ALBERT

Description: Imperfect scaling in distributions of radar-derived rainfall fields Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11385-11422, 2013 Author(s): M. J. van den Berg, L. Delobbe, and N. E. C. Verhoest Fine scale rainfall observations for modeling exercises are often not available, but rather coarser data derived from a variety of sources are used. Effectively using these data sources in models often requires the probability distribution of the data at the applicable scale. Although numerous models for scaling distributions exist, these are often based on theoretical developments, rather than on data. In this study, we develop a model based on the α-stable distribution of rainfall fields, and tested on 5 min radar data from a Belgian weather radar. We use these data to estimate functions that describe parameters of the distribution over various scales. Moreover, we study how the mean of the distribution and the intermittency change with scale, and validate and design functions to describe the shape parameter of the distribution. This information was combined into an effective model of the distribution. Finally, the model was fitted to data from numerous storms, and the resulting parameters were compared to investigate the change in scaling behavior through time.

Description: Spatially resolved information on karst conduit flow from in-cave dye-tracing Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11311-11335, 2013 Author(s): U. Lauber, W. Ufrecht, and N. Goldscheider Artificial tracers are powerful tools to investigate karst systems. Tracers are commonly injected into sinking streams or dolines, while springs serve as monitoring sites. The obtained flow and transport parameters represent mixed information from the vadose, epiphreatic and phreatic zones, i.e., the aquifer remains a black box. Accessible active caves constitute valuable but underexploited natural laboratories to gain detailed insights into the hydrologic functioning of the aquifer. Two multi-tracer tests in the catchment of a major karst spring (Blautopf, Germany) with injections and monitoring in two associated water caves aimed at obtaining spatially and temporally resolved information on groundwater flow in different compartments of the system. Two tracers were injected in the caves to characterize the hydraulic connections between them and with the spring. Two injections at the land surface, far from the spring, aimed at resolving the aquifer's internal drainage structure. Tracer breakthrough curves were monitored by field fluorimeters in caves and at the spring. Results demonstrate the dendritic drainage structure of the aquifer. It was possible to obtain relevant flow and transport parameters for different sections of this system. The highest mean flow velocities (275 m h −1 ) were observed in the near-spring epiphreatic section (open-channel flow), while velocities in the phreatic zone (pressurized flow) were one order of magnitude lower. Determined conduit water volumes confirm results of water balances and hydrograph analyses. In conclusion, experiments and monitoring in caves can deliver spatially resolved information on karst aquifer heterogeneity and dynamics that cannot be obtained by traditional investigative methods.

Description: On the lack of robustness of hydrologic models regarding water balance simulation – a diagnostic approach on 20 mountainous catchments using three models of increasing complexity Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11337-11383, 2013 Author(s): L. Coron, V. Andréassian, C. Perrin, M. Bourqui, and F. Hendrickx This paper investigates the robustness of rainfall–runoff models when their parameters are transferred in time. More specifically, we studied their ability to simulate water balance on periods with different hydroclimatic characteristics. The testing procedure consisted in a series of parameter transfers between 10-yr periods and the systematic analysis of mean-volume errors. This procedure was applied to three conceptual models of different structural complexity over 20 mountainous catchments in southern France. The results showed that robustness problems are common. Errors on 10-yr-mean flows were significant for all three models and calibration periods, even when the entire record was used for calibration. Various graphical and numerical tools were used to show strong similarities between the shapes of mean flow biases calculated on a 10-yr-long sliding window when various parameter sets are used. Unexpected behavioural similarities were observed between the three models tested, considering their large differences in structural complexity. While the actual causes for robustness problems in these models remain unclear, this work stresses the limited transferability in time of the water balance adjustments made through parameter optimization. Although absolute differences between simulations obtained with different calibrated parameter sets were sometimes substantial, relative differences in simulated mean flows between time periods remained similar regardless of the calibrated parameter sets.

Description: Antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations in the Mississippi River Basin Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11451-11484, 2013 Author(s): J. C. Murphy, R. M. Hirsch, and L. A. Sprague The influence of antecedent flow conditions on nitrate concentrations was explored at eight sites in the Mississippi River Basin, USA. Antecedent moisture conditions have been shown to influence nutrient export from small, relatively homogenous basins, but this influence has not been observed at a regional or continental scale. Antecedent flow conditions were quantified as the ratio between the mean daily flow of the previous year and the mean daily flow from the period of record ( Q ratio), and the Q ratio was statistically related to nitrate anomalies (the unexplained variability in nitrate concentration after filtering out season, long-term trend, and contemporaneous flow effects) at each site. Nitrate anomaly and Q ratio were negatively related at three of the four major tributary sites and upstream in the Mississippi River, indicating that when the previous year was drier than average, at these sites, nitrate concentrations were higher than expected. The strength of these relationships increased when data were subdivided by contemporaneous flow conditions. Five of the eight sites had significant negative relationships ( p ≤ 0.05) at high or moderately high contemporaneous flows, suggesting nitrate that accumulates in these basins during a drought is flushed during subsequent storm events. At half of the sites, when flow during the previous year was 50% drier than average, nitrate concentration can be from 9 and 27% higher than nitrate concentrations that follow a year with average daily flow. Conversely, nitrate concentration can be from 8 and 21% lower than expected when the previous year was 50% wetter than average. These relationships between nitrate concentration and Q ratio serve as the basis for future studies that can better define specific hydrologic processes occurring during and after a drought, which influence nitrate concentration, such as the duration or magnitude of low flows, and the timing of low and high flows.

Description: Contribution of snow and glacier melt to discharge for highly glacierised catchments in Norway Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11485-11517, 2013 Author(s): M. Engelhardt, T. V. Schuler, and L. M. Andreassen Glacierised catchments significantly alter the streamflow regime due to snow and glacier meltwater contribution to discharge. In this study, we modelled the mass balance and discharge rates for three highly glacierised catchments (〉50% glacier cover) in western Norway over the period 1961–2012. The spatial pattern of the catchments follows a gradient in climate continentality from west to east. The model uses gridded temperature and precipitation values from seNorge ( http://senorge.no ) as input which are available at a daily resolution. It accounts for accumulation of snow, transformation of snow to firn and ice, evaporation and melt. The model was calibrated for each catchment based on measurements of seasonal glacier mass-balances and daily discharge rates. For validation, daily melt rates were compared with measurements from sonic rangers located in the ablation zones of two of the glaciers and an uncertainty analysis was performed for the third catchment. The discharge contributions from snowmelt, glacier melt and rain were analysed with respect to spatial variations and temporal evolution. The model simulations reveal an increase of the relative contribution from glacier melt for the three catchments from less than 10% in the early 1990s to 15–30% in the late 2000s. The decline in precipitation by 10–20% in the same period was therefore overcompensated resulting in an increase of the annual discharge by 5–20%. Annual discharge sums and annual glacier melt are strongest correlated with annual and winter precipitation at the most maritime glacier and, with increased climate continentality, variations in both glacier melt contribution and annual discharge are becoming stronger correlated with variations in summer temperatures.

Description: In this paper, we have designed, fabricated and characterized silicon nitride grating couplers with high efficiency at 1490 nm. The devices are fabricated using deep UV photolithography with resolution requirement of ∼500 nm. The grating coupler fabricated yields a peak coupling efficiency of −5.1 dB. The 1-dB bandwidth of the grating coupler is 60 nm.

Description: Bias correction can modify climate model-simulated precipitation changes without adverse affect on the ensemble mean Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11585-11611, 2013 Author(s): E. P. Maurer and D. W. Pierce When applied to remove climate model biases in precipitation, quantile mapping can in some settings modify the simulated trends. This has important implications when the precipitation will be used to drive an impacts model that is sensitive to changes in precipitation. We use daily precipitation output from 12 general circulation models (GCMs) over the conterminous United States interpolated to a common 1° grid, and gridded observations aggregated to the same scale, to compare precipitation differences before and after quantile mapping bias correction. The change in seasonal mean (winter, DJF, and summer, JJA) precipitation between different 30-yr historical periods is compared to examine (1) the consensus among GCMs as to whether the bias correction tends to amplify or diminish their simulated precipitation trends, and (2) whether the modification of the change in precipitation tends to improve or degrade the correspondence to observed changes in precipitation for the same periods. In some cases, for a particular GCM, the trend modification can be as large as the original simulated change, though the areas where this occurs varies among GCMs so the ensemble median shows smaller trend modification. In specific locations and seasons the trend modification by quantile mapping improves correspondence with observed trends, and in others it degrades it. In the majority of the domain the ensemble median is for little effect on the correspondence of simulated precipitation trends with observed. This highlights the need to use an ensemble of GCMs rather than relying on a small number of models to estimate impacts.

Description: We report on the defect-dominated light emission and ultraviolet (UV) photoconductivity characteristics of ZnO nanorods (NRs) fabricated using a facile, cost-effective, and catalyst-free thermal decomposition route under varying reaction temperatures. The morphological and structural studies reveal the formation of homogeneous quality nanorods in large scale at the highest reaction temperature of 600  ∘ C. The luminescence feature of the nanorods is dominated by the defect related emission over the typical band edge emission. The variation of band-edge and native defect-related emission response of the samples has been correlated to the morphology and microstructure. In photoconductivity studies, the I – V characteristics of the ZnO NRs prepared at different reaction temperatures in dark and under UV illumination ( λ =365 nm) follow the power law, i.e., IαV r . An enhanced ultraviolet photodetection has been observed in the nanorods fabricated at the highest reaction temperature of 600  ∘ C. The sample prepared at highest reaction temperature of 600  ∘ C exhibits UV photosensitivity value (photo-to-dark current ratio) of around 1.18×10 3 , which is much higher in magnitude compared to that of the samples prepared at lower reaction temperatures. The enhanced photoconductivity may be assigned to the development of uniformity and homogeneity of the nanorods. Further development of such ZnO nanostructures can form the basis of promising prototype luminescent and UV photodetecting devices.

Description: The effect of training image and secondary data integration with multiple-point geostatistics in groundwater modeling Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11829-11860, 2013 Author(s): X. He, T. O. Sonnenborg, F. Jørgensen, and K. H. Jensen Multiple-point geostatistic simulation (MPS) has recently become popular in stochastic hydrogeology, primarily because of its capability to derive multivariate distributions from the training image (TI). However, its application in three dimensional simulations has been constrained by the difficulty of constructing 3-D TI. The object-based TiGenerator may be a useful tool in this regard; yet the sensitivity of model predictions to the training image has not been documented. Another issue in MPS is the integration of multiple geophysical data. The best way to retrieve and incorporate information from high resolution geophysical data is still under discussion. This work shows that TI from TiGenerator delivers acceptable results when used for groundwater modeling, although the TI directly converted from high resolution geophysical data leads to better simulation. The model results also indicate that soft conditioning in MPS is a convenient and efficient way of integrating secondary data such as 3-D airborne electromagnetic data, but over conditioning has to be avoided.

Description: Multi-decadal river flows variations in France Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11861-11900, 2013 Author(s): J. Boé and F. Habets In this article, multi-decadal variations in French hydroclimate are investigated, with a specific focus on river flows. Based on long observed series, it is shown that river flows in France generally exhibit large multi-decadal variations on the historical period, especially in spring. Differences of means between two 21 yr periods of the 20th century as large as 40% are indeed found for many gauging stations. Multi-decadal spring river flows variations are associated with variations in spring precipitation and temperature. These multi-decadal variations in precipitation are themselves found to be driven by large-scale atmospheric circulation, more precisely by a multi-decadal oscillation in a sea level pressure dipole between western Europe and the East Atlantic. It is suggested that the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability, the main mode of decadal variability in the North Atlantic/Europe sector, controls those variations in large-scale circulation and is therefore the main ultimate driver of multi-decadal variations in spring river flows. Multi-decadal variations in river flows in other seasons, and in particular summer, are also noted. As they are not associated with significant surface climate anomalies (i.e. temperature, precipitation) in summer, other mechanisms are investigated based on hydrological simulations. The impact of climate variations in spring on summer soil moisture, and the impact of soil moisture in summer on the runoff to precipitation ratio, could potentially play a role in multi-decadal summer river flows variations. The large amplitude of the multi-decadal variations in French river flows suggests that internal variability may play a very important role in the evolution of river flows during the next decades, potentially temporarily limiting, reversing or seriously aggravating the long-term impacts of anthropogenic climate change.

Description: Characteristics of metal–oxide–high- k –oxide–silicon (MOHOS) memories with oxygen-rich or oxygen-deficient GdO as charge storage layer annealed by NH 3 or N 2 are investigated. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to analyze the cross-sectional quality, composition and crystallinity, respectively, of the stacked gate dielectric with a structure of Al/Al 2 O 3 /GdO/SiO 2 /Si. The MOHOS capacitor with oxygen-rich GdO annealed in NH 3 exhibits a good trade-off among its memory properties: large memory window (4.8 V at ±12 V, 1 s), high programming speed (2.6 V at ±12 V/100 μs), good endurance and retention properties (window degradation of 5 % after 10 5 program/erase cycles and charge loss of 18.6 % at 85 °C after 10 years, respectively) due to passivation of oxygen vacancies, generation of deep-level traps in the grain boundaries of the GdO layer and suppression of the interlayer between GdO and SiO 2 by the NH 3 annealing.

