1. Emission of volatile organic compounds from residential biomass burning and their rapid chemical transformationsMaximillien Desservettaz, Michael Pikridas, Iasonas Stavroulas, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Eleni Liakakou, Nikolaos Hatzianastassiou, Jean Sciare, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Biomass combustion releases a complex array of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that pose significant challenges to air quality and human health. Although biomass burning has been extensively studied at ecosystem levels, understanding the atmospheric transformation and impact on air quality of emissions in urban environments remains challenging due to complex sources and burning materials. In this study, we investigate the VOC emission rates and atmospheric chemical processing of predominantly wood burning emissions in a small urban centre in Greece. Ioannina is situated in a valley within the Dinaric Alps and experiences intense atmospheric pollution accumulation during winter due to its topography and high wood burning activity. During pollution event days, the ambient mixing ratios of key VOC species were found to be similar to those reported for major urban centres worldwide. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis revealed that biomass burning was the dominant emission source (>50 %), representing two thirds of OH reactivity, which indicates a highly reactive atmospheric mixture. Calculated OH reactivity ranges from 5 s−1 to an unprecedented 278 s−1, and averages at 93 ± 66 s−1 at 9 PM, indicating the presence of exceptionally reactive VOCs. The highly pronounced photochemical formation of organic acids coincided with the formation of ozone, highlighting the significance of secondary formation of pollutants in poorly ventilated urban areas. Our findings underscore the pressing need to transition from wood burning to environmentally friendly sources of energy in poorly ventilated urban areas, in order to improve air quality and safeguard public health.
Keywords: biomass burning, urban air quality, VOCs, emission factors, source apportionment
Published in RUNG: 13.05.2024; Views: 117; Downloads: 1
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2. The Cherenkov Telescope ArrayDaniel Mazin, Christopher Eckner, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Gabrijela Zaharijas, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2019, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation ground-based observatory
for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies. It will be capable of detecting gamma rays in the energy range from 20 GeV to more than 300 TeV with unprecedented precision in energy and directional reconstruction. With more than 100 telescopes of three different types it will be located in the northern hemisphere at La Palma, Spain, and in the southern
at Paranal, Chile. CTA will be one of the largest astronomical infrastructures in the world with open data access and it will address questions in astronomy, astrophysics and fundamental physics in the next decades. In this presentation we will focus on the status
of the CTA construction, the status of the telescope prototypes and highlight some of the physics perspectives.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA sensitivity, gamma-ray bursts, POpulation Synthesis Theory Integrated project for very high-energy emission
Published in RUNG: 04.12.2023; Views: 674; Downloads: 3
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3. POSyTIVE : a GRB population study for the Cherenkov Telescope ArrayMaria Grazia Bernardini, Christopher Eckner, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Gabrijela Zaharijas, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2019, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: One of the central scientific goals of the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array
(CTA) is the detection and characterization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). CTA will be sensitive to gamma rays with energies from about 20 GeV, up to a few hundred TeV.
The energy range below 1 TeV is particularly important for GRBs. CTA will allow exploration of this regime with a ground-based gamma-ray facility with unprecedented sensitivity.
As such, it will be able to probe radiation and particle acceleration mechanisms at work in GRBs. In this contribution, we describe POSyTIVE, the POpulation Synthesis Theory Integrated project for very high-energy emission. The purpose of the project is to make realistic predictions for the detection rates of GRBs with CTA, to enable studies
of individual simulated GRBs, and to perform preparatory studies for time-resolved
spectral analyses. The mock GRB population used by POSyTIVE is calibrated using the entire 40-year dataset of multi-wavelength GRB observations. As part of this project we explore theoretical models for prompt and afterglow emission of long and short GRBs,
and predict the expected radiative output. Subsequent analyses are performed
in order to simulate the observations with CTA, using the publicly available ctools and Gammapy frameworks. We present preliminary results of the design and implementation
of this project.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA sensitivity, gamma-ray bursts, population Synthesis Theory, very high-energy emission
Published in RUNG: 04.12.2023; Views: 863; Downloads: 1
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4. Wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping of quasar CTS C30.10: Dissecting Mg II and Fe II emission regionsRaj Prince, Michal Zajaček, Bożena Czerny, Piotr Trzcionkowski, Mateusz Bronikowski, Catalina Sobrino Figaredo, Swayamtrupta Panda, Mary Loli Martinez-Aldama, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Vikram Kumar Jaiswal, Marzena Śniegowska, Mohammad-Hassan Naddaf, Maciej Bilicki, Martin Haas, Marek Jacek Sarna, Vladimir Karas, Aleksandra Olejak, Robert Przyłuski, Mateusz Rałowski, Andrzej Udalski, Ramotholo R. Sefako, Anja Genade, Hannah L. Worters, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Context. We present the results of the reverberation monitoring of the Mg II broad line and Fe II pseudocontinuum for the luminous quasar CTS C30.10 (z = 0.90052) with the Southern African Large Telescope in 2012–2021.
