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At least 559 records · Page 31

Scattering Matrix Determination in Crystalline Materials from 4D Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy at a Single Defocus Value

Recent work has revived interest in the scattering matrix formulation of electron scattering in transmission electron microscopy as a stepping stone toward atomic-resolution structure determination in the presence of multiple scattering. Here, we discuss ways of visualizing the scattering matrix that make its properties clear. Through a simulation-based case study incorporating shot noise, we shown how regularizing on this continuity enables the scattering matrix to be reconstructed from 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) measurements from a single defocus value. Intriguingly, for crystalline samples, this process also yields the sample thickness to nanometer accuracy with no a priori knowledge about the sample structure. The reconstruction quality is gauged by using the reconstructed scattering matrix to simulate STEM images at defocus values different from that of the data from which it was reconstructed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

miniTimeCube as a neutron scatter camera

We present Monte Carlo (MC) simulation results from a study of a compact plastic-scintillator detector suitable for imaging fast neutrons in the 1 – 10 MeV energy range: the miniTimeCube (mTC). Originally designed for antineutrino detection, the mTC consists of 24 MultiChannel Plate (MCP) photodetectors surrounding a 13 cm cube of boron-doped plastic scintillator. Our simulation results show that waveform digitization of 1536 optically sensitive channels surrounding the scintillator should allow for spatiotemporal determination of individual neutron-proton scatters in the detector volume to ~ 100 picoseconds and ~5 mm. A Bayesian estimation framework is presented for multiple-scatter reconstruction, and is used to estimate the incoming direction and energy of simulated individual neutrons. Finally, we show how populations of reconstructed neutrons can be used to estimate the direction and energy spectrum of nearby simulated neutron sources.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

On the measurement of precipitation frequencies by passive microwave radiometery

Over most of the microwave spectrum, raindrops both absorb and scatter radiation producing large changes in brightness temperatures relative to clear or cloudy conditions. Since the structure of rain varies substantially for different rain rates and climatological backgrounds, the raindrop size distribution, the rain layer thickness and the ice clouds above the rain layer are all important inputs to the model computations. The subsequent modeling involves applying the Mie theory to derive the absorption and scattering effects and the radiative transfer calculation is based upon a variational iterative approach which takes account of the multiple scattering effect of the rain layer. Results over both ocean and land backgrounds are demonstrated. It is also demonstrated that by using discrimination tests of the radiometric data, the rain/no rain decision can be made and the rainfall rate can be retrieved from a statistical inversion technique.

Kidder, S. Q.↗

Turbidity very near the critical point of methanol-cyclohexane mixtures

The turbidity of a critical mixture of methanol and cyclohexane has been measured extremely close to the consolute point. The data span the reduced-temperature range between 10 to the -7th and 10 to the -3d, which is two decades closer to Tc than previous measurements. In this temperature range, the turbidity varies approximately as 1nt, as expected from the integrated form for Ornstein-Zernike scattering. A thin cell (200-micron optical path) with a very small volume (0.08 ml) was used to avoid multiple scattering. A carefully controlled temperature history was used to mix the sample and to minimize the effects of critical wetting layers. The data are consistent with a correlation-length amplitude of 3.9 plus or minus 1.0 A, in agreement with the value 3.5 A calculated from two-scale-factor universality and heat-capacity data from the literature.

