SIZE DISTRIBUTION AND DIURNAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICLE-BOUND METALS IN SOURCE AND RECEPTOR SITES OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. (R827352C006)

EPA Science Inventory

Measurement of daily size-fractionated ambient PM₁₀ mass, metals, inorganic ions (nitrate and sulfate) and elemental and organic carbon were conducted at source (Downey) and receptor (Riverside) sites within the Los Angeles Basin. In addition to 24-h concentration m...

Determination of the optimum-size californium-252 neutron source for borehole capture gamma-ray analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senftle, F.E.; Macy, R.J.; Mikesell, J.L.

1979-01-01

The fast- and thermal-neutron fluence rates from a 3.7 ??g 252Cf neutron source in a simulated borehole have been measured as a function of the source-to-detector distance using air, water, coal, iron ore-concrete mix, and dry sand as borehole media. Gamma-ray intensity measurements were made for specific spectral lines at low and high energies for the same range of source-to-detector distances in the iron ore-concrete mix and in coal. Integral gamma-ray counts across the entire spectrum were also made at each source-to-detector distance. From these data, the specific neutron-damage rate, and the critical count-rate criteria, we show that in an iron ore-concrete mix (low hydrogen concentration), 252Cf neutron sources of 2-40 ??g are suitable. The source size required for optimum gamma-ray sensitivity depends on the energy of the gamma ray being measured. In a hydrogeneous medium such as coal, similar measurements were made. The results show that sources from 2 to 20 ??g are suitable to obtain the highest gamma-ray sensitivity, again depending on the energy of the gamma ray being measured. In a hydrogeneous medium, significant improvement in sensitivity can be achieved by using faster electronics; in iron ore, it cannot. ?? 1979 North-Holland Publishing Co.

A reference aerosol for a radon reference chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Annette; Keyser, Uwe

1996-02-01

The measurement of radon and radon progenies and the calibration of their detection systems require the production and measurement of aerosols well-defined in size and concentration. In the German radon reference chamber, because of its unique chemical and physical properties, carnauba wax is used to produce standard aerosols. The aerosol size spectra are measured on-line by an aerosol measurement system in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm aerodynamic diameter. The experimental set-ups for the study of adsorption of radioactive ions on aerosols as function of their size and concentration will be described, the results presented and further adaptations for an aerosol jet introduced (for example, for the measurement of short-lived neutron-rich isotopes). Data on the dependence of aerosol radius, ion concentration and element selectivity is collected by using a 252Cf-sf source. The fission products of this source range widely in elements, isotopes and charges. Adsorption and the transport of radioactive ions on aerosols have therefore been studied for various ions for the first time, simultaneously with the aerosol size on-line spectrometry.

Effective temperature of an ultracold electron source based on near-threshold photoionization.

PubMed

Engelen, W J; Smakman, E P; Bakker, D J; Luiten, O J; Vredenbregt, E J D

2014-01-01

We present a detailed description of measurements of the effective temperature of a pulsed electron source, based on near-threshold photoionization of laser-cooled atoms. The temperature is determined by electron beam waist scans, source size measurements with ion beams, and analysis with an accurate beam line model. Experimental data is presented for the source temperature as a function of the wavelength of the photoionization laser, for both nanosecond and femtosecond ionization pulses. For the nanosecond laser, temperatures as low as 14 ± 3 K were found; for femtosecond photoionization, 30 ± 5 K is possible. With a typical source size of 25 μm, this results in electron bunches with a relative transverse coherence length in the 10⁻⁴ range and an emittance of a few nm rad. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-keV X-ray area source intensity at SGII laser facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rui-rong; An, Hong-hai; Xie, Zhi-yong; Wang, Wei

2018-05-01

Experiments for investigating the feasibility of multi-keV backlighters for several different metallic foil targets were performed at the Shenguang II (SGII) laser facility in China. Emission spectra in the energy range of 1.65-7.0 keV were measured with an elliptically bent crystal spectrometer, and the X-ray source size was measured with a pinhole camera. The X-ray intensity near 4.75 keV and the X-ray source size for titanium targets at different laser intensity irradiances were studied. By adjusting the total laser energy at a fixed focal spot size, laser intensity in the range of 1.5-5.0 × 1015 W/cm2, was achieved. The results show that the line emission intensity near 4.75 keV and the X-ray source size are dependent on the laser intensity and increase as the laser intensity increases. However, an observed "peak" in the X-ray intensity near 4.75 keV occurs at an irradiance of 4.0 × 1015 W/cm2. For the employed experimental conditions, it was confirmed that the laser intensity could play a significant role in the development of an efficient multi-keV X-ray source. The experimental results for titanium indicate that the production of a large (˜350 μm in diameter) intense backlighter source of multi-keV X-rays is feasible at the SGII facility.

Turbulence spectra in the noise source regions of the flow around complex surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, W. A.; Boldman, D. R.

1983-01-01

The complex turbulent flow around three complex surfaces was measured in detail with a hot wire. The measured data include extensive spatial surveys of the mean velocity and turbulence intensity and measurements of the turbulence spectra and scale length at many locations. The publication of the turbulence data is completed by reporting a summary of the turbulence spectra that were measured within the noise source locations of the flow. The results suggest some useful simplifications in modeling the very complex turbulent flow around complex surfaces for aeroacoustic predictive models. The turbulence spectra also show that noise data from scale models of moderate size can be accurately scaled up to full size.

Comparison of sources of submicron particle number concentrations measured at two sites in Rochester, NY.

PubMed

Kasumba, John; Hopke, Philip K; Chalupa, David C; Utell, Mark J

2009-09-01

Sources contributing to the submicron particles (100-470 nm) measured between January 2002 and December 2007 at two different New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) sites in Rochester, NY were identified and apportioned using a bilinear receptor model, positive matrix factorization (PMF). Measurements of aerosol size distributions and number concentrations for particles in the size range of 10-500 nm have been made since December 2001 to date in Rochester. The measurements are being made using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) consisting of a DMA and a CPC (TSI models 3071 and 3010, respectively). From December 2001 to March 2004, particle measurements were made at the NYS DEC site in downtown Rochester, but it was moved to the eastside of Rochester in May 2004. Each measurement period was divided into three seasons i.e., winter (December, January, and February), summer (June, July, and August), and the transitional periods (March, April, May, September, October, and November) so as to avoid experimental uncertainty resulting from too large season-to-season variability in ambient temperature and solar photon intensity that would lead to unstable/non-stationary size distributions. Therefore, the seasons were analyzed independently for possible sources. Ten sources were identified at both sites and these include traffic, nucleation, residential/commercial heating, industrial emissions, secondary nitrate, ozone- rich secondary aerosol, secondary sulfate, regionally transported aerosol, and a mixed source of nucleation and traffic. These results show that the measured total outdoor particle number concentrations in Rochester generally vary with similar temporal patterns, suggesting that the central monitoring site data can be used to estimate outdoor exposure in other parts of the city.

Spatial coherence measurements and x-ray holographic imaging using a laser-generated plasma x-ray source in the water window spectral region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turcu, I. C. E.; Ross, I. N.; Schulz, M. S.; Daido, H.; Tallents, G. J.; Krishnan, J.; Dwivedi, L.; Hening, A.

1993-06-01

The properties of a coherent x-ray point source in the water window spectral region generated using a small commercially available KrF laser system focused onto a Mylar (essentially carbon) target have been measured. By operating the source in a low-pressure (approximately 20 Torr) nitrogen environment, the degree of monochromaticity was improved due to the nitrogen acting as an x-ray filter and relatively enhancing the radiation at a wavelength of 3.37 nm (C vi 1s-2p). X-ray pinhole camera images show a minimum source size of 12 μm. A Young's double slit coherence measurement gave fringe visibilities of approximately 62% for a slit separation of 10.5 μm at a distance of 31.7 cm from the source. To demonstrate the viability of the laser plasma as a source for coherent imaging applications a Gabor (in-line) hologram of two carbon fibers, of different sizes, was produced. The exposure time and the repetition rate was 2 min and 10 Hz, respectively.

Size and composition distribution of fine particulate matter emitted from wood burning, meat charbroiling, and cigarettes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleeman, M.J.; Schauer, J.J.; Cass, G.R.

A dilution source sampling system is augmented to measure the size-distributed chemical composition of fine particle emissions from air pollution sources. Measurements are made using a laser optical particle counter (OPC), a differential mobility analyzer/condensation nucleus counter (DMA/CNC) combination, and a pair of microorifice uniform deposit impactors (MOUDIs). The sources tested with this system include wood smoke (pine, oak, eucalyptus), meat charbroiling, and cigarettes. The particle mass distributions from all wood smoke sources have a single mode that peaks at approximately 0.1--0.2 {micro}m particle diameter. The smoke from meat charbroiling shows a major peak in the particle mass distribution atmore » 0.1--0.2 {micro}m particle diameter, with some material present at larger particle sizes. Particle mass distributions from cigarettes peak between 0.3 and 0.4 {micro}m particle diameter. Chemical composition analysis reveals that particles emitted from the sources tested here are largely composed of organic compounds. Noticeable concentrations of elemental carbon are found in the particles emitted from wood burning. The size distributions of the trace species emissions from these sources also are presented, including data for Na, K, Ti, Fe, Br, Ru, Cl, Al, Zn, Ba, Sr, V, Mn, Sb, La, Ce, as well as sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium ion when present in statistically significant amounts. These data are intended for use with air quality models that seek to predict the size distribution of the chemical composition of atmospheric fine particles.« less

Characterization of deuterium clusters mixed with helium gas for an application in beam-target-fusion experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bang, W.; Quevedo, H. J.; Bernstein, A. C.

We measured the average deuterium cluster size within a mixture of deuterium clusters and helium gas by detecting Rayleigh scattering signals. The average cluster size from the gas mixture was comparable to that from a pure deuterium gas when the total backing pressure and temperature of the gas mixture were the same as those of the pure deuterium gas. According to these measurements, the average size of deuterium clusters depends on the total pressure and not the partial pressure of deuterium in the gas mixture. To characterize the cluster source size further, a Faraday cup was used to measure themore » average kinetic energy of the ions resulting from Coulomb explosion of deuterium clusters upon irradiation by an intense ultrashort pulse. The deuterium ions indeed acquired a similar amount of energy from the mixture target, corroborating our measurements of the average cluster size. As the addition of helium atoms did not reduce the resulting ion kinetic energies, the reported results confirm the utility of using a known cluster source for beam-target-fusion experiments by introducing a secondary target gas.« less

Characterization of deuterium clusters mixed with helium gas for an application in beam-target-fusion experiments

DOE PAGES

Bang, W.; Quevedo, H. J.; Bernstein, A. C.; ...

2014-12-10

We measured the average deuterium cluster size within a mixture of deuterium clusters and helium gas by detecting Rayleigh scattering signals. The average cluster size from the gas mixture was comparable to that from a pure deuterium gas when the total backing pressure and temperature of the gas mixture were the same as those of the pure deuterium gas. According to these measurements, the average size of deuterium clusters depends on the total pressure and not the partial pressure of deuterium in the gas mixture. To characterize the cluster source size further, a Faraday cup was used to measure themore » average kinetic energy of the ions resulting from Coulomb explosion of deuterium clusters upon irradiation by an intense ultrashort pulse. The deuterium ions indeed acquired a similar amount of energy from the mixture target, corroborating our measurements of the average cluster size. As the addition of helium atoms did not reduce the resulting ion kinetic energies, the reported results confirm the utility of using a known cluster source for beam-target-fusion experiments by introducing a secondary target gas.« less

System-size and beam energy dependence of the space-time extent of the pion emission source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pak, Robert; Phenix Collaboration

2014-09-01

Two-pion interferometry measurements are used to extract the Gaussian source radii Rout ,Rside and Rlong , of the pion emission sources produced in d + Au, Cu +Cu and Au +Au collisions for several beam collision energies at PHENIX experiment. The extracted radii, which are compared to recent STAR and ALICE data, show characteristic scaling patterns as a function of the initial transverse geometric size of the collision system, and the transverse mass of the emitted pion pairs. These scaling patterns indicate a linear dependence of Rside on the initial transverse size, as well as a smaller freeze-out size for the d + Au system. Mathematical combinations of the extracted radii generally associated with the emission source duration and expansion rate exhibit non-monotonic behavior, suggesting a change in the expansion dynamics over this beam energy range.

Characterisation of flash X-ray source generated by Kali-1000 Pulse Power System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyanarayana, N.; Durga Prasada Rao, A.; Mittal, K. C.

2016-02-01

The electron beam-driven Rod Pinch Diode (RPD) is presently fielded on KALI-1000 Pulse Power System at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Visakhapatnam and is a leading candidate for future flash X-ray radiographic sources. The diode is capable of producing less than 2-mm radiation spot sizes and greater than 350 milli rads of dose measured at 1 m from the X-ray source. KALI-1000 Pulse Power Source is capable of delivering up to 600 kV using a Tesla Transformer with Demineralized Insulated Transmission Line (DITL), the diode typically operates between 250-330 kV . Since the radiation dose has a power-law dependence on diode voltage, this limits the dose production on KALI-1000 system. Radiation dose with angular variation is measured using thermoluminescent detectors (TLD's) and the X-ray spot size is measured using pin hole arrangement with image plate (IP) to obtain the time-integrated source profile as well as a time-resolved spot diagnostic. An X-ray pinhole camera was used to pick out where the energetic e-beam connects to the anode. Ideally the diode should function such that the radiation is emitted from the tip. The camera was mounted perpendicular to the machine's axis to view the radiation from the tip. Comparison of the spot sizes of the X-ray sources obtained by the pin hole and rolled edge arrangements was carried and results obtained by both the techniques are with in ± 10% of the average values.

Operating envelopes of particle sizing instrumentation used for icing research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hovenac, Edward A.

1987-01-01

The Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe and the Optical Array Probe are analyzed in terms of their ability to make accurate determinations of water droplet size distributions. Sources of counting and sizing errors are explained. The paper describes ways of identifying these errors and how they can affect measurement.

The GOODS-N Jansky VLA 10 GHz Pilot Survey: Sizes of Star-forming μJY Radio Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Eric J.; Momjian, Emmanuel; Condon, James J.; Chary, Ranga-Ram; Dickinson, Mark; Inami, Hanae; Taylor, Andrew R.; Weiner, Benjamin J.

2017-04-01

Our sensitive ({σ }{{n}}≈ 572 {nJy} {{beam}}-1), high-resolution (FWHM {θ }1/2=0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 22≈ 2 {kpc} {at} z≳ 1), 10 GHz image covering a single Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) primary beam (FWHM {{{\\Theta }}}1/2≈ 4\\buildrel{ \\prime}\\over{.} 25) in the GOODS-N field contains 32 sources with {S}{{p}}≳ 2 μ {Jy} {{beam}}-1 and optical and/or near-infrared (OIR) counterparts. Most are about as large as the star-forming regions that power them. Their median FWHM major axis is < {θ }{{M}}> =167+/- 32 {mas}≈ 1.2+/- 0.28 {kpc}, with rms scatter ≈ 91 {mas}≈ 0.79 {kpc}. In units of the effective radius {r}{{e}} that encloses half their flux, these radio sizes are < {r}{{e}}> ≈ 69+/- 13 {mas}≈ 509+/- 114 {pc}, with rms scatter ≈ 38 {mas}≈ 324 {pc}. These sizes are smaller than those measured at lower radio frequencies, but agree with dust emission sizes measured at mm/sub-mm wavelengths and extinction-corrected Hα sizes. We made a low-resolution ({θ }1/2=1\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 0) image with ≈ 10× better brightness sensitivity, in order to detect extended sources and measure matched-resolution spectral indices {α }1.4 {GHz}10 {GHz}. It contains six new sources with {S}{{p}}≳ 3.9 μ {Jy} {{beam}}-1 and OIR counterparts. The median redshift of all 38 sources is < z> =1.24+/- 0.15. The 19 sources with 1.4 GHz counterparts have a median spectral index of < {α }1.4 {GHz}10 {GHz}> =-0.74+/- 0.10, with rms scatter ≈ 0.35. Including upper limits on α for sources not detected at 1.4 GHz flattens the median to < {α }1.4 {GHz}10 {GHz}> ≳ -0.61, suggesting that the μJy radio sources at higher redshifts—and hence those selected at higher rest-frame frequencies—may have flatter spectra. If the non-thermal spectral index is {α }{NT}≈ -0.85, the median thermal fraction of sources selected at median rest-frame frequency ≈ 20 {GHz} is ≳48%.

Edaq530: A Transparent, Open-End and Open-Source Measurement Solution in Natural Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopasz, Katalin; Makra, Peter; Gingl, Zoltan

2011-01-01

We present Edaq530, a low-cost, compact and easy-to-use digital measurement solution consisting of a thumb-sized USB-to-sensor interface and measurement software. The solution is fully open-source, our aim being to provide a viable alternative to professional solutions. Our main focus in designing Edaq530 has been versatility and transparency. In…

Emission sources estimation of size-segregated suburban aerosols measured in continental part of Balkan region using PMF5.0 multivariate receptor model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovic, Srdjan; Đuričić-Milanković, Jelena; Anđelković, Ivan; Pantelić, Ana; Gambaro, Andrea; Đorđević, Dragana

2017-04-01

Using Low-Pressure Cascade Impactors by Dr Berner size segregated particulate matter in the size ranges: 0.27 ≤ Dp ≤ 0.53 μm, 0.53 ≤ Dp ≤ 1.06 μm, 1.06 ≤ Dp ≤ 2.09 μm, 2.09 ≤ Dp ≤ 4.11 μm, 4.11 ≤ Dp ≤ 8.11 μm and 8.11 ≤ Dp ≤ 16 μm were collected. Forty-eight-hour size segregated particulate matter samples from atmospheric aerosols in the sub-urban site of Belgrade were measured during two years (in 2012th to 2013in). ICP-MS was used to quantify next elements: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Hg, Na, Ni, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Se, Sb, Ti, Tl, V and Zn. In order to examine the number of sources and their fingerprints, EPA PMF 5.0 multivariate receptor tool was used. Error estimation methods (bootstrap, displacement, and bootstrap enhanced by displacement) in the analysis of the obtained solutions have enabled proper detection of the number and types of sources. This analysis of the results indicated the existence of four main sources that contribute to air pollution in the suburban area of Belgrade.

Effect of the presence and size of a localized nonlinear source in concrete.

PubMed

Zardan, J-P; Payan, C; Garnier, V; Salin, J

2010-07-01

The aim of the present letter is to identify the contribution of a macroscopic source of elastic nonlinearity in concrete, a medium which by nature is nonlinear, and belongs to the nonlinear mesoscopic class of materials. The influence of real, localized macro-cracks is characterized with respect to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the material. The influence of the size of the source on the amplitude of the measured nonlinearity is qualitatively demonstrated. A comparison is made between the changes in linear and nonlinear parameters.

Undersampling power-law size distributions: effect on the assessment of extreme natural hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.; Parsons, Thomas E.

2014-01-01

The effect of undersampling on estimating the size of extreme natural hazards from historical data is examined. Tests using synthetic catalogs indicate that the tail of an empirical size distribution sampled from a pure Pareto probability distribution can range from having one-to-several unusually large events to appearing depleted, relative to the parent distribution. Both of these effects are artifacts caused by limited catalog length. It is more difficult to diagnose the artificially depleted empirical distributions, since one expects that a pure Pareto distribution is physically limited in some way. Using maximum likelihood methods and the method of moments, we estimate the power-law exponent and the corner size parameter of tapered Pareto distributions for several natural hazard examples: tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes. Each of these examples has varying catalog lengths and measurement thresholds, relative to the largest event sizes. In many cases where there are only several orders of magnitude between the measurement threshold and the largest events, joint two-parameter estimation techniques are necessary to account for estimation dependence between the power-law scaling exponent and the corner size parameter. Results indicate that whereas the corner size parameter of a tapered Pareto distribution can be estimated, its upper confidence bound cannot be determined and the estimate itself is often unstable with time. Correspondingly, one cannot statistically reject a pure Pareto null hypothesis using natural hazard catalog data. Although physical limits to the hazard source size and by attenuation mechanisms from source to site constrain the maximum hazard size, historical data alone often cannot reliably determine the corner size parameter. Probabilistic assessments incorporating theoretical constraints on source size and propagation effects are preferred over deterministic assessments of extreme natural hazards based on historic data.

Sample size and number of outcome measures of veterinary randomised controlled trials of pharmaceutical interventions funded by different sources, a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wareham, K J; Hyde, R M; Grindlay, D; Brennan, M L; Dean, R S

2017-10-04

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are a key component of the veterinary evidence base. Sample sizes and defined outcome measures are crucial components of RCTs. To describe the sample size and number of outcome measures of veterinary RCTs either funded by the pharmaceutical industry or not, published in 2011. A structured search of PubMed identified RCTs examining the efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions. Number of outcome measures, number of animals enrolled per trial, whether a primary outcome was identified, and the presence of a sample size calculation were extracted from the RCTs. The source of funding was identified for each trial and groups compared on the above parameters. Literature searches returned 972 papers; 86 papers comprising 126 individual trials were analysed. The median number of outcomes per trial was 5.0; there were no significant differences across funding groups (p = 0.133). The median number of animals enrolled per trial was 30.0; this was similar across funding groups (p = 0.302). A primary outcome was identified in 40.5% of trials and was significantly more likely to be stated in trials funded by a pharmaceutical company. A very low percentage of trials reported a sample size calculation (14.3%). Failure to report primary outcomes, justify sample sizes and the reporting of multiple outcome measures was a common feature in all of the clinical trials examined in this study. It is possible some of these factors may be affected by the source of funding of the studies, but the influence of funding needs to be explored with a larger number of trials. Some veterinary RCTs provide a weak evidence base and targeted strategies are required to improve the quality of veterinary RCTs to ensure there is reliable evidence on which to base clinical decisions.

A determination of the mass of Sagittarius A* from its radio spectral and source size measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melia, Fulvio; Jokipii, J. R.; Narayanan, Ajay

1992-01-01

There is growing evidence that Sgr A* may be a million solar mass black hole accreting from the Galactic center wind. A consideration of the spectral and source size characteristics associated with this process can offer at least two distinct means of inferring the mass M, complementing the more traditional dynamical arguments. We show that M is unmistakably correlated with both the radio spectral index and the critical wavelength below which the intrinsic source size dominates over the angular broadening due to scattering in the interstellar medium. Current observations can already rule out a mass much in excess of 2 x 10 exp 6 solar masses and suggest a likely value close to 1 x 10 exp 6 solar masses, in agreement with an earlier study matching the radio and high-energy spectral components. We anticipate that such a mass may be confirmed with the next generation of source-size observations using milliarcsecond angular resolution at 0.5 - 1 cm wavelengths.

Biased three-intensity decoy-state scheme on the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution using heralded single-photon sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Hui; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Guo, Guang-Can; Wang, Qin

2018-02-19

At present, most of the measurement-device-independent quantum key distributions (MDI-QKD) are based on weak coherent sources and limited in the transmission distance under realistic experimental conditions, e.g., considering the finite-size-key effects. Hence in this paper, we propose a new biased decoy-state scheme using heralded single-photon sources for the three-intensity MDI-QKD, where we prepare the decoy pulses only in X basis and adopt both the collective constraints and joint parameter estimation techniques. Compared with former schemes with WCS or HSPS, after implementing full parameter optimizations, our scheme gives distinct reduced quantum bit error rate in the X basis and thus show excellent performance, especially when the data size is relatively small.

Size-of-source Effect in Infrared Thermometers with Direct Reading of Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manoi, A.; Saunders, P.

2017-07-01

The size-of-source effect (SSE) for six infrared (IR) thermometers with direct reading of temperature was measured in this work. The alternative direct method for SSE determination, where the aperture size is fixed and the measurement distance is varied, was used in this study. The experimental equivalence between the usual and the alternative direct methods is presented. The magnitudes of the SSE for different types of IR thermometers were investigated. The maxima of the SSE were found to be up to 5 %, 8 %, and 28 % for focusable, closed-focus, and open-focus thermometers, respectively. At 275°C, an SSE of 28 % corresponds to 52°C, indicating the severe effect on the accuracy of this type of IR thermometer. A method to realize the calibration conditions used by the manufacturer, in terms of aperture size and measurement distance, is discussed and validated by experimental results. This study would be of benefit to users in choosing the best IR thermometer to match their work and for calibration laboratories in selecting the technique most suitable for determining the SSE.

Optical double-slit particle measuring system

DOEpatents

Tichenor, D.A.; Wang, J.C.F.; Hencken, K.R.

1982-03-25

A method for in situ measurement of particle size is described. The size information is obtained by scanning an image of the particle across a double-slit mask and observing the transmitted light. This method is useful when the particle size of primary interest is 3..mu..m and larger. The technique is well suited to applications in which the particles are non-spherical and have unknown refractive index. It is particularly well suited to high temperature environments in which the particle incandescence provides the light source.

Optical double-slit particle measuring system

DOEpatents

Hencken, Kenneth R.; Tichenor, Daniel A.; Wang, James C. F.

1984-01-01

A method for in situ measurement of particle size is described. The size information is obtained by scanning an image of the particle across a double-slit mask and observing the transmitted light. This method is useful when the particle size of primary interest is 3 .mu.m and larger. The technique is well suited to applications in which the particles are non-spherical and have unknown refractive index. It is particularly well suited to high temperature environments in which the particle incandescence provides the light source.

A 1400-MHz survey of 1478 Abell clusters of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owen, F. N.; White, R. A.; Hilldrup, K. C.; Hanisch, R. J.

1982-01-01

Observations of 1478 Abell clusters of galaxies with the NRAO 91-m telescope at 1400 MHz are reported. The measured beam shape was deconvolved from the measured source Gaussian fits in order to estimate the source size and position angle. All detected sources within 0.5 corrected Abell cluster radii are listed, including the cluster number, richness class, distance class, magnitude of the tenth brightest galaxy, redshift estimate, corrected cluster radius in arcmin, right ascension and error, declination and error, total flux density and error, and angular structure for each source.

A practical and theoretical definition of very small field size for radiotherapy output factor measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles, P. H., E-mail: p.charles@qut.edu.au; Crowe, S. B.; Langton, C. M.

Purpose: This work introduces the concept of very small field size. Output factor (OPF) measurements at these field sizes require extremely careful experimental methodology including the measurement of dosimetric field size at the same time as each OPF measurement. Two quantifiable scientific definitions of the threshold of very small field size are presented. Methods: A practical definition was established by quantifying the effect that a 1 mm error in field size or detector position had on OPFs and setting acceptable uncertainties on OPF at 1%. Alternatively, for a theoretical definition of very small field size, the OPFs were separated intomore » additional factors to investigate the specific effects of lateral electronic disequilibrium, photon scatter in the phantom, and source occlusion. The dominant effect was established and formed the basis of a theoretical definition of very small fields. Each factor was obtained using Monte Carlo simulations of a Varian iX linear accelerator for various square field sizes of side length from 4 to 100 mm, using a nominal photon energy of 6 MV. Results: According to the practical definition established in this project, field sizes ≤15 mm were considered to be very small for 6 MV beams for maximal field size uncertainties of 1 mm. If the acceptable uncertainty in the OPF was increased from 1.0% to 2.0%, or field size uncertainties are 0.5 mm, field sizes ≤12 mm were considered to be very small. Lateral electronic disequilibrium in the phantom was the dominant cause of change in OPF at very small field sizes. Thus the theoretical definition of very small field size coincided to the field size at which lateral electronic disequilibrium clearly caused a greater change in OPF than any other effects. This was found to occur at field sizes ≤12 mm. Source occlusion also caused a large change in OPF for field sizes ≤8 mm. Based on the results of this study, field sizes ≤12 mm were considered to be theoretically very small for 6 MV beams. Conclusions: Extremely careful experimental methodology including the measurement of dosimetric field size at the same time as output factor measurement for each field size setting and also very precise detector alignment is required at field sizes at least ≤12 mm and more conservatively≤15 mm for 6 MV beams. These recommendations should be applied in addition to all the usual considerations for small field dosimetry, including careful detector selection.« less

A practical and theoretical definition of very small field size for radiotherapy output factor measurements.

PubMed

Charles, P H; Cranmer-Sargison, G; Thwaites, D I; Crowe, S B; Kairn, T; Knight, R T; Kenny, J; Langton, C M; Trapp, J V

2014-04-01

This work introduces the concept of very small field size. Output factor (OPF) measurements at these field sizes require extremely careful experimental methodology including the measurement of dosimetric field size at the same time as each OPF measurement. Two quantifiable scientific definitions of the threshold of very small field size are presented. A practical definition was established by quantifying the effect that a 1 mm error in field size or detector position had on OPFs and setting acceptable uncertainties on OPF at 1%. Alternatively, for a theoretical definition of very small field size, the OPFs were separated into additional factors to investigate the specific effects of lateral electronic disequilibrium, photon scatter in the phantom, and source occlusion. The dominant effect was established and formed the basis of a theoretical definition of very small fields. Each factor was obtained using Monte Carlo simulations of a Varian iX linear accelerator for various square field sizes of side length from 4 to 100 mm, using a nominal photon energy of 6 MV. According to the practical definition established in this project, field sizes ≤ 15 mm were considered to be very small for 6 MV beams for maximal field size uncertainties of 1 mm. If the acceptable uncertainty in the OPF was increased from 1.0% to 2.0%, or field size uncertainties are 0.5 mm, field sizes ≤ 12 mm were considered to be very small. Lateral electronic disequilibrium in the phantom was the dominant cause of change in OPF at very small field sizes. Thus the theoretical definition of very small field size coincided to the field size at which lateral electronic disequilibrium clearly caused a greater change in OPF than any other effects. This was found to occur at field sizes ≤ 12 mm. Source occlusion also caused a large change in OPF for field sizes ≤ 8 mm. Based on the results of this study, field sizes ≤ 12 mm were considered to be theoretically very small for 6 MV beams. Extremely careful experimental methodology including the measurement of dosimetric field size at the same time as output factor measurement for each field size setting and also very precise detector alignment is required at field sizes at least ≤ 12 mm and more conservatively ≤ 15 mm for 6 MV beams. These recommendations should be applied in addition to all the usual considerations for small field dosimetry, including careful detector selection. © 2014 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Characterizing the size distribution of particles in urban stormwater by use of fixed-point sample-collection methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selbig, William R.; Bannerman, Roger T.

2011-01-01

The U.S Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and in collaboration with the Root River Municipal Stormwater Permit Group monitored eight urban source areas representing six types of source areas in or near Madison, Wis. in an effort to improve characterization of particle-size distributions in urban stormwater by use of fixed-point sample collection methods. The types of source areas were parking lot, feeder street, collector street, arterial street, rooftop, and mixed use. This information can then be used by environmental managers and engineers when selecting the most appropriate control devices for the removal of solids from urban stormwater. Mixed-use and parking-lot study areas had the lowest median particle sizes (42 and 54 (u or mu)m, respectively), followed by the collector street study area (70 (u or mu)m). Both arterial street and institutional roof study areas had similar median particle sizes of approximately 95 (u or mu)m. Finally, the feeder street study area showed the largest median particle size of nearly 200 (u or mu)m. Median particle sizes measured as part of this study were somewhat comparable to those reported in previous studies from similar source areas. The majority of particle mass in four out of six source areas was silt and clay particles that are less than 32 (u or mu)m in size. Distributions of particles ranging from 500 (u or mu)m were highly variable both within and between source areas. Results of this study suggest substantial variability in data can inhibit the development of a single particle-size distribution that is representative of stormwater runoff generated from a single source area or land use. Continued development of improved sample collection methods, such as the depth-integrated sample arm, may reduce variability in particle-size distributions by mitigating the effect of sediment bias inherent with a fixed-point sampler.

Eddy covariance measurements of sea spray particles over the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, S.; Brooks, I.; de Leeuw, G.; Smith, M. H.; Moeman, M.; Lingard, J.

2007-09-01

Most estimates of sea spray aerosol source functions have used indirect means to infer the rate of production as a function of wind speed. Only recently has the technology become available to make high frequency measurements of aerosol concentration suitable for direct eddy correlation determination of the particle flux. This was accomplished in this study by combining a newly developed fast aerosol particle counter with an ultrasonic anemometer which allowed for eddy covariance measurements of size-segregated particle fluxes. The aerosol instrument is the Compact Lightweight Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (CLASP) - capable of measuring 8-channel size spectra for mean radii between 0.15 and 0.35 μm at 10 Hz. The first successful measurements were made during the WASFAB (Waves, Air Sea Fluxes, Aerosol and Bubbles) field campaign in October 2005 in Duck (NC, USA). The method and results are presented and comparisons are made with recent sea spray source functions from the literature.

A small-plane heat source method for measuring the thermal conductivities of anisotropic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Liang; Yue, Kai; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Xinxin

2017-07-01

A new small-plane heat source method was proposed in this study to simultaneously measure the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of anisotropic insulating materials. In this method the size of the heat source element is smaller than the sample size and the boundary condition is thermal insulation due to no heat flux at the edge of the sample during the experiment. A three-dimensional model in a rectangular coordinate system was established to exactly describe the heat transfer process of the measurement system. Using the Laplace transform, variable separation, and Laplace inverse transform methods, the analytical solution of the temperature rise of the sample was derived. The temperature rises calculated by the analytical solution agree well with the results of numerical calculation. The result of the sensitivity analysis shows that the sensitivity coefficients of the estimated thermal conductivities are high and uncorrelated to each other. At room temperature and in a high-temperature environment, experimental measurements of anisotropic silica aerogel were carried out using the traditional one-dimensional plane heat source method and the proposed method, respectively. The results demonstrate that the measurement method developed in this study is effective and feasible for simultaneously obtaining the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of the anisotropic materials.

Eddy Covariance Measurements of the Sea-Spray Aerosol Flu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, I. M.; Norris, S. J.; Yelland, M. J.; Pascal, R. W.; Prytherch, J.

2015-12-01

Historically, almost all estimates of the sea-spray aerosol source flux have been inferred through various indirect methods. Direct estimates via eddy covariance have been attempted by only a handful of studies, most of which measured only the total number flux, or achieved rather coarse size segregation. Applying eddy covariance to the measurement of sea-spray fluxes is challenging: most instrumentation must be located in a laboratory space requiring long sample lines to an inlet collocated with a sonic anemometer; however, larger particles are easily lost to the walls of the sample line. Marine particle concentrations are generally low, requiring a high sample volume to achieve adequate statistics. The highly hygroscopic nature of sea salt means particles change size rapidly with fluctuations in relative humidity; this introduces an apparent bias in flux measurements if particles are sized at ambient humidity. The Compact Lightweight Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (CLASP) was developed specifically to make high rate measurements of aerosol size distributions for use in eddy covariance measurements, and the instrument and data processing and analysis techniques have been refined over the course of several projects. Here we will review some of the issues and limitations related to making eddy covariance measurements of the sea spray source flux over the open ocean, summarise some key results from the last decade, and present new results from a 3-year long ship-based measurement campaign as part of the WAGES project. Finally we will consider requirements for future progress.

Sequencing the Earliest Stages of Active Galactic Nuclei Development Using The Youngest Radio Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collier, Jordan; Filipovic, Miroslav; Norris, Ray; Chow, Kate; Huynh, Minh; Banfield, Julie; Tothill, Nick; Sirothia, Sandeep Kumar; Shabala, Stanislav

2014-04-01

This proposal is a continuation of an extensive project (the core of Collier's PhD) to explore the earliest stages of AGN formation, using Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum (GPS) and Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) sources. Both are widely believed to represent the earliest stages of radio-loud AGN evolution, with GPS sources preceding CSS sources. In this project, we plan to (a) test this hypothesis, (b) place GPS and CSS sources into an evolutionary sequence with a number of other young AGN candidates, and (c) search for evidence of the evolving accretion mode. We will do this using high-resolution radio observations, with a number of other multiwavelength age indicators, of a carefully selected complete faint sample of 80 GPS/CSS sources. Analysis of the C2730 ELAIS-S1 data shows that we have so far met our goals, resolving the jets of 10/49 sources, and measuring accurate spectral indices from 0.843-10 GHz. This particular proposal is to almost triple the sample size by observing an additional 80 GPS/CSS sources in the Chandra Deep Field South (arguably the best-studied field) and allow a turnover frequency - linear size relation to be derived at >10-sigma. Sources found to be unresolved in our final sample will subsequently be observed with VLBI. Comparing those sources resolved with ATCA to the more compact sources resolved with VLBI will give a distribution of source sizes, helping to answer the question of whether all GPS/CSS sources grow to larger sizes.

Spectral Profiler Probe for In Situ Snow Grain Size and Composition Stratigraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berisford, Daniel F.; Molotch, Noah P.; Painter, Thomas

2012-01-01

An ultimate goal of the climate change, snow science, and hydrology communities is to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) from satellite measurements. Seasonal SWE is highly sensitive to climate change and provides fresh water for much of the world population. Snowmelt from mountainous regions represents the dominant water source for 60 million people in the United States and over one billion people globally. Determination of snow grain sizes comprising mountain snowpack is critical for predicting snow meltwater runoff, understanding physical properties and radiation balance, and providing necessary input for interpreting satellite measurements. Both microwave emission and radar backscatter from the snow are dominated by the snow grain size stratigraphy. As a result, retrieval algorithms for measuring snow water equivalents from orbiting satellites is largely hindered by inadequate knowledge of grain size.

Brightness measurement of an electron impact gas ion source for proton beam writing applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, N.; Santhana Raman, P.; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583

We are developing a high brightness nano-aperture electron impact gas ion source, which can create ion beams from a miniature ionization chamber with relatively small virtual source sizes, typically around 100 nm. A prototype source of this kind was designed and successively micro-fabricated using integrated circuit technology. Experiments to measure source brightness were performed inside a field emission scanning electron microscope. The total output current was measured to be between 200 and 300 pA. The highest estimated reduced brightness was found to be comparable to the injecting focused electron beam reduced brightness. This translates into an ion reduced brightness thatmore » is significantly better than that of conventional radio frequency ion sources, currently used in single-ended MeV accelerators.« less

Brightness measurement of an electron impact gas ion source for proton beam writing applications.

PubMed

Liu, N; Xu, X; Pang, R; Raman, P Santhana; Khursheed, A; van Kan, J A

2016-02-01

We are developing a high brightness nano-aperture electron impact gas ion source, which can create ion beams from a miniature ionization chamber with relatively small virtual source sizes, typically around 100 nm. A prototype source of this kind was designed and successively micro-fabricated using integrated circuit technology. Experiments to measure source brightness were performed inside a field emission scanning electron microscope. The total output current was measured to be between 200 and 300 pA. The highest estimated reduced brightness was found to be comparable to the injecting focused electron beam reduced brightness. This translates into an ion reduced brightness that is significantly better than that of conventional radio frequency ion sources, currently used in single-ended MeV accelerators.

Some neutron and gamma radiation characteristics of plutonium cermet fuel for isotopic power sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neff, R. A.; Anderson, M. E.; Campbell, A. R.; Haas, F. X.

1972-01-01

Gamma and neutron measurements on various types of plutonium sources are presented in order to show the effects of O-17, O-18 F-19, Pu-236, age of the fuel, and size of the source on the gamma and neutron spectra. Analysis of the radiation measurements shows that fluorine is the main contributor to the neutron yields from present plutonium-molybdenum cermet fuel, while both fluorine and Pu-236 daughters contribute significantly to the gamma ray intensities.

Antimisting fuel breakup and flammability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parikh, P.; Fleeter, R.; Sarohia, V.

1983-01-01

The breakup behavior and flammability of antimisting turbine fuels subjected to aerodynamic shear are investigated. Fuels tested were Jet A containing 0.3% FM-9 polymer at various levels of degradation ranging from virgin AMK to neat Jet A. The misting behavior of the fuels was quantified by droplet size distribution measurements. A technique based on high resolution laser photography and digital image processing of photographic records for rapid determination of droplet size distribution was developed. The flammability of flowing droplet-air mixtures was quantified by direct measurements of temperature rise in a flame established in the wake of a continuous ignition source. The temperature rise measurements were correlated with droplet size measurements. The flame anchoring phenomenon associated with the breakup of a liquid fuel in the wake of bluff body was shown to be important in the context of a survivable crash scenario. A pass/fail criterion for flammability testing of antimisting fuels, based on this flame-anchoring phenomenon, was proposed. The role of various ignition sources and their intensity in ignition and post-ignition behavior of antimisting fuels was also investigated.

Photometric imaging in particle size measurement and surface visualization.

PubMed

Sandler, Niklas

2011-09-30

The aim of this paper is to give an insight into photometric particle sizing approaches, which differ from the typical particle size measurement of dispersed particles. These approaches can often be advantageous especially for samples that are moist or cohesive, when dispersion of particles is difficult or sometimes impossible. The main focus of this paper is in the use of photometric stereo imaging. The technique allows the reconstruction of three-dimensional images of objects using multiple light sources in illumination. The use of photometric techniques is demonstrated in at-line measurement of granules and on-line measurement during granulation and dry milling. Also, surface visualization and roughness measurements are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of carbon source on the morphology and electrochemical performances of LiFePO4/C nanocomposites.

PubMed

Liu, Shuxin; Wang, Haibin; Yin, Hengbo; Wang, Hong; He, Jichuan

2014-03-01

The carbon coated LiFePO4 (LiFePO4/C) nanocomposites materials were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method. The microstructure and morphology of LiFePO4/C nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the carbon layers decomposed by different dispersant and carbon source had different graphitization degree, and the sugar could decompose to form more graphite-like structure carbon. The carbon source and heat-treatment temperature had some effect on the particle size and morphology, the sample LFP-S700 synthesized by adding sugar as carbon source at 700 degrees C had smaller particle size, uniform size distribution and spherical shape. The electrochemical behavior of LiFePO4/C nanocomposites was analyzed using galvanostatic measurements and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed that the sample LFP-S700 had higher discharge specific capacities, higher apparent lithium ion diffusion coefficient and lower charge transfer resistance. The excellent electrochemical performance of sample LFP-S700 could be attributed to its high graphitization degree of carbon, smaller particle size and uniform size distribution.

Aerosol carbon isotope composition over Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garbaras, Andrius; Pabedinskas, Algirdas; Masalaite, Agne; Petelski, Tomasz; Gorokhova, Elena; Sapolaite, Justina; Ezerinskis, Zilvinas; Remeikis, Vidmantas

2017-04-01

Particulate carbonaceous matter is significant contributor to ambient particulate matter originating from intervening sources which contribution is difficult to quantify due to source diversity, chemical complexity and processes during atmospheric transport. Carbon isotope analysis can be extremely useful in source apportionment of organic matter due to the unique isotopic signatures associated with anthropocentric (fossil fuel), continental (terrestrial plants) and marine sources, and is particularly effective when these sources are mixed (Ceburnis et al., 2011;Ceburnis et al., 2016). We will present the isotope ratio measurement results of aerosol collected during the cruise in the Baltic Sea. Sampling campaign of PM10 and size segregated aerosol particles was performed on the R/V "Oceania" in October 2015. Air mass back trajectories were prevailing both from the continental and marine areas during the sampling period. The total carbon concentration varied from 1 µg/m3 to 8 µg/m3. Two end members (δ13C = -25‰ and δ13C = -28 ‰ ) were established from the total stable carbon isotope analysis in PM10 fraction. δ13C analysis in size segregated aerosol particles revealed δ13C values being highest in the 1 - 2.5 µm range (δ13C = -24.9 ‰ ) during continental transport, while lowest TC δ13C values (δ13C ≈ -27 ‰ ) were detected in the size range D50 <1 µm during stormy weather when air mass trajectory prevailed from the western direction. These measurements revealed that simplified isotope mixing model can not be applied for the aerosol source apportionment (Masalaite et al., 2015) in the perturbed marine environment. Additionally, concentration of bacteria and fungi were measured in size segregated and PM10 aerosol fraction. We were able to relate aerosol source δ13C end members with the abundance of bacteria and fungi over Baltic Sea combining air mass trajectories, stable isotope data, fungi and bacteria concentrations. Ceburnis, D., Garbaras, A., Szidat, S., Rinaldi, M., Fahrni, S., Perron, N., Wacker, L., Leinert, S., Remeikis, V., and Facchini, M.: Quantification of the carbonaceous matter origin in submicron marine aerosol by 13 C and 14 C isotope analysis, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11, 8593-8606, 2011. Ceburnis, D., Masalaite, A., Ovadnevaite, J., Garbaras, A., Remeikis, V., Maenhaut, W., Claeys, M., Sciare, J., Baisnée, D., and O'Dowd, C. D.: Stable isotopes measurements reveal dual carbon pools contributing to organic matter enrichment in marine aerosol, Scientific Reports, 6, 2016. Masalaite, A., Remeikis, V., Garbaras, A., Dudoitis, V., Ulevicius, V., and Ceburnis, D.: Elucidating carbonaceous aerosol sources by the stable carbon δ13C TC ratio in size-segregated particles, Atmospheric Research, 158, 1-12, 2015.

Magnetic characteristics of industrial dust from different sources of emission: A case study of Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szuszkiewicz, Marcin; Magiera, Tadeusz; Kapička, Aleš; Petrovský, Eduard; Grison, Hanna; Gołuchowska, Beata

2015-05-01

Dust emission and deposition in topsoil have negative effect on individual components of the ecosystem. In addition to routine geochemical analyses, magnetic measurements may provide useful complementary information related to the type, concentration and grain-size distribution of the technogenic magnetic particles (TMPs) and thus the degree of contamination of the environment. The aim of this contribution is to use magnetic parameters in distinguishing dust from a wide range of sources of air pollution (power industry, cement, coke, ceramic industries and biomass combustion). We measured magnetic susceptibility, hysteresis parameters and thermomagnetic curves. Our results suggest that predominant component in tested samples is magnetite, only dust from coking plant and the combustion of lignite contained also maghemite and/or hematite. Mixture of sizes, ranging from fine single-domain to coarse multi-domain grains, was detected. Our results indicate that industrial dusts from various sources of emissions have different specific magnetic properties and magnetic measurements may provide very helpful information.

Chandra ACIS Sub-pixel Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dong-Woo; Anderson, C. S.; Mossman, A. E.; Allen, G. E.; Fabbiano, G.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Karovska, M.; Kashyap, V. L.; McDowell, J. C.

2011-05-01

We investigate how to achieve the best possible ACIS spatial resolution by binning in ACIS sub-pixel and applying an event repositioning algorithm after removing pixel-randomization from the pipeline data. We quantitatively assess the improvement in spatial resolution by (1) measuring point source sizes and (2) detecting faint point sources. The size of a bright (but no pile-up), on-axis point source can be reduced by about 20-30%. With the improve resolution, we detect 20% more faint sources when embedded on the extended, diffuse emission in a crowded field. We further discuss the false source rate of about 10% among the newly detected sources, using a few ultra-deep observations. We also find that the new algorithm does not introduce a grid structure by an aliasing effect for dithered observations and does not worsen the positional accuracy

Coherence Length and Vibrations of the Coherence Beamline I13 at the Diamond Light Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, U. H.; Parson, A.; Rau, C.

2017-06-01

I13 is a 250 m long hard x-ray beamline for imaging and coherent diffraction at the Diamond Light Source. The beamline (6 keV to 35 keV) comprises two independent experimental endstations: one for imaging in direct space using x-ray microscopy and one for imaging in reciprocal space using coherent diffraction based imaging techniques [1]. In particular the coherence experiments pose very high demands on the performance on the beamline instrumentation, requiring extensive testing and optimisation of each component, even during the assembly phase. Various aspects like the quality of optical components, the mechanical design concept, vibrations, drifts, thermal influences and the performance of motion systems are of particular importance. In this paper we study the impact of the front-end slit size (FE slit size), which determines the horizontal source size, onto the coherence length and the detrimental impact of monochromator vibrations using in-situ x-ray metrology in conjunction with fringe visibility measurements and vibration measurements, based on centroid tracking of an x-ray pencil beam with a photon-counting detector.

Radiation damage in a micron-sized protein crystal studied via reciprocal space mapping and Bragg coherent diffractive imaging.

PubMed

Coughlan, H D; Darmanin, C; Phillips, N W; Hofmann, F; Clark, J N; Harder, R J; Vine, D J; Abbey, B

2015-07-01

For laboratory and synchrotron based X-ray sources, radiation damage has posed a significant barrier to obtaining high-resolution structural data from biological macromolecules. The problem is particularly acute for micron-sized crystals where the weaker signal often necessitates the use of higher intensity beams to obtain the relevant data. Here, we employ a combination of techniques, including Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to characterise the radiation induced damage in a micron-sized protein crystal over time. The approach we adopt here could help screen for potential protein crystal candidates for measurement at X-ray free election laser sources.

Radiation damage in a micron-sized protein crystal studied via reciprocal space mapping and Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

PubMed Central

Coughlan, H. D.; Darmanin, C.; Phillips, N. W.; Hofmann, F.; Clark, J. N.; Harder, R. J.; Vine, D. J.; Abbey, B.

2015-01-01

For laboratory and synchrotron based X-ray sources, radiation damage has posed a significant barrier to obtaining high-resolution structural data from biological macromolecules. The problem is particularly acute for micron-sized crystals where the weaker signal often necessitates the use of higher intensity beams to obtain the relevant data. Here, we employ a combination of techniques, including Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to characterise the radiation induced damage in a micron-sized protein crystal over time. The approach we adopt here could help screen for potential protein crystal candidates for measurement at X-ray free election laser sources. PMID:26798804

Radiation damage in a micron-sized protein crystal studied via reciprocal space mapping and Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coughlan, H. D.; Darmanin, C.; Phillips, N. W.

For laboratory and synchrotron based X-ray sources, radiation damage has posed a significant barrier to obtaining high-resolution structural data from biological macromolecules. The problem is particularly acute for micron-sized crystals where the weaker signal often necessitates the use of higher intensity beams to obtain the relevant data. Here, we employ a combination of techniques, including Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to characterise the radiation induced damage in a micron-sized protein crystal over time. The approach we adopt here could help screen for potential protein crystal candidates for measurement at X-ray free election laser sources.

Radiation damage in a micron-sized protein crystal studied via reciprocal space mapping and Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

DOE PAGES

Coughlan, H. D.; Darmanin, C.; Phillips, N. W.; ...

2015-04-29

For laboratory and synchrotron based X-ray sources, radiation damage has posed a significant barrier to obtaining high-resolution structural data from biological macromolecules. The problem is particularly acute for micron-sized crystals where the weaker signal often necessitates the use of higher intensity beams to obtain the relevant data. Here, we employ a combination of techniques, including Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to characterise the radiation induced damage in a micron-sized protein crystal over time. The approach we adopt here could help screen for potential protein crystal candidates for measurement at X-ray free election laser sources.

Investigation of the Statistics of Pure Tone Sound Power Injection from Low Frequency, Finite Sized Sources in a Reverberant Room

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Wayne Farrior

1973-01-01

The effect of finite source size on the power statistics in a reverberant room for pure tone excitation was investigated. Theoretical results indicate that the standard deviation of low frequency, pure tone finite sources is always less than that predicted by point source theory and considerably less when the source dimension approaches one-half an acoustic wavelength or greater. A supporting experimental study was conducted utilizing an eight inch loudspeaker and a 30 inch loudspeaker at eleven source positions. The resulting standard deviation of sound power output of the smaller speaker is in excellent agreement with both the derived finite source theory and existing point source theory, if the theoretical data is adjusted to account for experimental incomplete spatial averaging. However, the standard deviation of sound power output of the larger speaker is measurably lower than point source theory indicates, but is in good agreement with the finite source theory.

Refractive optics to compensate x-ray mirror shape-errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laundy, David; Sawhney, Kawal; Dhamgaye, Vishal; Pape, Ian

2017-08-01

Elliptically profiled mirrors operating at glancing angle are frequently used at X-ray synchrotron sources to focus X-rays into sub-micrometer sized spots. Mirror figure error, defined as the height difference function between the actual mirror surface and the ideal elliptical profile, causes a perturbation of the X-ray wavefront for X- rays reflecting from the mirror. This perturbation, when propagated to the focal plane results in an increase in the size of the focused beam. At Diamond Light Source we are developing refractive optics that can be used to locally cancel out the wavefront distortion caused by figure error from nano-focusing elliptical mirrors. These optics could be used to correct existing optical components on synchrotron radiation beamlines in order to give focused X-ray beam sizes approaching the theoretical diffraction limit. We present our latest results showing measurement of the X-ray wavefront error after reflection from X-ray mirrors and the translation of the measured wavefront into a design for refractive optical elements for correction of the X-ray wavefront. We show measurement of the focused beam with and without the corrective optics inserted showing reduction in the size of the focus resulting from the correction to the wavefront.

Softwall acoustical characteristics and measurement capabilities of the NASA Lewis 9x15 foot low speed wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rentz, P. E.

1976-01-01

Acoustical characteristics and source directionality measurement capabilities of the wind tunnel in the softwall configuration were evaluated, using aerodynamically clean microphone supports. The radius of measurement was limited by the size of the test section, instead of the 3.0 foot (1 m) limitation of the hardwall test section. The wind-on noise level in the test section was reduced 10 dB. Reflections from the microphone support boom, after absorptive covering, induced measurement errors in the lower frequency bands. Reflections from the diffuser back wall were shown to be significant. Tunnel noise coming up the diffuser was postulated as being responsible, at least partially, for the wind-on noise in the test section and settling chamber. The near field characteristics of finite-sized sources and the theoretical response of a porous strip sensor in the presence of wind are presented.

Systematic study of error sources in supersonic skin-friction balance measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, J. M.

1976-01-01

An experimental study was performed to investigate potential error sources in data obtained with a self-nulling, moment-measuring, skin-friction balance. The balance was installed in the sidewall of a supersonic wind tunnel, and independent measurements of the three forces contributing to the balance output (skin friction, lip force, and off-center normal force) were made for a range of gap size and element protrusion. The relatively good agreement between the balance data and the sum of these three independently measured forces validated the three-term model used. No advantage to a small gap size was found; in fact, the larger gaps were preferable. Perfect element alignment with the surrounding test surface resulted in very small balance errors. However, if small protrusion errors are unavoidable, no advantage was found in having the element slightly below the surrounding test surface rather than above it.

Very long baseline interferometer measurements of plasma turbulence in the solar wind

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takayuki Sakurai; Spangler, S.R.; Armstrong, J.W.

Turbulence in the solar wind plasma was studied using angular broadening measurements of 10 extragalactic compact radio sources (quasars) with a very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) at 4.99 GHz. Unlike other angular broadening studies, the measured broadening size was corrected for intrinsic source structures which were obtained from a separate VLBI observation. The solar elongations of the sources ranged from 18 R{sub S} to 243 R{sub S}, and five sources with elongations {<=} 60 R{sub S} showed varying degrees of broadening. The measured angular sizes are considerably less than predicted by the well-known empirical relationship of Erickson, as well asmore » two other models for strength of scattering as a function of solar elongation. However, the data are in good agreement with a model for the spatial power spectrum of the turbulence proposed by Coles and Harmon. This model consists of a Kolmogorov spectrum at large scales, but with an enhancement of power near the wavenumber corresponding o the ion inertial length. Two of these sources, 1148-001 and 1253-053 (3C279), show substantial differences in the amount of scattering, even though they are at similar solar elongations (29 versus 35 R{sub S}). Data to which the authors have access indicate that the state of the corona along the lines of sight to these sources may have been quite different. Angular broadening measurements with VLBI interferometers currently under development (primarily the very long baseline array) will allow a global view of plasma turbulence out of the ecliptic plane and thus be complementary to the point in situ measurements with Ulysses. 37 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Specific Features in Measuring Particle Size Distributions in Highly Disperse Aerosol Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagaynov, V. A.; Vasyanovich, M. E.; Maksimenko, V. V.; Lushnikov, A. A.; Biryukov, Yu. G.; Agranovskii, I. E.

2018-06-01

The distribution of highly dispersed aerosols is studied. Particular attention is given to the diffusion dynamic approach, as it is the best way to determine particle size distribution. It shown that the problem can be divided into two steps: directly measuring particle penetration through diffusion batteries and solving the inverse problem (obtaining a size distribution from the measured penetrations). No reliable way of solving the so-called inverse problem is found, but it can be done by introducing a parametrized size distribution (i.e., a gamma distribution). The integral equation is therefore reduced to a system of nonlinear equations that can be solved by elementary mathematical means. Further development of the method requires an increase in sensitivity (i.e., measuring the dimensions of molecular clusters with radioactive sources, along with the activity of diffusion battery screens).

Investigating the unification of LOFAR-detected powerful AGN in the Boötes field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morabito, Leah K.; Williams, W. L.; Duncan, Kenneth J.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Miley, George; Saxena, Aayush; Barthel, Peter; Best, P. N.; Bruggen, M.; Brunetti, G.; Chyży, K. T.; Engels, D.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Harwood, J. J.; Jarvis, Matt J.; Mahony, E. K.; Prandoni, I.; Shimwell, T. W.; Shulevski, A.; Tasse, C.

2017-08-01

Low radio frequency surveys are important for testing unified models of radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies. Intrinsically similar sources that are randomly oriented on the sky will have different projected linear sizes. Measuring the projected linear sizes of these sources provides an indication of their orientation. Steep-spectrum isotropic radio emission allows for orientation-free sample selection at low radio frequencies. We use a new radio survey of the Boötes field at 150 MHz made with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) to select a sample of radio sources. We identify 60 radio sources with powers P > 1025.5 W Hz-1 at 150 MHz using cross-matched multiwavelength information from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey, which provides spectroscopic redshifts and photometric identification of 16 quasars and 44 radio galaxies. When considering the radio spectral slope only, we find that radio sources with steep spectra have projected linear sizes that are on average 4.4 ± 1.4 larger than those with flat spectra. The projected linear sizes of radio galaxies are on average 3.1 ± 1.0 larger than those of quasars (2.0 ± 0.3 after correcting for redshift evolution). Combining these results with three previous surveys, we find that the projected linear sizes of radio galaxies and quasars depend on redshift but not on power. The projected linear size ratio does not correlate with either parameter. The LOFAR data are consistent within the uncertainties with theoretical predictions of the correlation between the quasar fraction and linear size ratio, based on an orientation-based unification scheme.

Efficient measurement of large light source near-field color and luminance distributions for optical design and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostal, Hubert; Kreysar, Douglas; Rykowski, Ronald

2009-08-01

The color and luminance distributions of large light sources are difficult to measure because of the size of the source and the physical space required for the measurement. We describe a method for the measurement of large light sources in a limited space that efficiently overcomes the physical limitations of traditional far-field measurement techniques. This method uses a calibrated, high dynamic range imaging colorimeter and a goniometric system to move the light source through an automated measurement sequence in the imaging colorimeter's field-of-view. The measurement is performed from within the near-field of the light source, enabling a compact measurement set-up. This method generates a detailed near-field color and luminance distribution model that can be directly converted to ray sets for optical design and that can be extrapolated to far-field distributions for illumination design. The measurements obtained show excellent correlation to traditional imaging colorimeter and photogoniometer measurement methods. The near-field goniometer approach that we describe is broadly applicable to general lighting systems, can be deployed in a compact laboratory space, and provides full near-field data for optical design and simulation.

Sources and formation processes of water-soluble dicarboxylic acids, ω-oxocarboxylic acids, α-dicarbonyls, and major ions in summer aerosols from eastern central India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, Dhananjay K.; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Deb, Manas K.; Boreddy, Suresh K. R.

2017-03-01

The sources and formation processes of dicarboxylic acids are still under investigation. Size-segregated aerosol (nine-size) samples collected in the urban site (Raipur: 21.2°N and 82.3°E) in eastern central India during summer of 2013 were measured for water-soluble diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), α-dicarbonyls (C2-C3), and inorganic ions to better understand their sources and formation processes. Diacids showed the predominance of oxalic acid (C2), whereas ω-oxoacids showed the predominance of glyoxylic acid (ωC2), and glyoxal (Gly) was a major α-dicarbonyl in all the sizes. Diacids, ω-oxoacids, and α-dicarbonyls as well as SO42

Size-resolved source apportionment of particulate matter in urban Beijing during haze and non-haze episodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, S. L.; Pan, Y. P.; Wang, Y. S.

2015-03-01

More size-resolved chemical information is needed before the physicochemical characteristics and sources of airborne particles can be understood, but this information remains unavailable in most regions of China due to a paucity of measurement data. In this study, we report a one-year observation of various chemical species in size-segregated particle samples collected in urban Beijing, a mega city that experiences severe haze episodes. In addition to fine particles, the measured particle size distributions showed high concentrations of coarse particles during the haze periods. The abundance and chemical compositions of the particles in this study were temporally and spatially variable, with major contributions from organic matter and secondary inorganic aerosols. The contribution of the organic matter to the mass decreased from 37.9 to 33.1%, whereas the total contribution of SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ increased from 19.1 to 32.3% on non-haze and haze days, respectively. Due to heterogeneous reactions and hygroscopic growth, the peaks in the size distributions of organic carbon, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, K+ and Cu shifted from 0.43-0.65 μm on non-haze days to 0.65-1.1 μm on haze days. Although the size distributions are similar for the heavy metals Pb, Cd and Tl during the observation period, their concentrations increased by a factor of more than 1.5 on haze days compared with non-haze days. We found that NH4+ with a size range of 0.43-0.65 μm, SO42- and NO3- with a size range of 0.65-1.1 μm and Ca2+ with a size range of 5.8-9 μm as well as the meteorological factors of relative humidity and wind speed were responsible for the haze pollution when the visibility was less than 15 km. Source apportionment using positive matrix factorization identified six common sources: secondary inorganic aerosols (26.1% for fine particles vs. 9.5% for coarse particles), coal combustion (19 vs. 23.6%), primary emissions from vehicles (5.9 vs. 8.0%), biomass burning (8.5 vs. 2.9%), industrial pollution (6.3 vs. 8.5%) and mineral dust (16.1 vs. 35.1%). The first four factors were higher on haze days, while the latter factors were higher on non-haze days. The sources generally increased with decreasing size with the exception of mineral dust. However, two peaks were consistently found in the fine and coarse particles. The contributing sources also varied with the wind direction; coal and oil combustion products increased during southern flows, indicating that any mitigation strategy should consider the wind pattern, especially during the haze periods. The findings indicated that the PM2.5-based dataset is insufficient for the Chinese source control policy, and detailed size-resolved information is urgently needed to characterize the important sources in urban regions and better understand severe haze pollution.

The variance of dispersion measure of high-redshift transient objects as a probe of ionized bubble size during reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshiura, Shintaro; Takahashi, Keitaro

2018-01-01

The dispersion measure (DM) of high-redshift (z ≳ 6) transient objects such as fast radio bursts can be a powerful tool to probe the intergalactic medium during the Epoch of Reionization. In this paper, we study the variance of the DMs of objects with the same redshift as a potential probe of the size distribution of ionized bubbles. We calculate the DM variance with a simple model with randomly distributed spherical bubbles. It is found that the DM variance reflects the characteristics of the probability distribution of the bubble size. We find that the variance can be measured precisely enough to obtain the information on the typical size with a few hundred sources at a single redshift.

Using sediment particle size distribution to evaluate sediment sources in the Tobacco Creek Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cenwei; Lobb, David; Li, Sheng; Owens, Philip; Kuzyk, ZouZou

2014-05-01

Lake Winnipeg has recently brought attention to the deteriorated water quality due to in part to nutrient and sediment input from agricultural land. Improving water quality in Lake Winnipeg requires the knowledge of the sediment sources within this ecosystem. There are a variety of environmental fingerprinting techniques have been successfully used in the assessment of sediment sources. In this study, we used particle size distribution to evaluate spatial and temporal variations of suspended sediment and potential sediment sources collected in the Tobacco Creek Watershed in Manitoba, Canada. The particle size distribution of suspended sediment can reflect the origin of sediment and processes during sediment transport, deposition and remobilization within the watershed. The objectives of this study were to quantify visually observed spatial and temporal changes in sediment particles, and to assess the sediment source using a rapid and cost-effective fingerprinting technique based on particle size distribution. The suspended sediment was collected by sediment traps twice a year during rainfall and snowmelt periods from 2009 to 2012. The potential sediment sources included the top soil of cultivated field, riparian area and entire profile from stream banks. Suspended sediment and soil samples were pre-wet with RO water and sieved through 600 μm sieve before analyzing. Particle size distribution of all samples was determined using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000S laser diffraction with the measurement range up to 600μm. Comparison of the results for different fractions of sediment showed significant difference in particle size distribution of suspended sediment between snowmelt and rainfall events. An important difference of particle size distribution also found between the cultivated soil and forest soil. This difference can be explained by different land uses which provided a distinct fingerprint of sediment. An overall improvement in water quality can be achieved by managing sediment according to the identified sediment sources in the watershed.

Size scaling of negative hydrogen ion sources for fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantz, U.; Franzen, P.; Kraus, W.; Schiesko, L.; Wimmer, C.; Wünderlich, D.

2015-04-01

The RF-driven negative hydrogen ion source (H-, D-) for the international fusion experiment ITER has a width of 0.9 m and a height of 1.9 m and is based on a ⅛ scale prototype source being in operation at the IPP test facilities BATMAN and MANITU for many years. Among the challenges to meet the required parameters in a caesiated source at a source pressure of 0.3 Pa or less is the challenge in size scaling of a factor of eight. As an intermediate step a ½ scale ITER source went into operation at the IPP test facility ELISE with the first plasma in February 2013. The experience and results gained so far at ELISE allowed a size scaling study from the prototype source towards the ITER relevant size at ELISE, in which operational issues, physical aspects and the source performance is addressed, highlighting differences as well as similarities. The most ITER relevant results are: low pressure operation down to 0.2 Pa is possible without problems; the magnetic filter field created by a current in the plasma grid is sufficient to reduce the electron temperature below the target value of 1 eV and to reduce together with the bias applied between the differently shaped bias plate and the plasma grid the amount of co-extracted electrons. An asymmetry of the co-extracted electron currents in the two grid segments is measured, varying strongly with filter field and bias. Contrary to the prototype source, a dedicated plasma drift in vertical direction is not observed. As in the prototype source, the performance in deuterium is limited by the amount of co-extracted electrons in short as well as in long pulse operation. Caesium conditioning is much harder in deuterium than in hydrogen for which fast and reproducible conditioning is achieved. First estimates reveal a caesium consumption comparable to the one in the prototype source despite the large size.

Eddy covariance measurements of sea spray particles over the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, S. J.; Brooks, I. M.; de Leeuw, G.; Smith, M. H.; Moerman, M.; Lingard, J. J. N.

2008-02-01

Most estimates of sea spray aerosol source functions have used indirect means to infer the rate of production as a function of wind speed. Only recently has the technology become available to make high frequency measurements of aerosol spectra suitable for direct eddy correlation determination of the sea spray particle flux. This was accomplished in this study by combining a newly developed fast aerosol particle counter with an ultrasonic anemometer which allowed for eddy covariance measurements of size-segregated particle fluxes. The aerosol instrument is the Compact Lightweight Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (CLASP) - capable of measuring 8-channel size spectra for mean radii between 0.15 and 3.5 µm at 10 Hz. The first successful measurements were made during the Waves, Air Sea Fluxes, Aerosol and Bubbles (WASFAB) field campaign in October 2005 in Duck (NC, USA). The method and initial results are presented and comparisons are made with recent sea spray source functions from the literature.

Integration of measurements with atmospheric dispersion models: Source term estimation for dispersal of (239)Pu due to non-nuclear detonation of high explosive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, L. L.; Harvey, T. F.; Freis, R. P.; Pitovranov, S. E.; Chernokozhin, E. V.

1992-10-01

The accuracy associated with assessing the environmental consequences of an accidental release of radioactivity is highly dependent on our knowledge of the source term characteristics and, in the case when the radioactivity is condensed on particles, the particle size distribution, all of which are generally poorly known. This paper reports on the development of a numerical technique that integrates the radiological measurements with atmospheric dispersion modeling. This results in a more accurate particle-size distribution and particle injection height estimation when compared with measurements of high explosive dispersal of (239)Pu. The estimation model is based on a non-linear least squares regression scheme coupled with the ARAC three-dimensional atmospheric dispersion models. The viability of the approach is evaluated by estimation of ADPIC model input parameters such as the ADPIC particle size mean aerodynamic diameter, the geometric standard deviation, and largest size. Additionally we estimate an optimal 'coupling coefficient' between the particles and an explosive cloud rise model. The experimental data are taken from the Clean Slate 1 field experiment conducted during 1963 at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. The regression technique optimizes the agreement between the measured and model predicted concentrations of (239)Pu by varying the model input parameters within their respective ranges of uncertainties. The technique generally estimated the measured concentrations within a factor of 1.5, with the worst estimate being within a factor of 5, very good in view of the complexity of the concentration measurements, the uncertainties associated with the meteorological data, and the limitations of the models. The best fit also suggest a smaller mean diameter and a smaller geometric standard deviation on the particle size as well as a slightly weaker particle to cloud coupling than previously reported.

Source and Size of Social Support Network on Sedentary Behavior Among Older Adults.

PubMed

Loprinzi, Paul D; Crush, Elizabeth A

2018-01-01

To examine the association of source of social support and size of social support network on sedentary behavior among older adults. Cross-sectional. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2006. 2519 older adults (60+ years). Sedentary behavior was assessed via accelerometry over a 7-day period. Social support was assessed via self-report. Sources evaluated include spouse, son, daughter, sibling, neighbor, church member, and friend. Regarding size of social network, participants were asked, "In general, how many close friends do you have?" Multivariable linear regression. After adjustment, there was no evidence of an association between the size of social support network and sedentary behavior. With regard to specific sources of social support, spousal social support was associated with less sedentary behavior (β = -11.6; 95% confidence interval: -20.7 to -2.5), with evidence to suggest that this was only true for men. Further, an inverse association was observed between household size and sedentary behavior, with those having a greater number of individuals in the house having lower levels of sedentary behavior. These associations occurred independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, age, gender, race-ethnicity, measured body mass index, total cholesterol, self-reported smoking status, and physician diagnosis of congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, or diabetes. Spouse-specific emotion-related social support (particularly for men) and household size were associated with less sedentary behavior.

Solar concentrator panel and gore testing in the JPL 25-foot space simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennison, E. W.; Argoud, M. J.

1981-01-01

The optical imaging characteristics of parabolic solar concentrator panels (or gores) have been measured using the optical beam of the JPL 25-foot space simulator. The simulator optical beam has been characterized, and the virtual source position and size have been determined. These data were used to define the optical test geometry. The point source image size and focal length have been determined for several panels. A flux distribution of a typical solar concentrator has been estimated from these data. Aperture photographs of the panels were used to determine the magnitude and characteristics of the reflecting surface errors. This measurement technique has proven to be highly successful at determining the optical characteristics of solar concentrator panels.

SU-E-T-68: A Quality Assurance System with a Web Camera for High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ueda, Y; Hirose, A; Oohira, S

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to develop a quality assurance (QA) system for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy to verify the absolute position of an 192Ir source in real time and to measure dwell time and position of the source simultaneously with a movie recorded by a web camera. Methods: A web camera was fixed 15 cm above a source position check ruler to monitor and record 30 samples of the source position per second over a range of 8.0 cm, from 1425 mm to 1505 mm. Each frame had a matrix size of 480×640 in the movie.more » The source position was automatically quantified from the movie using in-house software (built with LabVIEW) that applied a template-matching technique. The source edge detected by the software on each frame was corrected to reduce position errors induced by incident light from an oblique direction. The dwell time was calculated by differential processing to displacement of the source. The performance of this QA system was illustrated by recording simple plans and comparing the measured dwell positions and time with the planned parameters. Results: This QA system allowed verification of the absolute position of the source in real time. The mean difference between automatic and manual detection of the source edge was 0.04 ± 0.04 mm. Absolute position error can be determined within an accuracy of 1.0 mm at dwell points of 1430, 1440, 1450, 1460, 1470, 1480, 1490, and 1500 mm, in three step sizes and dwell time errors, with an accuracy of 0.1% in more than 10.0 sec of planned time. The mean step size error was 0.1 ± 0.1 mm for a step size of 10.0 mm. Conclusion: This QA system provides quick verifications of the dwell position and time, with high accuracy, for HDR brachytherapy. This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Core-to-Core program (No. 23003)« less

Monthly and diurnal variations in aerosol size distributions, downwind of the Seoul metropolitan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, B. S.; Choi, Y.; Ghim, Y. S.

2014-12-01

The size distribution of aerosols is a physical property. However, since major aerosol types such as mineral dust, secondary inorganic ions, and carbonaceous aerosols are typically in specific size ranges, we can estimate the chemical composition of aerosols from the size distribution. We measured the mass size distribution of aerosols using an optical particle counter (Grimm Model 1.109) for a year from February 2013 to February 2014 at intervals of 10 minutes. The optical particle counter measures number concentrations between 0.25 and 32 μm in 31 bins and converts them into mass concentrations assuming a sphere and densities of aerosols in urban environment which originate from traffic and other combustion sources and are secondarily formed from photochemical reactions. The measurement site is at the rooftop of the five-story building on the hill (37.34 °N, 127.27 °E, 167 m above sea level), about 35 km southeast of downtown Seoul, the downwind area of which is affected by prevailing northwesterlies. There are no major emission sources nearby except a 4-lane road running about 1.4 km to the west. We tried to characterize the bimodal property of the mass size distribution, consisting of fine and coarse modes, in terms of mass concentration and mean diameter. Monthly and diurnal variations in mass concentration and mean diameter of each mode were investigated to estimate major aerosol types as well as major factors causing those variations.

Proton Source Size Measurements in the eA→e'ppX Reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stavinsky, A. V.; Mikhailov, K. R.; Lednicky, R.; Vlassov, A. V.; Adams, G.; Ambrozewich, P.; Anciant, E.; Anghinolfi, M.; Asavapibhop, B.; Asryan, G.; Audit, G.; Auger, T.; Avakian, H.; Bagdasaryan, H.; Ball, J. P.; Barrow, S.; Batourine, V.; Battaglieri, M.; Beard, K.; Bektasoglu, M.; Bellis, M.; Benmouna, N.; Bianchi, N.; Biselli, A. S.; Boiarinov, S.; Bonner, B. E.; Bouchigny, S.; Bradford, R.; Branford, D.; Brooks, W. K.; Burkert, V. D.; Butuceanu, C.; Calarco, J. R.; Carman, D. S.; Cetina, C.; Chen, S.; Cole, P. L.; Cords, D.; Coleman, A.; Corvisiero, P.; Crabb, D.; Cummings, J. P.; Dashyan, N.; Sanctis, E. De; Vita, R. De; Degtyarenko, P. V.; Denizli, H.; Dennis, L.; Deur, A.; Dharmawardane, K. V.; Djalali, C.; Dodge, G. E.; Doughty, D.; Dragovitsch, P.; Dugger, M.; Dytman, S.; Dzyubak, O. P.; Egiyan, H.; Egiyan, K. S.; Elouadrhiri, L.; Empl, A.; Eugenio, P.; Fatemi, R.; Fersch, R. G.; Feuerbach, R. J.; Forest, T. A.; Funsten, H.; Garçon, M.; Gavalian, G.; Gilad, S.; Gilfoyle, G. P.; Giovanetti, K. L.; Girard, P.; Gordon, C. I.; Gothe, R. W.; Griffioen, K.; Guidal, M.; Guillo, M.; Guler, N.; Guo, L.; Gyurjyan, V.; Hadjidakis, C.; Hakobyan, R. S.; Hardie, J.; Heddle, D.; Hersman, F. W.; Hicks, K.; Hleiqawi, I.; Holtrop, M.; Hu, J.; Hyde-Wright, C. E.; Ireland, D. G.; Ito, M. M.; Jenkins, D.; Joo, K.; Juengst, H. G.; Kelley, J. H.; Kellie, J. D.; Khandaker, M.; Kim, D. H.; Kim, K. Y.; Kim, K.; Kim, M. S.; Kim, W.; Klein, A.; Klein, F. J.; Klimenko, A. V.; Klusman, M.; Kossov, M. V.; Kramer, L. H.; Kubarovski, V.; Kuhn, S. E.; Kuhn, J.; Lachniet, J.; Laget, J. M.; Langheinrich, J.; Lawrence, D.; Leksin, G. A.; Lee, T.; Li, Ji; Livingston, K.; Lukashin, K.; Manak, J. J.; Marchand, C.; McAleer, S.; McNabb, J. W.; Mecking, B. A.; Mehrabyan, S.; Melone, J. J.; Mestayer, M. D.; Meyer, C. A.; Mirazita, M.; Miskimen, R.; Mokeev, V.; Morand, L.; Morrow, S. A.; Muccifora, V.; Mueller, J.; Mutchler, G. S.; Napolitano, J.; Nasseripour, R.; Nelson, S. O.; Niccolai, S.; Niculescu, G.; Niculescu, I.; Niczyporuk, B. B.; Niyazov, R. A.; Nozar, M.; O'Rielly, G. V.; Osipenko, M.; Ostrovidov, A. I.; Park, K.; Pasyuk, E.; Peterson, G.; Philips, S. A.; Pivnyuk, N. A.; Pocanic, D.; Pogorelko, O.; Polli, E.; Pozdniakov, S.; Preedom, B. M.; Price, J. W.; Prok, Y.; Protopopescu, D.; Qin, L. M.; Raue, B. A.; Riccardi, G.; Ricco, G.; Ripani, M.; Ritchie, B. G.; Ronchetti, F.; Rosner, G.; Rossi, P.; Rowntree, D.; Rubin, P. D.; Sabatié, F.; Sabourov, K.; Salgado, C.; Santoro, J. P.; Sapunenko, V.; Schumacher, R. A.; Serov, V. S.; Sharabian, Y. G.; Shaw, J.; Simionatto, S.; Skabelin, A. V.; Smith, E. S.; Smith, L. C.; Sober, D. I.; Spraker, M.; Stepanyan, S.; Stepanyan, S. S.; Stokes, B. E.; Stoler, P.; Strakovsky, I. I.; Taiuti, M.; Taylor, S.; Tedeschi, D. J.; Thoma, U.; Thompson, R.; Tkabladze, A.; Todor, L.; Tur, C.; Ungaro, M.; Vineyard, M. F.; Vorobeyev, L. S.; Wang, K.; Weinstein, L. B.; Weller, H.; Weygand, D. P.; Whisnant, C. S.; Williams, M.; Wolin, E.; Wood, M. H.; Yegneswaran, A.; Yun, J.; Zana, L.

2004-11-01

Two-proton correlations at small relative momentum q were studied in the eA(3He,4He,C,Fe)→e'ppX reaction at E0=4.46 GeV using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. The enhancement of the correlation function at small q was found to be in accordance with theoretical expectations. Sizes of the emission region were extracted, and proved to be dependent on A and on the proton momentum. The size of the two-proton emission region for He was measured in eA reactions for the first time.

Electric wind in a Differential Mobility Analyzer

DOE PAGES

Palo, Marus; Meelis Eller; Uin, Janek; ...

2015-10-25

Electric wind -- the movement of gas, induced by ions moving in an electric field -- can be a distorting factor in size distribution measurements using Differential Mobility Analyzers (DMAs). The aim of this study was to determine the conditions under which electric wind occurs in the locally-built VLDMA (Very Long Differential Mobility Analyzer) and TSI Long-DMA (3081) and to describe the associated distortion of the measured spectra. Electric wind proved to be promoted by the increase of electric field strength, aerosol layer thickness, particle number concentration and particle size. The measured size spectra revealed three types of distortion: wideningmore » of the size distribution, shift of the mode of the distribution to smaller diameters and smoothing out the peaks of the multiply charged particles. Electric wind may therefore be a source of severe distortion of the spectrum when measuring large particles at high concentrations.« less

Organizational characteristics, financial performance measures, and funding sources of faith based organizations.

PubMed

Lampkin, Lynne; Raghavan, Kamala

2008-01-01

This study examined the impact of organizational characteristics and financial performance measures of faith based organizations (FBOS) in Pennsylvania and Ohio on the decisions of the funding sources. Organizational characteristics of size, age, and type of service, and financial performance measures such as expense, liquidity, and solvency ratios were gathered from the data on IRS form 990 for 97 FBOS for the period of 1995 to 2004. The study found that the 1996 Charitable Choice provisions and the 2001 Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives have led to increased government funding for FBOS. The results showed that government funding of FBOS is affected positively by age of the FBO, and negatively by its size. For smaller FBOS, savings ratio had a negative relationship to government funding and a positive relationship to direct public support. For social service FBOS government funding was positively affected by age and negatively affected by size and debt ratio, while days-cash-on-hand had a negative impact on direct public support. All of the above relationships were statistically significant.

Experimental comparison of various techniques for spot size measurement of high-energy X-ray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi; Li, Qin; Chen, Nan; Cheng, Jin-Ming; Li, Cheng-Gang; Li, Hong; Long, Quan-Hong; Shi, Jin-Shui; Deng, Jian-Jun

2016-08-01

In flash-radiography experiments, the quality of the acquired image strongly depends on the focal size of the X-ray source spot. A variety of techniques based on imaging of the pinhole, the slit and the rollbar are adopted to measure the focal spot size of the Dragon-I linear induction accelerator. The image of the pinhole provides a two-dimensional distribution of the X-ray spot, while those of the slit and the rollbar give a line-spread distribution and an edge-spread distribution, respectively. The spot size characterized by the full-width at half-maximum and that characterized by the LANL definition are calculated for comparison.

