Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Estimation Of Daily Air Temperature Based On Modis Land Surface Temperature Products Over The Corn Belt In The Us, Linglin Zeng, Brian D. Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Jie Shan, Michael Hayes, Deren Li, Daxiang Xiang

Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies: Publications

Air temperature (Ta) is a key input in a wide range of agroclimatic applications. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Ts (Land Surface Temperature (LST)) products are widely used to estimate daily Ta. However, only daytime LST (Ts-day) or nighttime LST (Ts-night) data have been used to estimate Tmax/Tmin (daily maximum or minimum air temperature), respectively. The relationship between Tmax and Ts-night, and the one between Tmin and Ts-day has not been studied. In this study, both the ability of Ts-night data to estimate Tmax and the ability of Ts-day data to estimate Tmin were tested and studied in the Corn …

Evidence For Transverse-Momentum- And Pseudorapidity-Dependent Event-Plane Fluctuations In Pbpb And P Pb Collisions, Vardan Khachatryan, Vallary Bhopatkar, Marcus Hohlmann, H. Kalakhety, D. Mareskas-Palcek, Tuhin S. Roy, Francisco X. Yumiceva, Cms Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

A systematic study of the factorization of long-range azimuthal two-particle correlations into a product of single-particle anisotropies is presented as a function of pT and η of both particles and as a function of the particle multiplicity in PbPb and pPb collisions. The data were taken with the CMS detector for PbPb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV and pPb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV, covering a very wide range of multiplicity. Factorization is observed to be broken as a function of both particle pT and η. When measured with particles of different pT, the magnitude of the factorization breakdown for the second …

Search For Dark Photons From Neutral Meson Decays In P+P And D+ Au Collisions At √Snn =200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Marcus Hohlmann, S. Rembeczki, Phenix Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The standard model (SM) of particle physics is spectacularly successful, yet the measured value of the muon anomalous magnetic moment (g-2)μ deviates from SM calculations by 3.6σ. Several theoretical models attribute this to the existence of a "dark photon," an additional U(1) gauge boson, which is weakly coupled to ordinary photons. The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has searched for a dark photon, U, in π0,η→γe+e- decays and obtained upper limits of O(2×10‐⁶) U-γ mixing at 90% C.L. for the mass range 30< mᵤ < 90 MeV/c². Combined with other experimental limits, the remaining region in the U-γ mixing parameter space that can explain the (g-2)ᵤ deviation from its SM value is nearly completely excluded at the 90% confidence level, with only a small region of 29

Systematic Study Of Azimuthal Anisotropy In Cu + Cu And Au + Au Collisions At √Snn =62.4 And 200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Klaus Dehmelt, Marcus Hohlmann, S. Rembeczki, Phenix Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We have studied the dependence of azimuthal anisotropy v₂ for inclusive and identified charged hadrons in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions on collision energy, species, and centrality. The values of v₂ as a function of transverse momentum pT and centrality in Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 and 62.4 GeV are the same within uncertainties. However, in Cu+Cu collisions we observe a decrease in v₂ values as the collision energy is reduced from 200 to 62.4 GeV. The decrease is larger in the more peripheral collisions. By examining both Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions we find that v₂ depends both on eccentricity and the …

Centrality Dependence Of Low-Momentum Direct-Photon Production In Au+Au Collisions At √Snn =200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Marcus Hohlmann, Phenix Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured the centrality dependence of the direct photon yield from Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV down to pT=0.4 GeV/c. Photons are detected via photon conversions to e+e- pairs and an improved technique is applied that minimizes the systematic uncertainties that usually limit direct photon measurements, in particular at low pT. We find an excess of direct photons above the Ncoll-scaled yield measured in p+p collisions. This excess yield is well described by an exponential distribution with an inverse slope of about 240MeV/c in the pT range 0.6-2.0 GeV/c. While the shape of the pT …

