A study of the solar atmosphere with high-resolution spectroscopic images: Acquisition system

Summary In this note we describe the image acquisition system realized as a part of an experiment designed to record high-spectral-resolution solar images in the visible part of the spectrum. The system is based on a Charge Coupled Device Thomson THX31159. The electronics for driving the sensor and for the amplification and conditioning of the video signal has been designed and built in the laboratory, while a VME-bus-based computer has been used for the timing of operations, for the signal A/D conversion and for image presentation and storage. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.     

The efficient solution of electromagnetic scattering for inhomogeneous media

We consider an electromagnetic scattering problem for inhomogeneous media. In particular, we focus on the numerical computation of the electromagnetic scattered wave generated by the interaction of an electromagnetic plane wave and an inhomogeneity in the corresponding propagation medium. This problem is studied in the VV polarization case, where some special symmetry requirements for the incident wave and for the inhomogeneity are assumed. This problem is reformulated as a Fredholm integral equation of second kind, which is discretized by a linear system having a special form. This allows to compute efficiently an approximate solution of the scattering problem by using iterative techniques for linear systems. Some numerical examples are reported.     

Proteomic analysis of a spring wheat cultivar in response to prolonged cold stress

Cold represents one of the major abiotic factors influencing plant growth and development worldwide. We analysed the long-term responsiveness of an Iranian spring wheat (cv. Kohdasht) to cold from a proteomic point of view, in order to unravel the molecular mechanisms helping a cold-sensitive cultivar to survive exposure to suboptimal temperatures. Plants were grown at 20 or 4°C until entering the reproductive stage and a cross-comparison on the leaf proteomes was performed. Quantitative analyses on protein alterations occurring upon low-temperature exposure showed a reinforcement in ascorbate recycling (dehydroascorbate reductase, ascorbate peroxidase) and protein processing (proteasome subunit, cysteine proteinase), as well as the accumulation of the enzyme devoted to tetrapyrrole resynthesis (glutamate semialdehyde aminomutase). In contrast, among proteins down-regulated after cold stress, we could identify some key Krebs cycle enzymes (isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase), together with many photosynthesis-related proteins (oxygen-evolving complex proteins, ATP synthase subunits, ferredoxin NADPH oxidoreductase and some Calvin cycle enzymes). Physiological and biochemical parameters (such as shoot apex dissection, chlorophyll, proline and sugar content determination) sustained proteomics findings allowing the present research to contribute to the current knowledge on these long-term responses, which may be crucial to stress adaptation under field conditions.     

The solar-image acquisition system at Tor Vergata university

Summary We describe an image acquisition system realized as a part of an apparatus built in collaboration with the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory in Florence designed to record high-spectral-resolution solar images in the visible part of the spectrum. The system is based on a 512×512 Thomson CCD type THX31159 and on 486 CPU personal computer running under MS-DOS. The electronics for driving the sensor and for the amplification and conditioning of the video signal has been designed and built in the laboratory while the signal A/D conversion and image presentation is performed using commercial boards.     

High-resolution spectroscopic imaging of the Sun with a universal birefringent filter and a Fabry-Perot Interferometer

Summary We describe an optical device consisting of a Universal Birefringent Filter and a Fabry-Perot interferometer used in tandem to obtain monochromatic images of the Sun in the visible spectrum (between 4200 and 7000 ?). The spectral resolving power is about 300000 and the wavelength stability might reach 0.02 m? at 5000 ? (≈1.2 m/s) with an integration time of 1 s. The image is recorded by a CCD camera based on a Thomson THX31159 device with 512×512 square pixels 19 μm in size. A prototype of this instrument was tested at the G. B. Donati Solar Tower of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory by obtaining, at fixed time intervals, several series of full disk monochromatic images of the Sun at different wavelengths inside the Fe I 5905.7 ? photospheric line. In this paper we describe the instrument and its characteristics and we give an cccount of the preliminary results obtained by measuring the global velocity field on the solar photosphere. These results show that the instrument is well suited for global oscillation measurements. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.     

The heat equation to generate planar grids

An algorithm for the generation of quadrilateral grids on planar domains is presented. This algorithm is given by an iterative procedure, where, starting from an initial grid on the domain under consideration, the coordinates of the grid vertices are iteratively adjusted by using a local discrete variational approach. This procedure resembles the explicit difference scheme for a perturbed heat equation, where the perturbation can be dropped for convex domains. Experimental results on benchmark domains are presented, and show an interesting behavior of the proposed method.     

Sharp geometric condition for null-controllability of the heat equation on $$\mathbb {R}^d$$ and consistent estimates on the control cost

In this note we study the control problem for the heat equation on \(\mathbb {R}^d\), \(d\ge 1\), with control set \(\omega \subset \mathbb {R}^d\). We provide a necessary and sufficient condition (called \((\gamma , a)\)-thickness) on \(\omega \) such that the heat equation is null-controllable in any positive time. We give an estimate of the control cost with explicit dependency on the characteristic geometric parameters of the control set. Finally, we derive a control cost estimate for the heat equation on cubes with periodic, Dirichlet, or Neumann boundary conditions, where the control sets are again assumed to be thick. We show that the control cost estimate is consistent with the \(\mathbb {R}^d\) case.     

Preliminary measurements of geomagnetic micropulsations at L'Aquila, Italy

Summary In this paper we present the data acquisition procedure and criteria which have been adopted at the new station for geomagnetic micropulsations at L'Aquila (Italy) and are currently under evaluation. In particular, we are testing some real-time ≪alert≫ algorithms which should be able to identify events which exhibit the main characteristics ofPc 1 micropulsations (f>0.2 Hz) commanding the storage of the corresponding data at the highest sampling rate (16 Hz): the realtime algorithms provide filtered data which are sampled and stored at lower rate. Some preliminary examples of geomagnetic-field fluctuations are also presented. This activity is partially supported by C.N.R. through the Gruppo Italiano di Fisica Cosmica (GIFCO).