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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Neurosymbolic Cognitive Methods For Enhancing Foundation Model-Based Reasoning, Kaushik Roy, Siyu Wu, Alessandro Oltramari Sep 2024

Neurosymbolic Cognitive Methods For Enhancing Foundation Model-Based Reasoning, Kaushik Roy, Siyu Wu, Alessandro Oltramari

Faculty Publications

Foundation models have emerged as powerful tools, exhibiting extraordinary performance across various tasks, such as language processing, visual recognition, code generation, and human-centered engagement. However, recent studies have highlighted their limitations when grounded, abstract, and generalized reasoning capabilities are required. Complex tasks often involve multiple hierarchical reasoning steps, which are typical features of human thinking processes. In fact, in this chapter we claim that cognitively-inspired computational models, such as the so-called Common Model of Cognition, are key to enable complex reasoning within foundation model-based artificial intelligence (AI) systems. We investigate neurosymbolic approaches for mapping AI system components to those of …


Malware Classification Through Abstract Syntax Trees And L-Moments, Anthony J. Rose [*], Christine M. Schubert Kabban, Scott R. Graham, Wayne C. Henry, Christopher M. Rondeau Sep 2024

Malware Classification Through Abstract Syntax Trees And L-Moments, Anthony J. Rose [*], Christine M. Schubert Kabban, Scott R. Graham, Wayne C. Henry, Christopher M. Rondeau

Faculty Publications

The ongoing evolution of malware presents a formidable challenge to cybersecurity: identifying unknown threats. Traditional detection methods, such as signatures and various forms of static analysis, inherently lag behind these evolving threats. This research introduces a novel approach to malware detection by leveraging the robust statistical capabilities of L-moments and the structural insights provided by Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) and applying them to PowerShell. L-moments, recognized for their resilience to outliers and adaptability to diverse distributional shapes, are extracted from network analysis measures like degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality of ASTs. These measures provide a detailed structural representation …


Coarse-Gridded Simulation Of The Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation With Machine Learning, Benjamin F. Akers, Kristina O. F. Williams Sep 2024

Coarse-Gridded Simulation Of The Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation With Machine Learning, Benjamin F. Akers, Kristina O. F. Williams

Faculty Publications

A numerical method for evolving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation on a coarse spatial grid is developed. This trains a neural network to generate the optimal stencil weights to discretize the second derivative of solutions to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The neural network is embedded in a symmetric matrix to control the scheme’s eigenvalues, ensuring stability. The machine-learned method can outperform both its parent finite difference method and a Fourier spectral method. The trained scheme has the same asymptotic operation cost as its parent finite difference method after training. Unlike traditional methods, the performance depends on how close the initial data …


Twisted Spatiotemporal Optical Vortex Beams In Dispersive Media, Milo W. Hyde Iv Sep 2024

Twisted Spatiotemporal Optical Vortex Beams In Dispersive Media, Milo W. Hyde Iv

Faculty Publications

We derive a closed-form expression for the mutual coherence function (MCF) of a twisted spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) beam after propagating a distance in a linear dispersive medium. A twisted STOV beam is a partially coherent optical field that possesses a coherent STOV and a stochastic twist coupling its space and time dimensions. These beams belong to a special class of space–time-coupled light fields that carry transverse (to the direction of propagation) orbital angular momentum, making them potentially useful in numerous applications including quantum optics, optical manipulation, and optical communications. After presenting the derivation, we validate our new general MCF …


Open-Loop Wavefront Sensing In The Presence Of Speckle And Weak Scintillation, Derek J. Burrell, Mark F. Spencer, Ronald G. Driggers Aug 2024

Open-Loop Wavefront Sensing In The Presence Of Speckle And Weak Scintillation, Derek J. Burrell, Mark F. Spencer, Ronald G. Driggers

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we show that speckle averaging helps to reduce the measurement error associated with a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS); however, this reduction is rendered ineffective with increasing beacon anisoplanatism. We do so operating in a weak-scintillation regime, where the SHWFS offers robust performance, and using in-plane translation of the illuminated rough surface to accomplish frame-to-frame speckle diversity. Understanding these trade-space limitations is critical when performing wavefront sensing with noncooperative, extended-source beacons.


