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At least 145 records · Page 8

Self-aligned fabrication of vertical, fin-based structures

Modern power devices rely on complex, three-dimensional, vertical designs to increase their power density, ease their thermal management, and improve their reliability. However, fabrication techniques have historically relied on 2D processes for patterning lateral features. This work presents a new technology that uses multiple steps of angled depositions to fabricate self-aligned vertical, fin-based devices that avoid fundamental lithography resolution and alignment limitations. The fabrication flows of two devices, the self-aligned vertical finFET and the high-κ dielectric fin diode, are presented to demonstrate how angled depositions can readily achieve transistors with submicrometer, vertical gates in a source-first process and also create high-aspect ratio GaN fins with a record 70:1 aspect ratio.

Perozek, Joshua (ORCID:0000000251519131)↗

Fluorescent Particle Vertical Profiles at CoURAGE (FPVPC) Field Campaign Report

The Fluorescent Particle Vertical Profiles at CoURAGE (FPVPC) campaign was designed to characterize the vertical distribution of bioaerosol-relevant particles at the urban-rural interface sampled during the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility’s Coast-Urban-Rural Atmospheric Gradient Experiment (CoURAGE). Bioaerosols, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, pollen, spores, and biological fragments, can affect cloud formation, disease transmission, allergen exposure, and biogeochemical cycling. Although ground-level bioaerosol abundance and composition have been studied extensively, their vertical distributions remain poorly constrained across different ecosystems, source regions, and meteorological regimes. The CoURAGE deployment addresses this gap by pairing ARM tethered balloon system (TBS)vertical profiling with in situ single-particle fluorescence measurements and offline single-particle chemical analysis.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Vertical Structure of Local Disk Galaxies Revealed by DESI Imaging Data

The vertical structure of galactic disks is an important probe of the disk assembly history. Here we investigate the vertical structure of a sample of 79 local disk galaxies within 50 Mpc using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys. Vertical luminosity profiles as a function of radius in the g, r, and z bands are extracted and fitted using a single-component sech2 model to determine scale height and its radial variation (i.e., flaring). Our measurements indicate local galactic disks are overall thin with negligible flaring. The median scale heights at 1 R e are 0.21, 0.22, and 0.22 kpc in the g, r, and z bands, respectively, while the median radial gradients of scale height are −0.006, 0.003, and 0.001 in these bands. These values are consistent with that of the geometric thin disk of the Milky Way represented by metal-rich, low-[α/Fe] populations, confirming the weak flaring of the geometric thin disk. A clear positive correlation of scale height with stellar mass is observed down to the low-mass end of 10 7 M ⊙ . These results provide a homogeneous benchmark for the vertical structure of nearby disk galaxies and establish the cosmological representativeness of the Milky Way thin disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A new technique to retrieve aerosol vertical profiles using micropulse lidar and ground-based aerosol measurements

Accurately characterizing the vertical distribution of aerosols and their cloud-forming properties is crucial for understanding aerosol-cloud interactions and their impact on climate. This study presents a novel technique for retrieving vertical profiles of aerosols, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and ice nucleating particles (INP) by combining micropulse lidar, radiosonde, and ground-based aerosol measurements. Herein, the technique is applied to data collected by our team at Texas A&M University during the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) campaign. Ground-based aerosol size distribution and CCN counter data are used to estimate the value of the aerosol hygroscopicity parameter, κ. The derived κ, together with Mie scattering theory and the relative humidity profile from the radiosonde, is used to estimate aerosol size growth and the associated increase in backscatter at each altitude. We then correct the lidar backscatter to dry conditions to produce the dry aerosol backscatter coefficient profile. The dry aerosol backscatter coefficient profile is linearly scaled to collocated surface measurements of aerosols, CCN, and INP to produce corresponding vertical profiles. Combining lidar backscatter profiles with aerosol and cloud nucleation measurements leads to a more realistic representation of vertical distributions of aerosol properties. The method could be readily applied to lidar measurements in future field campaigns.