HIGH-ENERGY X-RAY PINHOLE CAMERA FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON BEAM SIZE MEASUREMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, B.; Morgan, J.; Lee, S.H.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is developing a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice based storage ring as the next major upgrade, featuring a 20-fold reduction in emittance. Combining the reduction of beta functions, the electron beam sizes at bend magnet sources may be reduced to reach 5 – 10 µm for 10% vertical coupling. The x-ray pinhole camera currently used for beam size monitoring will not be adequate for the new task. By increasing the operating photon energy to 120 – 200 keV, the pinhole camera’s resolution is expected to reach below 4 µm. The peak height of the pinhole imagemore » will be used to monitor relative changes of the beam sizes and enable the feedback control of the emittance. We present the simulation and the design of a beam size monitor for the APS storage ring.« less

Quantifying the source-sink balance and carbohydrate content in three tomato cultivars.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Heuvelink, Ep; Marcelis, Leo F M

2015-01-01

Supplementary lighting is frequently applied in the winter season for crop production in greenhouses. The effect of supplementary lighting on plant growth depends on the balance between assimilate production in source leaves and the overall capacity of the plants to use assimilates. This study aims at quantifying the source-sink balance and carbohydrate content of three tomato cultivars differing in fruit size, and to investigate to what extent the source/sink ratio correlates with the potential fruit size. Cultivars Komeet (large size), Capricia (medium size), and Sunstream (small size, cherry tomato) were grown from 16 August to 21 November, at similar crop management as in commercial practice. Supplementary lighting (High Pressure Sodium lamps, photosynthetic active radiation at 1 m below lamps was 162 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1); maximum 10 h per day depending on solar irradiance level) was applied from 19 September onward. Source strength was estimated from total plant growth rate using periodic destructive plant harvests in combination with the crop growth model TOMSIM. Sink strength was estimated from potential fruit growth rate which was determined from non-destructively measuring the fruit growth rate at non-limiting assimilate supply, growing only one fruit on each truss. Carbohydrate content in leaves and stems were periodically determined. During the early growth stage, 'Komeet' and 'Capricia' showed sink limitation and 'Sunstream' was close to sink limitation. During this stage reproductive organs had hardly formed or were still small and natural irradiance was high (early September) compared to winter months. Subsequently, during the fully fruiting stage all three cultivars were strongly source-limited as indicated by the low source/sink ratio (average source/sink ratio from 50 days after planting onward was 0.17, 0.22, and 0.33 for 'Komeet,' 'Capricia,' and 'Sunstream,' respectively). This was further confirmed by the fact that pruning half of the fruits hardly influenced net leaf photosynthesis rates. Carbohydrate content in leaves and stems increased linearly with the source/sink ratio. We conclude that during the early growth stage under high irradiance, tomato plants are sink-limited and that the level of sink limitation differs between cultivars but it is not correlated with their potential fruit size. During the fully fruiting stage tomato plants are source-limited and the extent of source limitation of a cultivar is positively correlated with its potential fruit size.

Direction-finding measurements of type 3 radio bursts out of the ecliptic plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumback, M. M.; Kurth, W. S.; Gurnett, D. A.

1975-01-01

Direction-finding measurements with the plasma wave experiments on the HAWKEYE 1 and IMP 8 satellites are used to find the source locations of type 3 solar radio bursts in heliocentric latitude and longitude in a frequency range from 31.1 kHz to 500 kHz. Using an empirical model for the emission frequency as a function of radial distance from the sun the three-dimensional trajectory of the type 3 radio source can be determined from direction-finding measurements at different frequencies. Since the electrons which produce these radio emissions follow the magnetic field lines from the sun these measurements provide information on the three-dimensional structure of the magnetic field in the solar wind. The source locations projected into the ecliptic plane follow an Archimedian spiral. Perpendicular to the ecliptic plane the source locations usually follow a constant heliocentric latitude. With direction-finding measurements of this type it is also possible to determine the source size from the modulation factor of the received signals.

Measurement of Vibrated Bulk Density of Coke Particle Blends Using Image Texture Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azari, Kamran; Bogoya-Forero, Wilinthon; Duchesne, Carl; Tessier, Jayson

2017-09-01

A rapid and nondestructive machine vision sensor was developed for predicting the vibrated bulk density (VBD) of petroleum coke particles based on image texture analysis. It could be used for making corrective adjustments to a paste plant operation to reduce green anode variability (e.g., changes in binder demand). Wavelet texture analysis (WTA) and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) algorithms were used jointly for extracting the surface textural features of coke aggregates from images. These were correlated with the VBD using partial least-squares (PLS) regression. Coke samples of several sizes and from different sources were used to test the sensor. Variations in the coke surface texture introduced by coke size and source allowed for making good predictions of the VBD of individual coke samples and mixtures of them (blends involving two sources and different sizes). Promising results were also obtained for coke blends collected from an industrial-baked carbon anode manufacturer.

Evolution of air pollution source contributions over one decade, derived by PM10 and PM2.5 source apportionment in two metropolitan urban areas in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diapouli, E.; Manousakas, M.; Vratolis, S.; Vasilatou, V.; Maggos, Th; Saraga, D.; Grigoratos, Th; Argyropoulos, G.; Voutsa, D.; Samara, C.; Eleftheriadis, K.

2017-09-01

Metropolitan Urban areas in Greece have been known to suffer from poor air quality, due to variety of emission sources, topography and climatic conditions favouring the accumulation of pollution. While a number of control measures have been implemented since the 1990s, resulting in reductions of atmospheric pollution and changes in emission source contributions, the financial crisis which started in 2009 has significantly altered this picture. The present study is the first effort to assess the contribution of emission sources to PM10 and PM2.5 concentration levels and their long-term variability (over 5-10 years), in the two largest metropolitan urban areas in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki). Intensive measurement campaigns were conducted during 2011-2012 at suburban, urban background and urban traffic sites in these two cities. In addition, available datasets from previous measurements in Athens and Thessaloniki were used in order to assess the long-term variability of concentrations and sources. Chemical composition analysis of the 2011-2012 samples showed that carbonaceous matter was the most abundant component for both PM size fractions. Significant increase of carbonaceous particle concentrations and of OC/EC ratio during the cold period, especially in the residential urban background sites, pointed towards domestic heating and more particularly wood (biomass) burning as a significant source. PMF analysis further supported this finding. Biomass burning was the largest contributing source at the two urban background sites (with mean contributions for the two size fractions in the range of 24-46%). Secondary aerosol formation (sulphate, nitrate & organics) was also a major contributing source for both size fractions at the suburban and urban background sites. At the urban traffic site, vehicular traffic (exhaust and non-exhaust emissions) was the source with the highest contributions, accounting for 44% of PM10 and 37% of PM2.5, respectively. The long-term variability of emission sources in the two cities (over 5-10 years), assessed through a harmonized application of the PMF technique on recent and past year data, clearly demonstrates the effective reduction in emissions during the last decade due to control measures and technological development; however, it also reflects the effects of the financial crisis in Greece during these years, which has led to decreased economic activities and the adoption of more polluting practices by the local population in an effort to reduce living costs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kandlakunta, P; Pham, R; Zhang, T

Purpose: To develop and characterize a high brightness multiple-pixel thermionic emission x-ray (MPTEX) source. Methods: Multiple-pixel x-ray sources allow for designs of novel x-ray imaging techniques, such as fixed gantry CT, digital tomosynthesis, tetrahedron beam computed tomography, etc. We are developing a high-brightness multiple-pixel thermionic emission x-ray (MPTEX) source based on oxide coated cathodes. Oxide cathode is chosen as the electron source due to its high emission current density and low operating temperature. A MPTEX prototype has been developed which may contain up to 41 micro-rectangular oxide cathodes in 4 mm pixel spacing. Electronics hardware was developed for source controlmore » and switching. The cathode emission current was evaluated and x-ray measurements were performed to estimate the focal spot size. Results: The oxide cathodes were able to produce ∼110 mA cathode current in pulse mode which corresponds to an emission current density of 0.55 A/cm{sup 2}. The maximum kVp of the MPTEX prototype currently is limited to 100 kV due to the rating of high voltage feedthrough. Preliminary x-ray measurements estimated the focal spot size as 1.5 × 1.3 mm{sup 2}. Conclusion: A MPTEX source was developed with thermionic oxide coated cathodes and preliminary source characterization was successfully performed. The MPTEX source is able to produce an array of high brightness x-ray beams with a fast switching speed.« less

Partitioning of 13C-photosynthate from Spur Leaves during Fruit Growth of Three Japanese Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) Cultivars Differing in Maturation Date

PubMed Central

ZHANG, CAIXI; TANABE, KENJI; TAMURA, FUMIO; ITAI, AKIHIRO; WANG, SHIPING

2005-01-01

• Background and Aims In fruit crops, fruit size at harvest is an important aspect of quality. With Japanese pears (Pyrus pyrifolia), later maturing cultivars usually have larger fruits than earlier maturing cultivars. It is considered that the supply of photosynthate during fruit development is a critical determinant of size. To assess the interaction of assimilate supply and early/late maturity of cultivars and its effect on final fruit size, the pattern of carbon assimilate partitioning from spur leaves (source) to fruit and other organs (sinks) during fruit growth was investigated using three genotypes differing in maturation date. • Methods Partitioning of photosynthate from spur leaves during fruit growth was investigated by exposure of spurs to 13CO2 and measurement of the change in 13C abundance in dry matter with time. Leaf number and leaf area per spur, fresh fruit weight, cell number and cell size of the mesocarp were measured and used to model the development of the spur leaf and fruit. • Key Results Compared with the earlier-maturing cultivars ‘Shinsui’ and ‘Kousui’, the larger-fruited, later-maturing cultivar ‘Shinsetsu’ had a greater total leaf area per spur, greater source strength (source weight × source specific activity), with more 13C assimilated per spur and allocated to fruit, smaller loss of 13C in respiration and export over the season, and longer duration of cell division and enlargement. Histology shows that cultivar differences in final fruit size were mainly attributable to the number of cells in the mesocarp. • Conclusions Assimilate availability during the period of cell division was crucial for early fruit growth and closely correlated with final fruit size. Early fruit growth of the earlier-maturing cultivars, but not the later-maturing ones, was severely restrained by assimilate supply rather than by sink limitation. PMID:15655106

Study on effective MOSFET channel length extracted from gate capacitance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, Katsuhiro; Terada, Kazuo; Fujisaka, Hisato

2018-01-01

The effective channel length (L GCM) of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is extracted from the gate capacitances of actual-size MOSFETs, which are measured by charge-injection-induced-error-free charge-based capacitance measurement (CIEF CBCM). To accurately evaluate the capacitances between the gate and the channel of test MOSFETs, the parasitic capacitances are removed by using test MOSFETs having various channel sizes and a source/drain reference device. A strong linear relationship between the gate-channel capacitance and the design channel length is obtained, from which L GCM is extracted. It is found that L GCM is slightly less than the effective channel length (L CRM) extracted from the measured MOSFET drain current. The reason for this is discussed, and it is found that the capacitance between the gate electrode and the source and drain regions affects this extraction.

Azimuthally Differential Pion Femtoscopy in Pb-Pb Collisions at √{sN N }=2.76 TeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamová, D.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Aglieri Rinella, G.; Agnello, M.; Agrawal, N.; Ahammed, Z.; Ahmad, S.; Ahn, S. U.; Aiola, S.; Akindinov, A.; Alam, S. N.; Albuquerque, D. S. D.; Aleksandrov, D.; Alessandro, B.; Alexandre, D.; Alfaro Molina, R.; Alici, A.; Alkin, A.; Alme, J.; Alt, T.; Altinpinar, S.; Altsybeev, I.; Alves Garcia Prado, C.; An, M.; Andrei, C.; Andrews, H. A.; Andronic, A.; Anguelov, V.; Anson, C.; Antičić, T.; Antinori, F.; Antonioli, P.; Anwar, R.; Aphecetche, L.; Appelshäuser, H.; Arcelli, S.; Arnaldi, R.; Arnold, O. W.; Arsene, I. C.; Arslandok, M.; Audurier, B.; Augustinus, A.; Averbeck, R.; Azmi, M. D.; Badalà, A.; Baek, Y. W.; Bagnasco, S.; Bailhache, R.; Bala, R.; Baldisseri, A.; Ball, M.; Baral, R. C.; Barbano, A. M.; Barbera, R.; Barile, F.; Barioglio, L.; Barnaföldi, G. G.; Barnby, L. S.; Barret, V.; Bartalini, P.; Barth, K.; Bartke, J.; Bartsch, E.; Basile, M.; Bastid, N.; Basu, S.; Bathen, B.; Batigne, G.; Batista Camejo, A.; Batyunya, B.; Batzing, P. C.; Bearden, I. G.; Beck, H.; Bedda, C.; Behera, N. K.; Belikov, I.; Bellini, F.; Bello Martinez, H.; Bellwied, R.; Beltran, L. G. E.; Belyaev, V.; Bencedi, G.; Beole, S.; Bercuci, A.; Berdnikov, Y.; Berenyi, D.; Bertens, R. A.; Berzano, D.; Betev, L.; Bhasin, A.; Bhat, I. R.; Bhati, A. K.; Bhattacharjee, B.; Bhom, J.; Bianchi, L.; Bianchi, N.; Bianchin, C.; Bielčík, J.; Bielčíková, J.; Bilandzic, A.; Biro, G.; Biswas, R.; Biswas, S.; Blair, J. T.; Blau, D.; Blume, C.; Boca, G.; Bock, F.; Bogdanov, A.; Boldizsár, L.; Bombara, M.; Bonomi, G.; Bonora, M.; Book, J.; Borel, H.; Borissov, A.; Borri, M.; Botta, E.; Bourjau, C.; Braun-Munzinger, P.; Bregant, M.; Broker, T. A.; Browning, T. A.; Broz, M.; Brucken, E. J.; Bruna, E.; Bruno, G. E.; Budnikov, D.; Buesching, H.; Bufalino, S.; Buhler, P.; Buitron, S. A. I.; Buncic, P.; Busch, O.; Buthelezi, Z.; Butt, J. B.; Buxton, J. T.; Cabala, J.; Caffarri, D.; Caines, H.; Caliva, A.; Calvo Villar, E.; Camerini, P.; Capon, A. A.; Carena, F.; Carena, W.; Carnesecchi, F.; Castillo Castellanos, J.; Castro, A. J.; Casula, E. A. R.; Ceballos Sanchez, C.; Cerello, P.; Chang, B.; Chapeland, S.; Chartier, M.; Charvet, J. L.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chauvin, A.; Cherney, M.; Cheshkov, C.; Cheynis, B.; Chibante Barroso, V.; Chinellato, D. D.; Cho, S.; Chochula, P.; Choi, K.; Chojnacki, M.; Choudhury, S.; Christakoglou, P.; Christensen, C. H.; Christiansen, P.; Chujo, T.; Chung, S. U.; Cicalo, C.; Cifarelli, L.; Cindolo, F.; Cleymans, J.; Colamaria, F.; Colella, D.; Collu, A.; Colocci, M.; Conesa Balbastre, G.; Conesa Del Valle, Z.; Connors, M. E.; Contreras, J. G.; Cormier, T. M.; Corrales Morales, Y.; Cortés Maldonado, I.; Cortese, P.; Cosentino, M. R.; Costa, F.; Costanza, S.; Crkovská, J.; Crochet, P.; Cuautle, E.; Cunqueiro, L.; Dahms, T.; Dainese, A.; Danisch, M. C.; Danu, A.; Das, D.; Das, I.; Das, S.; Dash, A.; Dash, S.; de, S.; de Caro, A.; de Cataldo, G.; de Conti, C.; de Cuveland, J.; de Falco, A.; de Gruttola, D.; De Marco, N.; de Pasquale, S.; de Souza, R. D.; Degenhardt, H. F.; Deisting, A.; Deloff, A.; Deplano, C.; Dhankher, P.; di Bari, D.; di Mauro, A.; di Nezza, P.; di Ruzza, B.; Diaz Corchero, M. A.; Dietel, T.; Dillenseger, P.; Divià, R.; Djuvsland, Ø.; Dobrin, A.; Domenicis Gimenez, D.; Dönigus, B.; Dordic, O.; Drozhzhova, T.; Dubey, A. K.; Dubla, A.; Ducroux, L.; Duggal, A. K.; Dupieux, P.; Ehlers, R. J.; Elia, D.; Endress, E.; Engel, H.; Epple, E.; Erazmus, B.; Erhardt, F.; Espagnon, B.; Esumi, S.; Eulisse, G.; Eum, J.; Evans, D.; Evdokimov, S.; Fabbietti, L.; Fabris, D.; Faivre, J.; Fantoni, A.; Fasel, M.; Feldkamp, L.; Feliciello, A.; Feofilov, G.; Ferencei, J.; Fernández Téllez, A.; Ferreiro, E. G.; Ferretti, A.; Festanti, A.; Feuillard, V. J. G.; Figiel, J.; Figueredo, M. A. S.; Filchagin, S.; Finogeev, D.; Fionda, F. M.; Fiore, E. M.; Floris, M.; Foertsch, S.; Foka, P.; Fokin, S.; Fragiacomo, E.; Francescon, A.; Francisco, A.; Frankenfeld, U.; Fronze, G. G.; Fuchs, U.; Furget, C.; Furs, A.; Fusco Girard, M.; Gaardhøje, J. J.; Gagliardi, M.; Gago, A. M.; Gajdosova, K.; Gallio, M.; Galvan, C. D.; Gangadharan, D. R.; Ganoti, P.; Gao, C.; Garabatos, C.; Garcia-Solis, E.; Garg, K.; Garg, P.; Gargiulo, C.; Gasik, P.; Gauger, E. F.; Gay Ducati, M. B.; Germain, M.; Ghosh, P.; Ghosh, S. K.; Gianotti, P.; Giubellino, P.; Giubilato, P.; Gladysz-Dziadus, E.; Glässel, P.; Goméz Coral, D. M.; Gomez Ramirez, A.; Gonzalez, A. S.; Gonzalez, V.; González-Zamora, P.; Gorbunov, S.; Görlich, L.; Gotovac, S.; Grabski, V.; Graczykowski, L. K.; Graham, K. L.; Gramling, J. L.; Greiner, L.; Grelli, A.; Grigoras, C.; Grigoriev, V.; Grigoryan, A.; Grigoryan, S.; Grion, N.; Gronefeld, J. M.; Grosa, F.; Grosse-Oetringhaus, J. F.; Grosso, R.; Gruber, L.; Grull, F. R.; Guber, F.; Guernane, R.; Guerzoni, B.; Gulbrandsen, K.; Gunji, T.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, R.; Guzman, I. B.; Haake, R.; Hadjidakis, C.; Hamagaki, H.; Hamar, G.; Hamon, J. C.; Harris, J. W.; Harton, A.; Hatzifotiadou, D.; Hayashi, S.; Heckel, S. T.; Hellbär, E.; Helstrup, H.; Herghelegiu, A.; Herrera Corral, G.; Herrmann, F.; Hess, B. A.; Hetland, K. F.; Hillemanns, H.; Hippolyte, B.; Hladky, J.; Horak, D.; Hosokawa, R.; Hristov, P.; Hughes, C.; Humanic, T. J.; Hussain, N.; Hussain, T.; Hutter, D.; Hwang, D. S.; Ilkaev, R.; Inaba, M.; Ippolitov, M.; Irfan, M.; Isakov, V.; Islam, M. S.; Ivanov, M.; Ivanov, V.; Izucheev, V.; Jacak, B.; Jacazio, N.; Jacobs, P. M.; Jadhav, M. B.; Jadlovska, S.; Jadlovsky, J.; Jahnke, C.; Jakubowska, M. J.; Janik, M. A.; Jayarathna, P. H. S. Y.; Jena, C.; Jena, S.; Jercic, M.; Jimenez Bustamante, R. T.; Jones, P. G.; Jusko, A.; Kalinak, P.; Kalweit, A.; Kang, J. H.; Kaplin, V.; Kar, S.; Karasu Uysal, A.; Karavichev, O.; Karavicheva, T.; Karayan, L.; Karpechev, E.; Kebschull, U.; Keidel, R.; Keijdener, D. L. D.; Keil, M.; Ketzer, B.; Mohisin Khan, M.; Khan, P.; Khan, S. A.; Khanzadeev, A.; Kharlov, Y.; Khatun, A.; Khuntia, A.; Kielbowicz, M. M.; Kileng, B.; Kim, D. W.; Kim, D. J.; Kim, D.; Kim, H.; Kim, J. S.; Kim, J.; Kim, M.; Kim, M.; Kim, S.; Kim, T.; Kirsch, S.; Kisel, I.; Kiselev, S.; Kisiel, A.; Kiss, G.; Klay, J. L.; Klein, C.; Klein, J.; Klein-Bösing, C.; Klewin, S.; Kluge, A.; Knichel, M. L.; Knospe, A. G.; Kobdaj, C.; Kofarago, M.; Kollegger, T.; Kolojvari, A.; Kondratiev, V.; Kondratyeva, N.; Kondratyuk, E.; Konevskikh, A.; Kopcik, M.; Kour, M.; Kouzinopoulos, C.; Kovalenko, O.; Kovalenko, V.; Kowalski, M.; Koyithatta Meethaleveedu, G.; Králik, I.; Kravčáková, A.; Krivda, M.; Krizek, F.; Kryshen, E.; Krzewicki, M.; Kubera, A. M.; Kučera, V.; Kuhn, C.; Kuijer, P. G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, J.; Kumar, L.; Kumar, S.; Kundu, S.; Kurashvili, P.; Kurepin, A.; Kurepin, A. B.; Kuryakin, A.; Kushpil, S.; Kweon, M. J.; Kwon, Y.; La Pointe, S. L.; La Rocca, P.; Lagana Fernandes, C.; Lakomov, I.; Langoy, R.; Lapidus, K.; Lara, C.; Lardeux, A.; Lattuca, A.; Laudi, E.; Lavicka, R.; Lazaridis, L.; Lea, R.; Leardini, L.; Lee, S.; Lehas, F.; Lehner, S.; Lehrbach, J.; Lemmon, R. C.; Lenti, V.; Leogrande, E.; León Monzón, I.; Lévai, P.; Li, S.; Li, X.; Lien, J.; Lietava, R.; Lindal, S.; Lindenstruth, V.; Lippmann, C.; Lisa, M. A.; Litichevskyi, V.; Ljunggren, H. M.; Llope, W. J.; Lodato, D. F.; Loggins, V. R.; Loenne, P. I.; Loginov, V.; Loizides, C.; Loncar, P.; Lopez, X.; López Torres, E.; Lowe, A.; Luettig, P.; Lunardon, M.; Luparello, G.; Lupi, M.; Lutz, T. H.; Maevskaya, A.; Mager, M.; Mahajan, S.; Mahmood, S. M.; Maire, A.; Majka, R. D.; Malaev, M.; Maldonado Cervantes, I.; Malinina, L.; Mal'Kevich, D.; Malzacher, P.; Mamonov, A.; Manko, V.; Manso, F.; Manzari, V.; Mao, Y.; Marchisone, M.; Mareš, J.; Margagliotti, G. V.; Margotti, A.; Margutti, J.; Marín, A.; Markert, C.; Marquard, M.; Martin, N. A.; Martinengo, P.; Martinez, J. A. L.; Martínez, M. I.; Martínez García, G.; Martinez Pedreira, M.; Mas, A.; Masciocchi, S.; Masera, M.; Masoni, A.; Mastroserio, A.; Mathis, A. M.; Matyja, A.; Mayer, C.; Mazer, J.; Mazzilli, M.; Mazzoni, M. A.; Meddi, F.; Melikyan, Y.; Menchaca-Rocha, A.; Meninno, E.; Mercado Pérez, J.; Meres, M.; Mhlanga, S.; Miake, Y.; Mieskolainen, M. M.; Mihaylov, D.; Mikhaylov, K.; Milano, L.; Milosevic, J.; Mischke, A.; Mishra, A. N.; Miśkowiec, D.; Mitra, J.; Mitu, C. M.; Mohammadi, N.; Mohanty, B.; Montes, E.; Moreira de Godoy, D. A.; Moreno, L. A. P.; Moretto, S.; Morreale, A.; Morsch, A.; Muccifora, V.; Mudnic, E.; Mühlheim, D.; Muhuri, S.; Mukherjee, M.; Mulligan, J. D.; Munhoz, M. G.; Münning, K.; Munzer, R. H.; Murakami, H.; Murray, S.; Musa, L.; Musinsky, J.; Myers, C. J.; Naik, B.; Nair, R.; Nandi, B. K.; Nania, R.; Nappi, E.; Naru, M. U.; Natal da Luz, H.; Nattrass, C.; Navarro, S. R.; Nayak, K.; Nayak, R.; Nayak, T. K.; Nazarenko, S.; Nedosekin, A.; Negrao de Oliveira, R. A.; Nellen, L.; Nesbo, S. V.; Ng, F.; Nicassio, M.; Niculescu, M.; Niedziela, J.; Nielsen, B. S.; Nikolaev, S.; Nikulin, S.; Nikulin, V.; Noferini, F.; Nomokonov, P.; Nooren, G.; Noris, J. C. C.; Norman, J.; Nyanin, A.; Nystrand, J.; Oeschler, H.; Oh, S.; Ohlson, A.; Okubo, T.; Olah, L.; Oleniacz, J.; Oliveira da Silva, A. C.; Oliver, M. H.; Onderwaater, J.; Oppedisano, C.; Orava, R.; Oravec, M.; Ortiz Velasquez, A.; Oskarsson, A.; Otwinowski, J.; Oyama, K.; Ozdemir, M.; Pachmayer, Y.; Pacik, V.; Pagano, D.; Pagano, P.; Paić, G.; Pal, S. K.; Palni, P.; Pan, J.; Pandey, A. K.; Panebianco, S.; Papikyan, V.; Pappalardo, G. S.; Pareek, P.; Park, J.; Park, W. J.; Parmar, S.; Passfeld, A.; Pathak, S. P.; Paticchio, V.; Patra, R. N.; Paul, B.; Pei, H.; Peitzmann, T.; Peng, X.; Pereira, L. G.; Pereira da Costa, H.; Peresunko, D.; Perez Lezama, E.; Peskov, V.; Pestov, Y.; Petráček, V.; Petrov, V.; Petrovici, M.; Petta, C.; Pezzi, R. P.; Piano, S.; Pikna, M.; Pillot, P.; Pimentel, L. O. D. L.; Pinazza, O.; Pinsky, L.; Piyarathna, D. B.; Płoskoń, M.; Planinic, M.; Pluta, J.; Pochybova, S.; Podesta-Lerma, P. L. M.; Poghosyan, M. G.; Polichtchouk, B.; Poljak, N.; Poonsawat, W.; Pop, A.; Poppenborg, H.; Porteboeuf-Houssais, S.; Porter, J.; Pospisil, J.; Pozdniakov, V.; Prasad, S. K.; Preghenella, R.; Prino, F.; Pruneau, C. A.; Pshenichnov, I.; Puccio, M.; Puddu, G.; Pujahari, P.; Punin, V.; Putschke, J.; Qvigstad, H.; Rachevski, A.; Raha, S.; Rajput, S.; Rak, J.; Rakotozafindrabe, A.; Ramello, L.; Rami, F.; Rana, D. B.; Raniwala, R.; Raniwala, S.; Räsänen, S. S.; Rascanu, B. T.; Rathee, D.; Ratza, V.; Ravasenga, I.; Read, K. F.; Redlich, K.; Rehman, A.; Reichelt, P.; Reidt, F.; Ren, X.; Renfordt, R.; Reolon, A. R.; Reshetin, A.; Reygers, K.; Riabov, V.; Ricci, R. A.; Richert, T.; Richter, M.; Riedler, P.; Riegler, W.; Riggi, F.; Ristea, C.; Rodríguez Cahuantzi, M.; Røed, K.; Rogochaya, E.; Rohr, D.; Röhrich, D.; Rokita, P. S.; Ronchetti, F.; Ronflette, L.; Rosnet, P.; Rossi, A.; Rotondi, A.; Roukoutakis, F.; Roy, A.; Roy, C.; Roy, P.; Rubio Montero, A. J.; Rui, R.; Russo, R.; Rustamov, A.; Ryabinkin, E.; Ryabov, Y.; Rybicki, A.; Saarinen, S.; Sadhu, S.; Sadovsky, S.; Šafařík, K.; Saha, S. K.; Sahlmuller, B.; Sahoo, B.; Sahoo, P.; Sahoo, R.; Sahoo, S.; Sahu, P. K.; Saini, J.; Sakai, S.; Saleh, M. A.; Salzwedel, J.; Sambyal, S.; Samsonov, V.; Sandoval, A.; Sarkar, D.; Sarkar, N.; Sarma, P.; Sas, M. H. P.; Scapparone, E.; Scarlassara, F.; Scharenberg, R. P.; Scheid, H. S.; Schiaua, C.; Schicker, R.; Schmidt, C.; Schmidt, H. R.; Schmidt, M. O.; Schmidt, M.; Schukraft, J.; Schutz, Y.; Schwarz, K.; Schweda, K.; Scioli, G.; Scomparin, E.; Scott, R.; Šefčík, M.; Seger, J. E.; Sekiguchi, Y.; Sekihata, D.; Selyuzhenkov, I.; Senosi, K.; Senyukov, S.; Serradilla, E.; Sett, P.; Sevcenco, A.; Shabanov, A.; Shabetai, A.; Shadura, O.; Shahoyan, R.; Shangaraev, A.; Sharma, A.; Sharma, A.; Sharma, M.; Sharma, M.; Sharma, N.; Sheikh, A. I.; Shigaki, K.; Shou, Q.; Shtejer, K.; Sibiriak, Y.; Siddhanta, S.; Sielewicz, K. M.; Siemiarczuk, T.; Silvermyr, D.; Silvestre, C.; Simatovic, G.; Simonetti, G.; Singaraju, R.; Singh, R.; Singhal, V.; Sinha, T.; Sitar, B.; Sitta, M.; Skaali, T. B.; Slupecki, M.; Smirnov, N.; Snellings, R. J. M.; Snellman, T. W.; Song, J.; Song, M.; Soramel, F.; Sorensen, S.; Sozzi, F.; Spiriti, E.; Sputowska, I.; Srivastava, B. K.; Stachel, J.; Stan, I.; Stankus, P.; Stenlund, E.; Stiller, J. H.; Stocco, D.; Strmen, P.; Suaide, A. A. P.; Sugitate, T.; Suire, C.; Suleymanov, M.; Suljic, M.; Sultanov, R.; Šumbera, M.; Sumowidagdo, S.; Suzuki, K.; Swain, S.; Szabo, A.; Szarka, I.; Szczepankiewicz, A.; Szymanski, M.; Tabassam, U.; Takahashi, J.; Tambave, G. J.; Tanaka, N.; Tarhini, M.; Tariq, M.; Tarzila, M. G.; Tauro, A.; Tejeda Muñoz, G.; Telesca, A.; Terasaki, K.; Terrevoli, C.; Teyssier, B.; Thakur, D.; Thakur, S.; Thomas, D.; Tieulent, R.; Tikhonov, A.; Timmins, A. R.; Toia, A.; Tripathy, S.; Trogolo, S.; Trombetta, G.; Trubnikov, V.; Trzaska, W. H.; Trzeciak, B. A.; Tsuji, T.; Tumkin, A.; Turrisi, R.; Tveter, T. S.; Ullaland, K.; Umaka, E. N.; Uras, A.; Usai, G. L.; Utrobicic, A.; Vala, M.; van der Maarel, J.; van Hoorne, J. W.; van Leeuwen, M.; Vanat, T.; Vande Vyvre, P.; Varga, D.; Vargas, A.; Vargyas, M.; Varma, R.; Vasileiou, M.; Vasiliev, A.; Vauthier, A.; Vázquez Doce, O.; Vechernin, V.; Veen, A. M.; Velure, A.; Vercellin, E.; Vergara Limón, S.; Vernet, R.; Vértesi, R.; Vickovic, L.; Vigolo, S.; Viinikainen, J.; Vilakazi, Z.; Villalobos Baillie, O.; Villatoro Tello, A.; Vinogradov, A.; Vinogradov, L.; Virgili, T.; Vislavicius, V.; Vodopyanov, A.; Völkl, M. A.; Voloshin, K.; Voloshin, S. A.; Volpe, G.; von Haller, B.; Vorobyev, I.; Voscek, D.; Vranic, D.; Vrláková, J.; Wagner, B.; Wagner, J.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Watanabe, D.; Watanabe, Y.; Weber, M.; Weber, S. G.; Weiser, D. F.; Wessels, J. P.; Westerhoff, U.; Whitehead, A. M.; Wiechula, J.; Wikne, J.; Wilk, G.; Wilkinson, J.; Willems, G. A.; Williams, M. C. S.; Windelband, B.; Witt, W. E.; Yalcin, S.; Yang, P.; Yano, S.; Yin, Z.; Yokoyama, H.; Yoo, I.-K.; Yoon, J. H.; Yurchenko, V.; Zaccolo, V.; Zaman, A.; Zampolli, C.; Zanoli, H. J. C.; Zaporozhets, S.; Zardoshti, N.; Zarochentsev, A.; Závada, P.; Zaviyalov, N.; Zbroszczyk, H.; Zhalov, M.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, C.; Zhigareva, N.; Zhou, D.; Zhou, Y.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, J.; Zhu, X.; Zichichi, A.; Zimmermann, A.; Zimmermann, M. B.; Zimmermann, S.; Zinovjev, G.; Zmeskal, J.; Alice Collaboration

2017-06-01

We present the first azimuthally differential measurements of the pion source size relative to the second harmonic event plane in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon pair of √{sN N }=2.76 TeV . The measurements have been performed in the centrality range 0%-50% and for pion pair transverse momenta 0.2

Azimuthally Differential Pion Femtoscopy in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV.

PubMed

Adamová, D; Aggarwal, M M; Aglieri Rinella, G; Agnello, M; Agrawal, N; Ahammed, Z; Ahmad, S; Ahn, S U; Aiola, S; Akindinov, A; Alam, S N; Albuquerque, D S D; Aleksandrov, D; Alessandro, B; Alexandre, D; Alfaro Molina, R; Alici, A; Alkin, A; Alme, J; Alt, T; Altinpinar, S; Altsybeev, I; Alves Garcia Prado, C; An, M; Andrei, C; Andrews, H A; Andronic, A; Anguelov, V; Anson, C; Antičić, T; Antinori, F; Antonioli, P; Anwar, R; Aphecetche, L; Appelshäuser, H; Arcelli, S; Arnaldi, R; Arnold, O W; Arsene, I C; Arslandok, M; Audurier, B; Augustinus, A; Averbeck, R; Azmi, M D; Badalà, A; Baek, Y W; Bagnasco, S; Bailhache, R; Bala, R; Baldisseri, A; Ball, M; Baral, R C; Barbano, A M; Barbera, R; Barile, F; Barioglio, L; Barnaföldi, G G; Barnby, L S; Barret, V; Bartalini, P; Barth, K; Bartke, J; Bartsch, E; Basile, M; Bastid, N; Basu, S; Bathen, B; Batigne, G; Batista Camejo, A; Batyunya, B; Batzing, P C; Bearden, I G; Beck, H; Bedda, C; Behera, N K; Belikov, I; Bellini, F; Bello Martinez, H; Bellwied, R; Beltran, L G E; Belyaev, V; Bencedi, G; Beole, S; Bercuci, A; Berdnikov, Y; Berenyi, D; Bertens, R A; Berzano, D; Betev, L; Bhasin, A; Bhat, I R; Bhati, A K; Bhattacharjee, B; Bhom, J; Bianchi, L; Bianchi, N; Bianchin, C; Bielčík, J; Bielčíková, J; Bilandzic, A; Biro, G; Biswas, R; Biswas, S; Blair, J T; Blau, D; Blume, C; Boca, G; Bock, F; Bogdanov, A; Boldizsár, L; Bombara, M; Bonomi, G; Bonora, M; Book, J; Borel, H; Borissov, A; Borri, M; Botta, E; Bourjau, C; Braun-Munzinger, P; Bregant, M; Broker, T A; Browning, T A; Broz, M; Brucken, E J; Bruna, E; Bruno, G E; Budnikov, D; Buesching, H; Bufalino, S; Buhler, P; Buitron, S A I; Buncic, P; Busch, O; Buthelezi, Z; Butt, J B; Buxton, J T; Cabala, J; Caffarri, D; Caines, H; Caliva, A; Calvo Villar, E; Camerini, P; Capon, A A; Carena, F; Carena, W; Carnesecchi, F; Castillo Castellanos, J; Castro, A J; Casula, E A R; Ceballos Sanchez, C; Cerello, P; Chang, B; Chapeland, S; Chartier, M; Charvet, J L; Chattopadhyay, S; Chattopadhyay, S; Chauvin, A; Cherney, M; Cheshkov, C; Cheynis, B; Chibante Barroso, V; Chinellato, D D; Cho, S; Chochula, P; Choi, K; Chojnacki, M; Choudhury, S; Christakoglou, P; Christensen, C H; Christiansen, P; Chujo, T; Chung, S U; Cicalo, C; Cifarelli, L; Cindolo, F; Cleymans, J; Colamaria, F; Colella, D; Collu, A; Colocci, M; Conesa Balbastre, G; Conesa Del Valle, Z; Connors, M E; Contreras, J G; Cormier, T M; Corrales Morales, Y; Cortés Maldonado, I; Cortese, P; Cosentino, M R; Costa, F; Costanza, S; Crkovská, J; Crochet, P; Cuautle, E; Cunqueiro, L; Dahms, T; Dainese, A; Danisch, M C; Danu, A; Das, D; Das, I; Das, S; Dash, A; Dash, S; De, S; De Caro, A; de Cataldo, G; de Conti, C; de Cuveland, J; De Falco, A; De Gruttola, D; De Marco, N; De Pasquale, S; De Souza, R D; Degenhardt, H F; Deisting, A; Deloff, A; Deplano, C; Dhankher, P; Di Bari, D; Di Mauro, A; Di Nezza, P; Di Ruzza, B; Diaz Corchero, M A; Dietel, T; Dillenseger, P; Divià, R; Djuvsland, Ø; Dobrin, A; Domenicis Gimenez, D; Dönigus, B; Dordic, O; 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Sahu, P K; Saini, J; Sakai, S; Saleh, M A; Salzwedel, J; Sambyal, S; Samsonov, V; Sandoval, A; Sarkar, D; Sarkar, N; Sarma, P; Sas, M H P; Scapparone, E; Scarlassara, F; Scharenberg, R P; Scheid, H S; Schiaua, C; Schicker, R; Schmidt, C; Schmidt, H R; Schmidt, M O; Schmidt, M; Schukraft, J; Schutz, Y; Schwarz, K; Schweda, K; Scioli, G; Scomparin, E; Scott, R; Šefčík, M; Seger, J E; Sekiguchi, Y; Sekihata, D; Selyuzhenkov, I; Senosi, K; Senyukov, S; Serradilla, E; Sett, P; Sevcenco, A; Shabanov, A; Shabetai, A; Shadura, O; Shahoyan, R; Shangaraev, A; Sharma, A; Sharma, A; Sharma, M; Sharma, M; Sharma, N; Sheikh, A I; Shigaki, K; Shou, Q; Shtejer, K; Sibiriak, Y; Siddhanta, S; Sielewicz, K M; Siemiarczuk, T; Silvermyr, D; Silvestre, C; Simatovic, G; Simonetti, G; Singaraju, R; Singh, R; Singhal, V; Sinha, T; Sitar, B; Sitta, M; Skaali, T B; Slupecki, M; Smirnov, N; Snellings, R J M; Snellman, T W; Song, J; Song, M; Soramel, F; Sorensen, S; Sozzi, F; Spiriti, E; Sputowska, I; Srivastava, B K; Stachel, J; Stan, I; Stankus, P; Stenlund, E; Stiller, J H; Stocco, D; Strmen, P; Suaide, A A P; Sugitate, T; Suire, C; Suleymanov, M; Suljic, M; Sultanov, R; Šumbera, M; Sumowidagdo, S; Suzuki, K; Swain, S; Szabo, A; Szarka, I; Szczepankiewicz, A; Szymanski, M; Tabassam, U; Takahashi, J; Tambave, G J; Tanaka, N; Tarhini, M; Tariq, M; Tarzila, M G; Tauro, A; Tejeda Muñoz, G; Telesca, A; Terasaki, K; Terrevoli, C; Teyssier, B; Thakur, D; Thakur, S; Thomas, D; Tieulent, R; Tikhonov, A; Timmins, A R; Toia, A; Tripathy, S; Trogolo, S; Trombetta, G; Trubnikov, V; Trzaska, W H; Trzeciak, B A; Tsuji, T; Tumkin, A; Turrisi, R; Tveter, T S; Ullaland, K; Umaka, E N; Uras, A; Usai, G L; Utrobicic, A; Vala, M; Van Der Maarel, J; Van Hoorne, J W; van Leeuwen, M; Vanat, T; Vande Vyvre, P; Varga, D; Vargas, A; Vargyas, M; Varma, R; Vasileiou, M; Vasiliev, A; Vauthier, A; Vázquez Doce, O; Vechernin, V; Veen, A M; Velure, A; Vercellin, E; Vergara Limón, S; Vernet, R; Vértesi, R; Vickovic, L; Vigolo, S; Viinikainen, J; Vilakazi, Z; Villalobos Baillie, O; Villatoro Tello, A; Vinogradov, A; Vinogradov, L; Virgili, T; Vislavicius, V; Vodopyanov, A; Völkl, M A; Voloshin, K; Voloshin, S A; Volpe, G; von Haller, B; Vorobyev, I; Voscek, D; Vranic, D; Vrláková, J; Wagner, B; Wagner, J; Wang, H; Wang, M; Watanabe, D; Watanabe, Y; Weber, M; Weber, S G; Weiser, D F; Wessels, J P; Westerhoff, U; Whitehead, A M; Wiechula, J; Wikne, J; Wilk, G; Wilkinson, J; Willems, G A; Williams, M C S; Windelband, B; Witt, W E; Yalcin, S; Yang, P; Yano, S; Yin, Z; Yokoyama, H; Yoo, I-K; Yoon, J H; Yurchenko, V; Zaccolo, V; Zaman, A; Zampolli, C; Zanoli, H J C; Zaporozhets, S; Zardoshti, N; Zarochentsev, A; Závada, P; Zaviyalov, N; Zbroszczyk, H; Zhalov, M; Zhang, H; Zhang, X; Zhang, Y; Zhang, C; Zhang, Z; Zhao, C; Zhigareva, N; Zhou, D; Zhou, Y; Zhou, Z; Zhu, H; Zhu, J; Zhu, X; Zichichi, A; Zimmermann, A; Zimmermann, M B; Zimmermann, S; Zinovjev, G; Zmeskal, J

2017-06-02

We present the first azimuthally differential measurements of the pion source size relative to the second harmonic event plane in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV. The measurements have been performed in the centrality range 0%-50% and for pion pair transverse momenta 0.2

Sero-prevalence and risk factors associated with African swine fever on pig farms in southwest Nigeria.

PubMed

Awosanya, Emmanuel Jolaoluwa; Olugasa, Babasola; Ogundipe, Gabriel; Grohn, Yrjo Tapio

2015-06-12

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the major setbacks to development of the pig industry in Nigeria. It is enzootic in southwest Nigeria. We determined the sero-prevalence and factors associated with ASF among-herd seropositivity in 144 pig farms in six States from southwest Nigeria during the dry and rainy seasons using indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for ASF IgG antibodies. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on demography, environmental and management factors. We performed descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariable analyses to determine the among-herd sero-prevalence of ASF and its associated factors. The overall herd sero-prevalence of ASF was 28% (95% Confidence interval (95% CI) 21-36); it was significantly higher (P <0.05) in the dry season (54%; 95% CI 37-70) than the rainy season (18%; 95% CI 11-27). In the univariate analysis, having a quarantine/ isolation unit within 100 m radius of a regular pig pen (OR = 3.3; 95% CI 1.3-8.9), external source of replacement stock (OR = 3.2; 95% CI 1.3-8.3) and dry season (OR = 5.3; 95% CI 2.2-12.7) were risk factors for ASF among-herd seropositivity. In the multivariable logistic regression, there was interaction between season and herd size. Our final model included season, source of replacement stock, herd size and interaction between herd size and season. Herds with an external source of replacement always had higher ASF sero-prevalence compared with herds with an internal source. The herd size effect varied between seasons. The ASF herd level sero-prevalence in southwest Nigeria was higher in pig herds with an external source of replacement stock and in the dry season. The effect of season of the year the samples were taken on ASF seropositivity was modified by herd size. We encourage strict compliance with biosecurity measures, especially using an internal source of replacement stock and measures that minimize movement on pig farms in southwest Nigeria, in order to enhance ASF free farms.

Water-soluble ions in atmospheric aerosols measured in five sites in the Yangtze River Delta, China: Size-fractionated, seasonal variations and sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Honglei; Zhu, Bin; Shen, Lijuan; Xu, Honghui; An, Junlin; Xue, Guoqiang; Cao, Jinfei

2015-12-01

In order to investigate the regional variations of water-soluble ions (WSIs), size-resolved measurement of aerosol particles and WSIs was conducted by using Anderson Sampler and Ion Chromatography at five sites (Nanjing, Suzhou, Lin'an, Hangzhou and Ningbo) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China in the Autumn of 2012 and Winter, Spring and Summer of 2013. WSIs exhibited obvious seasonal variations due to the monsoon conversion, with the highest level in winter and lowest level in summer. The aerosol mass concentrations and WSIs in different size segments varied with four seasons. The dominant ions concentrations in PM2.1 ranked in the order of SO42- > NO3- > NH4+ > Cl- > K+ > Ca2+, and the dominant ions concentrations in PM2.1-10 ranked in the order of Ca2+ > NO3- > SO42- > Cl- > NH4+ > Na+. The size spectra of mass and WSIs concentration peaked mostly at 0.43-0.65 μm in four seasons. The concentration discrepancies of WSIs in different cities were caused by the geographic locations and emission source. It's belonged to ammonium-rich distribution in PM2.1 and ammonium-poor distribution in PM2.1-10 in the YRD region. The impact of temperature on mass concentrations of NO3- and NH4+ in PM2.1 were stronger than those in PM2.1-10. PCA analysis shows that the sources of WSIs dominant by anthropogenic sources, soil particles or falling dust, sea salt and burning process.

A lower bound on the number of cosmic ray events required to measure source catalogue correlations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dolci, Marco; Romero-Wolf, Andrew; Wissel, Stephanie, E-mail: marco.dolci@polito.it, E-mail: Andrew.Romero-Wolf@jpl.nasa.gov, E-mail: swissel@calpoly.edu

2016-10-01

Recent analyses of cosmic ray arrival directions have resulted in evidence for a positive correlation with active galactic nuclei positions that has weak significance against an isotropic source distribution. In this paper, we explore the sample size needed to measure a highly statistically significant correlation to a parent source catalogue. We compare several scenarios for the directional scattering of ultra-high energy cosmic rays given our current knowledge of the galactic and intergalactic magnetic fields. We find significant correlations are possible for a sample of >1000 cosmic ray protons with energies above 60 EeV.

Potential origin of organic CNN observed at a marine site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrews, E.; Kreidenweis, S.M.; Penner, J.E.

1995-12-31

Observations by Novakov and Penner (1993) suggest that organic aerosol particles may make up a significant portion of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) comparable, perhaps, to the sulfate aerosol contribution to CCN. Because organic CCN would influence the albedo and radiative properties of clouds and play a role in climate change, it is important to identify the sources of these aerosols. In their research Novakov and Penner assumed that particles larger than 0.05 {mu}m could act as CCN. Therefore the origins of nucleation mode aerosol (0.03 < dp < 0.1 {mu}m) are the focus of our research. In our research, wemore » apply a dynamic aerosol model (MAEROS) to explore potential sources of the nucleation mode organic aerosol observed at a marine site in Puerto Rico. Novakov and Penner measured the size segregated mass and composition of the atmospheric aerosol at this site and found that organic aerosol mass dominated the sulfate mass in the nucleation size range. The presence of organics in this size range suggests that these organic aerosol particles were generated by nucleation of a gas phase organic followed by condensational processes, i.e., identifying sources of the gas phase precursors is important to determining the organic CCN origins. Back trajectory analysis shows that the air mass was without continental contact for 12 days prior to being sampled. This implicates two possible sources for the gas phase organic: biogenic emissions from the Puerto Rican forest and emissions from the ocean surface. In this research we explore both the forest and ocean source scenarios, showing that the forest is more likely to be the ultimate source of the observed organic aerosol particles. Using MAEROS (modified to include nucleation) and reasonable input parameters taken from the literature we were able to show that an organic vapor flux very similar to the measured biogenic fluxes reported by Zimmerman et al. generated size distributions similar to the observed aerosol.« less

Influence of Co-57 and CT Transmission Measurements on the Quantification Accuracy and Partial Volume Effect of a Small Animal PET Scanner.

PubMed

Mannheim, Julia G; Schmid, Andreas M; Pichler, Bernd J

2017-12-01

Non-invasive in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) provides high detection sensitivity in the nano- to picomolar range and in addition to other advantages, the possibility to absolutely quantify the acquired data. The present study focuses on the comparison of transmission data acquired with an X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner or a Co-57 source for the Inveon small animal PET scanner (Siemens Healthcare, Knoxville, TN, USA), as well as determines their influences on the quantification accuracy and partial volume effect (PVE). A special focus included the impact of the performed calibration on the quantification accuracy. Phantom measurements were carried out to determine the quantification accuracy, the influence of the object size on the quantification, and the PVE for different sphere sizes, along the field of view and for different contrast ratios. An influence of the emission activity on the Co-57 transmission measurements was discovered (deviations up to 24.06 % measured to true activity), whereas no influence of the emission activity on the CT attenuation correction was identified (deviations <3 % for measured to true activity). The quantification accuracy was substantially influenced by the applied calibration factor and by the object size. The PVE demonstrated a dependency on the sphere size, the position within the field of view, the reconstruction and correction algorithms and the count statistics. Depending on the reconstruction algorithm, only ∼30-40 % of the true activity within a small sphere could be resolved. The iterative 3D reconstruction algorithms uncovered substantially increased recovery values compared to the analytical and 2D iterative reconstruction algorithms (up to 70.46 % and 80.82 % recovery for the smallest and largest sphere using iterative 3D reconstruction algorithms). The transmission measurement (CT or Co-57 source) to correct for attenuation did not severely influence the PVE. The analysis of the quantification accuracy and the PVE revealed an influence of the object size, the reconstruction algorithm and the applied corrections. Particularly, the influence of the emission activity during the transmission measurement performed with a Co-57 source must be considered. To receive comparable results, also among different scanner configurations, standardization of the acquisition (imaging parameters, as well as applied reconstruction and correction protocols) is necessary.

Size distribution of particle-phase sugar and nitrophenol tracers during severe urban haze episodes in Shanghai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiang; Jiang, Li; Hoa, Le Phuoc; Lyu, Yan; Xu, Tingting; Yang, Xin; Iinuma, Yoshiteru; Chen, Jianmin; Herrmann, Hartmut

2016-11-01

In this study, measurements of size-resolved sugar and nitrophenol concentrations and their distributions during Shanghai haze episodes were performed. The primary goal was to track their possible source categories and investigate the contribution of biological and biomass burning aerosols to urban haze events through regional transport. The results showed that levoglucosan had the highest concentration (40-852 ng m-3) followed by 4-nitrophenol (151-768 ng m-3), sucrose (38-380 ng m-3), 4-nitrocatechol (22-154 ng m-3), and mannitol (5-160 ng m-3). Size distributions exhibited over 90% of levoglucosan and 4-nitrocatechol to the total accumulated in the fine-particle size fraction (<2.1 μm), particularly in heavier haze periods. The back trajectories further supported the fact that levoglucosan was linked to biomass-burning particles, with higher values of associated with air masses passing from biomass burning areas (fire spots) before reaching Shanghai. Other primary saccharide and nitrophenol species showed an unusually large peak in the coarse-mode size fraction (>2.1 μm), which can be correlated with emissions from local sources (biological emission). Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) revealed four probable sources (biomass burning: 28%, airborne pollen: 25%, fungal spores: 24%, and combustion emission: 23%) responsible for urban haze events. Taken together, these findings provide useful insight into size-resolved source apportionment analysis via molecular markers for urban haze pollution events in Shanghai.

Particle size analysis in a turbid media with a single-fiber, optical probe while using a visible spectrometer

DOEpatents

Canpolat, Murat; Mourant, Judith R.

2003-12-09

Apparatus and method for measuring scatterer size in a dense media with only a single fiber for both light delivery and collection are disclosed. White light is used as a source and oscillations of the detected light intensities are measured as a function of wavelength. The maximum and minimum of the oscillations can be used to determine scatterer size for monodisperse distributions of spheres when the refractive indices are known. In addition several properties of the probe relevant to tissue diagnosis are disclosed including the effects of absorption, a broad distribution of scatterers, and the depth probed.

Small-angle x-ray scattering measurement of a mist of ethanol nanodroplets: An approach to understanding ultrasonic separation of ethanol-water mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Yohko F.; Matsuura, Kazuo; Fukazu, Tetsuo; Abe, Fusatsugu; Wakisaka, Akihiro; Kobara, Hitomi; Kaneko, Kazuyuki; Kumagai, Atsushi; Katsuya, Yoshio; Tanaka, Masahiko

2007-07-01

Small-angle x-ray scattering measurements using a brilliant x-ray source revealed nanometer sized liquid droplets in a mist formed by ultrasonic atomization. Ultrasonic atomization of ethanol-water mixtures produced a combination of water-rich droplets of micrometer order and ethanol-rich droplets as small as 1nm, which is 10-3 times smaller than the predicted size. These sizes were also obtained for mists generated from the pure liquids. These results will help to clarify the mechanism of "ultrasonic ethanol separation," which has the potential to become an alternative to distillation.

Emittance Growth in the DARHT-II Linear Induction Accelerator

DOE PAGES

Ekdahl, Carl; Carlson, Carl A.; Frayer, Daniel K.; ...

2017-10-03

The dual-axis radiographic hydrodynamic test (DARHT) facility uses bremsstrahlung radiation source spots produced by the focused electron beams from two linear induction accelerators (LIAs) to radiograph large hydrodynamic experiments driven by high explosives. Radiographic resolution is determined by the size of the source spot, and beam emittance is the ultimate limitation to spot size. On the DARHT-II LIA, we measure an emittance higher than predicted by theoretical simulations, and even though this accelerator produces submillimeter source spots, we are exploring ways to improve the emittance. Some of the possible causes for the discrepancy have been investigated using particle-in-cell codes. Finally,more » the simulations establish that the most likely source of emittance growth is a mismatch of the beam to the magnetic transport, which can cause beam halo.« less

Emittance Growth in the DARHT-II Linear Induction Accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ekdahl, Carl; Carlson, Carl A.; Frayer, Daniel K.

The dual-axis radiographic hydrodynamic test (DARHT) facility uses bremsstrahlung radiation source spots produced by the focused electron beams from two linear induction accelerators (LIAs) to radiograph large hydrodynamic experiments driven by high explosives. Radiographic resolution is determined by the size of the source spot, and beam emittance is the ultimate limitation to spot size. On the DARHT-II LIA, we measure an emittance higher than predicted by theoretical simulations, and even though this accelerator produces submillimeter source spots, we are exploring ways to improve the emittance. Some of the possible causes for the discrepancy have been investigated using particle-in-cell codes. Finally,more » the simulations establish that the most likely source of emittance growth is a mismatch of the beam to the magnetic transport, which can cause beam halo.« less

Computational methods for analyzing the transmission characteristics of a beta particle magnetic analysis system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, J. J.

1979-01-01

Computational methods were developed to study the trajectories of beta particles (positrons) through a magnetic analysis system as a function of the spatial distribution of the radionuclides in the beta source, size and shape of the source collimator, and the strength of the analyzer magnetic field. On the basis of these methods, the particle flux, their energy spectrum, and source-to-target transit times have been calculated for Na-22 positrons as a function of the analyzer magnetic field and the size and location of the target. These data are in studies requiring parallel beams of positrons of uniform energy such as measurement of the moisture distribution in composite materials. Computer programs for obtaining various trajectories are included.

The neutron imaging diagnostic at NIF (invited).

PubMed

Merrill, F E; Bower, D; Buckles, R; Clark, D D; Danly, C R; Drury, O B; Dzenitis, J M; Fatherley, V E; Fittinghoff, D N; Gallegos, R; Grim, G P; Guler, N; Loomis, E N; Lutz, S; Malone, R M; Martinson, D D; Mares, D; Morley, D J; Morgan, G L; Oertel, J A; Tregillis, I L; Volegov, P L; Weiss, P B; Wilde, C H; Wilson, D C

2012-10-01

A neutron imaging diagnostic has recently been commissioned at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This new system is an important diagnostic tool for inertial fusion studies at the NIF for measuring the size and shape of the burning DT plasma during the ignition stage of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions. The imaging technique utilizes a pinhole neutron aperture, placed between the neutron source and a neutron detector. The detection system measures the two dimensional distribution of neutrons passing through the pinhole. This diagnostic has been designed to collect two images at two times. The long flight path for this diagnostic, 28 m, results in a chromatic separation of the neutrons, allowing the independently timed images to measure the source distribution for two neutron energies. Typically the first image measures the distribution of the 14 MeV neutrons and the second image of the 6-12 MeV neutrons. The combination of these two images has provided data on the size and shape of the burning plasma within the compressed capsule, as well as a measure of the quantity and spatial distribution of the cold fuel surrounding this core.

Indoor/outdoor relationships of quasi-ultrafine, accumulation and coarse mode particles in school environments in Barcelona: chemical composition and sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viana, M.; Rivas, I.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Sunyer, J.; Álvarez-Pedrerol, M.; Bouso, L.; Sioutas, C.

2013-12-01

The mass concentration, chemical composition and sources of quasi-ultrafine (quasi-UFP, PM0.25), accumulation (PM0.25-2.5) and coarse mode (PM2.5-10) particles were determined in indoor and outdoor air at 39 schools in Barcelona (Spain). Quasi-UFP mass concentrations measured (25.6 μg m-3 outdoors, 23.4 μg m-3 indoors) are significantly higher than those reported in other studies, and characterised by higher carbonaceous and mineral matter contents and a lower proportion of secondary inorganic ions. Results suggest that quasi-UFPs in Barcelona are affected by local sources in the schools, mainly human activity (e.g. organic material from textiles, etc.; contributing 23-46% to total quasi-UFP mass) and playgrounds (in the form of mineral matter, contributing about 9% to the quasi-UFP mass). The particle size distribution of toxicologically relevant metals and major aerosol components was characterised, displaying bimodal size distributions for most elements and components, and a unimodal distribution for inorganic salts (ammonium nitrate and sulphate) and elemental carbon (EC). Regarding metals, Ni and Cr were partitioned mainly in quasi-UFPs and could thus be of interest for epidemiological studies, given their high redox properties. Children exposure to quasi-UFP mass and chemical species was assessed by comparing the concentrations measured at urban background and traffic areas schools. Finally, three main indoor sources across all size fractions were identified by assessing indoor/outdoor ratios (I/O) of PM species used as their tracers: human activity (organic material), cleaning products, paints and plastics (Cl- source), and a metallic mixed source (comprising combinations of Cu, Zn, Co, Cd, Pb, As, V and Cr).

Tunable diode laser IR spectrometer for in situ measurements of the gas phase composition and particle size distribution of Titan's atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, Christopher R.; Sander, Stanley P.; Beer, Reinhard; May, Randy D.; Knollenberg, Robert G.

1990-01-01

A new instrument, the Probe Infrared Laser Spectrometer (PIRLS), is described for in situ sensing of the gas composition and particle size distribution of Titan's atmosphere on the NASA/ESA Cassini mission. For gas composition measurements, several narrow-band (0.0001/cm) tunable lead-salt diode lasers operating near 80 K at selected mid-IR wavelengths are directed over a path length defined by a small reflector extending over the edge of the probe spacecraft platform; volume mixing ratios of 10 to the -9th should be measurable for several species of interest. A cloud-particle-size spectrometer using a diode laser source at 780 nm shares the optical path and deployed reflector; a combination of imaging and light scattering techniques is used to determine sizes of haze and cloud particles and their number density as a function of altitude.

Source Identification Of Airborne Antimony On The Basis Of The Field Monitoring And The Source Profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iijima, A.; Sato, K.; Fujitani, Y.; Fujimori, E.; Tanabe, K.; Ohara, T.; Shimoda, M.; Kozawa, K.; Furuta, N.

2008-12-01

The results of the long-term monitoring of airborne particulate matter (APM) in Tokyo indicated that APM have been extremely enriched with antimony (Sb) compared to crustal composition. This observation suggests that the airborne Sb is distinctly derived from human activities. According to the material flow analysis, automotive brake abrasion dust and fly ash from waste incinerator were suspected as the significant Sb sources. To clarify the emission sources of the airborne Sb, elemental composition, particle size distribution, and morphological profiles of dust particles collected from two possible emission sources were characterized and compared to the field observation data. Brake abrasion dust samples were generated by using a brake dynamometer. During the abrasion test, particle size distribution was measured by an aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer. Concurrently, size- classified dust particles were collected by an Andersen type air sampler. Fly ash samples were collected from several municipal waste incinerators, and the bulk ash samples were re-dispersed into an enclosed chamber. The measurement of particle size distribution and the collection of size-classified ash particles were conducted by the same methodologies as described previously. Field observations of APM were performed at a roadside site and a residential site by using an Andersen type air sampler. Chemical analyses of metallic elements were performed by an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometr. Morphological profiling of the individual particle was conducted by a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. High concentration of Sb was detected from both of two possible sources. Particularly, Sb concentrations in a brake abrasion dust were extremely high compared to that in an ambient APM, suggesting that airborne Sb observed at the roadside might have been largely derived from mechanical abrasion of automotive brake pads. The peak of the mass-based particle size distribution of brake abrasion dust was found in a diameter of 2-3 μm. From the morphological viewpoints, shape of brake abrasion dust particle was typically edge- shaped, and high concentrated Sb and sulfur were simultaneously detected in a brake abrasion dust particle because Sb2S3 is used as a solid lubricant for automotive brake pad. Indeed, at the roadside site, total concentration of airborne Sb was twice as much as that observed at residential site. Moreover, the most concentrated Sb was found in a diameter of 2.1-3.6 μm for the roadside APM. Furthermore, in the collected particles with this size range, we found a number of particles of which morphological profiles were similar to those of the brake abrasion dust. Consequently, an automotive brake abrasion dust is expected as the predominant source of airborne Sb in the roadside atmosphere.

Diurnal and seasonal trends and source apportionment of redox-active metals in Los Angeles using a novel online metal monitor and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mousavi, Amirhosein; Sowlat, Mohammad H.; Sioutas, Constantinos

2018-02-01

In the present study, we identified the sources of four redox-active metals, including Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), Cupper (Cu), and Manganese (Mn) and quantified the contribution of these sources to PM2.5 concentrations in central Los Angeles, California, by employing time-resolved measurements (i.e., a time resolution of 2 h) with a recently developed online metal monitor and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Size distribution of ambient PM (14 nm-10 μm) was measured using the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Optical Particle Sizer (OPS). Auxiliary variables were also collected, including elemental (EC) and organic carbon (OC), gaseous pollutants (NO2 and O3), meteorological parameters (including relative humidity (RH) and temperature), and traffic data (for heavy- (HDVs) and light-duty vehicles (LDVs)). A 4-factor solution was found to be optimum for the chemically-speciated dataset, whereas a 5-factor solution appeared to be most plausible for the size distribution data. The factors included fresh traffic, soil/road dust, urban background aerosol, secondary aerosol, and nucleation (only resolved for the size distribution data). Fresh traffic was the major contributor to Fe and Cu concentrations, whereas Cr was mostly found in the urban background aerosol (reflecting a mixture of small local sources as well as aged traffic emissions), and Mn mostly came from both soil/road dust and was to a lesser degree found in urban background aerosol. Secondary aerosol did not contribute to the concentrations of any of these metals, but was associated with very high loading of OC, as expected. Even though the urban background aerosol and secondary aerosol appeared to be characterized by "aged" particles and have a rather homogeneous spatial distribution, the reactions and processes involved in their formation are entirely different. Our results provide insights into the sources of redox-active metals in central Los Angeles. They also underscore the benefits of novel measurement techniques for PM-bound metals, which could enhance our understanding of the sources of atmospheric aerosols by providing us with measurements with finer time resolutions that otherwise would not have been possible using traditional filter-based measurement techniques.

Measurements of Gas-phase H2so4, Oh, So2 and Aerosol Size Distribution On Mount Zugspitze At The Schneefernerhaus: Estimation of Sources and Sinks of Sulfuric Acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uecker, J.; Hanke, M.; Kamm, S.; Umann, B.; Arnold, F.; Poeschl, U.; Niessner, R.

Gas-phase sulfuric acid and OH have been measured by the novel MPI-K ULTRA- CIMS (ultra-trace gas detection by CIMS technique) at the Schneefernerhaus( 2750 m asl; below the summit of Mount Zugspitze, Germany) in October 2001. These mea- surements were accompanied by measurements of SO2 with another MPI-K CIMS instrument and aerosol size distribution measurements by DMPS (differential mobil- ity particle sizer) operated by the Institut fuer Wasserchemie (Technische Universitaet Muenchen). In that way a data set was obtained which allows investigating major sources and sinks of sulfuric acid under relative clean conditions. H2SO4 and espe- cially OH concentrations are relatively well correlated to solar flux. Noon maximum concentrations of OH and H2SO4 of 6.5·106 and 2·106 cm-3, respectively, were ob- served. The average SO2 concentrations were below 20 ppt. The aerosol size distribu- tion was obtained in 39 size ranges from 10 to 1056 nm. Typical aerosol concentrations are in the range of 400 to 1800 cm-3 during the discussed period of time. An estima- tion of the production rate of H2SO4 was inferred building on the reaction of SO2 and OH, while the loss rate was calculated by considering the condensation of H2SO4 on aerosol particles (Fuchs and Sutugin approach). Results of the measurements and calculations will be discussed.

Approach for measuring the chemistry of individual particles in the size range critical for cloud formation.

PubMed

Zauscher, Melanie D; Moore, Meagan J K; Lewis, Gregory S; Hering, Susanne V; Prather, Kimberly A

2011-03-15

Aerosol particles, especially those ranging from 50 to 200 nm, strongly impact climate by serving as nuclei upon which water condenses and cloud droplets form. However, the small number of analytical methods capable of measuring the composition of particles in this size range, particularly at the individual particle level, has limited our knowledge of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) composition and hence our understanding of aerosols effect on climate. To obtain more insight into particles in this size range, we developed a method which couples a growth tube (GT) to an ultrafine aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UF-ATOFMS), a combination that allows in situ measurements of the composition of individual particles as small as 38 nm. The growth tube uses water to grow particles to larger sizes so they can be optically detected by the UF-ATOFMS, extending the size range to below 100 nm with no discernible changes in particle composition. To gain further insight into the temporal variability of aerosol chemistry and sources, the GT-UF-ATOFMS was used for online continuous measurements over a period of 3 days.

A Comparison of Crater-Size Scaling and Ejection-Speed Scaling During Experimental Impacts in Sand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. L. B.; Cintala, M. J.; Johnson, M. K.

2014-01-01

Non-dimensional scaling relationships are used to understand various cratering processes including final crater sizes and the excavation of material from a growing crater. The principal assumption behind these scaling relationships is that these processes depend on a combination of the projectile's characteristics, namely its diameter, density, and impact speed. This simplifies the impact event into a single point-source. So long as the process of interest is beyond a few projectile radii from the impact point, the point-source assumption holds. These assumptions can be tested through laboratory experiments in which the initial conditions of the impact are controlled and resulting processes measured directly. In this contribution, we continue our exploration of the congruence between crater-size scaling and ejection-speed scaling relationships. In particular, we examine a series of experimental suites in which the projectile diameter and average grain size of the target are varied.

Simulation and analysis of support hardware for multiple instruction rollback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alewine, Neil J.

1992-01-01

Recently, a compiler-assisted approach to multiple instruction retry was developed. In this scheme, a read buffer of size 2N, where N represents the maximum instruction rollback distance, is used to resolve one type of data hazard. This hardware support helps to reduce code growth, compilation time, and some of the performance impacts associated with hazard resolution. The 2N read buffer size requirement of the compiler-assisted approach is worst case, assuring data redundancy for all data required but also providing some unnecessary redundancy. By adding extra bits in the operand field for source 1 and source 2 it becomes possible to design the read buffer to save only those values required, thus reducing the read buffer size requirement. This study measures the effect on performance of a DECstation 3100 running 10 application programs using 6 read buffer configurations at varying read buffer sizes.

The negative hydrogen Penning ion gauge ion source for KIRAMS-13 cyclotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

An, D. H.; Jung, I. S.; Kang, J.

2008-02-15

The cold-cathode-type Penning ion gauge (PIG) ion source for the internal ion source of KIRAMS-13 cyclotron has been used for generation of negative hydrogen ions. The dc H-beam current of 650 {mu}A from the PIG ion source with the Dee voltage of 40 kV and arc current of 1.0 A is extrapolated from the measured dc extraction beam currents at the low extraction dc voltages. The output optimization of PIG ion source in the cyclotron has been carried out by using various chimneys with different sizes of the expansion gap between the plasma boundary and the chimney wall. This papermore » presents the results of the dc H-extraction measurement and the expansion gap experiment.« less

ESTIMATION OF DIFFUSION LOSSES WHEN SAMPLING DIESEL AEROSOL: A QUALITY ASSURANCE MEASURE

EPA Science Inventory

A fundamental component of the QA work for the assessment of instruments and sampling system performance was the investigation of particle losses in sampling lines. Along the aerosol sample pathway from its source to the collection media or measuring instrument, some nano-size p...

Characterizing large river sounds: Providing context for understanding the environmental effects of noise produced by hydrokinetic turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bevelhimer, Mark S.; Deng, Z. Daniel; Scherelis, Constantin

2016-01-01

Underwater noise associated with the installation and operation of hydrokinetic turbines in rivers and tidal zones presents a potential environmental concern for fish and marine mammals. Comparing the spectral quality of sounds emitted by hydrokinetic turbines to natural and other anthropogenic sound sources is an initial step at understanding potential environmental impacts. Underwater recordings were obtained from passing vessels of different sizes and other underwater sound sources in both static and flowing waters. Static water measurements were taken in a lake with minimal background noise. Flowing water measurements were taken at a previously proposed deployment site for hydrokinetic turbines onmore » the Mississippi River, where the sound of flowing water is included in background measurements. The size of vessels measured ranged from a small fishing boat with a 60 HP outboard motor to an 18-unit barge train being pushed upstream by tugboat. As expected, large vessels with large engines created the highest sound levels, and when compared to the sound created by an operating HK turbine were many times greater. A comparison of sound levels from the same sources at different distances using both spherical and cylindrical sound attenuation functions suggests that spherical model results more closely approximate observed values.« less

Interferometry in the era of time-domain astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Gail H.; Cassan, Arnaud; Gallenne, Alexandre; Roettenbacher, Rachael M.; Schneider, Jean

2018-04-01

The physical nature of time variable objects is often inferred from photometric light-curves and spectroscopic variations. Long-baseline optical interferometry has the power to resolve the spatial structure of time variable sources directly in order to measure their physical properties and test the physics of the underlying models. Recent interferometric studies of variable objects include measuring the angular expansion and spatial structure during the early stages of novae outbursts, studying the transits and tidal distortions of the components in eclipsing and interacting binaries, measuring the radial pulsations in Cepheid variables, monitoring changes in the circumstellar discs around rapidly rotating massive stars, and imaging starspots. Future applications include measuring the image size and centroid displacements in gravitational microlensing events, and imaging the transits of exoplanets. Ongoing and upcoming photometric surveys will dramatically increase the number of time-variable objects detected each year, providing many potential targets to observe interferometrically. For short-lived transient events, it is critical for interferometric arrays to have the flexibility to respond rapidly to targets of opportunity and optimize the selection of baselines and beam combiners to provide the necessary resolution and sensitivity to resolve the source as its brightness and size change. We discuss the science opportunities made possible by resolving variable sources using long baseline optical interferometry.

Orbital debris measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessler, D. J.

What is currently known about the orbital debris flux is from a combination of ground based and in-space measurements. These measurements have revealed an increasing population with decreasing size. A summary of measurements is presented for the following sources: the North American Aerospace Defense Command Catalog, the Perimeter Acquisition and Attack Characterization System Radar, ground based optical telescopes, the Explorer 46 Meteoroid Bumper Experiment, spacecraft windows, and Solar Max surfaces.

Orbital debris measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessler, D. J.

1986-01-01

What is currently known about the orbital debris flux is from a combination of ground based and in-space measurements. These measurements have revealed an increasing population with decreasing size. A summary of measurements is presented for the following sources: the North American Aerospace Defense Command Catalog, the Perimeter Acquisition and Attack Characterization System Radar, ground based optical telescopes, the Explorer 46 Meteoroid Bumper Experiment, spacecraft windows, and Solar Max surfaces.

Religious Burning as a Major Source of Atmospheric Fine Aerosols in Lhasa city in the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S.; Cui, Y.; Zhixuan, B.; Bian, J.; McKeen, S. A.; Watts, L. A.; Ciciora, S. J.; Gao, R. S.

2017-12-01

Measurements of aerosols in the Tibetan Plateau are scant due to the high altitude and harsh climate. To bridge this gap, we carried out the first field measurements of aerosol size distributions in Lhasa, a major city in the Tibetan Plateau that has been experiencing fast urbanization and reduced air quality. Aerosol number size distribution was continuously measured using an optical particle size spectrometer near the center of Lhasa city during the Asian summer monsoon season in 2016. The mass concentration of fine particles was modulated by boundary layer dynamics, with an average of 11 µg m-3 and the high values exceeding 50 µg m-3 during religious holidays. Daytime high concentration coincided with the religious burning of biomass and incense in the temples during morning hours, which produced heavy smoke. Factor analysis revealed a factor that is likely induced by religious burning. The factor contributed 34% of the campaign-average fine particle mass and the contribution reached up to 80% during religious holidays. The mass size distribution of aerosols produced from religious burnings peaked at 500 nm, indicating that these particles could efficiently decrease visibility and promote health risk. Because of its significance, our results suggest that more attention should be paid to religious burning, a currently under-studied source, in the Tibetan Plateau and in other regions of the world where religious burnings are frequently practiced.

Chandra Observations of Three Newly Discovered Quadruply Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pooley, David

2017-09-01

Our previous work has shown the unique power of Chandra observations of quadruply gravitationally lensed quasars to address several fundamental astrophysical issues. We have used these observations to (1) determine the cause of flux ratio anomalies, (2) measure the sizes of quasar accretion disks, (3) determine the dark matter content of the lensing galaxies, and (4) measure the stellar mass-to-light ratio (in fact, this is the only way to measure the stellar mass-to-light ratio beyond the solar neighborhood). In all cases, the main source of uncertainty in our results is the small size of the sample of known quads; only 15 systems are available for study with Chandra. We propose Chandra observations of three newly discovered quads, increasing the sample size by 20%

Predicting the Mineral Composition of Dust Aerosols. Part 2; Model Evaluation and Identification of Key Processes with Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perlwitz, J. P.; Garcia-Pando, C. Perez; Miller, R. L.

2015-01-01

A global compilation of nearly sixty measurement studies is used to evaluate two methods of simulating the mineral composition of dust aerosols in an Earth system model. Both methods are based upon a Mean Mineralogical Table (MMT) that relates the soil mineral fractions to a global atlas of arid soil type. The Soil Mineral Fraction (SMF) method assumes that the aerosol mineral fractions match the fractions of the soil. The MMT is based upon soil measurements after wet sieving, a process that destroys aggregates of soil particles that would have been emitted from the original, undisturbed soil. The second method approximately reconstructs the emitted aggregates. This model is referred to as the Aerosol Mineral Fraction (AMF) method because the mineral fractions of the aerosols differ from those of the wet-sieved parent soil, partly due to reaggregation. The AMF method remedies some of the deficiencies of the SMF method in comparison to observations. Only the AMF method exhibits phyllosilicate mass at silt sizes, where they are abundant according to observations. In addition, the AMF quartz fraction of silt particles is in better agreement with measured values, in contrast to the overestimated SMF fraction. Measurements at distinct clay and silt particle sizes are shown to be more useful for evaluation of the models, in contrast to the sum over all particles sizes that is susceptible to compensating errors, as illustrated by the SMF experiment. Model errors suggest that allocation of the emitted silt fraction of each mineral into the corresponding transported size categories is an important remaining source of uncertainty. Evaluation of both models and the MMT is hindered by the limited number of size-resolved measurements of mineral content that sparsely sample aerosols from the major dust sources. The importance of climate processes dependent upon aerosol mineral composition shows the need for global and routine mineral measurements.

Predicting the mineral composition of dust aerosols – Part 2: Model evaluation and identification of key processes with observations

DOE PAGES

Perlwitz, J. P.; Perez Garcia-Pando, C.; Miller, R. L.

2015-10-21

A global compilation of nearly sixty measurement studies is used to evaluate two methods of simulating the mineral composition of dust aerosols in an Earth system model. Both methods are based upon a Mean Mineralogical Table (MMT) that relates the soil mineral fractions to a global atlas of arid soil type. The Soil Mineral Fraction (SMF) method assumes that the aerosol mineral fractions match the fractions of the soil. The MMT is based upon soil measurements after wet sieving, a process that destroys aggregates of soil particles that would have been emitted from the original, undisturbed soil. The second methodmore » approximately reconstructs the emitted aggregates. This model is referred to as the Aerosol Mineral Fraction (AMF) method because the mineral fractions of the aerosols differ from those of the wet-sieved parent soil, partly due to reaggregation. The AMF method remedies some of the deficiencies of the SMF method in comparison to observations. Only the AMF method exhibits phyllosilicate mass at silt sizes, where they are abundant according to observations. In addition, the AMF quartz fraction of silt particles is in better agreement with measured values, in contrast to the overestimated SMF fraction. Measurements at distinct clay and silt particle sizes are shown to be more useful for evaluation of the models, in contrast to the sum over all particles sizes that is susceptible to compensating errors, as illustrated by the SMF experiment. Model errors suggest that allocation of the emitted silt fraction of each mineral into the corresponding transported size categories is an important remaining source of uncertainty. Evaluation of both models and the MMT is hindered by the limited number of size-resolved measurements of mineral content that sparsely sample aerosols from the major dust sources. In conclusion, the importance of climate processes dependent upon aerosol mineral composition shows the need for global and routine mineral measurements.« less

Development of prototype induced-fission-based Pu accountancy instrument for safeguards applications.

PubMed

Seo, Hee; Lee, Seung Kyu; An, Su Jung; Park, Se-Hwan; Ku, Jeong-Hoe; Menlove, Howard O; Rael, Carlos D; LaFleur, Adrienne M; Browne, Michael C

2016-09-01

Prototype safeguards instrument for nuclear material accountancy (NMA) of uranium/transuranic (U/TRU) products that could be produced in a future advanced PWR fuel processing facility has been developed and characterized. This is a new, hybrid neutron measurement system based on fast neutron energy multiplication (FNEM) and passive neutron albedo reactivity (PNAR) methods. The FNEM method is sensitive to the induced fission rate by fast neutrons, while the PNAR method is sensitive to the induced fission rate by thermal neutrons in the sample to be measured. The induced fission rate is proportional to the total amount of fissile material, especially plutonium (Pu), in the U/TRU product; hence, the Pu amount can be calibrated as a function of the induced fission rate, which can be measured using either the FNEM or PNAR method. In the present study, the prototype system was built using six (3)He tubes, and its performance was evaluated for various detector parameters including high-voltage (HV) plateau, efficiency profiles, dead time, and stability. The system's capability to measure the difference in the average neutron energy for the FNEM signature also was evaluated, using AmLi, PuBe, (252)Cf, as well as four Pu-oxide sources each with a different impurity (Al, F, Mg, and B) and producing (α,n) neutrons with different average energies. Future work will measure the hybrid signature (i.e., FNEM×PNAR) for a Pu source with an external interrogating neutron source after enlarging the cavity size of the prototype system to accommodate a large-size Pu source (~600g Pu). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A field instrument for quantitative determination of beryllium by activation analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughn, William W.; Wilson, E.E.; Ohm, J.M.

1960-01-01

A low-cost instrument has been developed for quantitative determinations of beryllium in the field by activation analysis. The instrument makes use of the gamma-neutron reaction between gammas emitted by an artificially radioactive source (Sb124) and beryllium as it occurs in nature. The instrument and power source are mounted in a panel-type vehicle. Samples are prepared by hand-crushing the rock to approximately ?-inch mesh size and smaller. Sample volumes are kept constant by means of a standard measuring cup. Instrument calibration, made by using standards of known BeO content, indicates the analyses are reproducible and accurate to within ? 0.25 percent BeO in the range from 1 to 20 percent BeO with a sample counting time of 5 minutes. Sensitivity of the instrument maybe increased somewhat by increasing the source size, the sample size, or by enlarging the cross-sectional area of the neutron-sensitive phosphor normal to the neutron flux.

Traffic and nucleation events as main sources of ultrafine particles in high-insolation developed world cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brines, M.; Dall'Osto, M.; Beddows, D. C. S.; Harrison, R. M.; Gómez-Moreno, F.; Núñez, L.; Artíñano, B.; Costabile, F.; Gobbi, G. P.; Salimi, F.; Morawska, L.; Sioutas, C.; Querol, X.

