Cloud Seeding Evidenced by Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar

Evaluation of the cloud seeding effect is a challenge due to lack of directly physical observational evidence. In this study, an approach for directly observing the cloud seeding effect is proposed using a 1548 nm coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL). Normalized skewness was employed to identify the components of the reflectivity spectrum. The spectrum detection capability of a CDWL was verified by a 24.23-GHz Micro Rain Radar (MRR) in Hefei, China (117°15′ E, 31°50′ N), and different types of lidar spectra were detected and separated, including aerosol, turbulence, cloud droplet, and precipitation. Spectrum analysis was applied as a field experiment performed in Inner Mongolia, China (112°39′ E, 42°21′ N ) to support the cloud seeding operation for the 70th anniversary of China’s national day. The CDWL can monitor the cloud motion and provide windshear and turbulence information ensuring operation safety. The cloud-precipitation process is detected by the CDWL, microwave radiometer (MWR) and Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) in FY4A satellites. In particular, the spectrum width and skewness of seeded cloud show a two-layer structure, which reflects cloud component changes, and it is possibly related to cloud seeding effects. Multi-component spectra are separated into four clusters, which are well distinguished by spectrum width and vertical velocity. In general, our findings provide new evidence that the reflectivity spectrum of CDWL has potential for assessing cloud seeding effects.

Complex multi-range aggregate spectral measurements for environmental objects: optimization and synthesis of measurement procedures

The research aims at a synthesis of new complex procedures for multi-range aggregate spectral measurements of environmental objects, for which both the absorption spectrum and reflectivity spectrum are typical. As a basic research methodology, we have applied the vibrational optimization to calculate an optimal shape of introduced interconnections between main operational parameters of the measurement experiment. Authors have shown that, in considerations of absorption spectrum for the objects in question, we can estimate results of aggregate multispectral measurements with the new indicator of reliability, expressed by the signal-to-noise ratio at outputs of spectral channels in the multispectral meter. Having summed up the indicator values for each measuring spectral channel and replacing the objects that we are exploring with the hohlraum model described with the Planck function, we obtain the formula to find the best relationship between the standard means-square deviation of noises and model function. Based on the mentioned best relationship, we have found the best dependence of the standard means-square deviation of noises on the wavelength and absolute temperature. Authors have shown that in terms of the best mode and with certain values of the wavelength, the standard means-square deviation of noises might have the highest value, i. e., reliability of the measurement result will be the lowest in case of this wavelength. With regard to environmental objects that have the reflectivity spectrum, authors gave the general characteristics of aggregate two-wave measurements for chlorophyll of plants, described with mutually inverse spectral parameters. There is the estimate of the higher signal-to-noise ratio in terms of the mentioned type of aggregate two-wave measurements compared to single-wave ones. The authors have stated and solved the problem of the best choice of weight coefficients in terms of essential attenuations in measuring channels.

First principle investigations of the Pbnm phase BiFeO3, BiFe0.875Mn0.125O3 and Bi0.875X0.125Fe0.875Mn0.125O3 (XBFM) (X = Ce, Gd, Lu)

The structural, magnetic, electronic and optical properties of Pbnm BiFeO[Formula: see text] (BFO), BiFe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (BFM), Bi[Formula: see text]X[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (XBFM) (X = Ce, Gd, Lu) have been investigated by the first principles within the PBE[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]U scheme. It is shown that the dopant Mn in the B sites and Ce (Gd, Lu) in the A sites improves the crystalline quality. The magnetic moments of Bi[Formula: see text]Ce[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (CBFM) and Bi[Formula: see text]Gd[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (GBFM) are 10 [Formula: see text] and 16 [Formula: see text] which mainly arises from the strongly localized unpaired 4f electrons of Ce and Gd, 3d electrons of Mn and Fe. While, as BFM, the magnetic moment of Bi[Formula: see text]Lu[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (LBFM) is 9 [Formula: see text] indicating no effect on the magnetization is made by Lu for its full 4f states. The densities of states of the five systems hint that CBFM is metallic and BFM, GBFM, LBFM are still semiconductors. The metallic properties of CBFM arise from the hybridization between Ce-4f and Mn-3d states which leads the Mn [Formula: see text] states to be split into [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] lowering the bottom of the conduction band to cross the Fermi level. Furthermore, we also study the optical properties of Pbnm BiFeO[Formula: see text] (BFO), BiFe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (BFM), Bi[Formula: see text]X[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] (XBFM) (X = Ce, Gd, Lu). In this work, the optical properties including the absorption spectrum, loss function, refractive index and reflectivity spectrum are discussed in detail.

FTIR Studies of Silicon Carbide 1D-Nanostructures

Stable 1D silicon carbide nanostructures (nanowires) have been obtained via combustion synthesis route. Infrared absorption and reflection spectra for as-obtained and purified SiC nanowires were compared with the spectra of commercially available SiC nanomaterials. Principal vibrational modes have been identified. Reflectivity spectrum has been reconstructed by modeling of the dielectric function