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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Investigation Of Co, C2h6 And Aerosols In A Boreal Fire Plume Over Eastern Canada During Bortas 2011 Using Ground- And Satellite-Based Observations And Model Simulations, D. Griffin, K. A. Walker, J. E. Franklin, M. Parrington, C. Whaley, J. Hopper, J. R. Drummond, P. I. Palmer, K. Strong, T. J. Duck, P. F. Bernath Jan 2013

Investigation Of Co, C2h6 And Aerosols In A Boreal Fire Plume Over Eastern Canada During Bortas 2011 Using Ground- And Satellite-Based Observations And Model Simulations, D. Griffin, K. A. Walker, J. E. Franklin, M. Parrington, C. Whaley, J. Hopper, J. R. Drummond, P. I. Palmer, K. Strong, T. J. Duck, P. F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We present the results of total column measurements of CO, C2H6 and fine-mode aerosol optical depth (AOD) during the "Quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites" (BORTAS-B) campaign over eastern Canada. Ground-based observations, using Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs) and sun photometers, were carried out in July and August 2011. These measurements were taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is an ideal location to monitor the outflow of boreal fires from North America, and also in Toronto, Ontario. Measurements of fine-mode AOD enhancements were …


Applications Of High Throughput (Combinatorial) Methodologies To Electronic, Magnetic, Optical, And Energy-Related Materials, Martin L. Green, Ichiro Takeuchi, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers Jan 2013

Applications Of High Throughput (Combinatorial) Methodologies To Electronic, Magnetic, Optical, And Energy-Related Materials, Martin L. Green, Ichiro Takeuchi, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

Faculty Publications

High throughput (combinatorial) materials science methodology is a relatively new research paradigm that offers the promise of rapid and efficient materials screening, optimization, and discovery. The paradigm started in the pharmaceutical industry but was rapidly adopted to accelerate materials research in a wide variety of areas. High throughput experiments are characterized by synthesis of a “library” sample that contains the materials variation of interest (typically composition), and rapid and localized measurement schemes that result in massive data sets. Because the data are collected at the same time on the same “library” sample, they can be highly uniform with respect to …


Repeatability Of The Seasonal Variations Of Ozone Near The Mesopause From Observations Of The 11.072-Ghz Line, Alan E. E. Rogers, P. P. Erickson, V. L. Fish, J. J. Kittredge, S. S. Danford, J. M. Marr, Martina Arndt, J. Sarabia, D. Costa, S. K. May Jan 2012

Repeatability Of The Seasonal Variations Of Ozone Near The Mesopause From Observations Of The 11.072-Ghz Line, Alan E. E. Rogers, P. P. Erickson, V. L. Fish, J. J. Kittredge, S. S. Danford, J. M. Marr, Martina Arndt, J. Sarabia, D. Costa, S. K. May

Physics Faculty Publications

Ground-based observations of the 11.072-GHz line of ozone were made from January 2008 through the middle of September 2011 to estimate the maximum in the nighttime ozone in the upper mesosphere at an altitude of about 95 km for a region centered at 38°N, 290°E. The measurements show seasonal variation with a high degree of repeatability with peaks in ozone concentration about a month following each equinox. A significant increase in ozone concentration above the yearly trend occurred in 2010 from mid-November until the end of December, which the authors attribute to delay in the start of the meridional circulation …


Technical Note: A Trace Gas Climatology Derived From The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Ace-Fts) Data Set, A. Jones, K. A. Walker, J. J. Jin, J. R. Taylor, C. D. Boone, P. F. Bernath, S. Brohede, G. L. Manney, S. Mcleod, R. Hughes, W. H. Daffer Jan 2012

Technical Note: A Trace Gas Climatology Derived From The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Ace-Fts) Data Set, A. Jones, K. A. Walker, J. J. Jin, J. R. Taylor, C. D. Boone, P. F. Bernath, S. Brohede, G. L. Manney, S. Mcleod, R. Hughes, W. H. Daffer

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) aboard the Canadian satellite SCISAT (launched in August 2003) was designed to investigate the composition of the upper troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere. ACE-FTS utilizes solar occultation to measure temperature and pressure as well as vertical profiles of over thirty chemical species including O3, H2O, CH4, N2O, CO, NO, NO2, N2O5, HNO3, HCl, ClONO2, CCl3F, CCl2F2, and HF. Global coverage for each species is obtained approximately over a three month …