Kopelman, R. B.↗

SuperCDMS Background Models for Low-Mass Dark Matter Searches

An abundance of astrophysical and cosmological evidence indicates the existence of a non-luminous, non-baryonic form of matter, called dark matter, that is approximately a quarter of all energy in the universe. One promising candidate for dark matter is the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) which interacts with baryonic matter at most on the scale of the weak force. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment aims to detect the nuclear recoils induced by the elastic scattering of WIMPs off of germanium nuclei. This is a rare signal and difficult to detect, especially the low-energy recoils that are produced by low-mass dark matter. The CDMS project operated at the Soudan Underground Laboratory from 2003--2015, with an upgrade to the SuperCDMS experiment in 2012. The germanium detectors were operated at 50~mK and able to measure both the ionization and athermal phonons produced in a particle interaction. Measuring two signals enables discrimination between electron recoil and nuclear recoil events. An alternative operating mode for the detectors is called the CDMS low ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite), where a higher bias was applied to the detectors and only the phonon signal analyzed. This method increased sensitivity to low-mass dark matter interactions, but sacrificed discrimination capability. The CDMSlite spectrum had a large contribution from electron recoil background events. From the information gained during the first two CDMSlite Runs, a background model was developed for the third and final CDMSlite Run. Analytical descriptions were identified for those backgrounds that were theoretically known, e.g. tritium $\beta$-spectrum, and Geant simulations were used to understand and predict the low-energy spectra from other sources, e.g. Compton scattering. Multiple new models were developed for detectors operated in CDMSlite at Soudan. These include the analytical formula for Compton scattering, and empirical models for surface backgrounds from $^{210}$Pb contamination of the germanium crystals and detector housing. In order to accurately describe the surface events, a new detector response function was developed that included information about the electric field and energy resolution of the detector. These models were essential to the implementation of a profile likelihood analysis of the CDMSlite Run 3 data, which improved on the sensitivity to dark matter over the Run 2 optimum interval analysis for WIMP masses above 2.5~GeV/$c^2$. This demonstrated a successful application of a likelihood analysis to the high-voltage operating mode, and the potential for these analyses in the future SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment. For the SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment, the change in background rates from radiogenic neutrons was considered as additional towers of detectors were added, and the feasibility of an active neutron veto as a potential upgrade for large payloads was studied. This veto could be constructed of plastic scintillator with layers of gadolinium resin, and would aid in reducing the nuclear recoil single scatter background that is indistinguishable from the WIMP signal.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Recent developments for the optical model of nuclei

A brief overview of various approaches to the optical-model description of nuclei is presented. A survey of some of the formal aspects is given which links the Feshbach formulation for either the hole or particle Green’s function to the time-ordered quantity of many-body theory. The link between the reducible self-energy and the elastic nucleon–nucleus scattering amplitude is also presented using the development of Villars. A brief summary of the essential elements of the multiple-scattering approach is also included. Several ingredients contained in the time-ordered Green’s function are summarized for the formal framework of the dispersive optical model (DOM). Empirical approaches to the optical potential are reviewed with emphasis on the latest global parametrizations for nucleons and composites. Various calculations that start from an underlying realistic nucleon–nucleon interaction are discussed with emphasis on more recent work. The efficacy of the DOM is illustrated in relating nuclear structure and nuclear reaction information. Its use as an intermediate between experimental data and theoretical calculations is advocated. Applications of the use of optical models are pointed out in the context of the description of nuclear reactions other than elastic nucleon–nucleus scattering.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Major improvements on the longwave radiative interactions between surface and clouds in the polar regions in atmospheric global circulation model