Syntheses, Characterizations And Reactions Of Acene-2,3-Dicarbaldehydes, Glen Miller, Qian Liu Aug 2024

Syntheses, Characterizations And Reactions Of Acene-2,3-Dicarbaldehydes, Glen Miller, Qian Liu

Faculty Publications

Here, we report improved syntheses, detailed characterizations and reactions of a series of acene-2,3- dicarbaldehydes including tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde. DFT calculations corroborate and complement the experimental results. Tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde and the benchmark organic semiconductor pentacene have isoelectronic p-systems and similar HOMO–LUMO gaps. Tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde is soluble in a host of organic solvents (e.g., DMF, toluene, THF, chloroform, dichloromethane) and shows excellent photooxidative resistance in solution phases exposed to light and air. Further, it is readily sublimed from the solid-state without decomposition, and can be functionalized using different chemistries. We have demonstrated the utility of acene-2,3-dicarbaldehydes as reactants in the syntheses of novel diaryl-2,3-acenedimethanols and …


Numerically Efficient Coherent Mode Representations For Partially Coherent Beams With Separable Phases, Milo W. Hyde, Carolina Rickenstorff Aug 2024

Numerically Efficient Coherent Mode Representations For Partially Coherent Beams With Separable Phases, Milo W. Hyde, Carolina Rickenstorff

Faculty Publications

We present a method to numerically compute the coherent mode representations (CMRs) for partially coherent beams with separable phases. This special class of random light field has the ability to self-focus and is resistant to turbulence-induced degradation, making it potentially useful in applications such as optical communications. We validate our method by generating (in simulation) two such sources from the literature using their computed CMRs. Lastly, we conclude with a summary of our approach and a discussion of potential applications.


On Large Language Models In National Security Applications, William N. Caballero, Philip R. Jenkins Jul 2024

On Large Language Models In National Security Applications, William N. Caballero, Philip R. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

The overwhelming success of GPT-4 in early 2023 highlighted the transformative potential of large language models (LLMs) across various sectors, including national security. This article explores the implications of LLM integration within national security contexts, analyzing their potential to revolutionize information processing, decision-making, and operational efficiency. Whereas LLMs offer substantial benefits, such as automating tasks and enhancing data analysis, they also pose significant risks, including hallucinations, data privacy concerns, and vulnerability to adversarial attacks. Through their coupling with decision-theoretic principles and Bayesian reasoning, LLMs can significantly improve decision-making processes within national security organizations. Namely, LLMs can facilitate the transition from …


An Integrated Space Test Lexicon: A Taxonomy For The Integrated Test And Evaluation Of Space Systems, Stephen Tullino, Andrew Keys, Robert A. Bettinger, Amy M. Cox, David R. Jacques Jul 2024

An Integrated Space Test Lexicon: A Taxonomy For The Integrated Test And Evaluation Of Space Systems, Stephen Tullino, Andrew Keys, Robert A. Bettinger, Amy M. Cox, David R. Jacques

Faculty Publications

The proposed Integrated Space Test Lexicon is intended to amalgamate the numerous definitions of integrated (IT or IT&E), development test (DT or DT&E), and operational test (OT or OT&E) into unified, service-wide definitions, aligned with the Space Test Enterprise Vision. Refining such definitions will help distill the core characteristics of these fundamental test types to first identify space system activities composing what is traditionally known as DT and OT, then to provide a means of how these activities fit into the IT paradigm and support space system development. In forging a common understanding of how DT and OT support space …


Phase Error Scaling Law In Two-Wavelength Adaptive Optics, Milo W. Hyde Iv, Matthew Kalensky, Michael J. Spencer Jun 2024

Phase Error Scaling Law In Two-Wavelength Adaptive Optics, Milo W. Hyde Iv, Matthew Kalensky, Michael J. Spencer

