Polarization difference due to nonrandomly oriented ice particles at millimeter/submillimeter waveband

This paper presents polarized signature due to oriented circular columnar and planar ice crystals at millimeter/submillimeter (mm/sub-mm) waveband. DDSCAT 6.1 and RT4 code package are employed for scattering properties and radiative transfer simulations, respectively, at the three estimated window frequencies (150, 220 and 340 GHz) of FengYun-4 (FY-4). We use empirical formulas to describe realistic sizes of planar and columnar particles and assume that ice particles are in Gamma-size distribution in this study. A “resonance” feature of polarized signals as a function of median mass diameter is notably found for horizontally oriented columns and blunt plates at the frequency of 340 GHz; however, there is no promising resonance characteristic for horizontally aligned plates with empirical sizes at the three window channels of FY-4. The position of the resonance peak is related to particle aspect ratio, frequency and ice water path (IWP), and it moves to a shorter median mass diameter when the particle aspect ratio decreases or IWP in clouds increases. Considering that particle canting angle distribution (Gaussian distribution in this study), polarization difference, as well as the brightness temperature difference between clear and cloudy sky, decreases rapidly when particles gradually change from horizontally oriented to randomly oriented. The upwelling brightness temperature is insensitive to particle size and shape but sensitive to particle orientation, the difference of brightness temperature between horizontal and random orientation up to 6 K, whereas polarized signature is quite sensitive to particle microphysics as well as orientation; polarized measurements thereby could benefit retrieval of cloud microphysical parameters.     

Microwave radiative transfer in scattering atmosphere: Effects of complex permittivity of ice spherical crystals

This paper presents the effects of ice particle's complex permittivity uncertainties on the scattering properties and upwelling brightness temperatures of cloudy atmospheres at the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) channel frequencies of 89, 150 and 183 GHz. We investigated the mean deviations of ice particle's optical efficiencies and asymmetry parameters due to the uncertainties in the real and imaginary parts of its complex permittivities. We assumed that the true values of ice particle's permittivity are, respectively, within ±20% for the imaginary part and ±5% for the real part of the permittivity values given by the model of Hufford. Microwave radiative transfer calculations were performed to estimate the absolute errors of brightness temperatures due to uncertainties in ice particle's permittivities. Ice particles were taken to be spherical and their diameters were chosen in the range of 40-4000 μm. Gamma-size distribution was employed in computing volume scattering properties and the effective diameters were 70, 100 and 150 μm with an effective variance being 0.25. We found that ±20% uncertainty in the imaginary part of ice particle's permittivity resulted in only about 10% mean deviations in the absorption efficiencies at the three AMSU-B channel frequencies. However, an uncertainty of ±5% in the real part resulted in more than 15% mean deviations in both scattering and extinction efficiencies, especially significant at the frequency of 183 GHz. The absolute variations of the emerging brightness temperature from the cloudy atmosphere due to uncertainties in the permittivity were found to be more than 1 K, which is already significant compared with the sensitivities achieved with today's technology for millimeter wave radiometers.     

真空中不同极化电磁波在微波等离子体喷流中的衰减特性实验研究

在真空环境中，利用空间反射电磁波测量装置，开展微波等离子体喷流对垂直和水平极化电磁波衰减的实验研究，分析不同极化电磁波在等离子体中衰减的影响因素.实验结果表明：以氩气为工质，真空室中微波等离子体喷流对垂直和水平极化电磁波具有显著的吸收效应.发生器流量、功率以及实验真空度对垂直极化电磁波在等离子体中的衰减影响明显.真空度和发生器功率对水平极化电磁波没有显著影响. 关键词： 等离子体中的电磁波 等离子体基本性质 电磁波     

Electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties of Fe3O4 magnetic films plated on hollow glass spheres

Magnetic hollow spheres of low density were prepared by plating Fe₃O₄ magnetic films on hollow glass spheres using ferrite plating. The complex permeability and permittivity of spheres–wax composites were measured in the range of 2–18 GHz. The complex permeability and permittivity increased, and the dielectric and magnetic losses were improved as the volume fraction of the magnetic spheres in the composites increased from 60% to 80%, which also resulted in a great improvement of microwave absorption properties. For composites with volume fraction 80%, its magnetic resonance frequency was at about 13 GHz and it appeared three loss peaks in the calculated reflection loss curves; the bandwidth less than −10 dB was almost 4 GHz which was just in the Ku-band frequencies (12–18 GHz) and a minimum reflection loss of −20 dB was obtained when the thickness was 2.6 mm; the microwave absorbing properties were mainly due to the magnetic loss. The results showed that the magnetic spheres composites were good and light microwave absorbers in the Ku-band frequencies.     