Φ Meson Production In D + Au Collisions At √Snn =200 Gev, Andrew Marshall Adare, Gyöngyi Baksay, László A. Baksay, Marcus Hohlmann, S. Rembeczki, Phenix Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The PHENIX Collaboration has measured φ meson production in d+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV using the dimuon and dielectron decay channels. The φ meson is measured in the forward (backward) d-going (Au-going) direction, 1.2 < y < 2.2 (-2.2 < y < -1.2) in the transverse-momentum (pT) range from 1-7 GeV/c and at midrapidity │y│< 0.35 in the pT range below 7 GeV/c. The φ meson invariant yields and nuclear-modification factors as a function of pT, rapidity, and centrality are reported. An enhancement of φ meson production is observed in the Au-going direction, while suppression is seen in the d-going direction, and no modification is observed at midrapidity relative to the yield in p+p collisions scaled by the number of binary collisions. Similar behavior was previously observed for inclusive charged hadrons and open heavy flavor, indicating similar cold-nuclear-matter effects.

Koi-3158: The Oldest Known System Of Terrestrial-Size Planets, Tiago L. Campante, Darin A. Ragozzine

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The first discoveries of exoplanets around Sun-like stars have fueled efforts to find ever smaller worlds evocative of Earth and other terrestrial planets in the Solar System. While gas-giant planets appear to form preferentially around metal-rich stars, small planets (with radii less than four Earth radii) can form under a wide range of metallicities. This implies that small, including Earth-size, planets may have readily formed at earlier epochs in the Universe's history when metals were far less abundant. We report Kepler spacecraft observations of KOI-3158, a metal-poor Sun-like star from the old population of the Galactic thick disk, which hosts …

Koi-3158: The Oldest Known System Of Terrestrial-Size Planets, Tiago L. Campante, Darin A. Ragozzine

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The first discoveries of exoplanets around Sun-like stars have fueled efforts to find ever smaller worlds evocative of Earth and other terrestrial planets in the Solar System. While gas-giant planets appear to form preferentially around metal-rich stars, small planets (with radii less than four Earth radii) can form under a wide range of metallicities. This implies that small, including Earth-size, planets may have readily formed at earlier epochs in the Universe's history when metals were far less abundant. We report Kepler spacecraft observations of KOI-3158, a metal-poor Sun-like star from the old population of the Galactic thick disk, which hosts …

First Images Of Thunder: Acoustic Imaging Of Triggered Lightning, M. A. Dayeh, R. Lucia, Hamid K. Rassoul

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

An acoustic camera comprising a linear microphone array is used to image the thunder signature of triggered lightning. Measurements were taken at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing in Camp Blanding, FL, during the summer of 2014. The array was positioned in an end-fire orientation thus enabling the peak acoustic reception pattern to be steered vertically with a frequency-dependent spatial resolution. On 14 July 2014, a lightning event with nine return strokes was successfully triggered. We present the first acoustic images of individual return strokes at high frequencies (>1kHz) and compare the acoustically inferred profile with optical …

Spectral Properties Of Titan’S Impact Craters Imply Chemical Weathering Of Its Surface, Catherine D. Neish

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We examined the spectral properties of a selection of Titan's impact craters that represent a range of degradation states. The most degraded craters have rims and ejecta blankets with spectral characteristics that suggest that they are more enriched in water ice than the rims and ejecta blankets of the freshest craters on Titan. The progression is consistent with the chemical weathering of Titan's surface. We propose an evolutionary sequence such that Titan's craters expose an intimate mixture of water ice and organic materials, and chemical weathering by methane rainfall removes the soluble organic materials, leaving the insoluble organics and water …

Effects Of Small Thundercloud Electrostatic Fields On The Ionospheric Density Profile, Mohammad A. Salem, Ningyu Liu, Hamid K. Rassoul

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Small electrostatic fields of values not strong enough to activate electron impact ionization, attachment, and detachment processes can be established in the upper atmosphere by underlying thunderstorms. This paper investigates their effects on the ionospheric densities by using a simplified ion chemistry model. The modeling results indicate that under the steady state condition, the nighttime electron density profile can be reduced by up to ∼40% or enhanced by a factor of up to ∼6 because of the variation of the three-body electron attachment rate constant with the electric field.