Motivations: One of the most important tasks in the study of physical and socioeconomic aspects of climate change is the simulation of polar climate and how it changes in response to global warming. One import component of the polar energy budget (and thus of polar climate) is the radiative interaction between surface and clouds. As of today, the vast majority of state-of-the-art global climate models (GCMs), including all three US flagship GCMs (NCAR CESM, GFDL CM3, and GISS E2-H/E2-R), still assume constant surface emissivity overall spectral bands in their longwave radiation treatment. Similarly, a majority of state-of-the-art GCMs assume non-scattering clouds in the longwave spectrum, including both the NCAR CESM and GFDL CM3. The issues of ignoring spectral variation in surface emissivity and scattering by clouds manifest themselves in the far-infrared (IR) over the polar continents because (1) there is so little water vapor in such areas that surface far-IR emission can reach clouds; and (2) the imaginary part of the refractive index of ice has a local minimum over 350-550 cm-1, which implies possible strong scattering effects over this spectral region both within and between the snow surface and ice clouds. Our sensitivity studies using CloudSat-retrieved hydrometeor profiles over the high-elevation Antarctic continent show that, in winter, an appropriate inclusion of snow surface spectral emissivity and ice cloud scattering in radiative transfer calculations can noticeably reduce the monthly-mean surface net downward far-IR flux and net atmospheric far-IR emission over the entire region. For the far-IR alone, the magnitude of these effects is ~1Wm-2 or even larger. Projection Objectives: We propose to carry out the following studies: (1) Develop or update schemes that can be used in the CESM to compute the optical properties of the snow surface and ice clouds consistently across the longwave and the shortwave spectrum; (2) Modify the longwave radiation scheme in the CESM such that it can incorporate surface spectral emissivity and scattering of clouds; (3) Validate schemes developed for (1) and (2) against measurements or benchmark models; (4) Evaluate the effects of these new treatments on the simulated polar energy budget and climate by the CESM. Technical Approaches:1.Use a detailed snowpack radiative transfer model to simulate spectrally resolved emissivity of snow surfaces as a function of snow effective radius. The model will be validated against available high spectral-resolution measurements of snow spectral emissivity (ASTER spectra library v2.0). Currently the CESM prognoses vertically-resolved snow effective radius, and snow shortwave albedo is parameterized based on snow effective radius. Our treatment of snow spectral emissivity here will be consistent with the treatment of snow albedo in the shortwave and seamlessly connected with the snow physical module in the CESM. 2. Update the parameterization of ice cloud optical properties in the CESM, for both longwave and shortwave, based on the latest ice-cloud scattering database developed by co-I Prof. Yang. 3. Modify RRTMG_LW, the current longwave radiation scheme in the CESM, to include the surface spectral emissivity and the scattering of clouds in the longwave calculation. Validate modified scheme against a line-by-line radiative transfer model with multiple scattering capability (LBLRTM/CHARTS). 4. Implement products from Steps 1-3 into the CESM and conduct simulations to evaluate their effects on the simulated polar climate and energy budget. These runs will be compared to control runs and evaluated using routine model-observation diagnostics, including data from the ARM NSA (North Slope of Alaska) site. Moreover, a novel aspect in this step is that we will evaluate the simulated longwave band-by-band fluxes and cloud radiative effect against observational counterparts over both polar continents, using a product recently derived by the lead PI Prof. Huang from collocated AIRS and CERES satellite observations from 2002 to 2013. Benefits and outcomes: This project will significantly improve the longwave radiation scheme in the CESM and its successors and provide more realistic treatment of radiative interactions between polar surfaces and clouds. In the future, it will also be straightforward to extend this framework to include spectral emissivity of all surface types. This is responsive to identified DoE Earth System Modeling Science Drivers to improve the performance of the fully coupled climate system modeling and to help address questions on how rapid changes in cryospheric systems interact with the climate system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Monte Carlo simulation of a new gamma ray telescope

A new Monte Carlo code has been written to simulate the response of the new University of California double scatter gamma ray telescope. This package of modular software routines, written in VAX FORTRAN 77 simulates the detection of 0.1 to 35 MeV gamma rays. The new telescope is flown from high altitude balloons to measure medium energy gamma radiation from astronomical sources. This paper presents (1) the basic physics methods in the code, and (2) the predicted response functions of the telescope. Gamma ray processes include Compton scattering, pair production and photoelectric absorption in plastic scintillator, NaI(Tl) and aluminum. Electron transport processes include ionization energy loss, multiple scattering, production of bremsstrahlung photons and positron annihilation.

Simone, J.↗

Radiative transfer modeling of Saturn's outer B ring

The present investigation of Voyager images of the Saturn outer B ring's light-scattering behavior gives attention to the four radial regions formed by brighter and darker areas within and outside the 'spokes'. The B-ring particles are found to have a strongly backscattering phase function and a large-particle scattering albedo of 0.54 in the dark regions and 0.58 in the bright ones; these albedos are interpretable as due to multiple scattering among very pure ice grains covering the ring particle surfaces. It is shown that dark micrometeoroid impacts into the B ring would have darkened the particles to their current spherical albedo in as little as 100 to 200 million years.

