Physics Commons^™

Optical-Chemical-Microphysical Relationships And Closure Studies For Mixed Carbonaceous Aerosols Observed At Jeju Island; 3-Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometer, Particle Sizing, And Filter Analysis, B. A. Flowers, M. K. Dubey, C. Mazzoleni, E. A. Stone, J. J. Schauer, S. W. Kim, S. C. Yoon

Michigan Tech Publications

Transport of aerosols in pollution plumes from the mainland Asian continent was observed in situ at Jeju, South Korea during the Cheju Asian Brown Cloud Plume-Asian Monsoon Experiment (CAPMEX) field campaign throughout August and September 2008 using a 3-laser photoacoustic spectrometer (PASS-3), chemical filter analysis, and size distributions. The PASS-3 directly measures the effects of morphology (e.g. coatings) on light absorption that traditional filter-based instruments are unable to address. Transport of mixed sulfate, carbonaceous, and nitrate aerosols from various Asian pollution plumes to Jeju accounted for 74% of the deployment days, showing large variations in their measured chemical and optical …

Direct Observations Of Coherent Backscatter Of Radar Waves In Precipitation, A. R. Jameson, A. B. Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

In previous work, it was argued that a source of radar coherent scatter occurs in the direction perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation because of the presence of grids of enhanced particle concentrations with spatial periodicities in resonance with the radar wavelength. While convincing, the evidence thus far has been indirect. In this work the authors now present direct observations of radar coherent backscattered signals in precipitation in the direction of wave propagation.

The theory is developed for the cross-correlation function of the complex amplitudes in the direction of propagation calculated for nearest neighbor range bins. Data are analyzed …

A New Method For Deriving Aerosol Solar Radiative Forcing And Its First Application Within Milagro/Intex-B, K. S. Schmidt, P. Pilewskie, R. Bergstrom, O. Coddington, J. Redemann, J. Livingston, P. Russell, E. Bierwirth, M. Wendisch, W. Gore, M. K. Dubey, C. Mazzoleni

Michigan Tech Publications

We introduce a method for deriving aerosol spectral radiative forcing along with single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, and surface albedo from airborne vertical profile measurements of shortwave spectral irradiance and spectral aerosol optical thickness. The new method complements the traditional, direct measurement of aerosol radiative forcing efficiency from horizontal flight legs below gradients of aerosol optical thickness, and is particularly useful over heterogeneous land surfaces and for homogeneous aerosol layers where the horizontal gradient method is impractical. Using data collected by the Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) and the Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-14) during the MILAGRO (Megacity Initiative: Local …

Reversible Record Breaking And Variability: Temperature Distributions Across The Globe, Amalia Anderson, Alexander Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

Based on counts of record highs and lows, and employing reversibility in time, an approach to examining natural variability is proposed. The focus is on intrinsic variability; that is, variance separated from the trend in the mean. A variability index α is suggested and studied for an ensemble of monthly temperature time series around the globe. Deviation of 〈α〉 (mean α) from zero, for an ensemble of time series, signifies a variance trend in a distribution-independent manner. For 15 635 monthly temperature time series from different geographical locations (Global Historical Climatology Network), each time series about a …

On The Enhanced Temporal Coherency Of Radar Observations In Precipitation, A. R. Jameson, A. B. Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

In this work, the authors present observations of enhanced temporal coherency beyond that expected using the observations of the standard deviation of the Doppler velocities and the assumption of a family of exponentially decaying autocorrelation functions. The purpose of this paper is to interpret these observations by developing the complex amplitude autocorrelation function when both incoherent and coherent backscatter are present. Using this expression, it is then shown that when coherent scatter is present, the temporal coherency increases as observed. Data are analyzed in snow and in rain. The results agree with the theoretical expectations, and the authors interpret this …

Real-Time Fracture Detection Of Individual Boron Nitride Nanotubes In Severe Cyclic Deformation Processes, Hessam Mir Shah Ghassemi, C. H. Lee, Yoke Khin Yap, Reza Shahbazian-Yassar

Department of Physics Publications

Real-time deformation of individual multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) was investigated using an atomic force microscopy (AFM) stage installed inside the chamber of a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) system. These in situ AFM-TEM experiments were conducted in following two deformation regimes: a small-angle (∼65°) and a large-angle (∼120°) cyclic bending process. BNNTs survived from the low-angle test and their modulus was determined as ∼0.5 TPa. Fracture failure of individual BNNTs was discovered in the large-angle cyclic bending. The brittle failure mechanism was initiated from the outermost walls and propagated toward the tubular axis with discrete drops of applied forces

First-Principles Study Of The Variation Of Electron Transport In A Single Molecular Junction With The Length Of The Molecular Wire, Partha Pratim, Ranjit Pati

Department of Physics Publications

We report a first-principles study of quantum transport in a prototype two-terminal device consisting of a molecular nanowire acting as an inter-connect between two gold electrodes. The wire is composed of a series of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) cage-units. The length of the wire (L) is increased by sequentially increasing the number of BCP cage units in the wire from 1 to 3. A two terminal model device is made out of each of the three wires. A parameter free, nonequilibrium Green’s function approach, in which the bias effect is explicitly included within a many body framework, is used to …