High-Altitude Electrical Discharges Associated With Thunderstorms And Lightning, Ningyu Liu, Matthew G. Mcharg, Hans C. Stenbaek-Nielsen

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to introduce electrical discharge phenomena known as transient luminous events above thunderstorms to the lightning protection community. Transient luminous events include the upward electrical discharges from thunderstorms known as starters, jets, and gigantic jets, and electrical discharges initiated in the lower ionosphere such as sprites, halos, and elves. We give an overview of these phenomena with a focus on starters, jets, gigantic jets, and sprites, because similar to ordinary lightning, streamers and leaders are basic components of these four types of transient luminous events. We present a few recent observations to illustrate their main …

Shock Interaction With One-Dimensional Array Of Particles In Air, P. Sridharan, Thomas L. Jackson, J. Zhang, S. Balachandar

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we present axisymmetric numerical simulations of shock propagation in air over an aluminum particle for Mach numbers up to 10. The numerical method is a finite-volume based solver on a Cartesian grid that allows for multi-material interfaces and shocks. Validation of the solver is demonstrated by comparing to existing experimental data. We compute the unsteady inviscid drag coefficient as a function of time, and show that when normalized by post-shock conditions, the maximum drag coefficient decreases with Mach number. Furthermore, for supercritical Mach numbers, we show that the inviscid steady-state drag asymptotes to a non-zero value due …

The Effect Of Direct Electron-Positron Pair Production On Relativistic Feedback Rates, Igor B. Vodopiyanov, Joseph R. Dwyer, Eric S. Cramer, R. J. Lucia, Hamid K. Rassoul

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Runaway electron avalanches developing in thunderclouds in high electric field become self-sustaining due to relativistic feedback via the production of backward propagating positrons and backscattered X-rays. To date, only positrons created from pair production by gamma rays interacting with the air have been considered. In contrast, direct electron-positron pair production, also known as "trident process," occurs from the interaction of energetic runaway electrons with atomic nuclei, and so it does not require the generation of a gamma ray mediator. The positrons produced in this process contribute to relativistic feedback and become especially important when the feedback factor value approaches unity. …

Searches For Third-Generation Squark Production In Fully Hadronic Final States In Proton-Proton Collisions At √S = 8 Tev, Vardan Khachatryan, Vallary Bhopatkar, Marcus Hohlmann, H Kalakhety, D. Mareskas-Palcek, Tuhin S. Roy, Francisco X. Yumiceva, The Cms Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Searches for third-generation squarks in fully hadronic final states are presented using data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 19.4 or 19.7 fb−1, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. Three mutually exclusive searches are presented, each optimized for a different decay topology. They include a multijet search requiring one fully reconstructed top quark, a dijet search requiring one or two jets originating from b quarks, and a monojet search. No excesses above the standard model expectations are seen, and limits are set on top and bottom squark production in the context …

Search For Physics Beyond The Standard Model In Events With Two Leptons, Jets, And Missing Transverse Momentum In Pp Collisions At √S= 8 Tev, Vardan Khachatryan, Marc M. Baarmand, Marcus Hohlmann, Himali Kalakhety, Francisco Yumiceva, The Cms Collaboration

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

A search is presented for physics beyond the standard model in final states with two opposite-sign same-flavor leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.4 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at √S= 8 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in 2012. The analysis focuses on searches for a kinematic edge in the invariant mass distribution of the oppositesign same-flavor lepton pair and for final states with an on-shell Z boson. The observations are consistent with expectations from standard model processes and are interpreted in terms of upper limits on …

Relativistic Electron Avalanches As A Thunderstorm Discharge Competing With Lightning, Nicole A. Kelley, David M. Smith, Joseph R. Dwyer, Michael Splitt, Steven Lazarus, Forest Martinez-Mckinney, Bryna Hazelton, Brian Grefenstette, Alexander Lowell, Hamid K. Rassoul

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Gamma-ray ‘glows’ are long duration (seconds to tens of minutes) X-ray and gamma-ray emission coming from thunderclouds. Measurements suggest the presence of relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREA), the same process underlying terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Here we demonstrate that glows are relatively a common phenomena near the tops of thunderstorms, when compared with events such as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Examining the strongest glow measured by the airborne detector for energetic emissions, we show that this glow is measured near the end of a downward RREA, consistent with occurring between the upper positive charge layer and the negative screening layer above it. …