2015-05-01

Road traffic emissions are often considered the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter smaller than 100 nm) in urban environments. However, recent studies worldwide have shown that - in high-insolation urban regions at least - new particle formation events can also contribute to UFP. In order to quantify such events we systematically studied three cities located in predominantly sunny environments: Barcelona (Spain), Madrid (Spain) and Brisbane (Australia). Three long-term data sets (1-2 years) of fine and ultrafine particle number size distributions (measured by SMPS, Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) were analysed. Compared to total particle number concentrations, aerosol size distributions offer far more information on the type, origin and atmospheric evolution of the particles. By applying k-means clustering analysis, we categorized the collected aerosol size distributions into three main categories: "Traffic" (prevailing 44-63% of the time), "Nucleation" (14-19%) and "Background pollution and Specific cases" (7-22%). Measurements from Rome (Italy) and Los Angeles (USA) were also included to complement the study. The daily variation of the average UFP concentrations for a typical nucleation day at each site revealed a similar pattern for all cities, with three distinct particle bursts. A morning and an evening spike reflected traffic rush hours, whereas a third one at midday showed nucleation events. The photochemically nucleated particles' burst lasted 1-4 h, reaching sizes of 30-40 nm. On average, the occurrence of particle size spectra dominated by nucleation events was 16% of the time, showing the importance of this process as a source of UFP in urban environments exposed to high solar radiation. Nucleation events lasting for 2 h or more occurred on 55% of the days, this extending to > 4 h in 28% of the days, demonstrating that atmospheric conditions in urban environments are not favourable to the growth of photochemically nucleated particles. In summary, although traffic remains the main source of UFP in urban areas, in developed countries with high insolation urban nucleation events are also a main source of UFP. If traffic-related particle concentrations are reduced in the future, nucleation events will likely increase in urban areas, due to the reduced urban condensation sinks.

Measurement of nonvolatile particle number size distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gkatzelis, G. I.; Papanastasiou, D. K.; Florou, K.; Kaltsonoudis, C.; Louvaris, E.; Pandis, S. N.

2016-01-01

An experimental methodology was developed to measure the nonvolatile particle number concentration using a thermodenuder (TD). The TD was coupled with a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer, measuring the chemical composition and mass size distribution of the submicrometer aerosol and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) that provided the number size distribution of the aerosol in the range from 10 to 500 nm. The method was evaluated with a set of smog chamber experiments and achieved almost complete evaporation (> 98 %) of secondary organic as well as freshly nucleated particles, using a TD temperature of 400 °C and a centerline residence time of 15 s. This experimental approach was applied in a winter field campaign in Athens and provided a direct measurement of number concentration and size distribution for particles emitted from major pollution sources. During periods in which the contribution of biomass burning sources was dominant, more than 80 % of particle number concentration remained after passing through the thermodenuder, suggesting that nearly all biomass burning particles had a nonvolatile core. These remaining particles consisted mostly of black carbon (60 % mass contribution) and organic aerosol (OA; 40 %). Organics that had not evaporated through the TD were mostly biomass burning OA (BBOA) and oxygenated OA (OOA) as determined from AMS source apportionment analysis. For periods during which traffic contribution was dominant 50-60 % of the particles had a nonvolatile core while the rest evaporated at 400 °C. The remaining particle mass consisted mostly of black carbon with an 80 % contribution, while OA was responsible for another 15-20 %. Organics were mostly hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and OOA. These results suggest that even at 400 °C some fraction of the OA does not evaporate from particles emitted from common combustion processes, such as biomass burning and car engines, indicating that a fraction of this type of OA is of extremely low volatility.

Measurement of non-volatile particle number size distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gkatzelis, G. I.; Papanastasiou, D. K.; Florou, K.; Kaltsonoudis, C.; Louvaris, E.; Pandis, S. N.

2015-06-01

An experimental methodology was developed to measure the non-volatile particle number concentration using a thermodenuder (TD). The TD was coupled with a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer, measuring the chemical composition and mass size distribution of the submicrometer aerosol and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) that provided the number size distribution of the aerosol in the range from 10 to 500 nm. The method was evaluated with a set of smog chamber experiments and achieved almost complete evaporation (> 98 %) of secondary organic as well as freshly nucleated particles, using a TD temperature of 400 °C and a centerline residence time of 15 s. This experimental approach was applied in a winter field campaign in Athens and provided a direct measurement of number concentration and size distribution for particles emitted from major pollution sources. During periods in which the contribution of biomass burning sources was dominant, more than 80 % of particle number concentration remained after passing through the thermodenuder, suggesting that nearly all biomass burning particles had a non-volatile core. These remaining particles consisted mostly of black carbon (60 % mass contribution) and organic aerosol, OA (40 %). Organics that had not evaporated through the TD were mostly biomass burning OA (BBOA) and oxygenated OA (OOA) as determined from AMS source apportionment analysis. For periods during which traffic contribution was dominant 50-60 % of the particles had a non-volatile core while the rest evaporated at 400 °C. The remaining particle mass consisted mostly of black carbon (BC) with an 80 % contribution, while OA was responsible for another 15-20 %. Organics were mostly hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and OOA. These results suggest that even at 400 °C some fraction of the OA does not evaporate from particles emitted from common combustion processes, such as biomass burning and car engines, indicating that a fraction of this type of OA is of extremely low volatility.

Potential source identification for aerosol concentrations over a site in Northwestern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payra, Swagata; Kumar, Pramod; Verma, Sunita; Prakash, Divya; Soni, Manish

2016-03-01

The collocated measurements of aerosols size distribution (ASD) and aerosol optical thickness (AOT) are analyzed simultaneously using Grimm aerosol spectrometer and MICROTOP II Sunphotometer over Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan in India. The contrast temperature characteristics during winter and summer seasons of year 2011 are investigated in the present study. The total aerosol number concentration (TANC, 0.3-20 μm) during winter season was observed higher than in summer time and it was dominated by fine aerosol number concentration (FANC < 2 μm). Particles smaller than 0.8 μm (at aerodynamic size) constitute ~ 99% of all particles in winter and ~ 90% of particles in summer season. However, particles greater than 2 μm contribute ~ 3% and ~ 0.2% in summer and winter seasons respectively. The aerosols optical thickness shows nearly similar AOT values during summer and winter but corresponding low Angstrom Exponent (AE) values during summer than winter, respectively. In this work, Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) analysis is applied to identify locations of sources that influenced concentrations of aerosols over study area in two different seasons. PSCF analysis shows that the dust particles from Thar Desert contribute significantly to the coarse aerosol number concentration (CANC). Higher values of the PSCF in north from Jaipur showed the industrial areas in northern India to be the likely sources of fine particles. The variation in size distribution of aerosols during two seasons is clearly reflected in the log normal size distribution curves. The log normal size distribution curves reveals that the particle size less than 0.8 μm is the key contributor in winter for higher ANC.

Crustal evolution inferred from Apollo magnetic measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Daily, W. D.; Vanyan, L. L.

1978-01-01

Magnetic field and solar wind plasma density measurements were analyzed to determine the scale size characteristics of remanent fields at the Apollo 12, 15, and 16 landing sites. Theoretical model calculations of the field-plasma interaction, involving diffusion of the remanent field into the solar plasma, were compared to the data. The information provided by all these experiments shows that remanent fields over most of the lunar surface are characterized by spatial variations as small as a few kilometers. Large regions (50 to 100 km) of the lunar crust were probably uniformly magnetized during early crustal evolution. Bombardment and subsequent gardening of the upper layers of these magnetized regions left randomly oriented, smaller scale (5 to 10 km) magnetic sources close to the surface. The larger scale size fields of magnitude approximately 0.1 gammas are measured by the orbiting subsatellite experiments and the small scale sized remanent fields of magnitude approximately 100 gammas are measured by the surface experiments.

Scintillation analysis of truncated Bessel beams via numerical turbulence propagation simulation.

PubMed

Eyyuboğlu, Halil T; Voelz, David; Xiao, Xifeng

2013-11-20

Scintillation aspects of truncated Bessel beams propagated through atmospheric turbulence are investigated using a numerical wave optics random phase screen simulation method. On-axis, aperture averaged scintillation and scintillation relative to a classical Gaussian beam of equal source power and scintillation per unit received power are evaluated. It is found that in almost all circumstances studied, the zeroth-order Bessel beam will deliver the lowest scintillation. Low aperture averaged scintillation levels are also observed for the fourth-order Bessel beam truncated by a narrower source window. When assessed relative to the scintillation of a Gaussian beam of equal source power, Bessel beams generally have less scintillation, particularly at small receiver aperture sizes and small beam orders. Upon including in this relative performance measure the criteria of per unit received power, this advantageous position of Bessel beams mostly disappears, but zeroth- and first-order Bessel beams continue to offer some advantage for relatively smaller aperture sizes, larger source powers, larger source plane dimensions, and intermediate propagation lengths.

Development of a Monte Carlo multiple source model for inclusion in a dose calculation auditing tool.

PubMed

Faught, Austin M; Davidson, Scott E; Fontenot, Jonas; Kry, Stephen F; Etzel, Carol; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Followill, David S

2017-09-01

The Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston (IROC-H) (formerly the Radiological Physics Center) has reported varying levels of agreement in their anthropomorphic phantom audits. There is reason to believe one source of error in this observed disagreement is the accuracy of the dose calculation algorithms and heterogeneity corrections used. To audit this component of the radiotherapy treatment process, an independent dose calculation tool is needed. Monte Carlo multiple source models for Elekta 6 MV and 10 MV therapeutic x-ray beams were commissioned based on measurement of central axis depth dose data for a 10 × 10 cm 2 field size and dose profiles for a 40 × 40 cm 2 field size. The models were validated against open field measurements consisting of depth dose data and dose profiles for field sizes ranging from 3 × 3 cm 2 to 30 × 30 cm 2 . The models were then benchmarked against measurements in IROC-H's anthropomorphic head and neck and lung phantoms. Validation results showed 97.9% and 96.8% of depth dose data passed a ±2% Van Dyk criterion for 6 MV and 10 MV models respectively. Dose profile comparisons showed an average agreement using a ±2%/2 mm criterion of 98.0% and 99.0% for 6 MV and 10 MV models respectively. Phantom plan comparisons were evaluated using ±3%/2 mm gamma criterion, and averaged passing rates between Monte Carlo and measurements were 87.4% and 89.9% for 6 MV and 10 MV models respectively. Accurate multiple source models for Elekta 6 MV and 10 MV x-ray beams have been developed for inclusion in an independent dose calculation tool for use in clinical trial audits. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Size-Resolved Composition of Organic Aerosol on the California Central Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babila, J. E.; Depew, C. J.; Heinrich, S. E.; Zoerb, M.

2016-12-01

Organic compounds represent a significant mass fraction of submicrometer aerosol and can influence properties such as radiative forcing and cloud formation. Despite their broad importance, a complete description of particle sources and composition is lacking. Here we present measurements of solvent-extracted organic compounds in ambient aerosol in San Luis Obispo, CA. Ambient particles were sampled and size segregated with a micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI). Water and methanol soluble organic carbon was characterized with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Particle composition and influences from local and regional sources on the organic fraction will be discussed.

Elemental composition and size distribution of particulates in Cleveland, Ohio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, R. B.; Fordyce, J. S.; Neustadter, H. E.; Leibecki, H. F.

1975-01-01

Measurements were made of the elemental particle size distribution at five contrasting urban environments with different source-type distributions in Cleveland, Ohio. Air quality conditions ranged from normal to air pollution alert levels. A parallel network of high-volume cascade impactors (5-state) were used for simultaneous sampling on glass fiber surfaces for mass determinations and on Whatman-41 surfaces for elemental analysis by neutron activation for 25 elements. The elemental data are assessed in terms of distribution functions and interrelationships and are compared between locations as a function of resultant wind direction in an attempt to relate the findings to sources.

Elemental composition and size distribution of particulates in Cleveland, Ohio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leibecki, H. F.; King, R. B.; Fordyce, J. S.; Neustadter, H. E.

1975-01-01

Measurements have been made of the elemental particle size distribution at five contrasting urban environments with different source-type distributions in Cleveland, Ohio. Air quality conditions ranged from normal to air pollution alert levels. A parallel network of high-volume cascade impactors (5-stage) were used for simultaneous sampling on glass fiber surfaces for mass determinations and on Whatman-41 surfaces for elemental analysis by neutron activation for 25 elements. The elemental data are assessed in terms of distribution functions and interrelationships and are compared between locations as a function of resultant wind direction in an attempt to relate the findings to sources.

A Year-round Observation of Size Distribution of Aerosol Particles at the Cape Ochiishi, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, K.; Mukai, H.; Hashimoto, S.; Uematsu, M.

2010-12-01

New particle formation by nucleation of gas-phase compounds emitted from marine biogenic sources is very important for climate change. To clarify the mechanism of the formation, size distributions of submicron aerosols have been measured at the Cape Ochiishi, facing the North Western Pacific Ocean where primary productivity is high. A test observation was done from 22nd May to 18th June 2008 and a year-round observation has been performed from 16th October 2009 to 7th September 2010. The size distribution from 10 nm to 487 nm in diameter was measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS, TSI 3034). Sample air was dried to lower than 40%. Transport of sulfate, organic carbon (OC), and black carbon (BC) was estimated with Chemical weather FORecasting System (CFORS), developed by Prof. Uno, Kyushu University, Japan. Existence of inversion layer was estimated with temperature profile measured at surface, 10m, 30m, and 50m in altitude. The burst of the particles smaller than 20nm in diameter continuing longer than 3 hrs was observed ten times until 3rd November 2009. Two were observed in early summer and the other was in autumn. Banana shape was faintly observed five times. Transport of sulfate, OC, and BC was observed 3, 8, 9 times, respectively. Source of air mass was estimated with these elements, weather map, and wind direction. Five air masses were estimated to continental. Clearly nucleation related to marine sources was not observed. The size distribution of burst evens of maritime and continental air mass showed the shift of mode to larger diameter. Strong inversion of temperature was observed once. The value of size distribution did not show high. Minimum value of size distribution was observed in the strong rain on 27th October. Acknowledgments This study was partly supported by the Grant-in-Aids for Scientific Research on Priority Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (18067005). The observation was performed at the monitoring station of the National Institute for Environmental Studies.

IceCube SWIRP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Dongliang L.

2017-01-01

Clouds, ice clouds in particular, are a major source of uncertainty in climate models. Submm-wave sensors fill the sensitivity gap between MW and IR.Cloud microphysical properties (particle size and shape) account for large (200 and 40) measurement uncertainty.

Effect of kinetic energy on the doping efficiency of cesium cations into superfluid helium droplets

PubMed Central

Chen, Lei; Zhang, Jie; Freund, William M.; Kong, Wei

2015-01-01

We present an experimental investigation of the effect of kinetic energy on the ion doping efficiency of superfluid helium droplets using cesium cations from a thermionic emission source. The kinetic energy of Cs+ is controlled by the bias voltage of a collection grid collinearly arranged with the droplet beam. Efficient doping from ions with kinetic energies from 20 eV up to 480 V has been observed in different sized helium droplets. The relative ion doping efficiency is determined by both the kinetic energy of the ions and the average size of the droplet beam. At a fixed source temperature, the number of doped droplets increases with increasing grid voltage, while the relative ion doping efficiency decreases. This result implies that not all ions are captured upon encountering with a sufficiently large droplet, a deviation from the near unity doping efficiency for closed shell neutral molecules. We propose that this drop in ion doping efficiency with kinetic energy is related to the limited deceleration rate inside a helium droplet. When the source temperature changes from 14 K to 17 K, the relative ion doping efficiency decreases rapidly, perhaps due to the lack of viable sized droplets. The size distribution of the Cs+-doped droplet beam can be measured by deflection and by energy filtering. The observed doped droplet size is about 5 × 106 helium atoms when the source temperature is between 14 K and 17 K. PMID:26233132

Effect of kinetic energy on the doping efficiency of cesium cations into superfluid helium droplets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Lei; Zhang, Jie; Freund, William M.

We present an experimental investigation of the effect of kinetic energy on the ion doping efficiency of superfluid helium droplets using cesium cations from a thermionic emission source. The kinetic energy of Cs{sup +} is controlled by the bias voltage of a collection grid collinearly arranged with the droplet beam. Efficient doping from ions with kinetic energies from 20 eV up to 480 V has been observed in different sized helium droplets. The relative ion doping efficiency is determined by both the kinetic energy of the ions and the average size of the droplet beam. At a fixed source temperature,more » the number of doped droplets increases with increasing grid voltage, while the relative ion doping efficiency decreases. This result implies that not all ions are captured upon encountering with a sufficiently large droplet, a deviation from the near unity doping efficiency for closed shell neutral molecules. We propose that this drop in ion doping efficiency with kinetic energy is related to the limited deceleration rate inside a helium droplet. When the source temperature changes from 14 K to 17 K, the relative ion doping efficiency decreases rapidly, perhaps due to the lack of viable sized droplets. The size distribution of the Cs{sup +}-doped droplet beam can be measured by deflection and by energy filtering. The observed doped droplet size is about 5 × 10{sup 6} helium atoms when the source temperature is between 14 K and 17 K.« less

Effect of kinetic energy on the doping efficiency of cesium cations into superfluid helium droplets.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Zhang, Jie; Freund, William M; Kong, Wei

2015-07-28

We present an experimental investigation of the effect of kinetic energy on the ion doping efficiency of superfluid helium droplets using cesium cations from a thermionic emission source. The kinetic energy of Cs(+) is controlled by the bias voltage of a collection grid collinearly arranged with the droplet beam. Efficient doping from ions with kinetic energies from 20 eV up to 480 V has been observed in different sized helium droplets. The relative ion doping efficiency is determined by both the kinetic energy of the ions and the average size of the droplet beam. At a fixed source temperature, the number of doped droplets increases with increasing grid voltage, while the relative ion doping efficiency decreases. This result implies that not all ions are captured upon encountering with a sufficiently large droplet, a deviation from the near unity doping efficiency for closed shell neutral molecules. We propose that this drop in ion doping efficiency with kinetic energy is related to the limited deceleration rate inside a helium droplet. When the source temperature changes from 14 K to 17 K, the relative ion doping efficiency decreases rapidly, perhaps due to the lack of viable sized droplets. The size distribution of the Cs(+)-doped droplet beam can be measured by deflection and by energy filtering. The observed doped droplet size is about 5 × 10(6) helium atoms when the source temperature is between 14 K and 17 K.

Neutron imaging with the short-pulse laser driven neutron source at the TRIDENT Laser Facility

DOE PAGES

Guler, Nevzat; Volegov, Petr Lvovich; Favalli, Andrea; ...

2016-10-17

Emerging approaches to short-pulse laser-driven neutron production offer a possible gateway to compact, low cost, and intense broad spectrum sources for a wide variety of applications. They are based on energetic ions, driven by an intense short-pulse laser, interacting with a converter material to produce neutrons via breakup and nuclear reactions. Recent experiments performed with the high-contrast laser at the Trident laser facility of Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism operating in the regime of relativistic transparency, featuring a volumetric laser-plasma interaction. This mechanism is distinct from previously studied ones that accelerate ions at themore » laser-target surface. The Trident experiments produced an intense beam of deuterons with an energy distribution extending above 100 MeV. This deuteron beam, when directed at a beryllium converter, produces a forward-directed neutron beam with ~5x10 9 n/sr, in a single laser shot, primarily due to deuteron breakup. The neutron beam has a pulse duration on the order of a few nanoseconds with an energy distribution extending from a few hundreds of keV to almost 80 MeV. For the experiments on neutron-source spot-size measurements, our gated neutron imager was setup to select neutrons in the energy range of 2.5 to 35 MeV. The spot size of neutron emission at the converter was measured by two different imaging techniques, using a knife-edge and a penumbral aperture, in two different experimental campaigns. The neutron-source spot size is measured ~1 mm for both experiments. The measurements and analysis reported here give a spatial characterization for this type of neutron source for the first time. In addition, the forward modeling performed provides an empirical estimate of the spatial characteristics of the deuteron ion-beam. Finally, these experimental observations, taken together, provide essential yet unique data to benchmark and verify theoretical work into the basic acceleration mechanism, which remains an ongoing challenge.« less

Neutron imaging with the short-pulse laser driven neutron source at the TRIDENT Laser Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guler, Nevzat; Volegov, Petr Lvovich; Favalli, Andrea

Emerging approaches to short-pulse laser-driven neutron production offer a possible gateway to compact, low cost, and intense broad spectrum sources for a wide variety of applications. They are based on energetic ions, driven by an intense short-pulse laser, interacting with a converter material to produce neutrons via breakup and nuclear reactions. Recent experiments performed with the high-contrast laser at the Trident laser facility of Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism operating in the regime of relativistic transparency, featuring a volumetric laser-plasma interaction. This mechanism is distinct from previously studied ones that accelerate ions at themore » laser-target surface. The Trident experiments produced an intense beam of deuterons with an energy distribution extending above 100 MeV. This deuteron beam, when directed at a beryllium converter, produces a forward-directed neutron beam with ~5x10 9 n/sr, in a single laser shot, primarily due to deuteron breakup. The neutron beam has a pulse duration on the order of a few nanoseconds with an energy distribution extending from a few hundreds of keV to almost 80 MeV. For the experiments on neutron-source spot-size measurements, our gated neutron imager was setup to select neutrons in the energy range of 2.5 to 35 MeV. The spot size of neutron emission at the converter was measured by two different imaging techniques, using a knife-edge and a penumbral aperture, in two different experimental campaigns. The neutron-source spot size is measured ~1 mm for both experiments. The measurements and analysis reported here give a spatial characterization for this type of neutron source for the first time. In addition, the forward modeling performed provides an empirical estimate of the spatial characteristics of the deuteron ion-beam. Finally, these experimental observations, taken together, provide essential yet unique data to benchmark and verify theoretical work into the basic acceleration mechanism, which remains an ongoing challenge.« less

Seasonal variability of carbon in humic-like matter of ambient size-segregated water soluble organic aerosols from urban background environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frka, Sanja; Grgić, Irena; Turšič, Janja; Gini, Maria I.; Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos

2018-01-01

Long-term measurements of carbon in HUmic-LIke Substances (HULIS-C) of ambient size-segregated water soluble organic aerosols were performed using a ten-stage low-pressure Berner impactor from December 2014 to November 2015 at an urban background environment in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The mass size distribution patterns of measured species (PM - particulate matter, WSOC - water-soluble organic carbon and HULIS-C) for all seasons were generally tri-modal (primarily accumulation mode) but with significant seasonal variability. HULIS-C was found to have similar distributions as WSOC, with nearly the same mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMADs), except for winter when the HULIS-C size distribution was bimodal. In autumn and winter, the dominant accumulation mode with MMAD at ca. 0.65 μm contributed 83 and 97% to the total HULIS-C concentration, respectively. HULIS-C accounted for a large fraction of WSOC, averaging more than 50% in autumn and 40% in winter. Alternatively, during warmer periods the contributions of ultrafine (27% in summer) and coarse mode (27% in spring) were also substantial. Based on mass size distribution characteristics, HULIS-C was found to be of various sources. In colder seasons, wood burning was confirmed as the most important HULIS source; secondary formation in atmospheric liquid water also contributed significantly, as revealed by the MMADs of the accumulation mode shifting to larger sizes. The distinct difference between the spring and summer ratios of HULIS-C/WSOC in fine particles (ca. 50% in spring, but only 10% in summer) indicated different sources and chemical composition of WSOC in summer (e.g., SOA formation from biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) via photochemistry). The enlarged amount of HULIS-C in the ultrafine mode in summer suggests that the important contribution was most likely from new particle formation during higher emissions of BVOC due to the vicinity of a mixed deciduous forest; the higher contribution of HULIS-C in the coarse mode demonstrated that beside soil erosion other sources, such as pollen and plant fragments, could also be responsible.

The neural processing of musical instrument size information in the brain investigated by magnetoencephalography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupp, Andre; van Dinther, Ralph; Patterson, Roy D.

2005-04-01

The specific cortical representation of size was investigated by recording auditory evoked fields (AEFs) elicited by changes of instrument size and pitch. In Experiment 1, a French horn and one scaled to double the size played a three note melody around F3 or its octave, F4. Many copies of these four melodies were played in random order and the AEF was measured continuously. A similar procedure was applied to saxophone sounds in a separate run. In Experiment 2, the size and type of instrument (French horn and saxophone) were varied without changing the octave. AEFs were recorded in five subjects using magnetoencephalography and evaluated by spatio-temporal source analysis with one equivalent dipole in each hemisphere. The morphology of the source waveforms revealed that each note within the melody elicits a well-defined P1-N1-P2 AEF-complex with adaptation for the 2nd and 3rd note. At the transition of size, pitch, or both, a larger AEF-complex was evoked. However, size changes elicited a stronger N1 than pitch changes. Furthermore, this size-related N1 enhancement was larger for French horn than saxophone. The results indicate that the N1 plays an important role in the specific representation of instrument size.

Isotope source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosol as a function of particle size and thermal refractiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masalaite, Agne; Holzinger, Rupert; Remeikis, Vidmantas; Röckmann, Thomas; Dusek, Ulrike

2016-04-01

The stable carbon isotopes can be used to get information about sources and processing of carbonaceous aerosol. We will present results from source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosol as a function of particle size thermal refractiveness. Separate source apportionment for particles smaller than 200 nm and for different carbon volatility classes are rarely reported and give new insights into aerosol sources in the urban environment. Stable carbon isotope ratios were measured for the organic carbon (OC) fraction and total carbon (TC) of MOUDI impactor samples that were collected on a coastal site (Lithuania) during the winter 2012 and in the city of Vilnius (Lithuania) during the winter of 2009. The 11 impactor stages spanned a size range from 0.056 to 18 μm, but only the 6 stages in the submicron range were analysed. The δ13C values of bulk total carbon (δ13CTC) were determined with an elemental analyser (Flash EA 1112) coupled with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Thermo Finnigan Delta Plus Advantage) (EA - IRMS). Meanwhile δ13COC was measured using thermal-desorption isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) system. This allows a rough separation of the more volatile OC fraction (desorbed in the oven of IRMS up to 250 0C) from the more refractory fraction (desorbed up to 400 0C). In this study we investigated the composition of organic aerosol desorbed from filter samples at different temperatures using the thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (TD-PTR-MS) technique. During winter-time in Lithuania we expect photochemistry and biogenic emissions to be of minor importance. The main sources of aerosol carbon should be fossil fuel and biomass combustion. In both sites, the coastal and the urban site, δ13C measurements give a clear indication that the source contributions differ for small and large particles. Small particles < 200 nm are depleted in 13C with respect to larger particles by 1 - 2 ‰Ṫhis shows that OC in small particle arises mainly from fossil fuel sources, whereas OC in larger particles from 200 nm to 1 μm has higher contribution from biomass burning/other sources. Moreover, there is a clear distinction in source contribution between the more volatile OC fraction and the more refractory fraction. The more refractory fraction is enriched in 13C by 1 to 2 ‰ for both small and large particles. These results show that the fossil fuel combustion is associated to a larger degree with more volatile carbon, whereas biomass burning is the main source of the more refractory particles. According to our source apportionment, the more volatile carbon fraction in the smallest particles is almost completely from fossil fuels, whereas the more refractory carbon fraction in the large size range is almost complete from biomass burning. The more refractory small particles and the less refractory large particles are roughly an even mix of these two sources. The detailed chemical speciation of the carbonaceous aerosol will be presented as well. Acknowledgements This study was funded by the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO grants Nr. 820.01.001, and 834.08.002).

Multi-dimensional grating interferometer based on fibre-fed measurement heads arranged in Littrow configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šiaudinytė, Lauryna; Molnar, Gabor; Köning, Rainer; Flügge, Jens

2018-05-01

Industrial application versatility of interferometric encoders increases the urge to measure several degrees of freedom. A novel grating interferometer containing a commercially available, minimized Michelson interferometer and three fibre-fed measurement heads is presented in this paper. Moreover, the arrangement is designed for simultaneous displacement measurements in two perpendicular planes. In the proposed setup, beam splitters are located in the fibre heads, therefore the grating is separated from the light source and the photo detector, which influence measurement results by generated heat. The operating principle of the proposed system as well as error sources influencing measurement results are discussed in this paper. Further, the benefits and shortcomings of the setup are presented. A simple Littrow-configuration-based design leads to a compact-size interferometric encoder suitable for multidimensional measurements.

Technique to determine location of radio sources from measurements taken on spinning spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fainberg, J.

1979-01-01

The procedure developed to extract average source direction and average source size from spin-modulated radio astronomy data measured on the IMP-6 spacecraft is described. Because all measurements are used, rather than just finding maxima or minima in the data, the method is very sensitive, even in the presence of large amounts of noise. The technique is applicable to all experiments with directivity characteristics. It is suitable for onboard processing on satellites to reduce the data flow to Earth. The application to spin-modulated nonpolarized radio astronomy data is made and includes the effects of noise, background, and second source interference. The analysis was tested with computer simulated data and the results agree with analytic predictions. Applications of this method with IMP-6 radio data have led to: (1) determination of source positions of traveling solar radio bursts at large distances from the Sun; (2) mapping of magnetospheric radio emissions by radio triangulation; and (3) detection of low frequency radio emissions from Jupiter and Saturn.

XRF-analysis of fine and ultrafine particles emitted from laser printing devices.

PubMed

Barthel, Mathias; Pedan, Vasilisa; Hahn, Oliver; Rothhardt, Monika; Bresch, Harald; Jann, Oliver; Seeger, Stefan

2011-09-15

In this work, the elemental composition of fine and ultrafine particles emitted by ten different laser printing devices (LPD) is examined. The particle number concentration time series was measured as well as the particle size distributions. In parallel, emitted particles were size-selectively sampled with a cascade impactor and subsequently analyzed by the means of XRF. In order to identify potential sources for the aerosol's elemental composition, materials involved in the printing process such as toner, paper, and structural components of the printer were also analyzed. While the majority of particle emissions from laser printers are known to consist of recondensated semi volatile organic compounds, elemental analysis identifies Si, S, Cl, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Fe as well as traces of Ni and Zn in different size fractions of the aerosols. These elements can mainly be assigned to contributions from toner and paper. The detection of elements that are likely to be present in inorganic compounds is in good agreement with the measurement of nonvolatile particles. Quantitative measurements of solid particles at 400 °C resulted in residues of 1.6 × 10(9) and 1.5 × 10(10) particles per print job, representing fractions of 0.2% and 1.9% of the total number of emitted particles at room temperature. In combination with the XRF results it is concluded that solid inorganic particles contribute to LPD emissions in measurable quantities. Furthermore, for the first time Br was detected in significant concentrations in the aerosol emitted from two LPD. The analysis of several possible sources identified the plastic housings of the fuser units as main sources due to substantial Br concentrations related to brominated flame retardants.

Calibrations and Comparisons of Aerosol Spectrometers linking Ground and Airborne Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, C.; Brock, C. A.; Erdesz, F.

2015-12-01

The nucleation-mode aerosol size spectrometer (NMASS), a fast-time response instrument measuring aerosol size distributions between 5 and 60nm, is to sample in the boundary layer and free troposphere on NASA's Atmospheric Tomography mission (ATom), providing contiguous data with global coverage in all four seasons. In preparation for this the NMASS is calibrated for the expected flight conditions and compatibility studies are made with ground-based instrumentation. The NMASS is comprised of 5 parallel condensation particle counters (CPCs) using perfluoro-tributylamine as a working fluid. Understanding the variation of CPC counting efficiencies with respect to the chemical composition of the sample is important for accurate data analysis and can be used to give indirect information about sample chemical composition. This variation is strongly dependent on the working fluid. The absolute responses and associated variations of the NMASS to ammonium sulfate and limonene ozonolysis products, compounds pertinent to the composition of particles nucleated in the free troposphere and boundary later, are compared to those of butanol, diethylene-glycol and water based CPCs, which are more commonly used in ground-based measurements. While fast time-response is key to measuring aerosol size distributions on flights, high size-resolution is often prioritized for ground-based measurements, and so a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) is commonly used. Inter-comparison between NMASS and SMPS data is non-trivial because of the different working principles and resolutions of the instruments and yet it is vital, for example, for understanding the sources of particles observed during flights and the global relevance of phenomena observed from field stations and in chambers. We report compatibility studies on inversions of data from the SMPS and NMASS, evaluating temporal and spatial resolution and sources of uncertainty.

Para-hydrogen and helium cluster size distributions in free jet expansions based on Smoluchowski theory with kernel scaling.

PubMed

Kornilov, Oleg; Toennies, J Peter

2015-02-21

The size distribution of para-H2 (pH2) clusters produced in free jet expansions at a source temperature of T0 = 29.5 K and pressures of P0 = 0.9-1.96 bars is reported and analyzed according to a cluster growth model based on the Smoluchowski theory with kernel scaling. Good overall agreement is found between the measured and predicted, Nk = A k(a) e(-bk), shape of the distribution. The fit yields values for A and b for values of a derived from simple collision models. The small remaining deviations between measured abundances and theory imply a (pH2)k magic number cluster of k = 13 as has been observed previously by Raman spectroscopy. The predicted linear dependence of b(-(a+1)) on source gas pressure was verified and used to determine the value of the basic effective agglomeration reaction rate constant. A comparison of the corresponding effective growth cross sections σ11 with results from a similar analysis of He cluster size distributions indicates that the latter are much larger by a factor 6-10. An analysis of the three body recombination rates, the geometric sizes and the fact that the He clusters are liquid independent of their size can explain the larger cross sections found for He.

Feasibility of an in situ measurement device for bubble size and distribution.

PubMed

Junker, Beth; Maciejak, Walter; Darnell, Branson; Lester, Michael; Pollack, Michael

2007-09-01

The feasibility of in situ measurement device for bubble size and distribution was explored. A novel in situ probe measurement system, the EnviroCam, was developed. Where possible, this probe incorporated strengths, and minimized weaknesses of historical and currently available real-time measurement methods for bubbles. The system was based on a digital, high-speed, high resolution, modular camera system, attached to a stainless steel shroud, compatible with standard Ingold ports on fermenters. Still frames and/or video were produced, capturing bubbles passing through the notch of the shroud. An LED light source was integral with the shroud. Bubbles were analyzed using customized commercially available image analysis software and standard statistical methods. Using this system, bubble sizes were measured as a function of various operating parameters (e.g., agitation rate, aeration rate) and as a function of media properties (e.g., viscosity, antifoam, cottonseed flour, and microbial/animal cell broths) to demonstrate system performance and its limitations. For selected conditions, mean bubble size changes qualitatively compared favorably with published relationships. Current instrument measurement capabilities were limited primarily to clear solutions that did not contain large numbers of overlapping bubbles.

Transport and solubility of Hetero-disperse dry deposition particulate matter subject to urban source area rainfall-runoff processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, G.; Sansalone, J.

2010-03-01

SummaryWith respect to hydrologic processes, the impervious pavement interface significantly alters relationships between rainfall and runoff. Commensurate with alteration of hydrologic processes the pavement also facilitates transport and solubility of dry deposition particulate matter (PM) in runoff. This study examines dry depositional flux rates, granulometric modification by runoff transport, as well as generation of total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity and conductivity in source area runoff resulting from PM solubility. PM is collected from a paved source area transportation corridor (I-10) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana encompassing 17 dry deposition and 8 runoff events. The mass-based granulometric particle size distribution (PSD) is measured and modeled through a cumulative gamma function, while PM surface area distributions across the PSD follow a log-normal distribution. Dry deposition flux rates are modeled as separate first-order exponential functions of previous dry hours (PDH) for PM and suspended, settleable and sediment fractions. When trans-located from dry deposition into runoff, PSDs are modified, with a d50m decreasing from 331 to 14 μm after transport and 60 min of settling. Solubility experiments as a function of pH, contact time and particle size using source area rainfall generate constitutive models to reproduce pH, alkalinity, TDS and alkalinity for historical events. Equilibrium pH, alkalinity and TDS are strongly influenced by particle size and contact times. The constitutive leaching models are combined with measured PSDs from a series of rainfall-runoff events to demonstrate that the model results replicate alkalinity and TDS in runoff from the subject watershed. Results illustrate the granulometry of dry deposition PM, modification of PSDs along the drainage pathway, and the role of PM solubility for generation of TDS, alkalinity and conductivity in urban source area rainfall-runoff.

ELM: super-resolution analysis of wide-field images of fluorescent shell structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manton, James D.; Xiao, Yao; Turner, Robert D.; Christie, Graham; Rees, Eric J.

2018-07-01

It is often necessary to precisely quantify the size of specimens in biological studies. When measuring feature size in fluorescence microscopy, significant biases can arise due to blurring of its edges if the feature is smaller than the diffraction limit of resolution. This problem is avoided if an equation describing the feature’s entire image is fitted to its image data. In this paper we present open-source software, ELM, which uses this approach to measure the size of spheroidal or cylindrical fluorescent shells with a precision of around 10 nm. This has been used to measure coat protein locations in bacterial spores and cell wall diameter in vegetative bacilli, and may also be valuable in microbiological studies of algae, fungi and viruses. ELM is available for download at https://github.com/quantitativeimaging/ELM.

ELM: super-resolution analysis of wide-field images of fluorescent shell structures.

PubMed

Manton, James; Xiao, Yao; Turner, Robert; Christie, Graham; Rees, Eric

2018-05-04

It is often necessary to precisely quantify the size of specimens in biological studies. When measuring feature size in fluorescence microscopy, significant biases can arise due to blurring of its edges if the feature is smaller than the diffraction limit of resolution. This problem is avoided if an equation describing the feature's entire image is fitted to its image data. In this paper we present open-source software, ELM, which uses this approach to measure the size of spheroidal or cylindrical fluorescent shells with a precision of around 10 nm. This has been used to measure coat protein locations in bacterial spores and cell wall diameter in vegetative bacilli, and may also be valuable in microbiological studies of algae, fungi and viruses. ELM is available for download at https://github.com/quantitativeimaging/ELM. Creative Commons Attribution license.

Performance of the K+ ion diode in the 2 MV injector for heavy ion fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieniosek, F. M.; Henestroza, E.; Kwan, J. W.

2002-02-01

Heavy ion beam inertial fusion driver concepts depend on the availability and performance of high-brightness high-current ion sources. Surface ionization sources have relatively low current density but high brightness because of the low temperature of the emitted ions. We have measured the beam profiles at the exit of the injector diode, and compared the measured profiles with EGUN and WARP-3D predictions. Spherical aberrations are significant in this large aspect ratio diode. We discuss the measured and calculated beam size and beam profiles, the effect of aberrations, quality of vacuum, and secondary electron distributions on the beam profile.

Rapid determination of lead for industrial hygiene surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, E. W.; Hill, R. F.

1982-02-01

Emphasis on the continued reduction of personnel exposure to airborne lead has led to the development and evaluation of portable instrumentation for the rapid determination of microgram quantities of lead collected on air filter samples. The instrumentation is based on radioisotope-induced X-ray fluorescence; a cadmium-109 radioisotope source is used for sample excitation, and the characteristic lead X-rays emitted are measured by a proportional detector. The effects of excitation source geometry, particle size, and interferences from other elements were investigated. This type of portable instrumentation appears ideally suited for in-plant measurements intended to monitor lead and evaluate new control measures.

Radar detection of radiation-induced ionization in air

DOEpatents

Gopalsami, Nachappa; Heifetz, Alexander; Chien, Hual-Te; Liao, Shaolin; Koehl, Eugene R.; Raptis, Apostolos C.

2015-07-21

A millimeter wave measurement system has been developed for remote detection of airborne nuclear radiation, based on electromagnetic scattering from radiation-induced ionization in air. Specifically, methods of monitoring radiation-induced ionization of air have been investigated, and the ionized air has been identified as a source of millimeter wave radar reflection, which can be utilized to determine the size and strength of a radiation source.

Bootstrap inversion technique for atmospheric trace gas source detection and quantification using long open-path laser measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alden, Caroline B.; Ghosh, Subhomoy; Coburn, Sean; Sweeney, Colm; Karion, Anna; Wright, Robert; Coddington, Ian; Rieker, Gregory B.; Prasad, Kuldeep

2018-03-01

Advances in natural gas extraction technology have led to increased activity in the production and transport sectors in the United States and, as a consequence, an increased need for reliable monitoring of methane leaks to the atmosphere. We present a statistical methodology in combination with an observing system for the detection and attribution of fugitive emissions of methane from distributed potential source location landscapes such as natural gas production sites. We measure long (> 500 m), integrated open-path concentrations of atmospheric methane using a dual frequency comb spectrometer and combine measurements with an atmospheric transport model to infer leak locations and strengths using a novel statistical method, the non-zero minimum bootstrap (NZMB). The new statistical method allows us to determine whether the empirical distribution of possible source strengths for a given location excludes zero. Using this information, we identify leaking source locations (i.e., natural gas wells) through rejection of the null hypothesis that the source is not leaking. The method is tested with a series of synthetic data inversions with varying measurement density and varying levels of model-data mismatch. It is also tested with field observations of (1) a non-leaking source location and (2) a source location where a controlled emission of 3.1 × 10-5 kg s-1 of methane gas is released over a period of several hours. This series of synthetic data tests and outdoor field observations using a controlled methane release demonstrates the viability of the approach for the detection and sizing of very small leaks of methane across large distances (4+ km2 in synthetic tests). The field tests demonstrate the ability to attribute small atmospheric enhancements of 17 ppb to the emitting source location against a background of combined atmospheric (e.g., background methane variability) and measurement uncertainty of 5 ppb (1σ), when measurements are averaged over 2 min. The results of the synthetic and field data testing show that the new observing system and statistical approach greatly decreases the incidence of false alarms (that is, wrongly identifying a well site to be leaking) compared with the same tests that do not use the NZMB approach and therefore offers increased leak detection and sizing capabilities.

SU-G-BRB-15: Verifications of Absolute and Relative Dosimetry of a Novel Stereotactic Breast Device: GammaPodTM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Becker, S; Mossahebi, S; Yi, B

Purpose: A dedicated stereotactic breast radiotherapy device, GammaPod, was developed to treat early stage breast cancer. The first clinical unit was installed and commissioned at University of Maryland. We report our methodology of absolute dosimetry in multiple calibration conditions and dosimetric verifications of treatment plans produced by the system. Methods: GammaPod unit is comprised of a rotating hemi-spherical source carrier containing 36 Co-60 sources and a concentric tungsten collimator providing beams of 15 and 25 mm. Absolute dose calibration formalism was developed with modifications to AAPM protocols for unique geometry and different calibration medium (acrylic, polyethylene or liquid water). Breastmore » cup-size specific and collimator output factors were measured and verified with respect to Monte-Carlo simulations for single isocenter plans. Multiple isocenter plans were generated for various target size, location and cup-sizes in phantoms and 20 breast cancer patients images. Stereotactic mini-farmer chamber, OSL and TLD detectors as well as radio-chromic films were used for dosimetric measurements. Results: At the time of calibration (1/14/2016), absolute dose rate of the GammaPod was established to be 2.10 Gy/min in acrylic for 25 mm for sources installed in March 2011. Output factor for 15 mm collimator was measured to be 0.950. Absolute dose calibration was independently verified by IROC-Houston with a TLD/Institution ratio of 0.99. Cup size specific output measurements in liquid water for single isocenter were found to be within 3.0% of MC simulations. Point-dose measurements of multiple isocenter treatment plans were found to be within −1.0 ± 1.2 % of treatment planning system while 2-dimensional gamma analysis yielded a pass rate of 97.9 ± 2.2 % using gamma criteria of 3% and 2mm. Conclusion: The first GammaPod treatment unit for breast stereotactic radiotherapy was successfully installed, calibrated and commissioned for patient treatments. An absolute dosimetry and dosimetric verification protocols were successfully created.« less

Medium change based image estimation from application of inverse algorithms to coda wave measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Hanyu; Jiang, Hanwan; Jiang, Ruinian

2018-03-01

Perturbations worked as extra scatters will cause coda waveform distortions; thus, coda wave with long propagation time and traveling path are sensitive to micro-defects in strongly heterogeneous media such as concretes. In this paper, we conduct varied external loads on a life-size concrete slab which contains multiple existing micro-cracks, and a couple of sources and receivers are installed to collect coda wave signals. The waveform decorrelation coefficients (DC) at different loads are calculated for all available source-receiver pair measurements. Then inversions of the DC results are applied to estimate the associated distribution density values in three-dimensional regions through kernel sensitivity model and least-square algorithms, which leads to the images indicating the micro-cracks positions. This work provides an efficiently non-destructive approach to detect internal defects and damages of large-size concrete structures.

Thermal conductivity of particulate materials: A summary of measurements taken at the Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fountain, J. A.

1973-01-01

Thermal conductivity measurements of particulate materials in vacuum are presented in summary. Particulate basalt and soda lime glass beads of various size ranges were used as samples. The differentiated line heat source method was used for the measurements. A comprehensive table is shown giving all pertinent experimental conditions. Least-squares curve fits to the data are presented.

Whole body counter calibration using Monte Carlo modeling with an array of phantom sizes based on national anthropometric reference data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shypailo, R. J.; Ellis, K. J.

2011-05-01

During construction of the whole body counter (WBC) at the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC), efficiency calibration was needed to translate acquired counts of 40K to actual grams of potassium for measurement of total body potassium (TBK) in a diverse subject population. The MCNP Monte Carlo n-particle simulation program was used to describe the WBC (54 detectors plus shielding), test individual detector counting response, and create a series of virtual anthropomorphic phantoms based on national reference anthropometric data. Each phantom included an outer layer of adipose tissue and an inner core of lean tissue. Phantoms were designed for both genders representing ages 3.5 to 18.5 years with body sizes from the 5th to the 95th percentile based on body weight. In addition, a spherical surface source surrounding the WBC was modeled in order to measure the effects of subject mass on room background interference. Individual detector measurements showed good agreement with the MCNP model. The background source model came close to agreement with empirical measurements, but showed a trend deviating from unity with increasing subject size. Results from the MCNP simulation of the CNRC WBC agreed well with empirical measurements using BOMAB phantoms. Individual detector efficiency corrections were used to improve the accuracy of the model. Nonlinear multiple regression efficiency calibration equations were derived for each gender. Room background correction is critical in improving the accuracy of the WBC calibration.

Surface applicator calibration and commissioning of an electronic brachytherapy system for nonmelanoma skin cancer treatment.

PubMed

Rong, Yi; Welsh, James S

2010-10-01

The Xoft Axxent x-ray source has been used for treating nonmelanoma skin cancer since the surface applicators became clinically available in 2009. The authors report comprehensive calibration procedures for the electronic brachytherapy (eBx) system with the surface applicators. The Xoft miniature tube (model S700) generates 50 kVp low-energy x rays. The new surface applicators are available in four sizes of 10, 20, 35, and 50 mm in diameter. The authors' tests include measurements of dose rate, air-gap factor, output stability, depth dose verification, beam flatness and symmetry, and treatment planning with patient specific cutout factors. The TG-61 in-air method was used as a guideline for acquiring nominal dose-rate output at the skin surface. A soft x-ray parallel-plate chamber (PTW T34013) and electrometer was used for the output commissioning. GafChromic EBT films were used for testing the properties of the treatment fields with the skin applicators. Solid water slabs were used to verify the depth dose and cutout factors. Patients with basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma were treated with eBx using a calibrated Xoft system with the low-energy x-ray source and the skin applicators. The average nominal dose-rate output at the skin surface for the 35 mm applicator is 1.35 Gy/min with +/- 5% variation for 16 sources. The dose-rate output and stability (within +/- 5% variation) were also measured for the remaining three applicators. For the same source, the output variation is within 2%. The effective source-surface distance was calculated based on the air-gap measurements for four applicator sizes. The field flatness and symmetry are well within 5%. Percentage depth dose in water was provided by factory measurements and can be verified using solid water slabs. Treatment duration was calculated based on the nominal dose rate, the prescription fraction size, the depth dose percentage, and the cutout factor. The output factor needs to be measured for each case with varying shapes of cutouts. Together with TG-61, the authors' methodology provides comprehensive calibration procedures for medical physicists for using the Xoft eBx system and skin applicators for nonmelanoma skin cancer treatments.

[Study of inversion and classification of particle size distribution under dependent model algorithm].

PubMed

Sun, Xiao-Gang; Tang, Hong; Yuan, Gui-Bin

2008-05-01

For the total light scattering particle sizing technique, an inversion and classification method was proposed with the dependent model algorithm. The measured particle system was inversed simultaneously by different particle distribution functions whose mathematic model was known in advance, and then classified according to the inversion errors. The simulation experiments illustrated that it is feasible to use the inversion errors to determine the particle size distribution. The particle size distribution function was obtained accurately at only three wavelengths in the visible light range with the genetic algorithm, and the inversion results were steady and reliable, which decreased the number of multi wavelengths to the greatest extent and increased the selectivity of light source. The single peak distribution inversion error was less than 5% and the bimodal distribution inversion error was less than 10% when 5% stochastic noise was put in the transmission extinction measurement values at two wavelengths. The running time of this method was less than 2 s. The method has advantages of simplicity, rapidity, and suitability for on-line particle size measurement.

Predicting Attack-Prone Components with Source Code Static Analyzers

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

models to determine if additional metrics are required to increase the accuracy of the model: non-security SCSA warnings, code churn and size, the count...code churn and size, the count of faults found manually during development, and the measure of coupling between components. The dependent variable...is the count of vulnerabilities reported by testing and those found in the field. We evaluated our model on three commercial telecommunications

Aerosol in the Pacific troposphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, Antony D.

1989-01-01

The use of near real-time optical techniques is emphasized for the measurement of mid-tropospheric aerosol over the Central Pacific. The primary focus is on measurement of the aerosol size distribution over the range of particle diameters from 0.15 to 5.0 microns that are essential for modeling CO2 backscatter values in support of the laser atmospheric wind sounder (LAWS) program. The measurement system employs a LAS-X (Laser Aerosol Spectrometer-PMS, Boulder, CO) with a custom 256 channel pulse height analyzer and software for detailed measurement and analysis of aerosol size distributions. A thermal preheater system (Thermo Optic Aerosol Descriminator (TOAD) conditions the aerosol in a manner that allows the discrimination of the size distribution of individual aerosol components such as sulfuric acid, sulfates and refractory species. This allows assessment of the relative contribution of each component to the BCO2 signal. This is necessary since the different components have different sources, exhibit independent variability and provide different BCO2 signals for a given mass and particle size. Field activities involve experiments designed to examine both temporal and spatial variability of these aerosol components from ground based and aircraft platforms.

IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF THE SIZE AND DENSITY OF TITAN AEROSOL ANALOGS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoerst, S. M.; Tolbert, M. A, E-mail: sarah.horst@colorado.edu

2013-06-10

The organic haze produced from complex CH{sub 4}/N{sub 2} chemistry in the atmosphere of Titan plays an important role in processes that occur in the atmosphere and on its surface. The haze particles act as condensation nuclei and are therefore involved in Titan's methane hydrological cycle. They also may behave like sediment on Titan's surface and participate in both fluvial and aeolian processes. Models that seek to understand these processes require information about the physical properties of the particles including their size and density. Although measurements obtained by Cassini-Huygens have placed constraints on the size of the haze particles, theirmore » densities remain unknown. We have conducted a series of Titan atmosphere simulation experiments and measured the size, number density, and particle density of Titan aerosol analogs, or tholins, for CH{sub 4} concentrations from 0.01% to 10% using two different energy sources, spark discharge and UV. We find that the densities currently in use by many Titan models are higher than the measured densities of our tholins.« less

Comparison of the space-time extent of the emission source in d +Au and Au + Au collisions at √{sNN} = 200 GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajitanand, N. N.; Phenix Collaboration

2014-11-01

Two-pion interferometry measurements in d +Au and Au + Au collisions at √{sNN} = 200 GeV are used to extract and compare the Gaussian source radii Rout, Rside and Rlong, which characterize the space-time extent of the emission sources. The comparisons, which are performed as a function of collision centrality and the mean transverse momentum for pion pairs, indicate strikingly similar patterns for the d +Au and Au + Au systems. They also indicate a linear dependence of Rside on the initial transverse geometric size R bar , as well as a smaller freeze-out size for the d +Au system. These patterns point to the important role of final-state re-scattering effects in the reaction dynamics of d +Au collisions.

Modeling the light-travel-time effect on the far-infrared size of IRC +10216

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Edward L.; Baganoff, Frederick K.

1995-01-01

Models of the far-infrared emission from the large circumstellar dust envelope surrounding the carbon star IRC +10216 are used to assess the importance of the light-travel-time effect (LTTE) on the observed size of the source. The central star is a long-period variable with an average period of 644 +/- 17 days and a peak-to-peak amplitude of two magnituds, so a large light-travel-time effect is seen at 1 min radius. An attempt is made to use the LTTE to reconcile the discrepancy between the observations of Fazio et al. and Lester et al. regarding the far-infrared source size. This discrepancy is reviewed in light of recent, high-spatial-resolution observations at 11 microns by Danchi et al. We conclude that IRC +10216 has been resolved on the arcminute scale by Fazio et al. Convolution of the model intensity profile at 61 microns with the 60 sec x 90 sec Gaussian beam of Fazio et al. yields an observed source size full width at half maximum (FWHM) that ranges from approximately 67 sec to 75 sec depending on the phase of the star and the assumed distance to the source. Using a simple r(exp -2) dust distribution and the 106 deg phase of the Fazio et al. observations, the LTTE model reaches a peak size of 74.3 sec at a distance of 300 pc. This agrees favorably with the 78 sec x 6 sec size measured by Fazio et al. Finally, a method is outlined for using the LTTE as a distance indicator to IRC +10216 and other stars with extended mass outflows.

Aerosol composition, oxidative properties, and sources in Beijing: results from the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, W. Q.; Sun, Y. L.; Chen, C.; Du, W.; Han, T. T.; Wang, Q. Q.; Fu, P. Q.; Wang, Z. F.; Zhao, X. J.; Zhou, L. B.; Ji, D. S.; Wang, P. C.; Worsnop, D. R.

2015-08-01

The mitigation of air pollution in megacities remains a great challenge because of the complex sources and formation mechanisms of aerosol particles. The 2014 Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing serves as a unique experiment to study the impacts of emission controls on aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidative properties. Herein, a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed in urban Beijing for real-time measurements of size-resolved non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) species from 14 October to 12 November 2014, along with a range of collocated measurements. The average (±σ) PM1 was 41.6 (±38.9) μg m-3 during APEC, which was decreased by 53 % compared with that before APEC. The aerosol composition showed substantial changes owing to emission controls during APEC. Secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA = sulfate + nitrate + ammonium) showed significant reductions of 62-69 %, whereas organics presented much smaller decreases (35 %). The results from the positive matrix factorization of organic aerosols (OA) indicated that highly oxidized secondary OA (SOA) showed decreases similar to those of SIA during APEC. However, primary OA (POA) from cooking, traffic, and biomass burning sources were comparable to those before APEC, indicating the presence of strong local source emissions. The oxidation properties showed corresponding changes in response to OA composition. The average oxygen-to-carbon level during APEC was 0.36 (±0.10), which is lower than the 0.43 (±0.13) measured before APEC, demonstrating a decrease in the OA oxidation degree. The changes in size distributions of primary and secondary species varied during APEC. SIA and SOA showed significant reductions in large accumulation modes with peak diameters shifting from ~ 650 to 400 nm during APEC, whereas those of POA remained relatively unchanged. The changes in aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidation degrees during the aging processes were further illustrated in a case study of a severe haze episode. Our results elucidated a complex response of aerosol chemistry to emission controls, which has significant implications that emission controls over regional scales can substantially reduce secondary particulates. However, stricter emission controls for local source emissions are needed for further mitigating air pollution in the megacity of Beijing.

Aerosol composition, oxidation properties, and sources in Beijing: results from the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, W. Q.; Sun, Y. L.; Chen, C.; Du, W.; Han, T. T.; Wang, Q. Q.; Fu, P. Q.; Wang, Z. F.; Zhao, X. J.; Zhou, L. B.; Ji, D. S.; Wang, P. C.; Worsnop, D. R.

2015-12-01

The mitigation of air pollution in megacities remains a great challenge because of the complex sources and formation mechanisms of aerosol particles. The 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing serves as a unique experiment to study the impacts of emission controls on aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidation properties. Herein, a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed in urban Beijing for real-time measurements of size-resolved non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) species from 14 October to 12 November 2014, along with a range of collocated measurements. The average (±σ) PM1 was 41.6 (±38.9) μg m-3 during APEC, which was decreased by 53 % compared with that before APEC. The aerosol composition showed substantial changes owing to emission controls during APEC. Secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA: sulfate + nitrate + ammonium) showed significant reductions of 62-69 %, whereas organics presented much smaller decreases (35 %). The results from the positive matrix factorization of organic aerosol (OA) indicated that highly oxidized secondary organic aerosol (SOA) showed decreases similar to those of SIA during APEC. However, primary organic aerosol (POA) from cooking, traffic, and biomass-burning sources were comparable to those before APEC, indicating the presence of strong local source emissions. The oxidation properties showed corresponding changes in response to OA composition. The average oxygen-to-carbon level during APEC was 0.36 (±0.10), which is lower than the 0.43 (±0.13) measured before APEC, demonstrating a decrease in the OA oxidation degree. The changes in size distributions of primary and secondary species varied during APEC. SIA and SOA showed significant reductions in large accumulation modes with peak diameters shifting from ~ 650 to 400 nm during APEC, whereas those of POA remained relatively unchanged. The changes in aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidation degrees during the aging processes were further illustrated in a case study of a severe haze episode. Our results elucidated a complex response of aerosol chemistry to emission controls, which has significant implications that emission controls over regional scales can substantially reduce secondary particulates. However, stricter emission controls for local source emissions are needed for further mitigating air pollution in the megacity of Beijing.

Edge Length and Surface Area of a Blank: Experimental Assessment of Measures, Size Predictions and Utility

PubMed Central

Dogandžić, Tamara; Braun, David R.; McPherron, Shannon P.

2015-01-01

Blank size and form represent one of the main sources of variation in lithic assemblages. They reflect economic properties of blanks and factors such as efficiency and use life. These properties require reliable measures of size, namely edge length and surface area. These measures, however, are not easily captured with calipers. Most attempts to quantify these features employ estimates; however, the efficacy of these estimations for measuring critical features such as blank surface area and edge length has never been properly evaluated. In addition, these parameters are even more difficult to acquire for retouched implements as their original size and hence indication of their previous utility have been lost. It has been suggested, in controlled experimental conditions, that two platform variables, platform thickness and exterior platform angle, are crucial in determining blank size and shape meaning that knappers can control the interaction between size and efficiency by selecting specific core angles and controlling where fracture is initiated. The robustness of these models has rarely been tested and confirmed in context other than controlled experiments. In this paper, we evaluate which currently employed caliper measurement methods result in the highest accuracy of size estimations of blanks, and we evaluate how platform variables can be used to indirectly infer aspects of size on retouched artifacts. Furthermore, we investigate measures of different platform management strategies that control the shape and size of artifacts. To investigate these questions, we created an experimental lithic assemblage, we digitized images to calculate 2D surface area and edge length, which are used as a point of comparison for the caliper measurements and additional analyses. The analysis of aspects of size determinations and the utility of blanks contributes to our understanding of the technological strategies of prehistoric knappers and what economic decisions they made during process of blank production. PMID:26332773

An environmental dose experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta, Luis

2017-11-01

Several radiation sources worldwide contribute to the delivered dose to the human population. This radiation also acts as a natural background when detecting radiation, for instance from radioactive sources. In this work a medium-sized plastic scintillation detector is used to evaluate the dose delivered by natural radiation sources. Calibration of the detector involved the use of radioactive sources and Monte Carlo simulation of the energy deposition per disintegration. A measurement of the annual dose due to background radiation to the body was then estimated. A dose value compatible with the value reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation was obtained.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauböck, Michi; Psaltis, Dimitrios; Özel, Feryal, E-mail: mbaubock@email.arizona.edu

We calculate the effects of spot size on pulse profiles of moderately rotating neutron stars. Specifically, we quantify the bias introduced in radius measurements from the common assumption that spots are infinitesimally small. We find that this assumption is reasonable for spots smaller than 10°–18° and leads to errors that are ≤10% in the radius measurement, depending on the location of the spot and the inclination of the observer. We consider the implications of our results for neutron star radius measurements with the upcoming and planned X-ray missions NICER and LOFT. We calculate the expected spot size for different classesmore » of sources and investigate the circumstances under which the assumption of a small spot is justified.« less

Using a Divided Bar Apparatus to Measure Thermal Conductivity of Samples of Odd Sizes and Shapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowell, J. "; Gosnold, W. D.

2012-12-01

Standard procedure for measuring thermal conductivity using a divided bar apparatus requires a sample that has the same surface dimensions as the heat sink/source surface in the divided bar. Heat flow is assumed to be constant throughout the column and thermal conductivity (K) is determined by measuring temperatures (T) across the sample and across standard layers and using the basic relationship Ksample=(Kstandard*(ΔT1+ΔT2)/2)/(ΔTsample). Sometimes samples are not large enough or of correct proportions to match the surface of the heat sink/source, however using the equations presented here the thermal conductivity of these samples can still be measured with a divided bar. Measurements were done on the UND Geothermal Laboratories stationary divided bar apparatus (SDB). This SDB has been designed to mimic many in-situ conditions, with a temperature range of -20C to 150C and a pressure range of 0 to 10,000 psi for samples with parallel surfaces and 0 to 3000 psi for samples with non-parallel surfaces. The heat sink/source surfaces are copper disks and have a surface area of 1,772 mm2 (2.74 in2). Layers of polycarbonate 6 mm thick with the same surface area as the copper disks are located in the heat sink and in the heat source as standards. For this study, all samples were prepared from a single piece of 4 inch limestone core. Thermal conductivities were measured for each sample as it was cut successively smaller. The above equation was adjusted to include the thicknesses (Th) of the samples and the standards and the surface areas (A) of the heat sink/source and of the sample Ksample=(Kstandard*Astandard*Thsample*(ΔT1+ΔT3))/(ΔTsample*Asample*2*Thstandard). Measuring the thermal conductivity of samples of multiple sizes, shapes, and thicknesses gave consistent values for samples with surfaces as small as 50% of the heat sink/source surface, regardless of the shape of the sample. Measuring samples with surfaces smaller than 50% of the heat sink/source surface resulted in thermal conductivity values which were too high. The cause of the error with the smaller samples is being examined as is the relationship between the amount of error in the thermal conductivity and the difference in surface areas. As more measurements are made an equation to mathematically correct for the error is being developed on in case a way to physically correct the problem cannot be determined.

A multicenter study to quantify systematic variations and associated uncertainties in source positioning with commonly used HDR afterloaders and ring applicators for the treatment of cervical carcinomas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Awunor, O., E-mail: onuora.awunor@stees.nhs.uk; Berger, D.; Kirisits, C.

Purpose: The reconstruction of radiation source position in the treatment planning system is a key part of the applicator reconstruction process in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment of cervical carcinomas. The steep dose gradients, of as much as 12%/mm, associated with typical cervix treatments emphasize the importance of accurate and precise determination of source positions. However, a variety of methodologies with a range in associated measurement uncertainties, of up to ±2.5 mm, are currently employed by various centers to do this. In addition, a recent pilot study by Awunor et al. [“Direct reconstruction and associated uncertainties of {sup 192}Irmore » source dwell positions in ring applicators using gafchromic film in the treatment planning of HDR brachytherapy cervix patients,” Phys. Med. Biol. 58, 3207–3225 (2013)] reported source positional differences of up to 2.6 mm between ring sets of the same type and geometry. This suggests a need for a comprehensive study to assess and quantify systematic source position variations between commonly used ring applicators and HDR afterloaders across multiple centers. Methods: Eighty-six rings from 20 European brachytherapy centers were audited in the form of a postal audit with each center collecting the data independently. The data were collected by setting up the rings using a bespoke jig and irradiating gafchromic films at predetermined dwell positions using four afterloader types, MicroSelectron, Flexitron, GammaMed, and MultiSource, from three manufacturers, Nucletron, Varian, and Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG. Five different ring types in six sizes (Ø25–Ø35 mm) and two angles (45° and 60°) were used. Coordinates of irradiated positions relative to the ring center were determined and collated, and source position differences quantified by ring type, size, and angle. Results: The mean expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) along the direction of source travel was ±1.4 mm. The standard deviation associated with the source position reproducibility was within ±1.0 mm for all afterloaders. Maximum source positional variations of 2.1 and 3.9, 1.8 and 5.4, and 2.3 and 3.4 mm were observed at standard treatment positions for the Ø26, Ø30, and Ø32 mm sized 45° and 60° rings, respectively. Mean positional differences between a majority of the rings were within ±1.0 mm. Mean positional differences between a majority of the intracenter ring sets were within the expanded measurement uncertainty. When comparing the 45°–60° source paths, mean differences of 1.6, 0.9, and 0.9 mm were observed across the Ø26, Ø30 (MicroSelectron), and Ø32 mm (GammaMed) rings, respectively. When comparing to manufacturer source path models, maximum offsets of 1.9 and 2.1, 2.6 and 2.3, and 0.8 and 1.6 mm were observed for the Ø26, Ø30 (MicroSelectron), and Ø30 mm (Flexitron) sized 45° and 60° rings, respectively. When comparing the audit to ring commissioning data of participating centers, mean differences of up to 2.4 mm were observed. Conclusions: A majority of the audited rings showed a good degree of manufacturer consistency; however, substantial positional variation observed between some rings emphasizes the importance of commissioning each ring before clinical use. Differences observed between audit and commissioning data also indicate some variation in source treatment positions across centers.« less

An experimental MOSFET approach to characterize (192)Ir HDR source anisotropy.

PubMed

Toye, W C; Das, K R; Todd, S P; Kenny, M B; Franich, R D; Johnston, P N

2007-09-07

The dose anisotropy around a (192)Ir HDR source in a water phantom has been measured using MOSFETs as relative dosimeters. In addition, modeling using the EGSnrc code has been performed to provide a complete dose distribution consistent with the MOSFET measurements. Doses around the Nucletron 'classic' (192)Ir HDR source were measured for a range of radial distances from 5 to 30 mm within a 40 x 30 x 30 cm(3) water phantom, using a TN-RD-50 MOSFET dosimetry system with an active area of 0.2 mm by 0.2 mm. For each successive measurement a linear stepper capable of movement in intervals of 0.0125 mm re-positioned the MOSFET at the required radial distance, while a rotational stepper enabled angular displacement of the source at intervals of 0.9 degrees . The source-dosimeter arrangement within the water phantom was modeled using the standardized cylindrical geometry of the DOSRZnrc user code. In general, the measured relative anisotropy at each radial distance from 5 mm to 30 mm is in good agreement with the EGSnrc simulations, benchmark Monte Carlo simulation and TLD measurements where they exist. The experimental approach employing a MOSFET detection system of small size, high spatial resolution and fast read out capability allowed a practical approach to the determination of dose anisotropy around a HDR source.

Size-segregated aerosol in a hot-spot pollution urban area: Chemical composition and three-way source apportionment.

PubMed

Bernardoni, V; Elser, M; Valli, G; Valentini, S; Bigi, A; Fermo, P; Piazzalunga, A; Vecchi, R

2017-12-01

In this work, a comprehensive characterisation and source apportionment of size-segregated aerosol collected using a multistage cascade impactor was performed. The samples were collected during wintertime in Milan (Italy), which is located in the Po Valley, one of the main pollution hot-spot areas in Europe. For every sampling, size-segregated mass concentration, elemental and ionic composition, and levoglucosan concentration were determined. Size-segregated data were inverted using the program MICRON to identify and quantify modal contributions of all the measured components. The detailed chemical characterisation allowed the application of a three-way (3-D) receptor model (implemented using Multilinear Engine) for size-segregated source apportionment and chemical profiles identification. It is noteworthy that - as far as we know - this is the first time that three-way source apportionment is attempted using data of aerosol collected by traditional cascade impactors. Seven factors were identified: wood burning, industry, resuspended dust, regional aerosol, construction works, traffic 1, and traffic 2. Further insights into size-segregated factor profiles suggested that the traffic 1 factor can be associated to diesel vehicles and traffic 2 to gasoline vehicles. The regional aerosol factor resulted to be the main contributor (nearly 50%) to the droplet mode (accumulation sub-mode with modal diameter in the range 0.5-1 μm), whereas the overall contribution from the two factors related to traffic was the most important one in the other size modes (34-41%). The results showed that applying a 3-D receptor model to size-segregated samples allows identifying factors of local and regional origin while receptor modelling on integrated PM fractions usually singles out factors characterised by primary (e.g. industry, traffic, soil dust) and secondary (e.g. ammonium sulphate and nitrate) origin. Furthermore, the results suggested that the information on size-segregated chemical composition in different size classes was exploited by the model to relate primary emissions to rapidly-formed secondary compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment and application of clustering techniques to atmospheric particle number size distribution for the purpose of source apportionment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimi, F.; Ristovski, Z.; Mazaheri, M.; Laiman, R.; Crilley, L. R.; He, C.; Clifford, S.; Morawska, L.

2014-06-01

Long-term measurements of particle number size distribution (PNSD) produce a very large number of observations and their analysis requires an efficient approach in order to produce results in the least possible time and with maximum accuracy. Clustering techniques are a family of sophisticated methods which have been recently employed to analyse PNSD data, however, very little information is available comparing the performance of different clustering techniques on PNSD data. This study aims to apply several clustering techniques (i.e. K-means, PAM, CLARA and SOM) to PNSD data, in order to identify and apply the optimum technique to PNSD data measured at 25 sites across Brisbane, Australia. A new method, based on the Generalised Additive Model (GAM) with a basis of penalised B-splines, was proposed to parameterise the PNSD data and the temporal weight of each cluster was also estimated using the GAM. In addition, each cluster was associated with its possible source based on the results of this parameterisation, together with the characteristics of each cluster. The performances of four clustering techniques were compared using the Dunn index and silhouette width validation values and the K-means technique was found to have the highest performance, with five clusters being the optimum. Therefore, five clusters were found within the data using the K-means technique. The diurnal occurrence of each cluster was used together with other air quality parameters, temporal trends and the physical properties of each cluster, in order to attribute each cluster to its source and origin. The five clusters were attributed to three major sources and origins, including regional background particles, photochemically induced nucleated particles and vehicle generated particles. Overall, clustering was found to be an effective technique for attributing each particle size spectra to its source and the GAM was suitable to parameterise the PNSD data. These two techniques can help researchers immensely in analysing PNSD data for characterisation and source apportionment purposes.

Assessment and application of clustering techniques to atmospheric particle number size distribution for the purpose of source apportionment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimi, F.; Ristovski, Z.; Mazaheri, M.; Laiman, R.; Crilley, L. R.; He, C.; Clifford, S.; Morawska, L.

2014-11-01

Long-term measurements of particle number size distribution (PNSD) produce a very large number of observations and their analysis requires an efficient approach in order to produce results in the least possible time and with maximum accuracy. Clustering techniques are a family of sophisticated methods that have been recently employed to analyse PNSD data; however, very little information is available comparing the performance of different clustering techniques on PNSD data. This study aims to apply several clustering techniques (i.e. K means, PAM, CLARA and SOM) to PNSD data, in order to identify and apply the optimum technique to PNSD data measured at 25 sites across Brisbane, Australia. A new method, based on the Generalised Additive Model (GAM) with a basis of penalised B-splines, was proposed to parameterise the PNSD data and the temporal weight of each cluster was also estimated using the GAM. In addition, each cluster was associated with its possible source based on the results of this parameterisation, together with the characteristics of each cluster. The performances of four clustering techniques were compared using the Dunn index and Silhouette width validation values and the K means technique was found to have the highest performance, with five clusters being the optimum. Therefore, five clusters were found within the data using the K means technique. The diurnal occurrence of each cluster was used together with other air quality parameters, temporal trends and the physical properties of each cluster, in order to attribute each cluster to its source and origin. The five clusters were attributed to three major sources and origins, including regional background particles, photochemically induced nucleated particles and vehicle generated particles. Overall, clustering was found to be an effective technique for attributing each particle size spectrum to its source and the GAM was suitable to parameterise the PNSD data. These two techniques can help researchers immensely in analysing PNSD data for characterisation and source apportionment purposes.

Organic Functional Group Composition of Submicron Aerosol Particles at Alert, Nunavut, during 2012-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, L. M.; Leaitch, W. R.; Liu, J.; Desiree, T. S.; Huang, L.; Sharma, S.; Chivulescu, A.; Veber, D.; Zhang, W.

2016-12-01

Long-term measurements of submicron aerosol particle chemical composition and size distributions are essential for evaluating whether global climate models correctly transport particles from lower latitudes to polar regions, especially in the winter months when satellite retrieval of aerosol properties is limited. In collaboration with ongoing measurements by the Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmospheric Watch observatory at Alert, Nunavut (82.5°N; elevation 185 m-ASL), we measured the organic functional group composition of submicron aerosol particles sampled from the 10-m inlet from April 2012 to October 2014. The sampling site is approximately 10 km from the Alert station, and vehicle traffic is restricted except when filter sampling is stopped, making the impact of local emissions on submicron particle mass concentrations small. The organic functional group (OFG) composition is measured by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy of samples collected on pre-loaded Teflon filters and stored and shipped frozen to La Jolla, California, for analysis. Samples were collected weekly to complement the twice hourly online measurements of non-refractory organic and inorganic composition by an Aerodyne ACSM. Organic components are shown to contribute a substantial fraction of the measured aerosol submicron mass year round. These measurements illustrate the seasonal contributions to the aerosol size distribution from OFG and illustrate the potential sources of the OFG at this remote site. The three largest OFG sources are transported fossil fuel combustion emissions from lower latitudes, sea spray and other marine particles, and episodic contributions from wildfires, volcanoes, and other high-latitude events. These sources are similar to those identified from earlier OFG measurements at Barrow, Alaska, and during the ICEALOT cruise in the Arctic Ocean.

Ultrafine particles from power plants: Evaluation of WRF-Chem simulations with airborne measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forkel, Renate; Junkermann, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

Ultrafine particles (UFP, particles with a diameter < 100 nm) are an acknowledged risk to human health and have a potential effect on climate as their presence affects the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei. Despite of the possibly hazardous effects no regulations exist for this size class of ambient air pollution particles. While ground based continuous measurements of UFP are performed in Germany at several sites (e.g. the German Ultrafine Aerosol Network GUAN, Birmili et al. 2016, doi:10.5194/essd-8-355-2016) information about the vertical distribution of UFP within the atmospheric boundary layer is only scarce. This gap has been closed during the last years by regional-scale airborne surveys for UFP concentrations and size distributions over Germany (Junkermann et al., 2016, doi: 10.3402/tellusb.v68.29250) and Australia (Junkermann and Hacker, 2015, doi: 10.3402/tellusb.v67.25308). Power stations and refineries have been identified as a major source of UFP in Germany with observed particle concentrations > 50000 particles cm-3 downwind of these elevated point sources. Nested WRF-Chem simulations with 2 km grid width for the innermost domain are performed with UFP emission source strengths derived from the measurements in order to study the advection and vertical exchange of UFP from power plants near the Czech and Polish border and their impact on planetary boundary layer particle patterns. The simulations are evaluated against the airborne observations and the downward mixing of the UFP from the elevated sources is studied.

Interstellar Broadening of Images in the Gravitational Lens Pks 1830-211

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, D. L.; Preston, R. A.; Murphy, D. W.; Jauncey, D. L.; Reynolds, J. E.; Tzioumis, A. K.; King, E. A.; McCulloch, P. M.; Lovell, J. E. J.; Costa, M. E.

1996-01-01

The remarkably strong radio gravitational lens PKS 1830-211 consists of a one arcsecond diameter Einstein ring with two bright compact (milliarcsecond) components located on opposite sides of the ring. We have obtained 22 GHz VLBA data on this source to determine the intrinsic angular sizes of the compact components. Previous VLBI observations at lower frequencies indicate that the brightness temperatures of these components are significantly lower than 10(exp 10) K (Jauncey, et al. 1991), less than is typical for compact synchrotron radio sources and less than is implied by the short timescales of flux density variations. A possible explanation is that interstellar scattering is broadening the apparent angular size of the source and thereby reducing the observed brightness temperature. Our VLBA data support this hypothesis. At 22 GHz the measured brightness temperature is at least 10(exp 11) K, and the deconvolved 2 size of the core in the southwest compact component is proportional to upsilon(sup -2) between 1.7 and 22 GHz. VLBI observations at still higher frequencies should be unaffected by interstellar scattering.

Accuracy of iodine quantification using dual energy CT in latest generation dual source and dual layer CT.

PubMed

Pelgrim, Gert Jan; van Hamersvelt, Robbert W; Willemink, Martin J; Schmidt, Bernhard T; Flohr, Thomas; Schilham, Arnold; Milles, Julien; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Leiner, Tim; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn

2017-09-01

To determine the accuracy of iodine quantification with dual energy computed tomography (DECT) in two high-end CT systems with different spectral imaging techniques. Five tubes with different iodine concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/ml) were analysed in an anthropomorphic thoracic phantom. Adding two phantom rings simulated increased patient size. For third-generation dual source CT (DSCT), tube voltage combinations of 150Sn and 70, 80, 90, 100 kVp were analysed. For dual layer CT (DLCT), 120 and 140 kVp were used. Scans were repeated three times. Median normalized values and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated for all kVp settings and phantom sizes. Correlation between measured and known iodine concentrations was excellent for both systems (R = 0.999-1.000, p < 0.0001). For DSCT, median measurement errors ranged from -0.5% (IQR -2.0, 2.0%) at 150Sn/70 kVp and -2.3% (IQR -4.0, -0.1%) at 150Sn/80 kVp to -4.0% (IQR -6.0, -2.8%) at 150Sn/90 kVp. For DLCT, median measurement errors ranged from -3.3% (IQR -4.9, -1.5%) at 140 kVp to -4.6% (IQR -6.0, -3.6%) at 120 kVp. Larger phantom sizes increased variability of iodine measurements (p < 0.05). Iodine concentration can be accurately quantified with state-of-the-art DECT systems from two vendors. The lowest absolute errors were found for DSCT using the 150Sn/70 kVp or 150Sn/80 kVp combinations, which was slightly more accurate than 140 kVp in DLCT. • High-end CT scanners allow accurate iodine quantification using different DECT techniques. • Lowest measurement error was found in scans with largest photon energy separation. • Dual-source CT quantified iodine slightly more accurately than dual layer CT.

Deterministic Placement of Quantum-Size Controlled Quantum Dots for Seamless Top-Down Integration

DOE PAGES

Fischer, Arthur J.; Anderson, P. Duke; Koleske, Daniel D.; ...

2017-08-18

We demonstrate a new route toward the integration and deterministic placement of quantum dots (QDs) within prepatterned nanostructures. Using standard electron-beam lithography (EBL) and inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching (ICP-RIE), we fabricate arrays of nanowires on a III-nitride platform. Next, we integrate QDs of controlled size within the prepatterned nanowires using a bandgap-selective, wet-etching technique: quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical (QSC-PEC) etching. Low-temperature microphotoluminescence (μ-PL) measurements of individual nanowires reveal sharp spectral signatures, indicative of QD formation. Further, internal quantum efficiency (IQE) measurements reveal a near order of magnitude improvement in emitter efficiency following QSC-PEC etching. Finally, second-order cross-correlation (g(2)(0)) measurements of individualmore » QDs directly confirm nonclassical, antibunching behavior. Lastly, our results illustrate an exciting approach toward the top-down integration of nonclassical light sources within nanophotonic platforms.« less

Deterministic Placement of Quantum-Size Controlled Quantum Dots for Seamless Top-Down Integration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, Arthur J.; Anderson, P. Duke; Koleske, Daniel D.

We demonstrate a new route toward the integration and deterministic placement of quantum dots (QDs) within prepatterned nanostructures. Using standard electron-beam lithography (EBL) and inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching (ICP-RIE), we fabricate arrays of nanowires on a III-nitride platform. Next, we integrate QDs of controlled size within the prepatterned nanowires using a bandgap-selective, wet-etching technique: quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical (QSC-PEC) etching. Low-temperature microphotoluminescence (μ-PL) measurements of individual nanowires reveal sharp spectral signatures, indicative of QD formation. Further, internal quantum efficiency (IQE) measurements reveal a near order of magnitude improvement in emitter efficiency following QSC-PEC etching. Finally, second-order cross-correlation (g(2)(0)) measurements of individualmore » QDs directly confirm nonclassical, antibunching behavior. Lastly, our results illustrate an exciting approach toward the top-down integration of nonclassical light sources within nanophotonic platforms.« less

Magnetic Properties of Iron Oxide Minerals in Atmospheric Dust and Source Sediments from Western US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskowitz, B. M.; Yauk, K.; Till, J. L.; Berquo, T. S.; Banerjee, S. K.; Reynolds, R. L.; Goldstein, H. L.

2011-12-01

Atmospheric dust contains iron oxide minerals that can play important roles in various physical and biological processes affecting atmospheric and surface temperatures, marine phytoplankton productivity, and human health. Iron oxide minerals in dust deposited on mountain snow cover are especially important because these minerals absorb solar and IR radiation leading to changes in albedo and affecting the timing and rate of spring and summer snowpack melting. As part of an ongoing project to study physical and chemical properties of dust from sources to sinks in the western US, we will describe one approach to characterize iron oxide mineralogy using magnetic property measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Magnetic property measurements over a wide range of temperatures (2-300 K) and magnetic fields (0-5 T) are particularly sensitive to composition, particle size (from nanometer to micrometer), and concentration of iron oxide and oxyhydroxide minerals. The high sensitivity of magnetic measurements to target minerals allows the measurement of bulk samples preventing any aliasing of composition or grain size resulting from attempts at prior magnetic separation. In addition, different magnetic measurement protocols can isolate different particle-size assemblages and different compositions in multicomponent mixtures and help to identify dust-source areas. These techniques have been applied to dust deposited on snow (DOS) cover of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado (collected 2005-2010) and Wasatch Mountains, Utah (collected 2010) and possible dust-source sediments from the North American Great Basin and Colorado Plateau deserts. Results show that all samples contain a high coercivity phase consistent with hematite and/or goethite as the dominate ferric oxide mineral plus minor amounts of magnetite (<0.5 wt%). The presence of magnetite was determined from the detection of the characteristic Verwey transition (T=121 K) on low-temperature (< 300 K) remanence and susceptibility curves. Room temperature remanence parameters for the San Juan Mountains DOS fall into two discrete populations of hematite concentration ( x2 difference) but with similar spreads in magnetite concentrations (0.05-0.2%) within each group. Preliminary Mössbauer spectroscopy at 300 K for San Juan Mountains DOS indicates hematite as the sole magnetic phase with magnetite below the detection limits. However, spectra taken at 4.2 K show an increase in the hematite component and the appearance of goethite indicating superparamagnetism and nanoparticle size distribution for both phases. The lack of the Morin transition (T=263 K) for hematite on low-temperature remanence curves is also consistent with nanohematite as the main iron oxide phase in DOS from the San Juan Mountains.