Microwave backscattering from the sea surface with breaking waves

Based on the effective medium approximation theory of composites, the whitecap-covered sea surface is treated as a medium layer of dense seawater droplets and air. Two electromagnetic scattering models of randomly rough surface are applied to the investigation of microwave backscattering of breaking waves driven by strong wind. The shapes of seawater droplets are considered by calculating the effective dielectric constant of the whitecap layer. The responses of seawater droplets shapes, such as sphere and ellipsoid, to the backscattering coefficient are discussed. Numerical results of the models are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of horizontally and vertically polarized backscattering at microwave frequency 13.9GHz and different incidence angles.     

The primary design of advanced ground-based atmospheric microwave sounder and retrieval of physical parameters

This paper introduces a prototype of ground-based atmospheric microwave sounder that operates in K-band from 22 to 31 GHz and V-band from 51 to 59 GHz. Different from the MP3000A and RPG, the sounder adopts independent dual-band reflectors instead of sharing a dual-band reflector. The direct detect type receiver is applied, which is of smaller size, higher sensitivity, efficient data observing and lower nonlinear error than the widely used superheterodyne receiver. The observing brightness temperatures from this prototype agree well with the simulated brightness temperatures according to the ground-based radiative transfer theory. We use the artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to retrieve temperature profiles, which has higher spatial resolution especially in the capping inversion when compared with the linear regression algorithm. The temperature retrievals are comparable with the retrievals from RPG and MP3000A retrieval models and have a smaller bias in some certain regions.     

Low-temperature magnetoresistance due to weak localization in lightly doped semiconductors

The first observation of low-temperature magnetoresistance (MR) of interference nature in the case of a light doping is reported. The MR occurs in n- and p-type Ge samples at a frequency of 10 GHz at temperatures below 30 K in weak magnetic fields on the background of the classical MR effect associated with electrons in different valleys (n-Ge) and with heavy and light holes (p-Ge).     

Radiation properties of microstrip patch antenna covered with an anisotropic dielectric layer and a plasma sheath

By using SO-FDTD method, radiation properties of microstrip patch antenna covered with an anisotropic dielectric layer and a plasma layer are investigated. Simulation results show that the resonant frequency of antenna covered with a plasma layer varies with different plasma parameters. It has been indicated that the frequency offset of antenna is as high as 120 MHz when plasma frequency changes from 1 GHz to 8 GHz. The effect on antenna covered with an anisotropic dielectric layer is analyzed, while altering the dielectric constant or thickness of dielectric layer. Finally, the peak gain of antenna in complex plasma environment is presented in detail.     

Aligned growth of ZnO nanowires by NAPLD and their optical characterizations

Not only vertically aligned ZnO nanowires but also horizontally aligned ZnO nanowires have been successfully grown on the annealed (0 0 0 1) c-cut and (1 1 2 0) a-cut sapphire substrates, respectively using catalyst-free nanoparticle-assisted pulsed-laser ablation deposition (NAPLD). The as-synthesized ZnO nanowires exhibit an ultraviolet emission at around 390 nm and the absent green emission under room temperature. The single ZnO nanowire was collected in the electrode gap by dielectrophoresis (DEP). Under the optical pumping, the single ZnO nanowire exhibited UV emission at around 390 nm with several sharp peaks whose energy spacings are almost constant, which greatly differs from the broad UV emission of the film with many nanowires, suggesting ZnO nanowires as candidates for laser media. The single ZnO nanowire showed polarized photoluminescence (PL). The as-synthesized ZnO nanowires could find many interesting applications in short-wavelength light-emitting diode (LED), laser diode and gas sensor.     

Investigation of four wave mixing effect with different number of input channels at various channel spacing

In this paper the design, implementation and performance analysis of four wave mixing (FWM) in optical communication system for different number of input channels is presented using various values of channel spacing. Here, all the input channels have been spaced evenly at various values like 6.25 GHz, 12.5 GHz, 25 GHz, 40 GHz, 50 GHz with the different number of channels at the input i.e. with 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 input channels. The simulation results reveal that the four wave mixing is minimum when the channel spacing is maximum i.e. 50 GHz with minimum number of channels i.e. 2 input channels. It is observed that on increasing the channel spacing, the interference between the input frequencies decreases and hence the four wave mixing also decreases. Also, on increasing the number of input channels/users, the interference between the input frequencies increases and thus, the four wave mixing also increases.     

