Search Results
Atomic oxygen number densities in the mesosphere–lower thermosphere region measured by solid electrolyte sensors onWADIS-2
2019, Eberhart, Martin, Löhle, Stefan, Strelnikov, Boris, Hedin, Jonas, Khaplanov, Mikhail, Fasoulas, Stefanos, Gumbel, Jörg, Lübken, Franz-Josef, Rapp, Markus
Absolute profiles of atomic oxygen number densities with high vertical resolution have been determined in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region from in situ measurements by several rocket-borne solid electrolyte sensors. The amperometric sensors were operated in both controlled and uncontrolled modes and with various orientations on the foredeck and aft deck of the payload. Calibration was based on mass spectrometry in a molecular beam containing atomic oxygen produced in a microwave discharge. The sensor signal is proportional to the number flux onto the electrodes, and the mass flow rate in the molecular beam was additionally measured to derive this quantity from the spectrometer reading. Numerical simulations provided aerodynamic correction factors to derive the atmospheric number density of atomic oxygen from the sensor data. The flight results indicate a preferable orientation of the electrode surface perpendicular to the rocket axis. While unstable during the upleg, the density profiles measured by these sensors show an excellent agreement with the atmospheric models and photometer results during the downleg of the trajectory. The high spatial resolution of the measurements allows for the identification of small-scale variations in the atomic oxygen concentration. © Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Nanoplasmonic electron acceleration by attosecond-controlled forward rescattering in silver clusters
2017, Passig, Johannes, Zherebtsov, Sergey, Irsig, Robert, Arbeiter, Mathias, Peltz, Christian, Göde, Sebastian, Skruszewicz, Slawomir, Meiwes-Broer, Karl-Heinz, Tiggesbäumker, Josef, Kling, Matthias F., Fennel, Thomas
In the strong-field photoemission from atoms, molecules, and surfaces, the fastest electrons emerge from tunneling and subsequent field-driven recollision, followed by elastic backscattering. This rescattering picture is central to attosecond science and enables control of the electron's trajectory via the sub-cycle evolution of the laser electric field. Here we reveal a so far unexplored route for waveform-controlled electron acceleration emerging from forward rescattering in resonant plasmonic systems. We studied plasmon-enhanced photoemission from silver clusters and found that the directional acceleration can be controlled up to high kinetic energy with the relative phase of a two-color laser field. Our analysis reveals that the cluster's plasmonic near-field establishes a sub-cycle directional gate that enables the selective acceleration. The identified generic mechanism offers robust attosecond control of the electron acceleration at plasmonic nanostructures, opening perspectives for laser-based sources of attosecond electron pulses.
Management-induced changes in soil organic carbon on global croplands
2022, Karstens, Kristine, Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon, Dietrich, Jan Philipp, Dondini, Marta, Heinke, Jens, Kuhnert, Matthias, Müller, Christoph, Rolinski, Susanne, Smith, Pete, Weindl, Isabelle, Lotze-Campen, Hermann, Popp, Alexander
Soil organic carbon (SOC), one of the largest terrestrial carbon (C) stocks on Earth, has been depleted by anthropogenic land cover change and agricultural management. However, the latter has so far not been well represented in global C stock assessments. While SOC models often simulate detailed biochemical processes that lead to the accumulation and decay of SOC, the management decisions driving these biophysical processes are still little investigated at the global scale. Here we develop a spatially explicit data set for agricultural management on cropland, considering crop production levels, residue returning rates, manure application, and the adoption of irrigation and tillage practices. We combine it with a reduced-complexity model based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tier 2 method to create a half-degree resolution data set of SOC stocks and SOC stock changes for the first 30 cm of mineral soils. We estimate that, due to arable farming, soils have lost around 34.6 GtC relative to a counterfactual hypothetical natural state in 1975. Within the period 1975-2010, this SOC debt continued to expand by 5 GtC (0.14 GtCyr-1) to around 39.6 GtC. However, accounting for historical management led to 2.1 GtC fewer (0.06 GtCyr-1) emissions than under the assumption of constant management. We also find that management decisions have influenced the historical SOC trajectory most strongly by residue returning, indicating that SOC enhancement by biomass retention may be a promising negative emissions technique. The reduced-complexity SOC model may allow us to simulate management-induced SOC enhancement - also within computationally demanding integrated (land use) assessment modeling.
On the abundance and source contributions of dicarboxylic acids in size-resolved aerosol particles at continental sites in central Europe
2014, van Pinxteren, D., Neusüß, C., Herrmann, H.
Dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) are among the most abundant organic compounds observed in atmospheric aerosol particles and have been extensively studied at many places around the world. The importance of the various primary sources and secondary formation pathways discussed in the literature is often difficult to assess from field studies, though. In the present study, a large data set of size-resolved DCA concentrations from several inland sites in Germany is combined with results from a recently developed approach of statistical back-trajectory analysis and additional data. Principal component analysis is then used to reveal the most important factors governing the abundance of DCAs in different particle size ranges. The two most important sources revealed are (i) photochemical formation during intense radiation days in polluted air masses, likely occurring in the gas phase on short timescales (gasSOA), and (ii) secondary reactions in anthropogenically influenced air masses, likely occurring in the aqueous phase on longer timescales (aqSOA). While the first source strongly impacts DCA concentrations mainly in small and large particles, the second one enhances accumulation mode DCAs and is responsible for the bulk of the observed concentrations. Primary sources were found to be minor (sea salt, soil resuspension) or non-existent (biomass burning, traffic). The results can be regarded as representative for typical central European continental conditions.