Aims. We aimed at disentangling the Mg II and UV Fe II variability and the first measurement of UV Fe II time delay for a distant quasar.
Methods. We used several methods for the time-delay measurements and determined the Fe II and Mg II time delays. We also performed a wavelength-resolved time delay study for a combination of Mg II and Fe II in the 2700–2900 Å rest-frame wavelength range.
Results. We obtain a time delay for Mg II of 275.5−19.5+12.4 days in the rest frame, and we have two possible solutions of 270.0−25.3+13.8 days and 180.3−30.0+26.6 in the rest frame for Fe II. Combining this result with the old measurement of Fe II UV time delay for NGC 5548, we discuss for first time the radius-luminosity relation for UV Fe II with the slope consistent with 0.5 within the uncertainties.
Conclusions. Because the Fe II time delay has a shorter time-delay component but the lines are narrower than Mg II, we propose that the line-delay measurement is biased toward the part of the broad line region (BLR) facing the observer. The bulk of the Fe II emission may arise from the more distant BLR region, however, the region that is shielded from the observer.
Keywords: accretion, accretion disks / quasars: emission lines / quasars: individual: CTS C30.10 / techniques: spectroscopic / techniques: photometric
Published in RUNG: 13.11.2023; Views: 733; Downloads: 4
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5. Wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping of intermediate-redshift quasars HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312 : dissecting Mg II, optical Fe II, and UV Fe II emission regionsRaj Prince, Michal Zajaček, Swayamtrupta Panda, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Vikram Kumar Jaiswal, Bożena Czerny, Piotr Trzcionkowski, Mateusz Bronikowski, Mateusz Rałowski, Catalina Sobrino Figaredo, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Context. We present the wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping (RM) of combined Mg II and UV Fe II broad-line emissions for two intermediate-redshift (z ∼ 1), luminous quasars, HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312, monitored by the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and 1m class telescopes between 2012 and 2022.
Aims. Using a wavelength-resolved technique, we aim to disentangle the Mg II and Fe II emission regions and to build a radius–luminosity (R–L) relation for UV Fe II emission, which has so far remained unconstrained.
Methods. We applied several time-delay methodologies to constrain the time delays for total Mg II and Fe II emissions. In addition, wavelength-resolved RM is performed to quantify the inflow or outflow of broad-line region (BLR) gas around the supermassive black hole and to disentangle the emission and the emitting regions based on lines produced in proximity to each other.
Results. The mean total FeII time delay is nearly equal to the mean total MgII time delay for HE 0435-4312, suggesting the co-spatiality of their emission regions. However, in HE 0413-4031, the mean FeII time delay is found to be longer than the mean MgII time delay, suggesting that FeII emission is produced at greater distances from the black hole. The UV FeII R–L relation is updated with these two quasars (now four in total) and compared with the optical FeII relation (20 sources), which suggests that the optical FeII emission region is located further than the UV FeII region by a factor of 1.7–1.9, that is, RFeII-opt ∼ (1.7 − 1.9)RFeII-UV.
Conclusion. Wavelength-resolved reverberation is an efficient way to constrain the geometry and structure of the BLR. We detected a weak pattern in the time delay versus wavelength relation, suggesting that the MgII broad line originates from a region slightly closer to the SMBH than the UV FeII pseudo continuum, although the difference is not very significant. Comparison of MgII, UV, and optical FeII R–L relations suggests that the difference may be greater for lower-luminosity sources, possibly with the MgII emission originating further from the SMBH. In the future, more RM data will be acquired, allowing better constraints on these trends, in particular the UV FeII R–L relation.
