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At least 163 records · Page 9

Monitoring Extreme Weather in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region

Why is monitoring extreme weather events important? The HKH (Hindu Kush Himalaya region experiences many extreme weather events, such as thunderstorms, especially during monsoon season. These events can cause economic hardship and loss of life. Monitoring Extreme Weather in the HKH Region is a service in development through SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya that aims to develop a customized numerical weather prediction toolkit to assess these high impact events in this relatively data-sparse region. The High Impact Weather Assessment Toolkit (HIWAT) consists of an ensemble Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)model, threat assessments based on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) missions, and impact assessments based on Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery. In spring 2019, we began validation of forecasted precipitation using station data in Bangladesh and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed with Station data (CHIRPS).

Remote Sensing↗

Potomac River Basin Water Resources: Assessing Water Quality and Quantity in the National Capital Region Using NASA Earth Observations

The Potomac River Basin (PRB) is responsible for providing drinking water to over 5 million residents and plays a significant role in the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between water quality, landcover, and the hydrological cycle within the PRB. The National Park Service (NPS) has monitored 37 streams within the National Park Units in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. This project aimed to help the NPS better understand trends in water quality to supplement their ability to monitor changes in the National Capital Region Network (NCRN). Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS Pro, R, and Python were used for data retrieval, visualization, and analysis. Earth observations included Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS imagery. Ancillary data included the USDA Cropland Data Layer, Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS), and soil moisture data from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (FLDAS). We compared Land use/land cover (LULC), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), precipitation and soil moisture data to water quality data provided by the NPS at a watershed level. LULC change maps were also generated for the PRB between 2008 and 2022. We found significant correlations between precipitation, soil moisture, NDVI, and water quality. Correlations were found between certain land use types and water quality metrics, but findings varied greatly between watersheds. These insights emphasize the imperative of strategic watershed management in preserving the integrity of key aquatic systems.

Landsat↗

Robustness of Gridded Precipitation Products for Vietnam Basins using the Comprehensive Assessment Framework of Rainfall

The use of satellite–based precipitation products (SPPs) have become increasingly prevalent as key inputs to provide regional rainfall for improving hydrological simulations in data–spare regions. This study introduces a new approach – Comprehensive Assessment Framework of Rainfall (CAFR) to evaluate six satellite–based precipitation products (SPPs) for eleven basins with different sizes across Vietnam (2007–2015). These SPPs include the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement Final run Version 6 (GPM IMERGF V6), Multi–Source Weighted–Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) V2.2, Soil Moisture to Rain (SM2RAIN) – Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) V1.5, Asian Precipitation–Highly–Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE) V1901, Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) V2.0, and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) – Climate Data Record (CDR) V1.0. With the proposed CAFR: (1) IMERGF is suggested to have the best performance overall, especially when simulating flood peaks; (2) SM2RAIN–ASCAT demonstrates the best skills in metrics related to the dry season; (3) For streamflow simulations, SPPs' performance is sensitive to basin size, with larger basins showing better performance skills. In this study, we demonstrate the capability of our proposed framework to better understand SPP applications in hydrological modeling.

Comprehensive Assessment Framework of Rainfall (CA↗

Monitoring of corrosion effects in pipes with multi-mode acoustic signals

Current commercial long-range guided wave inspection and monitoring technologies for pipes usually require establishment of certain specific acoustic modes for wave propagation and use a large number of sensors in a certain geometric arrangement (for example, uniformly-spaced arrays of sensors on a collar, placed around a pipe). This paper, in contrast, presents a long-range corrosion detection method in pipes based on multi-mode guided acoustic waves, generated and received using simple, single-element sensors. In this technique, available guided wave modes in any interrogated zone of the structure are automatically down-selected by the medium, and changes in energy distribution over the selected modes are analyzed through signal processing to monitor material loss or addition. Here, to investigate the feasibility of the proposed method, we have performed both experimental and numerical simulation studies on 50.8-mm (2-in)-diameter schedule-40 carbon steel pipes. In these studies, a linear chirp signal is injected in compression mode, perpendicular to the surface of the pipe, generating multi-mode, multi-directional guided waves that travel within the pipe wall. Corrosion effects in the pipes are simulated numerically and experimentally. To reduce errors in the measurement technique due to changes in the local or global temperature of the measured media, a universal temperature compensation algorithm is introduced. The experimental results show good agreement with simulation results, indicating that the proposed multi-mode wave generation and detection in a pipe could be used for long-range detection and monitoring of corrosion effects, such as pipe wall losses or solid material deposits.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Monitoring of mechanical changes in a pipe assembly with complex geometry using multi-mode acoustic signals