Faculty Publications

We derive a simple, physical, closed-form expression for the optical-path difference (OPD) of a two-wavelength adaptive-optics (AO) system. Starting from Hogge and Butts’ classic OPD variance integral expression, we apply Mellin transform techniques to obtain series and asymptotic solutions to the integral. For realistic two-wavelength AO systems, the former converges slowly and has limited utility. The latter, on the other hand, is a simple formula in terms of the separation between the AO sensing (i.e., the beacon) and compensation (or observation) wavelengths. We validate this formula by comparing it to the OPD variances obtained from the aforementioned series and direct …


Improving 2–5 Qubit Quantum Phase Estimation Circuits Using Machine Learning, Charles Woodrum [*], Torrey J. Wagner, David E. Weeks May 2024

Improving 2–5 Qubit Quantum Phase Estimation Circuits Using Machine Learning, Charles Woodrum [*], Torrey J. Wagner, David E. Weeks

Faculty Publications

Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems that are currently intractable to classical computers with algorithms like Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE); however, noise significantly hinders the performance of today’s quantum computers. Machine learning has the potential to improve the performance of QPE algorithms, especially in the presence of noise. In this work, QPE circuits were simulated with varying levels of depolarizing noise to generate datasets of QPE output. In each case, the phase being estimated was generated with a phase gate, and each circuit modeled was defined by a randomly selected phase. The model accuracy, prediction speed, overfitting level …


Analysis Of Modeled 3d Solar Magnetic Field During 30 X/M-Class Solar Flares, Seth H. Garland, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn, Robert D. Loper, Benjamin F. Akers May 2024

Analysis Of Modeled 3d Solar Magnetic Field During 30 X/M-Class Solar Flares, Seth H. Garland, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn, Robert D. Loper, Benjamin F. Akers

Faculty Publications

Using non-linear force free field (NLFFF) extrapolation, 3D magnetic fields were modeled from the 12-min cadence Solar Dynamics Observatory Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) photospheric vector magnetograms, spanning a time period of 1 hour before through 1 hour after the start of 18 X-class and 12 M-class solar flares. Several magnetic field parameters were calculated from the modeled fields directly, as well as from the power spectrum of surface maps generated by summing the fields along the vertical axis, for two different regions: areas with photospheric |Bz|≥ 300 G (active region—AR) and areas above the photosphere with the …


Deterministic Global 3d Fractal Cloud Model For Synthetic Scene Generation, Aaron M. Schinder, Shannon R. Young, Bryan J. Steward, Michael L. Dexter, Andrew Kondrath, Stephen Hinton, Ricardo Davila May 2024

Deterministic Global 3d Fractal Cloud Model For Synthetic Scene Generation, Aaron M. Schinder, Shannon R. Young, Bryan J. Steward, Michael L. Dexter, Andrew Kondrath, Stephen Hinton, Ricardo Davila

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the creation of a fast, deterministic, 3D fractal cloud renderer for the AFIT Sensor and Scene Emulation Tool (ASSET). The renderer generates 3D clouds by ray marching through a volume and sampling the level-set of a fractal function. The fractal function is distorted by a displacement map, which is generated using horizontal wind data from a Global Forecast System (GFS) weather file. The vertical windspeed and relative humidity are used to mask the creation of clouds to match realistic large-scale weather patterns over the Earth. Small-scale detail is provided by the fractal functions which are tuned to …


Deep Selenium Donors In Zngep2 Crystals: An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study Of A Nonlinear Optical Material, Timothy D. Gustafson, Larry E. Halliburton, Nancy C. Giles, Peter G. Schunemann, Kevin T. Zawilski, J. Jesenovec, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle [*] Apr 2024

Deep Selenium Donors In Zngep2 Crystals: An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study Of A Nonlinear Optical Material, Timothy D. Gustafson, Larry E. Halliburton, Nancy C. Giles, Peter G. Schunemann, Kevin T. Zawilski, J. Jesenovec, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle [*]

