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Now showing 1 - 10 of 28
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    Universality in spectral condensation
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2020) Pavithran, Induja; Unni, Vishnu R.; Varghese, Alan J.; Premraj, D.; Sujith, R. I.; Vijayan, C.; Saha, Abhishek; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen
    Self-organization is the spontaneous formation of spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal patterns in complex systems far from equilibrium. During such self-organization, energy distributed in a broadband of frequencies gets condensed into a dominant mode, analogous to a condensation phenomenon. We call this phenomenon spectral condensation and study its occurrence in fluid mechanical, optical and electronic systems. We define a set of spectral measures to quantify this condensation spanning several dynamical systems. Further, we uncover an inverse power law behaviour of spectral measures with the power corresponding to the dominant peak in the power spectrum in all the aforementioned systems.
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    Dynamic Network Characteristics of Power-electronics-based Power Systems
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2020) Ji, Yuxi; He, Wei; Cheng, Shijie; Kurths, Jürgen; Zhan, Meng
    Power flow studies in traditional power systems aim to uncover the stationary relationship between voltage amplitude and phase and active and reactive powers; they are important for both stationary and dynamic power system analysis. With the increasing penetration of large-scale power electronics devices including renewable generations interfaced with converters, the power systems become gradually power-electronics-dominant and correspondingly their dynamical behavior changes substantially. Due to the fast dynamics of converters, such as AC current controller, the quasi-stationary state approximation, which has been widely used in power systems, is no longer appropriate and should be reexamined. In this paper, for a better description of network characteristics, we develop a novel concept of dynamic power flow and uncover an explicit dynamic relation between the instantaneous powers and the voltage vectors. This mathematical relation has been well verified by simulations on transient analysis of a small power-electronics-based power system, and a small-signal frequency-domain stability analysis of a voltage source converter connected to an infinitely strong bus. These results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method and shed an improved light on our understanding of power-electronics-dominant power systems, whose dynamical nature remains obscure.
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    Future tree survival in European forests depends on understorey tree diversity
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2022) Billing, Maik; Thonicke, Kirsten; Sakschewski, Boris; Bloh, Werner von; Walz, Ariane
    Climate change heavily threatens forest ecosystems worldwide and there is urgent need to understand what controls tree survival and forests stability. There is evidence that biodiversity can enhance ecosystem stability (Loreau and de Mazancourt in Ecol Lett 16:106–115, 2013; McCann in Nature 405:228–233, 2000), however it remains largely unclear whether this also holds for climate change and what aspects of biodiversity might be most important. Here we apply machine learning to outputs of a flexible-trait Dynamic Global Vegetation Model to unravel the effects of enhanced functional tree trait diversity and its sub-components on climate-change resistance of temperate forests (http://www.pik-potsdam.de/~billing/video/Forest_Resistance_LPJmLFIT.mp4). We find that functional tree trait diversity enhances forest resistance. We explain this with 1. stronger complementarity effects (~ 25% importance) especially improving the survival of trees in the understorey of up to + 16.8% (± 1.6%) and 2. environmental and competitive filtering of trees better adapted to future climate (40–87% importance). We conclude that forests containing functionally diverse trees better resist and adapt to future conditions. In this context, we especially highlight the role of functionally diverse understorey trees as they provide the fundament for better survival of young trees and filtering of resistant tree individuals in the future.
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    Alberta wildfire 2016: Apt contribution from anomalous planetary wave dynamics
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2018) Petoukhov, Vladimir; Petri, Stefan; Kornhuber, Kai; Thonicke, Kirsten; Coumou, Dim; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim
    In May-June 2016 the Canadian Province of Alberta suffered one of the most devastating wildfires in its history. Here we show that in mid-April to early May 2016 the large-scale circulation in the mid- and high troposphere of the middle and sub-polar latitudes of the northern hemisphere featured a persistent high-amplitude planetary wave structure dominated by the non-dimensional zonal wave number 4. The strongest anticyclonic wing of this structure was located over western Canada. In combination with a very strong El Niño event in winter 2015/2016 this favored highly anomalous, tinder-dry and high-temperature conditions at the surface in that area, entailing an increased fire hazard there. This critically contributed to the ignition of the Alberta Wildfire in May 2016, appearing to be the costliest disaster in Canadian history thus far.