Chen, Bo [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (↗

Vertical resolution of temperature profiles obtained from remote radiation measurements

The Backus-Gilbert theory is applied to the problem of the vertical sounding of the atmosphere by means of remote radiation measurements. An application is made to spectral intervals 2.8/cm wide in the 667/cm band of CO2, and tradeoff curves are presented which quantitatively define the relationship between intrinsic vertical resolution and random error in temperature profile estimates. It is found that for a 1-2K random error with state-of-the-art instrumentation, the intrinsic vertical resolution ranges from approximately 0.5 local scale height (l.s.h.) in the lower troposphere to 2 l.s.h. in the upper stratosphere with approximately 2 l.s.h. resolution in the vicinity of the tropopause. These values are somewhat smaller than the widths of the radiactive transfer kernels at similar levels. Increasing the number of spectral intervals from 7 to 16 is found to produce only a marginal improvement in vertical resolution.

Conrath, B. J.↗

Vertical resolution of temperature profiles obtained from remote radiation measurements

The Backus-Gilbert theory, originally developed for analysis of inversion problems associated with the physics of the solid earth, was applied to the problem of the vertical sounding of the atmosphere by means of remote radiation measurements. An application was made to spectral intervals 2.8/cm wide in the 667/cm band CO2, and tradeoff curves are presented which quantitatively define the relationship between intrinsic vertical resolution and random error in temperature profile estimates. It is found that for a 1-2 K random error with state-of-the-art instrumentation, the intrinsic vertical resolution ranges from approximately 0.5 locale scale height (l.s.h.) in the lower troposphere to greater than 2 l.s.h. in the upper stratosphere with approximately 1 l.s.h. resolution in the vicinity of the tropopause. These values are somewhat smaller than the widths of the radioactive transfer kernels at similar levels. Increasing the number of spectral intervals from 7 to 16 is found to produce only a marginal improvement in vertical resolution.

Conrath, B. J.↗

Vertical motion requirements for landing simulation

Tests were conducted to determine the significance of vertical acceleration cues in the simulation of the visual approach and landing maneuver. Landing performance measures were obtained for four subject pilots operating a visual landing simulation device which provides up to plus or minus 40 feet of vertical motion. Test results indicate that vertical motion cues are utilized in the landing task, and that they are particularly important in the simulation of aircraft with marginal longitudinal handling qualities. To assure vertical motion cues of the desired fidelity in the landing tasks, it appears that a simulator must have excursion capabilities of at least plus or minus 20 feet.

Bray, R. S.↗

Performance capability of laser-powered launch vehicles using vertical ascent trajectories

The use of a ground-based high-power laser source to power a vertically launched rocket vehicle is investigated. By using a vertical ascent trajectory, only a single laser source is required. The vertical ascent mode is not applicable to earth orbit destinations but is applicable to missions beyond earth escape. Performance and trajectory characteristics are examined for vertical trajectories to earth escape and solar escape (which may be of interest in the future for radioactive waste disposal). Specific impulse values from 2000 to 5000 seconds are considered. With these values, a single-stage vehicle can deliver payloads to earth escape and beyond, but extremely high power sources (gigawatts) are required.

Spurlock, O. F.↗

The effect of canard and vertical tails on the aerodynamic characteristics of a model with a 59 deg sweptback wing at a Mach number of 0.30

An investigation has been conducted to determine the effects of canard, canard location, vertical tails, and vertical-tail location on the aerodynamic characteristics of a model having a 59 deg sweptback wing. The investigation was conducted at a Mach number of 0.30, at angles of attack up to 22 deg and at sideslip angles of 0 deg and plus or minus 5 deg. The results of the study indicate that adding the canard to the model had only a slight effect on the lift at the lower angles of attack. At the higher angles of attack there is a significant effect of canard height on lift, canard in the high location (above the wing chord plane) resulting in the highest lifts. The lift drag characteristics are predicted well for the configuration with the mid or high canard locations by combining a potential flow solution on the canard with a potential plus vortex solution on the wing. Variations in the height significantly affect the pitching-moment characteristics of the configuration; the configuration with the low or mid canard location exhibits an increase in stability at the higher lift coefficients, whereas the configuration with the high canard exhibits pitch-up. Adding the vertical tails in the outboard location caused a significant loss in lift at the higher angles of attack; this lift loss was eliminated by moving the vertical tails inboard.

