Linking rain into ice microphysics across the melting layer in stratiform rain: a closure study

This study investigates the link between rain and ice microphysics across the melting layer in stratiform rain systems using measurements from vertically pointing multi-frequency Doppler radars. A novel methodology to examine the variability of the precipitation rate and the mass-weighted melted diameter (Dm) across the melting region is proposed and applied to a 6 h long case study, observed during the TRIPEx-pol field campaign at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution Core Facility and covering a gamut of ice microphysical processes. The methodology is based on an optimal estimation (OE) retrieval of particle size distributions (PSDs) and dynamics (turbulence and vertical motions) from observed multi-frequency radar Doppler spectra applied both above and below the melting layer. First, the retrieval is applied in the rain region; based on a one-to-one conversion of raindrops into snowflakes, the retrieved drop size distributions (DSDs) are propagated upward to provide the mass-flux-preserving PSDs of snow. These ice PSDs are used to simulate radar reflectivities above the melting layer for different snow models and they are evaluated for a consistency with the actual radar measurements. Second, the OE snow retrieval where Doppler spectra are simulated based on different snow models, which consistently compute fall speeds and electromagnetic properties, is performed. The results corresponding to the best-matching models are then used to estimate snow fluxes and Dm, which are directly compared to the corresponding rain quantities. For the case study, the total accumulation of rain (2.30 mm) and the melted equivalent accumulation of snow (1.93 mm) show a 19 % difference. The analysis suggests that the mass flux through the melting zone is well preserved except the periods of intense riming where the precipitation rates were higher in rain than in the ice above. This is potentially due to additional condensation within the melting zone in correspondence to high relative humidity and collision and coalescence with the cloud droplets whose occurrence is ubiquitous with riming. It is shown that the mean mass-weighted diameter of ice is strongly related to the characteristic size of the underlying rain except the period of extreme aggregation where breakup of melting snowflakes significantly reduces Dm. The proposed methodology can be applied to long-term observations to advance our knowledge of the processes occurring across the melting region; this can then be used to improve assumptions underpinning spaceborne radar precipitation retrievals.

Linking rain into ice microphysics across the melting layer in stratiform rain: a closure study

This study investigates the link between rain and ice microphysics across the melting layer in stratiform rain systems using measurements from vertically pointing multi-frequency Doppler radars. A novel methodology to examine the variability of the precipitation rate and the mass-weighted melted diameter (Dm)across the melting region is proposed and applied to a 6 h-long case study, observed during the TRIPEx-pol field campaign at the Julich Observatory for Cloud Evolution Core Facility and covering a gamut of ice microphysical processes. The methodology is based on an optimal estimation (OE) retrieval of particle size distributions (PSD) and dynamics (turbulence and vertical motions) from observed multi-frequency radar Doppler spectra applied both above and below the melting layer. The retrieval is first applied in the rain region; based on a one-to-one conversion of raindrops into snowflakes, the retrieved Drop Size Distributions (DSD) are propagated upward to provide a first guess for the snow PSDs. These ice PSDs are then used to constrain the OE snow retrieval where Doppler spectra are simulated based on different snow models, which consistently compute fall-speeds and electromagnetic properties. The results corresponding to the best matching models are then used to compute snow fluxes and Dm, which can be directly compared to the corresponding rain quantities. For the case study, the total accumulation of rain (2.65 mm) and the melted equivalent accumulation of snow (2.60 mm) show only a 2 % difference. The analysis suggests that the mass flux through the melting zone is well preserved except the periods of intense aggregation and intense riming where the precipitation rates were respectively larger and lower in ice than in the rain below. Moreover, it is shown that, the mean mass weighted diameter of ice is strongly related to the characteristic size of the underlying rain. With a simple scaling, Dmice = 1.21Dmrain, the characteristic size of snow can be predicted with a root-mean-square-error of 0.12 mm. This formula leads to slight underestimation of the ice size during aggregation, potentially due to the breakup of melting snowflakes, and to overestimation during riming where the additional particle growth within the melting layer cannot be unambiguously attributed to one process. The proposed methodology can be applied to long-term observations to advance our knowledge of the processes occurring across the melting region; this can then be used to improve assumptions underpinning space-borne radar precipitation retrievals.