African Dust Aerosols as Atmospheric Ice Nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeMott, Paul J.; Brooks, Sarah D.; Prenni, Anthony J.; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Sassen, Kenneth; Poellot, Michael; Rogers, David C.; Baumgardner, Darrel

2003-01-01

Measurements of the ice nucleating ability of aerosol particles in air masses over Florida having sources from North Africa support the potential importance of dust aerosols for indirectly affecting cloud properties and climate. The concentrations of ice nuclei within dust layers at particle sizes below 1 pn exceeded 1/cu cm; the highest ever reported with our device at temperatures warmer than homogeneous freezing conditions. These measurements add to previous direct and indirect evidence of the ice nucleation efficiency of desert dust aerosols, but also confirm their contribution to ice nuclei populations at great distances from source regions.

Experience with Round Beam Operation at The Advanced Photon Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, A.; Emery, L.; Sajaev, V.

2015-01-01

Very short Touschek lifetime becomes a common issue for next-generation ultra-low emittance storage ring light sources. In order to reach a longer beamlifetime, such amachine often requires operating with a vertical-to-horizontal emittance ratio close to an unity, i.e. a “round beam”. In tests at the APS storage ring, we determined how a round beam can be reached experimentally. Some general issues, such as beam injection, optics measurement and corrections, and orbit correction have been tested also. To demonstrate that a round beam was achieved, the beam size ratio is calibrated using beam lifetime measurement.

Does Height to Width Ratio Correlate with Mean Volume in Gastropods?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barriga, R.; Seixas, G.; Payne, J.

2012-12-01

Marine organisms' shell shape and size show important biological information. For example, shape and size can dictate how the organism ranges for food and escapes predation. Due to lack of data and analysis, the evolution of shell size in marine gastropods (snails) remains poorly known. In this study, I attempt to find the relationship between height to width ratio and mean volume. I collected height and width measurements from primary literature sources and calculated volume from these measurements. My results indicate that there was no correlation between height to width ratio and mean volume between 500 to 200 Ma, but there was a correlation between 200 Ma to present where there is a steady increase in both height to width ratio and mean volume. This means that shell shape was not an important factor at the beginning of gastropod evolution but after 200 Ma body size evolution was increasingly driven by the height to width ratio.

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions During Puijo Cloud Experiments - The effects of weather and local sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komppula, Mika; Portin, Harri; Leskinen, Ari; Romakkaniemi, Sami; Brus, David; Neitola, Kimmo; Hyvärinen, Antti-Pekka; Kortelainen, Aki; Hao, Liqing; Miettinen, Pasi; Jaatinen, Antti; Ahmad, Irshad; Lihavainen, Heikki; Laaksonen, Ari; Lehtinen, Kari E. J.

2013-04-01

The Puijo measurement station has provided continuous data on aerosol-cloud interactions since 2006. The station is located on top of the Puijo observation tower (306 m a.s.l, 224 m above the surrounding lake level) in Kuopio, Finland. The top of the tower is covered by cloud about 15 % of the time, offering perfect conditions for studying aerosol-cloud interactions. With a twin-inlet setup (total and interstitial inlets) we are able to separate the activated particles from the interstitial (non-activated) particles. The continuous twin-inlet measurements include aerosol size distribution, scattering and absorption. In addition cloud droplet number and size distribution are measured continuously with weather parameters. During the campaigns the twin-inlet system was additionally equipped with aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP-2). This way we were able to define the differences in chemical composition of the activated and non-activated particles. Potential cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in different supersaturations were measured with two CCN counters (CCNC). The other CCNC was operated with a Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) to obtain size selected CCN spectra. Other additional measurements included Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (HTDMA) for particle hygroscopicity. Additionally the valuable vertical wind profiles (updraft velocities) are available from Halo Doppler lidar during the 2011 campaign. Cloud properties (droplet number and effective radius) from MODIS instrument onboard Terra and Aqua satellites were retrieved and compared with the measured values. This work summarizes the two latest intensive campaigns, Puijo Cloud Experiments (PuCE) 2010 & 2011. We study especially the effect of the local sources on the cloud activation behaviour of the aerosol particles. The main local sources include a paper mill, a heating plant, traffic and residential areas. The sources can be categorized and identified by wind direction. Clear changes can be seen in the aerosol and cloud properties when being under the influence of a local pollutant source. Also differences in the chemical composition of aerosol activated to cloud droplet and those staying interstitial has been observed. For example, the light absorption by cloud interstitial particles is higher when the wind blows from the local pollutant sources compared to a cleaner sector. This may be due to the fact that the absorptive material, e.g. fresh soot, is generally hydrophobic and therefore inhibits activation. Another point of interest is the occasional freezing conditions during the campaign (temperature below zero), which also affects the activation behaviour. The full usage of this special data set will provide new information on the properties and differences of activating and non-activating aerosol particles, as well as on the variables affecting the activation.

Source Lines Counter (SLiC) Version 4.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monson, Erik W.; Smith, Kevin A.; Newport, Brian J.; Gostelow, Roli D.; Hihn, Jairus M.; Kandt, Ronald K.

2011-01-01

Source Lines Counter (SLiC) is a software utility designed to measure software source code size using logical source statements and other common measures for 22 of the programming languages commonly used at NASA and the aerospace industry. Such metrics can be used in a wide variety of applications, from parametric cost estimation to software defect analysis. SLiC has a variety of unique features such as automatic code search, automatic file detection, hierarchical directory totals, and spreadsheet-compatible output. SLiC was written for extensibility; new programming language support can be added with minimal effort in a short amount of time. SLiC runs on a variety of platforms including UNIX, Windows, and Mac OSX. Its straightforward command-line interface allows for customization and incorporation into the software build process for tracking development metrics. T

Source attribution of aerosol size distributions and model evaluation using Whistler Mountain measurements and GEOS-Chem-TOMAS simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Andrea, S. D.; Ng, J. Y.; Kodros, J. K.; Atwood, S. A.; Wheeler, M. J.; Macdonald, A. M.; Leaitch, W. R.; Pierce, J. R.

2016-01-01

Remote and free-tropospheric aerosols represent a large fraction of the climatic influence of aerosols; however, aerosol in these regions is less characterized than those polluted boundary layers. We evaluate aerosol size distributions predicted by the GEOS-Chem-TOMAS global chemical transport model with online aerosol microphysics using measurements from the peak of Whistler Mountain, British Columbia, Canada (2182 m a.s.l., hereafter referred to as Whistler Peak). We evaluate the model for predictions of aerosol number, size, and composition during periods of free-tropospheric (FT) and boundary-layer (BL) influence at "coarse" 4° × 5° and "nested" 0.5° × 0.667° resolutions by developing simple FT/BL filtering techniques. We find that using temperature as a proxy for upslope flow (BL influence) improved the model-measurement comparisons. The best threshold temperature was around 2 °C for the coarse simulations and around 6 °C for the nested simulations, with temperatures warmer than the threshold indicating boundary-layer air. Additionally, the site was increasingly likely to be in cloud when the measured relative humidity (RH) was above 90 %, so we do not compare the modeled and measured size distributions during these periods. With the inclusion of these temperature and RH filtering techniques, the model-measurement comparisons improved significantly. The slope of the regression for N80 (the total number of particles with particle diameter, Dp, > 80 nm) in the nested simulations increased from 0.09 to 0.65, R2 increased from 0.04 to 0.46, and log-mean bias improved from 0.95 to 0.07. We also perform simulations at the nested resolution without Asian anthropogenic emissions and without biomass-burning emissions to quantify the contribution of these sources to aerosols at Whistler Peak (through comparison with simulations with these emissions on). The long-range transport of Asian anthropogenic aerosol was found to be significant throughout all particle number concentrations, and increased N80 by more than 50 %, while decreasing the number of smaller particles because of suppression of new-particle formation and enhanced coagulation sink. Similarly, biomass burning influenced Whistler Peak during summer months, with an increase in N80 exceeding 5000 cm-3. Occasionally, Whistler Peak experienced N80 > 1000 cm-3 without significant influence from Asian anthropogenic or biomass-burning aerosol. Air masses were advected at low elevations through forested valleys during times when temperature and downwelling insolation were high, ideal conditions for formation of large sources of low-volatility biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA). This condensable material increased particle growth and hence N80. The low-cost filtering techniques and source apportionment used in this study can be used in other global models to give insight into the sources and processes that shape the aerosol at mountain sites, leading to a better understanding of mountain meteorology and chemistry.

Source attribution of aerosol size distributions and model evaluation using Whistler Mountain measurements and GEOS-Chem-TOMAS simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Andrea, S. D.; Ng, J. Y.; Kodros, J. K.; Atwood, S. A.; Wheeler, M. J.; Macdonald, A. M.; Leaitch, W. R.; Pierce, J. R.

2015-09-01

Remote and free tropospheric aerosols represent a large fraction of the climatic influence of aerosols; however, aerosol in these regions is less characterized than those polluted boundary layers. We evaluate aerosol size distributions predicted by the GEOS-Chem-TOMAS global chemical transport model with online aerosol microphysics using measurements from the peak of Whistler Mountain, BC, Canada (2182 m a.s.l.). We evaluate the model for predictions of aerosol number, size and composition during periods of free tropospheric (FT) and boundary-layer (BL) influence at "coarse" 4° × 5° and "nested" 0.5° × 0.667° resolutions by developing simple FT/BL filtering techniques. We find that using temperature as a proxy for upslope flow (BL influence) improved the model measurement comparisons. The best threshold temperature was around 2 °C for the coarse simulations and around 6 °C for the nested simulations, with temperatures warmer than the threshold indicating boundary-layer air. Additionally, the site was increasingly likely to be in-cloud when the measured RH was above 90 %, so we do not compare the modeled and measured size distributions during these periods. With the inclusion of these temperature and RH filtering techniques, the model-measurement comparisons improved significantly. The slope of the regression for N80 (the total number of particles with particle diameter, Dp > 80 nm) in the nested simulations increased from 0.09 to 0.65, R2 increased from 0.04 to 0.46, and log-mean bias improved from 0.95 to 0.07. We also perform simulations at the nested resolution without Asian anthropogenic (AA) emissions and without biomass-burning (BB) emissions to quantify the contribution of these sources to aerosols at Whistler Peak (through comparison with simulations with these emissions on). The long-range transport of AA aerosol was found to be significant throughout all particle number concentrations, and increased the number of particles larger than 80 nm (N80) by more than 50 %, while decreasing the number of smaller particles because of suppression of new-particle formation and enhanced coagulation sink. Similarly, BB influenced Whistler Peak during summer months, with an increase in N80 exceeding 5000 cm-3. Occasionally, Whistler Peak experienced N80 > 1000 cm-3 without significant influence from AA or BB aerosol. Air masses were advected at low elevations through forested valleys during times when temperature and downwelling insolation were high, ideal conditions for formation of large sources of low-volatility biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA). This condensable material increased particle growth and hence N80. The low-cost filtering techniques and source apportionment used in this study can be used in other global models to give insight into the sources and processes that shape the aerosol at mountain sites, leading to a better understanding of mountain meteorology and chemistry.

Emittance of positron beams produced in intense laser plasma interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Hui; Hazi, A.; Link, A.

2013-01-15

The first measurement of the emittance of intense laser-produced positron beams has been made. The emittance values were derived through measurements of positron beam divergence and source size for different peak positron energies under various laser conditions. For one of these laser conditions, we used a one dimensional pepper-pot technique to refine the emittance value. The laser-produced positrons have a geometric emittance between 100 and 500 mm{center_dot}mrad, comparable to the positron sources used at existing accelerators. With 10{sup 10}-10{sup 12} positrons per bunch, this low emittance beam, which is quasi-monoenergetic in the energy range of 5-20 MeV, may be usefulmore » as an alternative positron source for future accelerators.« less

Para-hydrogen and helium cluster size distributions in free jet expansions based on Smoluchowski theory with kernel scaling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kornilov, Oleg; Toennies, J. Peter

The size distribution of para-H{sub 2} (pH{sub 2}) clusters produced in free jet expansions at a source temperature of T{sub 0} = 29.5 K and pressures of P{sub 0} = 0.9–1.96 bars is reported and analyzed according to a cluster growth model based on the Smoluchowski theory with kernel scaling. Good overall agreement is found between the measured and predicted, N{sub k} = A k{sup a} e{sup −bk}, shape of the distribution. The fit yields values for A and b for values of a derived from simple collision models. The small remaining deviations between measured abundances and theory imply a (pH{submore » 2}){sub k} magic number cluster of k = 13 as has been observed previously by Raman spectroscopy. The predicted linear dependence of b{sup −(a+1)} on source gas pressure was verified and used to determine the value of the basic effective agglomeration reaction rate constant. A comparison of the corresponding effective growth cross sections σ{sub 11} with results from a similar analysis of He cluster size distributions indicates that the latter are much larger by a factor 6-10. An analysis of the three body recombination rates, the geometric sizes and the fact that the He clusters are liquid independent of their size can explain the larger cross sections found for He.« less

Size-resolved chemistry of aerosols produced by Halema'uma'u eruption 2008-2009, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilyinskaya, E.; Martin, R.; Edmonds, M.; Sutton, A. J.; Elias, T.; Werner, C. A.

2009-12-01

A dense quiescent plume has been emitted continuously from the 2008 eruptive vent in Halema'uma'u crater since March 2008. Aerosol particles were sampled near-source in the young plume (<30 s old) in May 2008 and April 2009, and at 10 km downwind (April 2009 only). We also sampled the plume from Pu'u O'o vent both near-source and 8-10 km downwind (2007 to 2009). Sampling was performed using filter packs and a cascade impactor that collects and segregates PM10 (particle matter <10 μm) into 14 size fractions. The collected PM was analysed for SO42-, F-, Cl-, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. Our results show a distinctive peak of sulphate abundance at ~0.3-0.5 μm in the 2008 and 2009 summit samples. The total SO42- mass concentration collected in each sampling run correlates well with that of metals but poorly with Cl- and F-. Downwind measurements of PM from Halema'uma'u and Pu'u O'o show SO42- in the same narrow size bin (0.3-0.5 μm) with concentrations similar to, or higher than at source. It is noteworthy that the particles appear not to have grown when the plume has drifted 5-10 km downwind. However, a 1 μm size mode of SO42- seen at Pu'u O'o crater rim (not seen at Halema'uma'u) is absent from the downwind plume. This result leads us to believe that the particles grow rapidly after emission but get scavenged efficiently once they reach a certain size (>0.5 μm). The formation of aerosol measured downwind is dominated by oxidation of SO2 to SO42- in the plume. The ratio of Cl-/SO42- is higher downwind than at the source in both Halema'uma'u and Pu'u O'o plumes, and increases further during rainfall; we propose that the Cl--bearing aerosol is formed by dissolution of HCl gas into water droplets in the plume.

Sources of atmospheric methane - Measurements in rice paddies and a discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cicerone, R. J.; Shetter, J. D.

1981-01-01

Field measurements of methane fluxes from rice paddies, fresh water lakes, and saltwater marshes have been made to infer estimates of the size of these sources of atmospheric methane. The rice-paddy measurements, the first of their kind, show that the principal means of methane escape is through the plants themselves as opposed to transport across the water-air interface via bubbles or molecular diffusion. Nitrogen-fertilized plants release much more methane than unfertilized plants but even these measured rates are only one fourth as large as those inferred earlier by Koyama (1963, 1964) and on which all global extrapolations have been based to date. Measured methane fluxes from lakes and marshes are also compared to similar earlier data and it is found that extant data and flux-measurement methods are insufficient for reliable global extrapolations.

Measurement of Rayleigh Wave Beams Using Angle Beam Wedge Transducers as the Transmitter and Receiver with Consideration of Beam Spreading

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shuzeng; Li, Xiongbing; Jeong, Hyunjo

2017-01-01

A theoretical model, along with experimental verification, is developed to describe the generation, propagation and reception of a Rayleigh wave using angle beam wedge transducers. The Rayleigh wave generation process using an angle beam wedge transducer is analyzed, and the actual Rayleigh wave sound source distributions are evaluated numerically. Based on the reciprocity theorem and considering the actual sound source, the Rayleigh wave beams are modeled using an area integral method. The leaky Rayleigh wave theory is introduced to investigate the reception of the Rayleigh wave using the angle beam wedge transducers, and the effects of the wave spreading in the wedge and transducer size are considered in the reception process. The effects of attenuations of the Rayleigh wave and leaky Rayleigh wave are discussed, and the received wave results with different sizes of receivers are compared. The experiments are conducted using two angle beam wedge transducers to measure the Rayleigh wave, and the measurement results are compared with the predictions using different theoretical models. It is shown that the proposed model which considers the wave spreading in both the sample and wedges can be used to interpret the measurements reasonably. PMID:28632183

Measurement of Rayleigh Wave Beams Using Angle Beam Wedge Transducers as the Transmitter and Receiver with Consideration of Beam Spreading.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuzeng; Li, Xiongbing; Jeong, Hyunjo

2017-06-20

A theoretical model, along with experimental verification, is developed to describe the generation, propagation and reception of a Rayleigh wave using angle beam wedge transducers. The Rayleigh wave generation process using an angle beam wedge transducer is analyzed, and the actual Rayleigh wave sound source distributions are evaluated numerically. Based on the reciprocity theorem and considering the actual sound source, the Rayleigh wave beams are modeled using an area integral method. The leaky Rayleigh wave theory is introduced to investigate the reception of the Rayleigh wave using the angle beam wedge transducers, and the effects of the wave spreading in the wedge and transducer size are considered in the reception process. The effects of attenuations of the Rayleigh wave and leaky Rayleigh wave are discussed, and the received wave results with different sizes of receivers are compared. The experiments are conducted using two angle beam wedge transducers to measure the Rayleigh wave, and the measurement results are compared with the predictions using different theoretical models. It is shown that the proposed model which considers the wave spreading in both the sample and wedges can be used to interpret the measurements reasonably.

Sewage contamination in the upper Mississippi River as measured by the fecal sterol, coprostanol

USGS Publications Warehouse

Writer, J.H.; Leenheer, J.A.; Barber, L.B.; Amy, G.L.; Chapra, S.C.

1995-01-01

The molecular sewage indicator, coprostanol, was measured in bed sediments of the Mississippi River for the purpose of determining sewage contamination. Coprostanol is a non-ionic, non-polar, organic molecule that associates with sediments in surface waters, and concentrations of coprostanol in bed sediments provide an indication of long-term sewage loads. Because coprostanol concentrations are dependent on particle size and percent organic carbon, a ratio between coprostanol (sewage sources) and cholestanol + cholesterol (sewage and non-sewage sources) was used to remove the biases related to particle size and percent organic carbon. The dynamics of contaminant transport in the Upper Mississippi River are influenced by both hydrologic and geochemical parameters. A mass balance model incorporating environmental parameters such as river and tributary discharge, suspended sediment concentration, fraction of organic carbon, sedimentation rates, municipal discharges and coprostanol decay rates was developed that describes coprostanol concentrations and therefore, expected patterns of municipal sewage effects on the Upper Mississippi River. Comparison of the computed and the measured coprostanol concentrations provides insight into the complex hydrologic and geochemical processes of contaminant transport and the ability to link measured chemical concentrations with hydrologic characteristics of the Mississippi River.

Development of a flattening filter free multiple source model for use as an independent, Monte Carlo, dose calculation, quality assurance tool for clinical trials.

PubMed

Faught, Austin M; Davidson, Scott E; Popple, Richard; Kry, Stephen F; Etzel, Carol; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Followill, David S

2017-09-01

The Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core-Houston (IROC-H) Quality Assurance Center (formerly the Radiological Physics Center) has reported varying levels of compliance from their anthropomorphic phantom auditing program. IROC-H studies have suggested that one source of disagreement between institution submitted calculated doses and measurement is the accuracy of the institution's treatment planning system dose calculations and heterogeneity corrections used. In order to audit this step of the radiation therapy treatment process, an independent dose calculation tool is needed. Monte Carlo multiple source models for Varian flattening filter free (FFF) 6 MV and FFF 10 MV therapeutic x-ray beams were commissioned based on central axis depth dose data from a 10 × 10 cm 2 field size and dose profiles for a 40 × 40 cm 2 field size. The models were validated against open-field measurements in a water tank for field sizes ranging from 3 × 3 cm 2 to 40 × 40 cm 2 . The models were then benchmarked against IROC-H's anthropomorphic head and neck phantom and lung phantom measurements. Validation results, assessed with a ±2%/2 mm gamma criterion, showed average agreement of 99.9% and 99.0% for central axis depth dose data for FFF 6 MV and FFF 10 MV models, respectively. Dose profile agreement using the same evaluation technique averaged 97.8% and 97.9% for the respective models. Phantom benchmarking comparisons were evaluated with a ±3%/2 mm gamma criterion, and agreement averaged 90.1% and 90.8% for the respective models. Multiple source models for Varian FFF 6 MV and FFF 10 MV beams have been developed, validated, and benchmarked for inclusion in an independent dose calculation quality assurance tool for use in clinical trial audits. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Chips off of Asteroid 4 Vesta: Evidence for the Parent Body of Basaltic Achondrite Meteorites.

PubMed

Binzel, R P; Xu, S

1993-04-09

For more than two decades, asteroid 4 Vesta has been debated as the source for the eucrite, diogenite, and howardite classes of basaltic achondrite meteorites. Its basaltic achondrite spectral properties are unlike those of other large main-belt asteroids. Telescopic measurements have revealed 20 small (diameters

Strategies for lidar characterization of particulates from point and area sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojcik, Michael D.; Moore, Kori D.; Martin, Randal S.; Hatfield, Jerry

2010-10-01

Use of ground based remote sensing technologies such as scanning lidar systems (light detection and ranging) has gained traction in characterizing ambient aerosols due to some key advantages such as wide area of regard (10 km2), fast response time, high spatial resolution (<10 m) and high sensitivity. Energy Dynamics Laboratory and Utah State University, in conjunction with the USDA-ARS, has developed a three-wavelength scanning lidar system called Aglite that has been successfully deployed to characterize particle motion, concentration, and size distribution at both point and diffuse area sources in agricultural and industrial settings. A suite of massbased and size distribution point sensors are used to locally calibrate the lidar. Generating meaningful particle size distribution, mass concentration, and emission rate results based on lidar data is dependent on strategic onsite deployment of these point sensors with successful local meteorological measurements. Deployment strategies learned from field use of this entire measurement system over five years include the characterization of local meteorology and its predictability prior to deployment, the placement of point sensors to prevent contamination and overloading, the positioning of the lidar and beam plane to avoid hard target interferences, and the usefulness of photographic and written observational data.

Terahertz Sensor Using Photonic Crystal Cavity and Resonant Tunneling Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Kazuma; Tsuruda, Kazuisao; Diebold, Sebastian; Hisatake, Shintaro; Fujita, Masayuki; Nagatsuma, Tadao

2017-09-01

In this paper, we report on a terahertz (THz) sensing system. Compared to previously reported systems, it has increased system sensitivity and reduced size. Both are achieved by using a photonic crystal (PC) cavity as a resonator and compact resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) as signal source and as detector. The measured quality factor of the PC cavity is higher than 10,000, and its resonant frequency is 318 GHz. To demonstrate the operation of the refractive index sensing system, dielectric tapes of various thicknesses are attached to the PC cavity and the change in the resonator's refractive index is measured. The figure of merit of refractive index sensing using the developed system is one order higher than that of previous studies, which used metallic metamaterial resonators. The frequency of the RTD-based source can be swept from 316 to 321 GHz by varying the RTD direct current voltage. This effect is used to realize a compact frequency tunable signal source. Measurements using a commercial signal source and detector are carried out to verify the accuracy of the data obtained using RTDs as a signal source and as a detector.

Temporal Variation of Aerosol Properties at a Rural Continental Site and Study of Aerosol Evolution through Growth Law Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Jian; Collins, Don; Covert, David; Elleman, Robert; Ferrare, Richard A.; Gasparini, Roberto; Jonsson, Haflidi; Ogren, John; Sheridan, Patrick; Tsay, Si-Chee

2006-01-01

Aerosol size distributions were measured by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft during 16 flights at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in northern central Oklahoma as part of the Aerosol Intensive Operation period in May, 2003. During the same period a second SMPS was deployed at a surface station and provided continuous measurements. Combined with trace gas measurements at the SGP site and back-trajectory analysis, the aerosol size distributions provided insights into the sources of aerosols observed at the SGP site. High particle concentrations, observed mostly during daytime, were well correlated with the sulfur dioxide (SO2) mixing ratios, suggesting nucleation involving sulfuric acid is likely the main source of newly formed particles at the SGP. Aerosols within plumes originating from wildfires in Central America were measured at the surface site. Vertically compact aerosol layers, which can be traced back to forest fires in East Asia, were intercepted at altitudes over 3000 meters. Analyses of size dependent particle growth rates for four periods during which high cloud coverage was observed indicate growth dominated by volume controlled reactions. Sulfate accounts for 50% to 72% of the increase in aerosol volume concentration; the rest of the volume concentration increase was likely due to secondary organic species. The growth law analyses and meteorological conditions indicate that the sulfate was produced mainly through aqueous oxidation of SO2 in clouds droplets and hydrated aerosol particles.

Particle and Smoke Detection on ISS for Next Generation Smoke Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Ruff, Gary; Yuan, Zeng-guang; Sheredy, William; Funk, Greg

2007-01-01

Rapid fire detection requires the ability to differentiate fire signatures from background conditions and nuisance sources. Proper design of a fire detector requires detailed knowledge of all of these signal sources so that a discriminating detector can be designed. Owing to the absence of microgravity smoke data, all current spacecraft smoke detectors were designed based upon normal-g conditions. The removal of buoyancy reduces the velocities in the high temperature zones in flames, increasing the residence time of smoke particles and consequently allowing longer growth time for the particles. Recent space shuttle experiments confirmed that, in some cases, increased particles sizes are seen in low-gravity and that the relative performance of the ISS (International Space Station) and space-shuttle smoke-detectors changes in low-gravity; however, sufficient particle size information to design new detectors was not obtained. To address this issue, the SAME (Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment) experiment is manifested to fly on the ISS in 2007. The SAME experiment will make measurements of the particle size distribution of the smoke particulate from several typical spacecraft materials providing quantitative design data for spacecraft smoke detectors. A precursor experiment (DAFT: Dust Aerosol measurement Feasibility Test) flew recently on the ISS and provided the first measurement of the background smoke particulate levels on the ISS. These background levels are critical to the design of future smoke detectors. The ISS cabin was found to be a very clean environment with particulate levels substantially below the space shuttle and typical ground-based environments.

Pulsed field probe of real time magnetization dynamics in magnetic nanoparticle systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foulkes, T.; Syed, M.; Taplin, T.

2015-05-01

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are extensively used in biotechnology. These applications rely on magnetic properties that are a keen function of MNP size, distribution, and shape. Various magneto-optical techniques, including Faraday Rotation (FR), Cotton-Mouton Effect, etc., have been employed to characterize magnetic properties of MNPs. Generally, these measurements employ AC or DC fields. In this work, we describe the results from a FR setup that uses pulsed magnetic fields and an analysis technique that makes use of the entire pulse shape to investigate size distribution and shape anisotropy. The setup employs a light source, polarizing components, and a detector that are used to measure the rotation of light from a sample that is subjected to a pulsed magnetic field. This magnetic field "snapshot" is recorded alongside the intensity pulse of the sample's response. This side by side comparison yields useful information about the real time magnetization dynamics of the system being probed. The setup is highly flexible with variable control of pulse length and peak magnitude. Examining the raw data for the response of bare Fe3O4 and hybrid Au and Fe3O4 nanorods reveals interesting information about Brownian relaxation and the hydrodynamic size of these nanorods. This analysis exploits the self-referencing nature of this measurement to highlight the impact of an applied field on creating a field induced transparency for a longitudinal measurement. Possible sources for this behavior include shape anisotropy and field assisted aggregate formation.

What is the effect of area size when using local area practice style as an instrument?

PubMed

Brooks, John M; Tang, Yuexin; Chapman, Cole G; Cook, Elizabeth A; Chrischilles, Elizabeth A

2013-08-01

Discuss the tradeoffs inherent in choosing a local area size when using a measure of local area practice style as an instrument in instrumental variable estimation when assessing treatment effectiveness. Assess the effectiveness of angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on survival after acute myocardial infarction for Medicare beneficiaries using practice style instruments based on different-sized local areas around patients. We contrasted treatment effect estimates using different local area sizes in terms of the strength of the relationship between local area practice styles and individual patient treatment choices; and indirect assessments of the assumption violations. Using smaller local areas to measure practice styles exploits more treatment variation and results in smaller standard errors. However, if treatment effects are heterogeneous, the use of smaller local areas may increase the risk that local practice style measures are dominated by differences in average treatment effectiveness across areas and bias results toward greater effectiveness. Local area practice style measures can be useful instruments in instrumental variable analysis, but the use of smaller local area sizes to generate greater treatment variation may result in treatment effect estimates that are biased toward higher effectiveness. Assessment of whether ecological bias can be mitigated by changing local area size requires the use of outside data sources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis on Dangerous Source of Large Safety Accident in Storage Tank Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tong; Li, Ying; Xie, Tiansheng; Liu, Yu; Zhu, Xueyuan

2018-01-01

The difference between a large safety accident and a general accident is that the consequences of a large safety accident are particularly serious. To study the tank area which factors directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence of large-sized safety accidents. According to the three kinds of hazard source theory and the consequence cause analysis of the super safety accident, this paper analyzes the dangerous source of the super safety accident in the tank area from four aspects, such as energy source, large-sized safety accident reason, management missing, environmental impact Based on the analysis of three kinds of hazard sources and environmental analysis to derive the main risk factors and the AHP evaluation model is established, and after rigorous and scientific calculation, the weights of the related factors in four kinds of risk factors and each type of risk factors are obtained. The result of analytic hierarchy process shows that management reasons is the most important one, and then the environmental factors and the direct cause and Energy source. It should be noted that although the direct cause is relatively low overall importance, the direct cause of Failure of emergency measures and Failure of prevention and control facilities in greater weight.

X-ray grating interferometer for materials-science imaging at a low-coherent wiggler source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herzen, Julia; Physics Department and Institute for Medical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, 85748 Garching; Donath, Tilman

2011-11-15

X-ray phase-contrast radiography and tomography enable to increase contrast for weakly absorbing materials. Recently, x-ray grating interferometers were developed that extend the possibility of phase-contrast imaging from highly brilliant radiation sources like third-generation synchrotron sources to non-coherent conventional x-ray tube sources. Here, we present the first installation of a three grating x-ray interferometer at a low-coherence wiggler source at the beamline W2 (HARWI II) operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht at the second-generation synchrotron storage ring DORIS (DESY, Hamburg, Germany). Using this type of the wiggler insertion device with a millimeter-sized source allows monochromatic phase-contrast imaging of centimeter sized objects withmore » high photon flux. Thus, biological and materials-science imaging applications can highly profit from this imaging modality. The specially designed grating interferometer currently works in the photon energy range from 22 to 30 keV, and the range will be increased by using adapted x-ray optical gratings. Our results of an energy-dependent visibility measurement in comparison to corresponding simulations demonstrate the performance of the new setup.« less

Straight from the source's mouth; a quantitative study of grain-size export for an entire active rift, the Corinth Rift, central Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, Stephen E.; Whittaker, Alexander C.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Brooke, Sam A. S.; McNeill, Lisa C.; Gawthorpe, Robert L.

2017-04-01

The volumes, grain sizes and characteristics of sediment supplied from source catchments fundamentally controls basin stratigraphy. However, to date, few studies have constrained sediment budgets, including grain size, released into an active rift basin at a regional scale. The Gulf of Corinth, central Greece, is one of the most rapidly extending rifts in the world, with geodetic measurements of 5 mm/yr in the East to 15 mm/yr in the West. It has well-constrained climatic and tectonic boundary conditions and bedrock lithologies are well-characterised. It is therefore an ideal natural laboratory to study the grain-size export for a rift. In the field, we visited the river mouths of 49 catchments draining into the Corinth Gulf, which in total drain 83% of the rift. At each site, hydraulic geometries, surface grain-size of channel bars and full-weighted grain-size distributions of river sediment were obtained. The surface grain-size was measured using the Wolman point count method and the full-weighted grain-size distribution of the bedload by in-situ sieving. In total, approximately 17,000 point counts and 3 tonnes of sediment were processed. The grain-size distributions show an overall increase from East to West on the southern coast of the gulf, with largest grain-sizes exported from the Western rift catchments. D84 ranges from 20 to 110 mm, however 50% of D84 grain-sizes are less than 40 mm. Subsequently, we derived the full Holocene sediment budget for the Corinth Gulf by combining our grain size data with catchment sediment fluxes, constrained using the BQART model and calibrated to known Holocene sediment volumes in the basin from seismic data (c.f. Watkins et al., in review). This is the first time such a budget has been derived for the Corinth Rift. Finally, our estimates of sediment budgets and grain sizes were compared to regional uplift constraints, fault distributions, slip rates and lithology to identify the relative importance of these controls on sediment supply to the basin.

Estimating sizes of faint, distant galaxies in the submillimetre regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindroos, L.; Knudsen, K. K.; Fan, L.; Conway, J.; Coppin, K.; Decarli, R.; Drouart, G.; Hodge, J. A.; Karim, A.; Simpson, J. M.; Wardlow, J.

2016-10-01

We measure the sizes of redshift ˜2 star-forming galaxies by stacking data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We use a uv-stacking algorithm in combination with model fitting in the uv-domain and show that this allows for robust measures of the sizes of marginally resolved sources. The analysis is primarily based on the 344 GHz ALMA continuum observations centred on 88 submillimetre galaxies in the LABOCA ECDFS Submillimeter Survey (ALESS). We study several samples of galaxies at z ≈ 2 with M* ≈ 5 × 1010 M⊙, selected using near-infrared photometry (distant red galaxies, extremely red objects, sBzK-galaxies, and galaxies selected on photometric redshift). We find that the typical sizes of these galaxies are ˜0.6 arcsec which corresponds to ˜5 kpc at z = 2, this agrees well with the median sizes measured in the near-infrared z band (˜0.6 arcsec). We find errors on our size estimates of ˜0.1-0.2 arcsec, which agree well with the expected errors for model fitting at the given signal-to-noise ratio. With the uv-coverage of our observations (18-160 m), the size and flux density measurements are sensitive to scales out to 2 arcsec. We compare this to a simulated ALMA Cycle 3 data set with intermediate length baseline coverage, and we find that, using only these baselines, the measured stacked flux density would be an order of magnitude fainter. This highlights the importance of short baselines to recover the full flux density of high-redshift galaxies.

CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICULATE MATTER FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USING RAY FLUORESCENCE AND COMPUTER-CONTROLLED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

EPA Science Inventory

Numerous epidemiological studies have found associations between airborne particulate matter measured at community monitors and increased mortality and morbidity. Chemical and physical characteristics of particulate matter (e.g., elemental composition, size) and source identifi...

Effect of nanoparticle size on sessile droplet contact angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munshi, A. M.; Singh, V. N.; Kumar, Mukesh; Singh, J. P.

2008-04-01

We report a significant variation in the static contact angle measured on indium oxide (IO) nanoparticle coated Si substrates that have different nanoparticle sizes. These IO nanoparticles, which have well defined shape and sizes, were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition in a horizontal alumina tube furnace. The size of the IO nanoparticles was varied by changing the source material, substrate temperature, and the deposition time. A sessile droplet method was used to determine the macroscopic contact angle on these IO nanoparticle covered Si substrate using two different liquids: de-ionized water and diethylene glycol (DEG). It was observed that contact angle depends strongly on the nanoparticle size. The contact angle was found to vary from 24° to 67° for de-ionized water droplet and from 15° to 60° for DEG droplet, for the nanoparticle sizes varying from 14 to 620 nm. The contact angle decreases with a decrease in the particles size. We have performed a theoretical analysis to determine the dependence of contact angle on the nanoparticle size. This formulation qualitatively shows a similar trend of decrease in the contact angle with a decrease in nanoparticle size. Providing a rough estimate of nanoparticle size by sessile droplet contact angle measurement is the novelty in this work.

Size distribution of particle-phase molecular markers during a severe winter pollution episode.

PubMed

Kleeman, Michael J; Riddle, Sarah G; Jakober, Chris A

2008-09-01

Airborne particulate matter was collected using filter samplers and cascade impactors in six size fractions below 1.8 microm during a severe winter air pollution event at three sites in the Central Valley of California. The smallest size fraction analyzed was 0.056 < Dp <0.1 microm particle diameter, which accounts for the majority of the mass in the ultrafine (PM0.1) size range. Separate samples were collected during the daytime (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST) and nighttime (8 p.m. to 8 a.m. PST) to characterize diurnal patterns. Each sample was extracted with organic solvents and analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry for molecular markers that can be used for size-resolved source apportionment calculations. Colocated impactor and filter measurements were highly correlated (R8 > 0.8) for retene, benzo[ghi]flouranthene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, perylene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, coronene, MW302 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), 17beta(H)-21alpha(H)-30-norhopane, 17alpha(H)-21beta(H)-hopane, alphabetabeta-20R-C29-ethylcholestane, levoglucosan, and cholesterol. Of these compounds, levoglucosan was present in the highest concentration (60-2080 ng m(-3)) followed by cholesterol (6-35 ng m(-3)), PAHs (2-38 ng m(-3)), and hopanes and steranes (0-2 ng m(-3)). Nighttime concentrations were higher than daytime concentrations in all cases. Organic compound size distributions were generally similar to the total carbon size distributions during the nighttime but showed greater variability during the daytime. This may reflect the dominance of fresh emission in the stagnant surface layer during the evening hours and the presence of aged organic aerosol at the surface during the daytime when the atmosphere is better mixed. All of the measured organic compound particle size distributions had a single mode that peaked somewhere between 0.18 and 0.56 microm, but the width of each distribution varied by compound. Cholesterol generally had the broadest particle size distribution, while benzo[ghi]perylene and 17alpha(H)-21beta(H)-29-norhopane generally had sharper peaks. The difference between the size distributions of the various particle-phase organic compounds reflects the fact that these compounds exist in particles emitted from different sources. The results of the current study will prove useful for size-resolved source apportionment exercises.

Assessment of personal exposure to inhalable indoor and outdoor particulate matter for student residents of an academic campus (IIT-Kanpur).

PubMed

Devi, J Jai; Gupta, Tarun; Tripathi, S N; Ujinwal, Kamal K

2009-12-01

Human exposure to particulate matter can have significant harmful effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular system. These effects vary with number, size, and chemical composition of particulate matter, which vary significantly with space and time. The Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IITK), Kanpur, India, is a relatively clean academic campus in the northwest of a heavily polluted city, Kanpur. The major objectives of the study were to evaluate total exposure of fine and coarse fractions of PM(10) to a typical IITK student resident in different indoor microenvironments within the campus; to evaluate personal exposure to student residents during outdoor trips; and to evaluate personal exposure to a typical student resident carrying out routine activities. In order to account for all the sources of particulate matter exposure, measurements on several different days during the pre-monsoon season were carried out in the most common indoor microenvironments in the campus and during outdoor trips outside the campus. A 15-channel optical particle counter (model 1.108, GRIMM) was used to measure continuous real-time particle size distribution from 0.3 to 20 microm diameter. Using this instrument, exposure for 1 h at different indoor microenvironments was determined. Both the effects of location and activity, which, in turn, account for specific indoor sources and number of occupants, respectively, were carefully evaluated. Re-suspension of particles due to movement of people was found to be a major source of coarse particulate matter exposure. On the other hand, combustion sources led to elevated fine particulate levels. Chalk dust was found to be the major source of fine particulate matter in classrooms. Similar results on other sources of particulate matter are discussed in the paper. To assess the personal average size resolved particulate exposure on a student making a day trip outside the campus, study trips to most common public places in the city in a commonly preferred vehicle were made. Striking correlations between sources/activities and increase in fine and/or coarse particle concentration were clearly visible. To investigate the daily personal exposure and its relation to the activities of a typical student residing in the campus, a 24-h exposure study was done on a student who maintained a time-activity diary. The results provide insight into possible sources and their interaction with human activities in modifying the human exposure levels. A comparison between different microenvironments has been attempted for the first time in an Indian scenario using a real-time aerosol measuring instrument.

Evidence of selection on phenotypic plasticity and cost of plasticity in response to host-feeding sources in the major Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans.

PubMed

Nattero, Julieta; Leonhard, Gustavo; Gürtler, Ricardo E; Crocco, Liliana B

2015-12-01

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to display alternative phenotypes in different environments. Understanding how plasticity evolves and the factors that favor and constrain its evolution have attracted great interest. We investigated whether selection on phenotypic plasticity and costs of plasticity affect head and wing morphology in response to host-feeding sources in the major Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans. Full-sib families were assigned to blood-feeding on either live pigeons or guinea pigs throughout their lives. We measured diet-induced phenotypic plasticity on wing and head size and shape; characterized selection on phenotypic plasticity for female and male fecundity rates, and evaluated costs of plasticity. Wing size and shape variables exhibited significant differences in phenotypic plasticity associated with host-feeding source in female and male bugs. Evidence of selection on phenotypic plasticity was detected in head size and shape for guinea pig-fed females. A lower female fecundity rate was detected in more plastic families for traits that showed selection on plasticity. These results provide insights into the morphological phenotypic plasticity of T. infestans, documenting fitness advantages of head size and shape for females fed on guinea pigs. This vector species showed measurable benefits of responding plastically to environmental variation rather than adopting a fixed development plan. The presence of cost of plasticity suggests constraints on the evolution of plasticity. Our study indicates that females fed on guinea pigs (and perhaps on other suitable mammalian hosts) have greater chances of evolving under selection on phenotypic plasticity subject to some constraints. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linking seasonal surface water dynamics with methane emissions and export from small, forested wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hondula, K. L.; Palmer, M.

2017-12-01

One of the biggest uncertainties about global methane sources and sinks is attributed to uncertainties regarding wetland area and its dynamics. This is exacerbated by confusion over the role of small, shallow water bodies like Delmarva bay wetlands that could be categorized as both wetlands and ponds. These small inland water bodies are often poorly quantified due to their size, closed forest canopies, and inter- and intra-annual variability in surface water extent. We are studying wetland-rich areas on the Delmarva Peninsula in the U.S. mid-Atlantic to address this uncertainty at the scale of individual wetland ecosystems (<1000 m2). We present data linking measurements of hydrologic regime and methane gas fluxes in Delmarva bay wetlands to explore how water level, wetland storage capacity, and water residence time influence the magnitude, source area, and fate of wetland methane emissions. We measured air-water and soil-air gas fluxes using transects of chamber measurements spanning from wetland center to upland, in order to quantify the areal extent of the methane emissions source area throughout seasonal changes in surface water inundation (water level 0 to > 1m depth). We estimated the size and temporal variability of the methane emissions source area by combining these measurements with daily estimates of the extent of surface water inundation derived from water level monitoring and a high-resolution digital elevation model. This knowledge is critical for informing land use decisions (e.g. restoring wetlands specifically for climate mitigation), the jurisdiction of environmental policies in the US, and for resolving major outstanding discrepancies in our understanding of the global methane budget.

A suite of diagnostics to validate and optimize the prototype ITER neutral beam injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasqualotto, R.; Agostini, M.; Barbisan, M.; Brombin, M.; Cavazzana, R.; Croci, G.; Dalla Palma, M.; Delogu, R. S.; De Muri, M.; Muraro, A.; Peruzzo, S.; Pimazzoni, A.; Pomaro, N.; Rebai, M.; Rizzolo, A.; Sartori, E.; Serianni, G.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M.; Tardocchi, M.; Zaniol, B.; Zaupa, M.

2017-10-01

The ITER project requires additional heating provided by two neutral beam injectors using 40 A negative deuterium ions accelerated at 1 MV. As the beam requirements have never been experimentally met, a test facility is under construction at Consorzio RFX, which hosts two experiments: SPIDER, full-size 100 kV ion source prototype, and MITICA, 1 MeV full-size ITER injector prototype. Since diagnostics in ITER injectors will be mainly limited to thermocouples, due to neutron and gamma radiation and to limited access, it is crucial to thoroughly investigate and characterize in more accessible experiments the key parameters of source plasma and beam, using several complementary diagnostics assisted by modelling. In SPIDER and MITICA the ion source parameters will be measured by optical emission spectroscopy, electrostatic probes, cavity ring down spectroscopy for H^- density and laser absorption spectroscopy for cesium density. Measurements over multiple lines-of-sight will provide the spatial distribution of the parameters over the source extension. The beam profile uniformity and its divergence are studied with beam emission spectroscopy, complemented by visible tomography and neutron imaging, which are novel techniques, while an instrumented calorimeter based on custom unidirectional carbon fiber composite tiles observed by infrared cameras will measure the beam footprint on short pulses with the highest spatial resolution. All heated components will be monitored with thermocouples: as these will likely be the only measurements available in ITER injectors, their capabilities will be investigated by comparison with other techniques. SPIDER and MITICA diagnostics are described in the present paper with a focus on their rationale, key solutions and most original and effective implementations.

Calibration of a Three Wavelength Lidar for Size Discriminated Ambient Particulate Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, R. S.; Zavyalov, V.; Bingham, G. E.; Marchant, C.; Herron, J.; Jones, D.; Bowman, J.; Moore, K. D.

2007-12-01

A three wavelength Lidar has been developed at Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory for the measurement of size segregated ambient particulate matter concentrations as part of the AgLite program. The AgLite program, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, was developed to quantify particulate emissions from diffuse area sources, such as those typically found around confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and tillage operations. The Lidar system is capable of scanning horizontally and vertically across a suspected source area and can identify both spatial and temporal concentration fields which, when combined with locally measured wind field data, can be used to derive source emission estimates. The Lidar measures the relative magnitude of optical scattering by the atmosphere, which is a function of aerosol concentration. A Lidar scan around a source area gives a map of relative aerosol concentration. During an operational experiment, a scan is calibrated by point-sensors collocated with one or more points of the Lidar scan. In order to minimize potential systematic errors, a detailed calibration experiment was designed to compare Lidar return signals with Met One Instruments 8-channel Optical Particle Counters (Model 9722) and Airmetrics MiniVol filter-based samplers configured for collection of TSP, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1. The Lidar calibration experiment was performed in July 2007 at a farm owned and operated by Utah State University near Cache Junction, Utah. Multiple datasets were collected during which the Lidar moved between three stares, each a minute in duration, that were collocated with a cluster of MiniVols sampling the four size fractionations and an OPC. Sampler duration was between three and eight hours, depending upon background particulate concentrations. Prior to comparison of these instruments with the Lidar, the MiniVols and OPCs were compared against collocated PM2.5 and PM10 Federal Reference Method (FRM) samplers operated by the State of Utah Division of Air Quality at the designated air quality sampling site in Logan, Utah to ensure the accuracy of the point sensors. Preliminary analysis demonstrates the average concentrations measured by the MiniVols were within eight percent of the concentrations measured by the FRM samplers at ambient levels greater than 10 μg m-3 for PM2.5 and 14 percent for PM10 at 35 μg m-3. The volume-based concentration determined from the OPCs demonstrated a consistent relationship with the MiniVols filter-based mass concentrations across the observed size ranges. Results of the Lidar comparison with the OPCs and MiniVols will also be presented.

Characterisation of traffic-generated particulate matter in Copenhagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wåhlin, Peter; Berkowicz, Ruwim; Palmgren, Finn

Fine and coarse fraction PM was simultaneously sampled with Dichotomous Stacked Filter Units at a road site and at an urban background site during both summer and winter periods. The collected mass was determined gravimetrically, and the contents of 26 elements were measured by Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). NO x was monitored continuously at both sites. The road increments (road concentrations minus urban background concentrations) of PIXE elements, PM and NO x were analysed using the Constrained Physical Receptor Model (COPREM). Good agreement between the measured data and the model was achieved in both size fractions using four well-separated source profiles representing the emissions from exhaust, road/tyres, brakes and road salt. The analysis showed that the particles created by brake abrasion have aerodynamic diameters in the inhalable size range around 2.8 μm. This particle diameter is common mass median for a long list of heavy metals that are apportioned to the brakes source: Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Zr, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ba and Pb. Other significant contributions of Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Zn and Sr, mostly in the coarse particle fraction, are apportioned to the road/tyres source.

Gap Size Uncertainty Quantification in Advanced Gas Reactor TRISO Fuel Irradiation Experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pham, Binh T.; Einerson, Jeffrey J.; Hawkes, Grant L.

The Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR)-3/4 experiment is the combination of the third and fourth tests conducted within the tristructural isotropic fuel development and qualification research program. The AGR-3/4 test consists of twelve independent capsules containing a fuel stack in the center surrounded by three graphite cylinders and shrouded by a stainless steel shell. This capsule design enables temperature control of both the fuel and the graphite rings by varying the neon/helium gas mixture flowing through the four resulting gaps. Knowledge of fuel and graphite temperatures is crucial for establishing the functional relationship between fission product release and irradiation thermal conditions.more » These temperatures are predicted for each capsule using the commercial finite-element heat transfer code ABAQUS. Uncertainty quantification reveals that the gap size uncertainties are among the dominant factors contributing to predicted temperature uncertainty due to high input sensitivity and uncertainty. Gap size uncertainty originates from the fact that all gap sizes vary with time due to dimensional changes of the fuel compacts and three graphite rings caused by extended exposure to high temperatures and fast neutron irradiation. Gap sizes are estimated using as-fabricated dimensional measurements at the start of irradiation and post irradiation examination dimensional measurements at the end of irradiation. Uncertainties in these measurements provide a basis for quantifying gap size uncertainty. However, lack of gap size measurements during irradiation and lack of knowledge about the dimension change rates lead to gap size modeling assumptions, which could increase gap size uncertainty. In addition, the dimensional measurements are performed at room temperature, and must be corrected to account for thermal expansion of the materials at high irradiation temperatures. Uncertainty in the thermal expansion coefficients for the graphite materials used in the AGR-3/4 capsules also increases gap size uncertainty. This study focuses on analysis of modeling assumptions and uncertainty sources to evaluate their impacts on the gap size uncertainty.« less

Focus characterization at an X-ray free-electron laser by coherent scattering and speckle analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sikorski, Marcin; Song, Sanghoon; Schropp, Andreas

2015-04-14

X-ray focus optimization and characterization based on coherent scattering and quantitative speckle size measurements was demonstrated at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Its performance as a single-pulse free-electron laser beam diagnostic was tested for two typical focusing configurations. The results derived from the speckle size/shape analysis show the effectiveness of this technique in finding the focus' location, size and shape. In addition, its single-pulse compatibility enables users to capture pulse-to-pulse fluctuations in focus properties compared with other techniques that require scanning and averaging.

Nanodosimetry of electrons: analysis by experiment and modelling.

PubMed

Bantsar, A; Pszona, S

2015-09-01

Nanodosimetry experiments for high-energy electrons from a (131)I radioactive source interacting with gaseous nitrogen with sizes on a scale equivalent to the mass per area of a segment of DNA and nucleosome are described. The discrete ionisation cluster-size distributions were measured in experiments carried out with the Jet Counter. The experimental results were compared with those obtained by Monte Carlo modelling. The descriptors of radiation damages have been derived from the data obtained from ionisation cluster-size distributions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ultra-compact structure in intermediate-luminosity radio quasars: building a sample of standard cosmological rulers and improving the dark energy constraints up to z 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Shuo; Zheng, Xiaogang; Biesiada, Marek; Qi, Jingzhao; Chen, Yun; Zhu, Zong-Hong

2017-09-01

Context. Ultra-compact structure in radio sources (especially in quasars that can be observed up to very high redshifts), with milliarcsecond angular sizes measured by very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI), is becoming an important astrophysical tool for probing both cosmology and the physical properties of AGN. Aims: We present a newly compiled data set of 120 milliarcsec. compact radio sources representing intermediate-luminosity quasars covering the redshift range 0.46 < z < 2.76 and check the possibility of using these sources as independent cosmological probes. These quasars observed at 2.29 GHz show negligible dependence on redshifts and intrinsic luminosity, and thus represent a fixed comoving-length of standard ruler. Methods: For a cosmological ruler with intrinsic length lm, the angular size-redshift relation can be written as θ(z) = lm/DA(z, where θ(z) is the angular size at redshift z, and DA(z) is the corresponding angular diameter distance. We use a compilation of angular size and redshift data for ultra-compact radio sources from a well-known VLBI survey, and implement a new cosmology-independent technique to calibrate the linear size of this standard ruler, which is also used to test different cosmological models with and without the flat universe assumption. Results: We determine the linear size of this standard ruler as lm = 11.03 ± 0.25 pc, which is the typical radius at which AGN jets become opaque at the observed frequency ν 2 GHz. Our measurement of this linear size is also consistent with the previous and recent radio observations at other different frequencies. In the framework of flat ΛCDM model, we find a high value of the matter density parameter, Ωm = 0.322+0.244-0.141, and a low value of the Hubble constant, H0 = 67.6+7.8-7.4 km s-1 Mpc-1, which is in excellent agreement with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy measurements by Planck. We obtain Ωm = 0.309+0.215-0.151, w = -0.970+0.500-1.730 at 68.3% CL for the constant w of a dynamical dark-energy model, which demonstrates no significant deviation from the concordance ΛCDM model. Consistent fitting results are also obtained for other cosmological models explaining the cosmic acceleration, like Ricci dark energy (RDE) or the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) brane-world scenario. While no significant change in w with redshift is detected, there is still considerable room for evolution in w and the transition redshift at which w departing from -1 is located at z 2.0. Our results demonstrate that the method extensively investigated in our work on observational radio quasar data can be used to effectively derive cosmological information. Finally, we find the combination of high-redshift quasars and low-redshift clusters may provide an important source of angular diameter distances, considering the redshift coverage of these two astrophysical probes.

A 33 GHz Survey of Local Major Mergers: Estimating the Sizes of the Energetically Dominant Regions from High-resolution Measurements of the Radio Continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcos-Muñoz, L.; Leroy, A. K.; Evans, A. S.; Condon, J.; Privon, G. C.; Thompson, T. A.; Armus, L.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Meier, D. S.; Momjian, E.; Murphy, E. J.; Ott, J.; Sanders, D. B.; Schinnerer, E.; Stierwalt, S.; Surace, J. A.; Walter, F.

2017-07-01

We present Very Large Array observations of the 33 GHz radio continuum emission from 22 local ultraluminous and luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (U/LIRGs). These observations have spatial (angular) resolutions of 30-720 pc (0.″07-0.″67) in a part of the spectrum that is likely to be optically thin. This allows us to estimate the size of the energetically dominant regions. We find half-light radii from 30 pc to 1.7 kpc. The 33 GHz flux density correlates well with the IR emission, and we take these sizes as indicative of the size of the region that produces most of the energy. Combining our 33 GHz sizes with unresolved measurements, we estimate the IR luminosity and star formation rate per area and the molecular gas surface and volume densities. These quantities span a wide range (4 dex) and include some of the highest values measured for any galaxy (e.g., {{{Σ }}}{SFR}33 {GHz}≤slant {10}4.1 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1 {{kpc}}-2). At least 13 sources appear Compton thick ({N}{{H}}33 {GHz}≥slant {10}24 {{cm}}-2). Consistent with previous work, contrasting these data with observations of normal disk galaxies suggests a nonlinear and likely multivalued relation between star formation rate and molecular gas surface density, though this result depends on the adopted CO-to-H2 conversion factor and the assumption that our 33 GHz sizes apply to the gas. Eleven sources appear to exceed the luminosity surface density predicted for starbursts supported by radiation pressure and supernova feedback; however, we note the need for more detailed observations of the inner disk structure. U/LIRGs with higher surface brightness exhibit stronger [C II] 158 μm deficits, consistent with the suggestion that high energy densities drive this phenomenon.

Detection of bio-signature by microscopy and mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulej, M.; Wiesendanger, R.; Neuland, M., B.; Meyer, S.; Wurz, P.; Neubeck, A.; Ivarsson, M.; Riedo, V.; Moreno-Garcia, P.; Riedo, A.; Knopp, G.

2017-09-01

We demonstrate detection of micro-sized fossilized bacteria by means of microscopy and mass spectrometry. The characteristic structures of lifelike forms are visualized with a micrometre spatial resolution and mass spectrometric analyses deliver elemental and isotope composition of host and fossilized materials. Our studies show that high selectivity in isolation of fossilized material from host phase can be achieved while applying a microscope visualization (location), a laser ablation ion source with sufficiently small laser spot size and applying depth profiling method. Our investigations shows that fossilized features can be well isolated from host phase. The mass spectrometric measurements can be conducted with sufficiently high accuracy and precision yielding quantitative elemental and isotope composition of micro-sized objects. The current performance of the instrument allows the measurement of the isotope fractionation in per mill level and yield exclusively definition of the origin of the investigated species by combining optical visualization of investigated samples (morphology and texture), chemical characterization of host and embedded in the host micro-sized structure. Our isotope analyses involved bio-relevant B, C, S, and Ni isotopes which could be measured with sufficiently accuracy to conclude about the nature of the micro-sized objects.

Development of an EUV Test Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-22

Zemax model developed from beam size measurements that locates and determines the size of a copper gasket mounted to our pneumatic gate \\ahe at the...the observed spectra. Therefore, a Zemax model of the source, transmission grating and the Andor camera had to be developed. Two models were developed...see Figures 16, 17 and 18). The Zemax model including the NIST transmission data is in good agreement with the observed spectrum shown in Figure 18

Efficiency calibration and minimum detectable activity concentration of a real-time UAV airborne sensor system with two gamma spectrometers.

PubMed

Tang, Xiao-Bin; Meng, Jia; Wang, Peng; Cao, Ye; Huang, Xi; Wen, Liang-Sheng; Chen, Da

2016-04-01

A small-sized UAV (NH-UAV) airborne system with two gamma spectrometers (LaBr3 detector and HPGe detector) was developed to monitor activity concentration in serious nuclear accidents, such as the Fukushima nuclear accident. The efficiency calibration and determination of minimum detectable activity concentration (MDAC) of the specific system were studied by MC simulations at different flight altitudes, different horizontal distances from the detection position to the source term center and different source term sizes. Both air and ground radiation were considered in the models. The results obtained may provide instructive suggestions for in-situ radioactivity measurements of NH-UAV. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A practical CO2 flux remote sensing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queisser, Manuel; Burton, Mike

2017-04-01

An accurate quantification of CO2 flux from both natural and anthropogenic sources is of great interest in various areas of the Earth, environmental and atmospheric sciences. As emitted excess CO2 quickly dilutes into the 400 ppm ambient CO2 concentration and degassing often occurs diffusively, measuring CO2 fluxes is challenging. Therefore, fluxes are usually derived from grids of in-situ measurements, which are labour intensive measurements. Other than a safe measurement distance, remote sensing offers quick, spatially integrated and thus a more thorough measurement of gas fluxes. Active remote sensing combines these merits with operation independent of sunlight or clear sky conditions. Due to their weight and size, active remote sensing platforms for CO2, such as LIDAR, cannot easily be applied in the field or transported overseas. Moreover, their complexity requires a rather lengthy setup procedure to be undertaken by skilled personal. To meet the need for a rugged, practical CO2 remote sensing technique to scan volcanic plumes, we have developed the CO2 LIDAR. It measures 1-D column densities of CO2 with sufficient sensitivity to reveal the contribution of magmatic CO2. The CO2 LIDAR has been mounted inside a small aircraft and used to measure atmospheric column CO2 concentrations between the aircraft and the ground. It was further employed on the ground, measuring CO2 emissions from mud volcanism. During the measurement campaign the CO2 LIDAR demonstrated reliability, portability, quick set-up time (10 to 15 min) and platform independence. This new technique opens the possibility of rapid, comprehensive surveys of point source, open-vent CO2 emissions, as well as emissions from more diffuse sources such as lakes and fumarole fields. Currently, within the proof-of-concept ERC project CarbSens, a further reduction in size, weight and operational complexity is underway with the goal to commercialize the platform. Areas of potential applications include fugitive CO2 detection at carbon capture and storage sites, volcano monitoring and bottom-up quantification of CO2 fluxes, such as from urban areas or natural sources.

Hard X-Ray Flare Source Sizes Measured with the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Brian R.; Pernak, Rick L.

2009-01-01

Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations of 18 double hard X-ray sources seen at energies above 25 keV are analyzed to determine the spatial extent of the most compact structures evident in each case. The following four image reconstruction algorithms were used: Clean, Pixon, and two routines using visibilities maximum entropy and forward fit (VFF). All have been adapted for this study to optimize their ability to provide reliable estimates of the sizes of the more compact sources. The source fluxes, sizes, and morphologies obtained with each method are cross-correlated and the similarities and disagreements are discussed. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the major axes of the sources with assumed elliptical Gaussian shapes are generally well correlated between the four image reconstruction routines and vary between the RHESSI resolution limit of approximately 2" up to approximately 20" with most below 10". The FWHM of the minor axes are generally at or just above the RHESSI limit and hence should be considered as unresolved in most cases. The orientation angles of the elliptical sources are also well correlated. These results suggest that the elongated sources are generally aligned along a flare ribbon with the minor axis perpendicular to the ribbon. This is verified for the one flare in our list with coincident Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) images. There is evidence for significant extra flux in many of the flares in addition to the two identified compact sources, thus rendering the VFF assumption of just two Gaussians inadequate. A more realistic approximation in many cases would be of two line sources with unresolved widths. Recommendations are given for optimizing the RHESSI imaging reconstruction process to ensure that the finest possible details of the source morphology become evident and that reliable estimates can be made of the source dimensions.

PREFACE TO SPECIAL SECTION ON PARTICULATE MATTER SUPERSITES

EPA Science Inventory

An improved understanding of the key sources, development of the most cost/effective control strategies, and health risks associated with PM2.5 requires high-quality measurements of PM2.5 composition, size and, concentration over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. However...

Atmospheric aerosols: A literature summary of their physical characteristics and chemical composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, F. S., Jr.

1976-01-01

This report contains a summary of 199 recent references on the characterization of atmospheric aerosols with respect to their composition, sources, size distribution, and time changes, and with particular reference to the chemical elements measured by modern techniques, especially activation analysis.

Asteroid Size-Frequency Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedesco, Edward F.

2001-01-01

A total of six deep exposures (using AOT CAM01 with a 6 inch PFOV) through the ISOCAM LW10 filter (IRAS Band 1, i.e. 12 micron) were obtained on an approximately 15 arcminute square field centered on the ecliptic plane. Point sources were extracted using the technique described. Two known asteroids appear in these frames and 20 sources moving with velocities appropriate for main belt asteroids are present. Most of the asteroids detected have flux densities less than 1 mJy, i,e., between 150 and 350 times fainter than any of the asteroids observed by IRAS. These data provide the first direct measurement of the 12 pm sky-plane density for asteroids on the ecliptic equator. The median zodiacal foreground, as measured by ISOCAM during this survey, is found to be 22.1 +/- 1.5 mJy per pixel, i.e., 26.2 +/- 1.7 MJy/sr. The results presented here imply that the actual number of kilometer-sized asteroids is significantly greater than previously believed and in reasonable agreement with the Statistical Asteroid Model.

Discrimination of particulate matter emission sources using stochastic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczurek, Andrzej; Maciejewska, Monika; Wyłomańska, Agnieszka; Sikora, Grzegorz; Balcerek, Michał; Teuerle, Marek

2016-12-01

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the criteria pollutants which has been determined as harmful to public health and the environment. For this reason the ability to recognize its emission sources is very important. There are a number of measurement methods which allow to characterize PM in terms of concentration, particles size distribution, and chemical composition. All these information are useful to establish a link between the dust found in the air, its emission sources and influence on human as well as the environment. However, the methods are typically quite sophisticated and not applicable outside laboratories. In this work, we considered PM emission source discrimination method which is based on continuous measurements of PM concentration with a relatively cheap instrument and stochastic analysis of the obtained data. The stochastic analysis is focused on the temporal variation of PM concentration and it involves two steps: (1) recognition of the category of distribution for the data i.e. stable or the domain of attraction of stable distribution and (2) finding best matching distribution out of Gaussian, stable and normal-inverse Gaussian (NIG). We examined six PM emission sources. They were associated with material processing in industrial environment, namely machining and welding aluminum, forged carbon steel and plastic with various tools. As shown by the obtained results, PM emission sources may be distinguished based on statistical distribution of PM concentration variations. Major factor responsible for the differences detectable with our method was the type of material processing and the tool applied. In case different materials were processed by the same tool the distinction of emission sources was difficult. For successful discrimination it was crucial to consider size-segregated mass fraction concentrations. In our opinion the presented approach is very promising. It deserves further study and development.

Relative dosimetrical verification in high dose rate brachytherapy using two-dimensional detector array IMatriXX

PubMed Central

Manikandan, A.; Biplab, Sarkar; David, Perianayagam A.; Holla, R.; Vivek, T. R.; Sujatha, N.

2011-01-01

For high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, independent treatment verification is needed to ensure that the treatment is performed as per prescription. This study demonstrates dosimetric quality assurance of the HDR brachytherapy using a commercially available two-dimensional ion chamber array called IMatriXX, which has a detector separation of 0.7619 cm. The reference isodose length, step size, and source dwell positional accuracy were verified. A total of 24 dwell positions, which were verified for positional accuracy gave a total error (systematic and random) of –0.45 mm, with a standard deviation of 1.01 mm and maximum error of 1.8 mm. Using a step size of 5 mm, reference isodose length (the length of 100% isodose line) was verified for single and multiple catheters of same and different source loadings. An error ≤1 mm was measured in 57% of tests analyzed. Step size verification for 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm was performed and 70% of the step size errors were below 1 mm, with maximum of 1.2 mm. The step size ≤1 cm could not be verified by the IMatriXX as it could not resolve the peaks in dose profile. PMID:21897562

An experimental assessment of the size effects on the strength and ductility of freestanding copper films under macroscopically homogenous deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, Shakti Singh

Metallic interconnects and circuitry has been experiencing excessive deformation beyond their elastic limits in many applications, ranging from micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to flexible electronics. These broad applications are creating needs to understand the extent of strength and ductility of freestanding metallic films at scales approaching the micron and sub micron range. This work aims to elucidate the effects of microstructural constraint as well as geometric dimensional constraint on the strength and ductility of freestanding Cu films under uniaxial tension. Two types of films are tested (i) high purity rolled films of 12.5-100microm thickness and average grain sizes of 11-47microm and (ii) electroplated films of 2-50 microm thickness and average grain sizes of 1.8-5microm. Several experimental tools including residual electrical resistivity measurements, surface strain measurements and surface roughness measurements are employed to highlight the underlying deformation mechanisms leading to the observed size effects. With respect to the strength of the specimens, we find that the nature and magnitude of thickness effects is very sensitive to the average grain size. In all cases, coupled thickness and grain size effects were observed. This study shows that this observed coupling, unique to the case of freestanding specimen, arises because the observed size effects are an outcome of the size dependence of two fundamental microstructural parameters i.e. volume fraction of surface grains and grain boundary area per unit specimen volume. For films having thickness and grain sizes greater than 5microm, thickness dependent weakening is observed for a constant grain size. Reducing thickness results in an increase in the volume fraction of grains exposed to the free surface as well as a reduction in the grain boundary area per unit specimen volume. The former effect leads to a reduction in the effective microstructural constraint on the intragranular dislocation activity in individual grains. This free surface related effect is the origin of a weakening contribution to the overall specimen strength with reducing thickness. For specimens with grain sizes ˜ O (10-50microm), this effect was found to be dominating i.e. reducing thickness resulted in reducing strength. A phenomenological model employing the flow strength of surface and bulk grains is proposed to model the observed trends. For films having thickness and grain sizes smaller than 5microm, size dependent strengthening is observed for a constant grain size. At this scale, grain boundary dislocations dominate. As a consequence, thickness effects arise because grain boundary dislocation source density per unit specimen volume reduces with reducing specimen thickness. This statistical reduction in dislocation source density leads to increasing specimen strength via source starvation strengthening. Our results show that such increasing specimen strength with reducing thickness, which has only been observed previously for nanocrystalline thin films, first appears at average grain size of ˜5microm or xx smaller. The measurements showed a characteristic length scale of about 5microm, which defines the size dependent strengthening or weakening of the film. With respect to the thickness effects on ductility, it was found that both thickness and average grain size affect ductility. While prominent thickness effects persist at larger grain sizes, for specimens with grain size approaching 1microm, the loss of strain hardening ability at such fine microstructures dominates and a limiting ductility of ˜2% is seen irrespective of the thickness. The observed thickness effects on ductility were investigated via surface roughness measurements that allow the characterization of initiation and evolution of deformation heterogeneities. It was found that thickness has a strong influence on the characteristic heterogeneity of deformation. At small specimen thicknesses, the deformation was found to be highly localized i.e. widely spaced regions showing substantial thickness reduction, hence increasing the vulnerability to the onset of plastic instabilities. At larger thicknesses, however, the increasing microstructural constraint delocalizes the strain and thereby precludes the early onset of instability, leading to enhanced ductility.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray sources using spherical harmonic decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volegov, P. L.; Danly, C. R.; Fittinghoff, D.; Geppert-Kleinrath, V.; Grim, G.; Merrill, F. E.; Wilde, C. H.

2017-11-01

Neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray imaging are important diagnostic tools at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) for measuring the two-dimensional (2D) size and shape of the neutron producing region, for probing the remaining ablator and measuring the extent of the DT plasmas during the stagnation phase of Inertial Confinement Fusion implosions. Due to the difficulty and expense of building these imagers, at most only a few two-dimensional projections images will be available to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) sources. In this paper, we present a technique that has been developed for the 3D reconstruction of neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray sources from a minimal number of 2D projections using spherical harmonics decomposition. We present the detailed algorithms used for this characterization and the results of reconstructed sources from experimental neutron and x-ray data collected at OMEGA and NIF.

Spatio-temporal aerosol particle distributions in the UT/LMS measured by the IAGOS-CARIBIC Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assmann, D. N.; Hermann, M.; Weigelt, A.; Martinsson, B. G.; Brenninkmeijer, C. A. M.; Rauthe-Schoech, A.; van Velthoven, P. J. F.; Boenisch, H.; Zahn, A.

2016-12-01

Submicrometer aerosol particles in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UT/LMS) influence the Earth`s radiation budget directly and, more important, indirectly, by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and by changing trace gas concentrations through heterogeneous chemical processes. Since 1997, regular in situ UT/LMS aerosol particle measurements have been conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany and the University of Lund, Sweden, using the the CARIBIC (now IAGOS-CARIBIC) observatory (www.caribic-atmospheric.com) onboard a passenger aircraft. Submicrometer aerosol particle number concentrations and the aerosol particle size distribution are measured using three condensation particle counters and one optical particle size spectrometer. Moreover, particle elemental composition is determined using an aerosol impactor sampler and post-flight ion beam analysis (PIXE, PESA) of the samples in the laboratory. Based on this unique data set, including meteorological analysis, we present representative spatio-temporal distributions of particle number, surface, volume, and elemental concentrations in an altitude of 8-12 km covering a large fraction of the northern hemisphere. We discuss the measured values in the different size regimes with respect to sources and sinks in different regions. Additionally, we calculated highly resolved latitudinal and longitudinal cross sections of the particle number size distribution, probability density functions and trends in particle number concentrations, but also in elemental composition, determined from our regular measurements over more than a decade. Moreover, we present the seasonality of particle number concentration in an equivelent latitude - potential temperature coordinate framework (see figure). The results are interpreted with respect to aerosol microphysics and transport using CARIBIC trace gas data like ozone and water vapour. The influence of clouds in the troposphere and the different stratosphere-troposphere-exchange processes are clearly visible. Besides providing information about UT/LMS aerosol particle sources, transport, and sinks, these distributions can be used to validate remote sensing instruments or global atmospheric aerosol models.

Spatio-temporal aerosol particle distributions in the UT/LMS measured by the IAGOS-CARIBIC Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assmann, Denise; Hermann, Markus; Weigelt, Andreas; Martinsson, Bengt; Brenninkmeijer, Carl; Rauthe-Schöch, Armin; van Velthoven, Peter; Bönisch, Harald; Zahn, Andreas

2017-04-01

Submicrometer aerosol particles in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UT/LMS) influence the Earth`s radiation budget directly and, more important, indirectly, by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and by changing trace gas concentrations through heterogeneous chemical processes. Since 1997, regular in situ UT/LMS aerosol particle measurements have been conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany and the University of Lund, Sweden, using the the CARIBIC (now IAGOS-CARIBIC) observatory (www.caribic-atmospheric.com) onboard a passenger aircraft. Submicrometer aerosol particle number concentrations and the aerosol particle size distribution are measured using three condensation particle counters and one optical particle size spectrometer. Moreover, particle elemental composition is determined using an aerosol impactor sampler and post-flight ion beam analysis (PIXE, PESA) of the samples in the laboratory. Based on this unique data set, including meteorological analysis, we present representative spatio-temporal distributions of particle number, surface, volume and elemental concentrations in an altitude of 8-12 km covering a large fraction of the northern hemisphere. We discuss the measured values in the different size regimes with respect to sources and sinks in different regions. Additionally, we calculated highly resolved latitudinal and longitudinal cross sections of the particle number size distribution, probability density functions and trends in particle number concentrations, but also in elemental composition, determined from our regular measurements over more than a decade. Moreover, we generated seasonal contour plots for particle number concentrations, the potential temperature, and the equivalent latitude. The results are interpreted with respect to aerosol microphysics and transport using CARIBIC trace gas data like ozone and water vapour. The influence of clouds in the troposphere and the different stratosphere-troposphere-exchange processes is clearly visible. Besides providing information about UT/LMS aerosol particle sources, transport, and sinks, these distributions can be used to validate remote sensing instruments or global atmospheric aerosol models.

Characterization of the X-ray coherence properties of an undulator beamline at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ju, Guangxu; Highland, Matthew J.; Thompson, Carol

In anticipation of the increased use of coherent X-ray methods and the need to upgrade beamlines to match improved source quality, here the coherence properties of the X-rays delivered by beamline 12ID-D at the Advanced Photon Source have been characterized. The measured X-ray divergence, beam size, brightness and coherent flux at energies up to 26 keV are compared with the calculated values from the undulator source, and the effects of beamline optics such as a mirror, monochromator and compound refractive lenses are evaluated. Diffraction patterns from slits as a function of slit width are analyzed using wave propagation theory tomore » obtain the beam divergence and thus coherence length. Imaging of the source using a compound refractive lens was found to be the most accurate method for determining the vertical divergence. While the brightness and coherent flux obtained without a monochromator ('pink beam') agree well with those calculated for the source, those measured with the monochromator were a factor of three to six lower than the source, primarily because of vertical divergence introduced by the monochromator. As a result, the methods described herein should be widely applicable for measuring the X-ray coherence properties of synchrotron beamlines.« less

Characterization of the X-ray coherence properties of an undulator beamline at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE PAGES

Ju, Guangxu; Highland, Matthew J.; Thompson, Carol; ...

2018-06-13

In anticipation of the increased use of coherent X-ray methods and the need to upgrade beamlines to match improved source quality, here the coherence properties of the X-rays delivered by beamline 12ID-D at the Advanced Photon Source have been characterized. The measured X-ray divergence, beam size, brightness and coherent flux at energies up to 26 keV are compared with the calculated values from the undulator source, and the effects of beamline optics such as a mirror, monochromator and compound refractive lenses are evaluated. Diffraction patterns from slits as a function of slit width are analyzed using wave propagation theory tomore » obtain the beam divergence and thus coherence length. Imaging of the source using a compound refractive lens was found to be the most accurate method for determining the vertical divergence. While the brightness and coherent flux obtained without a monochromator ('pink beam') agree well with those calculated for the source, those measured with the monochromator were a factor of three to six lower than the source, primarily because of vertical divergence introduced by the monochromator. As a result, the methods described herein should be widely applicable for measuring the X-ray coherence properties of synchrotron beamlines.« less

Halos--a problem for all myopes? A comparison between spectacles, contact lenses, and photorefractive keratectomy.

PubMed

Lohmann, C P; Fitzke, F W; O'Brart, D; Muir, M K; Marshall, J

1993-01-01

After photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using excimer lasers (193 nm) many patients report the presence of halos around light sources at night. However, halos are not unique to PRK patients, as they are a common observation in myopic contact lens wearers. We present an objective measurement of the halos using a computerized technique. The patient fixated on a red cross within a white circle in the center of a video monitor which served as the halo source. The screen surrounding the circle was not illuminated. The operator controlled the movement of the white spot and moved the spot toward the halo source until the subject indicated when the cursor was at the outer parameter of the halo. Measurements were made at 30 degree intervals around the halo source and expressed as square degrees. The study found that spectacles, soft contact lenses, and excimer laser surgery were superior to hard contact lenses in terms of the size of the halo. A mean value of 2.51 square degrees was obtained for spectacles wearers compared with 3.18 square degrees for soft contact lenses, 3.14 square degrees for excimer laser patients with 4-millimeter ablation zone, 2.76 square degrees for excimer laser patients with a 5-millimeter ablation zone, and 89.5 square degrees for hard contact lenses. It appears that this device is very useful for measuring the halo size after excimer laser PRK. We concluded that halos were not a problem for our patients after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.

Evolution of vehicle exhaust particles in the atmosphere.

PubMed

Canagaratna, Manjula R; Onasch, Timothy B; Wood, Ezra C; Herndon, Scott C; Jayne, John T; Cross, Eben S; Miake-Lye, Richard C; Kolb, Charles E; Worsnop, Douglas R

2010-10-01

Aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements are used to characterize the evolution of exhaust particulate matter (PM) properties near and downwind of vehicle sources. The AMS provides time-resolved chemically speciated mass loadings and mass-weighted size distributions of nonrefractory PM smaller than 1 microm (NRPM1). Source measurements of aircraft PM show that black carbon particles inhibit nucleation by serving as condensation sinks for the volatile and semi-volatile exhaust gases. Real-world source measurements of ground vehicle PM are obtained by deploying an AMS aboard a mobile laboratory. Characteristic features of the exhaust PM chemical composition and size distribution are discussed. PM mass and number concentrations are used with above-background gas-phase carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to calculate on-road emission factors for individual vehicles. Highly variable ratios between particle number and mass concentrations are observed for individual vehicles. NRPM1 mass emission factors measured for on-road diesel vehicles are approximately 50% lower than those from dynamometer studies. Factor analysis of AMS data (FA-AMS) is applied for the first time to map variations in exhaust PM mass downwind of a highway. In this study, above-background vehicle PM concentrations are highest close to the highway and decrease by a factor of 2 by 200 m away from the highway. Comparison with the gas-phase CO2 concentrations indicates that these vehicle PM mass gradients are largely driven by dilution. Secondary aerosol species do not show a similar gradient in absolute mass concentrations; thus, their relative contribution to total ambient PM mass concentrations increases as a function of distance from the highway. FA-AMS of single particle and ensemble data at an urban receptor site shows that condensation of these secondary aerosol species onto vehicle exhaust particles results in spatial and temporal evolution of the size and composition of vehicle exhaust PM on urban and regional scales.

TU-F-CAMPUS-T-04: Variations in Nominally Identical Small Fields From Photon Jaw Reproducibility and Associated Effects On Small Field Dosimetric Parameters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muir, B R; McEwen, M R

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate uncertainties in small field output factors and detector specific correction factors from variations in field size for nominally identical fields using measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: Repeated measurements of small field output factors are made with the Exradin W1 (plastic scintillation detector) and the PTW microDiamond (synthetic diamond detector) in beams from the Elekta Precise linear accelerator. We investigate corrections for a 0.6x0.6 cm{sup 2} nominal field size shaped with secondary photon jaws at 100 cm source to surface distance (SSD). Measurements of small field profiles are made in a water phantom at 10 cm depthmore » using both detectors and are subsequently used for accurate detector positioning. Supplementary Monte Carlo simulations with EGSnrc are used to calculate the absorbed dose to the detector and absorbed dose to water under the same conditions when varying field size. The jaws in the BEAMnrc model of the accelerator are varied by a reasonable amount to investigate the same situation without the influence of measurements uncertainties (such as detector positioning or variation in beam output). Results: For both detectors, small field output factor measurements differ by up to 11 % when repeated measurements are made in nominally identical 0.6x0.6 cm{sup 2} fields. Variations in the FWHM of measured profiles are consistent with field size variations reported by the accelerator. Monte Carlo simulations of the dose to detector vary by up to 16 % under worst case variations in field size. These variations are also present in calculations of absorbed dose to water. However, calculated detector specific correction factors are within 1 % when varying field size because of cancellation of effects. Conclusion: Clinical physicists should be aware of potentially significant uncertainties in measured output factors required for dosimetry of small fields due to field size variations for nominally identical fields.« less

X-Ray Dust Tomography: Mapping the Galaxy one X-ray Transient at a Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinz, Sebastian; Corrales, Lia

2018-01-01

Tomography using X-ray light echoes from dust scattering by interstellar clouds is an accurate tool to study the line-of-sight distribution of dust. It can be used to measure distances to molecular clouds and X-ray sources, it can map Galactic structure in dust, and it can be used for precision measurements of dust composition and grain size distribution. Necessary conditions for observing echoes include a suitable X-ray lightcurve and sufficient dust column density to the source. I will discuss a tool set for studying dust echoes and show results obtained for some of the brightest echoes detected to date.