Henderson, W. P.↗

A study of vertical motion requirements for landing simulation

Tests were conducted to determine the significance of vertical acceleration cues in the simulation of the visual approach and landing maneuver. Landing performance measures were obtained for four subject pilots operating a visual landing simulation mechanized in the Ames Height Control Test Apparatus, a device that provides up to plus or minus 40 ft of vertical motion. Test results indicate that vertical motion cues are utilized in the landing task, and that they are particularly important in the simulation of aircraft with marginal longitudinal-handling qualities. To assure vertical motion cues of the desired fidelity in the landing task, it appears, that a simulator must have excursion capabilities of at least 20 ft in either direction.

Bray, R. S.↗

A study of the effects of vertical resolution and measurement errors on an iteratively inverted temperature profile

A direct inversion method for inverting the temperature profile from satellite-measured radiation is discussed. The nth power of the weighting function in the integral radiative-transfer equation is used as the weight in the averaging process. The vertical resolution of the inverted temperature profile and the response of the inverted temperature profile to the measurement errors are examined in terms of n. It is found that for smaller values of n, the vertical resolution and the effect of measurement errors are reduced. When n = 0, both the vertical resolution and error effect are minimum. The temperature profile is adjusted by a constant; any structure different from the initial shape cannot be resolved. This is equivalent to the case where the entire atmosphere is treated as one layer with a fixed shape of temperature profile. When n approaches infinity, both the vertical resolution and error effect are maximum. This is equivalent to the case where the entire atmosphere is divided into m (the number of spectral channels) layers. Within each layer, the temperatures are adjusted by a constant, and any structure different from the initial shape cannot be resolved. Also, the shape of the final solution is closer to the initial profile if the value of n is smaller.

Chow, M.-D.↗

Vertical wind velocities from superpressure balloons - A case study using Eole data

A method for determining vertical wind velocities using the pressure- and temperature-change data from superpressure (constant-density) balloons was proposed in an earlier paper (1975). In this paper, we present a case study using actual balloon data to test the method. Data from the Eole balloon experiment were used to estimate the sign of vertical wind velocities, as well as the horizontal velocity field, near 200 mb over Australia. The resulting patterns of vertical velocity compare favorably with satellite pictures and with current models of flow near jet-stream maxima. Additionally, this study provides evidence that areas of vertical motion in the troposphere extend upward into the lower stratosphere without changing sign.

Banta, R. M.↗

Models for extracting vertical crustal movements from leveling data

Various adjustment strategies are being used in North America to obtain vertical crustal movements from repeated leveling. The more successful models utilize polynomials or multiquadric analysis to describe elevation change with a velocity surface. Other features permit determination of nonlinear motions, motions associated with earthquakes or episodes, and vertical motions of blocks where boundaries are prespecified. The preferred models for estimating crustal motions permit the use of detached segments of releveling to govern the shape of a velocity surface and allow for input from nonleveling sources such as tide gages and paired lake gages. Some models for extracting vertical crustal movements from releveling data are also excellent for adjusting leveling networks, and permit mixing old and new data in areas exhibiting vertical motion. The new adjustment techniques are more general than older static models and will undoubtedly be used routinely in the future as the constitution of level networks becomes mainly relevelings.