Keywords: accretion, accretion disks, emission lines, photometric, spectroscopic
Published in RUNG: 13.11.2023; Views: 757; Downloads: 4
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6. Insights into the size-resolved dust emission from field measurements in the Moroccan SaharaCristina González-Flórez, Martina Klose, Andrés Alastuey, Sylvain Dupont, Jerónimo Escribano, Vicken Etyemezian, Adolfo Gonzalez-Romero, Yue Huang, Konrad Kandler, Jesús Yus-Díez, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Atmospheric mineral dust consists of tiny mineral particles that are emitted by wind erosion from arid regions. Its particle size distribution (PSD) affects its impact on the Earth's system. Nowadays, there is an incomplete understanding of the emitted dust PSD and a lot of debate about its variability. Here, we try to address these issues based on the measurements performed during a wind erosion and dust emission field campaign in the Moroccan Sahara within the framework of FRAGMENT project.
Keywords: aerosol particles, mineral dust, emission processes, climate
Published in RUNG: 23.10.2023; Views: 950; Downloads: 5
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7. First results from the AugerPrime Radio DetectorT. Fodran, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2022, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: The Pierre Auger Observatory investigates the properties of the highest-energy cosmic rays with unprecedented precision. The aim of the AugerPrime upgrade is to improve the sensitivity to the primary particle type. The improved mass sensitivity is the key to exploring the origin of the highest-energy particles in the Universe. The purpose of the Radio Detector (as part of AugerPrime) is to extend the sensitivity of the mass measurements to zenith angles in the range from 65° to 85°. A radio antenna, sensitive in two polarization directions and covering a bandwidth from 30 to 80 MHz, will be added to each of the 1661 surface detector stations over the full 3000 km^2 area, forming the world’s largest radio array for the detection of cosmic particles. Since November 2019, an engineering array comprised of ten stations has been installed in the field. The radio antennas are calibrated using the Galactic (diffuse) emission. The sidereal
modulation of this signal is monitored continuously and is used to obtain an end-to-end calibration from the receiving antenna to the ADC in the read-out electronics. The calibration method and first results will be presented. The engineering array is also fully integrated in the data acquisition of the Observatory and records air showers regularly. The first air showers detected simultaneously with the water-Cherenkov detectors and the Radio Detectors will be presented. Simulations of the detected showers, based on the reconstructed quantities, have been conducted with CORSIKA/CoREAS. A comparison of the measured radio signals with those predicted by simulations exhibits satisfying agreement.
Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, AugerPrime, indirect detection, radio detection, radio antenna array, surface detection, ground array, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, galactic radio emission
Published in RUNG: 04.10.2023; Views: 676; Downloads: 6
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10. Optical emission diagnosis of carbon nanoparticle incorporated chlorophyll for sensing applicationsMohanachandran Nair Sindhu Swapna, RAJ VIMAL, SARITHA DEVI H V, Sankararaman S, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Chlorophyll fluorescence (Chl F) is widely used in sensing applications to understand terrestrial vegetation
and environmental and climatic variations. The increasing rates of industrialization and carbon emission
from internal combustion engines (ICEs) pose a threat to sustainable development. This study analyses
the impact of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) from ICEs on the optical absorption and fluorescence emission of leaf pigments. Leaf pigments without and with CNPs were subjected to UV-visible and photo-luminescence (PL) spectroscopy analyses. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of CNPs showed their morphology. The Jablonski diagram of the CNP-incorporated chlorophyll system helped in understanding the fluorescence emission,internal conversion, and the exchange of energy between them. The variations in (i) total chlorophyll, (ii)
optical absorbance by total chlorophyll, (iii) PL emission peak (at 675 nm and 718 nm) intensities for different excitation wavelengths, and (iv) normalized absorbance at the PL emission peaks with different CNP concentrations were analysed by dividing into three regions. In Region I (0–0.625 mg ml−1 ), the
radiative component dominated the nonradiative component as a result of energy transfer from CNPs to chlorophyll. In Region II (0.625–1.2 mg ml−1 ), the increase in CNP concentration initiated diffusion into chloroplasts, resulting in the increase in the nonradiative part of total energy and decrease in PL peak
intensity. In Region III (1.2–2.5 mg ml−1
), the energy absorbed by the CNPs dissipated more nonradiatively, leading to a slow rate of increase in the radiative part. The visual response of PL emission, color purity,
and the distribution of the emitted energy over the spectrum studied with the help of CIE plots, power spectrum, and confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed the fluorescence emission in the red region. This study suggests the possibility of employing Chl F in agricultural, environmental, and biological fields
for sensing applications.
Keywords: carbon nanoparticle, optical emission, fluorescence
Published in RUNG: 05.07.2022; Views: 1207; Downloads: 0
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