Advanced source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols by coupling offline AMS and radiocarbon size-segregated measurements over a nearly 2-year period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlachou, Athanasia; Daellenbach, Kaspar R.; Bozzetti, Carlo; Chazeau, Benjamin; Salazar, Gary A.; Szidat, Soenke; Jaffrezo, Jean-Luc; Hueglin, Christoph; Baltensperger, Urs; El Haddad, Imad; Prévôt, André S. H.

2018-05-01

Carbonaceous aerosols are related to adverse human health effects. Therefore, identification of their sources and analysis of their chemical composition is important. The offline AMS (aerosol mass spectrometer) technique offers quantitative separation of organic aerosol (OA) factors which can be related to major OA sources, either primary or secondary. While primary OA can be more clearly separated into sources, secondary (SOA) source apportionment is more challenging because different sources - anthropogenic or natural, fossil or non-fossil - can yield similar highly oxygenated mass spectra. Radiocarbon measurements provide unequivocal separation between fossil and non-fossil sources of carbon. Here we coupled these two offline methods and analysed the OA and organic carbon (OC) of different size fractions (particulate matter below 10 and 2.5 µm - PM10 and PM2.5, respectively) from the Alpine valley of Magadino (Switzerland) during the years 2013 and 2014 (219 samples). The combination of the techniques gave further insight into the characteristics of secondary OC (SOC) which was rather based on the type of SOC precursor and not on the volatility or the oxidation state of OC, as typically considered. Out of the primary sources separated in this study, biomass burning OC was the dominant one in winter, with average concentrations of 5.36 ± 2.64 µg m-3 for PM10 and 3.83 ± 1.81 µg m-3 for PM2.5, indicating that wood combustion particles were predominantly generated in the fine mode. The additional information from the size-segregated measurements revealed a primary sulfur-containing factor, mainly fossil, detected in the coarse size fraction and related to non-exhaust traffic emissions with a yearly average PM10 (PM2.5) concentration of 0.20 ± 0.24 µg m-3 (0.05 ± 0.04 µg m-3). A primary biological OC (PBOC) was also detected in the coarse mode peaking in spring and summer with a yearly average PM10 (PM2.5) concentration of 0.79 ± 0.31 µg m-3 (0.24 ± 0.20 µg m-3). The secondary OC was separated into two oxygenated, non-fossil OC factors which were identified based on their seasonal variability (i.e. summer and winter oxygenated organic carbon, OOC) and a third anthropogenic OOC factor which correlated with fossil OC mainly peaking in winter and spring, contributing on average 13 % ± 7 % (10 % ± 9 %) to the total OC in PM10 (PM2.5). The winter OOC was also connected to anthropogenic sources, contributing on average 13 % ± 13 % (6 % ± 6 %) to the total OC in PM10 (PM2.5). The summer OOC (SOOC), stemming from oxidation of biogenic emissions, was more pronounced in the fine mode, contributing on average 43 % ± 12 % (75 % ± 44 %) to the total OC in PM10 (PM2.5). In total the non-fossil OC significantly dominated the fossil OC throughout all seasons, by contributing on average 75 % ± 24 % to the total OC. The results also suggested that during the cold period the prevailing source was residential biomass burning while during the warm period primary biological sources and secondary organic aerosol from the oxidation of biogenic emissions became important. However, SOC was also formed by aged fossil fuel combustion emissions not only in summer but also during the rest of the year.

Hydrodynamic Controls on Archaeal Tetraether Lipid Compositions in Washington Margin Sediments: Insights From Compound-Specific Radiocarbon Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, M.; Eglinton, T. I.; Montlucon, D. B.; Pearson, A.; Hayes, J. M.

2008-12-01

Continental margin sediments represent a large sink of organic carbon derived from marine and terrestrial sources. Archaeal glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether lipids (GDGTs) are derived from both marine and terrestrial sources and have been used both for reconstruction of paleo sea surface temperatures and as an index of terrestrial carbon input to the marine sediments. However, the sources and modes of supply as well as the preservation of GDGTs in marginal sediments are poorly understood. The distribution and deposition of GDGTs is further complicated by hydrodynamic processes. We have analyzed a suite of surface sediment samples collected along a transect from the mouth of the Columbia River, across the Washington Margin, to the Cascadia Basin in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Sediments were separated according to their grain size and hydrodynamic properties, and the organic matter characterized in terms of its bulk elemental, isotopic, and molecular properties. Here we present radiocarbon measurements on individual GDGTs, alkenones, and fatty acids from size-fractionated sediments from shelf and slope sediments, and discuss the results in the context of previous studies of the molecular abundances and isotopic compositions of sedimentary organic matter for in this region. Systematic variations in elemental, isotopic and molecular-level composition are observed across the different particle classes. Moreover, these variations are manifested in the isotopic composition of different molecular markers of both marine and terrestrial sources organic matter. Both marine-derived lipids, including alkenones and marine archaeal tetraethers, and soil microbe-derived tetraether lipids show strong distributional and isotopic variations among the size-fractionated sediments. These variations in terrestrial and marine biomarker properties inform on the sources, particle dynamics, and transport history of organic matter buried on river-influenced continental margins. The implications of these findings for the application of molecular markers as proxies of organic matter input, and on the interpretation of past marine and continental environmental conditions from sedimentary records will also be discussed.

"Sniffer"—a novel tool for chasing vehicles and measuring traffic pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirjola, L.; Parviainen, H.; Hussein, T.; Valli, A.; Hämeri, K.; Aaalto, P.; Virtanen, A.; Keskinen, J.; Pakkanen, T. A.; Mäkelä, T.; Hillamo, R. E.

To measure traffic pollutants with high temporal and spatial resolution under real conditions a mobile laboratory was designed and built in Helsinki Polytechnic in close co-operation with the University of Helsinki. The equipment of the van provides gas phase measurements of CO and NO x, number size distribution measurements of fine and ultrafine particles by an electrical low pressure impactor, an ultrafine condensation particle counter and a scanning mobility particle sizer. Two inlet systems, one above the windshield and the other above the bumper, enable chasing of different type of vehicles. Also, meteorological and geographical parameters are recorded. This paper introduces the construction and technical details of the van, and presents data from the measurements performed during an LIPIKA campaign on the highway in Helsinki. Approximately 90% of the total particle number concentration was due to particles smaller than 50 nm on the highway in Helsinki. The peak concentrations exceeded often 200,000 particles cm -3 and reached sometimes a value of 10 6 cm -3. Typical size distribution of fine particles possessed bimodal structure with the modal mean diameters of 15-20 nm and ˜150 nm. Atmospheric dispersion of traffic pollutions were measured by moving away from the highway along the wind direction. At a distance of 120-140 m from the source the concentrations were diluted to one-tenth from the values at 9 m from the source.

A quantitative analysis of household energy consumption in rural west Java: with particular emphasis on socio-economic influences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hadi, S.S.

1982-01-01

A survey was conducted to estimate per capita, per household, and total energy consumption by region, by level of development, and by fuel source in rural West Java. Socio-economic conditions were also measured by using parameters that included income, family size, husband education, wife education, biomass fuelstock, level of village development, and land size. These data are tabulated and used to develop a model that can predict probabilities of fuel use, consumption, and variety.

Elaboration and Characterization of Nano-Sized AlxMoyOz/Al Thermites

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

corresponding micrographs are not the experiments of time resolved shown here). In the Th. 1 material, the cinematography . micron-sized MoO 3...necessary to know cinelnalogra/)hy andspec’troscot)y- the effective power (P) delivered by the laser The time resolved cinematography (TRC) is source as...necessary to initiate the film paper ((D P 1.4 amm). The combustion rate 8 PU 614/2006 (Vr) is measured by ultra fast cinematography the lower are the

Icing Characteristics of Low Altitude, Supercooled Layer Clouds. Revision

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

Droplet Size Distribution 5. Icing Rate Meters C. Accuracy and Sources of Error in the Measurements from the Period 1944-1950 11 1. Rotating...whether currently available LWC meters and icing rate detectors will give re- liable results when flown on helicopters. Concerning the forecasting...Max Dia. Size Distrib. Meter Samples 4 1944 MSP DP -- Al .... 4 6 1946 OR 2,4RC 2,4RHC Al 4RMC -- 3 7 1946-47 NEMO, 4RMC 4RMC AI 4RMC - 31 TN,OH, IN

Characterization of a gamma-ray source based on a laser-plasma accelerator with applications to radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, R. D.; Sinclair, M. A.; Goldsack, T. J.; Krushelnick, K.; Beg, F. N.; Clark, E. L.; Dangor, A. E.; Najmudin, Z.; Tatarakis, M.; Walton, B.; Zepf, M.; Ledingham, K. W. D.; Spencer, I.; Norreys, P. A.; Clarke, R. J.; Kodama, R.; Toyama, Y.; Tampo, M.

2002-03-01

The application of high intensity laser-produced gamma rays is discussed with regard to picosecond resolution deep-penetration radiography. The spectrum and angular distribution of these gamma rays is measured using an array of thermoluminescent detectors for both an underdense (gas) target and an overdense (solid) target. It is found that the use of an underdense target in a laser plasma accelerator configuration produces a much more intense and directional source. The peak dose is also increased significantly. Radiography is demonstrated in these experiments and the source size is also estimated.

Matilda: A mass filtered nanocluster source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Gihan

Cluster science provides a good model system for the study of the size dependence of electronic properties, chemical reactivity, as well as magnetic properties of materials. One of the main interests in cluster science is the nanoscale understanding of chemical reactions and selectivity in catalysis. Therefore, a new cluster system was constructed to study catalysts for applications in renewable energy. Matilda, a nanocluster source, consists of a cluster source and a Retarding Field Analyzer (RFA). A moveable AJA A310 Series 1"-diameter magnetron sputtering gun enclosed in a water cooled aggregation tube served as the cluster source. A silver coin was used for the sputtering target. The sputtering pressure in the aggregation tube was controlled, ranging from 0.07 to 1torr, using a mass flow controller. The mean cluster size was found to be a function of relative partial pressure (He/Ar), sputtering power, and aggregation length. The kinetic energy distribution of ionized clusters was measured with the RFA. The maximum ion energy distribution was 2.9 eV/atom at a zero pressure ratio. At high Ar flow rates, the mean cluster size was 20 ˜ 80nm, and at a 9.5 partial pressure ratio, the mean cluster size was reduced to 1.6nm. Our results showed that the He gas pressure can be optimized to reduce the cluster size variations. Results from SIMION, which is an electron optics simulation package, supported the basic function of an RFA, a three-element lens and the magnetic sector mass filter. These simulated results agreed with experimental data. For the size selection experiment, the channeltron electron multiplier collected ionized cluster signal at different positions during Ag deposition on a TEM grid for four and half hours. The cluster signal was high at the position for neutral clusters, which was not bent by a magnetic field, and the signal decreased rapidly far away from the neutral cluster region. For cluster separation according to mass to charge ratio in a magnetic sector mass filter, the ion energy of the cluster and its distribution must be precisely controlled by acceleration or deceleration. To verify the size separation, a high resolution microscope was required. Matilda provided narrow particle sized distribution from atomic scale to 4nm in size with different pressure ratio without additional mass filter. It is very economical way to produce relatively narrow particle size distribution.

An Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Thrust Augmentation Using a Speaker-Driven Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wernet, Mark P.; John, Wentworth T.

2004-01-01

An experimental investigation is described in which a simple speaker-driven jet was used as a pulsed thrust source (driver) for an ejector configuration. The objectives of the investigation were twofold: first, to add to the experimental body of evidence showing that an unsteady thrust source, combined with a properly sized ejector generally yields higher thrust augmentation values than a similarly sized, steady driver of equivalent thrust. Second, to identify characteristics of the unsteady driver that may be useful for sizing ejectors, and predicting what thrust augmentation values may be achieved. The speaker-driven jet provided a convenient source for the investigation because it is entirely unsteady (having no mean component) and because relevant parameters such as frequency, time-averaged thrust, and diameter are easily variable. The experimental setup will be described, as will the various measurements made. These include both thrust and Digital Particle Imaging Velocimetry of the driver. It will be shown that thrust augmentation values as high as 1.8 were obtained, that the diameter of the best ejector scaled with the dimensions of the emitted vortex, and that the so-called Formation Number serves as a useful dimensionless number by which to characterize the jet and predict performance.

Quantifying Spot Size Reduction of a 1.8 kA Electron Beam for Flash Radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burris-Mog, Trevor John; Moir, David C.

The spot size of Axis-I at the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility was reduced by 15.5% by including a small diameter drift tube that acts to aperture the outer diameter of the electron beam. Comparing the measured values to both analytic calculations and results from a particle-in-cell model shows that one-third to one-half of the spot size reduction is due to a drop in beam emittance. We infer that one-half to two-thirds of the spot-size reduction is due to a reduction in beam-target interactions. Sources of emittance growth and the scaling of the final focal spot size with emittancemore » and solenoid aberrations are also presented.« less

Quantifying Spot Size Reduction of a 1.8 kA Electron Beam for Flash Radiography

DOE PAGES

Burris-Mog, Trevor John; Moir, David C.

2018-03-14

The spot size of Axis-I at the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility was reduced by 15.5% by including a small diameter drift tube that acts to aperture the outer diameter of the electron beam. Comparing the measured values to both analytic calculations and results from a particle-in-cell model shows that one-third to one-half of the spot size reduction is due to a drop in beam emittance. We infer that one-half to two-thirds of the spot-size reduction is due to a reduction in beam-target interactions. Sources of emittance growth and the scaling of the final focal spot size with emittancemore » and solenoid aberrations are also presented.« less

Size distribution and coating thickness of black carbon from the Canadian oil sands operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yuan; Li, Shao-Meng; Gordon, Mark; Liu, Peter

2018-02-01

Black carbon (BC) plays an important role in the Earth's climate system. However, parameterizations of BC size and mixing state have not been well addressed in aerosol-climate models, introducing substantial uncertainties into the estimation of radiative forcing by BC. In this study, we focused on BC emissions from the oil sands (OS) surface mining activities in northern Alberta, based on an aircraft campaign conducted over the Athabasca OS region in 2013. A total of 14 flights were made over the OS source area, in which the aircraft was typically flown in a four- or five-sided polygon pattern along flight tracks encircling an OS facility. Another 3 flights were performed downwind of the OS source area, each of which involved at least three intercepting locations where the well-mixed OS plume was measured along flight tracks perpendicular to the wind direction. Comparable size distributions were observed for refractory black carbon (rBC) over and downwind of the OS facilities, with rBC mass median diameters (MMDs) between ˜ 135 and 145 nm that were characteristic of fresh urban emissions. This MMD range corresponded to rBC number median diameters (NMDs) of ˜ 60-70 nm, approximately 100 % higher than the NMD settings in some aerosol-climate models. The typical in- and out-of-plume segments of a flight, which had different rBC concentrations and photochemical ages, showed consistent rBC size distributions in terms of MMD, NMD and the corresponding distribution widths. Moreover, rBC size distributions remained unchanged at different downwind distances from the source area, suggesting that atmospheric aging would not necessarily change rBC size distribution. However, aging indeed influenced rBC mixing state. Coating thickness for rBC cores in the diameter range of 130-160 nm was nearly doubled (from ˜ 20 to 40 nm) within 3 h when the OS plume was transported over a distance of 90 km from the source area.

Stable Carbon Fractionation In Size Segregated Aerosol Particles Produced By Controlled Biomass Burning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masalaite, Agne; Garbaras, Andrius; Garbariene, Inga; Ceburnis, Darius; Martuzevicius, Dainius; Puida, Egidijus; Kvietkus, Kestutis; Remeikis, Vidmantas

2014-05-01

Biomass burning is the largest source of primary fine fraction carbonaceous particles and the second largest source of trace gases in the global atmosphere with a strong effect not only on the regional scale but also in areas distant from the source . Many studies have often assumed no significant carbon isotope fractionation occurring between black carbon and the original vegetation during combustion. However, other studies suggested that stable carbon isotope ratios of char or BC may not reliably reflect carbon isotopic signatures of the source vegetation. Overall, the apparently conflicting results throughout the literature regarding the observed fractionation suggest that combustion conditions may be responsible for the observed effects. The purpose of the present study was to gather more quantitative information on carbonaceous aerosols produced in controlled biomass burning, thereby having a potential impact on interpreting ambient atmospheric observations. Seven different biomass fuel types were burned under controlled conditions to determine the effect of the biomass type on the emitted particulate matter mass and stable carbon isotope composition of bulk and size segregated particles. Size segregated aerosol particles were collected using the total suspended particle (TSP) sampler and a micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI). The results demonstrated that particle emissions were dominated by the submicron particles in all biomass types. However, significant differences in emissions of submicron particles and their dominant sizes were found between different biomass fuels. The largest negative fractionation was obtained for the wood pellet fuel type while the largest positive isotopic fractionation was observed during the buckwheat shells combustion. The carbon isotope composition of MOUDI samples compared very well with isotope composition of TSP samples indicating consistency of the results. The measurements of the stable carbon isotope ratio in size segregated aerosol particles suggested that combustion processes could strongly affect isotopic fractionation in aerosol particles of different sizes thereby potentially affecting an interpretation of ambient atmospheric observations.

Comparison of methods to estimate water access: a pilot study of a GPS-based approach in low resource settings.

PubMed

Pearson, Amber L

2016-09-20

Most water access studies involve self-reported measures such as time spent or simple spatial measures such as Euclidean distance from home to source. GPS-based measures of access are often considered actual access and have shown little correlation with self-reported measures. One main obstacle to widespread use of GPS-based measurement of access to water has been technological limitations (e.g., battery life). As such, GPS-based measures have been limited by time and in sample size. The aim of this pilot study was to develop and test a novel GPS unit, (≤4-week battery life, waterproof) to measure access to water. The GPS-based method was pilot-tested to estimate number of trips per day, time spent and distance traveled to source for all water collected over a 3-day period in five households in south-western Uganda. This method was then compared to self-reported measures and commonly used spatial measures of access for the same households. Time spent collecting water was significantly overestimated using a self-reported measure, compared to GPS-based (p < 0.05). In contrast, both the GIS Euclidean distances to nearest and actual primary source significantly underestimated distances traveled, compared to the GPS-based measurement of actual travel paths to water source (p < 0.05). Households did not consistently collect water from the source nearest their home. Comparisons between the GPS-based measure and self-reported meters traveled were not made, as respondents did not feel that they could accurately estimate distance. However, there was complete agreement between self-reported primary source and GPS-based. Reliance on cross-sectional self-reported or simple GIS measures leads to misclassification in water access measurement. This new method offers reductions in such errors and may aid in understanding dynamic measures of access to water for health studies.

Fast Airborne Aerosol Size and Chemistry Measurements with the High Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer during the MILAGRO Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeCarlo, P. F.; Dunlea, E. J.; Kimmel, J. R.; Aiken, A. C.; Sueper, D.; Crounse, J.; Wennberg, P. O.; Emmons, L.; Shinozuka, Y.; Clarke, A.;

Dose calculation for photon-emitting brachytherapy sources with average energy higher than 50 keV: report of the AAPM and ESTRO.

PubMed

Perez-Calatayud, Jose; Ballester, Facundo; Das, Rupak K; Dewerd, Larry A; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Meigooni, Ali S; Ouhib, Zoubir; Rivard, Mark J; Sloboda, Ron S; Williamson, Jeffrey F

2012-05-01

Recommendations of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) on dose calculations for high-energy (average energy higher than 50 keV) photon-emitting brachytherapy sources are presented, including the physical characteristics of specific (192)Ir, (137)Cs, and (60)Co source models. This report has been prepared by the High Energy Brachytherapy Source Dosimetry (HEBD) Working Group. This report includes considerations in the application of the TG-43U1 formalism to high-energy photon-emitting sources with particular attention to phantom size effects, interpolation accuracy dependence on dose calculation grid size, and dosimetry parameter dependence on source active length. Consensus datasets for commercially available high-energy photon sources are provided, along with recommended methods for evaluating these datasets. Recommendations on dosimetry characterization methods, mainly using experimental procedures and Monte Carlo, are established and discussed. Also included are methodological recommendations on detector choice, detector energy response characterization and phantom materials, and measurement specification methodology. Uncertainty analyses are discussed and recommendations for high-energy sources without consensus datasets are given. Recommended consensus datasets for high-energy sources have been derived for sources that were commercially available as of January 2010. Data are presented according to the AAPM TG-43U1 formalism, with modified interpolation and extrapolation techniques of the AAPM TG-43U1S1 report for the 2D anisotropy function and radial dose function.

Using Light Curves to Characterize Size and Shape of Pseudo-Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriquez, Heather M.; Abercromby, Kira J.; Jarvis, Kandy S.; Barker, Edwin

2006-01-01

Photometric measurements were collected for a new study aimed at estimating orbital debris sizes based on object brightness. To obtain a size from optical measurements the current practice is to assume an albedo and use a normalized magnitude to calculate optical size. However, assuming a single albedo value may not be valid for all objects or orbit types; material type and orientation can mask an object s true optical cross section. This experiment used a CCD camera to record data, a 300 W Xenon, Ozone Free collimated light source to simulate solar illumination, and a robotic arm with five degrees of freedom to move the piece of simulated debris through various orientations. The pseudo-debris pieces used in this experiment originate from the European Space Operations Centre s ESOC2 ground test explosion of a mock satellite. A uniformly illuminated white ping-pong ball was used as a zero-magnitude reference. Each debris piece was then moved through specific orientations and rotations to generate a light curve. This paper discusses the results of five different object-based light curves as measured through an x-rotation. Intensity measurements, from which each light curve was generated, were recorded in five degree increments from zero to 180 degrees. Comparing light curves of different shaped and sized pieces against their characteristic length establishes the start of a database from which an optical size estimation model will be derived in the future.

Effect of wildfires on physicochemical changes of watershed dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Revchuk, Alex D; Suffet, I H

2014-04-01

Physicochemical characterization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) provides essential data to describe watershed characteristics after drastic changes caused by wildfires. Post-fire watershed behavior is important for water source selection, management, and drinking water treatment optimization. Using ash and other burned vegetation fragments, a leaching procedure was implemented to describe physicochemical changes to watershed DOC caused by wildfires. Samples were collected after the 2007 and 2009 wildfires near Santa Barbara, California. Substantial differences in size distribution (measured by ultrafiltration), polarity (measured by polarity rapid assessment method), and the origin of leached DOC (measured by fluorescence) were observed between burned and unburned sites. Recently burned ash had 10 times the DOC leaching potential, and was dominated by large size fragments, compared to weathered 2-year-old ash. Charged DOC fractions were found to positively correlate with DOC size, whereas hydrophobic and hydrophilic DOC fractions were not. Proteins were only observed in recently burned ash and were indicative of recent post-fire biological activity.

MapX: 2D XRF for Planetary Exploration - Image Formation and Optic Characterization

DOE PAGES

Sarrazin, P.; Blake, D.; Gailhanou, M.; ...

2018-04-01

Map-X is a planetary instrument concept for 2D X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The instrument is placed directly on the surface of an object and held in a fixed position during the measurement. The formation of XRF images on the CCD detector relies on a multichannel optic configured for 1:1 imaging and can be analyzed through the point spread function (PSF) of the optic. The PSF can be directly measured using a micron-sized monochromatic X-ray source in place of the sample. Such PSF measurements were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron and are compared with ray tracing simulations. It is shownmore » that artifacts are introduced by the periodicity of the PSF at the channel scale and the proximity of the CCD pixel size and the optic channel size. A strategy of sub-channel random moves was used to cancel out these artifacts and provide a clean experimental PSF directly usable for XRF image deconvolution.« less

MapX: 2D XRF for Planetary Exploration - Image Formation and Optic Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarrazin, P.; Blake, D.; Gailhanou, M.; Marchis, F.; Chalumeau, C.; Webb, S.; Walter, P.; Schyns, E.; Thompson, K.; Bristow, T.

2018-04-01

Map-X is a planetary instrument concept for 2D X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The instrument is placed directly on the surface of an object and held in a fixed position during the measurement. The formation of XRF images on the CCD detector relies on a multichannel optic configured for 1:1 imaging and can be analyzed through the point spread function (PSF) of the optic. The PSF can be directly measured using a micron-sized monochromatic X-ray source in place of the sample. Such PSF measurements were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron and are compared with ray tracing simulations. It is shown that artifacts are introduced by the periodicity of the PSF at the channel scale and the proximity of the CCD pixel size and the optic channel size. A strategy of sub-channel random moves was used to cancel out these artifacts and provide a clean experimental PSF directly usable for XRF image deconvolution.

MapX: 2D XRF for Planetary Exploration - Image Formation and Optic Characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sarrazin, P.; Blake, D.; Gailhanou, M.

Map-X is a planetary instrument concept for 2D X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The instrument is placed directly on the surface of an object and held in a fixed position during the measurement. The formation of XRF images on the CCD detector relies on a multichannel optic configured for 1:1 imaging and can be analyzed through the point spread function (PSF) of the optic. The PSF can be directly measured using a micron-sized monochromatic X-ray source in place of the sample. Such PSF measurements were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron and are compared with ray tracing simulations. It is shownmore » that artifacts are introduced by the periodicity of the PSF at the channel scale and the proximity of the CCD pixel size and the optic channel size. A strategy of sub-channel random moves was used to cancel out these artifacts and provide a clean experimental PSF directly usable for XRF image deconvolution.« less

Aerosol Measurements in the Atmospheric Surface Layer at L'Aquila, Italy: Focus on Biogenic Primary Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitari, Giovanni; Coppari, Eleonora; De Luca, Natalia; Di Carlo, Piero; Pace, Loretta

2014-09-01

Two year measurements of aerosol concentration and size distribution (0.25 μm < d < 30 μm) in the atmospheric surface layer, collected in L'Aquila (Italy) with an optical particle counter, are reported and analysed for the different modes of the particle size distribution. A different seasonal behaviour is shown for fine mode aerosols (largely produced by anthropogenic combustion), coarse mode and large-sized aerosols, whose abundance is regulated not only by anthropogenic local production, but also by remote natural sources (via large scale atmospheric transport) and by local sources of primary biogenic aerosols. The observed total abundance of large particles with diameter larger than 10 μm is compared with a statistical counting of primary biogenic particles, made with an independent technique. Results of these two observational approaches are analysed and compared to each other, with the help of a box model driven by observed meteorological parameters and validated with measurements of fine and coarse mode aerosols and of an atmospheric primary pollutant of anthropogenic origin (NOx). Except in winter months, primary biogenic particles in the L'Aquila measurement site are shown to dominate the atmospheric boundary layer population of large aerosol particles with diameter larger than 10 μm (about 80 % of the total during summer months), with a pronounced seasonal cycle, contrary to fine mode aerosols of anthropogenic origin. In order to explain these findings, the main mechanisms controlling the abundance and variability of particulate matter tracers in the atmospheric surface layer are analysed with the numerical box-model.

Miniature chemical ionization mass spectrometer for light aircraft measurements of tropospheric ammonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, J. A.; Bomse, D. S.; Massick, S. M.; Zondlo, M. A.

2003-12-01

Tropospheric ammonia plays important roles in the nucleation, growth, composition, and chemistry of aerosol particles. Unfortunately, high frequency and sensitive measurements of gas phase ammonia are lacking in most airborne-based field campaigns. Chemical ionization mass spectrometers (CIMS) have shown great promise for ammonia measurements, but CIMS instruments typically consume large amounts of power, are highly labor intensive, and are very heavy for most airborne platforms. These characteristics of CIMS instruments severely limit their potential deployment on smaller and lighter aircraft, despite the strong desire for ammonia measurements in atmospheric chemistry field campaigns. To this end, a CIMS ammonia instrument for light aircraft is being developed using a double-focusing, miniature mass spectrometer. The size of the mass spectrometer, comparable to a small apple, allows for higher operating pressures (0.1 mTorr) and lower pumping requirements. Power usage, including pumps and electronics, is estimated to be around 300 W, and the overall instrument including pumps, electronics, and permeation cells is expected to be about the size of a small monitor. The ion source uses americium-241 to generate protonated water ions which proton transfer to form ammonium ions. The ion source is made with commercially available ion optics to minimize machining costs. Mass spectra over its working range (~ 5-120 amu) are well represented by Gaussian shaped peaks. By examining the peak widths as a function of mass location, the resolution of the instrument was determined experimentally to be around 110 (m/delta m). The sensitivity, selectivity, power requirements, size, and performance characteristics of the miniature mass spectrometer will be described along with the possibilities for CIMS measurements on light aircraft.

Size- and density-distributions and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban road dust.

PubMed

Murakami, Michio; Nakajima, Fumiyuki; Furumai, Hiroaki

2005-11-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in size- and density-fractionated road dust were measured to identify the important fractions in urban runoff and to analyse their sources. Road dust was collected from a residential area (Shakujii) and a heavy traffic area (Hongo Street). The sampling of road dust from the residential area was conducted twice in different seasons (autumn and winter). The collected road dust was separated into three or four size-fractions and further fractionated into light (<1.7 g/cm3) and heavy (>1.7 g/cm3) fractions by using cesium chloride solution. Light particles constituted only 4.0+/-1.4%, 0.69+/-0.03% and 3.4+/-1.0% of the road dust by weight for Shakujii (November), Shakujii (February) and Hongo Street, respectively but contained 28+/-10%, 33+/-3% and 44+/-8% of the total PAHs, respectively. The PAH contents in the light fractions were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than those in the heavy fractions. In the light fractions, the 12PAH contents in February were significantly higher than the 12PAH contents in November (P<0.01), whereas in the heavy fractions, no significant difference was found (P>0.05). Cluster analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in the PAH profiles between locations rather than between size-fractions, density-fractions and sampling times. Multiple regression analysis indicated that asphalt/pavement was the major source of Shakujii road dust, and that tyre and diesel vehicle exhaust were the major sources of finer and coarser fractions collected from Hongo Street road dust, respectively.

The effects of dust on Colorado mountain snow cover albedo and compositional links to dust-source areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, H. L.; Reynolds, R. L.; Landry, C.; Derry, J. E.; Kokaly, R. F.; Breit, G. N.

2016-12-01

Dust deposited on mountain snow cover (DOS) changes snow albedo, enhances absorption of solar radiation, and effectively increases rates of snow melt, leading to earlier-than-normal runoff and overall smaller late-season water supplies for tens of millions of people and industries in the American West. Visible-spectrum reflectance of DOS samples is on the order of 0.2 (80% absorption), in stark contrast to the high reflectivity of pure snow which approaches 1.0. Samples of DOS were collected from 12 high-elevation Colorado mountain sites near the end of spring from 2013 through 2016 prior to complete snow melt, when most dust layers had merged into one layer. These samples were analyzed to measure dust properties that affect snow albedo and to link DOS to dust-source areas. Dust mass loadings to snow during water year 2014 varied from 5 to 30 g/m2. Median particle sizes centered around 20 micrometers with more than 80% of the dust <63 micrometers. Dark minerals, carbonaceous matter, and iron oxides, including nano-sized hematite and goethite, together diminished reflectance according to their variable concentrations. Documenting variations in dust-particle masses, sizes, and compositions helps determine their influences on snow-melt and may be useful for modeling snow-melt effects from future dust. Furthermore, variations in dust components and particle sizes lead to new ways to recognize sources of dust by comparison with properties of fine-grained sediments in dust-source areas. Much of the DOS in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado can be linked to southern Colorado Plateau source areas by compositional similarities and satellite imagery. Understanding dust properties that affect snow albedo and recognizing the sources of dust deposited on snow cover may guide mitigation of dust emission that affects water resources of the Colorado River basin.

Remote Sensing of the Optical and Physical Densities of Smoke, Dust, and Water Clouds.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

systems to measure variability of aerosol concentration distributions along horizontal optical paths . Analysis of backscatter... extinction measurements using a single- laser lidar system operating at 1.06- and 0.53-pm wavelengths. For larger mean particle sizes the extinction ratio...clear air paths and The transmissometers were mounted across a 10-m complete blockage of the source energy. Transmisso- long aerosol tunnel that

PySE: Python Source Extractor for radio astronomical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spreeuw, Hanno; Swinbank, John; Molenaar, Gijs; Staley, Tim; Rol, Evert; Sanders, John; Scheers, Bart; Kuiack, Mark

2018-05-01

PySE finds and measures sources in radio telescope images. It is run with several options, such as the detection threshold (a multiple of the local noise), grid size, and the forced clean beam fit, followed by a list of input image files in standard FITS or CASA format. From these, PySe provides a list of found sources; information such as the calculated background image, source list in different formats (e.g. text, region files importable in DS9), and other data may be saved. PySe can be integrated into a pipeline; it was originally written as part of the LOFAR Transient Detection Pipeline (TraP, ascl:1412.011).

The efficient model to define a single light source position by use of high dynamic range image of 3D scene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xu-yang; Zhdanov, Dmitry D.; Potemin, Igor S.; Wang, Ying; Cheng, Han

2016-10-01

One of the challenges of augmented reality is a seamless combination of objects of the real and virtual worlds, for example light sources. We suggest a measurement and computation models for reconstruction of light source position. The model is based on the dependence of luminance of the small size diffuse surface directly illuminated by point like source placed at a short distance from the observer or camera. The advantage of the computational model is the ability to eliminate the effects of indirect illumination. The paper presents a number of examples to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Development of cable fed flash X-ray (FXR) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menon, Rakhee; Mitra, S.; Patel, A. S.; Kumar, R.; Singh, G.; Senthil, K.; Kumar, Ranjeet; Kolge, T. S.; Roy, Amitava; Acharya, S.; Biswas, D.; Sharma, Archana

2017-08-01

Flash X-ray sources driven by pulsed power find applications in industrial radiography, and a portable X-ray source is ideal where the radiography needs to be taken at the test site. A compact and portable flash X-ray (FXR) system based on a Marx generator has been developed with the high voltage fed to the FXR tube via a cable feed-through arrangement. Hard bremsstrahlung X-rays of few tens of nanosecond duration are generated by impinging intense electron beams on an anode target of high Z material. An industrial X-ray source is developed with source size as low as 1 mm. The system can be operated from 150 kV to 450 kV peak voltages and a dose of 10 mR has been measured at 1 m distance from the source window. The modeling of the FXR source has been carried out using particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo simulations for the electron beam dynamics and X-ray generation, respectively. The angular dose profile of X-ray has been measured and compared with the simulation.

Spending Changes and Scale Economies When School Districts Consolidate Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLuca, Thomas Anthony

2012-01-01

Educational policy makers continue to promote non-instructional service consolidation as one method to reduce operating costs through "economies of scale". Unfortunately, there is essentially no empirical evidence on the size or source of cost savings associated with such measures. Using panel data from 2004-2010, this mixed methods…

China’s Economic Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-11

5 Measuring the Size of China’s Economy .....................................................................................6...29 Table A-4. China’s Top Five African Export Markets : 2004-2008 .............................................. 30 Table A-5...partner, its third largest export market , and its largest source of imports. Many U.S. companies have extensive operations in China in order to sell

& Source apportionment of particulate matter in the United States and associations with lung inflammatory Markers

EPA Science Inventory

Size-fractionated particulate matter (PM) samples were collected from six U.S. cities and chemically analyzed as part of the Multiple Air Pollutant Study. Particles were administered to cultured lung cells and the production of three different proinflammatory markers was measured...

VARIATION OF LUNG DEPOSITION OF MICRON SIZE PARTICLES WITH LUNG VOLUME AND BREATHING PATTERN

EPA Science Inventory

Lung volume and breathing pattern are the source of inter-and intra-subject variability of lung deposition of inhaled particles. Controlling these factors may help optimize delivery of aerosol medicine to the target site within the lung. In the present study we measured total lu...

A planar near-field scanning technique for bistatic radar cross section measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuhela-Reuning, S.; Walton, E. K.

1990-01-01

A progress report on the development of a bistatic radar cross section (RCS) measurement range is presented. A technique using one parabolic reflector and a planar scanning probe antenna is analyzed. The field pattern in the test zone is computed using a spatial array of signal sources. It achieved an illumination pattern with 1 dB amplitude and 15 degree phase ripple over the target zone. The required scan plane size is found to be proportional to the size of the desired test target. Scan plane probe sample spacing can be increased beyond the Nyquist lambda/2 limit permitting constant probe sample spacing over a range of frequencies.

Laboratory Measurement of the Brighter-fatter Effect in an H2RG Infrared Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plazas, A. A.; Shapiro, C.; Smith, R.; Huff, E.; Rhodes, J.

2018-06-01

The “brighter-fatter” (BF) effect is a phenomenon—originally discovered in charge coupled devices—in which the size of the detector point-spread function (PSF) increases with brightness. We present, for the first time, laboratory measurements demonstrating the existence of the effect in a Hawaii-2RG HgCdTe near-infrared (NIR) detector. We use JPL’s Precision Projector Laboratory, a facility for emulating astronomical observations with UV/VIS/NIR detectors, to project about 17,000 point sources onto the detector to stimulate the effect. After calibrating the detector for nonlinearity with flat-fields, we find evidence that charge is nonlinearly shifted from bright pixels to neighboring pixels during exposures of point sources, consistent with the existence of a BF-type effect. NASAs Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will use similar detectors to measure weak gravitational lensing from the shapes of hundreds of million of galaxies in the NIR. The WFIRST PSF size must be calibrated to ≈0.1% to avoid biased inferences of dark matter and dark energy parameters; therefore further study and calibration of the BF effect in realistic images will be crucial.

Conception and realization of a parallel-plate free-air ionization chamber for the absolute dosimetry of an ultrasoft X-ray beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Groetz, J.-E., E-mail: jegroetz@univ-fcomte.fr; Mavon, C.; Fromm, M.

2014-08-15

We report the design of a millimeter-sized parallel plate free-air ionization chamber (IC) aimed at determining the absolute air kerma rate of an ultra-soft X-ray beam (E = 1.5 keV). The size of the IC was determined so that the measurement volume satisfies the condition of charged-particle equilibrium. The correction factors necessary to properly measure the absolute kerma using the IC have been established. Particular attention was given to the determination of the effective mean energy for the 1.5 keV photons using the PENELOPE code. Other correction factors were determined by means of computer simulation (COMSOL™and FLUKA). Measurements of airmore » kerma rates under specific operating parameters of the lab-bench X-ray source have been performed at various distances from that source and compared to Monte Carlo calculations. We show that the developed ionization chamber makes it possible to determine accurate photon fluence rates in routine work and will constitute substantial time-savings for future radiobiological experiments based on the use of ultra-soft X-rays.« less

Analysis for Heat Transfer in a High Current-Passing Carbon Nanosphere Using Nontraditional Thermal Transport Model.

PubMed

Hol C Y; Chen, B C; Tsai, Y H; Ma, C; Wen, M Y

2015-11-01

This paper investigates the thermal transport in hollow microscale and nanoscale spheres subject to electrical heat source using nontraditional thermal transport model. Working as supercapacitor electrodes, carbon hollow micrometer- and nanometer-sized spheres needs excellent heat transfer characteristics to maintain high specific capacitance, long cycle life, and high power density. In the nanoscale regime, the prediction of heat transfer from the traditional heat conduction equation based on Fourier's law deviates from the measured data. Consequently, the electrical heat source-induced heat transfer characteristics in hollow micrometer- and nanometer-sized spheres are studied using nontraditional thermal transport model. The effects of parameters on heat transfer in the hollow micrometer- and nanometer-sized spheres are discussed in this study. The results reveal that the heat transferred into the spherical interior, temperature and heat flux in the hollow sphere decrease with the increasing Knudsen number when the radius of sphere is comparable to the mean free path of heat carriers.

Optical characterization limits of nanoparticle aggregates at different wavelengths using approximate Bayesian computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriçok, Ozan Burak; Ertürk, Hakan

2018-07-01

Optical characterization of nanoparticle aggregates is a complex inverse problem that can be solved by deterministic or statistical methods. Previous studies showed that there exists a different lower size limit of reliable characterization, corresponding to the wavelength of light source used. In this study, these characterization limits are determined considering a light source wavelength range changing from ultraviolet to near infrared (266-1064 nm) relying on numerical light scattering experiments. Two different measurement ensembles are considered. Collection of well separated aggregates made up of same sized particles and that of having particle size distribution. Filippov's cluster-cluster algorithm is used to generate the aggregates and the light scattering behavior is calculated by discrete dipole approximation. A likelihood-free Approximate Bayesian Computation, relying on Adaptive Population Monte Carlo method, is used for characterization. It is found that when the wavelength range of 266-1064 nm is used, successful characterization limit changes from 21-62 nm effective radius for monodisperse and polydisperse soot aggregates.

Fast resolution change in neutral helium atom microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flatabø, R.; Eder, S. D.; Ravn, A. K.; Samelin, B.; Greve, M. M.; Reisinger, T.; Holst, B.

2018-05-01

In neutral helium atom microscopy, a beam of atoms is scanned across a surface. Though still in its infancy, neutral helium microscopy has seen a rapid development over the last few years. The inertness and low energy of the helium atoms (less than 0.1 eV) combined with a very large depth of field and the fact that the helium atoms do not penetrate any solid material at low energies open the possibility for a non-destructive instrument that can measure topology on the nanoscale even on fragile and insulating surfaces. The resolution is determined by the beam spot size on the sample. Fast resolution change is an attractive property of a microscope because it allows different aspects of a sample to be investigated and makes it easier to identify specific features. However up till now it has not been possible to change the resolution of a helium microscope without breaking the vacuum and changing parts of the atom source. Here we present a modified source design, which allows fast, step wise resolution change. The basic design idea is to insert a moveable holder with a series of collimating apertures in front of the source, thus changing the effective source size of the beam and thereby the spot size on the surface and thus the microscope resolution. We demonstrate a design with 3 resolution steps. The number of resolution steps can easily be extended.

Do it yourself: optical spectrometer for physics undergraduate instruction in nanomaterial characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeti Nuryantini, Ade; Cahya Septia Mahen, Ea; Sawitri, Asti; Wahid Nuryadin, Bebeh

2017-09-01

In this paper, we report on a homemade optical spectrometer using diffraction grating and image processing techniques. This device was designed to produce spectral images that could then be processed by measuring signal strength (pixel intensity) to obtain the light source, transmittance, and absorbance spectra of the liquid sample. The homemade optical spectrometer consisted of: (i) a white LED as a light source, (ii) a cuvette or sample holder, (iii) a slit, (iv) a diffraction grating, and (v) a CMOS camera (webcam). In this study, various concentrations of a carbon nanoparticle (CNP) colloid were used in the particle size sample test. Additionally, a commercial optical spectrometer and tunneling electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the optical properties and morphology of the CNPs, respectively. The data obtained using the homemade optical spectrometer, commercial optical spectrometer, and TEM showed similar results and trends. Lastly, the calculation and measurement of CNP size were performed using the effective mass approximation (EMA) and TEM. These data showed that the average nanoparticle sizes were approximately 2.4 nm and 2.5 ± 0.3 nm, respectively. This research provides new insights into the development of a portable, simple, and low-cost optical spectrometer that can be used in nanomaterial characterization for physics undergraduate instruction.

Religious burning as a potential major source of atmospheric fine aerosols in summertime Lhasa on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Yu Yan; Liu, Shang; Bai, Zhixuan; Bian, Jianchun; Li, Dan; Fan, Kaiyu; McKeen, Stuart A.; Watts, Laurel A.; Ciciora, Steven J.; Gao, Ru-Shan

2018-05-01

We carried out field measurements of aerosols in Lhasa, a major city in the Tibetan Plateau that has been experiencing fast urbanization and industrialization. Aerosol number size distribution was continuously measured using an optical particle size spectrometer near the center of Lhasa city during the Asian summer monsoon season in 2016. The mass concentration of fine particles was modulated by boundary layer dynamics, with an average of 11 μg m-3 and the high values exceeding 50 μg m-3 during religious holidays. Daytime high concentration coincided with the religious burning of biomass and incense in the temples during morning hours, which produced heavy smoke. Factor analysis revealed a factor that likely represented religious burning. The factor contributed 34% of the campaign-average fine particle mass and the contribution reached up to 80% during religious holidays. The mass size distribution of aerosols produced from religious burnings peaked at ∼500 nm, indicating that these particles could efficiently decrease visibility and promote health risk. Because of its significance, our results suggest that further studies of religious burning, a currently under-studied source, are needed in the Tibetan Plateau and in other regions of the world where religious burnings are frequently practiced.

Evaluation of the Rod-Pinch Diode as a High-Resolution Source for Flashradiography at 2 to 4 MV

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-06-01

Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 Abstract The ASTERIX generator is used to obtain the first evaluation of the rod-pinch electron -beam diode... dosimeters on a few shots are consistent with the RPL doses. Doses are measured at 36 cm from the tungsten tip, and inverse- square scaling is used to...Arrangement of the rod-pinch diode on ASTERIX. Radiation diagnostics include RPLs and TLDs for dose, tungsten rolled-edge and film for source size, and

Mass spectrometric measurements of the isotopic anatomies of molecules (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiler, J. M.; Krumwiede, D.; Schlueter, H.

2013-12-01

Site-specific and multiple isotopic substitutions in molecular structures potentially provide an extraordinarily rich set of constraints on their sources, conditions of formation, reaction and transport histories, and perhaps other issues. Examples include carbonate ';clumped isotope' thermometry, clumped isotope measurements of CO2, O2, and, recently, methane, ethane and N2O; site-specific 15N measurements in N2O and 13C and D analyses of fatty acids, sugars, cellulose, food products, and, recently, n-alkanes. Extension of the principles behind these tools to the very large number of isotopologues of complex molecules could potentially lead to new uses of isotope chemistry, similar to proteomics, metabolomics and genomics in their complexity and depth of detail (';isotomics'?). Several technologies are potentially useful for this field, including ';SNIF-NMR', gas source mass spectrometry and IR absorption spectroscopy. However, all well established methods have restrictive limits in the sizes of samples, types of analyzes, and the sorts of isotopologues that can be measured with useful precision. We will present an overview of several emerging instruments and techniques of high-resolution gas source mass spectrometry that may enable study of a large proportion of the isotopologues of a wide range of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, including many organics, with precisions and sample sizes suitable for a range of applications. A variety of isotopologues can be measured by combining information from the Thermo 253 Ultra (a new high resolution, multi-collector gas source mass spectrometer) and the Thermo DFS (a very high resolution single collector, but used here on a novel mode to achieve ~per mil precision ratio measurements), sometimes supplemented by conventional bulk isotopic measurements. It is possible to design methods in which no one of these sources of data meaningfully constrain abundances of specific isotopologues, but their combination fully and precisely constrains a large number. We have assembled a suite of instruments (including the prototype of the Ultra, and a modified version of the DFS that is capable of dual inlet analyses) that make it logistically straightforward to perform such multi-instrument analyses. Examples will be presented documenting the accuracy of these techniques for systems that are independently well known (e.g., isotopologues of methane), and the precision and internal consistency of results for larger, more complex molecules (e.g., a suite of singly and doubly substituted isotopologues of hexane and other moderate-molecular-weight organics).

Size Matters: What Are the Characteristic Source Areas for Urban Planning Strategies?

PubMed Central

Fan, Chao; Myint, Soe W.; Wang, Chenghao

2016-01-01

Urban environmental measurements and observational statistics should reflect the properties generated over an adjacent area of adequate length where homogeneity is usually assumed. The determination of this characteristic source area that gives sufficient representation of the horizontal coverage of a sensing instrument or the fetch of transported quantities is of critical importance to guide the design and implementation of urban landscape planning strategies. In this study, we aim to unify two different methods for estimating source areas, viz. the statistical correlation method commonly used by geographers for landscape fragmentation and the mechanistic footprint model by meteorologists for atmospheric measurements. Good agreement was found in the intercomparison of the estimate of source areas by the two methods, based on 2-m air temperature measurement collected using a network of weather stations. The results can be extended to shed new lights on urban planning strategies, such as the use of urban vegetation for heat mitigation. In general, a sizable patch of landscape is required in order to play an effective role in regulating the local environment, proportional to the height at which stakeholders’ interest is mainly concerned. PMID:27832111

Maternal Fish Consumption and Infant Birth Size and Gestation: New York State Angler Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Buck, Germaine M; Tee, Grace P; Fitzgerald, Edward F; Vena, John E; Weiner, John M; Swanson, Mya; Msall, Michael E

2003-01-01

Background The scientific literature poses a perplexing dilemma for pregnant women with respect to the consumption of fish from natural bodies of water. On one hand, fish is a good source of protein, low in fat and a rich source of other nutrients all of which have presumably beneficial effects on developing embryos and fetuses. On the other hand, consumption of fish contaminated with environmental toxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with decrements in gestation and birth size. Methods 2,716 infants born between 1986–1991 to participants of the New York State Angler Cohort Study were studied with respect to duration of maternal consumption of contaminated fish from Lake Ontario and its tributaries and gestation and birth size. Hospital delivery records (maternal and newborn) were obtained for 92% of infants for the ascertainment of gestation (weeks), birth size (weight, length, chest, and head circumference) and other known determinants of fetal growth (i.e., maternal parity, history of placental infarction, uterine bleeding, pregnancy loss or cigarette smoking and infant's race, sex and presence of birth defect). Duration of maternal fish consumption prior to the index infant's birth was categorized as: none; 1–2, 3–7, 8+ years, while birth weight (in grams), birth length (in centimeters), and head and chest circumference (in centimeters) were left as continuous variables in multiple linear regression models. Birth size percentiles, ponderal indices and head to chest circumference ratios were computed to further assess proportionality and birth size in relation to gestational age. Results Analysis of variance failed to identify significant mean differences in gestation or any measure of birth size in relation to duration of maternal lifetime fish consumption. Multiple linear regressions identified gestational age, male sex, number of daily cigarettes, parity and placental infarction, as significant determinants of birth size. Conclusions The results support the absence of an adverse relation between Lake Ontario fish consumption and reduced birth size as measured by weight, length and head circumference. Biological determinants and maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy remain important determinants of birth size. PMID:12826023

Soil pH Errors Propagation from Measurements to Spatial Predictions - Cost Benefit Analysis and Risk Assessment Implications for Practitioners and Modelers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, P. R.; Libohova, Z.; Seybold, C. A.; Wills, S. A.; Peaslee, S.; Beaudette, D.; Lindbo, D. L.

2017-12-01

The measurement errors and spatial prediction uncertainties of soil properties in the modeling community are usually assessed against measured values when available. However, of equal importance is the assessment of errors and uncertainty impacts on cost benefit analysis and risk assessments. Soil pH was selected as one of the most commonly measured soil properties used for liming recommendations. The objective of this study was to assess the error size from different sources and their implications with respect to management decisions. Error sources include measurement methods, laboratory sources, pedotransfer functions, database transections, spatial aggregations, etc. Several databases of measured and predicted soil pH were used for this study including the United States National Cooperative Soil Survey Characterization Database (NCSS-SCDB), the US Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database. The distribution of errors among different sources from measurement methods to spatial aggregation showed a wide range of values. The greatest RMSE of 0.79 pH units was from spatial aggregation (SSURGO vs Kriging), while the measurement methods had the lowest RMSE of 0.06 pH units. Assuming the order of data acquisition based on the transaction distance i.e. from measurement method to spatial aggregation the RMSE increased from 0.06 to 0.8 pH units suggesting an "error propagation". This has major implications for practitioners and modeling community. Most soil liming rate recommendations are based on 0.1 pH unit increments, while the desired soil pH level increments are based on 0.4 to 0.5 pH units. Thus, even when the measured and desired target soil pH are the same most guidelines recommend 1 ton ha-1 lime, which translates in 111 ha-1 that the farmer has to factor in the cost-benefit analysis. However, this analysis need to be based on uncertainty predictions (0.5-1.0 pH units) rather than measurement errors (0.1 pH units) which would translate in 555-1,111 investment that need to be assessed against the risk. The modeling community can benefit from such analysis, however, error size and spatial distribution for global and regional predictions need to be assessed against the variability of other drivers and impact on management decisions.

Model studies of laser absorption computed tomography for remote air pollution measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, D. C., Jr.; Byer, R. L.

1982-01-01

Model studies of the potential of laser absorption-computed tomography are presented which demonstrate the possibility of sensitive remote atmospheric pollutant measurements, over kilometer-sized areas, with two-dimensional resolution, at modest laser source powers. An analysis of this tomographic reconstruction process as a function of measurement SNR, laser power, range, and system geometry, shows that the system is able to yield two-dimensional maps of pollutant concentrations at ranges and resolutions superior to those attainable with existing, direct-detection laser radars.

The Relationship of Body Size and Adiposity to Source of Self-Esteem in College Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moncur, Breckann; Bailey, Bruce W.; Lockhart, Barbara D.; LeCheminant, James D.; Perkins, Annette E.

2013-01-01

Background: Studies looking at self-esteem and body size or adiposity generally demonstrate a negative relationship. However, the relationship between the source of self-esteem and body size has not been examined in college women. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of body size and adiposity to source of…

Potentiality of a small and fast dense plasma focus as hard x-ray source for radiographic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavez, Cristian; Pedreros, José; Zambra, Marcelo; Veloso, Felipe; Moreno, José; Ariel, Tarifeño-Saldivia; Soto, Leopoldo

2012-10-01

Currently, a new generation of small plasma foci devices is being developed and researched, motivated by its potential use as portable sources of x-ray and neutron pulsed radiation for several applications. In this work, experimental results of the accumulated x-ray dose angular distribution and characterization of the x-ray source size are presented for a small and fast plasma focus device, ‘PF-400J’ (880 nF, 40 nH, 27-29 kV, ˜350 J, T/4 ˜ 300 ns). The experimental device is operated using hydrogen as the filling gas in a discharge region limited by a volume of around 80 cm3. The x-ray radiation is monitored, shot by shot, using a scintillator-photomultiplier system located outside the vacuum chamber at 2.3 m far away from the radiation emission region. The angular x-ray dose distribution measurement shows a well-defined emission cone, with an expansion angle of 5°, which is observed around the plasma focus device symmetry axis using TLD-100 crystals. The x-ray source size measurements are obtained using two image-forming aperture techniques: for both cases, one small (pinhole) and one large for the penumbral imaging. These results are in agreement with the drilling made by the energetic electron beam coming from the pinch region. Additionally, some examples of image radiographic applications are shown in order to highlight the real possibilities of the plasma focus device as a portable x-ray source. In the light of the obtained results and the scaling laws observed in plasma foci devices, we present a discussion on the potentiality and advantages of these devices as pulsed and safe sources of x-radiation for applications.

The application of chemical and isotopic tracers to characterize aerosol sources and processing in marine air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turekian, Vaughan Charles

2000-12-01

Aerosol production, transport, chemical and physical evolution and deposition impact the environment by influencing radiation budgets, altering the composition of the atmosphere, and delivering nutrients to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The objective of this research was to combine high-resolution chemical measurements with stable isotopic analysis in order to characterize the sources and processing of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur bearing compounds, associated with sized aerosols on Bermuda, during spring. Chemical tracers combined with forward and backward trajectories demonstrated the transport of biomass burning products from North America to Bermuda. The size distributions of NH4+ from 1998 differed from those during spring, 1997, a year without the large-scale burning. These results suggest that transport of biomass burning products altered the pH of the aerosols. Marine and continentally derived carbon was associated with all aerosol size fractions. Supermicron radius sea- salt aerosol was enriched in marine derived carbon by 2 orders of magnitude compared to bulk surface seawater. Enrichments of oxalate relative to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) in supermicron radius aerosol suggested in situ formation of oxalate within the sea-salt solution, or direct injection from the organic rich surface microlayer. Compound specific isotope analysis of oxalic acid, indicated a marine source for all aerosol size fractions, indicating formation from in the gas phase for the submicron radius aerosol. Stable sulfur isotopes indicated that the biogenic non- sea-salt (nss) SO42-/MSA ratio varied with aerosol size indicating that MSA may not be a conservative tracer of biogenic nss SO4 2- in bulk aerosol sampling. The calculated biogenic nss SO 42-/MSA based on stable isotopes and sized aerosol sampling, was 3 times lower than previous estimates for Bermuda. Stable nitrogen isotope values for submicron and supermicron aerosol where significantly different, consistent with their different chemical compositions. Results suggested that HNO3 incorporation into supermicron aerosol was essentially unidirectional whereas submicron aerosol was both a source and a sink for NH3(g). Variable aerosol liquid water content over the relatively longer atmospheric lifetimes of submicron aerosol may lead to multiple NH3 phase changes. This study was the first to combine sized aerosol sampling, high-resolution chemical analysis and multiple stable isotopes to characterize both the sources and the processing of aerosols in marine air. The results of this study, therefore, provide crucial information for source apportionment of environmentally important atmospheric species in continentally impacted, marine air.

Analysis of Aerosol Physical and Chemical Properties on the Coast of the Japanese Sea (Tango peninsula) during ACE-Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tohno, S.; Hoeller, R.; Ito, K.; Onishi, Y.; Ma, C. J.; Kasahara, M.; Cahill, T. A.; Cliff, S.

2001-12-01

During springtime the Japanese archipelago is periodically influenced by haze events originating from the Asian continent. The sources of these materials include both anthropogenic and natural aerosol, including the well-known yellow sand (Kosa) events, which can be recognized at places as far as Hawaii and the west coast of the United States. But there is also strong evidenced, which we want to support in this study, that these Kosa events are accompanied by strongly absorbing material as well as sulfates and organics. The springtime of 2001 was characterized by several strong dust events, which happened to be during the international ACE-Asia campaign. We participated in the ACE observation network by setting up a monitoring station during the period March 19 to April 6, 2001 for the measurement of aerosol optical, physical and chemical properties as well as observations of sky radiation. The measurement site is located on the coast of the Japanese Sea (Tango Peninsula, Kyoto Prefecture). Tango was chosen as an observation site, since it is relatively unpolluted and can therefore serve as a background site for studies of the direct impact of the mainland Asian outflow on the western Pacific area. The purpose of this work is to perform local and column closure experiments on aerosol properties, and to distinguish the anthropogenic part of the aerosol from the natural one. For this purpose, backward air-mass trajectories are calculated to identify potential sources of the observed aerosol. For measurements of aerosol mass-size distributions we used 12-stage low-pressure impactors, which were subsequently analyzed for elemental and ionic concentrations by PIXE, and Ion-chromatography, respectively. In addition, to get both the necessary time- and size-resolution, a DRUM sampler was operated with continuous collection and analysis for mass and optical transmission from 320 nm to 850 nm. Analysis is scheduled by synchrotron-XRF to < 0.1 ng/m3 for trace elemental signatures to help identify sources. Both of the former will be done at 1 1/2 hr increments for 8 sizes between 10 and 0.09 micrometers diameter. To support the closure analysis we also measured aerosol number-size distributions by an optical particle counter. Two-stage filterpacks were used to sample coarse and fine particles separately with a 12 hours sampling time. The impactor stages were also analyzed by the integrating sphere method for mass-size distributions of light absorbing substances. >http://aerosol.energy.kyoto- u.ac.jp/~hoeller/ACEmineyama.html

Surface and airborne measurements of organosulfur and methanesulfonate over the western United States and coastal areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorooshian, Armin; Crosbie, Ewan; Maudlin, Lindsay C.; Youn, Jong-Sang; Wang, Zhen; Shingler, Taylor; Ortega, Amber M.; Hersey, Scott; Woods, Roy K.

2015-08-01

This study reports on ambient measurements of organosulfur (OS) and methanesulfonate (MSA) over the western United States and coastal areas. Particulate OS levels are highest in summertime and generally increase as a function of sulfate (a precursor) and sodium (a marine tracer) with peak levels at coastal sites. The ratio of OS to total sulfur is also highest at coastal sites, with increasing values as a function of normalized difference vegetation index and the ratio of organic carbon to elemental carbon. Correlative analysis points to significant relationships between OS and biogenic emissions from marine and continental sources, factors that coincide with secondary production, and vanadium due to a suspected catalytic role. A major OS species, methanesulfonate (MSA), was examined with intensive field measurements, and the resulting data support the case for vanadium's catalytic influence. Mass size distributions reveal a dominant MSA peak between aerodynamic diameters of 0.32-0.56 µm at a desert and coastal site with nearly all MSA mass (≥84%) in submicrometer sizes; MSA:non-sea-salt sulfate ratios vary widely as a function of particle size and proximity to the ocean. Airborne data indicate that relative to the marine boundary layer, particulate MSA levels are enhanced in urban and agricultural areas and also the free troposphere when impacted by biomass burning. Some combination of fires and marine-derived emissions leads to higher MSA levels than either source alone. Finally, MSA differences in cloud water and out-of-cloud aerosol are discussed.

Characterization of a catalyst-based conversion technique to measure total particulate nitrogen and organic carbon and comparison to a particle mass measurement instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockwell, Chelsea E.; Kupc, Agnieszka; Witkowski, Bartłomiej; Talukdar, Ranajit K.; Liu, Yong; Selimovic, Vanessa; Zarzana, Kyle J.; Sekimoto, Kanako; Warneke, Carsten; Washenfelder, Rebecca A.; Yokelson, Robert J.; Middlebrook, Ann M.; Roberts, James M.

2018-05-01

The chemical composition of aerosol particles is a key aspect in determining their impact on the environment. For example, nitrogen-containing particles impact atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and ecological N deposition. Instruments that measure total reactive nitrogen (Nr = all nitrogen compounds except for N2 and N2O) focus on gas-phase nitrogen and very few studies directly discuss the instrument capacity to measure the mass of Nr-containing particles. Here, we investigate the mass quantification of particle-bound nitrogen using a custom Nr system that involves total conversion to nitric oxide (NO) across platinum and molybdenum catalysts followed by NO-O3 chemiluminescence detection. We evaluate the particle conversion of the Nr instrument by comparing to mass-derived concentrations of size-selected and counted ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), and ammonium oxalate ((NH4)2C2O4) particles determined using instruments that measure particle number and size. These measurements demonstrate Nr-particle conversion across the Nr catalysts that is independent of particle size with 98 ± 10 % efficiency for 100-600 nm particle diameters. We also show efficient conversion of particle-phase organic carbon species to CO2 across the instrument's platinum catalyst followed by a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 detector. However, the application of this method to the atmosphere presents a challenge due to the small signal above background at high ambient levels of common gas-phase carbon compounds (e.g., CO2). We show the Nr system is an accurate particle mass measurement method and demonstrate its ability to calibrate particle mass measurement instrumentation using single-component, laboratory-generated, Nr-containing particles below 2.5 µm in size. In addition we show agreement with mass measurements of an independently calibrated online particle-into-liquid sampler directly coupled to the electrospray ionization source of a quadrupole mass spectrometer (PILS-ESI/MS) sampling in the negative-ion mode. We obtain excellent correlations (R2 = 0.99) of particle mass measured as Nr with PILS-ESI/MS measurements converted to the corresponding particle anion mass (e.g., nitrate, sulfate, and chloride). The Nr and PILS-ESI/MS are shown to agree to within ˜ 6 % for particle mass loadings of up to 120 µg m-3. Consideration of all the sources of error in the PILS-ESI/MS technique yields an overall uncertainty of ±20 % for these single-component particle streams. These results demonstrate the Nr system is a reliable direct particle mass measurement technique that differs from other particle instrument calibration techniques that rely on knowledge of particle size, shape, density, and refractive index.

First results of a simultaneous measurement of tritium and 14C in an ultra-low-background proportional counter for environmental sources of methane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mace, Emily K.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Day, Anthony R.

Abstract Simultaneous measurement of tritium and 14C would provide an added tool for tracing organic compounds through environmental systems and is possible via beta energy spectroscopy of sample-derived methane in internal-source gas proportional counters. Since the mid-1960’s atmospheric tritium and 14C have fallen dramatically as the isotopic injections from above-ground nuclear testing have been diluted into the ocean and biosphere. In this work, the feasibility of simultaneous tritium and 14C measurements via proportional counters is revisited in light of significant changes in both the atmospheric and biosphere isotopics and the development of new ultra-low-background gas proportional counting capabilities for smallmore » samples (roughly 50 cc methane). A Geant4 Monte Carlo model of a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) proportional counter response to tritium and 14C is used to analyze small samples of two different methane sources to illustrate the range of applicability of contemporary simultaneous measurements and their limitations. Because the two methane sources examined were not sample size limited, we could compare the small-sample measurements performed at PNNL with analysis of larger samples performed at a commercial laboratory. The dual-isotope simultaneous measurement is well matched for methane samples that are atmospheric or have an elevated source of tritium (i.e. landfill gas). For samples with low/modern tritium isotopics (rainwater), commercial separation and counting is a better fit.« less

Assessing the Gap Between Top-down and Bottom-up Measured Methane Emissions in Indianapolis, IN.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, K.; Lamb, B. K.; Cambaliza, M. O. L.; Shepson, P. B.; Stirm, B. H.; Salmon, O. E.; Lavoie, T. N.; Lauvaux, T.; Ferrara, T.; Howard, T.; Edburg, S. L.; Whetstone, J. R.

2014-12-01

Releases of methane (CH4) from the natural gas supply chain in the United States account for approximately 30% of the total US CH4 emissions. However, there continues to be large questions regarding the accuracy of current emission inventories for methane emissions from natural gas usage. In this paper, we describe results from top-down and bottom-up measurements of methane emissions from the large isolated city of Indianapolis. The top-down results are based on aircraft mass balance and tower based inverse modeling methods, while the bottom-up results are based on direct component sampling at metering and regulating stations, surface enclosure measurements of surveyed pipeline leaks, and tracer/modeling methods for other urban sources. Mobile mapping of methane urban concentrations was also used to identify significant sources and to show an urban-wide low level enhancement of methane levels. The residual difference between top-down and bottom-up measured emissions is large and cannot be fully explained in terms of the uncertainties in top-down and bottom-up emission measurements and estimates. Thus, the residual appears to be, at least partly, attributed to a significant wide-spread diffusive source. Analyses are included to estimate the size and nature of this diffusive source.

Characterization of land-based sources of pollution in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico: status of heavy metal concentration in bed sediment.

PubMed

Apeti, Dennis A; Whitall, David R; Pait, Anthony S; Dieppa, Angel; Zitello, Adam G; Lauenstein, Gunnar G

2012-01-01

As part of an assessment of land-based sources of pollution in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico, sediment samples were collected at 43 sites to characterize concentrations of a suite of pollutants, including metals. Fifteen major and trace metals (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, and Zn) were measured along with total organic carbon and grain size in surficial sediments. For most metals, maximum concentrations were seen in the eastern bay; however, values were still within concentration ranges found in other estuarine systems. In contrast, silver was higher in the western region. In general, metal distribution in the bay was positively correlated with grain size. Additionally, correlations between Al and other metals suggest natural sources for metals. The data presented here suggest that, although the Jobos Bay watershed contains both urban centers along with industrial and agricultural developments, anthropogenic inputs of metals may be negligible.

Recent Infrasound Calibration Activity at Los Alamos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitaker, R. W.; Marcillo, O. E.

2014-12-01

Absolute infrasound sensor calibration is necessary for estimating source sizes from measured waveforms. This can be an important function in treaty monitoring. The Los Alamos infrasound calibration chamber is capable of absolute calibration. Early in 2014 the Los Alamos infrasound calibration chamber resumed operations in its new location after an unplanned move two years earlier. The chamber has two sources of calibration signals. The first is the original mechanical piston, and the second is a CLD Dynamics Model 316 electro-mechanical unit that can be digitally controlled and provide a richer set of calibration options. During 2008-2010 a number of upgrades were incorporated for improved operation and recording. In this poster we give an overview of recent chamber work on sensor calibrations, calibration with the CLD unit, some measurements with different porous hoses and work with impulse sources.

Demographics of the gay and lesbian population in the United States: evidence from available systematic data sources.

PubMed

Black, D; Gates, G; Sanders, S; Taylor, L

2000-05-01

This work provides an overview of standard social science data sources that now allow some systematic study of the gay and lesbian population in the United States. For each data source, we consider how sexual orientation can be defined, and we note the potential sample sizes. We give special attention to the important problem of measurement error, especially the extent to which individuals recorded as gay and lesbian are indeed recorded correctly. Our concern is that because gays and lesbians constitute a relatively small fraction of the population, modest measurement problems could lead to serious errors in inference. In examining gays and lesbians in multiple data sets we also achieve a second objective: We provide a set of statistics about this population that is relevant to several current policy debates.

Capsule implosions for continuum x-ray backlighting of opacity samples at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opachich, Y. P.; Heeter, R. F.; Barrios, M. A.; Garcia, E. M.; Craxton, R. S.; King, J. A.; Liedahl, D. A.; McKenty, P. W.; Schneider, M. B.; May, M. J.; Zhang, R.; Ross, P. W.; Kline, J. L.; Moore, A. S.; Weaver, J. L.; Flippo, K. A.; Perry, T. S.

2017-06-01

Direct drive implosions of plastic capsules have been performed at the National Ignition Facility to provide a broad-spectrum (500-2000 eV) X-ray continuum source for X-ray transmission spectroscopy. The source was developed for the high-temperature plasma opacity experimental platform. Initial experiments using 2.0 mm diameter polyalpha-methyl styrene capsules with ˜20 μm thickness have been performed. X-ray yields of up to ˜1 kJ/sr have been measured using the Dante multichannel diode array. The backlighter source size was measured to be ˜100 μm FWHM, with ˜350 ps pulse duration during the peak emission stage. Results are used to simulate transmission spectra for a hypothetical iron opacity sample at 150 eV, enabling the derivation of photometrics requirements for future opacity experiments.

Indoor particle levels in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings in California.

PubMed

Wu, Xiangmei May; Apte, Michael G; Bennett, Deborah H

2012-11-20

This study monitored indoor and outdoor particle concentrations in 37 small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs) in California with three buildings sampled on two occasions, resulting in 40 sampling days. Sampled buildings included offices, retail establishments, restaurants, dental offices, and hair salons, among others. Continuous measurements were made for both ultrafine and fine particulate matter as well as black carbon inside and outside of the building. Integrated PM(2.5), PM(2.5-10), and PM(10) samples were also collected inside and outside the building. The majority of the buildings had indoor/outdoor (I/O) particle concentration ratios less than 1.0, indicating that contributions from indoor sources are less than removal of outdoor particles. However, some of the buildings had I/O ratios greater than 1, indicating significant indoor particle sources. This was particularly true of restaurants, hair salons, and dental offices. The infiltration factor was estimated from a regression analysis of indoor and outdoor concentrations for each particle size fraction, finding lower values for ultrafine and coarse particles than for submicrometer particles, as expected. The I/O ratio of black carbon was used as a relative measure of the infiltration factor of particles among buildings, with a geometric mean of 0.62. The contribution of indoor sources to indoor particle levels was estimated for each building.

Sources and mixing state of size-resolved elemental carbon particles in a European megacity: Paris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, R. M.; Sciare, J.; Poulain, L.; Kamili, K.; Merkel, M.; Müller, T.; Wiedensohler, A.; Eckhardt, S.; Stohl, A.; Sarda-Estève, R.; McGillicuddy, E.; O'Connor, I. P.; Sodeau, J. R.; Wenger, J. C.

2012-02-01

An Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) was deployed to investigate the size-resolved chemical composition of single particles at an urban background site in Paris, France, as part of the MEGAPOLI winter campaign in January/February 2010. ATOFMS particle counts were scaled to match coincident Twin Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (TDMPS) data in order to generate hourly size-resolved mass concentrations for the single particle classes observed. The total scaled ATOFMS particle mass concentration in the size range 150-1067 nm was found to agree very well with the sum of concurrent High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and Multi-Angle Absorption Photometer (MAAP) mass concentration measurements of organic carbon (OC), inorganic ions and black carbon (BC) (R2 = 0.91). Clustering analysis of the ATOFMS single particle mass spectra allowed the separation of elemental carbon (EC) particles into four classes: (i) EC attributed to biomass burning (ECbiomass), (ii) EC attributed to traffic (ECtraffic), (iii) EC internally mixed with OC and ammonium sulfate (ECOCSOx), and (iv) EC internally mixed with OC and ammonium nitrate (ECOCNOx). Average hourly mass concentrations for EC-containing particles detected by the ATOFMS were found to agree reasonably well with semi-continuous quantitative thermal/optical EC and optical BC measurements (r2 = 0.61 and 0.65-0.68 respectively, n = 552). The EC particle mass assigned to fossil fuel and biomass burning sources also agreed reasonably well with BC mass fractions assigned to the same sources using seven-wavelength aethalometer data (r2 = 0.60 and 0.48, respectively, n = 568). Agreement between the ATOFMS and other instrumentation improved noticeably when a period influenced by significantly aged, internally mixed EC particles was removed from the intercomparison. 88% and 12% of EC particle mass was apportioned to fossil fuel and biomass burning respectively using the ATOFMS data compared with 85% and 15% respectively for BC estimated from the aethalometer model. On average, the mass size distribution for EC particles is bimodal; the smaller mode is attributed to locally emitted, mostly externally mixed EC particles, while the larger mode is dominated by aged, internally mixed ECOCNOx particles associated with continental transport events. Periods of continental influence were identified using the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) "FLEXPART". A consistent minimum between the two EC mass size modes was observed at approximately 400 nm for the measurement period. EC particles below this size are attributed to local emissions using chemical mixing state information and contribute 79% of the scaled ATOFMS EC particle mass, while particles above this size are attributed to continental transport events and contribute 21% of the EC particle mass. These results clearly demonstrate the potential benefit of monitoring size-resolved mass concentrations for the separation of local and continental EC emissions. Knowledge of the relative input of these emissions is essential for assessing the effectiveness of local abatement strategies.

Verification of the sputter-generated 32SFn- (n = 1-6) anions by accelerator mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mane, R. G.; Surendran, P.; Kumar, Sanjay; Nair, J. P.; Yadav, M. L.; Hemalatha, M.; Thomas, R. G.; Mahata, K.; Kailas, S.; Gupta, A. K.

2016-01-01

Recently, we have performed systematic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) measurements at our ion source test set up and have demonstrated that gas phase 32SFn- (n = 1-6) anions for all size 'n' can be readily generated from a variety of surfaces undergoing Cs+ ion sputtering in the presence of high purity SF6 gas by employing the gas spray-cesium sputter technique. In our SIMS measurements, the isotopic yield ratio 34SFn-/32SFn- (n = 1-6) was found to be close to its natural abundance but not for all size 'n'. In order to gain further insight into the constituents of these molecular anions, ultra sensitive Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) measurements were conducted with the most abundant 32SFn- (n = 1-6) anions, at BARC-TIFR 14 UD Pelletron accelerator. The results from these measurements are discussed in this paper.

Phase contrast imaging simulation and measurements using polychromatic sources with small source-object distances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golosio, Bruno; Carpinelli, Massimo; Masala, Giovanni Luca

Phase contrast imaging is a technique widely used in synchrotron facilities for nondestructive analysis. Such technique can also be implemented through microfocus x-ray tube systems. Recently, a relatively new type of compact, quasimonochromatic x-ray sources based on Compton backscattering has been proposed for phase contrast imaging applications. In order to plan a phase contrast imaging system setup, to evaluate the system performance and to choose the experimental parameters that optimize the image quality, it is important to have reliable software for phase contrast imaging simulation. Several software tools have been developed and tested against experimental measurements at synchrotron facilities devotedmore » to phase contrast imaging. However, many approximations that are valid in such conditions (e.g., large source-object distance, small transverse size of the object, plane wave approximation, monochromatic beam, and Gaussian-shaped source focal spot) are not generally suitable for x-ray tubes and other compact systems. In this work we describe a general method for the simulation of phase contrast imaging using polychromatic sources based on a spherical wave description of the beam and on a double-Gaussian model of the source focal spot, we discuss the validity of some possible approximations, and we test the simulations against experimental measurements using a microfocus x-ray tube on three types of polymers (nylon, poly-ethylene-terephthalate, and poly-methyl-methacrylate) at varying source-object distance. It will be shown that, as long as all experimental conditions are described accurately in the simulations, the described method yields results that are in good agreement with experimental measurements.« less

Use of In Situ Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Extinction, and Aerosol Size Distribution Measurements to Test a Method for Retrieving Cloud Condensation Nuclei Profiles From Surface Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghan, Stephen J.; Rissman, Tracey A.; Ellman, Robert; Ferrare, Richard A.; Turner, David; Flynn, Connor; Wang, Jian; Ogren, John; Hudson, James; Jonsson, Haflidi H.;

Airborne emission measurements of SO2, NOx and particles from individual ships using sniffer technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beecken, J.; Mellqvist, J.; Salo, K.; Ekholm, J.; Jalkanen, J.-P.

2013-12-01

A dedicated system for airborne ship emission measurements of SO2, NOx and particles has been developed and used from several small aircrafts. The system has been adapted for fast response measurements at 1 Hz and the use of several of the instruments is unique. The uncertainty of the given data is about 20.3% for SO2 and 23.8% for NOx emission factors. Multiple measurements of 158 ships measured from the air on the Baltic and North Sea during 2011 and 2012 show emission factors of 18.8 ± 6.5 g kgfuel-1, 66.6 ± 23.4 g kgfuel-1, and 1.8 ± 1.3 × 1016 particles kgfuel-1 for SO2, NOx and particle number respectively. The particle size distributions were measured for particle diameters between 15 and 560 nm. The mean sizes of the particles are between 50 and 62 nm dependent on the distance to the source and the number size distribution is mono-modal. Concerning the sulfur fuel content 85% of the ships comply with the IMO limits. The sulfur emission has decreased compared to earlier measurements from 2007 to 2009. The presented method can be implemented for regular ship compliance monitoring.

Modelling and Caracterisation of sea salt aerosols during ChArMEx-ADRIMED campaign in Ersa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claeys, Marine; Roberts, Greg; Mallet, Marc; Sciare, Jean; Arndt, Jovanna; Mihalopoulos, Nikos

2015-04-01

During ChArMEx-ADRIMED campaign (June and July 2013), aerosol particles measurements were conducted in Ersa (600 m asl), Cap Corsica. The in-situ instrumentation allowed to characterize sea salt aerosols (SSA) by their physico-chemical and optical properties and their size distribution. This study concentrates particularly on a period of a few days where the concentration of sea salt aerosols was higher. The chemistry results indicate that the SSA measured during this period were mostly aged. The comparison of the number size distributions of air masses allow to determine the SSA size mode. These data are used to evaluate the sea salt aerosol emission scheme implemented in the regional scale Meso-Nh model. A new emission scheme based on available source fonctions is tested for different sea state conditions to evaluate the direct radiative impact of sea salt aerosols over the Mediterranean basin.

A simple autocorrelation algorithm for determining grain size from digital images of sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rubin, D.M.

2004-01-01

Autocorrelation between pixels in digital images of sediment can be used to measure average grain size of sediment on the bed, grain-size distribution of bed sediment, and vertical profiles in grain size in a cross-sectional image through a bed. The technique is less sensitive than traditional laboratory analyses to tails of a grain-size distribution, but it offers substantial other advantages: it is 100 times as fast; it is ideal for sampling surficial sediment (the part that interacts with a flow); it can determine vertical profiles in grain size on a scale finer than can be sampled physically; and it can be used in the field to provide almost real-time grain-size analysis. The technique can be applied to digital images obtained using any source with sufficient resolution, including digital cameras, digital video, or underwater digital microscopes (for real-time grain-size mapping of the bed). ?? 2004, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology).

UV-Vis-IR spectral complex refractive indices and optical properties of brown carbon aerosol from biomass burning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumlin, Benjamin J.; Heinson, Yuli W.; Shetty, Nishit; Pandey, Apoorva; Pattison, Robert S.; Baker, Stephen; Hao, Wei Min; Chakrabarty, Rajan K.

2018-02-01

Constraining the complex refractive indices, optical properties and size of brown carbon (BrC) aerosols is a vital endeavor for improving climate models and satellite retrieval algorithms. Smoldering wildfires are the largest source of primary BrC, and fuel parameters such as moisture content, source depth, geographic origin, and fuel packing density could influence the properties of the emitted aerosol. We measured in situ spectral (375-1047 nm) optical properties of BrC aerosols emitted from smoldering combustion of Boreal and Indonesian peatlands across a range of these fuel parameters. Inverse Lorenz-Mie algorithms used these optical measurements along with simultaneously measured particle size distributions to retrieve the aerosol complex refractive indices (m = n + iκ). Our results show that the real part n is constrained between 1.5 and 1.7 with no obvious functionality in wavelength (λ), moisture content, source depth, or geographic origin. With increasing λ from 375 to 532 nm, κ decreased from 0.014 to 0.003, with corresponding increase in single scattering albedo (SSA) from 0.93 to 0.99. The spectral variability of κ follows the Kramers-Kronig dispersion relation for a damped harmonic oscillator. For λ ≥ 532 nm, both κ and SSA showed no spectral dependency. We discuss differences between this study and previous work. The imaginary part κ was sensitive to changes in FPD, and we hypothesize mechanisms that might help explain this observation.

Hard X-Ray Footprint Source Sized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Brian R.; Kontar, E. P.

2010-01-01

RHESSI has detected compact hard (25 - 100 keV) X-ray sources that are <4 arcseconds (FWHM) in extent for certain flares (Dennis and Pernak (2009). These sources are believed to be at magnetic loop footpoints that are known from observations at other wavelengths to be very small. Flare ribbons seen in the W with TRACE, for example, are approx. 1 arcsecond in width, and white light flares show structure at the approx. 1 arcsecond level. However, Kontar and Jeffrey (2010) have shown that the measured extent should be >6 arcseconds, even if the X-ray emitting thick-target source is point-like. This is because of the strong albedo contribution in the measured energy range for a source located at the expected altitude of 1 Mm near the top of the chromosphere. This discrepancy between observations and model predictions may indicate that the source altitude is significantly lower than assumed or that the RHESSI image reconstruction procedures are not sensitive to the more diffuse albedo patch in the presence of a strong compact source. Results will be presented exploring the latter possibility using the Pixon image reconstruction procedure and other methods based on visibilities.