Description: Teleconnection analysis of runoff and soil moisture over the Pearl River basin in South China Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11943-11982, 2013 Author(s): J. Niu, J. Chen, and B. Sivakumar This study explores the teleconnection of two climatic patterns, namely the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), with hydrological processes over the Pearl River basin in South China. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is used to simulate the daily hydrological processes over the basin for the study period 1952–2000, and then, using the simulation results, the time series of the monthly runoff and soil moisture anomalies for its ten sub-basins are aggregated. Wavelet analysis is performed to explore the variability properties of these time series at 49 timescales ranging from 2 months to 9 yr. Use of wavelet coherence and rank correlation method reveals that the dominant variabilities of the time series of runoff and soil moisture are basically correlated with IOD. The influences of ENSO on the terrestrial hydrological processes are mainly found in the eastern sub-basins. The teleconnections between climatic patterns and hydrological variability also serve as a reference basis for inferences on the occurrence of extreme hydrological events (e.g. floods and droughts).

Description: Tin targets immersed in ethanol and distilled water were ablated using a UV pulsed laser. The ablated products were investigated with transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. For ablation in both liquids, the size distribution of the produced particles was bimodal, with particles having diameters of ∼10 nm and ∼1 μm. Formation mechanisms that caused the bimodal distribution are suggested. Ablation in ethanol resulted in nanoparticles that were found to be single crystals of tin coated with tin hydroxide (Sn(OH) 2 ) while ablation in water yielded nanoparticles that were polycrystalline tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) throughout.

Description: Thin aluminum oxide layers deposited on silicon by thermal atomic layer deposition can be used to reduce the electronic recombination losses by passivating the silicon surfaces. To activate the full passivation ability of such layers, a post-deposition annealing step at moderate temperatures (≈400  ∘ C, duration≈30 min) is required. Such an annealing step is commonly done in an oven in air, nitrogen, or forming gas atmosphere. In this work, we investigate the ability to reduce the duration of the annealing step by heating the silicon wafer with a microwave source. The annealing time is significantly reduced to durations below 1 min while achieving effective minority carrier lifetimes similar or higher to that of conventionally oven-annealed samples.

Description: A theoretical study is presented on the on/off current ratio limits for a ballistic coaxially-gated carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) with highly doped source/drain regions. Based on changes in gate insulator dielectric constant and thickness, the current ratio has been estimated at different ambient temperatures. Decreasing the gate insulator thickness after a certain value around 3 nm causes the current ratio to degrade drastically. Although the higher dielectric constant values have a fair effect on current ratio, this effect could be suppressed when the device with a low gate insulator thickness works at a low ambient temperature. The simulation results also show that the temperature drastically degrades the current ratio value; whereas in a certain range of ambient temperature, tuning the values of gate insulator thickness and dielectric constant could be very helpful. In this way, the optimum values of gate insulator thickness and dielectric constant are identified to offer the highest on/off current ratio of the device.

Description: Pyramid-like spikes in a single crystal superalloy were investigated upon irradiation with picosecond (ps) laser pulses (200 ps, 800 nm, 1 kHz) under different laser fluences and pulse numbers. Both sides and grooves of pyramid-like spikes were covered with ripples, which had a period of ∼760 nm. The pyramid-like spike separation increased obviously with increasing laser fluence. Microstructural investigations indicate that the pyramid-like spikes were initiated with subsequent pulses from a smooth surface with corrugations and ripples. The coexistence of capillary waves for spikes and capillary waves for ripples in the melted material can be used to explain the formation of the pyramid-like spikes.

Description: This paper is to explore the effects of the liquid structure transition (LST) on the solidification kinetics of Sn-30 wt% Sb alloy by the Newton thermal analysis (NTA) method and the solidified microstructure analysis. Influence of the cooling rate on solidification behavior and microstructure was also concerned. With a self-designed sand mold, the cooling curves of five points were collected automatically in the process of solidification by a HYDRA. In the case of the liquid structure transition and a faster cooling rate, the modification melt treatment will lead to a higher undercooling of nucleation and an increased solidification latent heat in central part of solidifying castings, then the eventual grain size was evidently refined.

Description: Hydrological functions of sinkholes and characteristics of point recharge in groundwater basins Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11423-11449, 2013 Author(s): N. Somaratne, K. Smettem, J. Lawson, K. Nguyen, and J. Frizenschaf Karstic limestone aquifers are hydrologically and hydrochemically extremely heterogeneous and point source recharge via sinkholes and fissures is a common feature. We studied three groundwater systems in karstic settings dominated by point source recharge in order to assess the relative contributions to total recharge from point sources using chloride and δ 18 O relations. Preferential groundwater flows were observed through an inter-connected network of highly conductive zones with groundwater mixing along flow paths. Measurements of salinity and chloride indicated that fresh water pockets exist at point recharge locations. A measurable fresh water plume develops only when a large quantity of surface water enters the aquifer as a point recharge source. The difference in chloride concentrations in diffuse and point recharge zones decreases as aquifer saturated thickness increases and the plumes become diluted through mixing. The chloride concentration in point recharge fluxes crossing the watertable plane can remain at or near surface runoff chloride concentrations, rather than in equilibrium with groundwater chloride. In such circumstances the conventional chloride mass balance method that assumes equilibrium of recharge water chloride with groundwater requires modification to include both point and diffuse recharge mechanisms.

Description: In the paper we report on picosecond-laser bulk microstructuring and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in type IIa single-crystal diamond in the course of multipulse irradiation at λ =532 nm wavelength using an advanced ps-laser system equipped with additional setups for on-line video imaging and photoluminescence spectra measurements. The effect of crystal orientation (relative to the incident laser beam) on (i) optical breakdown thresholds, (ii) character of bulk modifications, and (iii) generation of stimulated Raman scattering in diamond during irradiation with picosecond pulses of different durations ( τ 1 =10 ps and τ 2 =44 ps) is studied. It is shown that the processes of laser-induced breakdown in the bulk of diamond (at the backside of the crystals) and bulk microstructure growth are governed by the dielectric breakdown mechanism. It is found that generation of high-order stimulated Raman scattering in diamond crystals has a considerable effect on the threshold of laser-induced breakdown and bulk microstructuring. Conditions of the efficient SRS lasing are determined, depending on the pulse duration and the direction ([100] and [110]) of the laser beam incidence. A method of local temperature measurements in the bulk of diamond based on the Stokes-to-anti-Stokes intensity ratio in the recorded SRS spectra is proposed, its applicability to determine a “pre-breakdown” temperature of diamond during multipulse ps-laser irradiation is discussed.

Description: Copper oxide (CuO) is a p-type semiconductor with a band gap of 1.2 eV, which is well known in high-temperature superconductor and antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials through Cu–O–Cu super-exchange interaction. In this paper, we report the strong anisotropic ferromagnetism (FM) in aligned CuO nanorod arrays synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image shows that the CuO nanorod consists of a large number of smaller nanorods with almost the same growth direction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern indicates that the CuO nanorods are well crystallized with highly preferred orientation of the [020] direction. These CuO nanorod arrays show room-temperature ferromagnetism, with strong magnetic anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied perpendicular or parallel to the rod axis. This phenomenon of room-temperature ferromagnetism in those aligned CuO nanorods might originate from uncompensated surface spins and shape anisotropy of the nanorods.

Description: Climate information based streamflow and rainfall forecasts for Huai River Basin using Hierarchical Bayesian Modeling Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11559-11584, 2013 Author(s): X. Chen, Z. Hao, N. Devineni, and U. Lall A Hierarchal Bayesian model for forecasting regional summer rainfall and streamflow season-ahead using exogenous climate variables for East Central China is presented. The model provides estimates of the posterior forecasted probability distribution for 12 rainfall and 2 streamflow stations considering parameter uncertainty, and cross-site correlation. The model has a multilevel structure with regression coefficients modeled from a common multivariate normal distribution results in partial-pooling of information across multiple stations and better representation of parameter and posterior distribution uncertainty. Covariance structure of the residuals across stations is explicitly modeled. Model performance is tested under leave-10-out cross-validation. Frequentist and Bayesian performance metrics used include Receiver Operating Characteristic, Reduction of Error, Coefficient of Efficiency, Rank Probability Skill Scores, and coverage by posterior credible intervals. The ability of the model to reliably forecast regional summer rainfall and streamflow season-ahead offers potential for developing adaptive water risk management strategies.

Description: (TiVCrZrY)N coatings were deposited onto Si substrate by the radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering of a TiVCrZrY alloy target in an N 2 /Ar atmosphere. The crystal, microstructural, mechanical, and electrical properties at different N 2 -to-total (N 2 +Ar) flow-rate ratio ( R N ) values were investigated. The coating produced in pure Ar had an equiaxed structure with a hexagonal-close-packed phase. With increased R N , the crystallinity and grain size markedly decreased. The microstructure of (TiVCrZrY)N coatings transformed from V-shaped columnar with a rough-domed surface into fine fibrous with a smooth surface. The amorphous transition layer above the substrate was also significantly thickened. The hardness of (TiVCrZrY)N decreased from 20.9 GPa to 18.9 GPa, and the electrical resistivity increased from 398.2 μΩ⋅cm to 21870 μΩ⋅cm.

Description: A spatial bootstrap technique for parameter estimation of rainfall annual maxima distribution Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11755-11794, 2013 Author(s): F. Uboldi, A. N. Sulis, C. Lussana, M. Cislaghi, and M. Russo Estimation of extreme event distributions and depth-duration-frequency (DDF) curves is achieved at any target site by repeated sampling among all available raingauge data in the surrounding area. The estimate is computed over a gridded domain in Northern Italy, using precipitation time series from 1929 to 2011, including data from historical analog stations and from the present-day automatic observational network. The presented local regionalisation naturally overcomes traditional station-point methods, with their demand of long historical series and their sensitivity to very rare events occurring at very few stations, possibly causing unrealistic spatial gradients in DDF relations. At the same time, the presented approach allows for spatial dependence, necessary in a geographical domain such as Lombardy, complex for both its topography and its climatology. The bootstrap technique enables evaluating uncertainty maps for all estimated parameters and for rainfall depths at assigned return periods.

Description: Overview of the first HyMeX Special Observation Period over Italy: observations and model results Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11643-11710, 2013 Author(s): R. Ferretti, E. Pichelli, S. Gentile, I. Maiello, D. Cimini, S. Davolio, M. M. Miglietta, G. Panegrossi, L. Baldini, F. Pasi, F. S. Marzano, A. Zinzi, S. Mariani, M. Casaioli, G. Bartolini, N. Loglisci, A. Montani, C. Marsigli, A. Manzato, A. Pucillo, M. E. Ferrario, V. Colaiuda, and R. Rotunno During the first Hymex campaign (5 September–6 November 2012) referred to as Special Observation Period (SOP-1), dedicated to heavy precipitation events and flash floods in Western Mediterranean, three Italian hydro-meteorological monitoring sites were activated: Liguria-Tuscany, North-Eastern Italy and Central Italy. The extraordinary deployment of advanced instrumentation, including instrumented aircrafts, and the use of several different operational weather forecast models has allowed an unprecedented monitoring and analysis of high impact weather events around the Italian hydro-meteorological sites. This activity has seen the strict collaboration between the Italian scientific and operational communities. In this paper, an overview of the Italian organization during the SOP-1 is provided, and selected Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs) are described. A significant event for each Italian target area is chosen for this analysis: IOP2 (12–13 September 2012) in North-Eastern Italy, IOP13 (15–16 October 2012) in Central Italy and IOP19 (3–5 November 2012) in Liguria and Tuscany. For each IOP the meteorological characteristics, together with special observations and weather forecasts, are analyzed with the aim of highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the forecast modeling systems. Moreover, using one of the three events, the usefulness of different operational chains is highlighted.

