| 1. |
- Hettiarachchi, Pasan, et al.
(författare)
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Energy Distribution of X-rays Produced by Meter-long Negative Discharges in Air
- 2017
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433 .- 2073-4433. ; 8:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The energy deposited from X-rays generated by 1 m long laboratory sparks in air created by 950 kV negative lightning impulses on scintillated detectors was measured. Assuming the X-ray energy detected in such sparks results from the accumulation of multiple photons at the detector having a certain energy distribution, an experiment was designed in such a way to characterize their distribution parameters. The detector was screened by a copper shield, and eight series of fifteen impulses were applied by stepwise increasing the copper shield thickness. The average deposited energy was calculated in each series and compared with the results from a model consisting of the attenuation of photons along their path and probable photon distributions. The results show that the energy distribution of X-ray bursts can be approximated by a bremsstrahlung spectrum of photons, having a maximum energy of 200 keV to 250 keV and a mean photon energy around 52 keV to 55 keV.
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| 2. |
- Ismail, Mohd Muzafar, et al.
(författare)
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Electric field signatures in wideband, 3 MHz and 30 MHz of negative ground flashes pertinent to Swedish thunderstorms
- 2015
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 6:12, s. 1904-1925
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the electric field signatures of negative ground flashes pertinent to the Swedish thunderstorms were recorded simultaneously during the summer of 2014 using wide (up to 100 MHz) and narrow (at 3 MHz and 30 MHz as central frequencies) bandwidth antenna systems. The electric field signatures were recorded for a time duration of 250 ms. In the analysis, the whole flash was considered and a total of 98 flashes were chosen where electric field signatures of all wideband, 3 MHz and 30 MHz signals were present. It is observed that preliminary breakdown pulses are stronger radiators at 3 and 30 MHz compared to the return strokes. A comparison of our results with those of the previous studies obtained from different geographical regions clearly shows that the strength of preliminary breakdown pulses is higher in the temperate region (Sweden for instance) and is a function of latitude.
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| 3. |
- Abera, Asmamaw, et al.
(författare)
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Air pollution measurements and land-use regression in urban sub-saharan Africa using low-cost sensors—possibilities and pitfalls
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 11:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Air pollution is recognized as the most important environmental factor that adversely affects human and societal wellbeing. Due to rapid urbanization, air pollution levels are increasing in the Sub-Saharan region, but there is a shortage of air pollution monitoring. Hence, exposure data to use as a base for exposure modelling and health effect assessments is also lacking. In this study, low-cost sensors were used to assess PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in the city of Adama, Ethiopia. The measurements were conducted during two separate 1-week periods. The measurements were used to develop a land-use regression (LUR) model. The developed LUR model explained 33.4% of the variance in the concentrations of PM2.5. Two predictor variables were included in the final model, of which both were related to emissions from traffic sources. Some concern regarding influential observations remained in the final model. Long-term PM2.5 and wind direction data were obtained from the city’s meteorological station, which should be used to validate the representativeness of our sensor measurements. The PM2.5 long-term data were however not reliable. Means of obtaining good reference data combined with longer sensor measurements would be a good way forward to develop a stronger LUR model which, together with improved knowledge, can be applied towards improving the quality of health. A health impact assessment, based on the mean level of PM2.5 (23 µg/m3), presented the attributable burden of disease and showed the importance of addressing causes of these high ambient levels in the area.
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| 4. |
- Abera, Asmamaw, et al.
(författare)
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Measurements of nox and development of land use regression models in an east-African city
- 2021
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 12:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Air pollution causes premature mortality and morbidity globally, but these adverse health effects occur over proportionately in low-and middle-income countries. Lack of both air pollution data and knowledge of its spatial distribution in African countries have been suggested to lead to an underestimation of health effects from air pollution. This study aims to measure nitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), to develop Land Use Regression (LUR) models in the city of Adama, Ethiopia. NOx and NO2 was measured at over 40 sites during six days in both the wet and dry seasons. Throughout the city, measured mean levels of NOx and NO2 were 29.0 µg/m3 and 13.1 µg/m3, respectively. The developed LUR models explained 68% of the NOx variances and 75% of the NO2. Both models included similar geographical predictor variables (related to roads, industries, and transportation administration areas) as those included in prior LUR models. The models were validated by using leave-one-out cross-validation and tested for spatial autocorrelation and multicollinearity. The performance of the models was good, and they are feasible to use to predict variance in annual average NOx and NO2 concentrations. The models developed will be used in future epidemiological and health impact assessment studies. Such studies may potentially support mitigation action and improve public health.
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| 5. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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No particle mass enhancement from induced atmospheric ageing at a rural site in northern Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433. ; 10:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A large portion of atmospheric aerosol particles consists of secondary material produced by oxidation reactions. The relative importance of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can increase with improved emission regulations. A relatively simple way to study potential particle formation in the atmosphere is by using oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) which simulate atmospheric ageing. Here we report on the first ambient OFR ageing experiment in Europe, coupled with scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and proton transfer reaction (PTR)-MS measurements. We found that the simulated ageing did not produce any measurable increases in particle mass or number concentrations during the two months of the campaign due to low concentrations of precursors. Losses in the reactor increased with hydroxyl radical (OH) exposure and with increasing difference between ambient and reactor temperatures, indicating fragmentation and evaporation of semivolatile material.
