Simulation studies of processes associated with stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) in the ionosphere

Results of numerical simulation studies of processes associated with Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission (SEE) produced during ionospheric heating experiments are presented. A one-dimensional magnetized electrostatic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation model with uniform plasma density is used to investigate electrostatic wave generation in the region where the pump frequency ω₀ approximately equals the upper hybrid frequency ω_uh. In particular, the simulation plasma is driven with a uniform oscillating electric field to represent the long wavelength pump wave and power spectra of the electrostatic waves produced are taken. The pump wave frequency and amplitude are varied to consider the effects on the simulation power spectrum. The upper hybrid frequency in the model is varied through harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency Ω_ce to consider the effects of stepping the pump frequency through cyclotron harmonics. The power spectrum from the simulation plasma is richly structured. The resulting power spectra show sidebands upshifted and downshifted from the pump frequency by multiples of the lower hybrid frequency ω_lh. The structure of the spectrum is highly sensitive to the proximity of the upper hybrid frequency to the cyclotron harmonic frequencies.     

Regionalization of unit hydrograph Parameters: 2. Uncertainty analysis

Hydrologic model parameters obtained from regional regression equations are subject to uncertainty. Consequently, hydrologic model outputs based on the stochastic parameters are random. This paper presents a systematic analysis of uncertainty associated with the two parameters, N and K, in Nash's IUH model from different regional regression equations. The uncertainty features associated with N and K are further incorporated to assess the uncertainty of the resulting IUH. Numerical results indicate that uncertainty of N and K from the regional regression equations are too significant to be ignored.     

Qualitätsanforderungen an Oberflächengewässer: Zielvorgaben,Qualitätsziele und chemische Gewässergüteklassifizierung

Quality Requirements for Fresh Waters: Water Quality Targets, Water Quality Objectives, and Chemical Water Quality Classification In the Federal Republic of Germany, water quality requirements for the protection of inland surface waters against hazardous substances are formulated on the basis of a quality targets derivation concept developed jointly by the Federal Government and the Federal States. The quality requirements were termed “water quality targets” in order to make it clear that the values derived are orientational values rather than legally binding limit values. The international comparison of quality requirements for surface waters shows that, on the whole, the national quality targets ensure a high level of protection. According to present scientific knowledge, impairments of uses, such as supply of drinking water, or risks to aquatic communities need not to be expected if the quality targets are complied with. A comparison of water quality data with the water quality targets makes it possible, on the one hand, to identify those substances whose inputs must be further reduced; on the other hand, it also shows that, for a number of substances, there is no need at present for concern over their adversely water quality. A further differentiation of the aquatic hazard potential of pollutants allows a water quality classification system to be developed on the basis of the quality targets derivation concept. The basic elements of this water quality classification system are presented, and its application is explained by way of examples.     

Biodegradability of the Anti-tumour Agents 5-Fluorouracil,Cytarabine, and Gemcitabine: Impact of the Chemical Structure and Synergistic Toxicity with Hospital Effluent

Most anti-tumour agents are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, embryotoxic or fetotoxic. Only little is known about the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals. Unmetabolized active substances are excreted and will show up in municipal wastewater. Therefore, we examined the biodegradability of the widely used anti-tumour agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), also as an example for assessing the impact of hospital effluent on the biodegradation of a test compound. The biodegradability of the structurally similar anti-tumour agents cytarabine and gemcitabine was also examined. Test systems used were the closed bottle test (OECD 301 D) and the modified Zahn-Wellens test (OECD 302 B). 5-FU was not biodegradable in the closed bottle test (CBT) nor in the Zahn-Wellens test (ZWT). At the highest concentration of 5-FU, with hospital effluent an inhibition of the degradation of substances present in hospital effluent was observed, probably as a result of a synergistic effect by 5-FU with antibiotics present in hospital sewage. Gemcitabine was biodegraded 42% in the CBT. The prolongation of the test period to 40 days only improved the result to 45%. In the ZWT, the biodegradation of gemcitabine was 50%. Cytarabine was partially biodegraded in the CBT (50%), but only after an adaptation period of 20 days. After a test prolongation to 40 days, the degree of biodegradation was 80%. In the ZWT, the biodegradability was > 95% after only a few days.     