Guided wave ultrasonic testing has been widely used for nondestructive and long-range evaluation of diverse mechanical structures, such as pipes and plates. In general, a large number of guided wave modes exist even in the simplest geometries, and they exhibit highly dispersive characteristics. Thus, sophisticated excitation methods and elaborate modal analyses need to be implemented to excite, acquire, and process well-defined pure modes as part of such a measurement method. If the interrogated structure has complex geometry, for example, with cross-sectional variations or multiple joints, the utilization of pure modes becomes significantly more difficult. To overcome this difficulty, this paper proposes the use of multi-mode, multi-frequency guided waves for long-range inspection of structures with arbitrarily complex geometries. Furthermore, using broadband chirp signals and multi-mode time–frequency analysis in a prototypical complex pipe assembly that includes multiple pipe diameters, elbows, and flange connections, we experimentally show sensitive detection of mechanical changes (both material addition and loss). In addition, we demonstrate that the complexity of the structure can be modeled in the digital domain with sufficient detail to allow accurate numerical simulation of the acoustic response using this method.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Hydrologic applicability of satellite-based precipitation estimates for irrigation water management in the data-scarce region

Reliable precipitation estimates are crucial for planning and managing water resources, monitoring hydrologic extremes, and fulfilling irrigation water requirements. Accurate precipitation estimates are particularly challenging in complex mountain terrains, where monitoring gauges are often sparsely distributed due to their remote locations, and high installation and long-term operation costs. Recent advances in satellite-based precipitation estimates offer promising opportunities to improve our understanding of hydrologic processes and their applications for irrigation water management. Several datasets are available varying considerably in terms of their data sources, quality control methods, estimation procedure, and spatiotemporal resolutions. Choosing the most suitable dataset for a particular application is a complex task. In this study, we (1) evaluate the performance of six satellite-based precipitation estimates (SPEs): i) CHIRPS v2.0, ii) CMORPH v1.0, iii) ERA5, iv) IMERG v6, v) MSWEP v2.8, and vi) PERSIANN-CDR against the gauge precipitation using continuous statistical and categorical indices, (2) integrate SPEs with a calibrated semi-distributed hydrologic model to predict streamflow, and (3) demonstrate practical implications of improved streamflow prediction for irrigation water management in the central Himalayan region, Nepal. Our results illustrate that satellite-based precipitation estimates have competitive performance in capturing a wide range of rainfall characteristics, with demonstrated variability across river basins and time scales. Further, there are no significant discrepancies observed in satellite-based precipitation estimates for estimating irrigation water requirements for the three major crops (maize, wheat, and paddy) during the cropping period across the selected river basins, showing a greater promise for irrigation water management planning and decision making.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Study of the Conformational Isomerism of n-Propyl Nitrate by Microwave Spectroscopy

The rotational spectrum of n-propyl nitrate was measured in the frequency range between 6 to 18 GHz using a Balle-Flygare Fourier transform microwave jet/cavity spectrometer. Parent, 13C and 15N isotopologue transitions for the lower-energy anti-gauche (AG) conformer were found using this instrument. The search for spectra from other conformers was performed using a broadband chirped-pulse jet spectrometer. Transitions from the anti-anti (AA) conformer were observed in this manner. Parent, 13C and 15N isotopologue transitions for the AA conformer were rescanned using the cavity instrument to improve resolution and the signal-to-noise ratio. Rotational, centrifugal distortion, and nuclear electric quadrupole coupling constants for all conformers/isotopologues were fit using Pickett’s SPFIT program. The structure of n-propyl nitrate is discussed considering these results.