Faculty Publications

Zinc germanium diphosphide (ZnGeP2) is a ternary semiconductor best known for its nonlinear optical properties. A primary application is optical parametric oscillators operating in the mid-infrared region. Controlled donor doping provides a method to minimize the acceptor-related absorption bands that limit the output power of these devices. In the present study, a ZnGeP2 crystal is doped with selenium during growth. Selenium substitutes for phosphorus and serves as a deep donor. Significant concentrations of native defects (zinc vacancies, germanium-on-zinc antisites, and phosphorous vacancies) are also present in the crystal. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to establish the …


Exploring Quaternion Neural Network Loss Surfaces, Jeremiah Bill, Bruce A. Cox Apr 2024

Exploring Quaternion Neural Network Loss Surfaces, Jeremiah Bill, Bruce A. Cox

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the superior performance of quaternion multi-layer perceptron (QMLP) neural networks over real-valued multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural networks, a phenomenon that has been empirically observed but not thoroughly investigated. The study utilizes loss surface visualization and projection techniques to examine quaternion-based optimization loss surfaces for the first time. The primary contribution of this research is the statistical evidence that QMLP models yield smoother loss surfaces than real-valued neural networks, which are measured and compared using a robust quantitative measure of loss surface “goodness” based on estimates of surface curvature. Extensive computational testing validates the effectiveness of these surface …


Effect Of Fabrication Parameters On The Ferroelectricity Of Hafnium Zirconium Oxide Films: A Statistical Study, Guillermo A. Salcedo, Ahmad E. Islam, Elizabeth Reichley, Michael Dietz, Christine M. Schubert Kabban, Kevin D. Leedy, Tyson C. Back, Weison Wang, Andrew Green, Timothy S. Wolfe, James M. Sattler Mar 2024

Effect Of Fabrication Parameters On The Ferroelectricity Of Hafnium Zirconium Oxide Films: A Statistical Study, Guillermo A. Salcedo, Ahmad E. Islam, Elizabeth Reichley, Michael Dietz, Christine M. Schubert Kabban, Kevin D. Leedy, Tyson C. Back, Weison Wang, Andrew Green, Timothy S. Wolfe, James M. Sattler

Faculty Publications

Ferroelectricity in hafnium zirconium oxide (Hf1−xZrxO2) and the factors that impact it have been a popular research topic since its discovery in 2011. Although the general trends are known, the interactions between fabrication parameters and their effect on the ferroelectricity of Hf1−xZrxO2 require further investigation. In this paper, we present a statistical study and a model that relates Zr concentration (x), film thickness (tf), and annealing temperature (Ta) with the remanent polarization (Pr) in tungsten (W)-capped Hf1−xZrxO2. …


Scriptblock Smuggling: Uncovering Stealthy Evasion Techniques In Powershell And .Net Environments, Anthony J. Rose Mar 2024

Scriptblock Smuggling: Uncovering Stealthy Evasion Techniques In Powershell And .Net Environments, Anthony J. Rose

Faculty Publications

The Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) plays a crucial role in detecting malware within Windows operating systems. This paper presents ScriptBlock Smuggling, a novel evasion and log spoofing technique exploiting PowerShell and .NET environments to circumvent the AMSI. By focusing on the manipulation of ScriptBlocks within the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), this method creates dual AST representations, one for compiler execution and another for antivirus and log analysis, enabling the evasion of AMSI detection and challenging traditional memory patching bypass methods. This research provides a detailed analysis of PowerShell’s ScriptBlock creation and its inherent security features and pinpoints critical limitations in …


Size Limits And Fission Channels Of Doubly Charged Noble Gas Clusters, Ianessa Stromberg, Stefan Bergmeister, Lisa Ganner, Fabio Zappa, Paul Scheier, Olof Echt, Elisabeth Gruber Mar 2024

Size Limits And Fission Channels Of Doubly Charged Noble Gas Clusters, Ianessa Stromberg, Stefan Bergmeister, Lisa Ganner, Fabio Zappa, Paul Scheier, Olof Echt, Elisabeth Gruber