Wetting Properties Induced In Nano-Composite Poss-Ma Polymer Films By Atomic Layer Deposited Oxides, Kyle A. Vasquez, Anita J. Vincent-Johnson, W. Chris Hughes, Brian H. Augustine, Kyoungmi Lee, Gregory N. Parsons, Giovanna Scarel Sep 2011

Wetting Properties Induced In Nano-Composite Poss-Ma Polymer Films By Atomic Layer Deposited Oxides, Kyle A. Vasquez, Anita J. Vincent-Johnson, W. Chris Hughes, Brian H. Augustine, Kyoungmi Lee, Gregory N. Parsons, Giovanna Scarel

Department of Physics and Astronomy - Faculty Scholarship

Due to their unique properties, nano-composite polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane (POSS) copolymer films are attractive for various applications. Here we show that their natural hydrophobic character can become hydrophilic when the films are modified by a thin oxide layer, up to 8 nm thick, prepared using atomic layer deposition. A proper choice of the deposition temperature and thickness of the oxide layer are required to achieve this goal. Unlike other polymeric systems, a marked transition to a hydrophilic state is observed with oxide layers deposited at increasing temperatures up to the glass transition temperature (∼110 °C) of the POSS copolymer film. …


Ozone Profile Observations In Houston, Texas (1994 - 2010) From Aircraft, Balloons, And Satellites, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Christopher Boxe, Scott Hersey, Valerie Thouret, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Bryan Johnson, Samuel Oltmans Apr 2011

Ozone Profile Observations In Houston, Texas (1994 - 2010) From Aircraft, Balloons, And Satellites, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Christopher Boxe, Scott Hersey, Valerie Thouret, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Bryan Johnson, Samuel Oltmans

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Presentations

Houston, Texas has long been an urban area plagued with high levels of surface ozone, particularly in spring and late summer. The combination of a large commuter population and one of the largest concentrations of petrochemical plants in the world results in abundant and nearly co-located sources of NOx and hydrocarbons. The location of Houston on the South Coast of the United States in a subtropical climate results in meteorological conditions that favor ozone production. Using MOZAIC (1994 - 2004), ozonesonde (2000, 2004 - 2010), and TES (2005 – 2010) data, we examine the evolution of ozone profiles over Houston …


Experimental Design For Ozone Projects, Deborah Carlisle, Stephen Schneider Jan 2011

Experimental Design For Ozone Projects, Deborah Carlisle, Stephen Schneider

STEM Digital

No abstract provided.


Heat Recovery Mechanism In The Excitation Of Radiative Polaritons By Broadband Infrared Radiation In Thin Oxide Films, Anita J. Vincent-Johnson, Kyle A. Vasquez, John E. Bridstrup, Andrew E. Masters, Xiaofeng Hu, Giovanna Scarel Jan 2011

Heat Recovery Mechanism In The Excitation Of Radiative Polaritons By Broadband Infrared Radiation In Thin Oxide Films, Anita J. Vincent-Johnson, Kyle A. Vasquez, John E. Bridstrup, Andrew E. Masters, Xiaofeng Hu, Giovanna Scarel

Department of Physics and Astronomy - Faculty Scholarship

This work probes radiative polaritons in thin oxide layers as a mean to capture and absorb broadband infrared radiation and transform it into heat. A heat recovery mechanism, based on the Seebeck effect, is used as the tool of the investigation. Heat production challenges the current understanding which views the excitation of radiative polaritons as only accompanied by the emission of electromagnetic radiation. The heat recovery mechanism presented here can inspire the design of infrared energy harvesting devices, similar to photovoltaic cells, and other devices to convert energy from a wide range of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum using thermoelectric power …


Source Attribution Of Ozone In Southeast Texas Before And After The Deepwater Horizon Accident Using Satellite, Sonde, Surface Monitor, And Air Mass Trajectory Data, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Marc Taylor, Mark R. Schoeberl Dec 2010

Source Attribution Of Ozone In Southeast Texas Before And After The Deepwater Horizon Accident Using Satellite, Sonde, Surface Monitor, And Air Mass Trajectory Data, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Marc Taylor, Mark R. Schoeberl

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Presentations

Since the summer of 2004, over 300 ozonesondes have been launched from Rice University (29.7 N, 95.4 W) or the University of Houston (29.7 N, 95.3 W), each < 5 km from downtown Houston. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality maintains a large database of hourly surface ozone observations in Southeast Texas. In this study, we identify the contributions to surface ozone pollution levels from natural and anthropogenic sources, both local and remote in nature. This source identification is performed two ways: 1) through an analysis of sonde data, including ozone concentrations, wind speed and direction, and relative humidity data, and 2) through an analysis that combines trajectory calculations with surface monitor data. We also examine regional changes in Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements of formaldehyde and ozone from 2004 – 2010. In particular, we compare the 2010 sonde, surface monitor, and satellite data after the Deepwater Horizon accident with data from previous years to determine the impact, if any, of the large source of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico on air quality in Southeast Texas.