Description: Correcting basin-scale snowfall in a mountainous basin using a distributed snowmelt model and remote sensing data Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11711-11753, 2013 Author(s): M. Shrestha, L. Wang, T. Koike, H. Tsutsui, Y. Xue, and Y. Hirabayashi Adequate estimation of the spatial distribution of snowfall is critical in hydrologic modeling. However, this is a well-known problem in estimating basin-scale snowfall, especially in mountainous basins with data scarcity. This study focuses on correction and estimation of this spatial distribution, which considers topographic effects within the basin. A method is proposed that optimizes an altitude-based snowfall correction factor ( C fsnow ). This is done through multi-objective calibration of a spatially distributed, multilayer energy and water balance-based snowmelt model (WEB-DHM-S) with observed discharge and remotely sensed snow cover data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The Shuffled Complex Evolution – University of Arizona automatic search algorithm is used to obtain the optimal value of C fsnow for minimum cumulative error in discharge and snow cover simulations. Discharge error is quantified by Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and relative volume deviation, and snow cover error was estimated by pixel-by-pixel analysis. The study region is the heavily snow-fed Yagisawa Basin of the Upper Tone River in northeast Japan. First, the system was applied to one snow season (2002–2003), obtaining an optimized C fsnow of 0.0007 m −1 . For validation purposes, the optimized C fsnow was implemented to correct snowfall in 2004, 2002 and 2001. Overall, the system was effective, implying improvements in correlation of simulated vs. observed discharge and snow cover. The 4 yr mean of basin-average snowfall for the corrected spatial snowfall distribution was 1160 mm (780 mm before correction). Execution of sensitivity runs against other model input and parameters indicated that C fsnow could be affected by uncertainty in shortwave radiation and setting of the threshold air temperature parameter. Our approach is suitable to correct snowfall and estimate its distribution in poorly-gauged basins, where elevation dependence of snowfall amount is strong.

Description: Attribution of hydrologic forecast uncertainty within scalable forecast windows Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11795-11828, 2013 Author(s): L. Yang, F. Tian, Y. Sun, X. Yuan, and H. Hu Hindcasts based on the Extended Streamflow Prediction (ESP) approach are carried out in a typical rainfall-dominated basin in China, aiming to examine the roles of initial condition (IC), future atmospheric forcing (FC) and hydrologic model uncertainty (MU) in the streamflow forecast skill. The combined effects of IC and FC are explored within the framework of a forecast window. By implementing virtual numerical simulations without the consideration of MU, it is found that the dominance of IC could last up to 90 days in dry season, while its impact gives way to FC for lead times exceeding 30 days in the wet season. The combined effects of IC and FC on the forecast skill are further investigated by proposing a dimensionless parameter ( β ) that represents the ratio of the total amount of initial water storage and the incoming rainfall. The forecast skill increases exponentially with β , and varies greatly in different forecast windows. Moreover, the influence of MU on forecast skill is examined by focusing on the uncertainty of model parameters. Two different hydrologic model calibration strategies are carried out. The results indicate that the uncertainty of model parameters exhibits a more significant influence on the forecast skill in the dry season than in the wet season. The ESP approach is more skillful in monthly streamflow forecast during the transition period from wet to dry than otherwise. For the transition period from dry to wet, the low skill of the forecasts could be attributed to the combined effects of IC and FC, but less to the biases in the hydrologic model parameters. For the forecasting in dry season, the usefulness of the ESP approach is heavily dependent on the strategy of the model calibration.

Description: A conceptual model of check dam hydraulics for gully control Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11901-11941, 2013 Author(s): C. Castillo, R. Pérez, and J. A. Gómez There is little information in scientific literature regarding the modifications induced by check dam systems in flow regimes in restored gully reaches, despite it being a crucial issue for the design of conservation measures. Here, we develop a conceptual model to classify flow regimes in straight rectangular channels for initial and dam-filling conditions as well as a method of estimating efficiency in order to provide guidelines for optimal design. The model integrates several previous mathematical approaches for assessing the main processes involved (hydraulic jump HJ, impact flow, gradually varied flows). Its performance was compared with the simulations obtained from IBER, a bi-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The impact of check dam spacing (defined by the geometric factor of influence c ) on efficiency was explored. Eleven main classifications of flow regimes were identified depending on the element and level of influence. The model produced similar results when compared with IBER, but led to higher estimations of HJ and impact lengths. Total influence guaranteed maximum efficiency and HJ control defining the location of the optimal c . Geometric total influence ( c = 1) was a valid criterion for the different stages of the structures in a wide range of situations provided that hydraulic roughness conditions remained high within the gully, e.g. through revegetation. Our total influence criterion involved shorter spacing than that habitually recommended in technical manuals for restoration, but was in line with those values found in spontaneous and stable step-pools systems, which might serve as a reference for man-made interventions.

Description: Senstitivity of water balance components to environmental changes in a mountainous watershed: uncertainty assessment based on models comparison Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11983-12026, 2013 Author(s): E. Morán-Tejeda, J. Zabalza, K. Rahman, A. Gago-Silva, J. I. López-Moreno, S. Vicente-Serrano, A. Lehmann, C. L. Tague, and M. Beniston This paper evaluates the response of stream flow and other components of the water balance to changes in climate and land-use in a Pyrenean watershed. It further provides a measure of uncertainty in water resources forecasts by comparing the performance of two hydrological models: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys). Regional Climate Model outputs for the 2021–2050 time-frame, and hypothetical (but plausible) land-use scenarios considering re-vegetation and wildfire processes were used as inputs to the models. Results indicate an overall decrease in river flows when the scenarios are considered, except for the post-fire vegetation scenario, in which stream flows are simulated to increase. However the magnitude of these projections varies between the two models used, as SWAT tends to produce larger hydrological changes under climate change scenarios, and RHESSys shows more sensitivity to changes in land-cover. The final prediction will therefore depend largely on the combination of the land-use and climate scenarios, and on the model utilized.

Description: The blue InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs), employing a lattice-compensated p-AlGaN/InGaN superlattice (SL) interlayer to link the last quantum barrier and electron blocking layer (EBL), are proposed and investigated numerically. The simulation results indicate that the newly designed LEDs have better hole injection efficiency, lower electron leakage, and smaller electrostatic fields in the active region over the conventional LEDs mainly attributed to the mitigated polarization-induced downward band bending. Furthermore, the markedly improved output power and efficiency droop are also suggested when the conventional LEDs corresponding to experiment data are replaced by the newly designed LEDs.

Description: In this paper, we investigate the resonance magnetoelectric (ME) effect in the middle supported multilayer composites consisting of high-permeability Fe-based nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloy Fe 73.5 Cu 1 Nb 3 Si 13.5 B 9 (FeCuNbSiB), Nickel (Ni), and piezoelectric Pb(Zr 1− x Ti x )O 3 (PZT). The coupling effect between positive magnetostrictive FeCuNbSiB and negative magnetostrictive Ni results in the build-in magnetic bias due to their different magnetic permeability and coercivity. As a result, a giant resonance ME voltage coefficient ( α ME, r ) at zero DC magnetic bias field ( H dc ) and multi-peaks of α ME, r for FeCuNbSiB/Ni/PZT/Ni/FeCuNbSiB composite are observed. The experimental results show that the giant zero-biased α ME, r strongly depends on the thickness of FeCuNbSiB ribbon. The maximum zero-biased α ME, r is up to 86 V/cm Oe for FeCuNbSiB/Ni/PZT/Ni/FeCuNbSiB with four-layer FeCuNbSiB ribbons, which is ∼500 times higher than that of the previously reported NKNLS-NZF/Ni/NKNLS-NZF trilayer composite. Compared with the peak α ME, r and the optimum H dc of Ni/PZT/Ni composite, the largest peak α ME, r of FeCuNbSiB/Ni/PZT/Ni/FeCuNbSiB composite with four-layer FeCuNbSiB ribbons increases ∼185 %, and the optimum H dc decreases ∼300 Oe, respectively. Based on the nonlinear magnetostrictive constitutive relation and the magnetoelectric equivalent circuit, a theoretical model of α ME, r versus H dc is built under free boundary conditions. Calculated zero-biased α ME, r and α ME, r versus H dc are in good agreement with the experimental data. This laminate composite shows promising applications for high-sensitivity power-free magnetic field sensors, zero-biased ME transducers and small-size energy harvesters.

Description: In this paper, we report on in-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies of topographical changes in azobenzene-containing photosensitive polymer films that are irradiated with light interference patterns. We have developed an experimental setup consisting of an AFM combined with two-beam interferometry that permits us to switch between different polarization states of the two interfering beams while scanning the illuminated area of the polymer film, acquiring corresponding changes in topography in-situ . This way, we are able to analyze how the change in topography is related to the variation of the electrical field vector within the interference pattern. It is for the first time that with a rather simple experimental approach a rigorous assignment can be achieved. By performing in-situ measurements we found that for a certain polarization combination of two interfering beams [namely for the SP (↕, ↔) polarization pattern] the topography forms surface relief grating with only half the period of the interference patterns. Exploiting this phenomenon we are able to fabricate surface relief structures with characteristic features measuring only 140 nm, by using far field optics with a wavelength of 491 nm. We believe that this relatively simple method could be extremely valuable to, for instance, produce structural features below the diffraction limit at high-throughput, and this could significantly contribute to the search of new fabrication strategies in electronics and photonics industry.

Description: Traditional glass micromachining using laser processing in air would produce many kinds of defects, such as bulges, debris, micro-cracks and scorches. In this article, a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) protection processing has been presented to reduce the temperature gradient and heat-affected zone (HAZ) to achieve crack-free Pyrex glass machining. A good quality of etched surface which is a clear and much-reduced bulge without crack and scorch is achieved using CO 2 laser micromachining at 150 μm thick PDMS protection layer and the laser powers of 10–15 W and scanning speeds of 228–342 mm/s for five passes. The PDMS cover layer benefits feature size and bulge height reduction. The alpha-step measured profile shows that the much reduced bulge height around the rims of channel was about 1.2 μm at 150 μm thick PDMS about 13 times smaller than that in air. The ANSYS software was used to analyze the temperature distribution and thermal stress field of glass micromachining in air without and with PDMS cover layer. The smaller temperature gradient observed in PDMS protection processing has the smaller HAZ and diminishes the crack formation during the laser processing.

Description: To reduce the cost of the emitter diffusion process, there has been increasing interest to substitute the standard process of batch POCl 3 emitter diffusion used in the silicon solar-cell manufacturing industry with in-line diffusion processes such as the spray-on and screen-printing process. For this reason, it is essential to study and compare the processes of different diffusion methods from the point of view of the crystalline quality of the final wafers. X-ray transmission topography was employed to characterize the possible precipitates and other microdefects generated in Czochralski-grown silicon (Cz Si) during the emitter diffusion process carried out by screen-printing, spray-on and the standard process, in which the emitter was provided by a liquid (POCl 3 ) source. The results indicate that the phosphorus diffusion process influences the crystalline quality of the wafers and the efficiency of the external gettering process that takes place during phosphorus diffusion depends on the diffusion method employed.

Description: We propose the use of a La 2 O 3 (LO) film as the capping layer for improvement of a semiconductor/insulator interface in a solution-processed indium–tin–oxide (ITO) ferroelectric-gate thin-film transistor (FGT) device. It is demonstrated that the LO layer acts as a good barrier film not only for preventing the interdiffusion between the ITO semiconductor and lead–zirconium-titanate (PZT) insulator layers, but also for stabilizing the PZT surface structure. The fabricated FGT device exhibited high I on / I off , large M w , high μ FE and improved retention time of about 10 9 , 3.5 V, 7.94 cm 2  V −1  s −1 and 1 day, respectively, which are comparable to or better than those obtained with FGTs fabricated by means of conventional vacuum processes. We also point out that the key origin of the interface improvement is likely due to the incorporation of La into the PZT system, forming a La surface-modified PZT system which is more stable than the pure PZT in terms of Pb volatility and formation of oxygen vacancies.

Description: The results of ferroelectric properties studies of KNN doped with La and Ti and sintered at temperatures in the interval of 1100 °C–1190 °C are presented in this work. The doping was achieved by the substitution of La for ions in A sites and Ti for ions in the B sites. Values of 94 % of the theoretical density were accomplished. The effect of the sintering temperature and the inclusion of the La and Ti cations in the KNN structure is evident through the shift in the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition temperature of ∼110 °C with respect to that of pure KNN (420 °C). Microstructure and ferroelectric analyses were carried out using Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) and hysteresis loops with interesting results, Δ P r =9 (μC/cm 2 ) and P r / P max =0.41, even when the saturation of the materials is not reached.

Description: We have developed a high-performance laser energy meter based on anisotropic Seebeck effect in a strongly correlated electronic (SCE) thin film. SCE thin films, typically represented by high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cuprate and colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganite thin films, demonstrate tremendous anisotropic Seebeck effect. In this study, a La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 thin film grown on a tilted LaAlO 3 substrate is tested with the fundamental, the second, the third, and the fourth harmonics (1064, 532, 355, 266 nm, respectively) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser over a wide range of temperatures from room temperature to 16 K. The peak-value of the laser-induced thermoelectric voltage signal shows a good linear relationship with the laser energy per pulse in the measured wavelength and temperature ranges. The combined advantages over other commercial laser detectors such as nanosecond-order response and spectrally broad and flat response over a wide range of temperatures, in situ real-time measurement, and energy savings, make the device an ideal candidate for next-generation laser detectors and laser power/energy meters.