Preparation and microwave absorption properties of electroless Co-P-coated nickel hollow spheres

Co-P-coated nickel hollow spheres (NHSs) were prepared by electroless plating technology. The morphology and component content of Co-P coating varies with the change of sodium citrate concentration in elctroless plating solution. And as phosphorus content increases in coatings, resulting in smaller grain, coercivity of microspheres decreases. The microwave absorption properties of spheres-wax composite were investigated in the range of 2-18 GHz. Both permittivity and permeability increase with an increase of cobalt content in coatings. For composite layer, a minimal reflection loss (RL, −36.9 dB) of was predicted at 8.1 GHz with a thickness of 3 mm.     

Computer simulations of the effect of atomic structure and coordination on the stabilities and melting behaviour of copper surfaces and nano-particles

We have studied the structures and stabilities of copper nano-particles and the melting properties of copper surfaces using interatomic potential-based molecular dynamics simulations, where the (1 1 1) surface has been shown to be the most stable in terms of surface energy and melting behaviour. Low energy shapes of nano-particles are influenced by the surfaces present and therefore have a higher proportion of (1 1 1) surface. The effect of surface structure on stability becomes less marked as the size of the nano-particle is increased. Melting is observed to occur below the bulk melting temperature in all the surfaces investigated, at increasingly lower temperatures from the (1 1 1), (1 0 0), (1 1 0) down to the (2 1 0) surface, confirming their order of decreasing stability. The melting processes of defective close-packed copper surfaces were also simulated. Steps, kinks, and facets were all shown to accelerate the melting of the surfaces. The melting is shown to initiate at the site of the defect and the results demonstrate that it is the low-coordinated atoms, at the step edge or kink, that are more mobile at lower temperatures. These features facilitate surface melting even further below the melting temperature than was observed for the perfect surfaces. Furthermore, facets of (1 0 0) surface were shown to be unstable even at moderate temperatures on the close-packed surface.     

Radio frequency characteristics of Fe-filled carbon nanotube film

The conduction noise suppression in radio frequency region using film type of the Fe-filled carbon nanotubes and its epoxy composite was evaluated on a coplanar waveguide. Fe in carbon nanotubes have shown α-Fe crystalline structure and had a coercivity of 650 Oe. The magnitudes of the signal attenuation of Fe-filled carbon nanotubes on coplanar waveguide were shown in the range of about 10–18 dB/cm at 20 GHz (the stop-band frequency region). The power losses of these films exhibited 65–85% at 20 GHz in the stop-band frequency.     

Conversion issues between microwave radiance and brightness temperature

Microwave radiances are usually converted into brightness temperatures for data assimilation and retrievals. The Rayleigh-Jeans approximation has been believed to be a good approximation for the conversion at low frequencies, but inaccurate at high frequencies. However, the simplified radiative transfer models under the Rayleigh-Jeans approximation (hereafter referred as BT-RTE) have been successfully applied in radiance simulations for frequencies below 183 GHz, which has somewhat puzzled the radiative transfer community. This paper clarifies the confusion. In addition, the conversion formula for the third and the fourth Stokes components are derived.Simulations for a polarized sensor, the Special Sensor Microwave Imager and Sounder, show that the BT-RTE is generally accurate. Results for a polarimetric sensor, WINDSAT, show that the third and the fourth Stokes radiances should be converted using the exact conversion formula given in this study rather than using a direct Planck function conversion.     

Application of Fluorescence with Polarized Light to Evaluate the Orientation of Dyes Adsorbed in Layered Materials

A new method of fluorescence polarization is applied to evaluate the angle of the preferential orientation of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye adsorbed in supported thin films of Laponite (Lap) clay. The method is based in the determination of the fluorescence dichroic ratio, obtained from the recorded fluorescence spectra with the detection polarizer horizontally and vertically oriented, as a function of the twisted angle of the film around its vertical axis, keeping the excitation polarizer in a fixed direction. The validity of the method is checked by comparing the experimental results obtained with both vertically and horizontally polarized excitations to that previously provided by absorption spectroscopy with linearly polarized light. A preferential orientation angle with respect to the normal to the clay layer of 62° is derived for R6G monomers adsorbed in Lap films.     