Doyle, Laurance R.↗

New Examination of the Traditional Raman Lidar Technique: Temperature Dependence and the Calculation of Atmospheric Transmission - 1

The intent of this paper and its companion paper is to pull together the essential information required for the traditional Raman lidar data analysis to be performed. As a part of this, complications such as the temperature dependence of the water vapor signal is evaluated through numerical simulation. A new form of the lidar equation is presented that accounts for the temperature dependence of Raman scattering. Also the calculation of atmospheric transmission is examined carefully. Several photon correction techniques are considered as is the influence of multiple scattering on the measurement of aerosol extinction using the Raman lidar technique.

Whiteman, David N.↗

The Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPL-Net)

In the early 1990s, the first small, eye-safe, and autonomous lidar system was developed, the Micro-pulse Lidar (MPL). The MPL has proven to be useful in the field because it can be automated, runs continuously (day and night), is eye-safe, can easily be transported and set up, and has a small field-of-view which limits multiple scattering concerns. The MPL acquires signal profiles of backscattered laser light from aerosols and clouds. The signals are analyzed to yield multiple layer heights, optical depths of each layer, average extinction-to-backscatter ratio of each layer, and profiles of extinction in each layer. The MPL has been used in a wide variety of field studies over the past 10 years, leading to nearly 20 papers and many conference presentations. In 2000, a new project using MPL systems was started at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The MPL-Net project is currently working to establish a worldwide network of MPL systems, all co-located with NASA's AERONET sunphotometers for joint measurements of optical depth and sky radiance. Automated processing algorithms have been developed to produce data products on a next day basis for all sites and some field experiments. Initial results from the first several sites are shown, along with aerosol data collected during several major field campaigns. Measurements of the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio at several different geographic regions, and for various aerosol types are shown. This information is used to improve the construction of look up tables of the ratio, needed to process aerosol profiles acquired with satellite based lidars.

Welton, Ellsworth J.↗

Modeling Discrete Forest Anisotropic Reflectance Over a Sloped Surface With an Extended GOMS and SAIL Model

Topographic effects on canopy reflectance play a pivotal role in the retrieval of surface biophysical variables over rugged terrain. In this paper, we proposed a new canopy anisotropic reflectance model for discrete forests, Geometric Optical and Mutual Shadowing and Scattering-from-Arbitrarily-Inclined-Leaves model coupled with Topography (GOSAILT), which considers the effects of slope, aspect, geotropic nature of tree growth, multiple scattering, and diffuse skylight. GOSAILT-simulated areal proportions of four scene components (i.e., sunlit crown, shaded crown, sunlit background, and shaded background) were evaluated using the Geometric Optical model for Sloping Terrains (GOST) model. The canopy reflectances simulated by GOSAILT were validated against two reflectance data sets: Discrete anisotropic radiative transfer (DART) simulations and wide-angle infrared dual-model line/area array scanner (WIDAS) observations. Compared with a horizontal surface, the forest canopy reflectance over a steep slope (60°) is significantly distorted with absolute (relative) bias values of 0.048 (79.60%) and 0.056 (12.02%) for the red and near-infrared (NIR) bands, respectively. The GOSAILT-simulated component areal proportions show close agreements with GOST. Moreover, GOSAILT simulations have high overall accuracy (red band: coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.96; root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 0.003; and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 3.91%; and NIR band: R² = 0.78, RMSE = 0.019; MAPE = 3.94%) when compared with the DART simulations. In conclusion, these extensive validations indicate good performances of GOSAILT in canopy reflectance simulations over sloped surfaces.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Spectral Radiative Properties of Polydispersed SiO 2 Particle Beds

The focus of this work is on the measurement and analysis of the radiative properties of polycrystalline SiO 2 particle beds with various layer thicknesses. The particles are polydispersed with average diameters of 222, 150, and 40 μm . The spectral, directional–hemispherical reflectance and transmittance of the particle bed are measured at wavelengths from 0.4 to 1.8 μm using a monochromator, and the reflectance measurement is extended to 15 μm using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. Particles are closely packed between two transparent windows for measuring the radiative properties. In the visible and near-infrared region up to 1.8 μm, the inverse adding–doubling method yields the effective absorption and scattering coefficients. The results suggest that short wavelength absorption needs to be included in modeling the behavior of particle beds due to multiple scattering. A discrete-scale Monte Carlo ray-tracing method is developed to model the radiative properties by assuming monodispersed spherical particles, and the simulated results compare well with measurements. The effective absorption and scattering coefficients of the particle beds obtained from the independent scattering theory are compared to those from the inverse method. As a result, the impact of dependent scattering on the packed beds is observed for smaller-sized particles.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Theory of microwave remote sensing