Description: Co-doped ZnO epilayer films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on vicinal cut silicon and sapphire substrates. Changes in deposition time were observed as a moderate effect on the quality of the films, and the influence of the thickness on thermoelectric signals from Zn 0.9 Co 0.1 O thin films were discussed. The effect of one of the main deposition parameters, the deposition time, on the crystallinity and electron mobility properties of the Zn 0.9 Co 0.1 O thin films grown on sapphire was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser-induced voltage (LIV) effect. It shown that the XRD rocking curve full-width half-maximun (FWHM) decreased as time increasing, and the LIV signals were observed along the tilting angle of the substrate orientation when the pulsed KrF excimer laser of 248 nm were irradiated on the films. When the films illuminated in pulse lasers, the highest signals occurred in the films with best crystalline quality, and the signals were higher in the films grown on sapphire than those on silicon substrates. It suggested that the electrical resistivity and electron mobility have close relations with not only the crystallinity but also with the interface of the thin films.

Description: Nanostructure formation on bulk noble metals (copper, gold and silver) by a femtosecond laser was studied aiming at the production of low-reflectivity surfaces. The target surface was irradiated with the beam of a 775 nm wavelength and 150 fs pulse duration Ti:sapphire laser. The fluence was in the 16–2000 mJ/cm 2 range, while the average pulse number was varied between 10 and 1000 depending on the scanning speed of the sample stage. The reflectivity of the treated surfaces was measured with a visible–near-infrared microspectrometer in the 450–800 nm range, while the morphology was studied with a scanning electron microscope. A strong correlation was found between the decreasing reflectivity and the nanostructure formation on the irradiated surface; however, the morphology of silver significantly differed from those of copper and gold. For the two latter metals a dense coral-like structure was found probably as a result of cluster condensation in the ablation plume followed by diffusion-limited aggregation. In the case of silver the surface was covered by nanodroplets, which formation was probably influenced by the ‘spitting’ caused by ambient oxygen absorption in the molten silver followed by its fast release during the resolidification.

Description: The automation in fabrication of CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics) parts demands efficient and low-cost machining technologies. In conventional cutting technologies, tool-wear and low process speeds are some of the reasons for high costs. Thus, the use of lasers is an attractive option for cutting CF-preforms. A typical effect degrading the quality in laser cutting CF-preform is a bulged cutting edge. This effect is assumed to be caused by interaction of the fibers with the ablated material, which leaves the kerf at high velocity. Hence, a method for measuring the momentum and the velocity of the vapor is presented in this article. To measure the momentum of the ablated material, the CF-preform is mounted on a precision scale while cutting it with a laser. The direction of the momentum was determined by measuring the momentum parallel and orthogonal to the CF-preform surface. A change of the direction of the momentum with different cutting-speeds is assessed at constant laser-power. Averaged velocities of the ablation products of up to 300 m/s were determined by measuring the ablated mass and the momentum.

Description: Hydrologic impact of climate change on Murray Hotham catchment of Western Australia: a projection of rainfall-runoff for future water resources planning Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 12027-12076, 2013 Author(s): S. A. Islam, M. A. Bari, and A. H. M. F. Anwar Reduction of rainfall and runoff in recent years across South West Western Australia (SWWA) has drawn attention about climate change impact on water resources and its availability in this region. In this paper, hydrologic impact of climate change on Murray Hotham catchment in SWWA is investigated using multi-model ensemble approach. The Land Use Change Incorporated Catchment (LUCICAT) model was used for hydrologic modelling. Model calibration was performed using (5 km) grid rainfall data from Australian Water Availability Project (AWAP). Downscaled and bias corrected rainfall data from 11 General Circulation Models (GCMs) for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission scenarios A2 and B1 was used in LUCICAT model to derive rainfall and runoff scenarios for 2046–2065 (mid this century) and 2081–2100 (late this century). The results of climate scenarios were compared with observed past (1961–1980) climate. The mean annual rainfall averaged over the catchment during recent time (1981–2000) was reduced by 2.3% with respect to observed past (1961–1980) and resulting runoff reduction was found 14%. Compared to the past, the mean annual rainfall reductions, averaged over 11 ensembles and over the period for the catchment for A2 scenario are 13.6 and 23.6% for mid and late this century respectively while the corresponding runoff reductions are 36 and 74%. For B1 scenario, the rainfall reductions were 11.9 and 11.6% for mid and late this century and corresponding runoff reductions were 31 and 38%. Spatial distribution of rainfall and runoff changes showed that the rate of changes were higher in high rainfall part compared to the low rainfall part. Temporal distribution of rainfall and runoff indicate that high rainfall in the catchment reduced significantly and further reductions are projected resulting significant runoff reductions. A catchment scenario map has been developed through plotting decadal runoff reduction against corresponding rainfall reduction at four gauging stations for observed and projected period. This could be useful for planning future water resources in the catchment. Projection of rainfall and runoff made based on the GCMs varied significantly for the time periods and emission scenarios. Hence, considerable uncertainty involved in this study though ensemble mean was used to explain the findings.

Description: We report a design method of surface plasmon polaritons sharp bends based on transformation optics. Plasmonic waveguide bends with different angles, which possess little radiation loss, are proposed. Transformation media can be simply achieved with homogeneous and nonmagnetic materials, which can be constructed by altering two different dielectric films. Electromagnetic simulations by a finite-element method on detailed examples have been performed to validate the designs.

Description: This article presents the results on the growth and characterization of BaSnF 4 thin films on glass substrates prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique. The structural results of BaSnF 4 thin film carried out by glancing angle X-ray diffraction technique indicates the formation of the film with similar structure (tetragonal, P 4 /nmm) to the bulk target material. The absorption coefficient and band gap of the film is determined by suitable analysis of the transmittance spectra. The transport properties of the thin films are studied using impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range of 323–573 K. The frequency-dependent imaginary part of impedance plot shows that the conductivity relaxation is non-Debye in nature. The scaling behavior of the imaginary part of impedance at various frequencies indicates temperature-independent relaxation behavior.

Description: Upscaling of evapotranspiration fluxes from instantaneous to daytime scales for thermal remote sensing applications Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 7325-7350, 2013 Author(s): C. Cammalleri, M. C. Anderson, and W. P. Kustas Four upscaling methods for estimating daytime evapotranspiration (ET) from single time-of-day snapshots, as commonly retrieved using remote sensing, were compared. These methods are based on the assumption of self-preservation of the ratio between ET and a given reference variable over the daytime hours. The analysis was performed using eddy covariance data collected at 12 AmeriFlux towers, sampling a fairly wide range in climatic and land cover conditions. The choice of energy budget closure method significantly impacted performance using different scaling methodologies. Therefore, a statistical evaluation approach was adopted to better account for the inherent uncertainty in ET fluxes using eddy covariance technique. Overall, this approach suggests that at-surface solar radiation is the most robust reference variable amongst those tested, due to high accuracy of upscaled fluxes and absence of systematic biases. Top-of-atmosphere irradiance was also tested and proved to be reliable under near clear-sky conditions, but tended to overestimate the observed daytime ET during cloudy days. Use of reference ET as a scaling flux did not perform as well as the solar radiation method, but similarly had errors with little seasonal dependency. Finally, the commonly-used evaporative fraction method yielded satisfactory results only in summer months, July and August, and tended to underestimate the observations in the fall/winter seasons from November to January at the flux sites studied.

Description: UV irradiation of materials consisting of a polymer matrix that possesses precursors of noble metals followed by annealing results in creation of metal nanoparticles within the irradiated domains. Such photoinduced nanocomposites are promising for photonics applications due to the strong alteration of their optical properties compared to initial nonirradiated materials. We report our results on the synthesis and investigation of two kinds of these materials: Photoinduced Au nanocomposites based on PMMA matrices, including bulk materials prepared by means of the polymerization technique; photoinduced Ag nanocomposites with an organic–inorganic hybrid matrix based on TiO 2 gels. The experimental data on evolution of absorption spectra of these materials due to laser irradiation at different wavelengths are presented. The linear and nonlinear refractive index changes in these materials owing to light-induced nanonstructuring are investigated.

Description: The study of pollution performance on a wind turbine blade due to lightning is important, as it can cause major damage to wind turbine blades. In the present work, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique is used to understand the influence of pollutant deposited on a wind turbine blade in an off-shore environment. A methodical experimental study was carried out by adopting IEC 60507 standards, and it was observed that the lightning discharge propagates at the interface between the pollutant and the glass fiber reinforced plastic (Material used in manufacturing of wind turbine blades). In addition, as a diagnostic condition monitoring technique, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is proposed and demonstrated to rank the severity of pollutant on the wind turbine blades from a remote area. Optical emission spectra observed during surface discharge process induced by lightning impulse voltage is in agreement with the spectra observed during LIBS.

Description: We developed a method that accurately determines an unknown position of the high-intensity laser-pulse-material interaction site on the front side of a plate. It is based on interferometric measurements of a normal displacement at known positions on the plate’s rear side. The displacement is caused by reflections of various pulsed-laser-induced mechanical waves. We have superseded the long-established time-of-flight approach with the improved, triple-echo method. To accurately locate the origin of the laser-induced ultrasound on the plate with a known thickness, we only need to detect the arrivals of the first three consecutive mode unconverted waves. Our method works without knowing the propagation velocities of various ultrasonic waves and additionally solves some time-related drawbacks of the conventional time-of-flight approach. The relative uncertainty of the measured source-receiver separations obtained with the presented method is less than 0.01.

Description: Laser dry etching by a laser driven direct writing apparatus has been extensively used for the micro- and nano-patterning on the solid surface. The purpose of this study is to pattern the PEDOT:PSS thin film coated on the soda-lime glass substrates by a nano-second pulsed ultraviolet laser processing system. The patterned PEDOT:PSS film structure provides the electrical isolation and prevents the electrical contact from each region for capacitive touch screens. The surface morphology, geometric dimension, and edge quality of ablated area after the variety of laser patternings were measured by a 3D confocal laser scanning microscope. After the single pulse laser irradiation, the ablation threshold of the PEDOT:PSS film conducted by the nano-second pulsed UV laser was determined to be 0.135±0.003 J/cm 2 . The single pulse laser interacted region and the ablated line depth increased with increasing the laser fluence. Moreover, the inner line width of ablated PEDOT:PSS films along the patterned line path increased with increasing the laser fluence but the shoulder width increased with decreasing fluence, respectively. The clean, smooth, and straight ablated edges were accomplished after the electrode patterning with the laser fluence of 1.7 J/cm 2 and 90 % overlapping rate.

Description: Selectiveness of the laser processing is the top-most important for applications of the processing technology in thin-film electronics, including photovoltaics. Coupling of laser energy in multilayered thin-film structures, depending on photo-physical properties of the layers and laser wavelength was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Energy coupling within thin films highly depends on the film structure. The finite element and two-temperature models were applied to simulate the energy and temperature distributions inside the stack of different layers of a thin-film solar cell during a picosecond laser irradiation. Reaction of the films to the laser irradiation was conditioned by optical properties of the layers at the wavelength of laser radiation. Simulation results are consistent with the experimental data achieved in laser scribing of copper-indium-gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cells on a flexible polymer substrate using picosecond-pulsed lasers. Selection of the right laser wavelength (1064 nm or 1572 nm) enabled keeping the energy coupling in a well-defined volume at the interlayer interface. High absorption at inner interface of the layers triggered localized temperature increase. Transient stress caused by the rapid temperature rise facilitating peeling of the films rather than evaporation. Ultra-short pulses ensured high energy input rate into absorbing material permitting peeling of the layers with no influence on the remaining material.

Description: Global isoscapes for δ 18 O and δ 2 H in precipitation: improved prediction using regionalized climatic regression models Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 7351-7393, 2013 Author(s): S. Terzer, L. I. Wassenaar, L. J. Araguás-Araguás, and P. K. Aggarwal A Regionalized Climatic Water Isotope Prediction (RCWIP) approach, based on the Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP), was demonstrated for the purposes of predicting point- and large-scale spatiotemporal patterns of the stable isotope compositions of water (δ 2 H, δ 18 O) in precipitation around the world. Unlike earlier global domain and fixed regressor models, RCWIP pre-defined thirty-six climatic cluster domains, and tested all model combinations from an array of climatic and spatial regressor variables to obtain the best predictive approach to each cluster domain, as indicated by RMSE and variogram analysis. Fuzzy membership fractions were thereafter used as the weights to seamlessly amalgamate results of the optimized climatic zone prediction models into a single predictive mapping product, such as global or regional amount-weighted mean annual, mean monthly or growing-season δ 18 O/δ 2 H in precipitation. Comparative tests revealed the RCWIP approach outperformed classical global-fixed regression-interpolation based models more than 67% of the time, and significantly improved upon predictive accuracy and precision. All RCWIP isotope mapping products are available as gridded GeoTIFF files from the IAEA website ( www.iaea.org/water ) and are for use in hydrology, climatology, food authenticity, ecology, and forensics.