Twentieth Century Droughts And Agriculture: Examples From Impacts On Soybean Production In Kentucky, Usa, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Neural Network Analysis On The Effect Of Heat Fluxes On Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Anaerobic Swine Waste Treatment Lagoon, N. Lovanh, J. Loughrin, M. Rysz, A. I. Quintanar, B. T. Oh, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Spin-Modified Catalysis, R Choudhary, Priyanka Manchanda, Axel Enders, Balamurugan Balamurugan, Arti Kashyap, David J. Sellmyer, Ralph A. Skomski

Ralph Skomski Publications

First-principle calculations are used to explore the use of magnetic degrees of freedom in catalysis. We use the Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Package to investigate both L10-ordered FePt and CoPt bulk materials and perform supercell calculations for FePt nanoclusters containing 43 atoms. As the catalytic activity of transition-metal elements and alloys involves individual d levels, magnetic alloying strongly affects the catalytic performance, because it leads to shifts in the local densities of states and to additional peaks due to magnetic-moment formation. The peak shift persists in nanoparticles but is surface-site specific and therefore depends on cluster size. Our research indicates that …

Correlations In Rare-Earth Transition-Metal Permanent Magnets, Ralph Skomski, Priyanka Manchanda, Arti Kashyap

Ralph Skomski Publications

It is investigated how electron-electron correlations affect the intrinsic properties of rare-earth transition- metal magnets. Focusing on orbital moment and anisotropy, we perform model calculations for 3d-4f alloys and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations for NdCo5. On an independentelectron level, the use of a single Slater determinant with broken spin symmetry introduces Hund’s rule correlations, which govern the behavior of rare-earth ions and of alloys described by the local spin density approximation (LSDA) and LSDAþU approximations to DFT. By contrast, rareearth ions in intermetallics involve configuration interactions between two or more Slater determinants and lead to phenomena such as spin-charge distribution. …

Cellulose, Chitosan, And Keratin Composite Materials. Controlled Drug Release, Chieu D. Tran, Tamutsiwa Moven Mututuvari

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A method was developed in which cellulose (CEL) and/or chitosan (CS) were added to keratin (KER) to enable [CEL/CS+KER] composites to have better mechanical strength and wider utilization. Butylmethylimmidazolium chloride ([BMIm⁺Cl^–]), an ionic liquid, was used as the sole solvent, and because the [BMIm⁺Cl^–] used was recovered, the method is green and recyclable. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirm that KER, CS, and CEL remain chemically intact in the composites. Tensile strength results expectedly show that adding CEL or CS into KER substantially increases the mechanical strength of the composites. We found …

Employees’ Social Networking Site Use Impact On Job Performance: Evidence From Pakistan, Murad Moqbel, Fizza Aftab

Information Systems Faculty Publications

This paper reinvestigates the impact of social networking site use by employees on job performance by conducting a methodological replication of Moqbel, Nevo, and Kock (2013) using samples (N=139) from Pakistan. In both studies, social networking site use has significant effects on organizational commitment and job satisfaction, and job satisfaction also has a significant impact on job performance and organizational commitment. In comparison with the U.S., we find that social networking site use in Pakistan has no significant impact on job performance through the mediating effect of job satisfaction, yet has a significant effect on organizational commitment and job satisfaction. …

Estimating Cost Adjustments Required To Accomplish Target Savings In Chronic Disease Management Interventions: A Simulation Study, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Bruce S. Britton

VMASC Publications

Chronic diseases are persistent ailments that are not preventable or curable with medication or vaccination. Many of the leading chronic conditions in industrialized societies may be related to lifestyle choices. The prevalence of these chronic conditions significantly affects the health, suffering, and longevity of patients. This paper demonstrates the utility of system dynamics as an approach to model and simulate the behavior of key cost factors in the implementation of population health management interventions. The study uses modeling and simulation as an evaluative method to identify potential savings stemming from an intervention within a well-defined population group. The model is …

The Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (Brats), Bjoern H. Menze, Andras Jakab, Stefan Bauer, Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, Khan M. Iftekharuddin, Syed M.S. Reza