Orellana, Will D.↗

The microwave spectra of the conformers of $\mathcal{n}$-butyl nitrate

We report the microwave spectrum of n-butyl nitrate was recorded in the 5 to 20 GHz frequency range using broadband chirp and narrowband pulse excitation molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometers. A quantum chemistry structural analysis yielded thirteen stable conformers. Among them, the five most energetically stable conformers were observed in the experimental spectra. The most stable conformer features a butyl chain with an anti-gauche-anti conformation (AGA) where the γ-carbon atom is about 64° out of the nitrate plane. For this conformer, spectra of all 13 C and 15 N minor isotopologues could be measured. The conformer with a straight butyl chain (AAA), and three other conformers (GAA, GGA, and AGG) were also observed. Accurate rotational constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and 14 N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants could be deduced and compared to the theoretical values.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The C 2 H 4 O isomers in the oxidation of ethylene

A combined rotational spectroscopy, thermochemistry, and kinetic modeling study explores the mechanism of acetaldehyde (ethanal), vinyl alcohol (ethenol), and ethylene oxide (oxirane) formation in the oxidation of ethylene (ethene). Multiplexed quantitative detection of oxidation intermediates and products exiting a SiO 2 / SiC microreactor at 1700 K is demonstrated with the BrightSpec W-band chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter-wave spectrometer. The broadband rotational spectrum contains transitions of formaldehyde (CH 2 O), methoxy (CH 3 O), methanol (CH 3 OH), ketene (CH 2 CO), acetaldehyde (CH 3 CHO), syn-vinyl alcohol (syn- CH 2 CHOH), anti-vinyl alcohol (anti-CH 2 CHOH), oxirane (c-CH 2 OCH 2 ), propyne (CH 3 CCH), and syn-propanal (syn-CH 3 CH 2 CHO). We focus on the three C 2 H 4 O species and deduce their concentration ratio [CH 3 CHO]:[CH 2 CHOH]:[c-CH 2 OCH 2 ] = 1:0.7(2):0.06(2) by comparing the observed line intensities to those simulated with the PGOPHER software. Detailed thermochemistry of the C 2 H 4 O isomers and conformers is provided by Active Thermochemical Tables. The observed excess concentrations of vinyl alcohol and oxirane relative to the more stable acetaldehyde compared to the equilibrium ratio at 1700 K (1:0.087:0.000024), point to direct chemical pathways to these higher energy isomers. The mechanism for the formation of the three C 2 H 4 O isomers is analyzed using a 0-D homogenous reactor kinetics simulation for ethylene oxidation. The ratios of the C 2 H 4 O isomers concentrations predicted by the kinetic model are compared to the experimental values.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Observation of a THz-sub-THz spontaneous coherent undulator radiation driven by a low energy electron beam from a thermionic RF electron gun

In this work, we report observations of an intense, multi-band, sub-THz and THz radiation extracted from a similar to 2-3 MeV electron beam with a flat transverse profile propagating in an oversized rectangular waveguide placed into a 3.25 mm gap of a planar undulator having 1.3 cm period and similar to 20 cm length. Radiation outcoupling is accomplished using a horn antenna and a miniature permanent in-vacuum magnet separating the mm-sub-mm-waves and electron beam. A table-top experiment utilizes a radio frequency thermionic electron gun delivering a thousand momentum-chirped microbunches per macropulse and an alpha-magnet producing microbunches of a sub-mm length. Total radiated energy of a sub-millijoule per a microsecond radio frequency macropulse is demonstrated with flux more than ten micro-Joules per centimeter squared. With 1 THz filter the energy measured is about 1 microjoule and flux of a few micro-Joules per centimeter squared.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The real-time data processing and acquisition system for Project 8 Phase II

In Phase II of the Project 8 neutrino mass experiment, electrons from the decays of tritium or 83m Kr are detected via their ≈26 GHz cyclotron radiation while contained within a circular waveguide. The signal from a given electron is characterized as a brief chirp, lasting ≲10 ms and changing in frequency by ≲1 MHz/ms. To detect these signals, the Project 8 collaboration developed a Data Acquisition (DAQ) system tailored to the signal properties. The DAQ is responsible for simultaneously selecting up to three 100 MHz-wide frequency windows to study, detect, and trigger on likely signals from different electron kinetic energies, and for writing the relevant data to disk. Finally, we describe the Phase II DAQ system in detail and address how the system was used for data-taking operations.