Description: An integrated microchemical–petrographic approach is here proposed to discriminate the provenance of archaeological pottery artefacts from distinct production centres. Our study focuses on a statistically significant sampling ( n =186) of volcanic temper-bearing potteries representative of the manufacturing and dispersion among the islands of the Aeolian Archipelago during the Bronze Age. The widespread establishment of new settlements and the abundant recovery of Aeolian-made ceramic in southern Italy attest for the increased vitality of the Archipelago during the Capo Graziano culture (Early Bronze Age–Middle Bronze Age 2; 2300–1430 BC). Potteries from three of the main known ancient communities (Lipari, Filicudi and Stromboli) have been studied integrating old collections and newly excavated material. Volcanic tempers have been first investigated through multivariate analyses of relative abundances of mineral and rock clasts along with petrographic characters. In addition, we performed in-situ mineral chemistry microanalyses by Electron Microprobe and Laser Ablation—Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to assess major and trace element composition of the most common mineral phases. Four Temper Compositional Reference Units have been recognised based on compositional trends. Two units (AI and AX) are unequivocally distinct by their peculiar trace element enrichment and petrographic composition; they mostly contain samples from the sites of Lipari and Stromboli, respectively. Units AIV and AVIII, restricted to the sites of Filicudi and Stromboli, show distinct petrographic characters but overlapped geochemical fingerprints.

Description: Water displacement by sewer infrastructure in the Grote Nete catchment, Belgium, and its hydrological regime effects Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 7425-7467, 2013 Author(s): D. Vrebos, T. Vansteenkiste, J. Staes, P. Willems, and P. Meire Urbanization and especially impervious areas, in combination with wastewater treatment infrastructure, can exert several pressures on the hydrological cycle. These pressures were studied for the Grote Nete catchment in Belgium (8.18% impervious area and 3.89% effective impervious area), based on a combination of empirical and model-based approaches. The effective impervious area, combined with the extent of the wastewater collection regions which do not coincide with the natural catchment boundaries, was used as an indicator for the urbanization pressure. Our study revealed changes in the total upstream areas of the subcatchments between −16% and +3%, and in upstream impervious areas between −99% and +64%. These changes lead to important inter-catchment water transfers. Based on simulations with a physically-based and spatially-distributed hydrological catchment model, profound impacts of effective impervious area on infiltration and runoff were found. The model results show that the changes in impervious areas and related water displacements in and between catchments due to the installation of the wastewater treatment infrastructure severely impacted low flows, peak flows and seasonal trends. They moreover show that it is difficult, but of utmost importance, to incorporate these pressures and artificial processes in an accurate way during the development of hydrological models for urbanized catchments.

Description: Virtual water trade and development in Africa Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 7291-7324, 2013 Author(s): M. Konar and K. Caylor A debate has long existed on the relationships between human population, natural resources, and development. Recent research has expanded this debate to include the impacts of trade; specifically, virtual water trade, or the water footprint of traded commodities. We conduct an empirical analysis of the relationships between virtual water trade, population, and development in Africa. We find that increases in virtual water imports do not lead to increases in population growth nor do they diminish human welfare. We establish a new index of virtual water trade openness and show that levels of undernourishment tend to fall with increased values of virtual water trade openness. Countries with small dam storage capacity obtain a higher fraction of their agricultural water requirements from external sources, which may indicate implicit "infrastructure sharing" across nations. Globally, increased crop exports tends to correlate with increased crop water use efficiency, though this relationship does not hold for Africa. However, internal African trade is much more efficient in terms of embodied water resources than any other region in the world. Thus, internal African trade patterns may be compensating for poor internal production systems.

Description: Dissemination of Della Robbia glazed terracotta in the Marche (Italy) region started from the third decade of the 16th century. Numerous altarpieces, some of which no longer exist, document this artistic production. The protagonists of this diffusion phase were two of Andrea Della Robbia’s sons, Marco (Fra Mattia) and Francesco (Fra Ambrogio). This paper shows the results of the scientific investigations carried out on constitutive materials of different altarpieces located in South Marche belonging to the Fra Mattia’s production: the Coronation of Virgin between Saints Rocco, Sebastian, Peter martyr and Antonio abbot , dated back to 1527–1530, located in the collegiate church of S. Maria Assunta in Montecassiano; the Annunciation , dated back to 1520, placed in the church of S. Maria del Soccorso in Arcevia; the fragmentary Crowned Madonna and saints altarpiece, probably realized after 1531, today preserved in Civic Museum of Ripatransone. The first altarpiece was made in Montecassiano using two different assembling or production techniques: the external part of the lunette and the pillar strips are made of glazed polychrome terracotta, while the altar step and the internal part are an interesting and uncommon example of polychrome painted terracotta. The provenance of the glazed Arcevia altarpiece is not clear yet: some historians hypothesize a local manufacture of Fra Mattia and some others a Roman or Florentine production. The remaining parts of Ripatransone altarpiece are partially glazed and partially not coated perhaps because they were unfinished and not yet painted. Clay body samples collected from the above mentioned altarpieces were investigated using different analytical techniques (OM, XRD, XRF, PIXE) to point out differences in chemical and mineralogical composition and to determine if the altarpieces were made by using local raw clay materials or other clays from Tuscany or Campania as in the Della Robbia previous production. A comparison has also been made with literature data on the Della Robbia terracotta masterpieces. From the chemical point of view, the clay bodies show a good compositional homogeneity and result calcium and iron-rich according with the raw local materials. The presence of gehlenite, pyroxenes, and hematite and the incomplete decomposition of clay minerals indicate that firing for all different terracotta parts occurred in a thermal range between 800 and 950 °C, mostly in oxidizing conditions.

Description: An interdisciplinary swat ecohydrological model to define catchment-scale hydrologic partitioning Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 7235-7290, 2013 Author(s): C. L. Shope, G. R. Maharjan, J. Tenhunen, B. Seo, K. Kim, J. Riley, S. Arnhold, T. Koellner, Y. S. Ok, S. Peiffer, B. Kim, J.-H. Park, and B. Huwe Land use and climate change have long been implicated in modifying ecosystem services, such as water quality and water yield, biodiversity, and agricultural production. To account for future effects on ecosystem services, the integration of physical, biological, economic, and social data over several scales must be implemented to assess the effects on natural resource availability and use. Our objective is to assess the capability of the SWAT model to capture short-duration monsoonal rainfall-runoff processes in complex mountainous terrain under rapid, event-driven processes in a monsoonal environment. To accomplish this, we developed a unique quality-control gap-filling algorithm for interpolation of high frequency meteorological data. We used a novel multi-location, multi-optimization calibration technique to improve estimations of catchment-wide hydrologic partitioning. We calibrated the interdisciplinary model to a combination of statistical, hydrologic, and plant growth metrics. In addition, we used multiple locations of different drainage area, aspect, elevation, and geologic substrata distributed throughout the catchment. Results indicate scale-dependent sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning and substantial influence of engineered features. While our model accurately reproduced observed discharge variability, the addition of hydrologic and plant growth objective functions identified the importance of culverts in catchment-wide flow distribution. The results of this study provide a valuable resource to describe landscape controls and their implication on discharge, sediment transport, and nutrient loading. This study also shows the challenges of applying the SWAT model to complex terrain and extreme environments. By incorporating anthropogenic features into modeling scenarios, we can greatly enhance our understanding of the hydroecological impacts on ecosystem services.

Description: Optical and biomedical properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films of various sp 2 , sp 3 bonds were studied. The layers were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for laser energy densities from 4 J cm −2 to 14 J cm −2 . The percentage of sp 2 and sp 3 bonds was calculated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In dependence on density the films contained up to 70 % of sp 3 bonds. Optical properties were measured using spectroscopic ellipsometry in region from 250 nm to 1000 nm ( n =2.6–2.7; k =0.07–0.25) and by transmission measurement (from 200 nm to 1100 nm). The adhesion and growth of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes of DLC films were tested in vitro.

Description: Bubbles generated in water by focusing femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses in the presence of 100 nm gold nanoparticles have been investigated in the fluence range usually used for efficient cell transfection (100–200 mJ/cm 2 ). Since resulting bubbles are at the nanoscale, direct observation using optical microscopy is not possible. An optical in-situ method has been developed to monitor the time-resolved variation in the extinction cross-section of an irradiated nanoparticle solution sample. This method is used to measure the bubbles lifetime and deduce their average diameter. We show that bubbles generated with femtosecond pulses (40–500 fs) last two times longer and are larger in average than those generated with picosecond pulses (0.5–5 ps). Controlling those bubble properties is necessary for optimizing off-resonance plasmonic enhanced ultrafast laser cell transfection.

Description: To determine experimental conditions suitable for isotope analysis, we studied the plume dynamics of uranium. A uranium oxide sample was ablated by 2nd harmonic radiation from a Nd:YAG laser at a fluence of 0.5 J/cm 2 . The temporal evolution of the ablation plume was investigated in vacuum and helium environments. In vacuum, the flow velocity perpendicular to the sample surface was determined to be 2.7 km/s for neutral atoms and 4.0 km/s for singly charged atoms. These velocities are about 20 % lower than those of cerium measured under similar conditions. From the evolution of the plume in helium, we found that an observation time of 3–5 μs and an observation height of about 2.5 mm are most suited for obtaining higher sensitivity. Observation times less than 3 μs were unsuitable for precise isotope analysis since the spectral modifications arising from the Doppler splitting effect are different between the two uranium isotopes. Using the established conditions, we evaluated the calibration curve linearity, limit of detection, and precision for three samples having different abundances of  235 U.

Description: Nondiffracting Bessel beams have been recently applied to single shot ultrafast laser processing of high aspect ratio nanochannels. We review the principles and benefits of nondiffracting Bessel beams for material processing, and we compare experimental results with numerical simulations. We show how the stationarity of nonlinear propagation of ultrafast laser pulses allows high aspect ratio material processing.

Description: Electrical conductivity, Hall effect and magnetoresistance of In 2 O 3 :Sn thin films deposited on a glass substrates at different temperatures and oxygen pressures, have been investigated in the temperature range 4.2–300 K. The observed temperature dependences of resistivity for films deposited at 230 °C as well as at nominally room temperatures were typical for metallic transport of electrons except temperature dependence of resistivity of the In 2 O 3 :Sn film deposited in the oxygen deficient atmosphere. The electrical measurements were accompanied by AFM and SEM studies of structural properties, as well as by XPS analysis. It is established that changes of morphology and crystallinity of ITO films modify the low-temperature behavior of resistivity, which still remains typical for metallic transport. This is not the case for the oxygen deficient ITO layer. XPS analysis shows that grown in situ oxygen deficient ITO films have enhanced DOS between the Fermi level and the valence band edge. The extra localized states behave as acceptors leading to a compensation of n -type ITO. That can explain lower n -type conductivity in this material crossing over to a Mott-type hopping at low temperatures. Results for the low temperature measurements of stoichiometric ITO layers indicate that they do not show any trace of metal-to-insulator transition even at 4.2 K. We conclude that, although ITO is considered as a highly doped wide-band gap semiconductor, its low-temperature properties are very different from those of conventional highly doped semiconductors.

Description: Technical note: Method of Morris effectively reduces the computational demands of global sensitivity analysis for distributed watershed models Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4275-4299, 2013 Author(s): J. D. Herman, J. B. Kollat, P. M. Reed, and T. Wagener The increase in spatially distributed hydrologic modeling warrants a corresponding increase in diagnostic methods capable of analyzing complex models with large numbers of parameters. Sobol ' sensitivity analysis has proven to be a valuable tool for diagnostic analyses of hydrologic models. However, for many spatially distributed models, the Sobol ' method requires a prohibitive number of model evaluations to reliably decompose output variance across the full set of parameters. We investigate the potential of the method of Morris, a screening-based sensitivity approach, to provide results sufficiently similar to those of the Sobol ' method at a greatly reduced computational expense. The methods are benchmarked on the Hydrology Laboratory Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM) model over a six-month period in the Blue River Watershed, Oklahoma, USA. The Sobol ' method required over six million model evaluations to ensure reliable sensitivity indices, corresponding to more than 30 000 computing hours and roughly 180 gigabytes of storage space. We find that the method of Morris is able to correctly identify sensitive and insensitive parameters with 300 times fewer model evaluations, requiring only 100 computing hours and 1 gigabyte of storage space. Method of Morris proves to be a promising diagnostic approach for global sensitivity analysis of highly parameterized, spatially distributed hydrologic models.