Faculty Publications

Small, highly charged liquid droplets are unstable with respect to spontaneous charge separation when their size drops below the Rayleigh limit or, in other words, their fissility parameter X exceeds the value 1. The absence of small doubly charged atomic cluster ions in mass spectra below an element-specific appearance size na has sometimes been attributed to the onset of barrierless fission at X = 1. However, more realistic models suggest that na marks the size below which the rate of fission surpasses that of competing dissociative channels, and the Rayleigh limit of doubly charged van der Waals clusters …


Data Supporting Research On Personalized Learning Paths, Sean Mochocki, Mark Reith Mar 2024

Data Supporting Research On Personalized Learning Paths, Sean Mochocki, Mark Reith

Faculty Publications

Personalized Learning Paths (PLPs) are a key application of Artificial Intelligence in E-Learning. In contrast to regular Learning Paths, they return a unique sequence of learning materials identified as meeting the individual needs of the students. In the literature, PLPs are often created from knowledge graphs, which assist with ordering topics and their associated learning materials. Knowledge graphs are typically directed and acyclic, to capture prerequisite relationships between topics, though they can also have bidirectional edges when these prerequisite relationships are not necessary. This data package provides a primarily un-directed knowledge graph, with associated repository of open-source learning materials that …


The Impact Of Data Preparation And Model Complexity On The Natural Language Classification Of Chinese News Headlines, Torrey J. Wagner, Dennis Guhl, Brent T. Langhals Mar 2024

The Impact Of Data Preparation And Model Complexity On The Natural Language Classification Of Chinese News Headlines, Torrey J. Wagner, Dennis Guhl, Brent T. Langhals

Faculty Publications

Given the emergence of China as a political and economic power in the 21st century, there is increased interest in analyzing Chinese news articles to better understand developing trends in China. Because of the volume of the material, automating the categorization of Chinese-language news articles by headline text or titles can be an effective way to sort the articles into categories for efficient review. A 383,000-headline dataset labeled with 15 categories from the Toutiao website was evaluated via natural language processing to predict topic categories. The influence of six data preparation variations on the predictive accuracy of four algorithms was …


Doubly Charged Dimers And Trimers Of Heavy Noble Gases, Gabriel Schöpfer, Stefan Bergmeister, Milan Ončák, Ianessa Stromberg, Masoomeh Mahmoodi-Darian, Paul Scheier, Olof Echt, Elisabeth Gruber Mar 2024

Doubly Charged Dimers And Trimers Of Heavy Noble Gases, Gabriel Schöpfer, Stefan Bergmeister, Milan Ončák, Ianessa Stromberg, Masoomeh Mahmoodi-Darian, Paul Scheier, Olof Echt, Elisabeth Gruber

Faculty Publications

Many doubly charged heteronuclear dimers are metastable or even thermodynamically stable with respect to charge separation. Homonuclear dicationic dimers, however, are more difficult to form. He22+ was the first noble gas dimer predicted to be metastable and, decades later, observed. Ne22+ is the only other dicationic noble gas dimer that has been detected so far. Here, we present a novel approach to form fragile dicationic species, by post-ionization of singly charged ions that are embedded in helium nanodroplets (HNDs). Bare ions are then extracted by colliding the HNDs with helium gas. We detect homonuclear doubly charged …


Laboratory Exercise For The Radiometry Student, Michael A. Marciniak Mar 2024

Laboratory Exercise For The Radiometry Student, Michael A. Marciniak

Faculty Publications

The U.S. Air and Space Forces require optical expertise among their personnel. The Air Force Institute of Technology offers a graduate optics curriculum, which includes a three-course sequence to educate students in the optical concepts of radiometry and radiometric instrumentation. We find radiometry is often a deceptively difficult concept for students to master. To address this, we have developed an experiment in our optics-laboratory coursework to help them gain this mastery. A Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTS) is used to collect spectral data from an unknown sample. FTS calibration and data collection are discussed here, as are the two specific samples …


Relative Vectoring Using Dual Object Detection For Autonomous Aerial Refueling, Derek B. Worth, Jeffrey L. Choate, James Lynch, Scott L. Nykl, Clark N. Taylor Mar 2024