Brown Carbon In Tar Balls From Smoldering Biomass Combustion, R. K. Chakrabarty, H. Moosmüller, L. W.A. Chen, K. Lewis, W. P. Arnott, C. Mazzoleni, M. K. Dubey, C. E. Wold, W. M. Hao, S. M. Kreidenweis

Michigan Tech Publications

We report the direct observation of laboratory production of spherical, carbonaceous particles-"tar balls"-from smoldering combustion of two commonly occurring dry mid-latitude fuels. Real-time measurements of spectrally varying absorption Ångström coefficients (AAC) indicate that a class of light absorbing organic carbon (OC) with wavelength dependent imaginary part of its refractive index-optically defined as "brown carbon"-is an important component of tar balls. The spectrum of the imaginary parts of their complex refractive indices can be described with a Lorentzian-like model with an effective resonance wavelength in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral region. Sensitivity calculations for aerosols containing traditional OC (no absorption at visible …

Partially Coherent Backscatter In Radar Observations Of Precipitation, A. R. Jameson, A. B. Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

Classical radar theory only considers incoherent backscatter from precipitation. Can precipitation generate coherent scatter as well? Until now, the accepted answer has been no, because hydrometeors are distributed sparsely in space (relative to radar wavelength) so that the continuum assumption used to explain coherent scatter in clear air and clouds does not hold.

In this work, a theory for a different mechanism is presented. The apparent existence of the proposed mechanism is then illustrated in both rain and snow. A new power spectrum Z( f ), the Fourier transform of the time series of the radar backscattered reflectivities, reveals …

Observations Of Turbulence-Induced New Particle Formation In The Residual Layer, B. Wehner, H. Siebert, A. Ansmann, F. Ditas, P. Seifert, F. Stratmann, A. Wiedensohler, A. Apituley, R. A. Shaw, H. E. Manninen, M. Kulmala

Michigan Tech Publications

Aerosol particle measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer performed by a helicopter-borne measurement payload and by a lidar system from a case study during the IMPACT field campaign in Cabauw (NL) are presented. Layers of increased number concentrations of ultrafine particles were observed in the residual layer, indicating relatively recent new-particle formation. These layers were characterized by a sub-critical Richardson number and concomitant increased turbulence. Turbulent mixing is likely to lead to local supersaturation of possible precursor gases which are essential for new particle formation. Observed peaks in the number concentrations of ultrafine particles at ground level are connected to …

Heterogeneous Freezing Of Droplets With Immersed Mineral Dust Particles - Measurements And Parameterization, D. Niedermeier, S. Hartmann, R. A. Shaw, D. Covert, T. F. Mentel, J. Schneider, L. Poulain, P. Reitz, C. Spindler, T. Clauss, A. Kiselev, E. Hallbauer, H. Wex, K. Mildenberger, F. Stratmann

Michigan Tech Publications

During the measurement campaign FROST (FReezing Of duST), LACIS (Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator) was used to investigate the immersion freezing behavior of size selected, coated and uncoated Arizona Test Dust (ATD) particles with a mobility diameter of 300 nm. Particles were coated with succinic acid (C4H6O4), sulfuric acid (H 2SO4) and ammonium sulfate ((NH4)) 2SO4). Ice fractions at mixed-phase cloud temperatures ranging from 233.15K to 239.15K (±0.60 K) were determined for all types of particles. In this temperature range, pure ATD particles and those coated with C4H6O4 or small amounts of H 2SO4 were found to be the most …

Induction Annealing And Subsequent Quenching: Effect On The Thermoelectric Properties Of Boron-Doped Nanographite Ensembles, Ming Xie, Chee Huei Lee, Jiesheng Wang, Yoke Khin Yap, Paola Bruno, Dieter Gruen, Dileep Singh, Jules Routbort

Department of Physics Publications

Boron-doped nanographite ensembles (NGEs) are interesting thermoelectric nanomaterials for high temperature applications. Rapid induction annealing and quenching has been applied to boron-doped NGEs using a relatively low-cost, highly reliable, laboratory built furnace to show that substantial improvements in thermoelectric power factors can be achieved using this methodology. Details of the design and performance of this compact induction furnace as well as results of the thermoelectric measurements will be reported here.

Monitoring Automotive Particulate Matter Emissions With Lidar: A Review, Claudio Mazzoleni, Hampden D. Kuhns, Hans Moosmüller

Michigan Tech Publications

Automotive particulate matter (PM) causes deleterious effects on health and visibility. Physical and chemical properties of PM also influence climate change. Roadside remote sensing of automotive emissions is a valuable option for assessing the contribution of individual vehicles to the total PM burden. LiDAR represents a unique approach that allows measuring PM emissions from in-use vehicles with high sensitivity. This publication reviews vehicle emission remote sensing measurements using ultraviolet LiDAR and transmissometer systems. The paper discusses the measurement theory and documents examples of how these techniques provide a unique perspective for exhaust emissions of individual and groups of vehicles.

Protein Folding, Aggregation And Unfolding In Monte Carlo Simulations, Sandipan Mohanty, Anders Irbäck, Simon Mitternacht, Giorgio Favrin, U. H.E. Hansmann

Michigan Tech Publications

An implicit water all-atom model is used to study folding, aggregation and mechanical unfolding of small proteins. Physically reasonable results obtained for a variety of applications indicate healthy global properties of the interaction potential.