Description: Socio-hydrology: conceptualising human-flood interactions Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4515-4536, 2013 Author(s): G. Di Baldassarre, A. Viglione, G. Carr, L. Kuil, J. L. Salinas, and G. Blöschl Over history, humankind has tended to settle near streams because of the role of rivers as transportation corridors and the fertility of riparian areas. However, human settlements in floodplains have been threatened by the risk of flooding. Possible responses have been to resettle away and/or modify the river system by building flood control structures. This has led to a complex web of interactions and feedback mechanisms between hydrological and social processes in settled floodplains. This paper is an attempt to conceptualise these interplays for hypothetical human-flood systems. We develop a simple, dynamic model to represent the interactions and feedback loops between hydrological and social processes. The model is then used to explore the dynamics of the human-flood system and the effect of changing individual characteristics, including external forcing such as technological development. The results show that the conceptual model is able to reproduce reciprocal effects between floods and people as well as the emergence of typical patterns. For instance, when levees are built or raised to protect floodplain areas, their presence not only reduces the frequency of flooding, but also exacerbates high water levels. Then, because of this exacerbation, higher flood protection levels are required by the society. As a result, more and more flooding events are avoided, but rare and catastrophic events take place.

Description: Integration of remote sensing, RUSLE and GIS to model potential soil loss and sediment yield (SY) Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4567-4596, 2013 Author(s): H. Kamaludin, T. Lihan, Z. Ali Rahman, M. A. Mustapha, W. M. R. Idris, and S. A. Rahim Land use activities within a basin serve as one of the contributing factors which cause deterioration of river water quality through its potential effect on erosion. Sediment yield in the form of suspended solid in the river water body which is transported to the coastal area occurs as a sign of lowering of the water quality. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine potential soil loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model and the sediment yield, in the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment within selected sub-catchments of Pahang River Basin. RUSLE was used to estimate potential soil losses and sediment yield by utilizing information on rainfall erosivity ( R ) using interpolation of rainfall data, soil erodibility ( K ) using field measurement and soil map, vegetation cover ( C ) using satellite images, topography (LS) using DEM and conservation practices ( P ) using satellite images. The results indicated that the rate of potential soil loss in these sub-catchments ranged from very low to extremely high. The area covered by very low to low potential soil loss was about 99%, whereas moderate to extremely high soil loss potential covered only about 1% of the study area. Sediment yield represented only 1% of the potential soil loss. The sediment yield (SY) value in Pahang River turned out to be higher closer to the river mouth because of the topographic character, climate, vegetation type and density, and land use within the drainage basin.

Description: Probability distributions for explaining hydrological losses in South Australian catchments Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4597-4626, 2013 Author(s): S. H. P. W. Gamage, G. A. Hewa, and S. Beecham The wide variability of hydrological losses in catchments is due to multiple variables that affect the rainfall-runoff process. Accurate estimation of hydrological losses is required for making vital decisions in design applications that are based on design rainfall models and rainfall-runoff models. Using representative single values of losses, despite their wide variability, is common practice, especially in Australian studies. This practice leads to issues such as over or under estimation of design floods. Probability distributions can be used as a better representation of losses. In particular, using joint probability approaches (JPA), probability distributions can be incorporated into hydrological loss parameters in design models. However, lack of understanding of loss distributions limits the benefit of using JPA. The aim of this paper is to identify a probability distribution function that can successfully describe hydrological losses in South Australian (SA) catchments. This paper describes suitable parametric and non-parametric distributions that can successfully describe observed loss data. The goodness-of-fit of the fitted distributions and quantification of the errors associated with quantile estimation are also discussed a two-parameter Gamma distribution was identified as one that successfully described initial loss (IL) data of the selected catchments. Also, a non-parametric standardised distribution of losses that describes both IL and continuing loss (CL) data were identified. The results obtained for the non-parametric methods were compared with similar studies carried out in other parts of Australia and a remarkable degree of consistency was observed. The results will be helpful in improving design flood applications.

Description: Technical Note: Using wavelet analyses on water depth time series to detect glacial influence in high-mountain hydrosystems Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4369-4395, 2013 Author(s): S. Cauvy-Fraunié, T. Condom, A. Rabatel, M. Villacis, D. Jacobsen, and O. Dangles Worldwide, the rapid shrinking of glaciers in response to ongoing climate change is currently modifying the glacial meltwater contribution to hydrosystems in glacierized catchments. Assessing the contribution of glacier run-off to stream discharge is therefore of critical importance to evaluate potential impact of glacier retreat on water quality and aquatic biota. This task has challenged both glacier hydrologists and ecologists over the last 20 yr due to both structural and functional complexity of the glacier-stream system interface. Here we propose a new methodological approach based on wavelet analyses on water depth time series to determine the glacial influence in glacierized catchments. We performed water depth measurement using water pressure loggers over ten months in 15 stream sites in two glacier-fed catchments in the Ecuadorian Andes (〉 4000 m). We determined the global wavelet spectrum of each time series and defined the Wavelet Glacier Signal (WGS) as the ratio between the global wavelet power spectrum value at a 24 h-scale and its corresponding significance value. To test the relevance of the WGS we compared it with the percentage of the glacier cover in the catchments, a metric of glacier influence often used in the literature. We then tested whether one month data could be sufficient to reliably determine the glacial influence. As expected we found that the WGS of glacier-fed streams decreased downstream with the increasing of non-glacial tributaries. We also found that the WGS and the percentage of the glacier cover in the catchment were significantly positively correlated and that one month data was sufficient to identify and compare the glacial influence between two sites, provided that the water level time series were acquired over the same period. Furthermore, we found that our method permits to detect glacial signal in supposedly non-glacial sites, thereby evidencing glacial meltwater infiltrations. While we specifically focused on the tropical Andes in this paper, our approach to determine glacier influence would be applicable to temperate and arctic glacierized catchments. The WGS therefore appears as a powerful and cost effective tool to better understand the hydrological links between glaciers and hydrosystems and assess the consequences of rapid glacier melting.

Description: Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of riparian soil morphology in a restored floodplain Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4337-4367, 2013 Author(s): B. Fournier, C. Guenat, G. Bullinger-Weber, and E. A. D. Mitchell Floodplains have been intensively altered in industrialized countries, but are now increasingly being restored and it is therefore important to assess the effect of these restoration projects on the aquatic and terrestrial components of ecosystems. Soils are a functionally crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems but are generally overlooked in floodplain restoration assessment. We studied the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of soil morphology in a restored (riverbed widening) river reach along River Thur (Switzerland) using three criteria (soil diversity, dynamism and typicality) and their associated indicators. We hypothesized that these criteria would correctly discriminate the post-restoration changes in soil morphology within the study site, and that these changes correspond to patterns of vascular plant diversity. Soil diversity and dynamism increased five years after the restoration, but typical soils of braided rivers were still missing. Soil typicality and dynamism correlated to vegetation changes. These results suggest a limited success of the project in agreement with evaluations carried out at the same site using other, more resource demanding methods (e.g. soil fauna, fish, ecosystem functioning). Soil morphology provides structural and functional information on floodplain ecosystems and allows predicting broad changes in plant diversity. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of soil morphology represents a cost-efficient ecological indicator that could easily be integrated into rapid assessment protocols of floodplain and river restoration projects.

Description: Space-time kriging extension of precipitation variability at 12 km spacing from tree-ring chronologies and its implications for drought analysis Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4301-4335, 2013 Author(s): F. Biondi Understanding and preparing for future hydroclimatic variability greatly benefits from long (i.e., multi-century) records at seasonal to annual time steps that have been gridded at km-scale spatial intervals over a geographic region. Kriging is a geostatistical technique commonly used for optimal interpolation of environmental data, and space-time geostatistical models can improve kriging estimates when long temporal sequences of observations exist at relatively few points on the landscape. Here I present how a network of 22 tree-ring chronologies from single-leaf pinyon ( Pinus monophylla ) in the central Great Basin of North America was used to extend hydroclimatic records both temporally and spatially. First, the Line of Organic Correlation (LOC) method was used to reconstruct October–May total precipitation anomalies at each tree-ring site, as these ecotonal environments at the lower forest border are typically moisture limited. Individual site reconstructions were then combined using a hierarchical model of spatio-temporal kriging that produced annual anomaly maps on a 12 × 12 km grid during the period in common among all chronologies (1650–1976). Hydro-climatic episodes were numerically identified and modeled using their duration, magnitude, and peak. Spatial patterns were more variable during wet years than during dry years, and the evolution of drought episodes over space and time could be visualized and quantified. The most remarkable episode in the entire reconstruction was the early 1900s pluvial, followed by the late 1800s drought. The 1930s "Dust Bowl" drought was among the top ten hydroclimatic episodes in the past few centuries. These results directly address the needs of water and natural resource managers with respect to planning for "worst case" scenarios of drought duration and magnitude at the watershed level. For instance, it is possible to analyze which geographical areas are more likely to be impacted by severe and sustained droughts at annual or multiannual timescales and at spatial resolutions commonly used by regional climate models.

Description: Ion implantation was used to locally modify the surface of silica glass to create periodic plasmonic microstructures with Cu nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were synthesized by Cu-ion irradiation of the silica glass at the ion energy of 40 keV, dose of 5×10 16  ions/cm 2 and current density of 5 μA/cm 2 . This procedure involves low-energy ion implantation into the glass through a mask placed at the surface. Formation of nanoparticles was observed by optical spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The presented results clearly demonstrate how the low-energy ions can be used for the fabrication of photonic microstructures on dielectric surfaces in a single-step process.

Description: Au/Nb:SrTiO 3 /Ti structures were fabricated by depositing Au and Ti electrodes on a single crystal 0.5 wt% Nb:SrTiO 3 (NSTO) using rf-magnetron sputtering technique. Resistive switching properties at different temperature were investigated. The Ti/NSTO interface was ohmic contact, which indicated that the resistive switching behavior was attributed to Au/NSTO interface. The resistive switching behavior happened only at the temperature above 180 K, which was possibly caused by the increase of Schottky barrier height with the increase of temperature. The structure showed a semiconductor behavior at high-resistance state (HRS) and a metallic behavior at low-resistance state (LRS). The switching conduction mechanism of Au/NSTO/Ti device is primarily described as space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) according to the electrical transport properties measurement.

Description: The ZnO nanowire (NW) array/TiO 2 nanoparticle (NP) composite photoelectrode with controllable NW aspect ratio has been grown from aqueous solutions for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which combines the advantages of the rapid electron transport in ZnO NW array and the high surface area of TiO 2 NPs. The results indicate that the composite photoelectrode achieves higher overall photoelectrical conversion efficiency ( η ) than the ZnO NW alone. As a result, DSSCs based on the ZnO NW array/TiO 2 NP composite photoelectrodes get the enhanced photoelectrical conversion efficiency, and the highest η is also achieved by rational tuning the aspect ratio of ZnO NWs. With the proper aspect ratio (ca. 6) of ZnO NW, the ZnO NW array/TiO 2 NP composite DSSC exhibits the highest conversion efficiency (5.5 %). It is elucidated by the dye adsorption amount and interfacial electron transport of DSSCs with the ZnO NW array/TiO 2 NP composite photoelectrode, which is quantitatively characterized using the UV-Vis absorption spectra and electrochemical impedance spectra. It is evident that the DSSC with the proper aspect ratio of ZnO NW displays the high dye adsorption amount and fastest interfacial electron transfer.

Description: We report the photoluminescence eigenmodes of the ZnO semiconductor microcavity on a Ag/Si substrate at room temperature. The experiment results show that the photoluminescence modes do not depend on the excitation intensity. The eigenmode in the microcavity is considered to be the perpendicular Fabry–Perot modes, where the effect of the strong coupling between plasmon and exciton is observed with the reducing of the effective refractive index from original 2.0 to 1.67 at the wavelength of 585 nm. Meanwhile, there is also a coupling between the plasmon and the exciton-polariton in the band-edge region, and the effective refractive index 1.92 is in good agreement between the experimental and the theoretical results.

Description: Variations in the switching threshold voltage of memristive devices present significant challenges for their integration into large-scale circuits. In this paper, we propose to address this problem by adding a device exhibiting S-type (N-type) negative differential resistance (NDR) in series (parallel) with memristive devices. The main effect comes from the transition between low- and high-conductivity branches of the NDR device, which leads to a redistribution of the voltage drop inside the device stack, and, as a result, the effective lowering of variations in the switching threshold. The idea is checked experimentally using a TiO 2− x memristive device connected in parallel with a tunnel GaAs diode.

Description: The detailed chemical analysis of fossils has the potential to reveal great insight to the composition, preservation and biochemistry of ancient life. Such analyses would ideally identify, quantify, and spatially resolve the chemical composition of preserved bone and soft tissue structures, but also the embedding matrix. Mapping the chemistry of a fossil in situ can place constraints on mass transfer between the enclosing matrix and the preserved organism(s), and therefore aid in distinguishing taphonomic processes from original chemical zonation remnant within the fossils themselves. Conventional analytical methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) have serious limitations in this case, primarily, an inability to provide large (i.e., decimeter) scale chemical maps. Additionally, vacuum chamber size and the need for destructive sampling preclude analysis of large and precious fossil specimens. However, the recent development of Synchrotron Rapid Scanning X-ray Fluorescence (SRS-XRF) at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) allows the non-destructive chemical analysis and imaging of major, minor, and trace element concentrations of large paleontological and archeological specimens in rapid scanning times. Here we present elemental maps of a fossil reptile produced using the new SRS-XRF method. Our results unequivocally show that preserved biological structures are not simply impressions or carbonized remains, but possess a remnant of the original organismal biochemistry. We show that SRS-XRF is a powerful new tool for the study of paleontological and archaeological samples.

