| 1. |
- Abbasi, Rasha, et al.
(author)
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IceCube search for neutrinos from GRB 221009A
- 2023
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In: Proceedings of 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023). - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- GRB 221009A is the brightest Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) ever observed. The observed extremelyhigh flux of high and very-high-energy photons provide a unique opportunity to probe the predictedneutrino counterpart to the electromagnetic emission. We have used a variety of methods to searchfor neutrinos in coincidence with the GRB over several time windows during the precursor, promptand afterglow phases of the GRB. MeV scale neutrinos are studied using photo-multiplier ratescalers which are normally used to search for galactic core-collapse supernovae neutrinos. GeVneutrinos are searched starting with DeepCore triggers. These events don’t have directionallocalization, but instead can indicate an excess in the rate of events. 10 GeV - 1 TeV and >TeVneutrinos are searched using traditional neutrino point source methods which take into accountthe direction and time of events with DeepCore and the entire IceCube detector respectively. The>TeV results include both a fast-response analysis conducted by IceCube in real-time with timewindows of T0 − 1 to T0 + 2 hours and T0 ± 1 day around the time of GRB 221009A, as well asan offline analysis with 3 new time windows up to a time window of T0 − 1 to T0 + 14 days, thelongest time period we consider. The combination of observations by IceCube covers 9 ordersof magnitude in neutrino energy, from MeV to PeV, placing upper limits across the range forpredicted neutrino emission.
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| 2. |
- Albrecht, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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The effectiveness of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control, pollination services and crop yield : a quantitative synthesis
- 2020
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In: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 23:10, s. 1488-1498
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Floral plantings are promoted to foster ecological intensification of agriculture through provisioning of ecosystem services. However, a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of different floral plantings, their characteristics and consequences for crop yield is lacking. Here we quantified the impacts of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control (18 studies) and pollination services (17 studies) in adjacent crops in North America, Europe and New Zealand. Flower strips, but not hedgerows, enhanced pest control services in adjacent fields by 16% on average. However, effects on crop pollination and yield were more variable. Our synthesis identifies several important drivers of variability in effectiveness of plantings: pollination services declined exponentially with distance from plantings, and perennial and older flower strips with higher flowering plant diversity enhanced pollination more effectively. These findings provide promising pathways to optimise floral plantings to more effectively contribute to ecosystem service delivery and ecological intensification of agriculture in the future.
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| 3. |
- Becker, Christiane, et al.
(author)
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Nanophotonic enhanced perovskite-silicon solar cell devices
- 2019
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In: ; , s. 858-859
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells are a promising concept for overcoming the limits of conventional silicon single-junction technology. Light management is doubtless a key issue for further boosting efficiency. We discuss the impact of photonic nanostructures on the optical performance of perovskite-silicon devices. We experimentally and numerically demonstrate shallow antireflective nanotextures, which are compatible with perovskite solution processing. We further showcase enhanced photon up-conversion using perovskite nanoparticles interacting with photonic nanostructures and discuss the applicability for spectral conversion of sunlight.
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| 4. |
- Becker, Pascal, et al.
(author)
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Low Temperature Synthesis of Stable γ-CsPbI 3 Perovskite Layers for Solar Cells Obtained by High Throughput Experimentation
- 2019
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In: Advanced Energy Materials. - : Wiley. - 1614-6832 .- 1614-6840. ; 9:22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The structural phases and optoelectronic properties of coevaporated CsPbI 3 thin films with a wide range of [CsI]/[PbI 2 ] compositional ratios are investigated using high throughput experimentation and gradient samples. It is found that for CsI-rich growth conditions, CsPbI 3 can be synthesized directly at low temperature into the distorted perovskite γ-CsPbI 3 phase without detectable secondary phases. In contrast, PbI 2 -rich growth conditions are found to lead to the non-perovskite δ-phase. Photoluminescence spectroscopy and optical-pump THz-probe mapping show carrier lifetimes larger than 75 ns and charge carrier (sum) mobilities larger than 60 cm 2 V −1 s −1 for the γ-phase, indicating their suitability for high efficiency solar cells. The dependence of the carrier mobilities and luminescence peak energy on the Cs-content in the films indicates the presence of Schottky defect pairs, which may cause the stabilization of the γ-phase. Building on these results, p–i–n type solar cells with a maximum efficiency exceeding 12% and high shelf stability of more than 1200 h are demonstrated, which in the future could still be significantly improved, judging on their bulk optoelectronic properties.
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| 5. |
- Dagar, Janardan, et al.
