Do we (need to) care about canopy radiation schemes in DGVMs? Caveats and potential impacts

Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are an essential part of current state-of-the-art Earth system models. In recent years, the complexity of DGVMs has increased by incorporating new important processes like, e.g., nutrient cycling and land cover dynamics, while biogeophysical processes like surface radiation have not been developed much further. Canopy radiation models are however very important for the estimation of absorption and reflected fluxes and are essential for a proper estimation of surface carbon, energy and water fluxes. The present study provides an overview of current implementations of canopy radiation schemes in a couple of state-of-the-art DGVMs and assesses their accuracy in simulating canopy absorption and reflection for a variety of different surface conditions. Systematic deviations in surface albedo and fractions of absorbed photosynthetic active radiation (faPAR) are identified and potential impacts are assessed. The results show clear deviations for both, absorbed and reflected, surface solar radiation fluxes. FaPAR is typically underestimated, which results in an underestimation of gross primary productivity (GPP) for the investigated cases. The deviation can be as large as 25% in extreme cases. Deviations in surface albedo range between −0.15 ≤ Δα ≤ 0.36, with a slight positive bias on the order of Δα ≈ 0.04. Potential radiative forcing caused by albedo deviations is estimated at −1.25 ≤ RF ≤ −0.8 (W m−2), caused by neglect of the diurnal cycle of surface albedo. The present study is the first one that provides an assessment of canopy RT schemes in different currently used DGVMs together with an assessment of the potential impact of the identified deviations. The paper illustrates that there is a general need to improve the canopy radiation schemes in DGVMs and provides different perspectives for their improvement

Doping-Dependent Raman Resonance in the Model High-Temperature Superconductor HgBa2CuO4+d

We study the model high-temperature superconductor HgBa2CuO4+d with electronic Raman scattering and optical ellipsometry over a wide doping range. The resonant Raman condition which enhances the scattering cross section of "two-magnon" excitations is found to change strongly with doping, and it corresponds to a rearrangement of inter-band optical transitions in the 1-3 eV range seen by ellipsometry. This unexpected change of the resonance condition allows us to reconcile the apparent discrepancy between Raman and x-ray detection of magnetic fluctuations in superconducting cuprates. Intriguingly, the strongest variation occurs across the doping level where the antinodal superconducting gap reaches its maximum.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, contact authors for Supplemental Materia

Influence of the Fermi Surface Morphology on the Magnetic Field-Driven Vortex Lattice Structure Transitions in YBa2_{2}Cu3_{3}O7−δ:δ=_{7-\delta}:\delta=0, 0.15

We report small-angle neutron scattering measurements of the vortex lattice (VL) structure in single crystals of the lightly underdoped cuprate superconductor YBa2Cu3O6.85. At 2 K, and for fields of up to 16 T applied parallel to the crystal c-axis, we observe a sequence of field-driven and first-order transitions between different VL structures. By rotating the field away from the c-axis, we observe each structure transition to shift to either higher or lower field dependent on whether the field is rotated towards the [100] or [010] direction. We use this latter observation to argue that the Fermi surface morphology must play a key role in the mechanisms that drive the VL structure transitions. Furthermore, we show this interpretation is compatible with analogous results obtained previously on lightly overdoped YBa2Cu3O7. In that material, it has long-been suggested that the high field VL structure transition is driven by the nodal gap anisotropy. In contrast, the results and discussion presented here bring into question the role, if any, of a nodal gap anisotropy on the VL structure transitions in both YBa2Cu3O6.85 and YBa2Cu3O7

Real-time optical manipulation of cardiac conduction in intact hearts

Optogenetics has provided new insights in cardiovascular research, leading to new methods for cardiac pacing, resynchronization therapy and cardioversion. Although these interventions have clearly demonstrated the feasibility of cardiac manipulation, current optical stimulation strategies do not take into account cardiac wave dynamics in real time. Here, we developed an all‐optical platform complemented by integrated, newly developed software to monitor and control electrical activity in intact mouse hearts. The system combined a wide‐field mesoscope with a digital projector for optogenetic activation. Cardiac functionality could be manipulated either in free‐run mode with submillisecond temporal resolution or in a closed‐loop fashion: a tailored hardware and software platform allowed real‐time intervention capable of reacting within 2 ms. The methodology was applied to restore normal electrical activity after atrioventricular block, by triggering the ventricle in response to optically mapped atrial activity with appropriate timing. Real‐time intraventricular manipulation of the propagating electrical wavefront was also demonstrated, opening the prospect for real‐time resynchronization therapy and cardiac defibrillation. Furthermore, the closed‐loop approach was applied to simulate a re‐entrant circuit across the ventricle demonstrating the capability of our system to manipulate heart conduction with high versatility even in arrhythmogenic conditions. The development of this innovative optical methodology provides the first proof‐of‐concept that a real‐time optically based stimulation can control cardiac rhythm in normal and abnormal conditions, promising a new approach for the investigation of the (patho)physiology of the heart

