Time Scale Of Few Weeks Research Articles

Quenching of porous silicon photoluminescence by molecular oxygen and dependence of this phenomenon on storing media and method of preparation of pSi photosensitizer

The quenching of porous silicon photoluminescence (pSi PL) by molecular oxygen has been studied in different storing media in an attempt to clarify the mechanism of the energy transfer from the silicon photosensitizer to the oxygen acceptor. Luminescent materials have been prepared by two methods: electrochemical anodizing and chemical etching. Different structural forms were used: porous layers on silicon wafer and two kinds of differently prepared powder. Dry air and liquid water were employed as storing media; quenching behaviour was under observation until total degradation of quenching properties. Singlet oxygen molecules generation through energy transfer from photoluminescent pSi was the only photosensitizing mechanism observed under dry gas conditions. This PL quenching process was preferentially developed at 760 nm (1.63 eV) that corresponds to the formation of the 1Σ singlet oxygen state. Oxidation of the pSi photosensitizer was the main factor that led to its total deactivation in a time scale of few weeks. Regarding water medium, different photosensitizing behaviour was observed. In watery conditions, two preferred energy levels were found: the one detected in dry gas and another centred at approximately 2.2 eV (550 nm). Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) different from singlet oxygen, such as superoxide anion or superoxide radical, can be responsible for the second one. This second quenching process developed gradually after the initial contact of pSi photosensitizer with water and then degraded. The process lasted only several hours. Therefore, functionalization of the pSi photosensitizer is probably required to stabilize its PL and quenching properties in the watery physiological conditions required for biomedical applications.

Some insights on the occurrence of recent volcanic eruptions of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy)

SUMMARY In the first part of this work, we make use of two non-parametric statistical pattern recognition algorithms and a multiple regression analysis to analyse seismic clusters occurring around Mount Etna, Italy. The aim is to determine if the onset of flank eruptions at Mount Etna is linked to variations in the regional seismicity at a timescale of few weeks. From the analysis, we find that the discrimination between clusters preceding flank eruptions and clusters not related in time to flank activity is mainly linked to the volume output of the previous flank eruption, in some cases together with the time elapsed from its end. Instead, we do not find any difference in the seismicity features characterizing different types of clusters, except for a very small contribution of the number of seismic events in the clusters. This result does not confirm the existence, suggested in the past, of a direct link between the regional state of stress at a timescale of few weeks and the occurrence of flank eruptions on Mount Etna volcano. On the contrary, the result suggests that a prominent role in the flank eruption occurrence is played by the re-charging of the feeding system. In the second part of this study we analyse the relationship between the magma volume erupted in an eruption and the interevent time following it, finding that a ‘time-predictable model’ satisfactorily describes the occurrence of eruptions at Mount Etna in the last decades. The latter analysis is carried out both on the flank eruption catalogue only, and on the complete catalogue of flank and summit eruptions, with comparable results.

New results from ooty eas array for cosmic sources at PeV energies: CYGNUS X-3, Crab pulsar and Sco X-1

Ooty group has reported detection of a steady signal from Cyg X-3 based on observations made during 1984–1986 through detection of a directional excess. Further analysis of data has revealed a significant flux enhancement during April 1986, confirming observations reported by the CYGNUS group at Los Alamos and the Baksan group. These results show conclusively that the flux from Cyg X-3 is variable over a time scale of few weeks. We also report here the details of an unusual burst from Cyg X-3, consisting of 5 showers in 13 minutes, on June 19, 1985, which shows the variability of the flux from Cyg X-3 on a much shorter time scale of few minutes. Our analysis of showers arriving from the direction of the Crab pulsar has shown only a small time-averaged excess. But these data, when folded with the Crab pulsar period, show a very significant excess at the expected phase of the optical interpulse. This is the first detection of 33 ms pulsation in the PeV energy flux from the Crab pulsar. The exact alignment of the phase of emission over nearly 20 decades of energy, from meter wavelengths to PeV, makes the Crab pulsar a really unique source to study and understand details of mechanisms for emission and acceleration of particles in compact sources. We also present here a discussion of our observations on another x-ray binary, Sco X-1. Ooty data show a very significant excess in the number of showers from the direction of Sco X-1 during a two month period in 1986, in agreement with observations reported by the Mt. Chacaltaya group. These observations establish this x-ray binary as another important source of PeV energy radiation.