Data acquisition↗

Post-detonation fireball thermometry via femtosecond-picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS)

Accurate knowledge of post-detonation fireball temperatures is important for understanding device performance and for validation of numerical models. Such measurements are difficult to make even under controlled laboratory conditions. Here, temperature measurements were performed in the fireball of a commercial detonator (RP-80, Teledyne RISI). The explosion and fragments were contained in a plastic enclosure with glass windows for optical access. A hybrid femtosecond-picosecond (fs-ps) rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) instrument was used to perform gas-phase thermometry along a one-dimensional measurement volume in a single laser shot. The 13-mm-thick windows on the explosive-containment housing introduced significant nonlinear chirp on the fs lasers pulses, which reduced the Raman excitation bandwidth and did not allow for efficient excitation of high-J Raman transitions populated at flame temperatures. To overcome this, distinct pump and Stokes pulses were used in conjunction with spectral focusing, achieved by varying the relative timing between the pump and Stokes pulses to preferentially excite Raman transitions relevant to flame thermometry. Light scattering from particulate matter and solid fragments was a significant challenge and was mitigated using a new polarization scheme to isolate the CARS signal. Fireball temperatures were measured 35–40 mm above the detonator, 12–25 mm radially outward from the detonator centerline, and at 18 and 28 µs after initiation. At these locations and times, significant mixing between the detonation products and ambient air had occurred thus increasing the nitrogen-based CARS thermometry signal. Initial measurements show a distribution of fireball temperatures in the range 300–2000 K with higher temperatures occurring 28 µs after detonation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Stationary and drone-assisted methane plume localization with dispersion spectroscopy

This work presents stationary and mobile retroreflector-based remote sensing techniques for methane leak localization and quantification using chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy equipped with a custom laser transceiver capable of continuous tracking of a flying drone and coupled with inverse atmospheric gas dispersion modeling. The techniques demonstrate the ability to localize leaks as low as 0.13 g CH 4 ·s -1 , which are up to 25 times smaller than those typically observed at natural gas facilities, as well as actively track a moving retroreflector mounted on a lightweight (~250 g) drone to enable spatial plume reconstruction. This system exhibited a 2.3 ppm-m sensitivity over pathlengths of 40–150 m. Source localization to within ±7 m is demonstrated using a modified horizontal radial plume mapping technique with a stationary retroreflector grid. Meanwhile, the mobile system utilizing a drone-mounted retroreflector is able to localize a controlled release within ±1 m of its source location and estimate leak rates using inversion techniques assuming type B Gaussian plume stability class within ±30% error with respect to the actual low flow rate releases.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum generation through high-energy laser filaments in YAG and ZnSe pumped by a 2.4 μm femtosecond Cr:ZnSe laser

Abstract We present experimental and numerical investigations of high-energy mid-infrared filamentation with multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum generation (SCG), pumped by a 2.4 μm, 250 fs Cr:ZnSe chirped-pulse laser amplifier. The SCG is demonstrated in both anomalous and normal dispersion regimes with YAG and polycrystalline ZnSe, respectively. The formation of stable and robust single filaments along with the visible-to-mid-infrared SCG is obtained with a pump energy of up to 100 μJ in a 6-mm-long YAG medium. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the highest-energy multi-octave-spanning SCG from a laser filament in a solid. On the other hand, the SCG and even-harmonic generation based on random quasi-phase matching (RQPM) are simultaneously observed from the single filaments in a 6-mm-long polycrystalline ZnSe medium with a pump energy of up to 15 μJ. The numerical simulations based on unidirectional pulse propagation equation and RQPM show excellent agreement with the measured multi-octave-spanning SCG and even-harmonic generation. They also reveal the temporal structure of mid-infrared filaments, such as soliton-like self-compression in YAG and pulse broadening in ZnSe.