Active and passive microwave remote sensing of earth terrains is studied. Electromagnetic wave scattering and emission from stratified media and rough surfaces are considered with particular application to the remote sensing of soil moisture. Radiative transfer theory for both the random and discrete scatterer models is examined. Vector radiative transfer equations for nonspherical particles are developed for both active and passive remote sensing. Single and multiple scattering solutions are illustrated with applications to remote sensing problems. Analytical wave theory using the Dyson and Bethe-Salpeter equations is employed to treat scattering by random media. The backscattering enhancement effects, strong permittivity fluctuation theory, and modified radiative transfer equations are addressed. The electromagnetic wave scattering from a dense distribution of discrete scatterers is studied. The effective propagation constants and backscattering coefficients are calculated and illustrated for dense media.

Tsang, L.↗

Visualizing Stereodynamics in Cold Collisions through Shape Resonance Wavefunctions

Shape resonances in cold collisions are often strongly affected by stereodynamics. These resonances can sometimes be assigned by single-channel quantization along the scattering coordinate. However, sensitive steric control of collision implies strong anisotropy of the interaction potential energy surface, which usually leads to coupling among multiple scattering channels in the strongly interacting region. Hence, the resonances might be the result of quantization in a multidimensional space. Using the cold rotationally inelastic collision between para-H 2 (v 1 = 1, j 1 = 2) and HF (v 2 = 0, j 2 = 0) as an example, we analyze four low-lying shape resonances via diagonalization of the full-dimensional Hamiltonian with a stabilization method. While some resonances can indeed be assigned with a single partial wave, others apparently involve more than one scattering channel. Furthermore, a new model based on these resonance wavefunctions is developed to better understand the stereodynamics through shape resonances in cold collisions.

Collisions↗

Accurate quantification of lattice temperature dynamics from ultrafast electron diffraction of single-crystal films using dynamical scattering simulations

In ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) experiments, accurate retrieval of time-resolved structural parameters, such as atomic coordinates and thermal displacement parameters, requires an accurate scattering model. Unfortunately, kinematical models are often inaccurate even for relativistic electron probes, especially for dense, oriented single crystals where strong channeling and multiple scattering effects are present. This article introduces and demonstrates dynamical scattering models tailored for quantitative analysis of UED experiments performed on single-crystal films. As a case study, we examine ultrafast laser heating of single-crystal gold films. Comparison of kinematical and dynamical models reveals the strong effects of dynamical scattering within nm-scale films and their dependence on sample topography and probe kinetic energy. Applying to UED experiments on an 11 nm thick film using 750 keV electron probe pulses, the dynamical models provide a tenfold improvement over a comparable kinematical model in matching the measured UED patterns. Also, the retrieved lattice temperature rise is in very good agreement with predictions based on previously measured optical constants of gold, whereas fitting the Debye–Waller factor retrieves values that are more than three times lower. Altogether, these results show the importance of a dynamical scattering theory for quantitative analysis of UED and demonstrate models that can be practically applied to single-crystal materials and heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Radiative transfer in spherical shell atmospheres. I - Rayleigh scattering

The plane-parallel approximation and the more realistic spherical shell approximation for the radiance reflected from a planetary atmosphere are compared and are applied to the study of a planet the size of the earth with a homogeneous conservative Rayleigh scattering atmosphere extending to a height of 100 km. Inadequacies of the approximations are considered. Radiance versus height distributions for both single and multiple scattering are presented, as are results for the fractional radiance from altitudes in the atmosphere which contribute to the total unidirectional reflected radiance at the top of the atmosphere. The data can be used for remote sensing applications and planetary spectroscopy.

Adams, C. N.↗