DNA sequence, physics, and promoter function: Analysis of high-throughput data On T7 promoter variants activity

RNA polymerase/promoter recognition represents a basic problem of molecular biology. Decades-long efforts were made in the area, and yet certain challenges persist. The usage of certain most suitable model subjects is pivotal for the research. System of T7 bacteriophage RNA-polymerase/T7 native promoter represents an exceptional example for the purpose. Moreover, it has been studied the most and successfully applied to aims of biotechnology and bioengineering. Both structural simplicity and high specificity of this molecular duo are the reason for this. Despite highly similar sequences of distinct T7 native promoters, the T7 RNA-polymerase enzyme is capable of binding respective promoter in a highly specific and adjustable manner. One explanation here is that the process relies primarily on DNA physical properties rather than nucleotide sequence. Here, we address the issue by analyzing massive data recently published by Komura and colleagues. This initial study employed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in order to quantify activity of promoter variants including ones with multiple substitutions. As a result of our work substantial bias in simultaneous occurrence of single-nucleotide sequence alterations was found: the highest rate of co-occurrence was evidenced within specificity loop of binding region while the lowest — in initiation region of promoter. If both location and a kind of nucleotides involved in replacement (both initial and resulting) are taken into consideration, one can easily note that N to A substitutions are most preferred ones across the whole 19 b.p.-long sequence. At the same time, N to C are tolerated only at crucial position in recognition loop of binding region, and N to G are uniformly least tolerable. Later in this work the complete set of variants was split into groups with mutations (1) exclusively in binding region; (2) exclusively in melting region; (3) in both regions. Among these three groups second comprises extremely few variants (at triple-digit rate lesser than in two other groups, 46 versus over one and six thousand). Yet these are all promoter with substantial to high activity. This group two appeared heterogenous by primary sequence; indeed, upon further subdivision into above versus below average activity subgroups first one was found to comprise promoters with negligible conservation at [Formula: see text]2 position of melting region; the second was hardly conserved in this region at all. This draws our attention to perfect consensus sequence of class III T7 promoter with [Formula: see text]2 nucleotide randomized (all four are present by one to several copies in the previously published source dataset), the picture becomes even more pronounced. We therefore suggest that mutations at the position therefore do not cause significant changes in terms of promoter activity. At the same time, such modifications dramatically change DNA physical properties which were calculated in our study (namely electrostatic potential and propensity to bend). One possible suggestion here is that [Formula: see text]2 nucleotide might function as a generic switch; if so, substitution [Formula: see text]2A to [Formula: see text]2T has important regulatory consequences. The fact that that [Formula: see text]2 b.p. is the most evidently different nucleotide between class II versus class III promoters of T7 genome and that it also distinguishes the class III promoter in T7 genome versus promoters of its relative but reproductively isolated bacteriophage T3. In other words, it appears feasible that mutation at [Formula: see text]2 nucleotide does not impede promoter activity yet alter its physical properties thus affecting differential RNA polymerase/promoter interaction.

Do the rain microphysics provide information on the overlying ice cloud?

<p>This study investigates to what degree the information about the Drop Size Distribution (DSD) of rain can be used to narrow down uncertainty associated with complex ice microphysics. For this purpose, measurements from vertically pointing multi-frequency Doppler radar are thoroughly analysed. Linear Depolarization Ratio information is used to unambiguously separate hydrometeor phases. Within radar volumes where pure rain is identified multi-frequency Doppler spectra are utilised to retrieve a binned DSD with a high degree of confidence (Tridon et al. 2017). By assuming no breakup and negligible interaction between melting particles (Szyrmer and Zawadzki 1999, Olson et al. 2001, Matrosov 2008) the rain drop size distribution closest to the melting region is used to predict the particle size distribution (PSD) in the overlying snow. With these assumptions the resulting shape of the ice PSD depends solely on the hydrodynamical properties of snow that are dictated by its microphysics.  Several ice models are considered in the analysis, ranging from aggregates of columns, dendrites, needles and plates to different stages of rimed snow. Their scattering properties are simulated with Self-Similar-Rayleigh-Gans approximation (Leinonen et al. 2018) whereas falling velocities are modelled after Khvorostyanov and Curry (2005). Doppler spectra are simulated for the predicted ice PSD and compared to the measurements above the melting region. Results suggest that, if appropriate snow model used, the predicted reflectivity differs by less than 3 dB from the measured values as has been tentatively suggested by Fabry and Zawadzki (1995).</p><p>Tridon, F., A. Battaglia, E. Luke, P. Kollias, 2017. Rain retrieval from dual-frequency radar Doppler spectra: validation and potential for a midlatitude precipitating case study. Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 143, 1364-1380. DOI: 10.1002/qj.3010</p><p>Szyrmer, W. and I. Zawadzki, 1999: Modeling of the Melting Layer. Part I: Dynamics and Microphysics. J. Atmos. Sci., 56, 3573–3592, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1999)056<3573:MOTMLP>2.0.CO;2</p><p>S. Olson, P. Bauer, N. F. Viltard, D. E. Johnson, W-K. Tao, R. Meneghini, and L. Liao, “A melting layer model for passive/active microwave remote sensing applications—Part I: Model formulation and comparisons with observations,” J. Appl. Meteorol., vol. 40, no. 7, pp. 1145–1163, Jul. 2001</p><p>Y. Matrosov, "Assessment of Radar Signal Attenuation Caused by the Melting Hydrometeor Layer," in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 1039-1047, April 2008. doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2008.915757</p><p>Fabry, F., and I. Zawadzki, 1995: Long-term radar observations of the melting layer of precipitation and their interpretation. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 838–851.</p><p>Jussi, Leinonen, Kneifel, Stefan, Hogan, Robin J.. Evaluation of the Rayleigh–Gans approximation for microwave scattering by rimed snowflakes. Q J R Meteorol Soc 2018; 144 ( Suppl. 1): 77– 88. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3093</p>