Relative Vectoring Using Dual Object Detection For Autonomous Aerial Refueling, Derek B. Worth, Jeffrey L. Choate, James Lynch, Scott L. Nykl, Clark N. Taylor

Faculty Publications

Once realized, autonomous aerial refueling will revolutionize unmanned aviation by removing current range and endurance limitations. Previous attempts at establishing vision-based solutions have come close but rely heavily on near perfect extrinsic camera calibrations that often change midflight. In this paper, we propose dual object detection, a technique that overcomes such requirement by transforming aerial refueling imagery directly into receiver aircraft reference frame probe-to-drogue vectors regardless of camera position and orientation. These vectors are precisely what autonomous agents need to successfully maneuver the tanker and receiver aircraft in synchronous flight during refueling operations. Our method follows a common 4-stage process …


Seasonal Variability And Predictability Of Monsoon Precipitation In Southern Africa, Matthew F. Horan, Fred Kucharski, Moetasim Ashfaq Mar 2024

Seasonal Variability And Predictability Of Monsoon Precipitation In Southern Africa, Matthew F. Horan, Fred Kucharski, Moetasim Ashfaq

Faculty Publications

Rainfed agriculture is the mainstay of economies across Southern Africa (SA), where most precipitation is received during the austral summer monsoon. This study aims to further our understanding of monsoon precipitation predictability over SA. We use three natural climate forcings, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and the Indian Ocean Precipitation Dipole (IOPD)—the dominant precipitation variability mode—to construct an empirical model that exhibits significant skill over SA during monsoon in explaining precipitation variability and in forecasting it with a five-month lead. While most explained precipitation variance (50%–75%) comes from contemporaneous IOD and IOPD, preconditioning all three forcings is key …


The Behavior Of ½⟨111⟩ Screw Dislocations In W–Mo Alloys Analyzed Through Atomistic Simulations, Lucas A. Heaton, Kevin Chu, Adib J. Samin Feb 2024

The Behavior Of ½⟨111⟩ Screw Dislocations In W–Mo Alloys Analyzed Through Atomistic Simulations, Lucas A. Heaton, Kevin Chu, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

Analyzing plastic flow in refractory alloys is relevant to many different commercial and technological applications. In this study, screw dislocation statics and dynamics were studied for various compositions of the body-centered cubic binary alloy tungsten–molybdenum (W–Mo). The core structure did not appear to change for different alloy compositions, consistent with the literature. The pure tungsten and pure molybdenum samples had the lowest plastic flow, while the highest dislocation velocities were observed for equiatomic, W0.5Mo0.5 alloys. In general, dislocation velocities were found to largely align with a well-established dislocation mobility phenomenological model supporting two discrete dislocation mobility regimes, …


A Canonical Transformation For The Anderson Lattice Hamiltonian With F–F Electron Coupling, Guang-Lin Zhao Feb 2024

A Canonical Transformation For The Anderson Lattice Hamiltonian With F–F Electron Coupling, Guang-Lin Zhao

Faculty Publications

In this work, a new canonical transformation for the Anderson lattice Hamiltonian with f–f electron coupling was developed, which was further used to identify a new Kondo lattice Hamiltonian. Different from the single impurity Kondo effect, the resulted new Kondo lattice Hamiltonian only includes the spin-flip scattering processes between conduction electrons and f-electrons, while the normal process of non-spin-flip scattering is absent in this Hamiltonian, under the second order approximation. The new Kondo lattice Hamiltonian may be used to study some anomalous physical properties in some Kondo lattice intermetallic compounds.