Description: Here for the first time we describe the use of high resolution nanoprobe X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping for the analysis of artists’ paints, hierarchically complex materials typically composed of binder, pigments, fillers, and other additives. The work undertaken at the nanoprobe sought to obtain highly spatially resolved, highly sensitive mapping of metal impurities (Pb, Cd, Fe, and other metals) in submicron particles of zinc oxide pigments used in early 20th century artists’ tube paints and enamel paints, with particular emphasis on Ripolin, a popular brand of French house paint used extensively by Pablo Picasso and some of his contemporaries. Analysis revealed that the Zn oxide particles only contain a little Fe, proving that the highest quality Zn oxide pigment, free of Pb and Cd, was used for Ripolin house paints as well as artists’ paints. Nanoprobe XRF mapping also demonstrated that artists’ tube paints generally have more abundant fillers and additional whites (based on Pb, Ti, Ca) than Ripolin paints, which contain mostly pure zinc oxide. The chemical characterization of paints at the nanoscale opens the path to a better understanding of their fabrication and chemical reactivity.

Description: We fabricated sulfur-doped black silicon by metal-assist chemical etching (MCE) and ion implanting. The morphologies of silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays and the concentration of sulfur in black silicon were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Sulfur-doped black silicon shows higher absorption in entire 0.3–2.5 μm wavelength range as compared to undoped SiNW arrays and flat silicon. The changes in the absorption spectra of black silicon with different etching durations and annealing temperature are also shown. Upon annealing, the absorption decreases significantly in 2–2.5 μm wavelength region. The novel results clearly indicate that sulfur implanting could produce below band gap absorption in the silicon substrate.

Description: The wettability of solid surface is a very important property of materials, which depends on both surface chemical composition and the geometry of the solid surface. We herein report a simple and inexpensive method to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces with the use of mullite whisks (MWs) for the first time. Binary micro-/nano-structural surfaces were created by the incorporation of hydrophilic needlelike MWs with poly( γ -methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) to exhibit hydrophobic behavior, which further showed superhydrophobicity with water contact angle of 152.4±2 ∘ after modified with stearic acid. The wettability variation from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity and superhydrophobicity during the assembly process are discussed based on the scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and contact-angle system. The superhydrophobicity of the surface could be attributed to the hierarchical microstructure of the rough surface induced by MWs and low surface energy of stearic acid.

Description: Luminescent properties of ZnO nanorods covered with Ag nanoparticles are examined. Nanorods were synthesized on AAO templates using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique. Two types of the samples were prepared with different arrangement of ZnO nanorods and doping conditions. Nanorods of the second type were codoped with Al, to stimulate defect-related emissions. The ZnO material fills heterogeneously the interior of the AAO nanopores and has hexagonal, wurtzite structure. Both types of structures exhibit a broad defect-related emission at about 440 nm, most probably related to recombination at zinc interstitial (Zn i ) defects. This emission in samples with a random distribution of ZnO:Al nanorods and finer Ag nanoparticles is enhanced by factor of ∼2.5 upon Ag deposition. The so-obtained material is interesting from the point of view of its application in blue range emitting diodes.

Description: The separation mechanism of opaque and transparent model micro-particles, graphite and polystyrene copolymer spheres, respectively, from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates were investigated employing a ns-pulse laser radiating at 532 nm. The particles transparent in the visible wavelength range could be removed from PMMA efficiently in a very narrow fluence range between 1 and 2 J/cm 2 according to a simple 1D thermal expansion model. Above this fluence region, with single pulses, the transparent microspheres caused local ablation of the PMMA substrate in the optical microlens nearfield. This process led to removal of the particles themselves due to the expansion of the ablation plasma. The irregularly shaped graphite particles shaded the underlying substrate from the incoming radiation so that no optical nearfield damage mechanism could be observed. Therefore, a substantial cleaning window between 0.5 and more than 16 J/cm 2 was provided. The graphite data suggest an ablation mechanism of the particulates themselves due to a high optical absorption coefficient.

Description: Optimising predictor domains for spatially coherent precipitation downscaling Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4015-4061, 2013 Author(s): S. Radanovics, J.-P. Vidal, E. Sauquet, A. Ben Daoud, and G. Bontron Statistical downscaling is widely used to overcome the scale gap between predictors from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models or General Circulation Models (GCMs) and predictands like local precipitation, required for example for medium-term operational forecasts or climate change impact studies. The predictors are considered over a given spatial domain which is rarely optimised with respect to the target predictand location. In this study the geopotential predictor domains used by an analogue downscaling method are optimised for 608 target zones covering France. An extended version of the growing rectangular domain algorithm provides an ensemble of five near-optimum domains for each target zone. All five near-optimum domains are consistently equally skillful based on the Continuous Rank Probability Score. Relevance maps calculated for selected target zones first reveal high skill geopotential regions with specific shapes for locations in south-eastern France compared to the rest of the country. In all cases, the optimised domains tend to include the most relevant area on the relevance maps. The domain centers of the optimised domains are mainly distributed following the geographical location of the target location, but there are apparent differences between the windward and the lee side of mountain ridges. Moreover, domains for target zones located in south-eastern France are centered more east and south than the ones for target locations on the same longitude. The size of the optimised domains tends to be larger in the southeastern part of the country, while domains with a very small meridional extent can be found in a east-west band around 47° N. Sensitivity tests on the archive length for the analogue method show a general robustness except for zones with high interannual variability like in the Cévennes area. Moreover, results appear to be rather unsensitive to the starting point of the optimisation algorithm except for zones located in the transition area north of the zones having optimized domains with a small meridional extent. This study paves the way for defining regions with homogeneous geopotential predictor domains for precipitation downscaling over France.

Description: Opportunities and challenges for the use of scintillometer-based catchment-averaged evapotranspiration estimates as model forcing Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 3973-4013, 2013 Author(s): B. Samain and V. R. N. Pauwels To date, lumped rainfall-runoff models rely on rough estimates of catchment-averaged potential evapotranspiration (ET p ) rates as meteorological forcing. A model parameter converts this ET p input into actual evapotranspiration (ET act ) estimates. This paper examines the potential use of scintillometer-based ET act rates for rainfall-runoff modeling. It has been found that the reservoir-structure of the rainfall-runoff model functions as a low-pass filter for the ET p input. If the long-term volume of the ET p used in the model simulations is consistent with the data set used for calibration, a good match of the seasonal pattern, using temporally constant ET p data, is sufficient to obtain adequate discharge simulations. However, these results are then obtained with strongly erroneous evapotranspiration estimates. A better match of the diurnal cycle does not lead to better model results. Replacing the ET p inputs by scintillometer-based ET act estimates does not lead to better model predictions. Small underestimations of ET act under stable conditions, which occur at night and during the Winter, and which accumulate to significant amounts, are the cause of this problem. Consistent with other studies, the scintillometer-based ET act estimates can be considered reliable and realistic under unstable conditions. These values can thus be used as forcing for rainfall-runoff models.

Description: Temporal stability of soil moisture patterns measured by proximal ground-penetrating radar Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4063-4097, 2013 Author(s): J. Minet, N. E. C. Verhoest, S. Lambot, and M. Vanclooster We analyzed the temporal stability of soil moisture patterns acquired using a proximal ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in a 2.5 ha agricultural field at five different dates over three weeks. The GPR system was mounted on a mobile platform, allowing for real-time mapping of soil moisture with a high spatial resolution (2–5 m). The spatio-temporal soil moisture patterns were in accordance with the meteorological data and with soil moisture measurements from soil core sampling. Time-stable areas showing the field-average moisture could be revealed by two methods: (1) by the computation of temporal stability indicators based on relative differences of soil moisture to the field-average and (2) by the spatial intersection of the areas showing the field-average. Locations where the mean relative difference was below 0.02 m 3 m −3 extended up to 10% of the field area whereas the intersection of areas showing the field-average within a tolerance of 0.02 m 3 m −3 covered 5% of the field area. Compared to most of the previous studies about temporal stability of soil moisture, time-stable areas and their spatial patterns could be revealed instead of single point locations, owing to the advanced GPR method for real-time mapping. It is believed that determining spatially coherent time-stable areas is more informative rather than determining time-stable points. Other acquisitions over larger time periods would be necessary to assert the robustness of the time-stable areas.

Description: Impacts of tropical cyclones on hydrochemistry of a subtropical forest Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 4537-4566, 2013 Author(s): C. T. Chang, S. P. Hamburg, J. L. Hwong, N. H. Lin, M. L. Hsueh, M. C. Chen, and T. C. Lin Tropical cyclones (typhoons/hurricanes) have major impacts on the biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems, but the stochastic nature and the long intervals between storms means that there are limited data on their effects. We characterized the impacts of 14 typhoons over six years on hydrochemistry of a subtropical forest plantation in Taiwan, a region experiencing frequent typhoons. Typhoons contributed 1/3 of annual rainfall on average, but ranged from 4% to 55%. The stochastic nature of annual typhoon related precipitation poses a challenge with respect to managing the impacts of these extreme events. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that typhoon-related rainfall is not significantly correlated with wind velocity, the current focus of weather forecasts. Thus little advance warning is provided for the hydrological impacts of these storms. The typhoons we studied contributed approximately one third of the annual input and output of most nutrients (except nitrogen) during an average 9.5d yr −1 period, resulting in nutrient input/output rates an order of magnitude greater than during non-typhoon period. Nitrate output balanced input during the non-typhoon period, but during the typhoon period an average of 10 kg ha −1 yr −1 nitrate was lost. Streamwater chemistry exhibited similarly high variability during typhoon and non-typhoon periods and returned to pre-typhoon levels one to three weeks following each typhoon. The streamwater chemistry appears to be very resilient in response to typhoons, resulting in minimal loss of nutrients.

Description: The solid-state reaction in Pt(15 nm)/Fe(15 nm) and Pt(15 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/Fe(15 nm) thin films after post-annealing at 593 K and 613 K for different annealing times has been studied. The structural properties of these samples were investigated by various methods including depth profiling with secondary neutral mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It is shown that after annealing at the above temperatures where the bulk diffusion processes are still frozen, homogeneous reaction layers of FePt and FePt with about 10 at.% Ag, respectively, have been formed. Corresponding depth profiles of the element concentrations revealed strong evidence that the formation mechanism is based on a grain boundary diffusion induced solid-state reaction in which the reaction interfaces sweep perpendicularly to the original grain boundary. Interestingly, X-ray diffraction indicated that in both thin-film systems after the solid-state reaction the ordered L1 0 FePt phase, which is the requested phase for future magnetic data storage applications, is also present.

Description: Multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) has attracted considerable attention due to applications related to the bulk photovoltaic effect in which the direction of polarization determines the direction of the photocurrent. Epitaxial thin films are produced by means of techniques that usually require high temperature processes. The hydrothermal method can be seen as an alternative route to obtain highly textured thin films in quantities compatible with batch processing; nevertheless, the structural, dielectric and electric properties are generally affected by the presence of hydrogen and other reaction by-products. In this work, functional and highly textured BiFeO 3 films were successfully produced on metallic SrTiO 3 :Nb (0.5 wt.%) (100) substrates via hydrothermal synthesis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) were used to analyze the structural properties of the films. Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) and Photoconductive Atomic Force Microscopy (Pc-AFM) were used to determine their functional properties. We show the polarization switching and confirm the presence of the bulk photovoltaic effect for the first time in hydrothermally synthesized BiFeO 3 .

Description: Bilayer magnetostrictive-piezoelectric structures have certain advantages compared to bulk composites and this allows us to consider them as perspective materials for the development of devices based on the magnetoelectric effect. The theory of magnetoelectric effect in bilayer magnetostrictive-piezoelectric structure is presented taking into account the thickness dependence amplitude of the mechanical oscillations for the structures in form of rectangular plate. The equation for frequency dependence of the ME effect in the region on the electromechanical resonance was obtained, using motion equation, elastodynamics and electrostatic equations for the magnetostrictive, piezoelectric phases and taking into account the boundary conditions on the interface. The cases of longitudinal and transverse orientations of the electric and magnetic fields were considered. It is shown that the thickness dependence of the ME voltage coefficient has the maximum. The dependence between frequency and the thickness ratio of the layers is presented for both the theory and experiment.

