Mean velocity profile in a sheared and thermally stratified atmospheric boundary layer

A stability correction function φ(m)(ζ) that accounts for distortions to the logarithmic mean velocity profile (MVP) in the lower atmosphere caused by thermal stratification was proposed by Monin and Obukhov in the 1950s using dimensional analysis. Its universal character was established from many field experiments. However, theories that describe the canonical shape of φ(m)(ζ) are still lacking. A previous link between the spectrum of turbulence and the MVP is expanded here to include the effects of thermal stratification on the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and eddy-size anisotropy. The resulting theory provides a novel explanation for the power-law exponents and coefficients already reported for φ(m)(ζ) from numerous field experiments.     

Focusing light with a reflection photon sieve

An advanced type of diffractive optical element is presented that combines the concept of the photon sieve with an off-axis, off-normal incidence reflection geometry. Compared to transmission optical elements, the signal-to-background ratio is significantly increased by separating the first from other diffraction orders without drastically reducing the size of the smallest diffractive element. The reflection photon sieve produces sharp foci at maximum contrast and offers the advantages of effective heat dissipation and a large working space above the focal plane. Experimental results for a device working at a photon energy of 100 eV are presented and compared to theory.     

Generalized stochastic flows and applications to incompressible viscous fluids

We introduce a notion of generalized stochastic flows on manifolds, that extends to the viscous case the one defined by Brenier for perfect fluids. Their kinetic energy extends the classical kinetic energy to Brownian flows, defined as the L²$L^2$ norm of their drift. We prove that there exists a generalized flow which realizes the infimum of the kinetic energy among all generalized flows with prescribed initial and final configuration. We also construct generalized flows with prescribed drift and kinetic energy smaller than the L²$L^2$ norm of the drift.     

The influence of the geometry of micro-patterned thin films on the effective permeability and resonance frequency by domains development

For the application in high-frequency micromagnetic devices, the permeability and resonance frequency of ferromagnetic components is of high interest. It is dominantly influenced by different factors, the external field and direction and the domain distribution, shape and orientation. By the use of micromagnetic simulation, the domain pattern in films was determined and the effective permeability was calculated. The results of the calculations were compared with the domain shape of patterned microstructures of thin FeCoTaN-films, which were deposited onto oxidised silicon substrates by reactive r.f.-magnetron sputtering by employing 6-in Fe₃₇Co₄₆Ta₁₇ targets. To achieve a high-frequency suitability, the films have to be annealed in a static magnetic field of 50 mT between 400 and 500 °C, which are typical temperatures used in CMOS processes, to induce an in-plane uniaxial anisotropy needed for the high-frequency performance. Magnetic softness was obtained by producing amorphous or nanocrystalline films, and additionally, by aspiring low magnetocrystalline anisotropies for, e.g., certain Fe/Co fractions. The unpatterned films with a lateral dimension of 5×5 mm² were measured in a strip line permeameter in a frequency range up to 5 GHz and exhibited ferromagnetic resonance frequencies between 2 and 2.5 GHz within a low-loss permeability spectrum (low width of imaginary part of permeability). For possible integrations in passive microelectronic components the films were patterned to a few tenths of micrometers by near ultra-violet lithography and plasma beam etching, and then consequently annealed to obtain the static and dynamic magnetic properties. To influence the amount of closure domains, designs were conceived to influence the domain formation by creating additional internal boundaries. As a result, the ferromagnetic resonance frequency and the effective permeability are strongly driven by internal and external boundaries.