Financial conflicts of interest and their association with outcome and quality of fibromyalgia drug therapy randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Pang, Winnie K; Yeter, Karen C; Torralba, Karina D; Spencer, Horace J; Khan, Nasim A

2015-07-01

To evaluate the association of financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) with the characteristics, outcome and reported methodological quality of fibromyalgia drug therapy randomized controlled trials (FM-RCTs). A cross-sectional study of original, parallel-group, drug therapy FM-RCTs published between 1997 and 2011 from Medline and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted. Two reviewers independently assessed each RCT for funding source, authors' FCOI(s), study characteristics, reporting of methodological measures important for internal validity and outcome (positive [statistically significant result favoring experimental drug for the primary outcome] or non-positive). Forty-seven RCTs were eligible with funding source as: 26 (55.3%) industry; eight (17%) non-profit source(s); five (10.6%) mixed; and eight (17%) unspecified. Industry-funded RCTs were more likely to be multicenter and enroll greater number of patients. Reporting of key methodological measures was suboptimal; however, industry and non-profit funded RCTs did not differ in their reporting. Thirty (63.8%) RCTs had ≥ one author who disclosed an FCOI (receipt of research grant [21, 44.7%], industry sponsor employee [20, 42.6%], receipt of consultancy fee/honorarium [16, 34%] and stock ownership [11, 23.4%]). Although industry funding and certain authors' FCOIs (employment and receipt of consultancy fee/honorarium) were univariately associated with positive outcome, such association was not observed after adjusting for study sample size. The majority of FM-RCTs were industry-sponsored, and had at least one author with an FCOI. Reporting of key methodological measures was suboptimal. After adjusting for study sample size, no association of industry funding or author's FCOI with study outcome was seen. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Influence of prey dispersion on territory and group size of African lions: a test of the resource dispersion hypothesis.

PubMed

Valeix, Marion; Loveridge, Andrew J; MacDonald, David W

2012-11-01

Empirical tests of the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH), a theory to explain group living based on resource heterogeneity, have been complicated by the fact that resource patch dispersion and richness have proved difficult to define and measure in natural systems. Here, we studied the ecology of African lions Panthera leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, where waterholes are prey hotspots, and where dispersion of water sources and abundance of prey at these water sources are quantifiable. We combined a 10-year data set from GPS-collared lions for which information of group composition was available concurrently with data for herbivore abundance at waterholes. The distance between two neighboring waterholes was a strong determinant of lion home range size, which provides strong support for the RDH prediction that territory size increases as resource patches are more dispersed in the landscape. The mean number of herbivore herds using a waterhole, a good proxy of patch richness, determined the maximum lion group biomass an area can support. This finding suggests that patch richness sets a maximum ceiling on lion group size. This study demonstrates that landscape ecology is a major driver of ranging behavior and suggests that aspects of resource dispersion limit group sizes.

Retrieval of the complex refractive index of aerosol droplets from optical tweezers measurements.

PubMed

Miles, Rachael E H; Walker, Jim S; Burnham, Daniel R; Reid, Jonathan P

2012-03-07

The cavity enhanced Raman scattering spectrum recorded from an aerosol droplet provides a unique fingerprint of droplet radius and refractive index, assuming that the droplet is homogeneous in composition. Aerosol optical tweezers are used in this study to capture a single droplet and a Raman fingerprint is recorded using the trapping laser as the source for the Raman excitation. We report here the retrieval of the real part of the refractive index with an uncertainty of ± 0.0012 (better than ± 0.11%), simultaneously measuring the size of the micrometre sized liquid droplet with a precision of better than 1 nm (< ± 0.05% error). In addition, the equilibrium size of the droplet is shown to depend on the laser irradiance due to optical absorption, which elevates the droplet temperature above that of the ambient gas phase. Modulation of the illuminating laser power leads to a modulation in droplet size as the temperature elevation is altered. By measuring induced size changes of <1 nm, we show that the imaginary part of the refractive index can be retrieved even when less than 10 × 10(-9) with an accuracy of better than ± 0.5 × 10(-9). The combination of these measurements allows the complex refractive index of a droplet to be retrieved with high accuracy, with the possibility of making extremely sensitive optical absorption measurements on aerosol samples and the testing of frequently used mixing rules for treating aerosol optical properties. More generally, this method provides an extremely sensitive approach for measuring refractive indices, particularly under solute supersaturation conditions that cannot be accessed by simple bulk-phase measurements.

Acoustical source reconstruction from non-synchronous sequential measurements by Fast Iterative Shrinkage Thresholding Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Liang; Antoni, Jerome; Leclere, Quentin; Jiang, Weikang

2017-11-01

Acoustical source reconstruction is a typical inverse problem, whose minimum frequency of reconstruction hinges on the size of the array and maximum frequency depends on the spacing distance between the microphones. For the sake of enlarging the frequency of reconstruction and reducing the cost of an acquisition system, Cyclic Projection (CP), a method of sequential measurements without reference, was recently investigated (JSV,2016,372:31-49). In this paper, the Propagation based Fast Iterative Shrinkage Thresholding Algorithm (Propagation-FISTA) is introduced, which improves CP in two aspects: (1) the number of acoustic sources is no longer needed and the only making assumption is that of a "weakly sparse" eigenvalue spectrum; (2) the construction of the spatial basis is much easier and adaptive to practical scenarios of acoustical measurements benefiting from the introduction of propagation based spatial basis. The proposed Propagation-FISTA is first investigated with different simulations and experimental setups and is next illustrated with an industrial case.

Fabrication and Electrical Characterization of Deep-Submicron Trench-Isolated CMOS Device Structures.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, Asanga Hiran

The magnitude of the extrinsic parasitic MOSFET series resistance was experimentally evaluated in the deep -submicron domain and its consequence on device performance was determined. The series resistance of depletion mode MOSFET test structures were measured for source-drain sizes as small as 0.2 μm by 0.3 μm at room temperature and 100^ circK. To build the test structures a multilevel -full electron beam lithography fabrication process was developed with a pattern overlay accuracy of 75 nm. A new positive tone novalac resist, SYSTEM-9, was developed for electron beam application. The resist had moderate sensitivity, 19-30 muC/cm ^2, and a contrast up to 14. Interrupted development and reduced developer temperature resulted in contrast enhancements of up to 125%. SYSTEM-9 had a two or three times better dry etch resistance than PMMA. A shallow trench isolation technology capable of defining 0.2 μm wide active areas was developed. A rapid thermal annealing based silicidation scheme using TiSi_2 was established. MOSFET sidewall spacer formation using PECVD SiO_2 was calibrated. Antimony and gallium were investigated as possible alternatives to arsenic and boron, respectively, and well behaved substrate diodes were successfully fabricated. Two new patterning techniques for the metal bi-layer metalization of TiW and Al, based on liftoff and reactive ion etching, were developed. The source drain resistance of the test structures was measured at room temperature and at 100^ circK. An LN_2 flushed cold chuck for low temperature device probing was designed and constructed. The temperature dependence of the current voltage characteristics and the extracted series resistance proved that current flow in the contacts was tunneling dominated. The extrinsic source-drain resistance increased rapidly as the contact size decreased below 0.5 mum, and showed an almost two order of magnitude change, when the source-drain area was reduced from 2 x 1.7 mum^2 to 0.2 x 0.3 mum^2 . The effect of this resistance increase on a CMOS inverter switching speed was estimated. A first order empirical model to predict the series resistance was also formulated. Good correspondence was observed between results from the device simulator PISCES-2B and measured data for larger source-drain sizes.

A complete sample of double-lobed radio quasars for VLBI tests of source models - Definition and statistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hough, D. H.; Readhead, A. C. S.

1989-01-01

A complete, flux-density-limited sample of double-lobed radio quasars is defined, with nuclei bright enough to be mapped with the Mark III VLBI system. It is shown that the statistics of linear size, nuclear strength, and curvature are consistent with the assumption of random source orientations and simple relativistic beaming in the nuclei. However, these statistics are also consistent with the effects of interaction between the beams and the surrounding medium. The distribution of jet velocities in the nuclei, as measured with VLBI, will provide a powerful test of physical theories of extragalactic radio sources.

Measurements of Hygroscopicity- and Size-Resolved Sea Spray Aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, B.; Dawson, K. W.; Royalty, T. M.; Reed, R. E.; Petters, M.; Meskhidze, N.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols play a central role in many environmental processes by influencing the Earth's radiative balance, tropospheric chemistry, clouds, biogeochemical cycles, and visibility as well as adversely impacting human health. Based on their origin, atmospheric aerosols can be defined as anthropogenic or natural. Recent studies have shown that a large fraction of uncertainty in the radiative effects of anthropogenic aerosols is related to uncertainty in natural—background—aerosols. Marine aerosols are of particular interest due to the abundance of oceans covering the Earth's surface. Despite their importance, limited information is currently available for size- and composition-resolved marine aerosol emission fluxes. Our group has designed and built an instrument for measuring the size- and hygroscopicity-resolved sea spray aerosol fluxes. The instrument was first deployed during spring 2015 at the end of the 560 m pier of the US Army Corps of Engineers' Field Research Facility in Duck, NC. Measurements include 200 nm-sized diameter growth factor (hygroscopicity) distributions, sea spray particle flux measurements, and total sub-micron sized aerosol concentration. Ancillary ocean data includes salinity, pH, sea surface temperature, dissolved oxygen content, and relative fluorescence (proxy for [Chl-a]). Hygroscopicity distribution measurements show two broad peaks, one indicative of organics and sulfates and another suggestive of sea salt. The fraction of 200 nm-sized salt particles having hygroscopicity similar to that of sea-spray aerosol contributes up to ~24% of the distribution on days with high-speed onshore winds and up to ~3% on calm days with winds blowing from the continent. However, the total concentration of sea-spray-like particles originating from offshore versus onshore winds was relatively similar. Changes in the relative contribution of sea-salt to number concentration were caused by a concomitant changes in total aerosol concentration, indicating a local source.

A program to calculate pulse transmission responses through transversely isotropic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Schmitt, Douglas R.; Zou, Changchun; Chen, Xiwei

2018-05-01

We provide a program (AOTI2D) to model responses of ultrasonic pulse transmission measurements through arbitrarily oriented transversely isotropic rocks. The program is built with the distributed point source method that treats the transducers as a series of point sources. The response of each point source is calculated according to the ray-tracing theory of elastic plane waves. The program could offer basic wave parameters including phase and group velocities, polarization, anisotropic reflection coefficients and directivity patterns, and model the wave fields, static wave beam, and the observed signals for pulse transmission measurements considering the material's elastic stiffnesses and orientations, sample dimensions, and the size and positions of the transmitters and the receivers. The program could be applied to exhibit the ultrasonic beam behaviors in anisotropic media, such as the skew and diffraction of ultrasonic beams, and analyze its effect on pulse transmission measurements. The program would be a useful tool to help design the experimental configuration and interpret the results of ultrasonic pulse transmission measurements through either isotropic or transversely isotropic rock samples.

Theoretical evaluation of accuracy in position and size of brain activity obtained by near-infrared topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Hayashi, Toshiyuki; Kato, Toshinori; Okada, Eiji

2004-06-01

Near-infrared (NIR) topography can obtain a topographical distribution of the activated region in the brain cortex. Near-infrared light is strongly scattered in the head, and the volume of tissue sampled by a source-detector pair on the head surface is broadly distributed in the brain. This scattering effect results in poor resolution and contrast in the topographic image of the brain activity. In this study, a one-dimensional distribution of absorption change in a head model is calculated by mapping and reconstruction methods to evaluate the effect of the image reconstruction algorithm and the interval of measurement points for topographic imaging on the accuracy of the topographic image. The light propagation in the head model is predicted by Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the spatial sensitivity profile for a source-detector pair. The measurement points are one-dimensionally arranged on the surface of the model, and the distance between adjacent measurement points is varied from 4 mm to 28 mm. Small intervals of the measurement points improve the topographic image calculated by both the mapping and reconstruction methods. In the conventional mapping method, the limit of the spatial resolution depends upon the interval of the measurement points and spatial sensitivity profile for source-detector pairs. The reconstruction method has advantages over the mapping method which improve the results of one-dimensional analysis when the interval of measurement points is less than 12 mm. The effect of overlapping of spatial sensitivity profiles indicates that the reconstruction method may be effective to improve the spatial resolution of a two-dimensional reconstruction of topographic image obtained with larger interval of measurement points. Near-infrared topography with the reconstruction method potentially obtains an accurate distribution of absorption change in the brain even if the size of absorption change is less than 10 mm.

Observations Regarding Scatter Fraction and NEC Measurements for Small Animal PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongfeng; Cherry, S. R.

2006-02-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the magnitude and origin of scattered radiation in a small-animal PET scanner and to assess the impact of these findings on noise equivalent count rate (NECR) measurements, a metric often used to optimize scanner acquisition parameters and to compare one scanner with another. The scatter fraction (SF) was measured for line sources in air and line sources placed within a mouse-sized phantom (25 mm /spl phi//spl times/70 mm) and a rat-sized phantom (60 mm /spl phi//spl times/150 mm) on the microPET II small-animal PET scanner. Measurements were performed for lower energy thresholds ranging from 150-450 keV and a fixed upper energy threshold of 750 keV. Four different methods were compared for estimating the SF. Significant scatter fractions were measured with just the line source in the field of view, with the spatial distribution of these events consistent with scatter from the gantry and room environment. For mouse imaging, this component dominates over object scatter, and the measured SF is strongly method dependent. The environmental SF rapidly increases as the lower energy threshold decreases and can be more than 30% for an open energy window of 150-750 keV. The object SF originating from the mouse phantom is about 3-4% and does not change significantly as the lower energy threshold increases. The object SF for the rat phantom ranges from 10 to 35% for different energy windows and increases as the lower energy threshold decreases. Because the measured SF is highly dependent on the method, and there is as yet no agreed upon standard for animal PET, care must be exercised when comparing NECR for small objects between different scanners. Differences may be methodological rather than reflecting any relevant difference in the performance of the scanner. Furthermore, these results have implications for scatter correction methods when the majority of the detected scatter does not arise from the object itself.

Optical properties of size-resolved particles at a Hong Kong urban site during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yuan; Lai, Senchao; Lee, Shun-Cheng; Yau, Pui Shan; Huang, Yu; Cheng, Yan; Wang, Tao; Xu, Zheng; Yuan, Chao; Zhang, Yingyi

2015-03-01

Visibility degradation in Hong Kong is related to the city's serious air pollution problems. To investigate the aerosols' optical properties and their relationship with the chemical composition and size distribution of the particles, a monitoring campaign was conducted at an urban site in the early winter period (from October to December, 2010). The particle light scattering coefficient (Bsp) and absorption coefficient (Bap) were measured. Two collocated Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor samplers (MOUDI110, MSP, USA) with nominal 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameters of 18, 10, 5.6, 3.2, 1.8, 1, 0.56, 0.32, 0.18, 0.1, and 0.056 μm were used to collect size-resolved particle samples. The average Bsp and Bap were 201.96 ± 105.82 Mm- 1 and 39.91 ± 19.16 Mm- 1, with an average single scattering albedo (ωo) of 0.82 ± 0.07. The theoretical method of light extinction calculation was used to determine the extinction of the size-resolved particulate matters (PM). The reconstructed light scattering coefficient correlated well with the measured scattering value in the Hong Kong urban area. Droplet mode (0.56-1.8 μm) particles contributed most to the particle light extinction (~ 69%). Organic matter, ammonium sulphate and elemental carbon were the key components causing visibility degradation in the droplet (0.56-1.8 μm) and condensation (0.1-0.56 μm) size ranges. Five sources contributing to particle light extinction have been identified using positive matrix factorisation (PMF). Traffic/engine exhausts and secondary aerosols accounted for ~ 36% and ~ 32% of particle light extinction, respectively, followed by sea salt (15%). The remaining sources, soil/fugitive dust and tire dust, contributed by ~ 10% and 7%, respectively, to particle light extinction.

Effects of Defect Size and Number Density on the Transmission and Reflection of Guided Elastic Waves

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-22

localized region, a photoacoustic source generates elastic waves on one side of the damaged region, and then two ultrasound transducers measure the...where the defects are of the same order as the wavelength of the ultrasound , we find ourselves confronted with Mie scattering, which has weaker

LBNL Neutrino Astrophysics

Science.gov Websites

The KATRIN experiment The KATRIN experiment is designed to make a direct measurement of the mass experiment, scaled up by an order of magnitude in size, precision and tritium source intensity from previous experiments. Visit the experiment home page for more information. Gallery SimpleViewer requires JavaScript and

Two-particle Bose–Einstein correlations in pp collisions at √s=0.9 and 7 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector

DOE PAGES

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; ...

2015-10-01

The paper presents studies of Bose–Einstein Correlations (BEC) for pairs of like-sign charged particles measured in the kinematic range pT> 100 MeV and |η|< 2.5 in proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 0.9 and 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The integrated luminosities are approximately 7 μb -1, 190 μb -1 and 12.4 nb -1 for 0.9 TeV, 7 TeV minimum-bias and 7 TeV high-multiplicity data samples, respectively. The multiplicity dependence of the BEC parameters characterizing the correlation strength and the correlation source size are investigated for charged-particle multiplicities of up to 240. Amore » saturation effect in the multiplicity dependence of the correlation source size parameter is observed using the high-multiplicity 7 TeV data sample. In conclusion, the dependence of the BEC parameters on the average transverse momentum of the particle pair is also investigated.« less

Two-particle Bose–Einstein correlations in pp collisions at √s=0.9 and 7 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.

The paper presents studies of Bose–Einstein Correlations (BEC) for pairs of like-sign charged particles measured in the kinematic range pT> 100 MeV and |η|< 2.5 in proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 0.9 and 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The integrated luminosities are approximately 7 μb -1, 190 μb -1 and 12.4 nb -1 for 0.9 TeV, 7 TeV minimum-bias and 7 TeV high-multiplicity data samples, respectively. The multiplicity dependence of the BEC parameters characterizing the correlation strength and the correlation source size are investigated for charged-particle multiplicities of up to 240. Amore » saturation effect in the multiplicity dependence of the correlation source size parameter is observed using the high-multiplicity 7 TeV data sample. In conclusion, the dependence of the BEC parameters on the average transverse momentum of the particle pair is also investigated.« less

Measurment of threshold friction velocities at potential dust sources in semi-arid regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Matthew A.

The threshold friction velocities of potential dust sources in the US Southwest were measured in the field using a Portable Wind Tunnel, which is based on the Desert Research Institute's Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL). A mix of both disturbed and undisturbed surfaces were included in this study. It was found that disturbed surfaces, such as those at the Iron King Mine tailings site, which is part of the EPA's Superfund program and contains surface concentrations of arsenic and lead reaching as high as 0.5% (w/w), had lower threshold friction velocities (0.32 m s -1 to 0.40 m s-1) in comparison to those of undisturbed surfaces (0.48 to 0.61 m s-1). Surface characteristics, such as particle size distribution, had effects on the threshold friction velocity (smaller grain sized distributions resulted in lower threshold friction velocities). Overall, the threshold friction velocities of disturbed surfaces were within the range of natural wind conditions, indicating that surfaces disturbed by human activity are more prone to causing windblown dust.

Asteroid Size-Frequency Distribution (The ISO Deep Asteroid Survey)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedesco, Edward F.

2001-01-01

A total of six deep exposures (using AOT CAM01 with a 6" PFOV) through the ISOCAM LW10 filter (IRAS Band 1, i.e., 12 micro-m) were obtained on an approximately 15 arcminute square field centered on the ecliptic plane. Point sources were extracted using the technique described by Desert, et al. Two known asteroids appear in these frames and 20 sources moving with velocities appropriate for main belt asteroids are present. Most of the asteroids detected have flux densities less than 1 mJy, i.e., between 150 and 350 times fainter than any of the asteroids observed by Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS). These data provide the first direct measurement of the 12 micro-m sky-plane density for asteroids on the ecliptic equator. The median zodiacal foreground, as measured by ISOCAM during this survey, is found to be 22.1 +/- 1.5 mJy per pixel, i.e., 26.2 +/- 1.7 MJy/sr. The results presented here imply that the actual number of kilometer-sized asteroids is significantly greater than previously believed and in reasonable agreement with the Statistical Asteroid Model.

Endotoxins in cotton: washing effects and size distribution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olenchock, S.A.; Mull, J.C.; Jones, W.G.

1983-01-01

Endotoxin contamination was measured in washed and unwashed cottons from three distinct growing areas, California, Mississippi, and Texas. The data show differences in endotoxin contamination based upon the geographic source of the cotton. It is also shown that washing bulk cotton before the carding process results in lower endotoxin in the cotton dust. Washing conditions can affect the endotoxin levels, and all size fractions of the airborne dust contain quantifiable endotoxin contamination. Endotoxin analyses provide a simple and reliable method for monitoring the cleanliness of cotton or airborne cotton dusts.

Magnitude, moment, and measurement: The seismic mechanism controversy and its resolution.

PubMed

Miyake, Teru

This paper examines the history of two related problems concerning earthquakes, and the way in which a theoretical advance was involved in their resolution. The first problem is the development of a physical, as opposed to empirical, scale for measuring the size of earthquakes. The second problem is that of understanding what happens at the source of an earthquake. There was a controversy about what the proper model for the seismic source mechanism is, which was finally resolved through advances in the theory of elastic dislocations. These two problems are linked, because the development of a physically-based magnitude scale requires an understanding of what goes on at the seismic source. I will show how the theoretical advances allowed seismologists to re-frame the questions they were trying to answer, so that the data they gathered could be brought to bear on the problem of seismic sources in new ways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of spatially resolved high resolution crystal spectrometry to inertial confinement fusion plasmas.

PubMed

Hill, K W; Bitter, M; Delgado-Aparacio, L; Pablant, N A; Beiersdorfer, P; Schneider, M; Widmann, K; Sanchez del Rio, M; Zhang, L

2012-10-01

High resolution (λ∕Δλ ∼ 10 000) 1D imaging x-ray spectroscopy using a spherically bent crystal and a 2D hybrid pixel array detector is used world wide for Doppler measurements of ion-temperature and plasma flow-velocity profiles in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. Meter sized plasmas are diagnosed with cm spatial resolution and 10 ms time resolution. This concept can also be used as a diagnostic of small sources, such as inertial confinement fusion plasmas and targets on x-ray light source beam lines, with spatial resolution of micrometers, as demonstrated by laboratory experiments using a 250-μm (55)Fe source, and by ray-tracing calculations. Throughput calculations agree with measurements, and predict detector counts in the range 10(-8)-10(-6) times source x-rays, depending on crystal reflectivity and spectrometer geometry. Results of the lab demonstrations, application of the technique to the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and predictions of performance on NIF will be presented.

Operation of the CESR-TA vertical beam size monitor at Eb = 4 GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, J. P.; Conolly, C.; Edwards, E.; Flanagan, J. W.; Fontes, E.; Heltsley, B. K.; Lyndaker, A.; Peterson, D. P.; Rider, N. T.; Rubin, D. L.; Seeley, R.; Shanks, J.

2015-10-01

We describe operation of the CESR-TA vertical beam size monitor (xBSM) with e± beams with Eb=4 GeV. The xBSM measures vertical beam size by imaging synchrotron radiation x-rays through an optical element onto a detector array of 32 InGaAs photodiodes with 50 μm pitch. The device has previously been successfully used to measure vertical beam sizes of 10-100 μm on a bunch-by-bunch, turn-by-turn basis at e± beam energies of ~2 GeV and source magnetic fields below 2.8 kG, for which the detector required calibration for incident x-rays of 1-5 keV. At Eb = 4.0 GeV and B=4.5 kG, however, the incident synchrotron radiation spectrum extends to ~20 keV, requiring calibration of detector response in that regime. Such a calibration is described and then used to analyze data taken with several different thicknesses of filters in front of the detector. We obtain a relative precision of better than 4% on beam size measurement from 15 to 100 μm over several different ranges of x-ray energy, including both 1-12 keV and 6-17 keV. The response of an identical detector, but tilted vertically by 60° in order to increase magnification without a longer beamline, is measured and shown to improve x-ray detection above 4 keV without compromising sensitivity to beam size. We also investigate operation of a coded aperture using gold masking backed by synthetic diamond.

DSN 70-meter antenna microwave optics design and performance improvements. Part 2: Comparison with measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bathker, D. A.; Slobin, S. D.

1989-01-01

The measured Deep Space Network (DSN) 70-meter antenna performance at S- and X-bands is compared with the design expectations. A discussion of natural radio-source calibration standards is given. New estimates of DSN 64-meter antenna performance are given, based on improved values of calibration source flux and size correction. A comparison of the 64- and 70-meter performances shows that average S-band peak gain improvement is 1.94 dB, compared with a design expectation of 1.77 dB. At X-band, the average peak gain improvement is 2.12 dB, compared with the (coincidentally similar) design expectation of 1.77 dB. The average measured 70-meter S-band peak gain exceeds the nominal design-expected gain by 0.02 dB; the average measured 70-meter X-band peak gain is 0.14 dB below the nominal design-expected gain.

On error sources during airborne measurements of the ambient electric field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evteev, B. F.

1991-01-01

The principal sources of errors during airborne measurements of the ambient electric field and charge are addressed. Results of their analysis are presented for critical survey. It is demonstrated that the volume electric charge has to be accounted for during such measurements, that charge being generated at the airframe and wing surface by droplets of clouds and precipitation colliding with the aircraft. The local effect of that space charge depends on the flight regime (air speed, altitude, particle size, and cloud elevation). Such a dependence is displayed in the relation between the collector conductivity of the aircraft discharging circuit - on one hand, and the sum of all the residual conductivities contributing to aircraft discharge - on the other. Arguments are given in favor of variability in the aircraft electric capacitance. Techniques are suggested for measuring from factors to describe the aircraft charge.

[Appropriate dust control measures for jade carving operations].

PubMed

Liu, Jiang; Wang, Qiushui; Liu, Guangquan

2002-12-01

To provide the appropriate dust control measures for jade carving operations. Dust concentrations in the workplace were measured according to GB/T 5748-85. Ventilation system of dust control were measured according to GB/T 16157-1996. Dust particle size distributions for different sources and particle size fraction collecting efficiencies of the dust collectors were measured with WY-1 in-stack 7 stage cascade impactors. On the basis of adopting wet process in the carving operations, local exhaust ventilation system for dust control was installed, which included: the special designed slot exhaust hoods with hood face velocity of 2.5 m/s and exhaust volume of 600 m3/h. The pipe sizes were determined according to the air volume passing through the pipe and the reasonable air velocities. Impinging scrubber or bag filter dust collector were selected to treat the dust laden air from the local exhaust ventilation system, which gave a total collecting efficiency of 97% for impinging scrubber and 98% for bag filter; The type of fan and its size were selected according to the total air volume of the ventilation system and maximum total pressure needed for the longest pipe line plus the pressure drop of the dust collector. Practical application showed that, after installation and use of the appropriate dust control measures, the dust concentrations in the workplaces could meet or nearly meet the national hygienic standard and the dust laden air at the local exhaust ventilation system could meet the national emission standard.

Experimental evaluation of the ring focus test for X-ray telescopes using AXAF's technology mirror assembly, MSFC CDDF Project No. H20

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zissa, D. E.; Korsch, D.

1986-01-01

A test method particularly suited for X-ray telescopes was evaluated experimentally. The method makes use of a focused ring formed by an annular aperture when using a point source at a finite distance. This would supplement measurements of the best focus image which is blurred when the test source is at a finite distance. The telescope used was the Technology Mirror Assembly of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysis Facility (AXAF) program. Observed ring image defects could be related to the azimuthal location of their sources in the telescope even though in this case the predicted sharp ring was obscured by scattering, finite source size, and residual figure errors.

Global scale variability of the mineral dust long-wave refractive index: a new dataset of in situ measurements for climate modeling and remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Biagio, Claudia; Formenti, Paola; Balkanski, Yves; Caponi, Lorenzo; Cazaunau, Mathieu; Pangui, Edouard; Journet, Emilie; Nowak, Sophie; Caquineau, Sandrine; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Kandler, Konrad; Saeed, Thuraya; Piketh, Stuart; Seibert, David; Williams, Earle; Doussin, Jean-François

2017-02-01

Modeling the interaction of dust with long-wave (LW) radiation is still a challenge because of the scarcity of information on the complex refractive index of dust from different source regions. In particular, little is known about the variability of the refractive index as a function of the dust mineralogical composition, which depends on the specific emission source, and its size distribution, which is modified during transport. As a consequence, to date, climate models and remote sensing retrievals generally use a spatially invariant and time-constant value for the dust LW refractive index. In this paper, the variability of the mineral dust LW refractive index as a function of its mineralogical composition and size distribution is explored by in situ measurements in a large smog chamber. Mineral dust aerosols were generated from 19 natural soils from 8 regions: northern Africa, the Sahel, eastern Africa and the Middle East, eastern Asia, North and South America, southern Africa, and Australia. Soil samples were selected from a total of 137 available samples in order to represent the diversity of sources from arid and semi-arid areas worldwide and to account for the heterogeneity of the soil composition at the global scale. Aerosol samples generated from soils were re-suspended in the chamber, where their LW extinction spectra (3-15 µm), size distribution, and mineralogical composition were measured. The generated aerosol exhibits a realistic size distribution and mineralogy, including both the sub- and super-micron fractions, and represents in typical atmospheric proportions the main LW-active minerals, such as clays, quartz, and calcite. The complex refractive index of the aerosol is obtained by an optical inversion based upon the measured extinction spectrum and size distribution. Results from the present study show that the imaginary LW refractive index (k) of dust varies greatly both in magnitude and spectral shape from sample to sample, reflecting the differences in particle composition. In the 3-15 µm spectral range, k is between ˜ 0.001 and 0.92. The strength of the dust absorption at ˜ 7 and 11.4 µm depends on the amount of calcite within the samples, while the absorption between 8 and 14 µm is determined by the relative abundance of quartz and clays. The imaginary part (k) is observed to vary both from region to region and for varying sources within the same region. Conversely, for the real part (n), which is in the range 0.84-1.94, values are observed to agree for all dust samples across most of the spectrum within the error bars. This implies that while a constant n can be probably assumed for dust from different sources, a varying k should be used both at the global and the regional scale. A linear relationship between the magnitude of the imaginary refractive index at 7.0, 9.2, and 11.4 µm and the mass concentration of calcite and quartz absorbing at these wavelengths was found. We suggest that this may lead to predictive rules to estimate the LW refractive index of dust in specific bands based on an assumed or predicted mineralogical composition, or conversely, to estimate the dust composition from measurements of the LW extinction at specific wavebands. Based on the results of the present study, we recommend that climate models and remote sensing instruments operating at infrared wavelengths, such as IASI (infrared atmospheric sounder interferometer), use regionally dependent refractive indices rather than generic values. Our observations also suggest that the refractive index of dust in the LW does not change as a result of the loss of coarse particles by gravitational settling, so that constant values of n and k could be assumed close to sources and following transport. The whole dataset of the dust complex refractive indices presented in this paper is made available to the scientific community in the Supplement.

Second generation stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system with faster scan time and wider angular span.

PubMed

Calliste, Jabari; Wu, Gongting; Laganis, Philip E; Spronk, Derrek; Jafari, Houman; Olson, Kyle; Gao, Bo; Lee, Yueh Z; Zhou, Otto; Lu, Jianping

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to characterize a new generation stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system with higher tube flux and increased angular span over a first generation system. The linear CNT x-ray source was designed, built, and evaluated to determine its performance parameters. The second generation system was then constructed using the CNT x-ray source and a Hologic gantry. Upon construction, test objects and phantoms were used to characterize system resolution as measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), and artifact spread function (ASF). The results indicated that the linear CNT x-ray source was capable of stable operation at a tube potential of 49 kVp, and measured focal spot sizes showed source-to-source consistency with a nominal focal spot size of 1.1 mm. After construction, the second generation (Gen 2) system exhibited entrance surface air kerma rates two times greater the previous s-DBT system. System in-plane resolution as measured by the MTF is 7.7 cycles/mm, compared to 6.7 cycles/mm for the Gen 1 system. As expected, an increase in the z-axis depth resolution was observed, with a decrease in the ASF from 4.30 mm to 2.35 mm moving from the Gen 1 system to the Gen 2 system as result of an increased angular span. The results indicate that the Gen 2 stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system, which has a larger angular span, increased entrance surface air kerma, and faster image acquisition time over the Gen 1 s-DBT system, results in higher resolution images. With the detector operating at full resolution, the Gen 2 s-DBT system can achieve an in-plane resolution of 7.7 cycles per mm, which is better than the current commercial DBT systems today, and may potentially result in better patient diagnosis. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Hygroscopic growth of size-resolved, emission-source classified, aerosol particles sampled across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shingler, T.; Crosbie, E. C.; Ziemba, L. D.; Anderson, B. E.; Campuzano Jost, P.; Jimenez, J. L.; Mikoviny, T.; Wisthaler, A.; Sorooshian, A.

2014-12-01

The hygroscopic growth of atmospheric aerosol particles is a key air quality parameter, impacting the radiation budget, visibility, and cloud formation. During the DC3 and SEAC4RS field campaigns (>300 total flight hours), measurements were made over 32 US states, Canada, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico, between the surface and 41,000 feet ASL. The aircraft research payloads included a suite of in-situ aerosol and gas phase instruments. The Differential Aerosol Sizing and Hygroscopicity Spectrometer Probe (DASH-SP) and the Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) humidified nephelometer instrument applied different techniques to measure water uptake by aerosol particles at prescribed relative humidity values. Size-resolved growth factor (GF ≡ Dp,wet/Dp,dry) measurements by the DASH-SP are compared to bulk scattering measurements (f(RH) ≡ σscat,wet/σscat,dry) by the LARGE instrument. Spatial location and volatile organic compound tracers such as isoprene and acetonitrile are used to classify the origin of distinct air masses, including: forest fires, biogenic-emitting forests, agricultural use lands, marine boundary layer, urban, and rural background. Analyses of GF results by air mass origin are reported and results are compared with f(RH) measurements. A parameterization between the f(RH) and GF measurements and its potential uses are discussed.

ITAR: A modified TAR method to determine depth dose distribution for an ophthalmic device that performs kilovoltage x-ray pencil-beam stereotaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanlon, Justin, E-mail: jhanlon@orayainc.com; Chell, Erik; Firpo, Michael

2014-02-15

Purpose: New technology has been developed to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using 100 kVp pencil-beams that enter the patient through the radio-resistant sclera with a depth of interest between 1.6 and 2.6 cm. Measurement of reference and relative dose in a kilovoltage x-ray beam with a 0.42 cm diameter field size and a 15 cm source to axis distance (SAD) is a challenge that is not fully addressed in current guidelines to medical physicists. AAPM's TG-61 gives dosimetry recommendations for low and medium energy x-rays, but not all of them are feasible to follow for this modality. Methods: Anmore » investigation was conducted to select appropriate equipment for the application. PTW's Type 34013 Soft X-Ray Chamber (Freiburg, Germany) and CIRS's Plastic Water LR (Norfolk, VA) were found to be the best available options. Attenuation curves were measured with minimal scatter contribution and thus called Low Scatter Tissue Air Ratio (LSTAR). A scatter conversion coefficient (C{sub scat}) was derived through Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation using MCNPX (LANL, Los Alamos, NM) to quantify the difference between a traditional TAR curve and the LSTAR curve. A material conversion coefficient (C{sub mat}) was determined through experimentation to evaluate the difference in attenuation properties between water and Plastic Water LR. Validity of performing direct dosimetry measurements with a source to detector distance other than the treatment distance, and therefore a different field size due to a fixed collimator, was explored. A method—Integrated Tissue Air Ratio (ITAR)—has been developed that isolates each of the three main radiological effects (distance from source, attenuation, and scatter) during measurement, and integrates them to determine the dose rate to the macula during treatment. Results: LSTAR curves were determined to be field size independent within the range explored, indicating that direct dosimetry measurements may be performed with a source to detector distance of 20 cm even though the SAD is 15 cm during treatment. C{sub scat} varied from 1.102 to 1.106 within the range of depths of interest. The experimental variance among repeated measurements of C{sub mat} was larger than depth dependence, so C{sub mat} was estimated as1.019 for all depths of interest. Conclusions: Equipment selection, measurement techniques, and formalism for the determination of dose rate to the macula during stereotaxy for AMD have been determined and are strongly recommended by the authors of this paper to be used by clinical medical physicists.« less

Establishing aeolian particulate 'fingerprints' in an airport environment using magnetic measurements and SEM/EDAX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Sue; Hoon, Stephen R.; Richardson, Nigel; Bennett, Michael

2016-04-01

The significant increase in global air travel which has occurred during the last fifty years has generated growing concern regarding the potential impacts associated with increasing emissions of particulate matter (PM) from aviation activity on health and the environment. PM within the airport environment, in particular, may be derived from a wide range of potential sources including aircraft; vehicles; ground support equipment and buildings. In order to investigate and remediate potential problem sources, it is important to be able to identify characteristic particulate 'fingerprints' which would allow source attribution, particularly respirable particulates. To date the identification of such 'fingerprints' has remained elusive but remains a key research priority for the aviation industry (Webb et al, 2008). In previous PM studies, environmental magnetism has been used as a successful technique for discriminating between different emission types and particulate sources in both urban and industrial environments (e.g. Hunt et al 1984; Lecoanet et al 2003, Jones et al 2015). Environmental magnetism is a non-destructive and relatively rapid technique involving the use of non-directional, rock magnetic measurements to characterise the mineral magnetic properties of natural and anthropogenic materials. In other studies scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has also been used as an effective characterisation technique for the investigation of grain size and morphology of PM derived from vehicle emissions (e.g. Bucko et al 2010) and fossil fuel combustion sources (Kim et al 2009). In this study, environmental magnetic measurements and SEM/EDAX have been used to characterise dusts from specific aircraft sources including engines, brakes and tyres. Furthermore, these methods have also been applied to runway (both hard and grass covered surfaces), taxiway and apron dusts collected during extensive environmental sampling at Manchester International Airport, UK in order to investigate source attribution. The results indicate that the dusts collected from the various aircraft sources (i.e. engines, brakes and tyres) are significantly different in terms of magnetic mineral type and grain size. Furthermore, particulates deposited at different locations on the runway surface show significant differentiation in magnetic grain size and mineralogy which when compared with the results from the different aircraft sources suggest that they may relate to emissions from different sources at various stages of the take/off landing cycle. Results of SEM/EDAX analysis show that aircraft engine, brake and tyre dust particulates vary significantly in terms of morphology and chemical composition. All sources include respirable (sub 10 micron) particulates. Engine dusts are carbon and silicon rich dominated by angular particulates. They have a distinctive chemical composition including Chromium, Cobalt and Nickel. Tyre dusts are predominantly carbon based dominated by spherical particulates and a unique presence of Zinc. Brake dusts, carbon and oxygen dominated and trace metals, include sub-angular particulates but an absence of the characteristic engine and tyre dusts metals. By combining SEM/EDAX measurements and magnetic measurements we are establishing potential fingerprints for particulates from ground based air transport activities to enable identification of potential health hazards. This will help inform management plans for reduction of associated risks to the environment and health. References Bucko, M., Magiera, T., Pesonen, L., Janus, B. (2010) 'Magnetic, geochemical and microstructural characteristics of road dust on roadsides with different traffic volumes - Case study from Finland' Water, Air and Soil Pollution 209, pp. 295-306. Hunt, A., Jones, J. and Oldfield, F. (1984) 'Magnetic measurements and heavy metals in atmospheric particulates of anthropogenic origin' The Science of the Total Environment 33, 129-139. Jones, S., Richardson, N., Bennett, M. and Hoon, S.R. (2015) The application of magnetic measurements for the characterization of atmospheric particulate pollution within the airport environment. Science of the Total Environment., 502 pp.385-390 Kim, W., Doh, S., Yu, Y. (2009) 'Anthropogenic contribution of magnetic particulates in urban roadside dust' Atmospheric Environment 43 (19) pp.3137-3144. Lecoanet, H., Leveque, F. and Ambrosi, J.P. (2003) 'Combination of magnetic parameters: an efficient way to discriminate soil-contamination sources (south France)' Environmental Pollution 122, 229-234. Webb, S., Whitefield, P.D., Miake-Lye, R.C., Timko, M.T. and Thrasher, T.G. (2008) 'ACRP Report 6: Research needs associated with particulate emissions at airports'. Transportation Research Board'.

The application of magnetic measurements for the characterization of atmospheric particulate pollution within the airport environment.

PubMed

Jones, S; Richardson, N; Bennett, M; Hoon, S R

2015-01-01

The significant increase in global air travel which has occurred during the last fifty years has generated growing concern regarding the potential impacts associated with increasing emissions of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) on health and the environment. PM within the airport environment may be derived from a range of sources. To date, however, the identification of individual sources of airport derived PM has remained elusive but constitutes a research priority for the aviation industry.The aim of this research was to identify distinctive and characteristic fingerprints of atmospheric PM derived from various sources in an airport environment through the use of environmental magnetic measurements. PM samples from aircraft engine emissions, brake wear and tire wear residues have been obtained from a range of different aircraft and engine types. Samples have been analyzed utilizing a range of magnetic mineral properties indicative of magnetic mineralogy and grain size. Results indicate that the dusts from the three 'aircraft' sources, (i.e. engines, brakes and tires) display distinctive magnetic mineral characteristics which may serve as 'magnetic fingerprints' for these sources. Magnetic measurements of runway dusts collected at different locations on the runway surface also show contrasting magnetic characteristics which, when compared with those of the aircraft-derived samples, suggest that they may relate to different sources characteristic of aircraft emissions at various stages of the take-off/landing cycle. The findings suggest that magnetic measurements could have wider applicability for the differentiation and identification of PM within the airport environment.

Misattributing the Source of Self-Generated Representations Related to Dissociative and Psychotic Symptoms

PubMed Central

Chiu, Chui-De; Tseng, Mei-Chih Meg; Chien, Yi-Ling; Liao, Shih-Cheng; Liu, Chih-Min; Yeh, Yei-Yu; Hwu, Hai-Gwo

2016-01-01

Objective: An intertwined relationship has been found between dissociative and psychotic symptoms, as the two symptom clusters frequently co-occur, suggesting some shared risk factors. Using a source monitoring paradigm, previous studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia made more errors in source monitoring, suggesting that a weakened sense of individuality may be associated with psychotic symptoms. However, no studies have verified a relationship between sense of individuality and dissociation, and it is unclear whether an altered sense of individuality is a shared sociocognitive deficit underlying both dissociation and psychosis. Method: Data from 80 acute psychiatric patients with unspecified mental disorders were analyzed to test the hypothesis that an altered sense of individuality underlies dissociation and psychosis. Behavioral tasks, including tests of intelligence and source monitoring, as well as interview schedules and self-report measures of dissociative and psychotic symptoms, general psychopathology, and trauma history, were administered. Results: Significant correlations of medium effect sizes indicated an association between errors attributing the source of self-generated items and positive psychotic symptoms and the absorption and amnesia measures of dissociation. The associations with dissociative measures remained significant after the effects of intelligence, general psychopathology, and trauma history were excluded. Moreover, the relationships between source misattribution and dissociative measures remained marginally significant and significant after controlling for positive and negative psychotic symptoms, respectively. Limitations: Self-reported measures were collected from a small sample, and most of the participants were receiving medications when tested, which may have influenced their cognitive performance. Conclusions: A tendency to misidentify the source of self-generated items characterized both dissociation and psychosis. An altered sense of individuality embedded in self-referential representations appears to be a common sociocognitive deficit of dissociation and psychosis. PMID:27148147

Characterization of aerosol particles at the forested site in Lithuania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimselyte, I.; Garbaras, A.; Kvietkus, K.; Remeikis, V.

2009-04-01

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM), especially fine particles (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 1 m, PM1), has been found to play an important role in global climate change, air quality, and human health. The continuous study of aerosol parameters is therefore imperative for better understanding the environmental effects of the atmospheric particles, as well as their sources, formation and transformation processes. The particle size distribution is particularly important, since this physical parameter determines the mass and number density, lifetime and atmospheric transport, or optical scattering behavior of the particles in the atmosphere (Jaenicke, 1998). Over the years several efforts have been made to improve the knowledge about the chemical composition of atmospheric particles as a function of size (Samara and Voutsa, 2005) and to characterize the relative contribution of different components to the fine particulate matter. It is well established that organic materials constitute a highly variable fraction of the atmospheric aerosol. This fraction is predominantly found in the fine size mode in concentrations ranging from 10 to 70% of the total dry fine particle mass (Middlebrook et al., 1998). Although organic compounds are major components of the fine particles, the composition, formation mechanism of organic aerosols are not well understood. This is because particulate organic matter is part of a complex atmospheric system with hundreds of different compounds, both natural and anthropogenic, covering a wide range of chemical properties. The aim of this study was to characterize the forest PM1, and investigate effects of air mass transport on the aerosol size distribution and chemical composition, estimate and provide insights into the sources and characteristics of carbonaceous aerosols through analysis ^13C/12C isotopic ratio as a function of the aerosol particles size. The measurements were performed at the Rugšteliškis integrated monitoring station (55˚ 26'26"N; 26˚ 03'60"E) in the eastern part of Lithuania in the Aukštaitija national park during 2-24 July, 2008. The Rugšteliškis station is located in a remote relatively clean forested area. An aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), developed at Aerodyne Research, was used to obtain real-time quantitative information on particle size-resolved mass loadings for volatile and semi-volatile chemical components present in/on ambient aerosol. The AMS inlet system allows 100 % transmission efficiency for particles with size diameter between 60 to 600 nm and partial transmission down to 20 nm and up to 2000 nm. The aerosol sampling was also carried out using a Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) model 110. The flow rate was 30 l/min, and the 50% aerodynamic cutoff diameters of the 10 stages were 18, 10, 5.6, 3.2, 1.8, 1.0, 0.56, 0.32, 0.18, 0.10 and 0.056 m. Aluminum foil was used as the impaction surface. The aerosol samples were analyzed for total carbon using the elemental analyzer (Flash EA1112). Besides, samples were analyzed for ^13C/12C ratio by the isotopic ratio mass spectrometer (Thermo Finnigan Delta Plus Advantage) (Norman et al., 1999; Garbaras et al., 2008). During campaign the dynamic behavior of aerosols was measured and quantitatively compared with meteorological conditions and air mass transport. The submicron aerosol was predominately sulphate and organic material. The AMS was able to discriminate and quantify mixed organic/inorganic accumulation mode particles (300 - 400 nm), which appeared to be dominated by regional sources and were of the origin similar to those seen in the more remote areas. The particulate organic fraction was also investigated in detail using the mass spectral data. By combining the organic matter size distribution (measured with AMS) with the total carbon (TC) size distribution (measured with MOUDI) we were able to report organic carbon to total carbon (OC/TC) ratio in different size particles. Furthermore, we measured TC ^13C/12C isotopic ratio on each cascade. This ratio contributed to identifying sources of carbonaceous species. References Garbaras, A., Andriejauskiene, J., Bariseviciute, R., Remeikis, V., 2008. Tracing of atmospheric aerosol sources using stable carbon isotopes. Lithuanian J. Phys. 48, 259-264. Jaenicke, R., 1998. Atmospheric aerosol size distribution. In: Harrison, R.M., van Grieken, R.E. (Eds.), Atmospheric Particles. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp. 1-28. Middlebrook, A.M., Murphy, D.M., Thomson, D.S., 1998. Observations of organic material in individual marine particles at Cape Grim during the first aerosol characterization experiment (ACE 1). Journal of Geophysical Research 103, 16475-16483. Norman, A.L., Hopper, J.F., Blanchard, P., Ernst, D., Brice, K., Alexandrou, N., Klouda, G., 1999. The stable carbon isotope composition of atmospheric PAHs. Atmospheric Environment 33 (17), 2807-2814. Samara, C., Voutsa, D., 2005. Size distribution of airborne particulate matter and associated heavy metals in the roadside environment. Chemosphere 59, 1197-1206.

Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Thrust Augmentation Using a Speaker-Driven Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wernet, Mark P.; John, Wentworth T.

2007-01-01

An experimental investigation is described in which a simple speaker-driven jet was used as a pulsed thrust source (driver) for an ejector configuration. The objectives of the investigation were twofold. The first was to expand the experimental body of evidence showing that an unsteady thrust source, combined with a properly sized ejector generally yields higher thrust augmentation values than a similarly sized, steady driver of equivalent thrust. The second objective was to identify characteristics of the unsteady driver that may be useful for sizing ejectors, and for predicting the thrust augmentation levels that may be achieved. The speaker-driven jet provided a convenient source for the investigation because it is entirely unsteady (i.e., it has no mean velocity component) and because relevant parameters such as frequency, time-averaged thrust, and diameter are easily variable. The experimental setup will be described, as will the two main measurements techniques employed. These are thrust and digital particle imaging velocimetry of the driver. It will be shown that thrust augmentation values as high as 1.8 were obtained, that the diameter of the best ejector scaled with the dimensions of the emitted vortex, and that the so-called formation time serves as a useful dimensionless parameter by which to characterize the jet and predict performance.

Large-region acoustic source mapping using a movable array and sparse covariance fitting.

PubMed

Zhao, Shengkui; Tuna, Cagdas; Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Tho; Jones, Douglas L

2017-01-01

Large-region acoustic source mapping is important for city-scale noise monitoring. Approaches using a single-position measurement scheme to scan large regions using small arrays cannot provide clean acoustic source maps, while deploying large arrays spanning the entire region of interest is prohibitively expensive. A multiple-position measurement scheme is applied to scan large regions at multiple spatial positions using a movable array of small size. Based on the multiple-position measurement scheme, a sparse-constrained multiple-position vectorized covariance matrix fitting approach is presented. In the proposed approach, the overall sample covariance matrix of the incoherent virtual array is first estimated using the multiple-position array data and then vectorized using the Khatri-Rao (KR) product. A linear model is then constructed for fitting the vectorized covariance matrix and a sparse-constrained reconstruction algorithm is proposed for recovering source powers from the model. The user parameter settings are discussed. The proposed approach is tested on a 30 m × 40 m region and a 60 m × 40 m region using simulated and measured data. Much cleaner acoustic source maps and lower sound pressure level errors are obtained compared to the beamforming approaches and the previous sparse approach [Zhao, Tuna, Nguyen, and Jones, Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) (2016)].

SpotMetrics: An Open-Source Image-Analysis Software Plugin for Automatic Chromatophore Detection and Measurement.

PubMed

Hadjisolomou, Stavros P; El-Haddad, George

2017-01-01

Coleoid cephalopods (squid, octopus, and sepia) are renowned for their elaborate body patterning capabilities, which are employed for camouflage or communication. The specific chromatic appearance of a cephalopod, at any given moment, is a direct result of the combined action of their intradermal pigmented chromatophore organs and reflecting cells. Therefore, a lot can be learned about the cephalopod coloration system by video recording and analyzing the activation of individual chromatophores in time. The fact that adult cephalopods have small chromatophores, up to several hundred thousand in number, makes measurement and analysis over several seconds a difficult task. However, current advancements in videography enable high-resolution and high framerate recording, which can be used to record chromatophore activity in more detail and accuracy in both space and time domains. In turn, the additional pixel information and extra frames per video from such recordings result in large video files of several gigabytes, even when the recording spans only few minutes. We created a software plugin, "SpotMetrics," that can automatically analyze high resolution, high framerate video of chromatophore organ activation in time. This image analysis software can track hundreds of individual chromatophores over several hundred frames to provide measurements of size and color. This software may also be used to measure differences in chromatophore activation during different behaviors which will contribute to our understanding of the cephalopod sensorimotor integration system. In addition, this software can potentially be utilized to detect numbers of round objects and size changes in time, such as eye pupil size or number of bacteria in a sample. Thus, we are making this software plugin freely available as open-source because we believe it will be of benefit to other colleagues both in the cephalopod biology field and also within other disciplines.

NEMA NU 2-2007 performance measurements of the Siemens Inveon™ preclinical small animal PET system

PubMed Central

Kemp, Brad J; Hruska, Carrie B; McFarland, Aaron R; Lenox, Mark W; Lowe, Val J

2010-01-01

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 2-2007 performance measurements were conducted on the Inveon™ preclinical small animal PET system developed by Siemens Medical Solutions. The scanner uses 1.51 × 1.51 × 10 mm LSO crystals grouped in 20 × 20 blocks; a tapered light guide couples the LSO crystals of a block to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. There are 80 rings with 320 crystals per ring and the ring diameter is 161 mm. The transaxial and axial fields of view (FOVs) are 100 and 127 mm, respectively. The scanner can be docked to a CT scanner; the performance characteristics of the CT component are not included herein. Performance measurements of spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance were obtained for different energy windows and coincidence timing window widths. For brevity, the results described here are for an energy window of 350–650 keV and a coincidence timing window of 3.43 ns. The spatial resolution at the center of the transaxial and axial FOVs was 1.56, 1.62 and 2.12 mm in the tangential, radial and axial directions, respectively, and the system sensitivity was 36.2 cps kBq−1 for a line source (7.2% for a point source). For mouse- and rat-sized phantoms, the scatter fraction was 5.7% and 14.6%, respectively. The peak noise equivalent count rate with a noisy randoms estimate was 1475 kcps at 130 MBq for the mouse-sized phantom and 583 kcps at 74 MBq for the rat-sized phantom. The performance measurements indicate that the Inveon™ PET scanner is a high-resolution tomograph with excellent sensitivity that is capable of imaging at a high count rate. PMID:19321924

NEMA NU 2-2007 performance measurements of the Siemens Inveon™ preclinical small animal PET system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemp, Brad J.; Hruska, Carrie B.; McFarland, Aaron R.; Lenox, Mark W.; Lowe, Val J.

2009-04-01

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 2-2007 performance measurements were conducted on the Inveon™ preclinical small animal PET system developed by Siemens Medical Solutions. The scanner uses 1.51 × 1.51 × 10 mm LSO crystals grouped in 20 × 20 blocks; a tapered light guide couples the LSO crystals of a block to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. There are 80 rings with 320 crystals per ring and the ring diameter is 161 mm. The transaxial and axial fields of view (FOVs) are 100 and 127 mm, respectively. The scanner can be docked to a CT scanner; the performance characteristics of the CT component are not included herein. Performance measurements of spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance were obtained for different energy windows and coincidence timing window widths. For brevity, the results described here are for an energy window of 350-650 keV and a coincidence timing window of 3.43 ns. The spatial resolution at the center of the transaxial and axial FOVs was 1.56, 1.62 and 2.12 mm in the tangential, radial and axial directions, respectively, and the system sensitivity was 36.2 cps kBq-1 for a line source (7.2% for a point source). For mouse- and rat-sized phantoms, the scatter fraction was 5.7% and 14.6%, respectively. The peak noise equivalent count rate with a noisy randoms estimate was 1475 kcps at 130 MBq for the mouse-sized phantom and 583 kcps at 74 MBq for the rat-sized phantom. The performance measurements indicate that the Inveon™ PET scanner is a high-resolution tomograph with excellent sensitivity that is capable of imaging at a high count rate.

Calibration of optical particle-size analyzer

DOEpatents

Pechin, William H.; Thacker, Louis H.; Turner, Lloyd J.

1979-01-01

This invention relates to a system for the calibration of an optical particle-size analyzer of the light-intercepting type for spherical particles, wherein a rotary wheel or disc is provided with radially-extending wires of differing diameters, each wire corresponding to a particular equivalent spherical particle diameter. These wires are passed at an appropriate frequency between the light source and the light detector of the analyzer. The reduction of light as received at the detector is a measure of the size of the wire, and the electronic signal may then be adjusted to provide the desired signal for corresponding spherical particles. This calibrator may be operated at any time without interrupting other processing.

Ambipolar ion acceleration in an expanding magnetic nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longmier, Benjamin W.; Bering, Edgar A., III; Carter, Mark D.; Cassady, Leonard D.; Chancery, William J.; Díaz, Franklin R. Chang; Glover, Tim W.; Hershkowitz, Noah; Ilin, Andrew V.; McCaskill, Greg E.; Olsen, Chris S.; Squire, Jared P.

2011-02-01

The helicon plasma stage in the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR®) VX-200i device was used to characterize an axial plasma potential profile within an expanding magnetic nozzle region of the laboratory based device. The ion acceleration mechanism is identified as an ambipolar electric field produced by an electron pressure gradient, resulting in a local axial ion speed of Mach 4 downstream of the magnetic nozzle. A 20 eV argon ion kinetic energy was measured in the helicon source, which had a peak magnetic field strength of 0.17 T. The helicon plasma source was operated with 25 mg s-1 argon propellant and 30 kW of RF power. The maximum measured values of plasma density and electron temperature within the exhaust plume were 1 × 1020 m-3 and 9 eV, respectively. The measured plasma density is nearly an order of magnitude larger than previously reported steady-state helicon plasma sources. The exhaust plume also exhibits a 95% to 100% ionization fraction. The size scale and spatial location of the plasma potential structure in the expanding magnetic nozzle region appear to follow the size scale and spatial location of the expanding magnetic field. The thickness of the potential structure was found to be 104 to 105 λDe depending on the local electron temperature in the magnetic nozzle, many orders of magnitude larger than typical laboratory double layer structures. The background plasma density and neutral argon pressure were 1015 m-3 and 2 × 10-5 Torr, respectively, in a 150 m3 vacuum chamber during operation of the helicon plasma source. The agreement between the measured plasma potential and plasma potential that was calculated from an ambipolar ion acceleration analysis over the bulk of the axial distance where the potential drop was located is a strong confirmation of the ambipolar acceleration process.

Proposal of AAA-battery-size one-shot ATR Fourier spectroscopic imager for on-site analysis: Simultaneous measurement of multi-components with high accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosono, Satsuki; Qi, Wei; Sato, Shun; Suzuki, Yo; Fujiwara, Masaru; Hiramatsu, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Satoru; Abeygunawardhana, P. K. W.; Wada, Kenji; Nishiyama, Akira; Ishimaru, Ichiro

2015-03-01

For simultaneous measurement of multi-components on-site like factories, the ultra-compact (diameter: 9[mm], length: 45[mm], weight: 200[g]) one-shot ATR (Attenuated Total Reflection) Fourier spectroscopic imager was proposed. Because the proposed one-shot Fourier spectroscopic imaging is based on spatial-phase-shift interferometer, interferograms could be obtained with simple optical configurations. We introduced the transmission-type relativeinclined phase-shifter, that was constructed with a cuboid prism and a wedge prism, onto the optical Fourier transform plane of infinity corrected optical systems. And also, small light-sources and cameras in the mid-infrared light region, whose size are several millimeter on a side, are essential components for the ultra-compact spectroscopic configuration. We selected the Graphite light source (light source area: 1.7×1.7[mm], maker: Hawkeye technologies) whose radiation factor was high. Fortunately, in these days we could apply the cost-effective 2-dimensional light receiving device for smartphone (e.g. product name: LEPTON, maker: FLIR, price: around 400USD). In the case of alcoholic drinks factory, conventionally workers measure glucose and ethanol concentrations by bringing liquid solution back to laboratories every day. The high portable spectroscopy will make it possible to measure multi-components simultaneously on manufacturing scene. But we found experimentally that absorption spectrum of glucose and water and ethanol were overlapped each other in near infrared light region. But for mid-infrared light region, we could distinguish specific absorption peaks of glucose (@10.5[μm]) and ethanol (@11.5[μm]) independently from water absorption. We obtained standard curve between absorption (@9.6[μm]) and ethanol concentration with high correlation coefficient 0.98 successfully by ATR imaging-type 2-dimensional Fourier spectroscopy (wavelength resolution: 0.057[μm]) with the graphite light source (maker: Hawkeye technologies, type: IR-75).

Instant Grainification: Real-Time Grain-Size Analysis from Digital Images in the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, D. M.; Chezar, H.

2007-12-01

Over the past few years, digital cameras and underwater microscopes have been developed to collect in-situ images of sand-sized bed sediment, and software has been developed to measure grain size from those digital images (Chezar and Rubin, 2004; Rubin, 2004; Rubin et al., 2006). Until now, all image processing and grain- size analysis was done back in the office where images were uploaded from cameras and processed on desktop computers. Computer hardware has become small and rugged enough to process images in the field, which for the first time allows real-time grain-size analysis of sand-sized bed sediment. We present such a system consisting of weatherproof tablet computer, open source image-processing software (autocorrelation code of Rubin, 2004, running under Octave and Cygwin), and digital camera with macro lens. Chezar, H., and Rubin, D., 2004, Underwater microscope system: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, patent number 6,680,795, January 20, 2004. Rubin, D.M., 2004, A simple autocorrelation algorithm for determining grain size from digital images of sediment: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 74, p. 160-165. Rubin, D.M., Chezar, H., Harney, J.N., Topping, D.J., Melis, T.S., and Sherwood, C.R., 2006, Underwater microscope for measuring spatial and temporal changes in bed-sediment grain size: USGS Open-File Report 2006-1360.

Strain-Based Damage Determination Using Finite Element Analysis for Structural Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hochhalter, Jacob D.; Krishnamurthy, Thiagaraja; Aguilo, Miguel A.

2016-01-01

A damage determination method is presented that relies on in-service strain sensor measurements. The method employs a gradient-based optimization procedure combined with the finite element method for solution to the forward problem. It is demonstrated that strains, measured at a limited number of sensors, can be used to accurately determine the location, size, and orientation of damage. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the general procedure. This work is motivated by the need to provide structural health management systems with a real-time damage characterization. The damage cases investigated herein are characteristic of point-source damage, which can attain critical size during flight. The procedure described can be used to provide prognosis tools with the current damage configuration.

A microwave interferometer for small and tenuous plasma density measurements.

PubMed

Tudisco, O; Lucca Fabris, A; Falcetta, C; Accatino, L; De Angelis, R; Manente, M; Ferri, F; Florean, M; Neri, C; Mazzotta, C; Pavarin, D; Pollastrone, F; Rocchi, G; Selmo, A; Tasinato, L; Trezzolani, F; Tuccillo, A A

2013-03-01

The non-intrusive density measurement of the thin plasma produced by a mini-helicon space thruster (HPH.com project) is a challenge, due to the broad density range (between 10(16) m(-3) and 10(19) m(-3)) and the small size of the plasma source (2 cm of diameter). A microwave interferometer has been developed for this purpose. Due to the small size of plasma, the probing beam wavelength must be small (λ = 4 mm), thus a very high sensitivity interferometer is required in order to observe the lower density values. A low noise digital phase detector with a phase noise of 0.02° has been used, corresponding to a density of 0.5 × 10(16) m(-3).

Particle size distribution of the stratospheric aerosol from SCIAMACHY limb measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozanov, Alexei; Malinina, Elizaveta; Bovensmann, Heinrich; Burrows, John

2017-04-01

A crucial role of the stratospheric aerosols for the radiative budget of the Earth's atmosphere and the consequences for the climate change are widely recognized. A reliable knowledge on physical and optical properties of the stratospheric aerosols as well as on their vertical and spatial distributing is a key issue to assure a proper initialization and running conditions for climate models. On a global scale this information can only be gained from space borne measurements. While a series of past, present and future instruments provide extensive date sets of such aerosol characteristics as extinction coefficient or backscattering ratio, information on a size distribution of the stratospheric aerosols is sparse. One of the important sources on vertically and spatially resolved information on the particle size distribution of stratospheric aerosols is provided by space borne measurements of the scattered solar light in limb viewing geometry performed in visible, near-infrared and short-wave infrared spectral ranges. SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) instrument operated on the European satellite Envisat from 2002 to 2102 was capable of providing spectral information needed to retrieve parameters of aerosol particle size distributions. In this presentation we discuss the retrieval method, present first validation results with SAGE II data and analyze first data sets of stratospheric aerosol particle size distribution parameters obtained from SCIAMACHY limb measurements. The research work was performed in the framework of ROMIC (Role of the middle atmosphere in climate) project.

Day and night variation in chemical composition and toxicological responses of size segregated urban air PM samples in a high air pollution situation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalava, P. I.; Wang, Q.; Kuuspalo, K.; Ruusunen, J.; Hao, L.; Fang, D.; Väisänen, O.; Ruuskanen, A.; Sippula, O.; Happo, M. S.; Uski, O.; Kasurinen, S.; Torvela, T.; Koponen, H.; Lehtinen, K. E. J.; Komppula, M.; Gu, C.; Jokiniemi, J.; Hirvonen, M.-R.

2015-11-01

Urban air particulate pollution is a known cause for adverse human health effects worldwide. China has encountered air quality problems in recent years due to rapid industrialization. Toxicological effects induced by particulate air pollution vary with particle sizes and season. However, it is not known how distinctively different photochemical activity and different emission sources during the day and the night affect the chemical composition of the PM size ranges and subsequently how it is reflected to the toxicological properties of the PM exposures. The particulate matter (PM) samples were collected in four different size ranges (PM10-2.5; PM2.5-1; PM1-0.2 and PM0.2) with a high volume cascade impactor. The PM samples were extracted with methanol, dried and thereafter used in the chemical and toxicological analyses. RAW264.7 macrophages were exposed to the particulate samples in four different doses for 24 h. Cytotoxicity, inflammatory parameters, cell cycle and genotoxicity were measured after exposure of the cells to particulate samples. Particles were characterized for their chemical composition, including ions, element and PAH compounds, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to take images of the PM samples. Chemical composition and the induced toxicological responses of the size segregated PM samples showed considerable size dependent differences as well as day to night variation. The PM10-2.5 and the PM0.2 samples had the highest inflammatory potency among the size ranges. Instead, almost all the PM samples were equally cytotoxic and only minor differences were seen in genotoxicity and cell cycle effects. Overall, the PM0.2 samples had the highest toxic potential among the different size ranges in many parameters. PAH compounds in the samples and were generally more abundant during the night than the day, indicating possible photo-oxidation of the PAH compounds due to solar radiation. This was reflected to different toxicity in the PM samples. Some of the day to night difference may have been caused also by differing wind directions transporting air masses from different emission sources during the day and the night. The present findings indicate the important role of the local particle sources and atmospheric processes on the health related toxicological properties of the PM. The varying toxicological responses evoked by the PM samples showed the importance of examining various particle sizes. Especially the detected considerable toxicological activity by PM0.2 size range suggests they're attributable to combustion sources, new particle formation and atmospheric processes.

Aerosol measurements during COPE: composition, size, and sources of CCN and INPs at the interface between marine and terrestrial influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Jonathan W.; Choularton, Thomas W.; Blyth, Alan M.; Flynn, Michael J.; Williams, Paul I.; Young, Gillian; Bower, Keith N.; Crosier, Jonathan; Gallagher, Martin W.; Dorsey, James R.; Liu, Zixia; Rosenberg, Philip D.

2016-09-01

Heavy rainfall from convective clouds can lead to devastating flash flooding, and observations of aerosols and clouds are required to improve cloud parameterisations used in precipitation forecasts. We present measurements of boundary layer aerosol concentration, size, and composition from a series of research flights performed over the southwest peninsula of the UK during the COnvective Precipitation Experiment (COPE) of summer 2013. We place emphasis on periods of southwesterly winds, which locally are most conducive to convective cloud formation, when marine air from the Atlantic reached the peninsula. Accumulation-mode aerosol mass loadings were typically 2-3 µg m-3 (corrected to standard cubic metres at 1013.25 hPa and 273.15 K), the majority of which was sulfuric acid over the sea, or ammonium sulfate inland, as terrestrial ammonia sources neutralised the aerosol. The cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations in these conditions were ˜ 150-280 cm-3 at 0.1 % and 400-500 cm-3 at 0.9 % supersaturation (SST), which are in good agreement with previous Atlantic measurements, and the cloud drop concentrations at cloud base ranged from 100 to 500 cm-3. The concentration of CCN at 0.1 % SST was well correlated with non-sea-salt sulfate, meaning marine sulfate formation was likely the main source of CCN. Marine organic aerosol (OA) had a similar mass spectrum to previous measurements of sea spray OA and was poorly correlated with CCN. In one case study that was significantly different to the rest, polluted anthropogenic emissions from the southern and central UK advected to the peninsula, with significant enhancements of OA, ammonium nitrate and sulfate, and black carbon. The CCN concentrations here were around 6 times higher than in the clean cases, and the cloud drop number concentrations were 3-4 times higher. Sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) were assessed by comparing different parameterisations used to predict INP concentrations, using measured aerosol concentrations as input. The parameterisations based on total aerosol produced INP concentrations that agreed within an order of magnitude with measured first ice concentrations at cloud temperatures as low as -12 °C. Composition-specific parameterisations for mineral dust, fluorescent particles, and sea spray OA were 3-4 orders of magnitude lower than the measured first ice concentrations, meaning a source of INPs was present that was not characterised by our measurements and/or one or more of the composition-specific parameterisations greatly underestimated INPs in this environment.

Monte Carlo skin dose simulation in intraoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer using spherical applicators.

PubMed

Moradi, F; Ung, N M; Khandaker, M U; Mahdiraji, G A; Saad, M; Abdul Malik, R; Bustam, A Z; Zaili, Z; Bradley, D A

2017-07-28

The relatively new treatment modality electronic intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is gaining popularity, irradiation being obtained within a surgically produced cavity being delivered via a low-energy x-ray source and spherical applicators, primarily for early stage breast cancer. Due to the spatially dramatic dose-rate fall off with radial distance from the source and effects related to changes in the beam quality of the low keV photon spectra, dosimetric account of the Intrabeam system is rather complex. Skin dose monitoring in IORT is important due to the high dose prescription per treatment fraction. In this study, modeling of the x-ray source and related applicators were performed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code. The dosimetric characteristics of the model were validated against measured data obtained using an ionization chamber and EBT3 film as dosimeters. By using a simulated breast phantom, absorbed doses to the skin for different combinations of applicator size (1.5-5 cm) and treatment depth (0.5-3 cm) were calculated. Simulation results showed overdosing of the skin (>30% of prescribed dose) at a treatment depth of 0.5 cm using applicator sizes larger than 1.5 cm. Skin doses were significantly increased with applicator size, insofar as delivering 12 Gy (60% of the prescribed dose) to skin for the largest sized applicator (5 cm diameter) and treatment depth of 0.5 cm. It is concluded that the recommended 0.5-1 cm distance between the skin and applicator surface does not guarantee skin safety and skin dose is generally more significant in cases with the larger applicators. • Intrabeam x-ray source and spherical applicators were simulated and skin dose was calculated. • Skin dose for constant skin to applicator distance strongly depends on applicator size. • Use of larger applicators generally results in higher skin dose. • The recommended 0.5-1 cm skin to applicator distance does not guarantee skin safety.

Performance of personal inhalable aerosol samplers in very slowly moving air when facing the aerosol source.

PubMed

Witschger, O; Grinshpun, S A; Fauvel, S; Basso, G

2004-06-01

While personal aerosol samplers have been characterized primarily based on wind tunnel tests conducted at relatively high wind speeds, modern indoor occupational environments are usually represented by very slow moving air. Recent surveys suggest that elevated levels of occupational exposure to inhalable airborne particles are typically observed when the worker, operating in the vicinity of the dust source, faces the source. Thus, the first objective of this study was to design and test a new, low cost experimental protocol for measuring the sampling efficiency of personal inhalable aerosol samplers in the vicinity of the aerosol source when the samplers operate in very slowly moving air. In this system, an aerosol generator, which is located in the centre of a room-sized non-ventilated chamber, continuously rotates and omnidirectionally disperses test particles of a specific size. The test and reference samplers are equally distributed around the source at the same distance from the centre and operate in parallel (in most of our experiments, the total number of simultaneously operating samplers was 15). Radial aerosol transport is driven by turbulent diffusion and some natural convection. For each specific particle size and the sampler, the aerosol mass concentration is measured by weighing the collection filter. The second objective was to utilize the new protocol to evaluate three widely used aerosol samplers: the IOM Personal Inhalable Sampler, the Button Personal Inhalable Aerosol Sampler and the 25 mm Millipore filter holder (closed-face C25 cassette). The sampling efficiencies of each instrument were measured with six particle fractions, ranging from 6.9 to 76.9 micro m in their mass median aerodynamic diameter. The Button Sampler efficiency data demonstrated a good agreement with the standard inhalable convention and especially with the low air movement inhalabilty curve. The 25 mm filter holder was found to considerably under-sample the particles larger than 10 micro m; its efficiency did not exceed 7% for particles of 40-100 micro m. The IOM Sampler facing the source was found to over-sample compared with the data obtained previously with a slowly rotating, freely suspended sampler in a low air movement environment. It was also found that the particle wall deposition in the IOM metallic cartridge was rather significant and particle size-dependent. For each sampler (IOM, Button and C25) the precision was characterized through the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the aerosol concentration obtained with identical samplers in a specific experiment. The average RSD was 14% for the IOM Sampler, 11% for the Button Sampler and 35% for the 25 mm filter cassette. A separate set of experiments, performed with the Simplified Torso showed that in very slowly moving air a personal sampler can be adequately evaluated even when it is not attached to a body but freely suspended (confirming the data reported previously).

Measurement Techniques for Hypervelocity Impact Test Fragments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Nicole E.

2008-01-01

The ability to classify the size and shape of individual orbital debris fragments provides a better understanding of the orbital debris environment as a whole. The characterization of breakup fragmentation debris has gradually evolved from a simplistic, spherical assumption towards that of describing debris in terms of size, material, and shape parameters. One of the goals of the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office is to develop high-accuracy techniques to measure these parameters and apply them to orbital debris observations. Measurement of the physical characteristics of debris resulting from groundbased, hypervelocity impact testing provides insight into the shapes and sizes of debris produced from potential impacts in orbit. Current techniques for measuring these ground-test fragments require determination of dimensions based upon visual judgment. This leads to reduced accuracy and provides little or no repeatability for the measurements. With the common goal of mitigating these error sources, allaying any misunderstandings, and moving forward in fragment shape determination, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office recently began using a computerized measurement system. The goal of using these new techniques is to improve knowledge of the relation between commonly used dimensions and overall shape. The immediate objective is to scan a single fragment, measure its size and shape properties, and import the fragment into a program that renders a 3D model that adequately demonstrates how the object could appear in orbit. This information would then be used to aid optical methods in orbital debris shape determination. This paper provides a description of the measurement techniques used in this initiative and shows results of this work. The tradeoffs of the computerized methods are discussed, as well as the means of repeatability in the measurements of these fragments. This paper serves as a general description of methods for the measurement and shape analysis of orbital debris.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

CorAL is a software Library designed to aid in the analysis of femtoscipic data. Femtoscopic data are a class of measured quantities used in heavy-ion collisions to characterize particle emitting source sizes. The most common type of this data is two-particle correleations induced by the Hanbury-Brown/Twiss (HBT) Effect, but can also include correlations induced by final-state interactions between pairs of emitted particles in a heavy-ion collision. Because heavy-ion collisions are complex many particle systems, modeling hydrodynamical models or hybrid techniques. Using the CRAB module, CorAL can turn the output from these models into something that can be directley compared tomore » experimental data. CorAL can also take the raw experimentally measured correlation functions and image them by inverting the Koonin-Pratt equation to extract the space-time emission profile of the particle emitting source. This source function can be further analyzed or directly compared to theoretical calculations.« less

Capsule implosions for continuum x-ray backlighting of opacity samples at the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Opachich, Y. P.; Heeter, R. F.; Barrios, M. A.; ...

2017-06-08

Direct drive implosions of plastic capsules have been performed at the National Ignition Facility to provide a broad-spectrum (500–2000 eV) X-ray continuum source for X-ray transmission spectroscopy. The source was developed for the high-temperature plasma opacity experimental platform. Initial experiments using 2.0 mm diameter polyalpha-methyl styrene capsules with ~20 μm thickness have been performed. X-ray yields of up to ~1 kJ/sr have been measured using the Dante multichannel diode array. The backlighter source size was measured to be ~100 μm FWHM, with ~350 ps pulse duration during the peak emission stage. Lastly, these results are used to simulate transmission spectramore » for a hypothetical iron opacity sample at 150 eV, enabling the derivation of photometrics requirements for future opacity experiments.« less

Capsule implosions for continuum x-ray backlighting of opacity samples at the National Ignition Facility.

PubMed

Opachich, Y P; Heeter, R F; Barrios, M A; Garcia, E M; Craxton, R S; King, J A; Liedahl, D A; McKenty, P W; Schneider, M B; May, M J; Zhang, R; Ross, P W; Kline, J L; Moore, A S; Weaver, J L; Flippo, K A; Perry, T S

2017-06-01

Direct drive implosions of plastic capsules have been performed at the National Ignition Facility to provide a broad-spectrum (500-2000 eV) X-ray continuum source for X-ray transmission spectroscopy. The source was developed for the high-temperature plasma opacity experimental platform. Initial experiments using 2.0 mm diameter polyalpha-methyl styrene capsules with ∼20  μ m thickness have been performed. X-ray yields of up to ∼1 kJ/sr have been measured using the Dante multichannel diode array. The backlighter source size was measured to be ∼100  μ m FWHM, with ∼350 ps pulse duration during the peak emission stage. Results are used to simulate transmission spectra for a hypothetical iron opacity sample at 150 eV, enabling the derivation of photometrics requirements for future opacity experiments.

Position and morphology of the compact non-thermal radio source at the Galactic Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcaide, J. M.; Alberdi, A.; Bartel, N.; Clark, T. A.; Corey, B. E.; Elosegui, P.; Gorenstein, M. V.; Guirado, J. C.; Kardashev, N.; Popov, M.

1992-01-01

We have determined with VLBI the position of the compact nonthermal radio source at the Galactic Center, commonly referred to as SgrA*, in the J2000.0 reference frame of extragalactic radio sources. We have also determined the size of SgrA* at 1.3, 3.6, and 13 cm wavelengths and found that the apparent size of the source increases proportionally to the observing wavelength squared, as expected from source size broadening by interstellar scattering and as reported previously by other authors. We have also established an upper limit of about 8 mJy at 3.6 cm wavelength for any ultracompact component. The actual size of the source is less than 15 AU. Fourier analysis of our very sensitive 3.6 cm observations of this source shows no significant variations of correlated flux density on time scales from 12 to 700 s.

Open-Filter Optical SSA Analysis Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, J.

2016-09-01

Optical Space Situational Awareness (SSA) sensors used for space object detection and orbit refinement measurements are typically operated in an "open-filter" mode without any spectral filters to maximize sensitivity and signal-to-noise. These same optical brightness measurements are often also employed for size determination (e.g., for orbital debris), object correlation, and object status change. These functions, especially when performed using multiple sensors, are highly dependent on sensor calibration for measurement accuracy. Open-filter SSA sensors are traditionally calibrated against the cataloged visual magnitudes of solar-type stars which have similar spectral distributions as the illuminating source, the Sun. The stellar calibration is performed to a high level of accuracy, a few hundredths of a magnitude, by observing many stars over a range of elevation angles to determine sensor, telescope, and atmospheric effects. However, space objects have individual color properties which alter the reflected solar illumination producing spectral distributions which differ from those of the calibration stars. When the stellar calibrations are applied to the space object measurements, visual magnitude values are obtained which are systematically biased. These magnitudes combined with the unknown Bond albedos of the space objects result in systematically biased size determinations which will differ between sensors. Measurements of satellites of known sizes and surface materials have been analyzed to characterize these effects. The results have combined into standardized Bond albedos to correct the measured magnitudes into object sizes. However, the actual albedo values will vary between objects and represent a mean correction subject to some uncertainty. The objective of this discussion is to characterize the sensor spectral biases that are present in open-filter optical observations and examine the resulting brightness and albedo uncertainties that should accompany object size, correlation, or status change determinations, especially in the SSA analyses of individual space objects using data from multiple sensors.

Microfocusing options for the inelastic X-ray scattering beamline at sector 3 of the Advanced Photon Source.

PubMed

Alsmadi, A M; Alatas, A; Zhao, J Y; Hu, M Y; Yan, L; Alp, E E

2014-05-01

Synchrotron radiation from third-generation high-brilliance storage rings is an ideal source for X-ray microbeams. The aim of this paper is to describe a microfocusing scheme that combines both a toroidal mirror and Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors for upgrading the existing optical system for inelastic X-ray scattering experiments at sector 3 of the Advanced Photon Source. SHADOW ray-tracing simulations without considering slope errors of both the toroidal mirror and KB mirrors show that this combination can provide a beam size of 4.5 µm (H) × 0.6 µm (V) (FWHM) at the end of the existing D-station (66 m from the source) with use of full beam transmission of up to 59%, and a beam size of 3.7 µm (H) × 0.46 µm (V) (FWHM) at the front-end of the proposed E-station (68 m from the source) with a transmission of up to 52%. A beam size of about 5 µm (H) × 1 µm (V) can be obtained, which is close to the ideal case, by using high-quality mirrors (with slope errors of less than 0.5 µrad r.m.s.). Considering the slope errors of the existing toroidal and KB mirrors (5 and 2.9 µrad r.m.s., respectively), the beam size grows to about 13.5 µm (H) × 6.3 µm (V) at the end of the D-station and to 12.0 µm (H) × 6.0 µm (V) at the front-end of the proposed E-station. The simulations presented here are compared with the experimental measurements that are significantly larger than the theoretical values even when slope error is included in the simulations. This is because of the experimental set-up that could not yet be optimized.