Ein kompetitiver Immunoassay zur Bestimmung des Herbizids Fluazifop in Trink- und Grundwasser

A Competitive Immunoassay for the Determination of the Herbicide Fluazifop in Drinking Water and Groundwater A competitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassay using rabbit polyclonal antibodies was developed for the detection of the herbicide fluazifop [(RS)-2-[4-(5-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridyloxy)phenoxy]propionic acid] in drinking water and groundwater. Present regulatory limits for drinking water in Germany were taken as the critical level. The carrier protein was bovine serum albumin; horseradish peroxidase was used as marker enzyme with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine as substrate. A high concentration of high-affinity antibodies in the serum, optimization of test conditions (antibody and enzyme tracer concentration, incubation time etc.), and very low cross reactivities to substances of similar structures led to a highly sensitive and specific ELISA with a detection limit below 0.1 μg/L for fluazifop as free acid. On testing the suitability of the assay's use as a screening test with one hundred drinking-water samples, the three samples which had been spiked in the laboratory were recognized as positive with respect to their fluazifop content. Confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed the test results of two other samples to be false positive. False negative results did not appear. The concentration was in the detection limit region of 0.1 μg/L.     

3D FD resistivity modelling and sensitivity analyses applied to a highly resistive phonolitic body

A highly resistive phonolitic body near Sainerholz / Westerwald in Germany has been investigated for geological mapping using vertical electrical soundings in a Schlumberger configuration. Because of its explicitly three-dimensional shape, conventional 1D and 2D interpretation techniques are not applicable. Therefore, a new 3D finite-difference forward modelling algorithm has been applied to acquire information about its subsurface structure and to explain the observed data. This investigation focuses on two exposed soundings: one located near the centre of the body and the other close to its rim. For the interpretation, data from electromagnetic measurements on the lateral extension of the body are additionally taken into account as well as geological a priori information. A possible 3D conductivity model is presented and evidence for its validity is discussed using model studies and sensitivity analyses. The latter are carried out using a newly developed 3D FD sensitivity modelling code with which the total subsurface response can be decomposed. This permits the determination of the resolution of model parameters, indicating the contribution of different parts of the model to the overall response. The results emphasize the feasibility of 3D forward modelling in practice.     

A reexamination of the valley wind system in the Alpine Inn Valley with numerical simulations

Summary This paper presents idealized numerical simulations of the valley wind circulation in the Alpine Inn Valley, which are compared with existing data and are used to improve our dynamical understanding of the valley wind. The simulations have been performed with the Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model MM5. They use a high-resolution realistic topography but idealized large-scale conditions without any synoptic forcing to focus on the thermally induced valley wind system. The comparison with the available observations shows that this simplified set-up is sufficient to reproduce the essential features of the valley wind.The results show that the tributaries of the Inn Valley have a considerable impact on the along-valley mass fluxes associated with the valley wind circulation. The upvalley mass flux is found to increase where tributaries enter the Inn Valley from the north, that is, from the direction where the Alpine foreland is located. On the other hand, the upvalley mass flux is reduced at the junctions with southern tributaries because part of the upvalley flow is deflected into these tributaries. For the downvalley flow, the situation is essentially reversed, but the influence of the valley geometry on the flow structure is larger than for the upvalley flow. The most important feature is a lateral valley contraction near the valley exit into the Alpine foreland. It reduces the downvalley mass flux at low levels, so that the wind maximum in the interior of the valley is shifted to a fairly large distance from the ground. North of the valley contraction, however, the downvalley flow strongly accelerates and forms a pronounced low-level jet. A dynamical analysis indicates that this acceleration can be interpreted as a transition from subcritical to supercritical hydraulic flow. Another interesting feature is that the low-level jet maintains its structure for several tenths of kilometres into the Alpine foreland. This appears to be related to the fact that the lateral wind shear on the flanks of the jet is associated with a strong dipole of potential vorticity (PV). Due to the conservation properties of the PV, the downstream advection of the PV dipole leads to the formation of a band-like feature that decays fairly slowly.     

On the relation between cloud cover amount and sunshine duration

Summary The total cloud cover is deduced from measurements of monthly mean averages of the percent of possible sunshine duration at three locations in Egypt, Cairo, Bahtim and Sedi-Barrani stations during the period 1987–1995. This sunshine-derived total cloud cover (C_s) is compared to conventional ground-based observations of total cloud covers (C_g) made by meteorological observers. A linear relationship between the two estimates is calculated, and the difference between the two estimates as a function of C_s and C_g is fitted with a least-squares linear equation. It is found that on the average the sunshine-derived values of total cloud cover are about 7% lower than the corresponding ground-based estimated of total cloud cover. Both of these parameters are mainly used in solar radiation models and the error sources are mainly depending upon the way to describe sky cover.