Description: Hurricane impacts on a pair of coastal forested watersheds: implications of selective hurricane damage to forest structure and streamflow dynamics Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11519-11557, 2013 Author(s): A. D. Jayakaran, T. M. Williams, H. Ssegane, D. M. Amatya, B. Song, and C. C. Trettin Hurricanes are infrequent but influential disruptors of ecosystem processes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Every southeastern forested wetland has the potential to be struck by a tropical cyclone. We examined the impact of Hurricane Hugo on two paired coastal watersheds in South Carolina in terms of stream flow and vegetation dynamics, both before and after the hurricane's passage in 1989. The study objectives were to quantify the magnitude and timing of changes including a reversal in relative streamflow-difference between two paired watersheds, and to examine the selective impacts of a hurricane on the vegetative composition of the forest. We related these impacts to their potential contribution to change watershed hydrology through altered evapotranspiration processes. Using over thirty years of monthly rainfall and streamflow data we showed that there was a significant transformation in the hydrologic character of the two watersheds – a transformation that occurred soon after the hurricane's passage. We linked the change in the rainfall-runoff relationship to a catastrophic shift in forest vegetation due to selective hurricane damage. While both watersheds were located in the path of the hurricane, extant forest structure varied between the two watersheds as a function of experimental forest management techniques on the treatment watershed. We showed that the primary damage was to older pines, and to some extent larger hardwood trees. We believe that lowered vegetative water use impacted both watersheds with increased outflows on both watersheds due to loss of trees following hurricane impact. However, one watershed was able to recover to pre hurricane levels of canopy transpiration at a quicker rate due to the greater abundance of pine seedlings and saplings in that watershed.

Description: A reddish-orange phosphor, Ca 3 WO 6 :Sm 3+ , was synthesized by the convenient solid-state reaction method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Photoluminescence properties and concentration quenching of Ca 3 WO 6 :Sm 3+ phosphor have been discussed in the excitation and emission spectra. Ca 3 WO 6 :Sm 3+ phosphor is able to generate a strong excitation peak, which matches the emission wavelength from near-UV LEDs. Energy transfer from Sm 3+ to Eu 3+ in Ca 3 WO 6 host is observed and investigated in detail. The chromaticity coordinates of Ca 3 WO 6 :Sm 3+ can be regulated to approach the NTSC standard values of red phosphor by codoping Eu 3+ ions. The photoluminescence properties suggest that novel Ca 3 WO 6 :Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ phosphor might have a potential application for near-UV LEDs.

Description: In this paper, we propose a new optical detection scheme for nanopore-based DNA sequencing with high resolution towards eventual base identification. We use ultraviolet light for excitation of a fluorescent probe attached to DNA and a nanopore in the silicon membrane that has a significantly large refractive index and an extinction coefficient at ultraviolet wavelengths. In this study, numerical electromagnetic simulation revealed that the z -polarization component (perpendicular to the membrane plane) of the electric field was dominant near the nanopore and generated a large electric field gradient at the nanopore exit, typically with a decay length of 2 nm for a nanopore with diameter of 7 nm. The large extinction coefficient contributed to reduction in background noise coming from fluorophore-labeled DNA strands that remain behind the membrane (the cis side of the membrane). We observed a high signal-to-noise ratio of single DNA translocation events under the application of an electric field.

Description: Relatively oxygen-free mesoporous cubic ZnS particles were synthesised via a facile solvo-hydrothermal route using a water–acetonitrile combination. Boosted UV emission at 349 nm is observed from the ZnS prepared by the solvo-hydrothermal route. The increased intensity of this UV emission is attributed to activation of whispering gallery modes of almost elliptical microstructures made of porous nanostructures.

Description: Rare earth (Eu 2+ ) ion doped halosilicate Ca 10 Si 6 O 21 Cl 2 was prepared by a solid state reaction method. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns, the scanning electron micrographs, the photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra, and the thermal stability were measured. The luminescence properties were investigated by dynamic excitation of a pulsed UV laser. Two typical Eu 2+ emission centers were suggested from two different Ca 2+ cation sites in the lattice. With increasing Eu 2+ -doping concentration, energy transfer between the two Eu 2+ centers can happen. The emission mechanism is discussed by analyzing the excitation and emission spectra, the concentration-dependent luminescence intensity, and the lifetimes. The colors of Ca 10 Si 6 O 21 Cl 2 :Eu 2+ change from bluish green to yellowish green by increasing the Eu 2+ -doping concentration. The luminescence stability with temperature was evaluated by the activation energy for thermal quenching.

Description: Three kinds of new comb-shape nanostructures of ZnO have been grown on single silicon substrates without catalyst-assisted thermal evaporation of Zn and active carbon powders. The morphology and structure of the prepared nanorods are determined on the basis of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The growth mechanism of the ZnO nanocombs can be explained on the basis of the vapor–solid (VS) processes. In nanocombs 1 and nanocombs 2, the comb teeth grow along [0001] and the comb stem grows along [ $01\overline{1}0$ ], while in nanocombs 3, nanoteeth grow along [ $01\overline{1}0$ ] and stem grows along [0001]. The photoluminescence and field-emission properties of ZnO nanocombs 1–3 have been investigated. The turn-on electric field of ZnO nanocombs 1–3, which is defined as the field required to producing a current density of 10 μA/cm 2 , is 9, 7.7 and 7.1 V/μm, respectively. The field-emission performance relies not only on the tip’s radius of curvature and field enhancement factor, but also on the factor evaluating the degree of the screening effect.

Description: The authors present a nano-plasmonic disk resonator with a gap structure using the multi-mode interference effect coupling. The coupling intensity of the multi-mode interference effect coupling is 1.5 times greater than that of the conventional side coupling. The multi-mode interference effect is adopted as the coupling between the input bus waveguide and the nano-plasmonic disk resonator. The thickness of the dielectric layer, the width of the bus waveguide, and the length of the coupling portion are designed by theoretical calculations.

Description: Recent evolution of China's virtual water trade: analysis of selected crops and considerations for policy Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 10, 11613-11641, 2013 Author(s): J. Shi, J. Liu, and L. Pinter China has dramatically increased its virtual water import unconsciously for recent years. Many studies have focused on the quantity of traded virtual water but very few go into analysing geographic distribution and the properties of China's virtual water trade network. This paper provides a calculation and analysis of the crop-related virtual water trade network of China based on 27 major primary crops between 1986 and 2009. The results show that China is a net importer of virtual water from water-abundant areas of North and South America, and a net virtual water exporter to water-stressed areas of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Virtual water import is far larger than virtual water export and in both import and export a small number of trade partners control the supply chain. Grain crops are the major contributors to virtual water trade, and among grain crops soybeans, mostly imported from the US, Brazil and Argentina are the most significant. As crop yield and crop water productivity in North and South America are generally higher than those in Asia and Africa, the effect of China's crop-related virtual water trade positively contributes to optimizing crop water use efficiency at the global scale. In order to mitigate water scarcity and secure the food supply, virtual water should be actively incorporated into national water management strategies. From the national perspective, China should reduce the export and increase the import of water-intensive crops. But the sources of virtual water import need to be further diversified to reduce supply chain risks and increase resilience.

Description: We report single-step growth of spatially localized ZnO nanowires of controlled diameter to enable improved performance of piezoelectric devices such as nanogenerators. This study is the first to demonstrate the combination of electrodeposition with zinc nitrate and sodium citrate in the growth solution. Electrodeposition through a thermally-grown silicon oxide mask results in localization, while the growth voltage and solution chemistry are tuned to control the nanowire geometry. We observe a competition between lateral (relative to the (0001) axis) citrate-related morphology and voltage-driven vertical growth which enables this control. High aspect ratios result with either pure nitrate or nitrate-citrate mixtures if large voltages are used, but low growth voltages permit the growth of large diameter nanowires in solution with citrate. Measurements of the current density suggest a two-step growth process. An oxide mask blocks the electrodeposition, and suppresses nucleation of thermally driven growth, permitting single-step lithography on low cost p-type silicon substrates.

Description: The Si nanowire array (SiNWA) was achieved by metal-assisted etching. The effect of alkali-treating of SiNWA on the photovoltaic performance of solar cells was investigated. We found that the post-chemical treatment of SiNWA on solar cells could reduce (i) the surface reflection and (ii) the thickness of “dead layer” so that the short-wavelength spectral response is enhanced. As a result, a solar-spectrum-averaged reflectance of less than 3 % has been reached, a 3-fold enhancement on the spectral response of post-treated SiNWA cell at the wavelength of 400 nm has been observed, together resulting in a remarkable improvement of 45 % in the conversion efficiency.

Description: In this work we report the results of investigation of silver (Ag) nanoparticles prepared on a silica substrate by laser ablation. Our attention was focused on the mean diameter, size distribution and optical absorption properties of nanoparticles prepared in vacuum by using different laser wavelengths. The fundamental wavelength and the second, third, and fourth harmonics of a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser were used for nanoparticles fabrication. The corresponding values of the laser fluence for each wavelength were: 0.6 J/cm 2 at 266 nm, 0.8 J/cm 2 at 355 nm, 2.8 J/cm 2 at 532 nm, and 2 J/cm 2 at 1064 nm. The Ag nanoparticles produced have mean diameters in the range from 2 nm to 12 nm as the nanoparticles’ size decreases with the decrease of the wavelength used. The presence of the Ag nanoparticles was also evidenced by the appearance of a strong optical absorption band in the measured UV-VIS spectra associated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). A redshift and widening of the absorption peak were observed as the laser wavelength was increased. Some additional investigations were performed in order to clarify the structure of the Ag nanoparticles.

Description: Nano-size phosphor particles of Y 2.97 Ce 0.03 (Al 1− x Gd x ) 5 O 12 were fabricated by ablating commercial micron-size powders in deionized water. We show that these colloidal phosphor nanoparticles suspended in deionized water can be used as a liquid sensor for all-optical, non-contact measurements of temperature with nanosecond time resolution. The nanophosphors can be used as temperature-sensing reporters in many applications where real-time measurements of temperature are necessary to understand physical processes, such as the mechanisms of temperature–time profiles in laser ablation.

Description: The use of laser beams as excitation sources for the characterization of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) is largely extended. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) are currently applied to the study of NWs. However, NWs are systems with poor thermal conductivity and poor heat dissipation, which result in unintentional heating under the excitation with a focused laser beam with microscopic size, as those usually used in microRaman and microPL experiments. On the other hand, the NWs have subwavelength diameter, which changes the optical absorption with respect to the absorption in bulk materials. Furthermore, the NW diameter is smaller than the laser beam spot, which means that the optical power absorbed by the NW depends on its position inside the laser beam spot. A detailed analysis of the interaction between a microscopic focused laser beam and semiconductor NWs is necessary for the understanding of the experiments involving laser beam excitation of NWs. We present in this work a numerical analysis of the thermal transport in Si NWs, where the heat source is the laser energy locally absorbed by the NW. This analysis takes account of the optical absorption, the thermal conductivity, the dimensions, diameter and length of the NWs, and the immersion medium. Both free standing and heat-sunk NWs are considered. Also, the temperature distribution in ensembles of NWs is discussed. This analysis intends to constitute a tool for the understanding of the thermal phenomena induced by laser beams in semiconductor NWs.

Description: We show that hole patterns and sponge-like layers at irradiated Ge surfaces originate from the same driving force, namely the kinetics of ion beam induced defects in the amorphous Ge surface layer. Ge hole patterns reported earlier for irradiation with low energy (5 keV) Ga + ions were reproduced for low energy Bi + but also for Ge + self-irradiation, which proves that the dominating driving force for morphology evolution cannot originate from the implanted impurities. At higher ion energies the well-known formation of sponge-like Ge surface layers after heavy ion irradiation was found for Bi + irradiation and Ge + self-irradiation, also. The transition from smooth surfaces via hole patterns to sponge-like morphologies with increasing ion energies was studied in detail. A model based on the kinetics of ion beam induced defects was developed and implemented in 3D kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, which reproduce the transition from hole patterns to sponge-like layers with increasing ion energy.

Description: 1 keV argon ion beam was employed to remove the oxide film of pure aluminum before diffusion bonding. A sound joint of pure aluminum was obtained by ion activation-assisted diffusion bonding at the low temperature of 350 ∘ C $350~{}^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ , while the high-quality joining of pure aluminum was infeasible by conventional diffusion bonding at the temperature lower than 500 ∘ C $500~{}^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ . The residual oxide film ratios of joints decreased with the increase of ion cleaning time. When the specimens were cleaned for 120 min, the joint with the maximum tensile strength of 62.3 MPa and the elongation of 14.1 % was obtained. The argon ion beam etching surface treatment provides a new route for the low-temperature diffusion bonding. The reliable diffusion bonded joint of pure aluminum indicates that low-temperature diffusion bonding is feasible for bulk materials, especially for materials with the outstanding plasticity.