Aerosol optical properties at a coastal site in Hong Kong, South China: temporal features, size dependencies and source analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiaping; Ding, Aijun; Virkkula, Aki; Lee, Shuncheng; Shen, Yicheng; Chi, Xuguang; Xu, Zheng

2016-04-01

Hong Kong is a typical coastal city adjacent to the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China, which is one of the regions suffering from severe air pollution. Atmospheric aerosols can affect the earth's radiative balance by scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation. Black Carbon (BC) aerosol is a particularly emphasized component due to its strong light absorption. Aerosol transported from different source areas consists of distinct size distributions, leading to different optical properties. As the byproducts of the incomplete oxidation, BC and CO both have relatively long life time, their relationship is a good indicator for distinguishing different pollutant sources. In this study, temporal variations of aerosol optical properties and concentrations of BC and CO at a coastal background station in Hong Kong were investigated. Transport characteristics and origins of aerosol were elucidated by analyzing backward Lagrangian particle dispersion modeling (LPDM) results, together with related parameters including the relationships between optical properties and particle size, BC-CO correlations, ship location data and meteorological variables. From February 2012 to September 2013 and March 2014 to February 2015, continuous in-situ measurements of light scattering and absorption coefficients, particle size distribution and concentrations of BC and CO were conducted at Hok Tsui (HT), a coastal background station on the southeast tip of Hong Kong Island (22.22°N, 114.25°E, 60 m above the sea level) with few local anthropogenic activities. Affected by the Asian monsoon, this region is dominated by continental outflow in winter and by marine inflow from the South China Sea in summer, which is an ideal station for identifying the transport characteristics of aerosol and their effects on optical properties from different anthropogenic emission sources. 7-day backward Lagrangian particle dispersion modeling was performed for source identification. Three types of cases dominantly influenced by the PRD regional emission, long-range transport and marine exhaust were compared and discussed in detail.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Z; Jiang, W; Stuart, B

Purpose: Since electrons are easily scattered, the virtual source position for electrons is expected to locate below the x-ray target of Medical Linacs. However, the effective SSD method yields the electron virtual position above the x-ray target for some applicators for some energy in Siemens Linacs. In this study, we propose to use IC Profiler (Sun Nuclear) for evaluating the electron virtual source position for the standard electron applicators for various electron energies. Methods: The profile measurements for various nominal source-to-detector distances (SDDs) of 100–115 cm were carried out for electron beam energies of 6–18 MeV. Two methods were used:more » one was to use a 0.125 cc ion chamber (PTW, Type 31010) with buildup mounted in a PTW water tank without water filled; and the other was to use IC Profiler with a buildup to achieve charge particle equilibrium. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) method was used to determine the field sizes for the measured profiles. Backprojecting (by a straight line) the distance between the 50% points on the beam profiles for the various SDDs, yielded the virtual source position for each applicator. Results: The profiles were obtained and the field sizes were determined by FWHM. The virtual source positions were determined through backprojection of profiles for applicators (5, 10, 15, 20, 25). For instance, they were 96.415 cm (IC Profiler) vs 95.844 cm (scanning ion chamber) for 9 MeV electrons with 10×10 cm applicator and 97.160 cm vs 97.161 cm for 12 MeV electrons with 10×10 cm applicator. The differences in the virtual source positions between IC profiler and scanning ion chamber were within 1.5%. Conclusion: IC Profiler provides a practical method for determining the electron virtual source position and its results are consistent with those obtained by profiles of scanning ion chamber with buildup.« less

Accelerator test of the coded aperture mask technique for gamma-ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, T. L.; Frye, G. M., Jr.; Owens, A.; Carter, J. N.; Ramsden, D.

1982-01-01

A prototype gamma-ray telescope employing the coded aperture mask technique has been constructed and its response to a point source of 20 MeV gamma-rays has been measured. The point spread function is approximately a Gaussian with a standard deviation of 12 arc minutes. This resolution is consistent with the cell size of the mask used and the spatial resolution of the detector. In the context of the present experiment, the error radius of the source position (90 percent confidence level) is 6.1 arc minutes.

Time Delay and Accretion Disk Size Measurements in the Lensed Quasar SBS 0909+532 from Multiwavelength Microlensing Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

of the cosmic microwave background dipole velocity onto the lens plane, as done by Kochanek (2004). We compare the simulated light curves to the...observer, the background source, the foreground lens galaxy, and its stars cause uncorrelated variations in the source magnification as a function of...hereafter SBS 0909; αJ2000 = 09h13m01.s05, δJ2000 = +52d59m28.s83) is a doubly-imaged quasar lens sys- tem in which the background quasar has redshift

The Effects of Exposure Time, Pressure and Cold on Hand Skin Temperature and Manual Performance When Wearing Three-Fingered Neoprene Gloves

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

summarised below. Grip strength was measured using a hand grip dynamometer. Tactile sensitivity was measured using modified (enlarged) Braille ...characters. Subjects had to sense and identify the Braille characters by touch using a visual display of Braille characters as a reference source... Braille characters were presented on a board in 4 rows, with each row having progressively smaller character size and spacing. Tactile sensitivity score

Automatic vision-based grain optimization and analysis of multi-crystalline solar wafers using hierarchical region growing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Shu-Kai S.; Tsai, Du-Ming; Chuang, Wei-Che

2017-04-01

Solar power has become an attractive alternative source of energy. The multi-crystalline solar cell has been widely accepted in the market because it has a relatively low manufacturing cost. Multi-crystalline solar wafers with larger grain sizes and fewer grain boundaries are higher quality and convert energy more efficiently than mono-crystalline solar cells. In this article, a new image processing method is proposed for assessing the wafer quality. An adaptive segmentation algorithm based on region growing is developed to separate the closed regions of individual grains. Using the proposed method, the shape and size of each grain in the wafer image can be precisely evaluated. Two measures of average grain size are taken from the literature and modified to estimate the average grain size. The resulting average grain size estimate dictates the quality of the crystalline solar wafers and can be considered a viable quantitative indicator of conversion efficiency.

Thermal conductivity measurements of particulate materials: 3. Natural samples and mixtures of particle sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presley, Marsha A.; Craddock, Robert A.

2006-09-01

A line-heat source apparatus was used to measure thermal conductivities of natural fluvial and eolian particulate sediments under low pressures of a carbon dioxide atmosphere. These measurements were compared to a previous compilation of the dependence of thermal conductivity on particle size to determine a thermal conductivity-derived particle size for each sample. Actual particle-size distributions were determined via physical separation through brass sieves. Comparison of the two analyses indicates that the thermal conductivity reflects the larger particles within the samples. In each sample at least 85-95% of the particles by weight are smaller than or equal to the thermal conductivity-derived particle size. At atmospheric pressures less than about 2-3 torr, samples that contain a large amount of small particles (<=125 μm or 4 Φ) exhibit lower thermal conductivities relative to those for the larger particles within the sample. Nonetheless, 90% of the sample by weight still consists of particles that are smaller than or equal to this lower thermal conductivity-derived particle size. These results allow further refinement in the interpretation of geomorphologic processes acting on the Martian surface. High-energy fluvial environments should produce poorer-sorted and coarser-grained deposits than lower energy eolian environments. Hence these results will provide additional information that may help identify coarser-grained fluvial deposits and may help differentiate whether channel dunes are original fluvial sediments that are at most reworked by wind or whether they represent a later overprint of sediment with a separate origin.

The Effect of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence on Intracochlear Sound Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Hideko Heidi; Pisano, Dominic V.; Merchant, Saumil N.; Rosowski, John J.

2011-11-01

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is a pathological opening in the bony wall of the inner ear that can result in conductive hearing loss. The hearing loss is variable across patients, and the precise mechanism and source of variability is not fully understood. We use intracochlear sound pressure measurements in cadaveric preparations to study the effects of SCD size. Simultaneous measurement of basal intracochlear sound pressures in scala vestibuli (SV) and scala tympani (ST) quantifies the complex differential pressure across the cochlear partition, the stimulus that excites the partition. Sound-induced pressures in SV and ST, as well as stapes velocity and ear-canal pressure are measured simultaneously for various sizes of SCD followed by SCD patching. At low frequencies (<600 Hz) our results show that SCD decreases the pressure in both SV and ST, as well as differential pressure, and these effects become more pronounced as dehiscence size is increased. For frequencies above 1 kHz, the smallest pinpoint dehiscence can have the larger effect on the differential pressure in some ears. These effects due to SCD are reversible by patching the dehiscence.

Improved moving source photometry with TRIPPy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandersen, Mike; Fraser, Wesley Cristopher

2017-10-01

Photometry of moving sources is more complicated than for stationary sources, because the sources trail their signal out over more pixels than a point source of the same magnitude. Using a circular aperture of same size as would be appropriate for point sources can cut out a large amount of flux if a moving source moves substantially relative to the size of the aperture during the exposure, resulting in underestimated fluxes. Using a large circular aperture can mitigate this issue at the cost of a significantly reduced signal to noise compared to a point source, as a result of the inclusion of a larger background region within the aperture.Trailed Image Photometry in Python (TRIPPy) solves this problem by using a pill-shaped aperture: the traditional circular aperture is sliced in half perpendicular to the direction of motion and separated by a rectangle as long as the total motion of the source during the exposure. TRIPPy can also calculate the appropriate aperture correction (which will depend both on the radius and trail length of the pill-shaped aperture), and has features for selecting good PSF stars, creating a PSF model (convolved moffat profile + lookup table) and selecting a custom sky-background area in order to ensure no other sources contribute to the background estimate.In this poster, we present an overview of the TRIPPy features and demonstrate the improvements resulting from using TRIPPy compared to photometry obtained by other methods with examples from real projects where TRIPPy has been implemented in order to obtain the best-possible photometric measurements of Solar System objects. While TRIPPy has currently mainly been used for Trans-Neptunian Objects, the improvement from using the pill-shaped aperture increases with source motion, making TRIPPy highly relevant for asteroid and centaur photometry as well.

Concentration levels and source apportionment of ultrafine particles in road microenvironments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argyropoulos, G.; Samara, C.; Voutsa, D.; Kouras, A.; Manoli, E.; Voliotis, A.; Tsakis, A.; Chasapidis, L.; Konstandopoulos, A.; Eleftheriadis, K.

2016-03-01

A mobile laboratory unit (MOBILAB) with on-board instrumentation (Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer, SMPS; Ambient NOx analyzer) was used to measure size-resolved particle number concentrations (PNCs) of quasi-ultrafine particles (UFPs, 9-372 nm), along with NOx, in road microenvironments. On-road measurements were carried out in and around a large Greek urban agglomeration, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area (TMA). Two 2-week measurement campaigns were conducted during the warm period of 2011 and the cold period of 2012. During each sampling campaign, MOBILAB was driven through a 5-day inner-city route and a second 5-day external route covering in total a wide range of districts (urban, urban background, industrial and residential), and road types (major and minor urban roads, freeways, arterial and interurban roads). All routes were conducted during working days, in morning and in afternoon hours under real-world traffic conditions. Spatial classification of MOBILAB measurements involved the assignment of measurement points to location bins defined by the aspect ratio of adjacent urban street canyons (USCs). Source apportionment was further carried out, by applying Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) to particle size distribution data. Apportioned PMF factors were interpreted, by employing a two-step methodology, which involved (a) statistical association of PMF factor contributions with 12 h air-mass back-trajectories ending at the TMA during MOBILAB measurements, and (b) Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) using PMF factor contributions as the dependent variables, while relative humidity, solar radiation flux, and vehicle speed were used as the independent variables. The applied data analysis showed that low-speed cruise and high-load engine operation modes are the two dominant sources of UFPs in most of the road microenvironments in the TMA, with significant contributions from background photochemical processes during the warm period, explaining the reversed seasonal variation of UFP concentrations, compared to those observed in cities across Northern Europe. It was also demonstrated that town planning exerts a profound effect on the mitigation of traffic emissions.

A meta-analysis of educational interventions designed to enhance cultural competence in professional nurses and nursing students.

PubMed

Gallagher, Ruth W; Polanin, Joshua R

2015-02-01

Increasing professional nurses' and nursing students cultural competence has been identified as one way to decrease the disparity of care for vulnerable and minority groups, but effectiveness of training programs to increase competence remains equivocal. The purpose of this project is to synthesize educational interventions designed to increase cultural competence in professional nurses and nursing students. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize all existing studies on increasing cultural competence. A comprehensive search and screen procedures was conducted to locate all cultural competence interventions implemented with professional nurses and nursing students. Two independent researchers screened and coded the included studies. Effect sizes were calculated for each study and a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. A total of 25 studies were included in the review. Two independent syntheses were conducted given the disparate nature of the effect size metrics. For the synthesis of treatment-control designed studies, the results revealed a non-statistically significant increase in cultural competence (g¯=.38, 95% CI: -.05, .79, p=.08). Moderator analyses indicated significant variation as a function of the measurements, participant types, and funding source. The pretest-posttest effect size synthesis revealed a significant increase in overall cultural competence (g¯=.45, 95% CI: .24, .66, p<.01). Moderator analyses indicated, however, that the effect sizes varied as functions of the measurement, funding source, and publication type. Interventions to increase cultural competence have shown varied effectiveness. Greater research is required to improve these interventions and promote cultural competence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle Size, Surface Area, and Amorphous Content as Predictors of Solubility and Bioavailability for Five Commercial Sources of Ferric Orthophosphate in Ready-To-Eat Cereal.

PubMed

Dickmann, Robin S; Strasburg, Gale M; Romsos, Dale R; Wilson, Lori A; Lai, Grace H; Huang, Hsimin

2016-03-01

Ferric orthophosphate (FePO₄) has had limited use as an iron fortificant in ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal because of its variable bioavailability, the mechanism of which is poorly understood. Even though FePO₄ has desirable sensory properties as compared to other affordable iron fortificants, few published studies have well-characterized its physicochemical properties. Semi-crystalline materials such as FePO₄ have varying degrees of molecular disorder, referred to as amorphous content, which is hypothesized to be an important factor in bioavailability. The objective of this study was to systematically measure the physicochemical factors of particle size, surface area, amorphous content, and solubility underlying the variation in FePO₄ bioavailability. Five commercial FePO₄ sources and ferrous sulfate were added to individual batches of RTE cereal. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of each iron source, determined using the AOAC Rat Hemoglobin Repletion Bioassay, ranged from 51% to 99% (p < 0.05), which is higher than typically reported. Solubility in dilute HCl accurately predicted RBV (R² = 0.93, p = 0.008). Amorphous content measured by Dynamic Vapor Sorption ranged from 1.7% to 23.8% and was a better determinant of solubility (R² = 0.91; p = 0.0002) than surface area (R² = 0.83; p = 0.002) and median particle size (R² = 0.59; p = 0.12). The results indicate that while solubility of FePO₄ is highly predictive of RBV, solubility, in turn, is strongly linked to amorphous content and surface area. This information may prove useful for the production of FePO₄ with the desired RBV.

Particle Size, Surface Area, and Amorphous Content as Predictors of Solubility and Bioavailability for Five Commercial Sources of Ferric Orthophosphate in Ready-To-Eat Cereal

PubMed Central

Dickmann, Robin S.; Strasburg, Gale M.; Romsos, Dale R.; Wilson, Lori A.; Lai, Grace H.; Huang, Hsimin

2016-01-01

Ferric orthophosphate (FePO4) has had limited use as an iron fortificant in ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal because of its variable bioavailability, the mechanism of which is poorly understood. Even though FePO4 has desirable sensory properties as compared to other affordable iron fortificants, few published studies have well-characterized its physicochemical properties. Semi-crystalline materials such as FePO4 have varying degrees of molecular disorder, referred to as amorphous content, which is hypothesized to be an important factor in bioavailability. The objective of this study was to systematically measure the physicochemical factors of particle size, surface area, amorphous content, and solubility underlying the variation in FePO4 bioavailability. Five commercial FePO4 sources and ferrous sulfate were added to individual batches of RTE cereal. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of each iron source, determined using the AOAC Rat Hemoglobin Repletion Bioassay, ranged from 51% to 99% (p < 0.05), which is higher than typically reported. Solubility in dilute HCl accurately predicted RBV (R2 = 0.93, p = 0.008). Amorphous content measured by Dynamic Vapor Sorption ranged from 1.7% to 23.8% and was a better determinant of solubility (R2 = 0.91; p = 0.0002) than surface area (R2 = 0.83; p = 0.002) and median particle size (R2 = 0.59; p = 0.12). The results indicate that while solubility of FePO4 is highly predictive of RBV, solubility, in turn, is strongly linked to amorphous content and surface area. This information may prove useful for the production of FePO4 with the desired RBV. PMID:26938556

Importance of Grid Center Arrangement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasaogullari, O.; Usul, N.

2012-12-01

In Digital Elevation Modeling, grid size is accepted to be the most important parameter. Despite the point density and/or scale of the source data, it is freely decided by the user. Most of the time, arrangement of the grid centers are ignored, even most GIS packages omit the choice of grid center coordinate selection. In our study; importance of the arrangement of grid centers is investigated. Using the analogy between "Raster Grid DEM" and "Bitmap Image", importance of placement of grid centers in DEMs are measured. The study has been conducted on four different grid DEMs obtained from a half ellipsoid. These grid DEMs are obtained in such a way that they are half grid size apart from each other. Resulting grid DEMs are investigated through similarity measures. Image processing scientists use different measures to investigate the dis/similarity between the images and the amount of different information they carry. Grid DEMs are projected to a finer grid in order to co-center. Similarity measures are then applied to each grid DEM pairs. These similarity measures are adapted to DEM with band reduction and real number operation. One of the measures gives function graph and the others give measure matrices. Application of similarity measures to six grid DEM pairs shows interesting results. These four different grid DEMs are created with the same method for the same area, surprisingly; thirteen out of 14 measures state that, the half grid size apart grid DEMs are different from each other. The results indicated that although grid DEMs carry mutual information, they have also additional individual information. In other words, half grid size apart constructed grid DEMs have non-redundant information.; Joint Probability Distributions Function Graphs

Measurement of particulate concentrations produced during bulk material handling at the Tarragona harbor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artíñano, B.; Gómez-Moreno, F. J.; Pujadas, M.; Moreno, N.; Alastuey, A.; Querol, X.; Martín, F.; Guerra, A.; Luaces, J. A.; Basora, J.

Bulk material handling can be a significant source of particles in harbor areas. The atmospheric impact of a number of loading/unloading activities of diverse raw materials has been assessed from continuous measurements of ambient particle concentrations recorded close to the emission sources. Two experimental campaigns have been carried out in the Tarragona port to document the impact of specific handling operations and bulk materials. Dusty bulk materials such as silica-manganese powder, tapioca, coal, clinker and lucerne were dealt with during the experiments. The highest impacts on ambient particle concentrations were recorded during handling of clinker. For this material and silica-manganese powder, high concentrations were recorded in the fine grain size (<2.5 μm). The lowest impacts on particulate matter concentrations were recorded during handling of tapioca and lucerne, mainly in the coarse grain size (2-5-10 μm). The effectiveness of several emission abatement measures, such as ground watering to diminish coal particle resuspension, was demonstrated to reduce ambient concentrations by up to two orders of magnitude. The importance of other good practices in specific handling operations, such as controlling the height of the shovel discharge, was also evidenced by these experiments. The results obtained can be further utilized as a useful experimental database for emission factor estimations.

Analyzing the Formation, Physicochemical, and Optical Properties of Aging Biomass Burning Aerosol Using an Indoor Smog Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. M.; Fiddler, M. N.; Bililign, S.; Spann, M.

2017-12-01

Biomass burning (BB) is recognized as one of the largest sources of absorbing aerosols in the atmosphere and significantly influences the radiative properties of the atmosphere. The chemical composition and physical properties of particles evolve during their atmospheric lifetime due to condensation, oxidation reactions, etc., which alters their optical properties. To this end, an indoor smog chamber was constructed to study aging BB aerosol in a laboratory setting. Injections to the chamber, including NOx, O3, and various biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs, can simulate a variety of atmospheric conditions. These components and some of their oxidation products are monitored during the aging process. A tube furnace is used for combustion of biomass to be introduced to the chamber, while size distributions are taken as the aerosol ages. Online measurements of optical properties are determined using a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometry and Integrating Nephelometry system. Chemical properties are measured from samples captured on filters and analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled in-line to both a Diode Array Detector and High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization. The measured changes in the optical properties as a function of particle size, aging, and chemical properties are presented for fuel sources used in Africa.

Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observations and the Flux of Kilogram-sized Meteoroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Robert M.; Cooke, William J.; Koehler, Heather M.; Moser, Danielle E.; Suggs, Ronnie J.; Swift, Wesley R.

2010-01-01

Lunar impact monitoring provides useful information about the flux of meteoroids in the tens of grams to kilograms size range. The large collecting area of the night side of the lunar disk, approximately 3.4x10(exp 6) sq km in our camera field-of-view, provides statistically significant counts of the meteoroids. Nearly 200 lunar impacts have been observed by our program in roughly 3.5 years. Photometric calibration of the flashes along with the luminous efficiency (determined using meteor showers1,2,3) and assumed velocities provide their sizes. The asymmetry in the flux on the evening and morning hemispheres of the Moon is compared with sporadic and shower sources to determine their most likely origin. The asymmetry between the two hemispheres seen in Figure 1 is due to the impact rate and not to observational bias. Comparison with other measurements of the large meteoroid fluxes is consistent with these measurements as shown in Figure 2. The flux of meteoroids in this size range has important implications for the near-Earth object population and for impact risk for lunar spacecraft

Surface and Airborne Measurements of Organosulfur and Methanesulfonate Over the Western United States and Coastal Areas

PubMed Central

Sorooshian, Armin; Crosbie, Ewan; Maudlin, Lindsay C.; Youn, Jong-Sang; Wang, Zhen; Shingler, Taylor; Ortega, Amber M.; Hersey, Scott; Woods, Roy K.

2015-01-01

This study reports on ambient measurements of organosulfur (OS) and methanesulfonate (MSA) over the western United States and coastal areas. Particulate OS levels are highest in summertime, and generally increase as a function of sulfate (a precursor) and sodium (a marine tracer) with peak levels at coastal sites. The ratio of OS to total sulfur (TS) is also highest at coastal sites, with increasing values as a function of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the ratio of organic carbon to elemental carbon. Correlative analysis points to significant relationships between OS and biogenic emissions from marine and continental sources, factors that coincide with secondary production, and vanadium due to a suspected catalytic role. A major OS species, methanesulfonate (MSA), was examined with intensive field measurements and the resulting data support the case for vanadium’s catalytic influence. Mass size distributions reveal a dominant MSA peak between aerodynamic diameters of 0.32—0.56 μm at a desert and coastal site with nearly all MSA mass (≥ 84%) in sub-micrometer sizes; MSA:non-sea salt sulfate ratios vary widely as a function of particle size and proximity to the ocean. Airborne data indicate that relative to the marine boundary layer, particulate MSA levels are enhanced in urban and agricultural areas, and also the free troposphere when impacted by biomass burning. Some combination of fires and marine-derived emissions leads to higher MSA levels than either source alone. Finally, MSA differences in cloud water and out-of-cloud aerosol are discussed. PMID:26413434

Surface and Airborne Measurements of Organosulfur and Methanesulfonate Over the Western United States and Coastal Areas.

PubMed

Sorooshian, Armin; Crosbie, Ewan; Maudlin, Lindsay C; Youn, Jong-Sang; Wang, Zhen; Shingler, Taylor; Ortega, Amber M; Hersey, Scott; Woods, Roy K

2015-08-27

This study reports on ambient measurements of organosulfur (OS) and methanesulfonate (MSA) over the western United States and coastal areas. Particulate OS levels are highest in summertime, and generally increase as a function of sulfate (a precursor) and sodium (a marine tracer) with peak levels at coastal sites. The ratio of OS to total sulfur (TS) is also highest at coastal sites, with increasing values as a function of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the ratio of organic carbon to elemental carbon. Correlative analysis points to significant relationships between OS and biogenic emissions from marine and continental sources, factors that coincide with secondary production, and vanadium due to a suspected catalytic role. A major OS species, methanesulfonate (MSA), was examined with intensive field measurements and the resulting data support the case for vanadium's catalytic influence. Mass size distributions reveal a dominant MSA peak between aerodynamic diameters of 0.32-0.56 μm at a desert and coastal site with nearly all MSA mass (≥ 84%) in sub-micrometer sizes; MSA:non-sea salt sulfate ratios vary widely as a function of particle size and proximity to the ocean. Airborne data indicate that relative to the marine boundary layer, particulate MSA levels are enhanced in urban and agricultural areas, and also the free troposphere when impacted by biomass burning. Some combination of fires and marine-derived emissions leads to higher MSA levels than either source alone. Finally, MSA differences in cloud water and out-of-cloud aerosol are discussed.

Effects of the source, surface, and sensor couplings and colorimetric of laser speckle pattern on the performance of optical imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darwiesh, M.; El-Sherif, Ashraf F.; El-Ghandour, Hatem; Aly, Hussein A.; Mokhtar, A. M.

2011-03-01

Optical imaging systems are widely used in different applications include tracking for portable scanners; input pointing devices for laptop computers, cell phones, and cameras, fingerprint-identification scanners, optical navigation for target tracking, and in optical computer mouse. We presented an experimental work to measure and analyze the laser speckle pattern (LSP) produced from different optical sources (i.e. various color LEDs, 3 mW diode laser, and 10mW He-Ne laser) with different produced operating surfaces (Gabor hologram diffusers), and how they affects the performance of the optical imaging systems; speckle size and signal-to-noise ratio (signal is represented by the patches of the speckles that contain or carry information, and noise is represented by the whole remaining part of the selected image). The theoretical and experimental studies of the colorimetry (color correction is done in the color images captured by the optical imaging system to produce realistic color images which contains most of the information in the image by selecting suitable gray scale which contains most of the informative data in the image, this is done by calculating the accurate Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color components making use of the measured spectrum for light sources, and color matching functions of International Telecommunication Organization (ITU-R709) for CRT phosphorus, Tirinton-SONY Model ) for the used optical sources are investigated and introduced to present the relations between the signal-to-noise ratios with different diffusers for each light source. The source surface coupling has been discussed and concludes that the performance of the optical imaging system for certain source varies from worst to best based on the operating surface. The sensor /surface coupling has been studied and discussed for the case of He-Ne laser and concludes the speckle size is ranged from 4.59 to 4.62 μm, which are slightly different or approximately the same for all produced diffusers (which satisfies the fact that the speckle size is independent on the illuminating surface). But, the calculated value of signal-tonoise ratio takes different values ranged from 0.71 to 0.92 for different diffuser. This means that the surface texture affects the performance of the optical sensor because, all images captured for all diffusers under the same conditions [same source (He-Ne laser), same distances of the experimental set-up, and the same sensor (CCD camera)].

Method and apparatus for making absolute range measurements

DOEpatents

Earl, Dennis D [Knoxville, TN; Allison, Stephen W [Knoxville, TN; Cates, Michael R [Oak Ridge, TN; Sanders, Alvin J [Knoxville, TN

2002-09-24

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making absolute distance or ranging measurements using Fresnel diffraction. The invention employs a source of electromagnetic radiation having a known wavelength or wavelength distribution, which sends a beam of electromagnetic radiation through a screen at least partially opaque at the wavelength. The screen has an aperture sized so as to produce a Fresnel diffraction pattern. A portion of the beam travels through the aperture to a detector spaced some distance from the screen. The detector detects the central intensity of the beam as well as a set of intensities displaced from a center of the aperture. The distance from the source to the target can then be calculated based upon the known wavelength, aperture radius, and beam intensity.

Characterization of linear accelerator X-ray source size using a laminated beam-spot camera.

PubMed

Yeboah, Collins

2011-05-10

A laminated beam-spot camera of length 20 cm and effective cross-sectional area 2.5 cm × 3 cm was designed and constructed for the measurement of X-ray beam-spot sizes on different models of Siemens accelerators. With the accelerator gantry at 180° and camera positioned on an accessory tray holder, an XV film placed in contact with the camera at the distal end of it detected those X-rays that were transmitted through the camera. The FWHM of the detected X-ray intensity profile in the gun-target (G-T) direction or the orthogonal A-B direction was used as a measure of the beam-spot size in that direction. Siemens Mevatron MXEs exhibited a beam-spot size of 1.7 ± 0.2 mm in both the in-plane and cross-plane directions for 6 MV photon beams. The beam-spot size observed for a Mevatron MDX-2 was larger by up to 1 mm, and also was different for the in-plane and cross-plane directions. For Siemens PRIMUS accelerators, the beam-spot size in the in-plane direction was found to fall in the range 2.0-2.2 ± 0.2 mm, whereas the beam-spot size in the cross-plane direction fell within 1.7-1.9 ± 0.2 mm for 6, 10, and 18 MV photon beams. Assessment of long-term stability of the beam-spot size shows the spot size remains fairly stable over time.

Role of step size and max dwell time in anatomy based inverse optimization for prostate implants

PubMed Central

Manikandan, Arjunan; Sarkar, Biplab; Rajendran, Vivek Thirupathur; King, Paul R.; Sresty, N.V. Madhusudhana; Holla, Ragavendra; Kotur, Sachin; Nadendla, Sujatha

2013-01-01

In high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, the source dwell times and dwell positions are vital parameters in achieving a desirable implant dose distribution. Inverse treatment planning requires an optimal choice of these parameters to achieve the desired target coverage with the lowest achievable dose to the organs at risk (OAR). This study was designed to evaluate the optimum source step size and maximum source dwell time for prostate brachytherapy implants using an Ir-192 source. In total, one hundred inverse treatment plans were generated for the four patients included in this study. Twenty-five treatment plans were created for each patient by varying the step size and maximum source dwell time during anatomy-based, inverse-planned optimization. Other relevant treatment planning parameters were kept constant, including the dose constraints and source dwell positions. Each plan was evaluated for target coverage, urethral and rectal dose sparing, treatment time, relative target dose homogeneity, and nonuniformity ratio. The plans with 0.5 cm step size were seen to have clinically acceptable tumor coverage, minimal normal structure doses, and minimum treatment time as compared with the other step sizes. The target coverage for this step size is 87% of the prescription dose, while the urethral and maximum rectal doses were 107.3 and 68.7%, respectively. No appreciable difference in plan quality was observed with variation in maximum source dwell time. The step size plays a significant role in plan optimization for prostate implants. Our study supports use of a 0.5 cm step size for prostate implants. PMID:24049323

The influence of particle size distribution on dose conversion factors for radon progeny in the underground excavations of hard coal mine.

PubMed

Skubacz, Krystian; Wojtecki, Łukasz; Urban, Paweł

2016-10-01

In Polish underground mines, hazards caused by enhanced natural radioactivity occur. The sources of radiation exposure are short-lived radon decay products, mine waters containing radium 226 Ra and 228 Ra and the radioactive sediments that can precipitate out of these waters. For miners, the greatest exposure is usually due to short-lived radon decay products. The risk assessment is based on the measurement of the total potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC) and the evaluation of the related dose by using the dose conversion factor as recommended by relevant legal requirements. This paper presents the results of measurements of particle size distributions of ambient aerosols in an underground hard coal mine, the assessment of the radioactive particle size distribution of the short-lived radon decay products and the corresponding values of dose conversion factors. The measurements of the ambient airborne particle size distribution were performed in the range from a few nanometers to about 20 μm. The study therefore included practically the whole class of respirable particles. The results showed that the high concentration of ultrafine and fine aerosols measured can significantly affect the value of the dose conversion factors, and consequently the corresponding committed effective dose, to which the miners can be exposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NEAR-REAL TIME, HIGHLY SENSITIVE AND SELECTIVE FIELD DEPLOYABLE BIOSENSOR FOR CYANOTOXINS AND CYANOBACTERIA USING BOTH ANTIBODIES AND DNA-SIGNATURES

EPA Science Inventory

The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop piezoelectric-excited millimeter-sized cantilever sensors (PEMC) for cyanotoxins in source, finished and system waters that measures in a field-deployable format and rapidly in 15 minutes so that cyanotoxin(s) hazard a...

Far Outer Galaxy H II Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudolph, A. L.; deGues, E. J.; Brand, J.; Wouterloot, J. G. A.; Gross, Anthony R. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

We have made a multifrequency (6, 3.6, and 2 cm), high-resolution (3"-6"), radio continuum survey of IRAS selected sources from the catalogue of Wouterloot & Brand (1989) to search for and study H II regions in the far outer Galaxy. We identified 31 sources in this catalog with well determined galactocentric distances, and with R approx.. greater than 15 kpc and L(sub FIR) approx.greater than 10(exp 4) solar luminosity, indicating the presence of high-mass star-formation. We have observed 11 of these sources with the Very Large Array (VLA). We observed the sources at 6 and 2 cm using "scaled arrays", making possible a direct and reliable comparison of the data at these two wavelengths for the determination of spectral indices. We detected a total of 12 radio sources, of which 10 have spectral indices consistent with optically-thin free-free emission from H II regions. Combined with previous VLA observations by other investigators, we have data on a total of 15 H II regions at galactocentric distances of 15 to 18.2kpc, among the most remote H II regions found in our Galaxy. The sizes of the H II regions range from approx. less than 0.10 to 2.3 pc. Using the measured fluxes and sizes, we determine the electron densities, emission measures, and excitation parameters of the H II regions, as well as the fluxes of Lyman continuum photons needed to keep the nebulae ionized. The sizes and electron densities are consistent with most of the sources detected in this survey being compact or ultracompact H II regions. Seven of the fifteen H II regions have sizes approx. less than 0.20 pc. Assuming simple pressure-driven expansion of the H II regions, these sizes indicate ages approx. less than 5 x 10(exp 4) yr, or only 1% of the lifetime of an O star, which implies an unlikely overabundance of O stars in the outer Galaxy. Thus, the large number of compact H II regions suggests that the time these regions spend in a compact phase must be much longer than their dynamical expansion times. Five of the fifteen H II regions have cometary shapes; the remainder are spherical or unresolved. Comparison of the radio continuum data with molecular line maps suggests that the cometary shape of the two H II regions in S 127 may be due to pressure confinement of the expanding ionized gas, as in the "blister" or "champagne flow" models of H II regions. Comparison of the radio continuum data with the IRAS far-infrared data indicates that the five most luminous H II regions are consistent with a single 0 or B star exciting a dust-free H II region. Subject headings: stars: formation - ISM: H II regions - ISM: individual objects: S 127 radio continuum: interstellar

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberson, G P; Logan, C M

We have estimated interference from external background radiation for a computed tomography (CT) scanner. Our intention is to estimate the interference that would be expected for the high-resolution SkyScan 1072 desk-top x-ray microtomography system. The SkyScan system uses a Microfocus x-ray source capable of a 10-{micro}m focal spot at a maximum current of 0.1 mA and a maximum energy of 130 kVp. All predictions made in this report assume using the x-ray source at the smallest spot size, maximum energy, and operating at the maximum current. Some of the systems basic geometry that is used for these estimates are: (1)more » Source-to-detector distance: 250 mm, (2) Minimum object-to-detector distance: 40 mm, and (3) Maximum object-to-detector distance: 230 mm. This is a first-order, rough estimate of the quantity of interference expected at the system detector caused by background radiation. The amount of interference is expressed by using the ratio of exposure expected at the detector of the CT system. The exposure values for the SkyScan system are determined by scaling the measured values of an x-ray source and the background radiation adjusting for the difference in source-to-detector distance and current. The x-ray source that was used for these measurements was not the SkyScan Microfocus x-ray tube. Measurements were made using an x-ray source that was operated at the same applied voltage but higher current for better statistics.« less

Evaluation of the surface roughness effect on suspended particle deposition near unpaved roads

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Dongzi; Gillies, J. A.; Etyemezian, V.

2015-11-11

The downwind transport and deposition of suspended dust raised by a vehicle driving on unpaved roads was studied for four differently vegetated surfaces in the USA states of Kansas and Washington, and one barren surface in Nevada. A 10 m high tower adjacent to the source (z10 m downwind) and an array of multi-channel optical particle counters at three positions downwind of the source measured the flux of particles and the particle size distribution in the advecting dust plumes in the horizontal and vertical directions. Aerodynamic parameters such as friction velocity (u*) and surface roughness length (z0) were calculated frommore » wind speed measurements made on the tower. Particle number concentration, PM10 mass exhibited an exponential decay along the direction of transport. Coarse particles accounted for z95% of the PM10 mass, at least to a downwind distance of 200 m from the source. PM10 removed by deposition was found to increase with increasing particle size and increasing surface roughness under similar moderate wind speed conditions. The surface of dense, long grass (1.2 m high and complete surface cover) had the greatest reduction of PM10 among the five surfaces tested due to deposition induced by turbulence effects created by the rougher surface and by enhanced particle impaction/ interception effects to the grass blades.« less

Absolute measurement of (198)Au activity in gold foil using plastic scintillators and a well-type NaI(Tl) detector.

PubMed

Kim, Yun Ho; Kim, Jungho; Lee, Jong-Man; Park, Hyeonseo

2016-03-01

A beta-gamma coincidence system has been developed for measuring (198)Au activity in gold foils. The system was validated by Monte Carlo simulations and by measuring the activity of a (60)Co point-source. To study effects such as self-shielding of beta particles in gold foils, (198)Au activity measurements and simulations were performed for various scintillators and foil sizes. The measured (198)Au activities were ~1% above the reference activity, which might be due to self-shielding of beta particles. The measured and simulated (198)Au activities agreed, suggesting feasibility of precise activity measurement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The association between arithmetic and reading performance in school: A meta-analytic study.

PubMed

Singer, Vivian; Strasser, Kathernie

2017-12-01

Many studies of school achievement find a significant association between reading and arithmetic achievement. The magnitude of the association varies widely across the studies, but the sources of this variation have not been identified. The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude and determinants of the relation between arithmetic and reading performance during elementary and middle school years. We meta-analyzed 210 correlations between math and reading measures, coming from 68 independent samples (the overall sample size was 58923 participants). The meta-analysis yielded an average correlation of 0.55 between math and reading measures. Among the moderators tested, only transparency of orthography and use of timed or untimed tests were significant in explaining the size of the correlation, with the largest correlations observed between timed measures of arithmetic and reading and between math and reading in opaque orthographies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A low-cost and portable realization on fringe projection three-dimensional measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Suzhi; Tao, Wei; Zhao, Hui

2015-12-01

Fringe projection three-dimensional measurement is widely applied in a wide range of industrial application. The traditional fringe projection system has the disadvantages of high expense, big size, and complicated calibration requirements. In this paper we introduce a low-cost and portable realization on three-dimensional measurement with Pico projector. It has the advantages of low cost, compact physical size, and flexible configuration. For the proposed fringe projection system, there is no restriction to camera and projector's relative alignment on parallelism and perpendicularity for installation. Moreover, plane-based calibration method is adopted in this paper that avoids critical requirements on calibration system such as additional gauge block or precise linear z stage. What is more, error sources existing in the proposed system are introduced in this paper. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed low cost and portable fringe projection system.

Characterizing and Understanding Aerosol Optical Properties: CARES - Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cappa, Christopher D; Atkinson, Dean B

The scientific focus of this study was to use ambient measurements to develop new insights into the understanding of the direct radiative forcing by atmospheric aerosol particles. The study used data collected by the PI’s and others as part of both the 2010 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES), which took place in and around Sacramento, CA, and the 2012 Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) study. We focus on measurements that were made of aerosol particle optical properties, namely the wavelength-dependent light absorption, scattering and extinction. Interpretation of these optical property measurements ismore » facilitated through consideration of complementary measurements of the aerosol particle chemical composition and size distributions. With these measurements, we addressed the following general scientific questions: 1. How does light scattering and extinction by atmospheric aerosol particles depend on particle composition, water uptake, and size? 2. To what extent is light absorption by aerosol particles enhanced through the mixing of black carbon with other particulate components? 3. What relationships exist between intensive aerosol particle optical properties, and how do these depend on particle source and photochemical aging? 4. How well do spectral deconvolution methods, which are commonly used in remote sensing, retrieve information about particle size distributions?« less

On three-dimensional reconstruction of a neutron/x-ray source from very few two-dimensional projections

DOE PAGES

Volegov, P. L.; Danly, C. R.; Merrill, F. E.; ...

2015-11-24

The neutron imaging system at the National Ignition Facility is an important diagnostic tool for measuring the two-dimensional size and shape of the source of neutrons produced in the burning deuterium-tritium plasma during the stagnation phase of inertial confinement fusion implosions. Few two-dimensional projections of neutronimages are available to reconstruct the three-dimensionalneutron source. In our paper, we present a technique that has been developed for the 3Dreconstruction of neutron and x-raysources from a minimal number of 2D projections. Here, we present the detailed algorithms used for this characterization and the results of reconstructedsources from experimental data collected at Omega.

Concordance of Commercial Data Sources for Neighborhood-Effects Studies

PubMed Central

Schootman, Mario

2010-01-01

Growing evidence supports a relationship between neighborhood-level characteristics and important health outcomes. One source of neighborhood data includes commercial databases integrated with geographic information systems to measure availability of certain types of businesses or destinations that may have either favorable or adverse effects on health outcomes; however, the quality of these data sources is generally unknown. This study assessed the concordance of two commercial databases for ascertaining the presence, locations, and characteristics of businesses. Businesses in the St. Louis, Missouri area were selected based on their four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes and classified into 14 business categories. Business listings in the two commercial databases were matched by standardized business name within specified distances. Concordance and coverage measures were calculated using capture–recapture methods for all businesses and by business type, with further stratification by census-tract-level population density, percent below poverty, and racial composition. For matched listings, distance between listings and agreement in four-digit SIC code, sales volume, and employee size were calculated. Overall, the percent agreement was 32% between the databases. Concordance and coverage estimates were lowest for health-care facilities and leisure/entertainment businesses; highest for popular walking destinations, eating places, and alcohol/tobacco establishments; and varied somewhat by population density. The mean distance (SD) between matched listings was 108.2 (179.0) m with varying levels of agreement in four-digit SIC (percent agreement = 84.6%), employee size (weighted kappa = 0.63), and sales volume (weighted kappa = 0.04). Researchers should cautiously interpret findings when using these commercial databases to yield measures of the neighborhood environment. PMID:20480397

Comparison of Pore-scale CO2-water-glass System Wettability and Conventional Wettability Measurement on a Flat Plate for Geological CO2 Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari, M.; Cao, S. C.; Jung, J.

2017-12-01

Goelogical CO2 sequestration (GCS) has been recently introduced as an effective method to mitigate carbon dioxide emission. CO2 from main producer sources is collected and then is injected underground formations layers to be stored for thousands to millions years. A safe and economical storage project depends on having an insight of trapping mechanisms, fluids dynamics, and interaction of fluids-rocks. Among different forces governing fluids mobility and distribution in GCS condition, capillary pressure is of importance, which, in turn, wettability (measured by contact angel (CA)) is the most controversial parameters affecting it. To explore the sources of discrepancy in the literature for CA measurement, we conducted a series of conventional captive bubble test on glass plates under high pressure condition. By introducing a shape factor, we concluded that surface imperfection can distort the results in such tests. Since the conventional methods of measuring the CA is affected by gravity and scale effect, we introduced a different technique to measure pore-scale CA inside a transparent glass microchip. Our method has the ability to consider pore sizes and simulate static and dynamics CA during dewetting and imbibition. Glass plates shows a water-wet behavior (CA 30° - 45°) by a conventional experiment consistent with literature. However, CA of miniature bubbles inside of the micromodel can have a weaker water-wet behavior (CA 55° - 69°). In a more realistic pore-scale condition, water- CO2 interface covers whole width of a pore throats. Under this condition, the receding CA, which is used for injectability and capillary breakthrough pressure, increases with decreasing pores size. On the other hand, advancing CA, which is important for residual or capillary trapping, does not show a correlation with throat sizes. Static CA measured in the pores during dewetting is lower than static CA on flat plate, but it is much higher when measured during imbibition implying weaker water-wet behavior. Pore-scale CA, which realistically represents rocks wettability behavior, shows weaker water-wet behavior than conventional measurement methods, which must be considered for safety of geological storage.

RACT (Reasonably Available Control Technology) determination for five industry categories in Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hawks, R.L.; Schlesser, S.P.; Loudin, D.L.

Section 172(b)(2) of the Clean Air Act as amended August 1977, requires that SIP revisions 'provide for the implementation of all reasonably available control measures as expeditiously as practicable.' The use of RACT for stationary sources is defined as the lowest emission limit that a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of control technology that is reasonably available considering technological and economic feasibility. The purpose of this report has been to identify control techniques that best represent RACT for particular emission sources in TSP nonattainment areas in the State of Florida. These sources include phosphate process operations;more » portland cement plants; electric arc furnaces; sweat or pot furnaces; materials handling, sizing, screening, crushing, and grinding operations.« less

Bremsstrahlung hard x-ray source driven by an electron beam from a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemos, N.; Albert, F.; Shaw, J. L.; Papp, D.; Polanek, R.; King, P.; Milder, A. L.; Marsh, K. A.; Pak, A.; Pollock, B. B.; Hegelich, B. M.; Moody, J. D.; Park, J.; Tommasini, R.; Williams, G. J.; Chen, Hui; Joshi, C.

2018-05-01

An x-ray source generated by an electron beam produced using a Self-Modulated Laser Wakefield Accelerator (SM-LWFA) is explored for use in high energy density science facilities. By colliding the electron beam, with a maximum energy of 380 MeV, total charge of >10 nC and a divergence of 64 × 100 mrad, from a SM-LWFA driven by a 1 ps 120 J laser, into a high-Z foil, an x/gamma-ray source was generated. A broadband bremsstrahlung energy spectrum with temperatures ranging from 0.8 to 2 MeV was measured with an almost 2 orders of magnitude flux increase when compared with other schemes using LWFA. GEANT4 simulations were done to calculate the source size and divergence.

Flat-topped beam transmittance in anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulent marine atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ata, Yalçın; Baykal, Yahya

2017-10-01

Turbulence affects optical propagation, and, as a result, the intensity is attenuated along the path of propagation. The attenuation becomes significant when the turbulence becomes stronger. Transmittance is a measure indicating how much power is collected at the receiver after the optical wave propagates in the turbulent medium. The on-axis transmittance is formulated when a flat-topped optical beam propagates in a marine atmosphere experiencing anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulence. Variations in the transmittance are evaluated versus the beam source size, beam number, link distance, power law exponent, anisotropy factor, and structure constant. It is found that larger beam source sizes and beam numbers yield higher transmittance values; however, as the link distance, power law exponent, anisotropy factor, or structure constant increase, transmittance values are lowered. Our results will help in the performance evaluations of optical wireless communication and optical imaging systems operating in a marine atmosphere.

Centroid estimation for a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on stream processing.

PubMed

Kong, Fanpeng; Polo, Manuel Cegarra; Lambert, Andrew

2017-08-10

Using center of gravity to estimate the centroid of the spot in a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, the measurement corrupts with photon and detector noise. Parameters, like window size, often require careful optimization to balance the noise error, dynamic range, and linearity of the response coefficient under different photon flux. It also needs to be substituted by the correlation method for extended sources. We propose a centroid estimator based on stream processing, where the center of gravity calculation window floats with the incoming pixel from the detector. In comparison with conventional methods, we show that the proposed estimator simplifies the choice of optimized parameters, provides a unit linear coefficient response, and reduces the influence of background and noise. It is shown that the stream-based centroid estimator also works well for limited size extended sources. A hardware implementation of the proposed estimator is discussed.

Method for Smoke Spread Testing of Large Premises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walmerdahl, P.; Werling, P.

2001-11-01

A method for performing non-destructive smoke spread tests has been developed, tested and applied to several existing buildings. Burning methanol in different size steel trays cooled by water generates the heat source. Several tray sizes are available to cover fire sources up to nearly 1MW. The smoke is supplied by means of a suitable number of smoke generators that produce a smoke, which can be described as a non-toxic aerosol. The advantage of the method is that it provides a means for performing non-destructive tests in already existing buildings and other installations for the purpose of evaluating the functionality and design of the active fire protection measures such as smoke extraction systems, etc. In the report, the method is described in detail and experimental data from the try-out of the method are also presented in addition to a discussion on applicability and flexibility of the method.

Calculated and measured brachytherapy dosimetry parameters in water for the Xoft Axxent X-Ray Source: an electronic brachytherapy source.

PubMed

Rivard, Mark J; Davis, Stephen D; DeWerd, Larry A; Rusch, Thomas W; Axelrod, Steve

2006-11-01

A new x-ray source, the model S700 Axxent X-Ray Source (Source), has been developed by Xoft Inc. for electronic brachytherapy. Unlike brachytherapy sources containing radionuclides, this Source may be turned on and off at will and may be operated at variable currents and voltages to change the dose rate and penetration properties. The in-water dosimetry parameters for this electronic brachytherapy source have been determined from measurements and calculations at 40, 45, and 50 kV settings. Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport utilized the MCNP5 code and the EPDL97-based mcplib04 cross-section library. Inter-tube consistency was assessed for 20 different Sources, measured with a PTW 34013 ionization chamber. As the Source is intended to be used for a maximum of ten treatment fractions, tube stability was also assessed. Photon spectra were measured using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector, and calculated using MCNP. Parameters used in the two-dimensional (2D) brachytherapy dosimetry formalism were determined. While the Source was characterized as a point due to the small anode size, < 1 mm, use of the one-dimensional (1D) brachytherapy dosimetry formalism is not recommended due to polar anisotropy. Consequently, 1D brachytherapy dosimetry parameters were not sought. Calculated point-source model radial dose functions at gP(5) were 0.20, 0.24, and 0.29 for the 40, 45, and 50 kV voltage settings, respectively. For 1

A new stochastic algorithm for inversion of dust aerosol size distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Li; Li, Feng; Yang, Ma-ying

2015-08-01

Dust aerosol size distribution is an important source of information about atmospheric aerosols, and it can be determined from multiwavelength extinction measurements. This paper describes a stochastic inverse technique based on artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm to invert the dust aerosol size distribution by light extinction method. The direct problems for the size distribution of water drop and dust particle, which are the main elements of atmospheric aerosols, are solved by the Mie theory and the Lambert-Beer Law in multispectral region. And then, the parameters of three widely used functions, i.e. the log normal distribution (L-N), the Junge distribution (J-J), and the normal distribution (N-N), which can provide the most useful representation of aerosol size distributions, are inversed by the ABC algorithm in the dependent model. Numerical results show that the ABC algorithm can be successfully applied to recover the aerosol size distribution with high feasibility and reliability even in the presence of random noise.

Airborne ultrafine particles in a naturally ventilated metro station: Dominant sources and mixing state determined by particle size distribution and volatility measurements.

PubMed

Mendes, Luís; Gini, Maria I; Biskos, George; Colbeck, Ian; Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos

2018-08-01

Ultrafine particle number concentrations and size distributions were measured on the platform of a metro station in Athens, Greece, and compared with those recorded at an urban background station. The volatility of the sampled particles was measured in parallel, providing further insights on the mixing state and composition of the sampled particles. Particle concentration exhibited a mean value of 1.2 × 10 4 # cm -3 and showed a weak correlation with train passage frequency, but exhibited a strong correlation with urban background particle concentrations. The size distribution appears to be strongly influenced by outdoor conditions, such as the morning traffic rush hour and new particle formation events observed at noon. The aerosol in the metro was externally mixed throughout the day, with particle populations being identified (1) as fully refractory particles being more dominant during the morning traffic rush hours, (2) as core-shell structure particles having a non-volatile core coated with volatile material, and (3) fully volatile particles. The evolution of particle volatility and size throughout the day provide additional support that most nanoparticles in the metro station originate from outdoor urban air. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Image Attributes to Assure Accurate Particle Size and Count Using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis.

PubMed

Defante, Adrian P; Vreeland, Wyatt N; Benkstein, Kurt D; Ripple, Dean C

2018-05-01

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) obtains particle size by analysis of particle diffusion through a time series of micrographs and particle count by a count of imaged particles. The number of observed particles imaged is controlled by the scattering cross-section of the particles and by camera settings such as sensitivity and shutter speed. Appropriate camera settings are defined as those that image, track, and analyze a sufficient number of particles for statistical repeatability. Here, we test if image attributes, features captured within the image itself, can provide measurable guidelines to assess the accuracy for particle size and count measurements using NTA. The results show that particle sizing is a robust process independent of image attributes for model systems. However, particle count is sensitive to camera settings. Using open-source software analysis, it was found that a median pixel area, 4 pixels 2 , results in a particle concentration within 20% of the expected value. The distribution of these illuminated pixel areas can also provide clues about the polydispersity of particle solutions prior to using a particle tracking analysis. Using the median pixel area serves as an operator-independent means to assess the quality of the NTA measurement for count. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Polar ice magnetization: Comparison of results from NorthGRIP (Greenland) and Vostok (Antarctica) ice cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanci, L.; Kent, D. V.

2007-12-01

Low temperature measurements of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) in Greenland ice spanning the last glacial and Holocene have shown that ice samples contain a measurable concentration of magnetic minerals which are part of the atmospheric aerosol. Assuming that the source materials do not change much with time, the concentration of magnetic minerals should be proportional to the measured concentration of dust in ice. We have indeed found a consistent linear relationship with the contents of dust. However, the linear relationship between low temperature ice magnetization vs. dust concentration has an offset, which when extrapolated to zero dust concentration would seemingly indicate that a significantly large magnetization corresponds to a null amount of dust in ice. Thermal relaxation experiments have shown that magnetic grains of nanometric size carry virtually all the uncorrelated magnetization. Magnetic measurements in Antarctic ice cores confirm the existence of a similar nanometric-size magnetic fraction, which also appear uncorrelated with measured aerosol concentration. The magnitude of the uncorrelated magnetization from Vostok is similar to that measured in NorthGRIP ice. Measurements of IRM at 250K suggest that the SP magnetic particles are in the size range of about 7-17 nm, which is compatible with the expected size of particles produced by ablation and subsequent condensation of meteorites in the atmosphere. The concentration of extraterrestrial material in NorthGRIP ice was estimated from the magnetic relaxation data based on a crude estimate of chondritic Ms. The resulting concentration of 0.78±0.22 ppb for Greenland is in good agreement with the outcome based on published iridium concentrations; a virtually identical concentration of 0.53±0.18 ppb has been measured in Vostok ice core.

Particle-Image Velocimeter Having Large Depth of Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bos, Brent

2009-01-01

An instrument that functions mainly as a particle-image velocimeter provides data on the sizes and velocities of flying opaque particles. The instrument is being developed as a means of characterizing fluxes of wind-borne dust particles in the Martian atmosphere. The instrument could also adapted to terrestrial use in measuring sizes and velocities of opaque particles carried by natural winds and industrial gases. Examples of potential terrestrial applications include monitoring of airborne industrial pollutants and airborne particles in mine shafts. The design of this instrument reflects an observation, made in field research, that airborne dust particles derived from soil and rock are opaque enough to be observable by use of bright field illumination with high contrast for highly accurate measurements of sizes and shapes. The instrument includes a source of collimated light coupled to an afocal beam expander and an imaging array of photodetectors. When dust particles travel through the collimated beam, they cast shadows. The shadows are magnified by the beam expander and relayed to the array of photodetectors. Inasmuch as the images captured by the array are of dust-particle shadows rather of the particles themselves, the depth of field of the instrument can be large: the instrument has a depth of field of about 11 mm, which is larger than the depths of field of prior particle-image velocimeters. The instrument can resolve, and measure the sizes and velocities of, particles having sizes in the approximate range of 1 to 300 m. For slowly moving particles, data from two image frames are used to calculate velocities. For rapidly moving particles, image smear lengths from a single frame are used in conjunction with particle- size measurement data to determine velocities.

A large-area RF source for negative hydrogen ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, P.; Feist, J. H.; Kraus, W.; Speth, E.; Heinemann, B.; Probst, F.; Trainham, R.; Jacquot, C.

1998-08-01

In a collaboration with CEA Cadarache, IPP is presently developing an rf source, in which the production of negative ions (H-/D-) is being investigated. It utilizes PINI-size rf sources with an external antenna and for the first step a small size extraction system with 48 cm2 net extraction area. First results from BATMAN (Ba¯varian T_est Ma¯chine for N_egative Ions) show (without Cs) a linear dependence of the negative ion yield with rf power, without any sign of saturation. At elevated pressure (1.6 Pa) a current density of 4.5 mA/cm2 H- (without Cs) has been found so far. At medium pressure (0.6 Pa) the current density is lower by approx. a factor of 5, but preliminary results with Cesium injection show a relative increase by almost the same factor in this pressure range. Langmuir probe measurements indicate an electron temperature Te>2 eV close to the plasma grid with a moderate magnetic filter (700 Gcm). Attempts to improve the performance by using different magnetic configurations and different wall materials are under way.

Use of Tritium Accelerator Mass Spectrometry for Tree Ring Analysis

PubMed Central

LOVE, ADAM H.; HUNT, JAMES R.; ROBERTS, MARK L.; SOUTHON, JOHN R.; CHIARAPPA - ZUCCA, MARINA L.; DINGLEY, KAREN H.

2010-01-01

Public concerns over the health effects associated with low-level and long-term exposure to tritium released from industrial point sources have generated the demand for better methods to evaluate historical tritium exposure levels for these communities. The cellulose of trees accurately reflects the tritium concentration in the source water and may contain the only historical record of tritium exposure. The tritium activity in the annual rings of a tree was measured using accelerator mass spectrometry to reconstruct historical annual averages of tritium exposure. Milligram-sized samples of the annual tree rings from a Tamarix located at the Nevada Test Site are used for validation of this methodology. The salt cedar was chosen since it had a single source of tritiated water that was well-characterized as it varied over time. The decay-corrected tritium activity of the water in which the salt cedar grew closely agrees with the organically bound tritium activity in its annual rings. This demonstrates that the milligram-sized samples used in tritium accelerator mass spectrometry are suited for reconstructing anthropogenic tritium levels in the environment. PMID:12144257

Two Decades of Negative Educational Selectivity of Mexican Migrants to the United States

PubMed Central

Rendall, Michael S.; Parker, Susan W.

2015-01-01

Immigration is commonly considered to be selective of more able individuals. Studies comparing the educational attainment of Mexican immigrants in the United States to that of the Mexican resident population support this characterization. Upward educational-attainment biases in both coverage and measurement, however, may be substantial in U.S. data sources. Moreover, differences in educational attainment by place size are very large within Mexico, and U.S. data sources provide no information on immigrants’ places of origin within Mexico. To address these problems, we use multiple sources of nationally-representative Mexican survey data to re-evaluate the educational selectivity of working-age Mexican migrants to the United States over the 1990s and 2000s. We document disproportionately rural and small-urban-area origins of Mexican migrants and a steep positive gradient of educational attainment by place size. We show that together these conditions induced strongly negative educational selection of Mexican migrants throughout the 1990s and 2000s. We interpret this finding as consistent with low returns to the education of unauthorized migrants and few opportunities for authorized migration. PMID:25995526

SU-F-T-66: Characteristics of Electron Beams From Varian Trubeam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dimofte, A; Kennedy, C; Zhu, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the electron beam data between Truebeam and 2300ix Varian accelerators for percent depth dose for broad beam and small circular cutouts, cone factors, head scatter factor as a function of cone size and SSD, phantom scatter factor, blocking factor, distance factor and virtual source position. Methods: Measurements were performed for Truebeam and 2300ix Varian accelerators. The main energies used were: 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV. PDD was measured at SSD = 100 cm for open beam and small circular cutouts (r = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 andmore » 6.6cm) for different energies. Measurements to determine the head scatter factor (H) were done as a function of radius for six representative energies and five cone sizes (6, 10, 15, 20 and 25cm2). The phantom scatter factor (PSF) is defined as the ratio of blocking factor in water at reference depth and head scatter factor in air. PSF was measured as a function of radius and electron energy. Distance factor was measured for all energies and cones for three SSD’s (100, 110 and 120cm). Results: The percent depth dose (PDD) was measured for small cutouts of radius r = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 5.6cm. Blocking factor (BF) was measured for Truebeam and 2300ix accelerators, for different circular cutouts and energies for a 10×10 cone. Cone factors were compared between the two accelerators for different energies and applicator sizes. Conclusion: Cone factors measured for the two accelerator types differ by up to 5% for the largest applicator size. Blocking factors differs by up to 3%, with the largest variation for the smallest field size (0.5cm). Distance factor for different SSD’s differ by up to 4.5%.« less

Numerical calculations of spectral turnover and synchrotron self-absorption in CSS and GPS radio sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeyakumar, S.

2016-06-01

The dependence of the turnover frequency on the linear size is presented for a sample of Giga-hertz Peaked Spectrum and Compact Steep Spectrum radio sources derived from complete samples. The dependence of the luminosity of the emission at the peak frequency with the linear size and the peak frequency is also presented for the galaxies in the sample. The luminosity of the smaller sources evolve strongly with the linear size. Optical depth effects have been included to the 3D model for the radio source of Kaiser to study the spectral turnover. Using this model, the observed trend can be explained by synchrotron self-absorption. The observed trend in the peak-frequency-linear-size plane is not affected by the luminosity evolution of the sources.

ΛΛ correlation function in Au + Au collisions at √ sNN = 200 GeV

DOE PAGES

Adamczyk, L.

2015-01-12

In this study, we present ΛΛ correlation measurements in heavy-ion collisions for Au+Au collisions at √ sNN = 200 GeV using the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). The Lednický-Lyuboshitz analytical model has been used to fit the data to obtain a source size, a scattering length and an effective range. Implications of the measurement of the ΛΛ correlation function and interaction parameters for di-hyperon searches are discussed.

Comparing and Combining Data across Multiple Sources via Integration of Paired-sample Data to Correct for Measurement Error

PubMed Central

Huang, Yunda; Huang, Ying; Moodie, Zoe; Li, Sue; Self, Steve

2014-01-01

Summary In biomedical research such as the development of vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, measures from the same assay are often collected from multiple sources or laboratories. Measurement error that may vary between laboratories needs to be adjusted for when combining samples across laboratories. We incorporate such adjustment in comparing and combining independent samples from different labs via integration of external data, collected on paired samples from the same two laboratories. We propose: 1) normalization of individual level data from two laboratories to the same scale via the expectation of true measurements conditioning on the observed; 2) comparison of mean assay values between two independent samples in the Main study accounting for inter-source measurement error; and 3) sample size calculations of the paired-sample study so that hypothesis testing error rates are appropriately controlled in the Main study comparison. Because the goal is not to estimate the true underlying measurements but to combine data on the same scale, our proposed methods do not require that the true values for the errorprone measurements are known in the external data. Simulation results under a variety of scenarios demonstrate satisfactory finite sample performance of our proposed methods when measurement errors vary. We illustrate our methods using real ELISpot assay data generated by two HIV vaccine laboratories. PMID:22764070

A simplified approach to characterizing a kilovoltage source spectrum for accurate dose computation.

PubMed

Poirier, Yannick; Kouznetsov, Alexei; Tambasco, Mauro

2012-06-01

To investigate and validate the clinical feasibility of using half-value layer (HVL) and peak tube potential (kVp) for characterizing a kilovoltage (kV) source spectrum for the purpose of computing kV x-ray dose accrued from imaging procedures. To use this approach to characterize a Varian® On-Board Imager® (OBI) source and perform experimental validation of a novel in-house hybrid dose computation algorithm for kV x-rays. We characterized the spectrum of an imaging kV x-ray source using the HVL and the kVp as the sole beam quality identifiers using third-party freeware Spektr to generate the spectra. We studied the sensitivity of our dose computation algorithm to uncertainties in the beam's HVL and kVp by systematically varying these spectral parameters. To validate our approach experimentally, we characterized the spectrum of a Varian® OBI system by measuring the HVL using a Farmer-type Capintec ion chamber (0.06 cc) in air and compared dose calculations using our computationally validated in-house kV dose calculation code to measured percent depth-dose and transverse dose profiles for 80, 100, and 125 kVp open beams in a homogeneous phantom and a heterogeneous phantom comprising tissue, lung, and bone equivalent materials. The sensitivity analysis of the beam quality parameters (i.e., HVL, kVp, and field size) on dose computation accuracy shows that typical measurement uncertainties in the HVL and kVp (±0.2 mm Al and ±2 kVp, respectively) source characterization parameters lead to dose computation errors of less than 2%. Furthermore, for an open beam with no added filtration, HVL variations affect dose computation accuracy by less than 1% for a 125 kVp beam when field size is varied from 5 × 5 cm(2) to 40 × 40 cm(2). The central axis depth dose calculations and experimental measurements for the 80, 100, and 125 kVp energies agreed within 2% for the homogeneous and heterogeneous block phantoms, and agreement for the transverse dose profiles was within 6%. The HVL and kVp are sufficient for characterizing a kV x-ray source spectrum for accurate dose computation. As these parameters can be easily and accurately measured, they provide for a clinically feasible approach to characterizing a kV energy spectrum to be used for patient specific x-ray dose computations. Furthermore, these results provide experimental validation of our novel hybrid dose computation algorithm. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Karyotyping human chromosomes by optical and x-ray ptychography methods

DOE PAGES

Shemilt, Laura; Verbanis, Ephanielle; Schwenke, Joerg; ...

2015-02-01

Sorting and identifying chromosomes, a process known as karyotyping, is widely used to detect changes in chromosome shapes and gene positions. In a karyotype the chromosomes are identified by their size and therefore this process can be performed by measuring macroscopic structural variables. Chromosomes contain a specific number of basepairs that linearly correlate with their size; therefore, it is possible to perform a karyotype on chromosomes using their mass as an identifying factor. Here, we obtain the first images, to our knowledge, of chromosomes using the novel imaging method of ptychography. We can use the images to measure the massmore » of chromosomes and perform a partial karyotype from the results. Lastly, we also obtain high spatial resolution using this technique with synchrotron source x-rays.« less

Karyotyping human chromosomes by optical and x-ray ptychography methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shemilt, Laura; Verbanis, Ephanielle; Schwenke, Joerg

Sorting and identifying chromosomes, a process known as karyotyping, is widely used to detect changes in chromosome shapes and gene positions. In a karyotype the chromosomes are identified by their size and therefore this process can be performed by measuring macroscopic structural variables. Chromosomes contain a specific number of basepairs that linearly correlate with their size; therefore, it is possible to perform a karyotype on chromosomes using their mass as an identifying factor. Here, we obtain the first images, to our knowledge, of chromosomes using the novel imaging method of ptychography. We can use the images to measure the massmore » of chromosomes and perform a partial karyotype from the results. Lastly, we also obtain high spatial resolution using this technique with synchrotron source x-rays.« less

Effect of source and particle size of supplemental phosphate on rumen function of steers fed high concentrate diets.

PubMed

Murphy, M R; Whetstone, H D; Davis, C L

1983-12-01

We examined effects of source and particle size of supplemental defluorinated rock phosphate, to meet phosphorus requirements, on rumen function of 195-kg Holstein steers fed high concentrate. Two sources and two particle sizes of each source were evaluated in a 5 X 5 Latin square with 14-day periods. There was no effect of source on ruminal mH [- log (mean (H+)]; however, ruminal mH was higher in animals fed supplements of larger particle size. This effect was also evident when rumen pH versus time curves were integrated below pH 6. Animals fed supplements of larger particle size had less area below pH 6 than those fed supplements of smaller size. Ruminal buffering capacity at pH 7 was affected by diet; however, orthogonal comparisons between treatment means were not significant. Neither source nor particle size of the supplement affected ruminal fluid osmolality, total volatile fatty acid concentration, or fecal starch. Water intake and ruminal dry matter on HyCal supplemented diets; however, there was also a trend toward increasing rumen fluid volume. The net effect was little change of dilution rate of ruminal fluid. This may explain why rumen fermentation was not affected greatly. Conventional phosphate supplements may have potential as rumen buffering agents, but higher levels of feeding should be studied.

Evaluation of a lithium formate EPR dosimetry system for dose measurements around {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Antonovic, Laura; Gustafsson, Haakan; Alm Carlsson, Gudrun

2009-06-15

A dosimetry system using lithium formate monohydrate (HCO{sub 2}Li{center_dot}H{sub 2}O) as detector material and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for readout has been used to measure absorbed dose distributions around clinical {sup 192}Ir sources. Cylindrical tablets with diameter of 4.5 mm, height of 4.8 mm, and density of 1.26 g/cm{sup 3} were manufactured. Homogeneity test and calibration of the dosimeters were performed in a 6 MV photon beam. {sup 192}Ir irradiations were performed in a PMMA phantom using two different source models, the GammaMed Plus HDR and the microSelectron PDR-v1 model. Measured absorbed doses to water in the PMMA phantommore » were converted to the corresponding absorbed doses to water in water phantoms of dimensions used by the treatment planning systems (TPSs) using correction factors explicitly derived for this experiment. Experimentally determined absorbed doses agreed with the absorbed doses to water calculated by the TPS to within {+-}2.9%. Relative standard uncertainties in the experimentally determined absorbed doses were estimated to be within the range of 1.7%-1.3% depending on the radial distance from the source, the type of source (HDR or PDR), and the particular absorbed doses used. This work shows that a lithium formate dosimetry system is well suited for measurements of absorbed dose to water around clinical HDR and PDR {sup 192}Ir sources. Being less energy dependent than the commonly used thermoluminescent lithium fluoride (LiF) dosimeters, lithium formate monohydrate dosimeters are well suited to measure absorbed doses in situations where the energy dependence cannot easily be accounted for such as in multiple-source irradiations to verify treatment plans. Their wide dynamic range and linear dose response over the dose interval of 0.2-1000 Gy make them suitable for measurements on sources of the strengths used in clinical applications. The dosimeter size needs, however, to be reduced for application to single-source dosimetry.« less

The role of seasonality of mineral dust concentration and size on glacial/interglacial dust changes in the EPICA Dronning Maud Land ice core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, Anna; Fischer, Hubertus; Delmonte, Barbara; Petit, Jean-Robert; Erhardt, Tobias; Ruth, Urs; Svensson, Anders; Vinther, Bo; Miller, Heinrich

2015-10-01

We present a record of particulate dust concentration and size distribution in subannual resolution measured on the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dronning Maud Land (EDML) ice core drilled in the Atlantic sector of the East Antarctic plateau. The record reaches from present day back to the penultimate glacial until 145,000 years B.P. with subannual resolution from 60,000 years B.P. to the present. Mean dust concentrations are a factor of 46 higher during the glacial (~850-4600 ng/mL) compared to the Holocene (~16-112 ng/mL) with slightly smaller dust particles during the glacial compared to the Holocene and with an absolute minimum in the dust size at 16,000 years B.P. The changes in dust concentration are mainly attributed to changes in source conditions in southern South America. An increase in the modal value of the dust size suggests that at 16,000 years B.P. a major change in atmospheric circulation apparently allowed more direct transport of dust particles to the EDML drill site. We find a clear in-phase relation of the seasonal variation in dust mass concentration and dust size during the glacial (r(conc,size) = 0.8) but no clear phase relationship during the Holocene (0 < r(conc,size) < 0.4). With a simple conceptual 1-D model describing the transport of the dust to the ice sheet using the size as an indicator for transport intensity, we find that the effect of the changes in the seasonality of the source emission strength and the transport intensity on the dust decrease over Transition 1 can significantly contribute to the large decrease of dust concentration from the glacial to the Holocene.

Exploring the applicability and limitations of selected optical scattering instruments for PM mass measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jie; Marto, Joseph P.; Schwab, James J.

2018-05-01

Two optical scattering instruments for particle mass measurement, the Thermo Personal Data RAM (PDR-1500) and the TSI Environmental DustTrak DRX (Model 8543) were evaluated by (1) using poly- and mono-disperse test aerosol in the laboratory, and (2) sampling ambient aerosol. The responses of these optical scattering instruments to different particle characteristics (size, composition, concentration) were compared with responses from reference instruments. A Mie scattering calculation was used to explain the dependence of the optical instruments' response to aerosol size and composition. Concurrently, the detection efficiency of one Alphasense Optical Particle Counter (OPC-N2) was evaluated in the laboratory as well. The relationship between aerosol mass concentration and optical scattering was determined to be strongly dependent on aerosol size and to a lesser extent on aerosol composition (as reflected in the refractive indices of the materials tested) based on ambient measurements. This confirms that there is no simple way to use optical scattering instruments over a wide range of conditions without adjustments based on knowledge of aerosol size and composition. In particular, a test period measuring ambient aerosol with optical scattering instruments and a mass based method (an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer) determined that roughly two thirds of the variance (R2 = 0.64) of the optical to mass signal ratio is explained by the aerosol mass median diameter alone. These observations and calculations help evaluate the applicability and limitations of these optical scattering instruments, and provide guidance to designing suitable applications for each instrument by considering aerosol sources and aerosol size.

Laser plasma x-ray source for ultrafast time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Miaja-Avila, L.; O'Neil, G. C.; Uhlig, J.; ...

2015-03-02

We describe a laser-driven x-ray plasma source designed for ultrafast x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The source is comprised of a 1 kHz, 20 W, femtosecond pulsed infrared laser and a water target. We present the x-ray spectra as a function of laser energy and pulse duration. Additionally, we investigate the plasma temperature and photon flux as we vary the laser energy. We obtain a 75 μm FWHM x-ray spot size, containing ~10 6 photons/s, by focusing the produced x-rays with a polycapillary optic. Since the acquisition of x-ray absorption spectra requires the averaging of measurements from >10 7 laser pulses, wemore » also present data on the source stability, including single pulse measurements of the x-ray yield and the x-ray spectral shape. In single pulse measurements, the x-ray flux has a measured standard deviation of 8%, where the laser pointing is the main cause of variability. Further, we show that the variability in x-ray spectral shape from single pulses is low, thus justifying the combining of x-rays obtained from different laser pulses into a single spectrum. Finally, we show a static x-ray absorption spectrum of a ferrioxalate solution as detected by a microcalorimeter array. Altogether, our results demonstrate that this water-jet based plasma source is a suitable candidate for laboratory-based time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments.« less

Effect of solvent and temperature on the size distribution of casein micelles measured by dynamic light scattering.

PubMed

Beliciu, C M; Moraru, C I

2009-05-01

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of the solvent on the accuracy of casein micelle particle size determination by dynamic light scattering (DLS) at different temperatures and to establish a clear protocol for these measurements. Dynamic light scattering analyses were performed at 6, 20, and 50 degrees C using a 90Plus Nanoparticle Size Analyzer (Brookhaven Instruments, Holtsville, NY). Raw and pasteurized skim milk were used as sources of casein micelles. Simulated milk ultrafiltrate, ultrafiltered water, and permeate obtained by ultrafiltration of skim milk using a 10-kDa cutoff membrane were used as solvents. The pH, ionic concentration, refractive index, and viscosity of all solvents were determined. The solvents were evaluated by DLS to ensure that they did not have a significant influence on the results of the particle size measurements. Experimental protocols were developed for accurate measurement of particle sizes in all solvents and experimental conditions. All measurements had good reproducibility, with coefficients of variation below 5%. Both the solvent and the temperature had a significant effect on the measured effective diameter of the casein micelles. When ultrafiltered permeate was used as a solvent, the particle size and polydispersity of casein micelles decreased as temperature increased. The effective diameter of casein micelles from raw skim milk diluted with ultrafiltered permeate was 176.4 +/- 5.3 nm at 6 degrees C, 177.4 +/- 1.9 nm at 20 degrees C, and 137.3 +/- 2.7 nm at 50 degrees C. This trend was justified by the increased strength of hydrophobic bonds with increasing temperature. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the most suitable solvent for the DLS analyses of casein micelles was casein-depleted ultrafiltered permeate. Dilution with water led to micelle dissociation, which significantly affected the DLS measurements, especially at 6 and 20 degrees C. Simulated milk ultrafiltrate seemed to give accurate results only at 20 degrees C. Results obtained in simulated milk ultrafiltrate at 6 degrees C could not be explained based on the known effects of temperature on the casein micelle, whereas at 50 degrees C, precipitation of amorphous calcium phosphate affected the DLS measurement.

Self characterization of a coded aperture array for neutron source imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volegov, P. L.; Danly, C. R.; Fittinghoff, D. N.; Guler, N.; Merrill, F. E.; Wilde, C. H.

2014-12-01

The neutron imaging system at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is an important diagnostic tool for measuring the two-dimensional size and shape of the neutrons produced in the burning deuterium-tritium plasma during the stagnation stage of inertial confinement fusion implosions. Since the neutron source is small (˜100 μm) and neutrons are deeply penetrating (>3 cm) in all materials, the apertures used to achieve the desired 10-μm resolution are 20-cm long, triangular tapers machined in gold foils. These gold foils are stacked to form an array of 20 apertures for pinhole imaging and three apertures for penumbral imaging. These apertures must be precisely aligned to accurately place the field of view of each aperture at the design location, or the location of the field of view for each aperture must be measured. In this paper we present a new technique that has been developed for the measurement and characterization of the precise location of each aperture in the array. We present the detailed algorithms used for this characterization and the results of reconstructed sources from inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments at NIF.

Size-segregated compositional analysis of aerosol particles collected in the European Arctic during the ACCACIA campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, G.; Jones, H. M.; Darbyshire, E.; Baustian, K. J.; McQuaid, J. B.; Bower, K. N.; Connolly, P. J.; Gallagher, M. W.; Choularton, T. W.

2016-03-01

Single-particle compositional analysis of filter samples collected on board the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe-146 aircraft is presented for six flights during the springtime Aerosol-Cloud Coupling and Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign (March-April 2013). Scanning electron microscopy was utilised to derive size-segregated particle compositions and size distributions, and these were compared to corresponding data from wing-mounted optical particle counters. Reasonable agreement between the calculated number size distributions was found. Significant variability in composition was observed, with differing external and internal mixing identified, between air mass trajectory cases based on HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) analyses. Dominant particle classes were silicate-based dusts and sea salts, with particles notably rich in K and Ca detected in one case. Source regions varied from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland through to northern Russia and the European continent. Good agreement between the back trajectories was mirrored by comparable compositional trends between samples. Silicate dusts were identified in all cases, and the elemental composition of the dust was consistent for all samples except one. It is hypothesised that long-range, high-altitude transport was primarily responsible for this dust, with likely sources including the Asian arid regions.

Effects of Droplet Size on Intrusion of Sub-Surface Oil Spills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Eric; Chan, Godine; Wang, Dayang

2014-11-01

We explore effects of droplet size on droplet intrusion and transport in sub-surface oil spills. Negatively buoyant glass beads released continuously to a stratified ambient simulate oil droplets in a rising multiphase plume, and distributions of settled beads are used to infer signatures of surfacing oil. Initial tests used quiescent conditions, while ongoing tests simulate currents by towing the source and a bottom sled. Without current, deposited beads have a Gaussian distribution, with variance increasing with decreasing particle size. Distributions agree with a model assuming first order particle loss from an intrusion layer of constant thickness, and empirically determined flow rate. With current, deposited beads display a parabolic distribution similar to that expected from a source in uniform flow; we are currently comparing observed distributions with similar analytical models. Because chemical dispersants have been used to reduce oil droplet size, our study provides one measure of their effectiveness. Results are applied to conditions from the `Deep Spill' field experiment, and the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and are being used to provide ``inner boundary conditions'' for subsequent far field modeling of these events. This research was made possible by grants from Chevron Energy Technology Co., through the Chevron-MITEI University Partnership Program, and BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, GISR.

SEISMIC PREDICTION USING UNATTACHED RADON DECAY PRODUCTS.

PubMed

Harley, Naomi H; Chittaporn, Passaporn; Fisenne, Isabel M

2017-11-01

Long-term measurements of the 222Rn concentration, 222Rn decay product activity, particle size distribution, and unattached, and attached 222Rn decay products, were made at two locations using the 22 y radon decay product 210Pb as their tracer. The particle size sampler collects both short lived 222Rn decay products that ultimately decay to 210Pb on the filters, and also airborne 210Pb. The measurements were made outdoors, at a suburban home and at Fernald, OH, a former uranium processing facility, on top of one of the two 226Ra storage silos containing 150 TBq 226Ra. The size distributions showed the unattached fractions, i.e. particle diameter 2-4 nm, to be 1.5% at the home and 14% at the silos. The unattached fraction of 218Po can be shown to be an immediate measure of the 222Rn concentration. The data indicates detection of the pressure driven 222Rn flow at the silo and with the enhanced measurement capability of a filtered air source versus the usual 222Rn gas measurement. It is proposed that real time measurements of unattached 218Po may be used to identify rapidly changing 222Rn concentrations associated with pressure driven soil air flow associated with seismic activity. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Assumption of a Reliable Instrument and Other Pitfalls to Avoid When Considering the Reliability of Data

PubMed Central

Nimon, Kim; Zientek, Linda Reichwein; Henson, Robin K.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to help researchers avoid common pitfalls associated with reliability including incorrectly assuming that (a) measurement error always attenuates observed score correlations, (b) different sources of measurement error originate from the same source, and (c) reliability is a function of instrumentation. To accomplish our purpose, we first describe what reliability is and why researchers should care about it with focus on its impact on effect sizes. Second, we review how reliability is assessed with comment on the consequences of cumulative measurement error. Third, we consider how researchers can use reliability generalization as a prescriptive method when designing their research studies to form hypotheses about whether or not reliability estimates will be acceptable given their sample and testing conditions. Finally, we discuss options that researchers may consider when faced with analyzing unreliable data. PMID:22518107

Determination of respirable-sized crystalline silica in different ambient environments in the United Kingdom with a mobile high flow rate sampler utilising porous foams to achieve the required particle size selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stacey, Peter; Thorpe, Andrew; Roberts, Paul; Butler, Owen

2018-06-01

Inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can cause diseases including silicosis and cancer. Levels of RCS close to an emission source are measured but little is known about the wider ambient exposure from industry emissions or natural sources. The aim of this work is to report the RCS concentrations obtained from a variety of ambient environments using a new mobile respirable (PM4) sampler. A mobile battery powered high flow rate (52 L min-1) sampler was developed and evaluated for particulate aerosol sampling employing foams to select the respirable particle size fraction. Sampling was conducted in the United Kingdom at site boundaries surrounding seven urban construction and demolition and five sand quarry sites. These are compared with data from twelve urban aerosol samples and from repeat measurements from a base line study at a single rural site. The 50% particle size penetration (d50) through the foam was 4.3 μm. Over 85% of predict bias values were with ±10% of the respirable convention, which is based on a log normal curve. Results for RCS from all construction and quarry activities are generally low with a 95 th percentile of 11 μg m-3. Eighty percent of results were less than the health benchmark value of 3 μg m-3 used in some states in America for ambient concentrations. The power cutting of brick and the largest demolition activities gave the highest construction levels. Measured urban background RCS levels were typically below 0.3 μg m-3 and the median RCS level, at a rural background location, was 0.02 μg m-3. These reported ambient RCS concentrations may provide useful baseline values to assess the wider impact of fugitive, RCS containing, dust emissions into the wider environment.