Optics↗

Plasma-based prism compressor design for high-intensity laser pulses

A concept for a femtosecond pulse compressor based on underdense plasma prisms is presented. An analytical model is developed to calculate the spectral phase incurred and the expected pulse compression. A 2D particle-in-cell simulation verifies the analytical model. Simulated intensities ( ∼10 16 W/cm 2 ) were orders of magnitude higher than the damage threshold for conventional gratings used in chirped pulse amplification. Theoretical geometries for compact (tens of cm scale) compressors for 1, 10 and 100 PW power levels are proposed.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Modeling Nonperturbative Field-Driven Vibronic Dynamics: Selective State Preparation and Nonlinear Spectroscopy

The partially linearized density matrix formalism for nonadiabatic dynamics is adapted to incorporate a classical external electromagentic field into the system Hamiltonian. This advancement encompasses the possibility of describing field-driven dynamics and computing a variety of linear and nonlinear spectroscopic signals beyond the perturbative limit. Here, the capabilities of the developed approach are demonstrated on a simple two-state vibronic model coupled to a bath, for which we (a) perform an exhaustive search in the field parameter space for optimal state preparation and (b) compute time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy to monitor the effect of different pulse shapes on measurable experimental signals. While no restrictions on the form of the field have to be assumed, we focus here on Gaussian shaped (linearly) chirped pulses.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Exhaustive Product Analysis of Three Benzene Discharges by Microwave Spectroscopy

Using chirped and cavity microwave spectroscopies, automated double resonance, new high-speed fitting and deep learning algorithms, and large databases of computed structures, the discharge products of benzene alone, or in combination with molecular oxygen or nitrogen, have been exhaustively characterized between 6.5 and 26 GHz. In total, more than 3300 spectral features were observed; 89% of these, accounting for 97% of the total intensity, have now been assigned to 152 distinct chemical species and 60 of their variants (i.e., isotopic species and vibrationally excited states). Roughly 50 of the products are entirely new or poorly characterized at high resolution, including many heavier by mass than the precursor benzene. These findings provide direct evidence for a rich architecture of two- and three-dimensional carbon and indicate that benzene growth, particularly the formation of ring–chain molecules, occurs facilely under our experimental conditions. The present analysis also illustrates the utility of microwave spectroscopy as a precision tool for complex mixture analysis, irrespective of whether the rotational spectrum of a product species is known a priori or not. From this large quantity of data, for example, it is possible to determine with confidence the relative abundances of different product masses, but more importantly the relative abundances of different isomers with the same mass. We review the complementary nature of this type of analysis to traditional mass spectrometry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dynamics of HCN, HNC, and HNCO Formation in the 193 nm Photodissociation of Formamide

Formamide (NH 2 CHO) is the simplest molecule containing a peptide linkage [-NH-C($=$O)-], and it plays an essential role in the study of prebiotic chemistry. Exposure to UV irradiation allows formamide to decompose and act as a prebiotic feedstock in the formation of nucleobases and other necessary starting materials. The photodissociation mechanism of gaseous formamide at 193 nm is studied using (a) chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter-wave spectroscopy in the 260-290 GHz spectral region in a room-temperature flow-tube reactor at 1 mu bar pressure, (b) a combination of electronic structure theory, transition state theory, and quasiclassical trajectories, and (c) the Active Thermochemical Tables. The HCN and HNC photoproducts of hydrogenated (NH 2 CHO) and deuterated (NH 2 CDO and ND 2 CHO) formamide precursors are examined to gain insight into the photodissociation mechanism. Here, the theoretical investigation has characterized the main pathway leading to each of the HCN/HNC isomers from the precursor isotopologues. The theoretical branching ratio [HNC]/[HCN] = 2.1 for nascent photofragments agrees with the experiment. The effect of the postphotolysis HNC ↔ HCN isomerization on the [HNC]/[HCN] ratio is predicted. We report the experimental branching ratio [HNCO]: ([HNC] + [HCN]) = 12 ± 3 and propose that most of HNCO originates from dissociation on the S-1 electronic state of formamide.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