Dissimilar Materials Laser Welding Characteristics of Stainless Steel and Titanium Alloy

Welding parameters are directly influenced by the work material properties. Thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and melting point are very important to estimate the range of power required and the allowable scanning speed. However, when two or more different materials are involved, modifying lasing parameters are not enough to counter the problems such as imbalance melting region and weak adhesion of contact surface. To counter this problem, the characteristics of welding beads formation for both materials need to be clarified. In this study, comparison of welding beads constructed using the same scanning parameters were done to understand the different and similarity of melted region for the both materials. Actual welding of the both materials were done under different offset distance to obtain a balanced melting area and well mixed melting region.

Numerical Study on the Bombardment Effects of Tungsten by High-Intensity Pulsed Ion Beam

In order to study the response of tungsten under high heat load, the nonlinear thermodynamic equations considering the phase transition were established to the tungsten target irradiated by intense pulsed ion beam. Also the equations which describe the thermal stress and the total strain produced by the changed temperature in the material element were built. Numerical method was used to solve the evolutions of the thermal stress field formed in the target, and spatial temporal evolutions of stress field in the tungsten target are obtained. While the ion current density reached 100A/cm2, the surface materials of tungsten target at the beam incident center was melted and then re-solidified due to the heat conduction after the end of a pulse. There exists the gradient of temperature in tungsten, therefore the thermal stress formed. Radial tensile stress is produced within the melting region, meanwhile outside the region compressive stress is formed; the boundary appears on the edge of the melting region. The stresses on the incidental surface of target are larger compared with the internal.

Precipitation Classification and Quantification Using X-Band Dual-Polarization Weather Radar: Application in the Hydrometeorology Testbed

This paper presents new methods for rainfall estimation from X-band dual-polarization radar observations along with advanced techniques for quality control, hydrometeor classification, and estimation of specific differential phase. Data collected from the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) in orographic terrain of California are used to demonstrate the methodology. The quality control and hydrometeor classification are specifically developed for X-band applications, which use a “fuzzy logic” technique constructed from the magnitude of the copolar correlation coefficient and the texture of differential propagation phase. In addition, an improved specific differential phase retrieval and rainfall estimation method are also applied. The specific differential phase estimation is done for both the melting region and rain region, where it uses a conventional filtering method for the melting region and a self-consistency-based method that distributes the total differential phase consistent with the reflectivity factor for the rain region. Based on the specific differential phase, rainfall estimations were computed using data obtained from the NOAA polarimetric X-band radar for hydrometeorology (HYDROX) and evaluated using HMT rain gauge observations. The results show that the methodology works well at capturing the high-frequency rainfall variations for the events analyzed herein and can be useful for mountainous terrain applications.

Studies of Ge-Sb-Te Phase Change Materials At and Above Melting Temperatures and Set to Reset Transition of Memory Devices

The results of calorimetric and electrical studies of bulk Ge2Sb2Te5 and GeSb2Te4 alloys around melting temperature Tm are presented together with characteristics of phase-change memory devices from such alloys. The endothermic melting region is wider in Ge2Sb2Te5 than GeSb2Te4. Electrical resistivities of the alloys in this region have semiconductor characteristics. The width of the melting region correlates with breadth of set to reset transition in devices. This empirical correlation is probably important for alloy selection for multi-level memory cells.