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper we report the set-up and results of the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (BRATS) organized in conjunction with the MICCAI 2012 and 2013 conferences. Twenty state-of-the-art tumor segmentation algorithms were applied to a set of 65 multi-contrast MR scans of low-and high-grade glioma patients-manually annotated by up to four raters-and to 65 comparable scans generated using tumor image simulation software. Quantitative evaluations revealed considerable disagreement between the human raters in segmenting various tumor sub-regions (Dice scores in the range 74%-85%), illustrating the difficulty of this task. We found that different algorithms worked best for different sub-regions …

Evaluating A Satellite-Based Seasonal Evapotranspiration Product And Identifying Its Relationship With Other Satellite-Derived Products And Crop Yield: A Case Study For Ethiopia, Tsegaye Tadesse, Gabriel B. Senay, Getachew Berhan, Teshome Regassa, Shimelis Beyene

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Satellite-derived evapotranspiration anomalies and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are currently used for African agricultural drought monitoring and food security status assessment. In this study, a process to evaluate satellite-derived evapotranspiration (ETa) products with a geospatial statistical exploratory technique that uses NDVI, satellite-derived rainfall estimate (RFE), and crop yield data has been developed. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the ETa using the NDVI and RFE, and identify a relationship between the ETa and Ethiopia’s cereal crop (i.e., teff, sorghum, corn/maize, barley, and wheat) yields during the main rainy …

Integrating Truck Emissions Cost In Traffic Assignment, Peter Foytik, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

The adverse impacts of greenhouse gasses (GHG) and the imperative for reducing the existing rate of GHG production are well established. In the United States, the largest source of GHG emissions from human activities is from burning fossil fuels, primarily for the generation of electricity and transportation. The transportation sector accounts for 28% of all U.S. GHG production. Heavy-duty vehicles, such as large freight trucks, account for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. total, and this fraction is expected to grow rapidly. Consequently, many efforts are being used to reduce the total emissions of freight trucks. Most efforts emphasize one of …

Effects Of Inbreeding On Endangered Red Wolves (Canis Rufus), Kristin E. Brzeski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Inbreeding depression, the reduction in offspring fitness caused by mating among close relatives, is widespread in small populations and a major concern in conservation biology because it can affect population persistence. The negative effects of inbreeding results in the evolution of inbreeding avoidance behaviors; within small populations, such behaviors may encourage individuals to select mates outside of their respective species. Mate choice may also be facilitated by variation at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, a gene group critical for immune response and disease resistance. Given broad impacts of inbreeding and MHC variation on fitness and behavior, evaluating their effects is …

Analytical Pyrolysis Principles And Applications To Environmental Science, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Over the past half century, analytical pyrolysis has proven itself to be an effective means for the semiquantitative characterization of complex macromolecular organic substances. It has been demonstrated that instruments such as Py-FID, Py-MS, and in particular, Py-GC/MS can provide valuable geochemical insights when applied to a wide variety of problems in environmental science. The more widespread use of analytical pyrolysis methods in the evaluation of environmental pollution is recommended, because of their relatively low cost and information-rich results.

Pyrolysis is the heating of organic substances in an inert, oxygen-free atmosphere, thereby avoiding combustion. When performed on a large scale, …

Desorption Of Bisphenol-A (Bpa) And Regeneration Of Bpa-Spent Granular Activated Carbon Using Ultrasonic Irradiation And Organic Solvent Extraction, Chao Zhou, Naiyun Gao, Ruoyu Li, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Desorption of bisphenol-A (BPA) from granular activated carbon (GAC) by ultrapure water and regeneration of BPA-spent GAC using ultrasonic irradiation and organic solvent extraction are investigated in this paper. The results showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model more appropriately described the BPA desorption pattern, and BPA desorption well followed the classical Arrhenius equation at a temperature range of 288–308 K with an activation energy of −56.47 kJ mol−1. Desorption rates of BPA were significantly favored by increasing acoustic intensity within a range of 17–100 W at 20 kHz frequency. Certain fraction of methanol or ethanol, particularly methanol, in the extraction …