Momentum-dependent charge correlations in YBa2_2Cu3_3O6+δ_{6+\delta} superconductors probed by resonant x-ray scattering: Evidence for three competing phases

We have used resonant x-ray scattering to determine the momentum dependent charge correlations in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.55}$ samples with highly ordered chain arrays of oxygen acceptors (ortho-II structure). The results reveal nearly critical, biaxial charge density wave (CDW) correlations at in-plane wave vectors (0.315, 0) and (0, 0.325). The corresponding scattering intensity exhibits a strong uniaxial anisotropy. The CDW amplitude and correlation length are enhanced as superconductivity is weakened by an external magnetic field. Analogous experiments were carried out on a YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$ crystal with a dilute concentration of spinless (Zn) impurities, which had earlier been shown to nucleate incommensurate magnetic order. Compared to pristine crystals with the same doping level, the CDW amplitude and correlation length were found to be strongly reduced. These results indicate a three-phase competition between spin-modulated, charge-modulated, and superconducting states in underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+\delta}$.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Long-range incommensurate charge fluctuations in (Y,Nd)Ba2Cu3O(6+x)

There are increasing indications that superconductivity competes with other orders in cuprate superconductors, but obtaining direct evidence with bulk-sensitive probes is challenging. We have used resonant soft x-ray scattering to identify two-dimensional charge fluctuations with an incommensurate periodicity of $\bf \sim 3.2$ lattice units in the copper-oxide planes of the superconductors (Y,Nd)Ba$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ with hole concentrations $0.09 \leq p \leq 0.13$ per planar Cu ion. The intensity and correlation length of the fluctuation signal increase strongly upon cooling down to the superconducting transition temperature, $T_c$; further cooling below $T_c$ abruptly reverses the divergence of the charge correlations. In combination with prior observations of a large gap in the spin excitation spectrum, these data indicate an incipient charge-density-wave instability that competes with superconductivity.Comment: to appear in Scienc

Similar zone-center gaps in the low-energy spin-wave spectra of NaFeAs and BaFe2As2

We report results of inelastic-neutron-scattering measurements of low-energy spin-wave excitations in two structurally distinct families of iron-pnictide parent compounds: Na(1-{\delta})FeAs and BaFe2As2. Despite their very different values of the ordered magnetic moment and N\'eel temperatures, T_N, in the antiferromagnetic state both compounds exhibit similar spin gaps of the order of 10 meV at the magnetic Brillouin-zone center. The gap opens sharply below T_N, with no signatures of a precursor gap at temperatures between the orthorhombic and magnetic phase transitions in Na(1-{\delta})FeAs. We also find a relatively weak dispersion of the spin-wave gap in BaFe2As2 along the out-of-plane momentum component, q_z. At the magnetic zone boundary (q_z = 0), spin excitations in the ordered state persist down to 20 meV, which implies a much smaller value of the effective out-of-plane exchange interaction, J_c, as compared to previous estimates based on fitting the high-energy spin-wave dispersion to a Heisenberg-type model.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Evolution of the eyes of vipers with and without infrared-sensing pit organs

We examined lens and brille transmittance, photoreceptors, visual pigments, and visual opsin gene sequences of viperid snakes with and without infrared-sensing pit organs. Ocular media transmittance is high in both groups. Contrary to previous reports, small as well as large single cones occur in pit vipers. Non-pit vipers differ from pit vipers in having a twotiered retina, but few taxa have been examined for this poorly understood feature. All vipers sampled express rh1, sws1 and lws visual opsin genes. Opsin spectral tuning varies but not in accordance with the presence/absence of pit organs, and not always as predicted from gene sequences. The visual opsin genes were generally under purifying selection, with positive selection at spectral tuning amino acids in RH1 and SWS1 opsins, and at retinal pocket stabilization sites in RH1 or LWS (and without substantial differences between pit and nonpit vipers). Lack of evidence for sensory trade-off between viperid eyes (in the aspects examined) and pit organs might be explained by the high degree of neural integration of vision and infrared detection; the latter representing an elaboration of an existing sense with addition of a novel sense organ, rather than involving the evolution of a wholly novel sensory system

FJ44 Turbofan Engine Test at NASA Glenn Research Center's Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory

A Williams International FJ44-3A 3000-lb thrust class turbofan engine was tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center s Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory. This report presents the test set-up and documents the test conditions. Farfield directivity, in-duct unsteady pressures, duct mode data, and phased-array data were taken and are reported separately