Perspectives on individual to ensembles of ambient fine and ultrafine particles and their sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bein, Keith James

By combining Rapid Single-ultrafine-particle Mass Spectrometry (RSMS) measurements during the Pittsburgh Supersite experiment with a large array of concurrent PM, gas and meteorological data, a synthesis of data and analyses is employed to characterize sources, emission trends and dynamics of ambient fine and ultrafine particles. Combinatorial analyses elicit individual to ensemble descriptions of particles, their sources, their changes in state from atmospheric processing and the scales of motion driving their transport and dynamics. Major results include (1) Particle size and composition are strong indicators of sources/source categories and real-time measurements allow source attribution at the single particle and point source level. (2) Single particle source attribution compares well to factor analysis of chemically-speciated bulk phase data and both resulted in similar conclusions but independently revealed new sources. (3) RSMS data can quantitatively estimate composition-resolved, number-based particle size distribution. Comparison to mass-based data yielded new information about physical and chemical properties of particles and instrument sensitivity. (4) Source-specific signatures and real-time monitoring allow passing plumes to be tracked and characterized. (5) The largest of three identified coal combustion sources emits ˜ 2.4 x 10 17 primary submicron particles per second. (6) Long-range transport has a significant impact on the eastern U.S. including specific influences of eight separate wildfire events. (7) Pollutant dynamics in the Pittsburgh summertime air shed, and Northeastern U.S., is characterized by alternating periods of stagnation and cleansing. The eight wildfire events were detected in between seven successive stagnation events. (8) Connections exist between boreal fire activity, southeast subsiding transport of the emissions, alternating periods of stagnation and cleansing at the receptor and the structure and propagation of extratropical waves. (9) Wildfire emissions can severely impact preexisting pollutant concentrations and physical and chemical processes at the receptor. (10) High-severity crown fires in boreal Canada emit ˜ 1.2 x 1015 particles/kg biomass burned. (11) In 1998, wildfire activity in the circumpolar boreal forest emitted ˜ 8 x 1026 particles, representing ˜ 14% of global wildland fire emissions. Results and conclusions address future scientific objectives in understanding effects of particles on human health and global climate change.

Comparison Of 252Cf Time Correlated Induced Fisssion With AmLi Induced Fission On Fresh MTR Research Reactor Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joshi, Jay Prakash

The effective application of international safeguards to research reactors requires verification of spent fuel as well as fresh fuel. To accomplish this goal various nondestructive and destructive assay techniques have been developed in the US and around the world. The Advanced Experimental Fuel Counter (AEFC) is a nondestructive assay (NDA) system developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) combining both neutron and gamma measurement capabilities. Since spent fuel assemblies are stored in water, the system was designed to be watertight to facilitate underwater measurements by inspectors. The AEFC is comprised of six 3He detectors as well as a shielded andmore » collimated ion chamber. The 3He detectors are used for active and passive neutron coincidence counting while the ion chamber is used for gross gamma counting. Active coincidence measurement data is used to measure residual fissile mass, whereas the passive coincidence measurement data along with passive gamma measurement can provide information about burnup, cooling time, and initial enrichment. In the past, most of the active interrogation systems along with the AEFC used an AmLi neutron interrogation source. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining an AmLi source, a 252Cf spontaneous fission (SF) source was used during a 2014 field trail in Uzbekistan as an alternative. In this study, experiments were performed to calibrate the AEFC instrument and compare use of the 252Cf spontaneous fission source and the AmLi (α,n) neutron emission source. The 252Cf source spontaneously emits bursts of time-correlated prompt fission neutrons that thermalize in the water and induce fission in the fuel assembly. The induced fission (IF) neutrons are also time correlated resulting in more correlated neutron detections inside the 3He detector, which helps reduce the statistical errors in doubles when using the 252Cf interrogation source instead of the AmLi source. In this work, two MTR fuel assemblies varying both in size and number of fuel plates were measured using 252Cf and AmLi active interrogation sources. This paper analyzes time correlated induced fission (TCIF) from fresh MTR fuel assemblies due to 252Cf and AmLi active interrogation sources.« less

Comparative Soot Diagnostics Experiment Looks at the Smoky World of Microgravity Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Griffin, DeVon W.; Gard, Melissa Y.

1997-01-01

From an economic standpoint, soot is one of the most important combustion intermediates and products. It is a major industrial product and is the dominant medium for radiant heat transport in most flames used to generate heat and power. The nonbuoyant structure of most flames of practical interest (turbulent flames) makes the understanding of soot processes in microgravity flames important to our ability to predict fire behavior on Earth. In addition, fires in spacecraft are considered a credible possibility. To respond to this risk, NASA has flown fire (or smoke) detectors on Skylab and the space shuttles and included them in the International Space Station design. The design of these detectors, however, was based entirely on normal gravity (1g) data. The detector used in the shuttle fleet is an ionization detector, whereas the system planned for the space station uses forward scattering of near-infrared light. The ionization detector, which is similar to smoke detectors used in homes, has a comparative advantage for submicron particulates. In fact, the space shuttle model uses a separation system that makes it blind to particles larger than a micron (believed to be dust). In the larger size range, the lightscattering detector is most sensitive. Without microgravity smoke data, the difference in the particle size sensitivities of the two detectors cannot be evaluated. As part of the Comparative Soot Diagnostics (CSD) experiment, these systems were tested to determine their response to particulates generated during long periods of low gravity. This experiment provided the first such measurements toward understanding soot processes on Earth and for designing and implementing improved spacecraft smoke detection systems. The objectives of CSD were to examine how particulates form from a variety of sources and to quantify the performance of several diagnostic techniques. The sources tested included four overheated materials (paper, silicone rubber, Teflon-coated (DuPont) wire, and Kapton-coated (DuPont) wires), each tested at three heating rates, and a candle tested at three air velocities. Paper, silicone rubber, and wire insulation, materials found in spacecraft crew cabins, were selected because of their different smoke properties. The candle yielded hydrocarbon soot typical of many 1g flames. Four diagnostic techniques were employed: thermophoretic sampling collected particulates for size analysis; laser light extinction measurements near the source tallied total particulate production; and laser light scattering and ionization detector measurements far from the particulate source provided data for evaluating the performance of smoke detection systems for these particulate sources.

Are catchment-wide erosion rates really "Catchment-Wide"? Effects of grain size on erosion rates determined from 10Be

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitz, M. A.; Seeber, L.; Schaefer, J. M.; Ferguson, E. K.

2012-12-01

Early studies pioneering the method for catchment wide erosion rates by measuring 10Be in alluvial sediment were taken at river mouths and used the sand size grain fraction from the riverbeds in order to average upstream erosion rates and measure erosion patterns. Finer particles (<0.0625 mm) were excluded to reduce the possibility of a wind-blown component of sediment and coarser particles (>2 mm) were excluded to better approximate erosion from the entire upstream catchment area (coarse grains are generally found near the source). Now that the sensitivity of 10Be measurements is rapidly increasing, we can precisely measure erosion rates from rivers eroding active tectonic regions. These active regions create higher energy drainage systems that erode faster and carry coarser sediment. In these settings, does the sand-sized fraction fully capture the average erosion of the upstream drainage area? Or does a different grain size fraction provide a more accurate measure of upstream erosion? During a study of the Neto River in Calabria, southern Italy, we took 8 samples along the length of the river, focusing on collecting samples just below confluences with major tributaries, in order to use the high-resolution erosion rate data to constrain tectonic motion. The samples we measured were sieved to either a 0.125 mm - 0.710 mm fraction or the 0.125 mm - 4 mm fraction (depending on how much of the former was available). After measuring these 8 samples for 10Be and determining erosion rates, we used the approach by Granger et al. [1996] to calculate the subcatchment erosion rates between each sample point. In the subcatchments of the river where we used grain sizes up to 4 mm, we measured very low 10Be concentrations (corresponding to high erosion rates) and calculated nonsensical subcatchment erosion rates (i.e. negative rates). We, therefore, hypothesize that the coarser grain sizes we included are preferentially sampling a smaller upstream area, and not the entire upstream catchment, which is assumed when measurements are based solely on the sand sized fraction. To test this hypothesis, we used samples with a variety of grain sizes from the Shillong Plateau. We sieved 5 samples into three grain size fractions: 0.125 mm - 710 mm, 710 mm - 4 mm, and >4 mm and measured 10Be concentrations in each fraction. Although there is some variation in the grain size fraction that yields the highest erosion rate, generally, the coarser grain size fractions have higher erosion rates. More significant are the results when calculating the subcatchment erosion rates, which suggest that even medium sized grains (710 mm - 4 mm) are sampling an area smaller than the entire upstream area; this finding is consistent with the nonsensical results from the Neto River study. This result has numerous implications for the interpretations of 10Be erosion rates: most importantly, an alluvial sample may not be averaging the entire upstream area, even when using the sand size fraction - resulting erosion rates more pertinent for that sample point rather than the entire catchment.

Black carbon's contribution to aerosol absorption optical depth over S. Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, K.; Perring, A. E.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Anderson, B. E.; Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Redemann, J.; Holben, B. N.; Schwarz, J. P.

2017-12-01

Aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) monitored by ground-based sites (AERONET, SKYNET, etc.) is used to constrain climate radiative forcing from black carbon (BC) and other absorbing aerosols in global models, but few validation studies between in situ aerosol measurements and ground-based AAOD exist. AAOD is affected by aerosol size distributions, composition, mixing state, and morphology. Megacities provide appealing test cases for this type of study due to their association with very high concentrations of anthropogenic aerosols. During the KORUS-AQ campaign in S. Korea, which took place in late spring and early summer of 2016, in situ aircraft measurements over the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Taehwa Research Forest (downwind of Seoul) were repeated three times per flight over a 6 week period, providing significant temporal coverage of vertically resolved aerosol properties influenced by different meteorological conditions and sources. Measurements aboard the NASA DC-8 by the NOAA Humidified Dual Single Particle Soot Photometers (HD-SP2) quantified BC mass, size distributions, mixing state, and the hygroscopicity of BC containing aerosols. The in situ BC mass vertical profiles are combined with estimated absorption enhancement calculated from observed optical size and hygroscopicity using Mie theory, and then integrated over the depth of the profile to calculate BC's contribution to AAOD. Along with bulk aerosol size distributions and hygroscopicity, bulk absorbing aerosol optical properties, and on-board sky radiance measurements, these measurements are compared with ground-based AERONET site measurements of AAOD to evaluate closure between in situ vertical profiles of BC and AAOD measurements. This study will provide constraints on the relative importance of BC (including lensing and hygroscopicity effects) and non-BC components to AAOD over S. Korea.

Continuous Flow Hygroscopicity-Resolved Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (Hy-Res REA) Method of Measuring Size-Resolved Sea-Salt Particle Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meskhidze, N.; Royalty, T. M.; Phillips, B.; Dawson, K. W.; Petters, M. D.; Reed, R.; Weinstein, J.; Hook, D.; Wiener, R.

2017-12-01

The accurate representation of aerosols in climate models requires direct ambient measurement of the size- and composition-dependent particle production fluxes. Here we present the design, testing, and analysis of data collected through the first instrument capable of measuring hygroscopicity-based, size-resolved particle fluxes using a continuous-flow Hygroscopicity-Resolved Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (Hy-Res REA) technique. The different components of the instrument were extensively tested inside the US Environmental Protection Agency's Aerosol Test Facility for sea-salt and ammoniums sulfate particle fluxes. The new REA system design does not require particle accumulation, therefore avoids the diffusional wall losses associated with long residence times of particles inside the air collectors of the traditional REA devices. The Hy-Res REA system used in this study includes a 3-D sonic anemometer, two fast-response solenoid valves, two Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs), a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), and a Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (HTDMA). A linear relationship was found between the sea-salt particle fluxes measured by eddy covariance and REA techniques, with comparable theoretical (0.34) and measured (0.39) proportionality constants. The sea-salt particle detection limit of the Hy-Res REA flux system is estimated to be 6x105 m-2s-1. For the conditions of ammonium sulfate and sea-salt particles of comparable source strength and location, the continuous-flow Hy-Res REA instrument was able to achieve better than 90% accuracy of measuring the sea-salt particle fluxes. In principle, the instrument can be applied to measure fluxes of particles of variable size and distinct hygroscopic properties (i.e., mineral dust, black carbon, etc.).

Characteristics of particulate matter emissions from toy cars with electric motors.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaofei; Williams, Brent J; Biswas, Pratim

2015-04-01

Aerosol emissions from toy cars with electric motors were characterized. Particle emission rates from the toy cars, as high as 7.47×10(7) particles/s, were measured. This emission rate is lower than other indoor sources such as smoking and cooking. The particles emitted from toy cars are generated from spark discharges inside the electric motors that power the toy cars. Size distribution measurements indicated that most particles were below 100 nm in diameter. Copper was the dominant inorganic species in these particles. By deploying aerosol mass spectrometers, high concentrations of particulate organic matter were also detected and characterized in detail. Several organic compounds were identified using a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatography. The mass size distribution of particulate organic matter was bimodal. The formation mechanism of particulate organic matter from toy cars was elucidated. A possible new source of indoor air pollution, particles from electric motors in toy cars, was identified. This study characterized aerosol emissions from toy cars in detail. Most of these particles have a diameter less than 100 nm. Copper and some organics are the major components of these particles. Conditions that minimize these emissions were determined.

Comments on the origin of acoustic emission in fatigue testing of aluminum alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heiple, C. R.; Carpenter, S. H.; Armentrout, D. L.

The size of acoustic emission (AE) signals expected from inclusion fracture during fatigue testing of 7075 aluminum has been estimated on the basis of previous measurements of AE produced by the fracture of boron particles incorporated into 2219 aluminum. The AF signal size expected from deformation in the plastic zone ahead of the fatigue crack was estimated from the results of tensile tests on 7075 aluminum. The signals predicted from both processes are near or below the noise level in the fatigue experiments and are therefore far too small to account for the signals actually observed. Nearly simultaneous fracture of multiple inclusions could produce signals as large as those observed in fatigue tests of 7075 aluminum, however, fatigue tests of 7050 aluminum produced signals as large or larger than in 7075. Since 7050 has substantially fewer inclusions than 7075, the simultaneous failure of multiple inclusions is unlikely to be a major AE source in fatigue testing of either aluminum alloy. Thus, the most probable source of acoustic emission during fatigue testing of 7075 and 7050 aluminum is the crack advance itself. The measured crack advance per cycle is large enough to release sufficient elastic energy to account for the AE signals observed.

Two-particle Bose-Einstein correlations in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] 0.9 and 7 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector.

PubMed

Aad, G; Abbott, B; Abdallah, J; Abdel Khalek, S; Abdinov, O; Aben, R; Abi, B; Abolins, M; AbouZeid, O S; Abramowicz, H; Abreu, H; Abreu, R; Abulaiti, Y; Acharya, B S; Adamczyk, L; Adams, D L; Adelman, J; Adomeit, S; Adye, T; Agatonovic-Jovin, T; Aguilar-Saavedra, J A; Agustoni, M; Ahlen, S P; Ahmadov, F; Aielli, G; Akerstedt, H; Åkesson, T P A; Akimoto, G; Akimov, A V; Alberghi, G L; Albert, J; Albrand, S; Alconada Verzini, M J; Aleksa, M; Aleksandrov, I N; Alexa, C; Alexander, G; Alexandre, G; Alexopoulos, T; Alhroob, M; Alimonti, G; Alio, L; Alison, J; Allbrooke, B M M; Allison, L J; Allport, P P; Almond, J; Aloisio, A; Alonso, A; Alonso, F; Alpigiani, C; Altheimer, A; Alvarez Gonzalez, B; Alviggi, M G; Amako, K; Amaral Coutinho, Y; Amelung, C; Amidei, D; Amor Dos Santos, S P; Amorim, A; Amoroso, S; Amram, N; Amundsen, G; Anastopoulos, C; Ancu, L S; Andari, N; Andeen, T; Anders, C F; Anders, G; Anderson, K J; Andreazza, A; Andrei, V; Anduaga, X S; Angelidakis, S; Angelozzi, I; Anger, P; Angerami, A; Anghinolfi, F; Anisenkov, A V; Anjos, N; Annovi, A; Antonaki, A; Antonelli, M; Antonov, A; Antos, J; Anulli, F; Aoki, M; Aperio Bella, L; Apolle, R; Arabidze, G; Aracena, I; Arai, Y; Araque, J P; Arce, A T H; Arguin, J-F; Argyropoulos, S; Arik, M; Armbruster, A J; Arnaez, O; Arnal, V; Arnold, H; Arratia, M; Arslan, O; Artamonov, A; Artoni, G; Asai, S; Asbah, N; Ashkenazi, A; Åsman, B; Asquith, L; Assamagan, K; Astalos, R; Atkinson, M; Atlay, N B; Auerbach, B; Augsten, K; Aurousseau, M; Avolio, G; Azuelos, G; Azuma, Y; Baak, M A; Baas, A E; Bacci, C; Bachacou, H; Bachas, K; Backes, M; Backhaus, M; Backus Mayes, J; Badescu, E; Bagiacchi, P; Bagnaia, P; Bai, Y; Bain, T; Baines, J T; Baker, O K; Balek, P; Balli, F; Banas, E; Banerjee, Sw; Bannoura, A A E; Bansal, V; Bansil, H S; Barak, L; Baranov, S P; Barberio, E L; Barberis, D; Barbero, M; Barillari, T; Barisonzi, M; Barklow, T; Barlow, N; Barnett, B M; Barnett, R M; Barnovska, Z; Baroncelli, A; Barone, G; Barr, A J; Barreiro, F; 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Thompson, A S; Thomsen, L A; Thomson, E; Thomson, M; Thong, W M; Thun, R P; Tian, F; Tibbetts, M J; Tikhomirov, V O; Tikhonov, Yu A; Timoshenko, S; Tiouchichine, E; Tipton, P; Tisserant, S; Todorov, T; Todorova-Nova, S; Toggerson, B; Tojo, J; Tokár, S; Tokushuku, K; Tollefson, K; Tolley, E; Tomlinson, L; Tomoto, M; Tompkins, L; Toms, K; Topilin, N D; Torrence, E; Torres, H; Torró Pastor, E; Toth, J; Touchard, F; Tovey, D R; Tran, H L; Trefzger, T; Tremblet, L; Tricoli, A; Trigger, I M; Trincaz-Duvoid, S; Tripiana, M F; Trischuk, W; Trocmé, B; Troncon, C; Trottier-McDonald, M; Trovatelli, M; True, P; Trzebinski, M; Trzupek, A; Tsarouchas, C; Tseng, J C-L; Tsiareshka, P V; Tsionou, D; Tsipolitis, G; Tsirintanis, N; Tsiskaridze, S; Tsiskaridze, V; Tskhadadze, E G; Tsukerman, I I; Tsulaia, V; Tsuno, S; Tsybychev, D; Tudorache, A; Tudorache, V; Tuna, A N; Tupputi, S A; Turchikhin, S; Turecek, D; Turra, R; Tuts, P M; Tykhonov, A; Tylmad, M; Tyndel, M; Uchida, K; Ueda, I; Ueno, R; Ughetto, M; Ugland, M; Uhlenbrock, M; Ukegawa, F; Unal, G; Undrus, A; Unel, G; Ungaro, F C; Unno, Y; Unverdorben, C; Urbaniec, D; Urquijo, P; Usai, G; Usanova, A; Vacavant, L; Vacek, V; Vachon, B; Valencic, N; Valentinetti, S; Valero, A; Valery, L; Valkar, S; Valladolid Gallego, E; Vallecorsa, S; Valls Ferrer, J A; Van Den Wollenberg, W; Van Der Deijl, P C; van der Geer, R; van der Graaf, H; Van Der Leeuw, R; van der Ster, D; van Eldik, N; van Gemmeren, P; Van Nieuwkoop, J; van Vulpen, I; van Woerden, M C; Vanadia, M; Vandelli, W; Vanguri, R; Vaniachine, A; Vannucci, F; Vardanyan, G; Vari, R; Varnes, E W; Varol, T; Varouchas, D; Vartapetian, A; Varvell, K E; Vazeille, F; Vazquez Schroeder, T; Veatch, J; Veloso, F; Velz, T; Veneziano, S; Ventura, A; Ventura, D; Venturi, M; Venturi, N; Venturini, A; Vercesi, V; Verducci, M; Verkerke, W; Vermeulen, J C; Vest, A; Vetterli, M C; Viazlo, O; Vichou, I; Vickey, T; Vickey Boeriu, O E; Viehhauser, G H A; Viel, S; Vigne, R; Villa, M; Villaplana Perez, M; Vilucchi, E; Vincter, M G; Vinogradov, V B; Virzi, J; Vivarelli, I; Vives Vaque, F; Vlachos, S; Vladoiu, D; Vlasak, M; Vogel, A; Vogel, M; Vokac, P; Volpi, G; Volpi, M; von der Schmitt, H; von Radziewski, H; von Toerne, E; Vorobel, V; Vorobev, K; Vos, M; Voss, R; Vossebeld, J H; Vranjes, N; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M; Vrba, V; Vreeswijk, M; Vu Anh, T; Vuillermet, R; Vukotic, I; Vykydal, Z; Wagner, P; Wagner, W; Wahlberg, H; Wahrmund, S; Wakabayashi, J; Walder, J; Walker, R; Walkowiak, W; Wall, R; Waller, P; Walsh, B; Wang, C; Wang, C; Wang, F; Wang, H; Wang, H; Wang, J; Wang, J; Wang, K; Wang, R; Wang, S M; Wang, T; Wang, X; Wanotayaroj, C; Warburton, A; Ward, C P; Wardrope, D R; Warsinsky, M; Washbrook, A; Wasicki, C; Watkins, P M; Watson, A T; Watson, I J; Watson, M F; Watts, G; Watts, S; Waugh, B M; Webb, S; Weber, M S; Weber, S W; Webster, J S; Weidberg, A R; Weigell, P; Weinert, B; Weingarten, J; Weiser, C; Weits, H; Wells, P S; Wenaus, T; Wendland, D; Weng, Z; Wengler, T; Wenig, S; Wermes, N; Werner, M; Werner, P; Wessels, M; Wetter, J; Whalen, K; White, A; White, M J; White, R; White, S; Whiteson, D; Wicke, D; Wickens, F J; Wiedenmann, W; Wielers, M; Wienemann, P; Wiglesworth, C; Wiik-Fuchs, L A M; Wijeratne, P A; Wildauer, A; Wildt, M A; Wilkens, H G; Will, J Z; Williams, H H; Williams, S; Willis, C; Willocq, S; Wilson, A; Wilson, J A; Wingerter-Seez, I; Winklmeier, F; Winter, B T; Wittgen, M; Wittig, T; Wittkowski, J; Wollstadt, S J; Wolter, M W; Wolters, H; Wosiek, B K; Wotschack, J; Woudstra, M J; Wozniak, K W; Wright, M; Wu, M; Wu, S L; Wu, X; Wu, Y; Wulf, E; Wyatt, T R; Wynne, B M; Xella, S; Xiao, M; Xu, D; Xu, L; Yabsley, B; Yacoob, S; Yakabe, R; Yamada, M; Yamaguchi, H; Yamaguchi, Y; Yamamoto, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamamoto, S; Yamamura, T; Yamanaka, T; Yamauchi, K; Yamazaki, Y; Yan, Z; Yang, H; Yang, H; Yang, U K; Yang, Y; Yanush, S; Yao, L; Yao, W-M; Yasu, Y; Yatsenko, E; Yau Wong, K H; Ye, J; Ye, S; Yeletskikh, I; Yen, A L; Yildirim, E; Yilmaz, M; Yoosoofmiya, R; Yorita, K; Yoshida, R; Yoshihara, K; Young, C; Young, C J S; Youssef, S; Yu, D R; Yu, J; Yu, J M; Yu, J; Yuan, L; Yurkewicz, A; Yusuff, I; Zabinski, B; Zaidan, R; Zaitsev, A M; Zaman, A; Zambito, S; Zanello, L; Zanzi, D; Zeitnitz, C; Zeman, M; Zemla, A; Zengel, K; Zenin, O; Ženiš, T; Zerwas, D; Zevi Della Porta, G; Zhang, D; Zhang, F; Zhang, H; Zhang, J; Zhang, L; Zhang, X; Zhang, Z; Zhao, Z; Zhemchugov, A; Zhong, J; Zhou, B; Zhou, L; Zhou, N; Zhu, C G; Zhu, H; Zhu, J; Zhu, Y; Zhuang, X; Zhukov, K; Zibell, A; Zieminska, D; Zimine, N I; Zimmermann, C; Zimmermann, R; Zimmermann, S; Zimmermann, S; Zinonos, Z; Ziolkowski, M; Zobernig, G; Zoccoli, A; Zur Nedden, M; Zurzolo, G; Zutshi, V; Zwalinski, L

The paper presents studies of Bose-Einstein Correlations (BEC) for pairs of like-sign charged particles measured in the kinematic range [Formula: see text] 100 MeV and [Formula: see text] 2.5 in proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 0.9 and 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The integrated luminosities are approximately 7 [Formula: see text]b[Formula: see text], 190 [Formula: see text]b[Formula: see text] and 12.4 nb[Formula: see text] for 0.9 TeV, 7 TeV minimum-bias and 7 TeV high-multiplicity data samples, respectively. The multiplicity dependence of the BEC parameters characterizing the correlation strength and the correlation source size are investigated for charged-particle multiplicities of up to 240. A saturation effect in the multiplicity dependence of the correlation source size parameter is observed using the high-multiplicity 7 TeV data sample. The dependence of the BEC parameters on the average transverse momentum of the particle pair is also investigated.

Measuring Geographic Migration Patterns Using Matrículas Consulares.

PubMed

Caballero, Maria Esther; Cadena, Brian C; Kovak, Brian K

2018-05-14

In this article, we show how to use administrative data from the Matrícula Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) identification card program to measure the joint distribution of sending and receiving locations for migrants from Mexico to the United States. Whereas other data sources cover only a small fraction of source or destination locations or include only very coarse geographic information, the MCAS data provide complete geographic coverage of both countries, detailed information on migrants' sources and destinations, and a very large sample size. We first confirm the quality and representativeness of the MCAS data by comparing them with well-known household surveys in Mexico and the United States, finding strong agreement on the migrant location distributions available across data sets. We then document substantial differences in the mix of destinations for migrants from different places within the same source state, demonstrating the importance of detailed substate geographical information. We conclude with an example of how these detailed data can be used to study the effects of destination-specific conditions on migration patterns. We find that an Arizona law reducing employment opportunities for unauthorized migrants decreased emigration from and increased return migration to Mexican source regions with strong initial ties to Arizona.

Exposure to Airborne Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Polyurethane Molding, Spray Painting, Lacquering, and Gluing in a Workshop

PubMed Central

Mølgaard, Bjarke; Viitanen, Anna-Kaisa; Kangas, Anneli; Huhtiniemi, Marika; Larsen, Søren Thor; Vanhala, Esa; Hussein, Tareq; Boor, Brandon E.; Hämeri, Kaarle; Koivisto, Antti Joonas

2015-01-01

Due to the health risk related to occupational air pollution exposure, we assessed concentrations and identified sources of particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a handcraft workshop producing fishing lures. The work processes in the site included polyurethane molding, spray painting, lacquering, and gluing. We measured total VOC (TVOC) concentrations and particle size distributions at three locations representing the various phases of the manufacturing and assembly process. The mean working-hour TVOC concentrations in three locations studied were 41, 37, and 24 ppm according to photo-ionization detector measurements. The mean working-hour particle number concentration varied between locations from 3000 to 36,000 cm−3. Analysis of temporal and spatial variations of TVOC concentrations revealed that there were at least four substantial VOC sources: spray gluing, mold-release agent spraying, continuous evaporation from various lacquer and paint containers, and either spray painting or lacquering (probably both). The mold-release agent spray was indirectly also a major source of ultrafine particles. The workers’ exposure can be reduced by improving the local exhaust ventilation at the known sources and by increasing the ventilation rate in the area with the continuous source. PMID:25849539

RAiSE III: 3C radio AGN energetics and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Ross J.; Shabala, Stanislav S.; Krause, Martin G. H.

2018-03-01

Kinetic jet power estimates based exclusively on observed monochromatic radio luminosities are highly uncertain due to confounding variables and a lack of knowledge about some aspects of the physics of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We propose a new methodology to calculate the jet powers of the largest, most powerful radio sources based on combinations of their size, lobe luminosity, and shape of their radio spectrum; this approach avoids the uncertainties encountered by previous relationships. The outputs of our model are calibrated using hydrodynamical simulations and tested against independent X-ray inverse-Compton measurements. The jet powers and lobe magnetic field strengths of radio sources are found to be recovered using solely the lobe luminosity and spectral curvature, enabling the intrinsic properties of unresolved high-redshift sources to be inferred. By contrast, the radio source ages cannot be estimated without knowledge of the lobe volumes. The monochromatic lobe luminosity alone is incapable of accurately estimating the jet power or source age without knowledge of the lobe magnetic field strength and size, respectively. We find that, on average, the lobes of the Third Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources (3C) have magnetic field strengths approximately a factor three lower than the equipartition value, inconsistent with equal energy in the particles and the fields at the 5σ level. The particle content of 3C radio lobes is discussed in the context of complementary observations; we do not find evidence favouring an energetically dominant proton population.

SU-E-T-469: A Practical Approach for the Determination of Small Field Output Factors Using Published Monte Carlo Derived Correction Factors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calderon, E; Siergiej, D

2014-06-01

Purpose: Output factor determination for small fields (less than 20 mm) presents significant challenges due to ion chamber volume averaging and diode over-response. Measured output factor values between detectors are known to have large deviations as field sizes are decreased. No set standard to resolve this difference in measurement exists. We observed differences between measured output factors of up to 14% using two different detectors. Published Monte Carlo derived correction factors were used to address this challenge and decrease the output factor deviation between detectors. Methods: Output factors for Elekta's linac-based stereotactic cone system were measured using the EDGE detectormore » (Sun Nuclear) and the A16 ion chamber (Standard Imaging). Measurements conditions were 100 cm SSD (source to surface distance) and 1.5 cm depth. Output factors were first normalized to a 10.4 cm × 10.4 cm field size using a daisy-chaining technique to minimize the dependence of field size on detector response. An equation expressing the relation between published Monte Carlo correction factors as a function of field size for each detector was derived. The measured output factors were then multiplied by the calculated correction factors. EBT3 gafchromic film dosimetry was used to independently validate the corrected output factors. Results: Without correction, the deviation in output factors between the EDGE and A16 detectors ranged from 1.3 to 14.8%, depending on cone size. After applying the calculated correction factors, this deviation fell to 0 to 3.4%. Output factors determined with film agree within 3.5% of the corrected output factors. Conclusion: We present a practical approach to applying published Monte Carlo derived correction factors to measured small field output factors for the EDGE and A16 detectors. Using this method, we were able to decrease the percent deviation between both detectors from 14.8% to 3.4% agreement.« less

LCLS in—photon out: fluorescence measurement of neon using soft x-rays

DOE PAGES

Obaid, Razib; Buth, Christian; Dakovski, Georgi L.; ...

2018-01-09

Here, we measured the fluorescence photon yield of neon upon soft x-ray ionization (~1200 eV) from the x-ray free-electron laser at Linac Coherent Light Source, and demonstrated the usage of a grazing incidence spectrometer with a variable line spacing grating to perform x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy on a gas phase system. Our measurements also allowed us to estimate the focal size of the beam from the theoretical description developed, in terms of the rate equation approximation accounting for photoionization shake off of neutral neon and double auger decay of single core holes.

The acoustic vector sensor: a versatile battlefield acoustics sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Bree, Hans-Elias; Wind, Jelmer W.

2011-06-01

The invention of the Microflown sensor has made it possible to measure acoustic particle velocity directly. An acoustic vector sensor (AVS) measures the particle velocity in three directions (the source direction) and the pressure. The sensor is a uniquely versatile battlefield sensor because its size is a few millimeters and it is sensitive to sound from 10Hz to 10kHz. This article shows field tests results of acoustic vector sensors, measuring rifles, heavy artillery, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Experimental data shows that the sensor is suitable as a ground sensor, mounted on a vehicle and on a UAV.

LCLS in—photon out: fluorescence measurement of neon using soft x-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obaid, Razib; Buth, Christian; Dakovski, Georgi L.; Beerwerth, Randolf; Holmes, Michael; Aldrich, Jeff; Lin, Ming-Fu; Minitti, Michael; Osipov, Timur; Schlotter, William; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.; Fritzsche, Stephan; Berrah, Nora

2018-02-01

We measured the fluorescence photon yield of neon upon soft x-ray ionization (∼1200 eV) from the x-ray free-electron laser at Linac Coherent Light Source, and demonstrated the usage of a grazing incidence spectrometer with a variable line spacing grating to perform x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy on a gas phase system. Our measurements also allowed us to estimate the focal size of the beam from the theoretical description developed, in terms of the rate equation approximation accounting for photoionization shake off of neutral neon and double auger decay of single core holes.

Spectral confocal reflection microscopy using a white light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, M.; Juškaitis, R.; Wilson, T.

2008-08-01

We present a reflection confocal microscope incorporating a white light supercontinuum source and spectral detection. The microscope provides images resolved spatially in three-dimensions, in addition to spectral resolution covering the wavelength range 450-650nm. Images and reflection spectra of artificial and natural specimens are presented, showing features that are not normally revealed in conventional microscopes or confocal microscopes using discrete line lasers. The specimens include thin film structures on semiconductor chips, iridescent structures in Papilio blumei butterfly scales, nacre from abalone shells and opal gemstones. Quantitative size and refractive index measurements of transparent beads are derived from spectral interference bands.

Optical Profilometers Using Adaptive Signal Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Gregory A.; Youngquist, Robert; Mikhael, Wasfy

2006-01-01

A method of adaptive signal processing has been proposed as the basis of a new generation of interferometric optical profilometers for measuring surfaces. The proposed profilometers would be portable, hand-held units. Sizes could be thus reduced because the adaptive-signal-processing method would make it possible to substitute lower-power coherent light sources (e.g., laser diodes) for white light sources and would eliminate the need for most of the optical components of current white-light profilometers. The adaptive-signal-processing method would make it possible to attain scanning ranges of the order of decimeters in the proposed profilometers.

A new facility for non-destructive assay using a 252Cf source.

PubMed

Stevanato, L; Caldogno, M; Dima, R; Fabris, D; Hao, Xin; Lunardon, M; Moretto, S; Nebbia, G; Pesente, S; Pino, F; Sajo-Bohus, L; Viesti, G

2013-03-01

A new laboratory facility for non-destructive analysis (NDA) using a time-tagged (252)Cf source is presented. The system is designed to analyze samples having maximum size of about 20 × 25 cm(2), the material recognition being obtained by measuring simultaneously total and energy dependent transmission of neutrons and gamma rays. The equipment technical characteristics and performances of the NDA system are presented, exploring also limits due to the sample thickness. Some recent applications in the field of cultural heritage are presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation Of Shielding Efficacy Of A Ferrite Containing Ceramic Material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verst, C.

2015-10-12

The shielding evaluation of the ferrite based Mitsuishi ceramic material has produced for several radiation sources and possible shielding sizes comparative dose attenuation measurements and simulated projections. High resolution gamma spectroscopy provided uncollided and scattered photon spectra at three energies, confirming theoretical estimates of the ceramic’s mass attenuation coefficient, μ/ρ. High level irradiation experiments were performed using Co-60, Cs-137, and Cf-252 sources to measure penetrating dose rates through steel, lead, concrete, and the provided ceramic slabs. The results were used to validate the radiation transport code MCNP6 which was then used to generate dose rate attenuation curves as a functionmore » of shielding material, thickness, and mass for photons and neutrons ranging in energy from 200 keV to 2 MeV.« less

Mobile Particulate Emission Studies of New York City Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canagaratna, M.; Jayne, J.; Shi, Q.; Kolb, C. E.; Worsnop, D.

Emissions from both diesel and gasoline powered motor vehicles are a significant source of urban particulate (PM2.5) and trace gas pollution. Emission characteriza- tions of motor vehicles are typically performed using a dynamometer. Few studies have been performed which characterize emissions from in-use vehicles using a mo- bile sampling platform. This work, which was part of the PM2.5 Technology Assess- ment and Characterization Study in New York (PMTACS-NY), describes the applica- tion of new instrumentation for rapid (1-5 second) and real-time characterization of particulate emissions from in-use vehicles . An Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) was deployed on the Aerodyne Research (ARI) mobile laboratory designed to "chase" target vehicles in and around the New York City area and measure their emissions under actual driving conditions. The AMS provides quantitative particle size and composition information for volatile and semi- volatile matter (0.05-2.5 um). The AMS was operated in a fast acquisition mode de- signed to monitor particle emissions from the mobile sources. In this mode mass spec- tra (0-300 amu) and chemically speciated particle size distributions were recorded at 4 sec intervals. In addition to the AMS, the Mobile Laboratory was equipped with the ARI tunable diode laser (TILDAS) system which was configured to measure NO, NO2, CO, CH4, SO2 and formaldehyde, a global positioning system, a condensation particle counter, and a Licor CO2 instrument. The simultaneous measurement of particulate mass loading and plume CO2 enabled the calculation of emission indices for the targeted vehicles. Particulate matter emis- sion indices for a representative fraction of the NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bus fleet were determined in an effort to characterize new emission control technologies currently implemented by the NYC MTA. In addition to total particle emission indices, chemically speciated sulfate and organic mass loadings and size distributions were determined. Representative mass spectral signatures and size dis- tributions observed from the exhaust plume particles and correlations between the simultaneous gas and particulate measurements will be discussed. Differences in ob- served particle emission factors and compositions between buses using different fuels and technologies will also be presented.

Does source population size affect performance in new environments?

PubMed Central

Yates, Matthew C; Fraser, Dylan J

2014-01-01

Small populations are predicted to perform poorly relative to large populations when experiencing environmental change. To explore this prediction in nature, data from reciprocal transplant, common garden, and translocation studies were compared meta-analytically. We contrasted changes in performance resulting from transplantation to new environments among individuals originating from different sized source populations from plants and salmonids. We then evaluated the effect of source population size on performance in natural common garden environments and the relationship between population size and habitat quality. In ‘home-away’ contrasts, large populations exhibited reduced performance in new environments. In common gardens, the effect of source population size on performance was inconsistent across life-history stages (LHS) and environments. When transplanted to the same set of new environments, small populations either performed equally well or better than large populations, depending on life stage. Conversely, large populations outperformed small populations within native environments, but only at later life stages. Population size was not associated with habitat quality. Several factors might explain the negative association between source population size and performance in new environments: (i) stronger local adaptation in large populations and antagonistic pleiotropy, (ii) the maintenance of genetic variation in small populations, and (iii) potential environmental differences between large and small populations. PMID:25469166

Characterizing the reflectivity of handheld display devices.

PubMed

Liu, Peter; Badano, Aldo

2014-08-01

With increased use of handheld and tablet display devices for viewing medical images, methods for consistently measuring reflectivity of the devices are needed. In this note, the authors report on the characterization of diffuse reflections for handheld display devices including mobile phones and tablets using methods recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 18 (TG18). The authors modified the diffuse reflectance coefficient measurement method outlined in the TG18 report. The authors measured seven handheld display devices (two phones and five tablets) and three workstation displays. The device was attached to a black panel with Velcro. To study the effect of the back surface on the diffuse reflectance coefficient, the authors created Styrofoam masks with different size square openings and placed it in front of the device. Overall, for each display device, measurements of illuminance and reflected luminance on the display screen were taken. The authors measured with no mask, with masks of varying size, and with display-size masks, and calculated the corresponding diffuse reflectance coefficient. For all handhelds, the diffuse reflectance coefficient measured with no back panel were lower than measurements performed with a mask. The authors found an overall increase in reflectivity as the size of the mask decreases. For workstations displays, diffuse reflectance coefficients were higher when no back panel was used, and higher than with masks. In all cases, as luminance increased, illuminance increased, but not at the same rate. Since the size of handheld displays is smaller than that of workstation devices, the TG18 method suffers from a dependency on illumination condition. The authors show that the diffuse reflection coefficients can vary depending on the nature of the back surface of the illuminating box. The variability in the diffuse coefficient can be as large as 20% depending on the size of the mask. For all measurements, both luminance and illuminance increased as the size of the display window decreased. The TG18 method does not account for this variability. The authors conclude that the method requires a definitive description of the back panel used in the light source setup. The methods described in the TG18 document may need to be improved to provide consistent comparisons of desktop monitors, phones, and tablets.

Efficacy of adaptation measures to future water scarcity on a global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, S.; Kanae, S.

2015-12-01

Water supply sources for all sector are critically important for agricultural and industrial productivity. The current rapid increase in water use is considered unsustainable and threatens human life. In our previous study (Yoshikawa et al., 2014 in HESS), we estimated the time-varying dependence of water requirements from water supply sources during past and future periods using the global water resources model, H08. The sources of water requirements were specified using four categories: rivers, large reservoirs, medium-size reservoirs, and non-local non-renewable blue water (NNBW). We also estimated ΔNNBW which is defined as an increase in NNBW from the past to the future. From the results, we could require the further development of water supply sources in order to sustain future water use. For coping with water scarcity using ΔNNBW, there is need for adaptation measure. To address adaptation measures, we need to set adaptation options which can be divided between 'Supply enhancement' and 'Demand management'. The supply enhancement includes increased storage, groundwater development, inter-basin transfer, desalination and re-use urban waste water. Demand management is defined as a set of actions controlling water demand by reducing water loss, increasing water productivity, and water re-allocation. In this study, we focus on estimating further future water demand under taking into account of several adaptation measures using H08 model.

Source Authentication for Code Dissemination Supporting Dynamic Packet Size in Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Kim, Daehee; Kim, Dongwan; An, Sunshin

2016-07-09

Code dissemination in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a procedure for distributing a new code image over the air in order to update programs. Due to the fact that WSNs are mostly deployed in unattended and hostile environments, secure code dissemination ensuring authenticity and integrity is essential. Recent works on dynamic packet size control in WSNs allow enhancing the energy efficiency of code dissemination by dynamically changing the packet size on the basis of link quality. However, the authentication tokens attached by the base station become useless in the next hop where the packet size can vary according to the link quality of the next hop. In this paper, we propose three source authentication schemes for code dissemination supporting dynamic packet size. Compared to traditional source authentication schemes such as μTESLA and digital signatures, our schemes provide secure source authentication under the environment, where the packet size changes in each hop, with smaller energy consumption.

Source Authentication for Code Dissemination Supporting Dynamic Packet Size in Wireless Sensor Networks †

PubMed Central

Kim, Daehee; Kim, Dongwan; An, Sunshin

2016-01-01

Code dissemination in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a procedure for distributing a new code image over the air in order to update programs. Due to the fact that WSNs are mostly deployed in unattended and hostile environments, secure code dissemination ensuring authenticity and integrity is essential. Recent works on dynamic packet size control in WSNs allow enhancing the energy efficiency of code dissemination by dynamically changing the packet size on the basis of link quality. However, the authentication tokens attached by the base station become useless in the next hop where the packet size can vary according to the link quality of the next hop. In this paper, we propose three source authentication schemes for code dissemination supporting dynamic packet size. Compared to traditional source authentication schemes such as μTESLA and digital signatures, our schemes provide secure source authentication under the environment, where the packet size changes in each hop, with smaller energy consumption. PMID:27409616

Aerosol Properties Observed in the Subtropical North Pacific Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royalty, T. M.; Phillips, B. N.; Dawson, K. W.; Reed, R.; Meskhidze, N.; Petters, M. D.

2017-09-01

The impact of anthropogenic aerosol on climate forcing remains uncertain largely due to inadequate representation of natural aerosols in climate models. The marine boundary layer (MBL) might serve as a model location to study natural aerosol processes. Yet source and sink mechanisms controlling the MBL aerosol number, size distribution, chemical composition, and hygroscopic properties remain poorly constrained. Here aerosol size distribution and water uptake measurements were made aboard the R/V Hi'ialakai from 27 June to 3 July 2016 in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean. Size distributions were predominantly bimodal with an average integrated number concentration of 197 ± 98 cm-3. Hygroscopic growth factors were measured using the tandem differential mobility analyzer technique for dry 48, 96, and 144 nm particles. Mode kappa values for these were 0.57 ± 0.12, 0.51 ± 0.09, and 0.52 ± 0.08, respectively. To better understand remote MBL aerosol sources, a new algorithm was developed which decomposes hygroscopicity distributions into three classes: carbon-containing particles, sulfate-like particles, and sodium-containing particles. Results from this algorithm showed low and steady sodium-containing particle concentrations while the sulfate-like and carbon-containing particle concentrations varied during the cruise. According to the classification scheme, carbon-containing particles contributed at least 3-7%, sulfate-like particles contributed at most 77-88% and sodium-containing particles at least contributed 9-16% to the total aerosol number concentration. Size distribution and hygroscopicity data, in conjunction with air mass back trajectory analysis, suggested that the aerosol budget in the subtropical North Pacific MBL may be controlled by aerosol entrainment from the free troposphere.

Size resolved ultrafine particles emission model--a continues size distribution approach.

PubMed

Nikolova, Irina; Janssen, Stijn; Vrancken, Karl; Vos, Peter; Mishra, Vinit; Berghmans, Patrick

2011-08-15

A new parameterization for size resolved ultrafine particles (UFP) traffic emissions is proposed based on the results of PARTICULATES project (Samaras et al., 2005). It includes the emission factors from the Emission Inventory Guidebook (2006) (total number of particles, #/km/veh), the shape of the corresponding particle size distribution given in PARTICULATES and data for the traffic activity. The output of the model UFPEM (UltraFine Particle Emission Model) is a sum of continuous distributions of ultrafine particles emissions per vehicle type (passenger cars and heavy duty vehicles), fuel (petrol and diesel) and average speed representative for urban, rural and highway driving. The results from the parameterization are compared with measured total number of ultrafine particles and size distributions in a tunnel in Antwerp (Belgium). The measured UFP concentration over the entire campaign shows a close relation to the traffic activity. The modelled concentration is found to be lower than the measured in the campaign. The average emission factor from the measurement is 4.29E+14 #/km/veh whereas the calculated is around 30% lower. A comparison of emission factors with literature is done as well and in overall a good agreement is found. For the size distributions it is found that the measured distributions consist of three modes--Nucleation, Aitken and accumulation and most of the ultrafine particles belong to the Nucleation and the Aitken modes. The modelled Aitken mode (peak around 0.04-0.05 μm) is found in a good agreement both as amplitude of the peak and the number of particles whereas the modelled Nucleation mode is shifted to smaller diameters and the peak is much lower that the observed. Time scale analysis shows that at 300 m in the tunnel coagulation and deposition are slow and therefore neglected. The UFPEM emission model can be used as a source term in dispersion models. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding tungsten divertor sourcing and SOL transport using multiple poloidally-localized sources in DIII-D ELM-y H-mode discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unterberg, Ea; Donovan, D.; Barton, J.; Wampler, Wr; Abrams, T.; Thomas, Dm; Petrie, T.; Guo, Hy; Stangeby, Pg; Elder, Jd; Rudakov, D.; Grierson, B.; Victor, B.

2017-10-01

Experiments using metal inserts with novel isotopically-enriched tungsten coatings at the outer divertor strike point (OSP) have provided unique insight into the ELM-induced sourcing, main-SOL transport, and core accumulation control mechanisms of W for a range of operating conditions. This experimental approach has used a multi-head, dual-facing collector probe (CP) at the outboard midplane, as well as W-I and core W spectroscopy. Using the CP system, the total amount of W deposited relative to source measurements shows a clear dependence on ELM size, ELM frequency, and strike point location, with large ELMs depositing significantly more W on the CP from the far-SOL source. Additionally, high spatial ( 1mm) and ELM resolved spectroscopic measurements of W sourcing indicate shifts in the peak erosion rate. Furthermore, high performance discharges with rapid ELMs show core W concentrations of few 10-5, and the CP deposition profile indicates W is predominantly transported to the midplane from the OSP rather than from the far-SOL region. The low central W concentration is shown to be due to flattening of the main plasma density profile, presumably by on-axis electron cyclotron heating. Work supported under USDOE Cooperative Agreement DE-FC02-04ER54698.

Preliminary results on the apparent size of the sources of type III bursts observed at low frequencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarez, H.

1976-01-01

We present preliminary results on the apparent angular size of the sources of four type III bursts observed between 3500 and 50 kHz from the IMP-6 spacecraft. The observations were made with a dipole rotating in the plane of the ecliptic where the sources are assumed to be. The apparent angular sizes obtained are unexpectedly large. We discuss different explanations for the results. It seems that the scattering of radio waves by electron density inhomogeneities is the most likely cause. We report a temporal increase of the apparent angular size of the source during the burst lifetime for some bursts. From its characteristics it appears to be a real effect.

In Situ Aerosol Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vakhtin, Andrei; Krasnoperov, Lev

2011-01-01

An affordable technology designed to facilitate extensive global atmospheric aerosol measurements has been developed. This lightweight instrument is compatible with newly developed platforms such as tethered balloons, blimps, kites, and even disposable instruments such as dropsondes. This technology is based on detection of light scattered by aerosol particles where an optical layout is used to enhance the performance of the laboratory prototype instrument, which allows detection of smaller aerosol particles and improves the accuracy of aerosol particle size measurement. It has been determined that using focused illumination geometry without any apertures is advantageous over using the originally proposed collimated beam/slit geometry (that is supposed to produce uniform illumination over the beam cross-section). The illumination source is used more efficiently, which allows detection of smaller aerosol particles. Second, the obtained integral scattered light intensity measured for the particle can be corrected for the beam intensity profile inhomogeneity based on the measured beam intensity profile and measured particle location. The particle location (coordinates) in the illuminated sample volume is determined based on the information contained in the image frame. The procedure considerably improves the accuracy of determination of the aerosol particle size.

The impact of particle size, relative humidity, and sulfur dioxide on iron solubility in simulated atmospheric marine aerosols.

PubMed

Cartledge, Benton T; Marcotte, Aurelie R; Herckes, Pierre; Anbar, Ariel D; Majestic, Brian J

2015-06-16

Iron is a limiting nutrient in about half of the world's oceans, and its most significant source is atmospheric deposition. To understand the pathways of iron solubilization during atmospheric transport, we exposed size segregated simulated marine aerosols to 5 ppm sulfur dioxide at arid (23 ± 1% relative humidity, RH) and marine (98 ± 1% RH) conditions. Relative iron solubility increased as the particle size decreased for goethite and hematite, while for magnetite, the relative solubility was similar for all of the fine size fractions (2.5-0.25 μm) investigated but higher than the coarse size fraction (10-2.5 μm). Goethite and hematite showed increased solubility at arid RH, but no difference (p > 0.05) was observed between the two humidity levels for magnetite. There was no correlation between iron solubility and exposure to SO2 in any mineral for any size fraction. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements showed no change in iron speciation [Fe(II) and Fe(III)] in any minerals following SO2 exposure. SEM-EDS measurements of SO2-exposed goethite revealed small amounts of sulfur uptake on the samples; however, the incorporated sulfur did not affect iron solubility. Our results show that although sulfur is incorporated into particles via gas-phase processes, changes in iron solubility also depend on other species in the aerosol.

A Mo-anode-based in-house source for small-angle X-ray scattering measurements of biological macromolecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruetzel, Linda K.; Fischer, Stefan; Salditt, Annalena

2016-02-15

We demonstrate the use of a molybdenum-anode-based in-house small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) setup to study biological macromolecules in solution. Our system consists of a microfocus X-ray tube delivering a highly collimated flux of 2.5 × 10{sup 6} photons/s at a beam size of 1.2 × 1.2 mm{sup 2} at the collimation path exit and a maximum beam divergence of 0.16 mrad. The resulting observable scattering vectors q are in the range of 0.38 Å{sup −1} down to 0.009 Å{sup −1} in SAXS configuration and of 0.26 Å{sup −1} up to 5.7 Å{sup −1} in wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) mode. Tomore » determine the capabilities of the instrument, we collected SAXS data on weakly scattering biological macromolecules including proteins and a nucleic acid sample with molecular weights varying from ∼12 to 69 kDa and concentrations of 1.5–24 mg/ml. The measured scattering data display a high signal-to-noise ratio up to q-values of ∼0.2 Å{sup −1} allowing for an accurate structural characterization of the samples. Moreover, the in-house source data are of sufficient quality to perform ab initio 3D structure reconstructions that are in excellent agreement with the available crystallographic structures. In addition, measurements for the detergent decyl-maltoside show that the setup can be used to determine the size, shape, and interactions (as characterized by the second virial coefficient) of detergent micelles. This demonstrates that the use of a Mo-anode based in-house source is sufficient to determine basic geometric parameters and 3D shapes of biomolecules and presents a viable alternative to valuable beam time at third generation synchrotron sources.« less

Population demographics and genetic diversity in remnant and translocated populations of sea otters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bodkin, James L.; Ballachey, Brenda E.; Cronin, M.A.; Scribner, K.T.

1999-01-01

The effects of small population size on genetic diversity and subsequent population recovery are theoretically predicted, but few empirical data are available to describe those relations. We use data from four remnant and three translocated sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations to examine relations among magnitude and duration of minimum population size, population growth rates, and genetic variation. Metochondrial (mt)DNA haplotype diversity was correlated with the number of years at minimum population size (r = -0.741, p = 0.038) and minimum population size (r = 0.709, p = 0.054). We found no relation between population growth and haplotype diversity, altough growth was significantly greater in translocated than in remnant populations. Haplotype diversity in populations established from two sources was higher than in a population established from a single source and was higher than in the respective source populations. Haplotype frequencies in translocated populations of founding sizes of 4 and 28 differed from expected, indicating genetic drift and differential reproduction between source populations, whereas haplotype frequencies in a translocated population with a founding size of 150 did not. Relations between population demographics and genetic characteristics suggest that genetic sampling of source and translocated populations can provide valuable inferences about translocations.

Surface defect assisted broad spectra emission from CdSe quantum dots for white LED application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Boni; Mathew, S.; Anand, V. R.; Correya, Adrine Antony; Nampoori, V. P. N.; Mujeeb, A.

2018-02-01

This paper reports, broadband photoluminescence from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) under the excitation of 403 nm using fluorimeter and 403 nm CW laser excitation. The broad spectrum obtained from the colloidal quantum dots was ranges from 450 nm to 800 nm. The broadness of the spectra was attributed to the merging of band edge and defect driven emissions from the QDs. Six different sizes of particles were prepared via kinetic growth method by using CdO and elemental Se as sources of Cd and Se respectively. The particle sizes were measured from TEM images. The size dependent effect on broad emission was also studied and the defect state emission was found to be predominant in very small QDs. The defect driven emission was also observed to be redshifted, similar to the band edge emission, due to quantum confinement effect. The emission corresponding to different laser power was also studied and a linear relation was obtained. In order to study the colour characteristics of the emission, CIE chromaticity coordinate, CRI and CCT of the prepared samples were measured. It is observed that, these values were tunable by the addition of suitable intensity of blue light from the excitation source to yield white light of various colour temperatures. The broad photoluminescence spectrum of the QDs, were compared with that of a commercially available white LED. It was found that the prepared QDs are good alternatives for the phosphor in phosphor converted white LEDs, to provide good spectral tunability.

Monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 around primary particulate anthropogenic emission sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés; Rodriguez, Sergio; Plana, Felicià; Mantilla, Enrique; Ruiz, Carmen R.

Investigations on the monitoring of ambient air levels of atmospheric particulates were developed around a large source of primary anthropogenic particulate emissions: the industrial ceramic area in the province of Castelló (Eastern Spain). Although these primary particulate emissions have a coarse grain-size distribution, the atmospheric transport dominated by the breeze circulation accounts for a grain-size segregation, which results in ambient air particles occurring mainly in the 2.5-10 μm range. The chemical composition of the ceramic particulate emissions is very similar to the crustal end-member but the use of high Al, Ti and Fe as tracer elements as well as a peculiar grain-size distribution in the insoluble major phases allow us to identify the ceramic input in the bulk particulate matter. PM2.5 instead of PM10 monitoring may avoid the interference of crustal particles without a major reduction in the secondary anthropogenic load, with the exception of nitrate. However, a methodology based in PM2.5 measurement alone is not adequate for monitoring the impact of primary particulate emissions (such as ceramic emissions) on air quality, since the major ambient air particles derived from these emissions are mainly in the range of 2.5-10 μm. Consequently, in areas characterised by major secondary particulate emissions, PM2.5 monitoring should detect anthropogenic particulate pollutants without crustal particulate interference, whereas PM10 measurements should be used in areas with major primary anthropogenic particulate emissions.

The use of an ordinary colour scanner to fingerprint sediment sources in the South African Karoo.

PubMed

Pulley, Simon; Rowntree, Kate

2016-01-01

The widespread adoption of sediment fingerprinting methodologies for the purpose of catchment management has been restricted by the high cost of tracer analysis as well as the potential for significant uncertainties to be present in results. Sediment colour has shown potential to be an inexpensive tracer able to discriminate between sediment sources. However, at present colour has not been demonstrated to be conservative during sediment erosion and transport. Sediment particle size and organic matter have been shown to strongly affect sediment colour, introducing significant uncertainties associated with its use. This study aimed to assess the suitability of colour as a tracer when it is measured using a commercially available colour scanner. The use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to decompose sediment-associated organic matter was assessed as a means of minimising uncertainty. The impact of particle size on the accurate use of colour signatures as a tracer was also assessed. It was concluded that colour performed comparably to mineral magnetic signatures and showed good potential for use as a tracer. The use of H2O2 pre-treatment and limitation of the analysis to either the <32 μm or the >32 μm fraction of the samples were indicated to be important methods to limit uncertainties associated with organic matter and particle size. The methods used were considerably more time and cost effective than the measurement of most conventional tracers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting stellar angular diameters from V, IC, H and K photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Arthur D.; Boyajian, Tabetha S.; von Braun, Kaspar

2018-01-01

Determining the physical properties of microlensing events depends on having accurate angular sizes of the source star. Using long baseline optical interferometry, we are able to measure the angular sizes of nearby stars with uncertainties ≤2 per cent. We present empirically derived relations of angular diameters which are calibrated using both a sample of dwarfs/subgiants and a sample of giant stars. These relations are functions of five colour indices in the visible and near-infrared, and have uncertainties of 1.8-6.5 per cent depending on the colour used. We find that a combined sample of both main-sequence and evolved stars of A-K spectral types is well fitted by a single relation for each colour considered. We find that in the colours considered, metallicity does not play a statistically significant role in predicting stellar size, leading to a means of predicting observed sizes of stars from colour alone.

Optimizing the Timing Resolution for the NEXT Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhardt, A.; Shadrick, S.; Rajabali, M.; Schmitt, K.; Grzywacz, R.

2016-09-01

In nuclear physics studies there are very few detectors capable of measuring neutron energies in the 0.1-10 MeV energy range with a reasonable resolution. The VANDLE array is the premier detector array for these measurements, yet VANDLE is limited by the its thickness (2.9 cm minimum).The Neutron dEtector with Tracking (NEXT) array would be capable of surpassing the limitations caused by the large size of VANDLE bars. A proposed configuration of each neutron detector consists of ten 3-mm thick plastic scintillators with two or more silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) attached at each end. To achieve the desired energy resolution for neutron energy measurements through time of flight, the timing resolution between these SiPMs needs to be below 200 ps. A SiPM was placed on each end of a plastic scintillator inside a light-tight electrical box along with a 137Cs source. An analog circuit was designed in order to measure the timing difference between the two SiPMs. Different configurations of SiPM sizes, scintillator sizes, and wrappings were tested in order to determine the configuration that yields the best timing resolution. Details of the testing procedures and results will be presented. Research Supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Characterization of key aerosol, trace gas and meteorological properties and particle formation and growth processes dependent on air mass origins in coastal Southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diesch, J.; Drewnick, F.; Sinha, V.; Williams, J.; Borrmann, S.

2011-12-01

The chemical composition and concentration of aerosols at a certain site can vary depending on season, the air mass source region and distance from sources. Regardless of the environment, new particle formation (NPF) events are one of the major sources for ultrafine particles which are potentially hazardous to human health. Grown particles are optically active and efficient CCN resulting in important implications for visibility and climate (Zhang et al., 2004). The study presented here is intended to provide information about various aspects of continental, urban and marine air masses reflected by wind patterns of the air arriving at the measurement site. Additionally we will be focusing on NPF events associated with different types of air masses affecting their emergence and temporal evolution. Measurements of the ambient aerosol, various trace gases and meteorological parameters were performed within the framework of the DOMINO (Diel Oxidant Mechanisms In relation to Nitrogen Oxides) project. The field campaign took place from mid-November to mid-December 2008 at the atmospheric research station "El Arenosillo" located at the interface between a natural park, industrial cities (Huelva, Seville) and the Atlantic Ocean. Number and mass as well as PAH and black carbon concentrations were measured in PM1 and size distribution instruments covered the size range 6 nm up to 32 μm. The chemical composition of the non-refractory submicron aerosol was measured by means of an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). In order to evaluate the characteristics of different air masses linking local and regional sources as well as NPF processes, characteristic air mass types were classified dependent on backwards trajectory pathways and local meteorology. Large nuclei mode concentrations in the number size distribution were found within continental and urban influenced air mass types due to frequently occurring NPF events. Exploring individual production and sink variables, sulfuric acid was found to be the main particle formation contributor. The AMS analysis showed inorganic sulfate species being substantially higher during the growth stages of urban compared to continentally influenced events that are characterized by lower PM1 mass concentrations mainly composed of oxidized organics. The lowest average PM1 mass and number concentrations (2 μg m-3, 1000 cm-3) were found in marine air mass types characterized by the highest sulfate PM1-fraction (54%, 0.91 μg m-3) and volume size distributions probably dominated by sodium chloride particles from sea spray. Two to five times higher submicron aerosol mass concentrations were observed in continental (2.5 μg m-3) and urban (4.2 μg m-3) air mass types mainly consisting of organic species that were further evaluated using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Zhang, Q. et al. (2004), Environ. Sci. Technol., 38, 4797-4809.

CT Scans of NASA BSTRA Balls 5f5, f2, f3, sr2c, nb2a, hb2b

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gross, J; Thompson, R; Perry, R

2004-01-29

At the request of Jose Hernandez we performed some feasibility DR/CT scanning of BSTRA Balls of different sizes. To this point we have scanned all the specimens on a single system, HECAT. This particular system employs a 9 meV LINAC as the x-ray source and a THALES 12 x 16 inch 14-bit Amorphous Silicon panel as the detector. In this report we describe the system, detail some of its properties, describe the scans performed and present the data. Figure 1 contains a couple of images of the system as fielded in the 9 MeV bay. The LINAC is in themore » right portion of the picture. The black panels in the blue frame constitute the High Energy collimator developed specifically for High Energy DR/CT scanning (known here as Stonehenge II). The holes in the collimator panels are beveled to match the distribution of the x-rays from the LINAC, and are sized to just subtend the active area of the THALES Amorphous Silicon panel. Consequently the source to detector distance is restricted to a few positions. Nominally our source to detector distance is 6 meters. The part manipulator, part holder fixturing consists of a translate-rotate assembly on a NEWPORT air bearing table. The stages are NEWPORT RV160PP for rotation and NEWPORT IMS400CC for translation. Both are interfaced through an ESP7000 controller, which is connected to our data acquisition computer over USB. The detector holder also resides on this table and includes pitch, roll and yaw adjustments for aligning the panel to the plane of the rotational table and the x-ray beam. The relatively large source to detector distance and LINAC properties (1 mm spot size) conspire to recommend rotation-only scanning. We use a VARIAN LINATRON 3000 with the small spot retrofit implemented. We have measured the source spot size at about 1 mm. Pixel size on the THALES panel is 0.127 um. Consequently we are in a low-cone angle scanning regime which enables rotation-only 3D CT scanning of objects and assemblies with little ''cone-angle'' error.« less

The Study of Bose-Einstein correlation in deep inelastic mu - nucleon and mu - nucleus scattering at 465-GeV/C

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Rurngsheng

1994-01-01

The Bose-Einstein correlation between two like-sign charged pions was studied in deep inelastic muon nucleon and nucleus interactions. The goals for this study were to measure nuclear effects on the size and shape of the pion emission source and the dependence of these values on the event kinematical variables. Two parametrization models (Goldhaber and Kopylov-Podgorestskii) have been used for this study. The Goldhaber parametrization gives the radius ofthe pion emission region ofrg = 0.63 ± 0.04 fm and for the chaoticity parameter .A = 0.39 ± 0.03. Using the Kopylov-Podgorestskii parameterization yields rk = 1.8 ± 0.72 ±, .A =more » 0.34 ± 0.05 and for the pion source lifetime of T= 0.75 ± 0.18 fm. A double enhancement which represents two source size distribution was observed with a smaller size of 0.51 ± 0.06 ± 0.04 fm and a bigger second size of 1.53 ± 0.39 ± 0.28 fm. The results of this analysis show the Goldhaber parametrization is preferable to explain the source distribution. The Goldhaber parametrization was used for the further studies. The data are compatible with an oblate shape of the pion emission region with not any nuclear effect on the source size and the shape. A decreasing source size has been observed with increasing Zbj as well as with increasing Q2. No dependence for Bose-Einstein effect on other kinematical variables, v and W 2 , is seen. No nuclear effect for the dependence on event kinematical variables, Zbj, W 2, v, and Q2 has been found. This thesis is based on the data collected in the 1990-91 Fermilab experiment E665 fixed target run period and the reconstruction is completed in 1993. The organization of this thesis is as follow: The first chapter describes a brief introduction of experimental and theoretical approach for studying the Bose-Einstein correlation and the evidence from other experiments. Chapter two describes the experimental apparatus which used to gather the data for this analysis. The procedure used to reconstruct raw data into events with kinematical variables and the simulation of Monte-Carlo events is described in chapter three. Chapter four describes the selection of events and tracks used for the Bose-Einstein correlation analysis and the Monte-Carlo studies for understanding the quality of data. The analysis of Bose-Einstein correlation and the results of the analysis along with the conclusions are described in chapter five.« less

Hydraulic experiment on tsunami sand deposits relating with grain size distribution and magnitude of incident waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, A.; Takahashi, T.; Harada, K.; Nojima, K.

2016-12-01

A huge earthquake occurred off the Tohoku district in Japan on March 11th, 2011. A massive tsunami generated by the earthquake attacked coastal areas and caused serious damage. The tsunami disaster requires to reconsider tsunami measures in the Nankai Trough. Many of the measures are based on histories of large earthquakes and tsunamis. Because they are low frequency disasters and their historical documents are limited, tsunami sand deposits have been expected to analyze paleotsunamis. Tsunami sand deposits, however, are only used to confirm the fact of tsunamis and to determine the relative magnitudes. The thickness of sand layer and the grain size may be clues to estimate the tsunami force. Further, it could reveal the tsunami source. These results are also useful to improve the present tsunami measures. The objective of this study is to investigate the formation mechanism of tsunami sand deposits by hydraulic experiment. A two-dimensional water channel consisted of a wave maker, a flat section and a slope section. A movable bed section with various grain sizes and distribution of sand was set at the end of flat section. Bore waves of several heights transported the sand to the slope section by run-up. Water surface elevation and velocity were measured at several points. Tsunami sand deposit distribution was also measured along the slope section. The experimental result showed that the amount of tsunami sand deposit was relating with the grain size distribution and the magnitude of incident waves. Further, the number of incident waves affected the profile of tsunami sand deposits.

Radiation force on absorbing targets and power measurements of a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Zuwen; Zhu, Zhemin; Ye, Shigong; Jiang, Wenhua; Zhu, Houqing; Yu, Jinshen

2010-10-01

Based on the analytic expressions for the radiated field of a circular concave piston given by Hasegawa et al., an integral for calculation of the radiation force on a plane absorbing target in a spherically focused field is derived. A general relation between acoustic power P and normal radiation force F n is obtained under the condition of kr ≫ 1. Numerical computation is carried out by using the symbolic computation program for practically focused sources and absorbing circular targets. The results show that, for a given source, there is a range of target positions where the radiation force is independent of the target’s position under the assumption that the contribution of the acoustic field behind the target to the radiation force can be neglected. The experiments are carried out and confirm that there is a range of target positions where the measured radiation force is basically independent of the target’s position even at high acoustic power (up to 700 W). It is believed that when the radiation force method is used to measure the acoustic power radiated from a focused source, the size of the target must be selected in such a way that no observable sound can be found in the region behind the target.

Characterizing large river sounds: Providing context for understanding the environmental effects of noise produced by hydrokinetic turbines

DOE PAGES

Bevelhimer, Mark S.; Deng, Z. Daniel; Scherelis, Constantin C.

2016-01-06

Underwaternoise associated with the installation and operation of hydrokinetic turbines in rivers and tidal zones presents a potential environmental concern for fish and marine mammals. Comparing the spectral quality of sounds emitted by hydrokinetic turbines to natural and other anthropogenic sound sources is an initial step at understanding potential environmental impacts. Underwater recordings were obtained from passing vessels and natural underwater sound sources in static and flowing waters. Static water measurements were taken in a lake with minimal background noise. Flowing water measurements were taken at a previously proposed deployment site for hydrokinetic turbines on the Mississippi River, where soundsmore » created by flowing water are part of all measurements, both natural ambient and anthropogenic sources. Vessel sizes ranged from a small fishing boat with 60 hp outboard motor to an 18-unit barge train being pushed upstream by tugboat. As expected, large vessels with large engines created the highest sound levels, which were, on average, 40 dB greater than the sound created by an operating hydrokinetic turbine. As a result, a comparison of sound levels from the same sources at different distances using both spherical and cylindrical sound attenuation functions suggests that spherical model results more closely approximate observed sound attenuation.« less

Characterizing large river sounds: Providing context for understanding the environmental effects of noise produced by hydrokinetic turbines.

PubMed

Bevelhimer, Mark S; Deng, Z Daniel; Scherelis, Constantin

2016-01-01

Underwater noise associated with the installation and operation of hydrokinetic turbines in rivers and tidal zones presents a potential environmental concern for fish and marine mammals. Comparing the spectral quality of sounds emitted by hydrokinetic turbines to natural and other anthropogenic sound sources is an initial step at understanding potential environmental impacts. Underwater recordings were obtained from passing vessels and natural underwater sound sources in static and flowing waters. Static water measurements were taken in a lake with minimal background noise. Flowing water measurements were taken at a previously proposed deployment site for hydrokinetic turbines on the Mississippi River, where sounds created by flowing water are part of all measurements, both natural ambient and anthropogenic sources. Vessel sizes ranged from a small fishing boat with 60 hp outboard motor to an 18-unit barge train being pushed upstream by tugboat. As expected, large vessels with large engines created the highest sound levels, which were, on average, 40 dB greater than the sound created by an operating hydrokinetic turbine. A comparison of sound levels from the same sources at different distances using both spherical and cylindrical sound attenuation functions suggests that spherical model results more closely approximate observed sound attenuation.

Thermal conductivity measurements of particulate materials under Martian conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Presley, M. A.; Christensen, P. R.

1993-01-01

The mean particle diameter of surficial units on Mars has been approximated by applying thermal inertia determinations from the Mariner 9 Infrared Radiometer and the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper data together with thermal conductivity measurement. Several studies have used this approximation to characterize surficial units and infer their nature and possible origin. Such interpretations are possible because previous measurements of the thermal conductivity of particulate materials have shown that particle size significantly affects thermal conductivity under martian atmospheric pressures. The transfer of thermal energy due to collisions of gas molecules is the predominant mechanism of thermal conductivity in porous systems for gas pressures above about 0.01 torr. At martian atmospheric pressures the mean free path of the gas molecules becomes greater than the effective distance over which conduction takes place between the particles. Gas particles are then more likely to collide with the solid particles than they are with each other. The average heat transfer distance between particles, which is related to particle size, shape and packing, thus determines how fast heat will flow through a particulate material.The derived one-to-one correspondence of thermal inertia to mean particle diameter implies a certain homogeneity in the materials analyzed. Yet the samples used were often characterized by fairly wide ranges of particle sizes with little information about the possible distribution of sizes within those ranges. Interpretation of thermal inertia data is further limited by the lack of data on other effects on the interparticle spacing relative to particle size, such as particle shape, bimodal or polymodal mixtures of grain sizes and formation of salt cements between grains. To address these limitations and to provide a more comprehensive set of thermal conductivities vs. particle size a linear heat source apparatus, similar to that of Cremers, was assembled to provide a means of measuring the thermal conductivity of particulate samples. In order to concentrate on the dependence of the thermal conductivity on particle size, initial runs will use spherical glass beads that are precision sieved into relatively small size ranges and thoroughly washed.

Local perceptions, RUSLEFAC mapping, and field results: the sediment budget of cocagne river, new brunswick, Canada.

PubMed

Fortin, Guillaume; LeBlanc, Mélanie; Schiavone, Sophie; Chouinard, Omer; Utzschneider, Anouk

2015-01-01

Erosion and sedimentation in water courses represent a major and costly problem everywhere on the planet. Perception of local actors of the state of the river can be a useful source of information to document the river's changes. The main objective of this study consists of understanding how multiple data sources can be used for identifying the most sensitive areas subject to erosion and sedimentation in a watershed. To achieve our objective we combined three complementary methods: conducting interviews, estimating the most sensitive soil loss areas using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation for Application in Canada (RUSLEFAC) and taking measurements of environmental variables (turbidity, deposition rate, particle size, water quality, rainfall). The information gathered from the interviews allowed us to determine which areas were the most affected (e.g., either erosion or deposition). However, we observed that there were some differences between the areas identified by the participants and those obtained from the RUSLEFAC and in situ measurements. Among these differences, participants identified sites which were the results of misuse or bad practices (e.g., ATV). By contrast sensitive sites for erosion, as identified using RUSLEFAC, are instead areas of steep slopes, located near the river without forest cover. The in situ measurements were very helpful in establishing background values for turbidity but also for comparing quantitative information (e.g., particle size) with what was reported in the interviews.

Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging of crystalline lens dimensions in chicken.

PubMed

Tattersall, Rebecca J; Prashar, Ankush; Singh, Krish D; Tokarczuk, Pawel F; Erichsen, Jonathan T; Hocking, Paul M; Guggenheim, Jeremy A

2010-02-02

A reduction in the power of the crystalline lens during childhood is thought to be important in the emmetropization of the maturing eye. However, in humans and model organisms, little is known about the factors that determine the dimensions of the crystalline lens and in particular whether these different parameters (axial thickness, surface curvatures, equatorial diameter, and volume) are under a common source of control or regulated independently of other aspects of eye size and shape. Using chickens from a broiler-layer experimental cross as a model system, three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained at 115-microm isotropic resolution for one eye of 501 individuals aged 3-weeks old. After fixation with paraformaldehyde, the excised eyes were scanned overnight (16 h) in groups of 16 arranged in a 2x2x4 array. Lens dimensions were calculated from each image by fitting a three-dimensional mesh model to the lens, using the semi-automated analysis program mri3dX. The lens dimensions were compared to measures of eye and body size obtained in vivo using techniques that included keratometry and A-scan ultrasonography. A striking finding was that axial lens thickness measured using ex vivo MRI was only weakly correlated with lens thickness measured in vivo by ultrasonography (r=0.19, p<0.001). In addition, the MRI lens thickness estimates had a lower mean value and much higher variance. Indeed, about one-third of crystalline lenses showed a kidney-shaped appearance instead of the typical biconvex shape. Since repeat MRI scans of the same eye showed a high degree of reproducibility for the scanning and mri3dX analysis steps (the correlation in repeat lens thickness measurements was r=0.95, p<0.001) and a recent report has shown that paraformaldehyde fixation induces a loss of water from the human crystalline lens, it is likely that the tissue fixation step caused a variable degree of shrinkage and a change in shape to the lenses examined here. Despite this serious source of imprecision, we found significant correlations between lens volume and eye/body size (p<0.001) and between lens equatorial diameter and eye/body size (p<0.001) in these chickens. Our results suggest that certain aspects of lens size (specifically, lens volume and equatorial diameter) are controlled by factors that also regulate the size of the eye and body (presumably, predominantly genetic factors). However, since it has been shown previously that axial lens thickness is regulated almost independently of eye and body size, these results suggest that different systems might operate to control lens volume/diameter and lens thickness in normal chickens.

Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging of crystalline lens dimensions in chicken

PubMed Central

Tattersall, Rebecca J.; Prashar, Ankush; Singh, Krish D.; Tokarczuk, Pawel F.; Erichsen, Jonathan T.; Hocking, Paul M.

2010-01-01

Purpose A reduction in the power of the crystalline lens during childhood is thought to be important in the emmetropization of the maturing eye. However, in humans and model organisms, little is known about the factors that determine the dimensions of the crystalline lens and in particular whether these different parameters (axial thickness, surface curvatures, equatorial diameter, and volume) are under a common source of control or regulated independently of other aspects of eye size and shape. Methods Using chickens from a broiler-layer experimental cross as a model system, three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained at 115-µm isotropic resolution for one eye of 501 individuals aged 3-weeks old. After fixation with paraformaldehyde, the excised eyes were scanned overnight (16 h) in groups of 16 arranged in a 2×2×4 array. Lens dimensions were calculated from each image by fitting a three-dimensional mesh model to the lens, using the semi-automated analysis program mri3dX. The lens dimensions were compared to measures of eye and body size obtained in vivo using techniques that included keratometry and A-scan ultrasonography. Results A striking finding was that axial lens thickness measured using ex vivo MRI was only weakly correlated with lens thickness measured in vivo by ultrasonography (r=0.19, p<0.001). In addition, the MRI lens thickness estimates had a lower mean value and much higher variance. Indeed, about one-third of crystalline lenses showed a kidney-shaped appearance instead of the typical biconvex shape. Since repeat MRI scans of the same eye showed a high degree of reproducibility for the scanning and mri3dX analysis steps (the correlation in repeat lens thickness measurements was r=0.95, p<0.001) and a recent report has shown that paraformaldehyde fixation induces a loss of water from the human crystalline lens, it is likely that the tissue fixation step caused a variable degree of shrinkage and a change in shape to the lenses examined here. Despite this serious source of imprecision, we found significant correlations between lens volume and eye/body size (p<0.001) and between lens equatorial diameter and eye/body size (p<0.001) in these chickens. Conclusions Our results suggest that certain aspects of lens size (specifically, lens volume and equatorial diameter) are controlled by factors that also regulate the size of the eye and body (presumably, predominantly genetic factors). However, since it has been shown previously that axial lens thickness is regulated almost independently of eye and body size, these results suggest that different systems might operate to control lens volume/diameter and lens thickness in normal chickens. PMID:20142845

Investigating the spectral characteristics of backscattering from heterogeneous spherical nuclei using broadband finite-difference time-domain simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Guo-Shan; Sung, Kung-Bin

2010-01-01

Reflectance spectra measured from epithelial tissue have been used to extract size distribution and refractive index of cell nuclei for noninvasive detection of precancerous changes. Despite many in vitro and in vivo experimental results, the underlying mechanism of sizing nuclei based on modeling nuclei as homogeneous spheres and fitting the measured data with Mie theory has not been fully explored. We describe the implementation of a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation tool using a Gaussian pulse as the light source to investigate the wavelength-dependent characteristics of backscattered light from a nuclear model consisting of a nucleolus and clumps of chromatin embedded in homogeneous nucleoplasm. The results show that small-sized heterogeneities within the nuclei generate about five times higher backscattering than homogeneous spheres. More interestingly, backscattering spectra from heterogeneous spherical nuclei show periodic oscillations similar to those from homogeneous spheres, leading to high accuracy of estimating the nuclear diameter by comparison with Mie theory. In addition to the application in light scattering spectroscopy, the reported FDTD method could be adapted to study the relations between measured spectral data and nuclear structures in other optical imaging and spectroscopic techniques for in vivo diagnosis.

Generation of High Brightness X-rays with the PLEIADES Thomson X-ray Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, W J; Anderson, S G; Barty, C P J

2003-05-28

The use of short laser pulses to generate high peak intensity, ultra-short x-ray pulses enables exciting new experimental capabilities, such as femtosecond pump-probe experiments used to temporally resolve material structural dynamics on atomic time scales. PLEIADES (Picosecond Laser Electron InterAction for Dynamic Evaluation of Structures) is a next generation Thomson scattering x-ray source being developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Ultra-fast picosecond x-rays (10-200 keV) are generated by colliding an energetic electron beam (20-100 MeV) with a high intensity, sub-ps, 800 nm laser pulse. The peak brightness of the source is expected to exceed 10{sup 20} photons/s/0.1% bandwidth/mm2/mrad2. Simulationsmore » of the electron beam production, transport, and final focus are presented. Electron beam measurements, including emittance and final focus spot size are also presented and compared to simulation results. Measurements of x-ray production are also reported and compared to theoretical calculations.« less