Upgraded Instrument Research Articles

A New NDSA (Normalized Differential Spectral Attenuation) Measurement Campaign for Estimating Water Vapor Along a Radio Link

The Normalized Differential Spectral Attenuation (NDSA) technique was proposed years ago as an active method for measuring integrated water vapor (IWV) along a Ku/K-band radio link immersed (totally or partially) in the troposphere. The approach is of the active kind, as it relies on the transmission of a couple of sinusoidal signals, whose power is measured at the receiver, thus providing the differential attenuation measurements from which IWV estimates can be in turn derived. In 2018, a prototype instrument providing such differential attenuation measurements was completed and set up for a first measurement campaign aimed at demonstrating the NDSA method. By the end of June 2022, the instrument was profoundly modified and upgraded so that a second measurement campaign could be carried out from 1 August to 30 November 2022. The transmitter was placed on the top of Monte Gomito (44.1277°lat, 10.6434°lon, 1892 m a.s.l.) and the receiver on the roof of the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Florence (43.7985°lat, 11.2528°lon, 50 m a.s.l.). The resulting radio link length was 61.15 km. Four ground weather stations of the regional weather service were selected among those available. In this paper, we describe the upgraded instrument and present the outcomes of the new measurement campaign, whose purpose was mainly to compare the IWV estimates provided by the instrument with the ground sensor measurements of air temperature, air humidity, barometric pressure, and rainfall. In particular, we show that the temporal trends of the two IWV estimates are qualitatively consistent, and that the instrument is able to provide IWV estimates also in the presence of fog and rainfall. Conversely, a quantitative evaluation through comparison with IWV data from point weather station measurements appears challenging due to the significant spatial variability in temperature and relative humidity, even between couples of stations that are quite close to each other.

Ionosphere variability I: Advances in observational, monitoring and detection capabilities

The paper aims to review recent advances regarding the observational and monitoring capabilities of the ionization conditions in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The analysis spans both ground and space-based experiments, seeking for new installations and/or missions, new or upgraded instrumentation and/or observational network establishments as means for advancing current understanding and prediction ability of the ionosphere variability. As a solid basis and a clear requirement for considerable advances in the field, progress towards the more efficient access to research facilities and data centres is also investigated. Giving the emphasis in the period from 2015 onwards, the ultimate goal of the present analysis is to assess present status with respect to the COSPAR/ILWS Space Weather roadmap's considerations/recommendations for 2015–2025 as input to the roadmap’s update undertaken by the ISWAT/COSPAR action.

Endurance – Modernisation of the instrumentation suite at the Institut Laue-Langevin

Endurance encompasses more than 30 new or upgraded instrument and infrastructure projects, rolled out over 8 years between 2016 and 2023. Many new or upgraded instruments have already been deployed and are in user-operation including: the fission-fragment gamma ray spectrometer, FIPPS; the upgraded cold-neutron TOF spectrometer IN5; new thermal TOF spectrometer PANTHER; and a second protein crystallography station, DALI. The D3 hot-neutron diffractometer and IN20 thermal triple-axis spectrometer have been upgraded while new and additional detectors for the SANS instruments D11 and D22 have been installed. The D16 cold-neutron diffractometer has been fully modernised and new coldneutron imaging instrument, NeXT, has been installed. Delivering a full suite of modernised instrumentation is dependent on the renewed in-pile beam extraction, H1-H2, new H24 (thermal) and H15 (cold) neutron guides and the in-house development and manufacture of critical technologies such as neutron detectors, monochromator optics and polarisation components. The new H24 guide provides dedicated endof-guide positions to the upgraded D10+ single crystal diffractometer, IN13 backscattering instrument and the new XtremeD powder and single-crystal diffractometer. H15 will accommodate a substantially upgraded D(00)7 polarised diffuse scattering and spectroscopy instrument while D11 will be rebuilt and relocated with an optically cleaner collimation. Two additional end-of-guide positions are available for new instrumentation: The SHARP+ cold-neutron TOF spectrometer and a 4th SANS instrument, SAM. The success of Endurance will provide users with a fully modernised suite of world-class instruments.