Holdahl, S. H.↗

Vertical motions in the equatorial middle atmosphere

A single station vertical velocity equation which considers ageostrophic and diabatic effects derived from the first law of thermodynamics and a generalized thermal wind relation is presented. An analysis and verification procedure which accounts for measurement and calculation errors as well as time and space continuity arguments and theoretical predictions are described. Vertical velocities are calculated at every kilometer between 25 and 60 km and for approximately every three hours for the above diurnal period at Kourou (French Guiana), Fort Sherman (Panama Canal Zone), Ascension Island, Antigua (British West Indies) and Natal (Brazil). The results, plotted as time series cross sections, suggest vertical motions ranging in magnitude from 1 or 2 cm/sec at 30 km to as much as 15 cm/sec at 60 km. Many of the general features of the results agree well with atmospheric tidal predictions but many particular features suggest that both smaller time scale gravity waves (periods less than 6 hours) and synoptic type waves (periods greater than 1 day) may be interacting significantly with the tidal fields. The results suggest that vertical motions can be calculated for the equatorial middle atmosphere and must be considered a significant part of the motion for time scales from 8 to 24 hours.

Weisman, M. L.↗

Derivation of clear-column temperature profiles with high vertical resolution and accuracy

It is noted that the optimum tradeoff between accuracy and resolution for current sounders leads to an rms accuracy of 2.5 K and a vertical resolution of about 5 km, while current numerical weather prediction models require temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1-1.5 K and a vertical resolution of about 2 km in the troposphere. The present paper shows that improvements in both the vertical resolution and accuracy require improvements in the informational content of the sounding systems and cannot be achieved by numerical means alone. Results are presented from a sounding system with narrow band channels to illustrate the improvements which can be achieved with future sounders. Finally, the results of several numerical simulations are discussed which show that clear column temperature profiles can be derived in the presence of clouds with an rms accuracy of 1.5 K and vertical resolution of 2 km in the troposphere.

Chahine, M. T.↗

Solitary Rossby waves in the presence of vertical shear

The effects of vertical shear on regular neutral mode Rossby solitons driven by a horizontal shear are investigated in light of the proposition that certain features in the Jupiter atmosphere may be explained by solitary Rossby waves. Consideration is given to a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model in which the motion in each layer consists of a different zonal shear flow, with vertical shear concentrated at the interface between the layers. In the case of a strong vertical shear, it is found that only a very restricted set of flows will admit Rossby neutral model solitons. For the more realistic case of a weak vertical shear, results indicate similar, but latitudinally shifted, wave patterns in each layer. It is noted that no such slant has yet been detected in the Great Red Spot.

Weidman, P. D.↗

Vertical-structure effects on planetary microwave brightness temperature measurements - Applications to the lunar regolith

An attempt to constrain the effects of vertical variations in dielectric properties on lunar microwave observations is presented. A numerical approach for deriving the reflectivity and microwave weighting function of a vertically varying half-space is used, assuming variance in the dielectric properties with depth only, and negligible magnetic effects. The cases of continuous and stratified models of vertical structures are discussed, and a concentration of emitted energy in upper layers is found. The total emitted energy oscillates, varying with the thickness of the upper soil layer, but averaging out interference effects due to random variations in the substrate depth. Consideration is also given to the vertical structure effects on the lunation-mean disk-center brightness temperature, its variations, and the regolith electrical loss, and predicted reflectivity effects by feasible models of the lunar regolith dielectric profile.

Keihm, S. J.↗

HIRS-AMTS satellite sounding system test - Theoretical and empirical vertical resolving power

The present investigation is concerned with the vertical resolving power of satellite-borne temperature sounding instruments. Information is presented on the capabilities of the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and a proposed sounding instrument called the Advanced Moisture and Temperature Sounder (AMTS). Two quite different methods for assessing the vertical resolving power of satellite sounders are discussed. The first is the theoretical method of Conrath (1972) which was patterned after the work of Backus and Gilbert (1968) The Backus-Gilbert-Conrath (BGC) approach includes a formalism for deriving a retrieval algorithm for optimizing the vertical resolving power. However, a retrieval algorithm constructed in the BGC optimal fashion is not necessarily optimal as far as actual temperature retrievals are concerned. Thus, an independent criterion for vertical resolving power is discussed. The criterion is based on actual retrievals of signal structure in the temperature field.

Thompson, O. E.↗