Lotic-Sipco2: Adaptation Of An Open-Source Co2 Sensor System And Examination Of Associated Emission Uncertainties Across A Range Of Stream Sizes And Land Uses, Andrew L. Robison, Lauren E. Koenig, Jody D. Potter, Lisle E. Snyder, Christopher W. Hunt, William H. Mcdowell, Wilfred M. Wollheim Feb 2024

Lotic-Sipco2: Adaptation Of An Open-Source Co2 Sensor System And Examination Of Associated Emission Uncertainties Across A Range Of Stream Sizes And Land Uses, Andrew L. Robison, Lauren E. Koenig, Jody D. Potter, Lisle E. Snyder, Christopher W. Hunt, William H. Mcdowell, Wilfred M. Wollheim

Faculty Publications

River networks play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, as relevant sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Advancements in high-frequency monitoring in aquatic environments have enabled measurement of dissolved CO2 concentration at temporal resolutions essential for studying carbon variability and evasion from these dynamic ecosystems. Here, we describe the adaptation, deployment, and validation of an open-source and relatively low-cost in situ pCO2 sensor system for lotic ecosystems, the lotic-SIPCO2. We tested the lotic-SIPCO2 in 10 streams that spanned a range of land cover and basin size. Key system adaptations for lotic environments included prevention of biofouling, …


Unimer Suppression Enables Supersaturated Homopolymer Swollen Micelles With Long-Term Stability After Glassy Entrapment, Eric R. Williams, Christian X. Ruff, Morgan Stefik Feb 2024

Unimer Suppression Enables Supersaturated Homopolymer Swollen Micelles With Long-Term Stability After Glassy Entrapment, Eric R. Williams, Christian X. Ruff, Morgan Stefik

Faculty Publications

Micelle sizes are critical for a range of applications where the simple ability to adjust and lock in specific stable sizes has remained largely elusive. While micelle swelling agents are well-known, their dynamic re-equilibration in solution implies limited stability. Here, a non-equilibrium processing sequence is studied where supersaturated homopolymer swelling is combined with glassy-core (“persistent”) micelles. This path-dependent process was found to sensitively depend on unimer concentration as revealed by DLS, SAXS, and TEM analysis. Here, lower-selectivity solvent combinations led to the formation of unimer-homopolymer aggregates and eventual precipitation, reminiscent of anomalous micellization. In contrast, higher-selectivity solvents enabled supersaturated homopolymer …


Residual Optical Absorption From Native Defects In Cdsip2 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Elizabeth M. Scherrer, Kevin T. Zawilski, Peter G. Schunemann, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle, Larry E. Halliburton Feb 2024

Residual Optical Absorption From Native Defects In Cdsip2 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Elizabeth M. Scherrer, Kevin T. Zawilski, Peter G. Schunemann, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

CdSiP2 crystals are used in optical parametric oscillators to produce tunable output in the mid-infrared. As expected, the performance of the OPOs is adversely affected by residual optical absorption from native defects that are unintentionally present in the crystals. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) identifies these native defects. Singly ionized silicon vacancies (V-Si) are responsible for broad optical absorption bands peaking near 800, 1033, and 1907 nm. A fourth absorption band, peaking near 630 nm, does not involve silicon vacancies. Exposure to 1064 nm light when the temperature of the CdSiP2 crystal is near 80K converts …


Editorial: Observations And Simulations Of Layering Phenomena In The Middle/Upper Atmosphere And Ionosphere, Bingkun Yu, Xuguang Cai, Daniel J. Emmons Ii, Chong Wang And Jianfei Wu Jan 2024

Editorial: Observations And Simulations Of Layering Phenomena In The Middle/Upper Atmosphere And Ionosphere, Bingkun Yu, Xuguang Cai, Daniel J. Emmons Ii, Chong Wang And Jianfei Wu

Faculty Publications

The middle/upper atmosphere and ionosphere are the transition between neutral and ionized components of the Earth’s atmosphere, including stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, ionospheric E region and ionospheric F region (Laštovička et al., 2006; Xu, et al., 2007; Smith, 2012). The atmospheric thermal structure and composition are significantly affected by dynamical processes through coupling. The layering phenomena such as mesospheric metal layers, sporadic E layers, and noctilucent clouds are important tracers to study mechanisms of the vertical coupling from the lower to the upper atmosphere (Dou et al., 2010; Plane, 2012; Xue et al., 2013).