(author)
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Compositional and Interfacial Engineering Yield High-Performance and Stable p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells and Mini-Modules
- 2021
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In: ACS applied materials & interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 13:11, s. 13022-13033
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Through the optimization of the perovskite precursor composition and interfaces to selective contacts, we achieved a p-i-n-type perovskite solar cell (PSC) with a 22.3% power conversion efficiency (PCE). This is a new performance record for a PSC with an absorber bandgap of 1.63 eV. We demonstrate that the high device performance originates from a synergy between (1) an improved perovskite absorber quality when introducing formamidinium chloride (FACl) as an additive in the "triple cation" Cs0.05FA0.79MA0.16PbBr0.51I2.49 (Cs-MAFA) perovskite precursor ink, (2) an increased open-circuit voltage, VOC, due to reduced recombination losses when using a lithium fluoride (LiF) interfacial buffer layer, and (3) high-quality hole-selective contacts with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of [2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (2PACz) on ITO electrodes. While all devices exhibit a high performance after fabrication, as determined from current-density voltage, J-V, measurements, substantial differences in device performance become apparent when considering longer-term stability data. A reduced long-term stability of devices with the introduction of a LiF interlayer is compensated for by using FACl as an additive in the metal-halide perovskite thin-film deposition. Optimized devices maintained about 80% of the initial average PCE during maximum power point (MPP) tracking for >700 h. We scaled the optimized device architecture to larger areas and achieved fully laser patterned series-interconnected mini-modules with a PCE of 19.4% for a 2.2 cm2 active area. A robust device architecture and reproducible deposition methods are fundamental for high performance and stable large-area single junction and tandem modules based on PSCs.
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| 6. |
- Gil-Escrig, Lidon, et al.
(author)
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Efficient Wide-Bandgap Mixed-Cation and Mixed-Halide Perovskite Solar Cells by Vacuum Deposition
- 2021
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In: ACS Energy Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2380-8195. ; 6:2, s. 827-836
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vacuum deposition methods are increasingly applied to the preparation of perovskite films and devices, in view of the possibility to prepare multilayer structures at low temperature. Vacuum-deposited, wide-bandgap solar cells based on mixed-cation and mixed-anion perovskites have been scarcely reported, due to the challenges associated with the multiple-source processing of perovskite thin films. In this work, we describe a four-source vacuum deposition process to prepare wide-bandgap perovskites of the type FA(1-n)Cs(n)Pb-(I1-xBrx)(3) with a tunable bandgap and controlled morphology, using FAI, CsI, PbI2, and PbBr2 as the precursors. The simultaneous sublimation of PbI2 and PbBr2 allows the relative Br/Cs content to be decoupled and controlled, resulting in homogeneous perovskite films with a bandgap in the 1.7-1.8 eV range and no detectable halide segregation. Solar cells based on 1.75 eV bandgap perovskites show efficiency up to 16.8% and promising stability, maintaining 90% of the initial efficiency after 2 weeks of operation.
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| 7. |
- Kegelmann, Lukas, et al.
(author)
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It Takes Two to Tango - Double-Layer Selective Contacts in Perovskite Solar Cells for Improved Device Performance and Reduced Hysteresis
- 2017
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 9:20, s. 17245-17255
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solar cells made from inorganic-organic perovskites have gradually approached market requirements as their efficiency and stability have improved tremendously in recent years. Planar low-temperature processed perovskite solar cells are advantageous for possible large-scale production but are more prone to exhibiting photocurrent hysteresis, especially in the regular n-i-p structure. Here, a systematic characterization of different electron selective contacts with a variety of chemical and electrical properties in planar n-i-p devices processed below 180 °C is presented. The inorganic metal oxides TiO2 and SnO2, the organic fullerene derivatives C60, PCBM, and ICMA, as well as double-layers with a metal oxide/PCBM structure are used as electron transport materials (ETMs). Perovskite layers deposited atop the different ETMs with the herein applied fabrication method show a similar morphology according to scanning electron microscopy. Further, surface photovoltage spectroscopy measurements indicate comparable perovskite absorber qualities on all ETMs, except TiO2, which shows a more prominent influence of defect states. Transient photoluminescence studies together with current-voltage scans over a broad range of scan speeds reveal faster charge extraction, less pronounced hysteresis effects, and higher efficiencies for devices with fullerene compared to those with metal oxide ETMs. Beyond this, only double-layer ETM structures substantially diminish hysteresis effects for all performed scan speeds and strongly enhance the power conversion efficiency up to a champion stabilized value of 18.0%. The results indicate reduced recombination losses for a double-layer TiO2/PCBM contact design: First, a reduction of shunt paths through the fullerene to the ITO layer. Second, an improved hole blocking by the wide band gap metal oxide. Third, decreased transport losses due to an energetically more favorable contact, as implied by photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The herein demonstrated improvements of multilayer selective contacts may serve as a general design guideline for perovskite solar cells.