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    Time-scale synchronisation of oscillatory responses can lead to non-monotonous R-tipping
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2023) Swierczek-Jereczek, Jan; Robinson, Alexander; Blasco, Javier; Alvarez-Solas, Jorge; Montoya, Marisa
    Rate-induced tipping (R-tipping) describes the fact that, for multistable dynamic systems, an abrupt transition can take place not only because of the forcing magnitude, but also because of the forcing rate. In the present work, we demonstrate through the case study of a piecewise-linear oscillator (PLO), that increasing the rate of forcing can make the system tip in some cases but might also prevent it from tipping in others. This counterintuitive effect is further called non-monotonous R-tipping (NMRT) and has already been observed in recent studies. We show that, in the present case, the reason for NMRT is the peak synchronisation of oscillatory responses operating on different time scales. We further illustrate that NMRT can be observed even in the presence of additive white noise of intermediate amplitude. Finally, NMRT is also observed on a van-der-Pol oscillator with an unstable limit cycle, suggesting that this effect is not limited to systems with a discontinuous right-hand side such as the PLO. This insight might be highly valuable, as the current research on tipping elements is shifting from an equilibrium to a dynamic perspective while using models of increasing complexity, in which NMRT might be observed but hard to understand.
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    Common solar wind drivers behind magnetic storm–magnetospheric substorm dependency
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2018) Runge, Jakob; Balasis, Georgios; Daglis, Ioannis A.; Papadimitriou, Constantinos; Donner, Reik V.
    The dynamical relationship between magnetic storms and magnetospheric substorms is one of the most controversial issues of contemporary space research. Here, we address this issue through a causal inference approach to two corresponding indices in conjunction with several relevant solar wind variables. We find that the vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field is the strongest and common driver of both storms and substorms. Further, our results suggest, at least based on the analyzed indices, that there is no statistical evidence for a direct or indirect dependency between substorms and storms and their statistical association can be explained by the common solar drivers. Given the powerful statistical tests we performed (by simultaneously taking into account time series of indices and solar wind variables), a physical mechanism through which substorms directly or indirectly drive storms or vice versa is, therefore, unlikely.
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    The ongoing nutrition transition thwarts long-term targets for food security, public health and environmental protection
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2020) Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Dietrich, Jan Philipp; Martinelli, Eleonora; Stenstad, Antonia; Pradhan, Prajal; Gabrysch, Sabine; Mishra, Abhijeet; Weindl, Isabelle; Le Mouël, Chantal; Rolinski, Susanne; Baumstark, Lavinia; Wang, Xiaoxi; Waid, Jillian L.; Lotze-Campen, Hermann; Popp, Alexander
    The nutrition transition transforms food systems globally and shapes public health and environmental change. Here we provide a global forward-looking assessment of a continued nutrition transition and its interlinked symptoms in respect to food consumption. These symptoms range from underweight and unbalanced diets to obesity, food waste and environmental pressure. We find that by 2050, 45% (39–52%) of the world population will be overweight and 16% (13–20%) obese, compared to 29% and 9% in 2010 respectively. The prevalence of underweight approximately halves but absolute numbers stagnate at 0.4–0.7 billion. Aligned, dietary composition shifts towards animal-source foods and empty calories, while the consumption of vegetables, fruits and nuts increases insufficiently. Population growth, ageing, increasing body mass and more wasteful consumption patterns are jointly pushing global food demand from 30 to 45 (43–47) Exajoules. Our comprehensive open dataset and model provides the interfaces necessary for integrated studies of global health, food systems, and environmental change. Achieving zero hunger, healthy diets, and a food demand compatible with environmental boundaries necessitates a coordinated redirection of the nutrition transition. Reducing household waste, animal-source foods, and overweight could synergistically address multiple symptoms at once, while eliminating underweight would not substantially increase food demand.