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| 6. |
- Aldabash, Midyan, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of MODIS C6.1 and MERRA-2 AOD Using AERONET Observations : A Comparative Study over Turkey
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433 .- 2073-4433. ; 11:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study validated MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, USA, Aqua and Terra Collection 6.1, and MERRA-2 (Modern-ERA Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application) Version 2 of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm against AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) ground-based sunphotometer observations over Turkey. AERONET AOD data were collected from three sites during the period between 2013 and 2017. Regression analysis showed that overall, seasonally and daily statistics of MODIS are better than MERRA-2 by the mean of coefficient of determination (R-2), mean absolute error (MAE), and relative root mean square deviation (RMSDrel). MODIS combined Terra/Aqua AOD and MERRA-2 AOD corresponding to morning and noon hours resulted in better results than individual sub datasets. A clear annual cycle in AOD was detected by the three platforms. However, overall, MODIS and MERRA-2 tend to overestimate and underestimate AOD, respectively, in comparison with AERONET. MODIS showed higher efficiency in detecting extreme events than MERRA-2. There was no clear relation found between the accuracy in MODIS/MERRA-2 AOD and surface relative humidity (RH).
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| 7. |
- Arevalo, Liliana, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Unstable Leader Inception Criteria of Atmospheric Discharges
- 2017
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433 .- 2073-4433. ; 8:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the literature, there are different criteria to represent the formation of a leader channel in short and long gap discharges. Due to the complexity of the physics of the heating phenomena, and the limitations of the computational resources, a simplified criterion for the minimum amount of electrical charge required to incept an unstable leader has recently been used for modeling long gap discharges and lightning attachments. The criterion is based on the assumption that the total energy of the streamer is used to heat up the gas, among other principles. However, from a physics point of view, energy can also be transferred to other molecular processes, such as rotation, translation, and vibrational excitation. In this paper, the leader inception mechanism was studied based on fundamental particle physics and the energy balance of the gas media. The heating process of the plasma is evaluated with a detailed two-dimensional self-consistent model. The model is able to represent the streamer propagation, dark period, and unsuccessful leaders that may occur prior to the heating of the channel. The main processes that participate in heating the gas are identified within the model, indicating that impact ionization and detachment are the leading sources of energy injection, and that recombination is responsible for loss of electrons and limiting the energy. The model was applied to a well-known experiment for long air gaps under positive switching impulses reported in the literature, and used to validate models for lightning attachments and long gap discharges. Results indicate that the streamer-leader transition depends on the amount of energy transferred to the heating process. The minimum electric charge required for leader inception varies with the gap geometry, the background electric field, the reduction of electric field due to the space charge, the energy expended on the vibrational relation, and the environmental conditions, among others.
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| 8. |
- Armanuos, Asaad M., et al.
(författare)
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Cross Assessment of Twenty-One Different Methods for Missing Precipitation Data Estimation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - Switzerland : MDPI. - 2073-4433 .- 2073-4433. ; 11:4, s. 1-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results of metrological, hydrological, and environmental data analyses are mainlydependent on the reliable estimation of missing data. In this study, 21 classical methods were evaluated to determine the best method for infilling the missing precipitation data in Ethiopia. The monthly data collected from 15 different stations over 34 years from 1980 to 2013 were considered. Homogeneity and trend tests were performed to check the data. The results of the different methods were compared using the mean absolute error (MAE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), coefficient of efficiency (CE), similarity index (S-index), skill score (SS), and Pearson correlation coefficient (rPearson). The results of this paper confirmed that the normal ratio (NR), multiple linear regression (MLR), inverse distance weighting (IDW), correlation coefficient weighting (CCW), and arithmetic average (AA) methods are the most reliable methods of those studied. The NR method provides the most accurate estimations with rPearson of 0.945, mean absolute error of 22.90 mm, RMSE of 33.695 mm, similarity index of 0.999, CE index of 0.998, and skill score of 0.998. When comparing the observed results and the estimated results from the NR, MLR, IDW, CCW, and AA methods, the MAE and RMSE were found to be low, and high values of CE, S-index, SS, and rPearson were achieved. On the other hand, using the closet station (CS), UK traditional, linear regression (LR), expectation maximization (EM), and multiple imputations (MI) methods gave the lowest accuracy, with MAE and RMSE values varying from 30.424 to 47.641 mm and from 49.564 to 58.765 mm, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the recommended methods are applicable for different types of climatic data in Ethiopia and arid regions in other countries around the world.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Brus, David, et al.
(författare)
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Temperature-Dependent Diffusion of H2SO4 in Air at Atmospherically Relevant Conditions : Laboratory Measurements Using Laminar Flow Technique
- 2017
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Ingår i: Atmosphere. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4433 .- 2073-4433. ; 8:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report flow tube measurements of the effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficient at ranges of different relative humidities (from similar to 4 to 70%), temperatures (278, 288 and 298 K) and initial H2SO4 concentrations (from 1 x 10(6) to 1 x 10(8) molecules.cm(-3)). The measurements were carried out under laminar flow of humidified air containing trace amounts of impurities such as amines (few ppt), thus representing typical conditions met in Earth's continental boundary layer. The diffusion coefficients were calculated from the sulfuric acid wall loss rate coefficients that were obtained by measuring H2SO4 concentration continuously at seven different positions along the flow tube with a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS). The wall loss rate coefficients and laminar flow conditions were verified with additional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model FLUENT simulations. The determined effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing relative humidity, as also seen in previous experiments, and had a rather strong power dependence with respect to temperature, around proportional to T-5.6, which is in disagreement with the expected temperature dependence of similar to T-1.75 for pure vapours. Further clustering kinetics simulations using quantum chemical data showed that the effective diffusion coefficient is lowered by the increased diffusion volume of H2SO4 molecules via a temperature-dependent attachment of base impurities like amines. Thus, the measurements and simulations suggest that in the atmosphere the attachment of sulfuric acid molecules with base molecules can lead to a lower than expected effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficient with a higher than expected temperature dependence.
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