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| 8. |
- Locke, Adam E, et al.
(author)
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Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 197-401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.
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| 9. |
- Phung, Nga, et al.
(author)
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The Role of Grain Boundaries on Ionic Defect Migration in Metal Halide Perovskites
- 2020
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In: Advanced Energy Materials. - : Wiley. - 1614-6832 .- 1614-6840. ; 10:20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Halide perovskites are emerging as revolutionary materials for optoelectronics. Their ionic nature and the presence of mobile ionic defects within the crystal structure have a dramatic influence on the operation of thin-film devices such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and transistors. Thin films are often polycrystalline and it is still under debate how grain boundaries affect the migration of ions and corresponding ionic defects. Laser excitation during photoluminescence (PL) microscopy experiments leads to formation and subsequent migration of ionic defects, which affects the dynamics of charge carrier recombination. From the microscopic observation of lateral PL distribution, the change in the distribution of ionic defects over time can be inferred. Resolving the PL dynamics in time and space of single crystals and thin films with different grain sizes thus, provides crucial information about the influence of grain boundaries on the ionic defect movement. In conjunction with experimental observations, atomistic simulations show that defects are trapped at the grain boundaries, thus inhibiting their diffusion. Hence, with this study, a comprehensive picture highlighting a fundamental property of the material is provided while also setting a theoretical framework in which the interaction between grain boundaries and ionic defect migration can be understood.
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| 10. |
- Shungin, Dmitry, et al.
(author)
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New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 187-378
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.
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| 11. |
- Tran, Quang H., et al.
(author)
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TOI-1670 b and c: An Inner Sub-Neptune with an Outer Warm Jupiter Unlikely to Have Originated from High-eccentricity Migration
- 2022
-
In: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-3881 .- 0004-6256. ; 163:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the discovery of two transiting planets around the bright (V = 9.9 mag) main-sequence F7 star TOI-1670 by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. TOI-1670 b is a sub-Neptune (R-b = 2.06(-0.15)(+0.19) R-circle plus) on a 10.9 day orbit, and TOI-1670 c is a warm Jupiter (R-c= 0.987(-0.025)(+0.025) R-Jup) on a 40.7 day orbit. Using radial velocity observations gathered with the Tull Coude Spectrograph on the Harlan J. Smith telescope and HARPS-N on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, we find a planet mass of M-c = 0.63(-0.08)(+0.09) M(Jup )for the outer warm Jupiter, implying a mean density of rho(c) = 0.81(-0.11)(+0.13) g cm(-3). The inner sub-Neptune is undetected in our radial velocity data (M-b < 0.13 M-Jup at the 99% confidence level). Multiplanet systems like TOI-1670 hosting an outer warm Jupiter on a nearly circular orbit (l(e) = 0.09(-0.04)(+0.05)) and one or more inner coplanar planets are more consistent with "gentle" formation mechanisms such as disk migration or in situ formation rather than high-eccentricity migration. Of the 11 known systems with a warm Jupiter and a smaller inner companion, eight (73%) are near a low-order mean-motion resonance, which can be a signature of migration. TOI-1670 joins two other systems (27% of this subsample) with period commensurabilities greater than 3, a common feature of in situ formation or halted inward migration. TOI-1670 and the handful of similar systems support a diversity of formation pathways for warm Jupiters.
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| 12. |
- Xiang, Wanchun, et al.
(author)
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Intermediate phase engineering of halide perovskites for photovoltaics
- 2022
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In: Joule. - : Elsevier. - 2542-4351. ; 6:2, s. 315-339
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Metal halide perovskites serving as one of the most promising photovoltaic materials are gaining considerable attention worldwide. For achieving high performance as well as long-term stability of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs), a good quality of perovskite film featuring in smooth, pinhole-free morphology, full coverage over substrates, good heterojunction contacts, and stable photoactive phase is of great importance. During solution fabrication for perovskite films, intermediate phase, which refers to the state of precursor composition before final annealing, plays an essential role in determining the film quality, especially in the state-of-theart PSCs. In this review, we summarize the research involving mechanism and applications of intermediate phase engineering (IPE) processes in various solution-processing technologies. The challenges of IPE are further discussed, and perspectives are provided for developing high-performance PSCs via IPE.
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