Nanoindentation Of The A And C Domains In A Tetragonal Batio3 Single Crystal, Young-Bae Park, Matthew J. Dicken, Zhi-Hui Xu, Xiaodong Li Oct 2007

Nanoindentation Of The A And C Domains In A Tetragonal Batio3 Single Crystal, Young-Bae Park, Matthew J. Dicken, Zhi-Hui Xu, Xiaodong Li

Faculty Publications

Nanoindentation in conjunction with piezoresponse force microscopy was used to study domain switching and to measure the mechanical properties of individual ferroelectric domains in a tetragonal BaTiO3 single crystal. It was found that nanoindentation has induced local domain switching; the a and c domains of BaTiO3 have different elastic moduli but similar hardness.Nanoindentationmodulus mapping on the a and c domains further confirmed such difference in elasticity. Finite element modeling was used to simulate the von Mises stress and plastic strain profiles of the indentations on both a and c domains, which introduces a much higher stress level than …


Comparison Of Tropospheric Ozone Columns Calculated From Mls, Omi, And Ozonesonde Data, Gary A. Morris, Bojan Bojkov, Mark R. Schoeberl, Amy Wozniak, Jerry Ziemke, Sushil Chandra, Jack Fishman, Ivanka Stajner Sep 2006

Comparison Of Tropospheric Ozone Columns Calculated From Mls, Omi, And Ozonesonde Data, Gary A. Morris, Bojan Bojkov, Mark R. Schoeberl, Amy Wozniak, Jerry Ziemke, Sushil Chandra, Jack Fishman, Ivanka Stajner

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Presentations

This poster shows a comparison of three derived tropospheric ozone residual (TOR) products with integrated tropospheric ozone columns from ozonesonde profile: (1) the method of Ziemke et al. (2006), (2) a modified version of Fishman et al. (2003), and (3) a trajectory mapping approach. In each case, MLS ozone profiles are integrated to the tropopause and subtracted from OMI (TOMS retrieval) total column ozone. The effectiveness of each of these techniques is examined as a function of latitude, time, and geographic region. In general, we find good agreement between the derived products and the ozonesondes, with the Fishman et al. …


Room-Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma For Biomedical Applications, Mounir Laroussi, Xinpei Lu Jan 2005

Room-Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma For Biomedical Applications, Mounir Laroussi, Xinpei Lu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

As low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas come to play an increasing role in biomedical applications, reliable and user-friendly sources need to be developed. These plasma sources have to meet stringent requirements such as low temperature (at or near room temperature), no risk of arcing, operation at atmospheric pressure, preferably hand-held operation, low concentration of ozone generation, etc. In this letter, we present a device that meets exactly such requirements. This device is capable of generating a cold plasma plume several centimeters in length. It exhibits low power requirements as shown by its current-voltage characteristics. Using helium as a carrier gas, very little …


A Comparison Of Haloe V19 With Sage Ii V6.00 Ozone Observations Using Trajectory Mapping, Gary A. Morris, James F. Gleason, James M. Russell Iii, Mark R. Schoeberl, M. Patrick Mccormick Jul 2002

A Comparison Of Haloe V19 With Sage Ii V6.00 Ozone Observations Using Trajectory Mapping, Gary A. Morris, James F. Gleason, James M. Russell Iii, Mark R. Schoeberl, M. Patrick Mccormick

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We apply trajectory mapping to an 8-year intercomparison of ozone observations from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) (V19) and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II (V6.00) for the months March, May, June, September, October, and December from the period December 1991 to October 1999. Our results, which represent the most extensive such intercomparison of these two data sets to date, suggest a root-mean-square difference between the two data sets of >15% below 22 km in the tropics and of 4–12% throughout most of the rest of the stratosphere. In addition, we find a bias with HALOE ozone low relative …