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    Modified wavelet analysis of ECoG-pattern as promising tool for detection of the blood–brain barrier leakage
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2021) Runnova, Anastasiya; Zhuravlev, Maksim; Ukolov, Rodion; Blokhina, Inna; Dubrovski, Alexander; Lezhnev, Nikita; Sitnikova, Evgeniya; Saranceva, Elena; Kiselev, Anton; Karavaev, Anatoly; Selskii, Anton; Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, Oxana; Penzel, Thomas; Kurths, Jurgen
    A new approach for detection oscillatory patterns and estimation of their dynamics based by a modified CWT skeleton method is presented. The method opens up additional perspectives for the analysis of subtle changes in the oscillatory activity of complex nonstationary signals. The method was applied to analyze unique experimental signals obtained in usual conditions and after the non-invasive increase in the blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability in 10 male Wistar rats. The results of the wavelet-analysis of electrocorticography (ECoG) recorded in a normal physiological state and after an increase in the BBB permeability of animals demonstrate significant changes between these states during wakefulness of animals and an essential smoothing of these differences during sleep. Sleep is closely related to the processes of observed changes in the BBB permeability.
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    Frequency spectrum recurrence analysis
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2020) Ladeira, Guênia; Marwan, Norbert; Destro-Filho, João-Batista; Davi Ramos, Camila; Lima, Gabriela
    In this paper, we present the new frequency spectrum recurrence analysis technique by means of electro-encephalon signals (EES) analyses. The technique is suitable for time series analysis with noise and disturbances. EES were collected, and alpha waves of the occipital region were analysed by comparing the signals from participants in two states, eyes open and eyes closed. Firstly, EES were characterized and analysed by means of techniques already known to compare with the results of the innovative technique that we present here. We verified that, standard recurrence quantification analysis by means of EES time series cannot statistically distinguish the two states. However, the new frequency spectrum recurrence quantification exhibit quantitatively whether the participants have their eyes open or closed. In sequence, new quantifiers are created for analysing the recurrence concentration on frequency bands. These analyses show that EES with similar frequency spectrum have different recurrence levels revealing different behaviours of the nervous system. The technique can be used to deepen the study on depression, stress, concentration level and other neurological issues and also can be used in any complex system.
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    Monsoon forced evolution of savanna and the spread of agro-pastoralism in peninsular India
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2021) Riedel, Nils; Fuller, Dorian Q.; Marwan, Norbert; Poretschkin, Constantin; Basavaiah, Nathani; Menzel, Philip; Ratnam, Jayashree; Prasad, Sushma; Sachse, Dirk; Sankaran, Mahesh; Sarkar, Saswati; Stebich, Martina
    An unresolved issue in the vegetation ecology of the Indian subcontinent is whether its savannas, characterized by relatively open formations of deciduous trees in C4-grass dominated understories, are natural or anthropogenic. Historically, these ecosystems have widely been regarded as anthropogenic-derived, degraded descendants of deciduous forests. Despite recent work showing that modern savannas in the subcontinent fall within established bioclimatic envelopes of extant savannas elsewhere, the debate persists, at least in part because the regions where savannas occur also have a long history of human presence and habitat modification. Here we show for the first time, using multiple proxies for vegetation, climate and disturbances from high-resolution, well-dated lake sediments from Lonar Crater in peninsular India, that neither anthropogenic impact nor fire regime shifts, but monsoon weakening during the past ~ 6.0 kyr cal. BP, drove the expansion of savanna at the expense of forests in peninsular India. Our results provide unambiguous evidence for a climate-induced origin and spread of the modern savannas of peninsular India at around the mid-Holocene. We further propose that this savannization preceded and drove the introduction of agriculture and development of sedentism in this region, rather than vice-versa as has often been assumed.