Polarization Effects Due to Scattering of Microwave Radiation in ihe Summer Cloudy Atmosphere

We present the results of the spectral analysis of polarization of the thermal microwave emission from the summer cloudy atmosphere at 37 and 94 GHz. A significant polarization of the microwave emission from summer clouds is revealed, which is attributed to scattering of the thermal emission from the atmosphere by melted ice crystals in the melting layer. Based on a model of polarized radiation transfer in the mixed clouds containing melted ice crystals and supercooled water drops, we interpret the experimental data with allowance for all orders of scattering. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 314–326, April 2005.     

Absorption properties of carbonyl-iron/carbon black double-layer microwave absorbers

Double-layer materials were devised in order to improve the absorbing properties of electromagnetic wave absorbing plates. The double-layer wave absorbing materials are composed of a matching layer and an absorption layer. The matching layer is the surface layer through which most of the incident waves can enter, and the absorption layer beneath it plays an important role in incident wave attenuation. The total thickness of the double layer is the sum of the thicknesses of these two layers. Carbonyl iron (CI) and carbon black (CB) were used as absorbents in the matching and absorption layers, respectively. The structures of the CI and CB particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy; the dielectric properties and absorption mechanisms were also studied. In the testing frequency range 2-18 GHz, the results show that the double-layer absorbers have two absorption peaks, and the positions and values of these peaks change with the content level of the absorbents. When the mass fraction of CI in the matching layer is 50% and the total thickness of the absorber is 4 mm, the effective absorption band (below −8 dB) reaches 5.5, 5.8, and 6.5 GHz. Where the mass fraction of CB is 50% or 60% and the mass fraction of CI is 70%, the bandwidth with reflection loss below −4 dB is larger than 10 GHz.     

Preparation and microwave characterization of submicrometer-sized hollow nickel spheres

The hollow structural submicrometer-sized nickel spheres were successfully fabricated by the autocatalytic reduction method. Because of the metallic and ferromagnetic behaviour of the nickel spheres, the low-density microspheres could obtain high dielectric constant and magnetic loss in microwave frequencies. The abrupt variation of the real part and the sharp peaks of the imaginary part of permittivity and permeability were observed for the micrometer-sized and nanometer-sized nickel hollow spheres. Reflection loss less than −25 dB were predicted over 11 GHz with a thickness of 1.5–2.0 mm.     

Calculations of millimeter wave depolarization due to melting layer and rain

A model for calculating the total depolarization due to the melting layer and rain is proposed under the assumption that oblate spheroidal melting particles and raindrops have the same orientation. The melting layer is composed of the melting particles which are made up from the mixture of ice, air and water. The specific attenuation and the specific phase shift both for the melting layer and for rain are given in the power lawaR ^b form for the rain rates 0R12.5 mm/h and the parameters are tabled over the frequency range of 1–100 GHz. Using the model, the numerical calculation of the depolarization is possible for three drop size distributions.     

A fast infrared radiative transfer model for overlapping clouds

A fast infrared radiative transfer model (FIRTM2) appropriate for application to both single-layered and overlapping cloud situations is developed for simulating the outgoing infrared spectral radiance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In FIRTM2 a pre-computed library of cloud reflectance and transmittance values is employed to account for one or two cloud layers, whereas the background atmospheric optical thickness due to gaseous absorption can be computed from a clear-sky radiative transfer model. FIRTM2 is applicable to three atmospheric conditions: (1) clear-sky, (2) single-layered ice or water cloud, and (3) two simultaneous cloud layers in a column (e.g., ice cloud overlying water cloud). Moreover, FIRTM2 outputs the derivatives (i.e., Jacobians) of the TOA brightness temperature with respect to cloud optical thickness and effective particle size. Sensitivity analyses have been carried out to assess the performance of FIRTM2 for two spectral regions, namely the longwave (LW) band (587.3-1179.5 cm⁻¹) and the short-to-medium wave (SMW) band (1180.1-2228.9 cm⁻¹). The assessment is carried out in terms of brightness temperature differences (BTD) between FIRTM2 and the well-known discrete ordinates radiative transfer model (DISORT), henceforth referred to as BTD (F−D). The BTD (F−D) values for single-layered clouds are generally less than 0.8 K. For the case of two cloud layers (specifically ice cloud over water cloud), the BTD (F−D) values are also generally less than 0.8 K except for the SMW band for the case of a very high altitude (>15 km) cloud comprised of small ice particles. Note that for clear-sky atmospheres, FIRTM2 reduces to the clear-sky radiative transfer model that is incorporated into FIRTM2, and the errors in this case are essentially those of the clear-sky radiative transfer model.