCMC gel matrix. Janus gels show elastic reological behavior and thixotropic properties.
Over the last decades, the percentage of the age group choosing to pursue university studies has increased significantly across the world. At the same time, there are university teachers who believe that the standards have fallen. There is little research on whether students nowadays demonstrate knowledge or abilities similar to that of the preceding cohorts. However, in times of educational expansion, empirical evidence on student test performance is extremely helpful in evaluating how well educational systems cope with the increasing numbers of students. In this study, we compared a sample of 2322 physics freshmen from 2013 with another sample of 2718 physics freshmen from 1978 at universities in Germany with regard to their physics knowledge based on their results in the same entrance test. Previous results on mathematics knowledge and abilities in the same sample of students indicated that there was no severe decline in their average achievement. This paper compares the physics knowledge of the same two samples of students. Contrary to their mathematics results, their physics results showed a substantial decrease in physics knowledge as measured by the test.
We report on light sensitive microgel particles that can change their volume reversibly in response to illumination with light of different wavelengths. To make the anionic microgels photosensitive we add surfactants with a positively charged polyamine head group and an azobenzene containing tail. Upon illumination, azobenzene undergoes a reversible photo-isomerization reaction from a trans- to a cis-state accompanied by a change in the hydrophobicity of the surfactant. Depending on the isomerization state, the surfactant molecules are either accommodated within the microgel (trans- state) resulting in its shrinkage or desorbed back into water (cis-isomer) letting the microgel swell. We have studied three surfactants differing in the number of amino groups, so that the number of charges of the surfactant head varies between 1 and 3. We have found experimentally and theoretically that the surfactant concentration needed for microgel compaction increases with decreasing number of charges of the head group. Utilization of polyamine azobenzene containing surfactants for the light triggered remote control of the microgel size opens up a possibility for applications of light responsive microgels as drug carriers in biology and medicine.
We report on light sensitive microgel particles that can change their volume reversibly in response to illumination with light of different wavelengths. To make the anionic microgels photosensitive we add surfactants with a positively charged polyamine head group and an azobenzene containing tail. Upon illumination, azobenzene undergoes a reversible photo-isomerization reaction from a trans- to a cis-state accompanied by a change in the hydrophobicity of the surfactant. Depending on the isomerization state, the surfactant molecules are either accommodated within the microgel (trans-state) resulting in its shrinkage or desorbed back into water (cis-isomer) letting the microgel swell. We have studied three surfactants differing in the number of amino groups, so that the number of charges of the surfactant head varies between 1 and 3. We have found experimentally and theoretically that the surfactant concentration needed for microgel compaction increases with decreasing number of charges of the head group. Utilization of polyamine azobenzene containing surfactants for the light triggered remote control of the microgel size opens up a possibility for applications of light responsive microgels as drug carriers in biology and medicine.
This study focuses on comparing physical properties of photoisomers of an azobenzene star with benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide core. Three azobenzene arms of the molecule undergo a reversible trans-cis isomerization upon UV-vis light illumination giving rise to multiple states from the planar all-trans one, via two mixed states to the kinked all-cis isomer. Employing density functional theory, we characterize the structural and photophysical properties of each state indicating a role the planar core plays in the coupling between azobenzene chromophores. To characterize the light-triggered switching of solvophilicity/solvophobicity of the star, the difference in solvation free energy is calculated for the transfer of an azobenzene star from its gas phase to implicit or explicit solvents. For the latter case, classical all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous solutions of azobenzene star are performed employing the polymer consistent force field to shed light on the thermodynamics of explicit hydration as a function of the isomerization state and on the structuring of water around the star. From the analysis of two contributions to the free energy of hydration, the nonpolar van der Waals and the electrostatic terms, it is concluded that isomerization specificity largely determines the polarity of the molecule and the solute-solvent electrostatic interactions. This convertible hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity together with readjustable occupied volume and the surface area accessible to water, affects the self-assembly/disassembly of the azobenzene star with a flat core triggered by light.