A Second-generation opioid LC-MS/MS assay improves laboratory workflow and capacity

The widespread use of opioid drugs has contributed to escalating rates of addiction, overdoses, and drug-related deaths. Targeted urine drug screening plays an important role in supporting the care of patients with chronic pain or addiction. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can provide excellent sensitivity and specificity, and, as a result, remains the definitive choice for confirmatory urine drug testing. However, the complexities of LC-MS/MS operation present major challenges to the clinical laboratory. In this study, we leveraged upgraded instrumentation to develop and validate a simplified “dilute-and-shoot“ LC-MS/MS opioid assay. By modifying the chromatographic gradient, isobaric interferences were well-resolved and eliminated. Analytical ranges were expanded by utilizing alternative mass transitions, and updated quality assurance parameters were established. Results from 204 clinical samples correlated well between the new method and a previous version. The upgraded systems provided better sensitivity, greater dynamic ranges, and the new method reduced carryover, which enabled us to eliminate extra injections and chromatogram reviews. The new method also reduced turnaround time and doubled testing capacity. These improvements could serve as a model for other laboratories approaching a similar transition in mass spectrometric instrumentation.

SYMBA: An end-to-end VLBI synthetic data generation pipeline

Context. Realistic synthetic observations of theoretical source models are essential for our understanding of real observational data. In using synthetic data, one can verify the extent to which source parameters can be recovered and evaluate how various data corruption effects can be calibrated. These studies are the most important when proposing observations of new sources, in the characterization of the capabilities of new or upgraded instruments, and when verifying model-based theoretical predictions in a direct comparison with observational data. Aims. We present the SYnthetic Measurement creator for long Baseline Arrays (SYMBA), a novel synthetic data generation pipeline for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations. SYMBA takes into account several realistic atmospheric, instrumental, and calibration effects. Methods. We used SYMBA to create synthetic observations for the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a millimetre VLBI array, which has recently captured the first image of a black hole shadow. After testing SYMBA with simple source and corruption models, we study the importance of including all corruption and calibration effects, compared to the addition of thermal noise only. Using synthetic data based on two example general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) model images of M 87, we performed case studies to assess the image quality that can be obtained with the current and future EHT array for different weather conditions. Results. Our synthetic observations show that the effects of atmospheric and instrumental corruptions on the measured visibilities are significant. Despite these effects, we demonstrate how the overall structure of our GRMHD source models can be recovered robustly with the EHT2017 array after performing calibration steps, which include fringe fitting, a priori amplitude and network calibration, and self-calibration. With the planned addition of new stations to the EHT array in the coming years, images could be reconstructed with higher angular resolution and dynamic range. In our case study, these improvements allowed for a distinction between a thermal and a non-thermal GRMHD model based on salient features in reconstructed images.

Gadgets and Armamentarium of Maxillofacial Surgeons during Coronavirus Pandemic.

Introduction:We all know about the grave situation caused by the novel coronavirus in recent times. Although the maxillofacial surgeons are not at forefront of dealing with the coronavirus directly, they are at increased risk due to their working area on face, mouth, and oral cavity. There is an urgent need to upgrade the already set guidelines and follow them stringently. Any procedure done within the oral cavity is a high-risk procedure and this upgradation is necessary because present means are insufficient to prevent infection from this deadly virus. This article aims to review and discuss all the new gadgets and armamentarium required to deal with patients during and post coronavirus pandemic.Materials and Methods:The authors performed a thorough literature search on various armamentarium and new gadgets introduced into the field of dentistry during the coronavirus pandemic worldwide. The relevant armamentarium is discussed under three broad headings, namely, those required before, during and after the procedures for easy understanding.Results:A total of 15 gadgets and armamentarium related to oral and maxillofacial surgical practice are named and discussed in the literature review.Discussion:We are particularly vulnerable to the transmission of diseases easily both due to the field of interest of work and type of instrumentation. Thus, we need to be extremely cautious about the procedure. Since, the literature is scarce about the sequelae of the coronavirus disease; shift to the automated, contactless gadgets is the way to look forward to a healthy dental practice.Conclusion:These gadgets are user friendly for any small dental set-up as well. The choice of these upgraded instruments are prerogative of the individual professionals according to their exclusive practice. Yet, the authors encourage all health care professionals to focus on better training in infection control and cross-contamination.

The Wide Angle Neutron Diffractometer squared (WAND2) - Possibilities and future

The Wide Angle Neutron Diffractometer (WAND) at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been built and continues to be, a joint project between ORNL and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Equipped with a 1-dimensional position sensitive detector (PSD), the instrument is a multi-purpose instrument for both powder and single crystal diffraction. WAND is currently in the process of a 2-phase upgrade to become a world-class, general purpose instrument. In phase 1, finished in the beginning of 2016, the whole instrument was essentially re-built from scratch, keeping only the front-end and the 1-D PSD. Phase 2 will replace the 1-D PSD with the state-of-the-art BNL120 2-D PSD which comes from the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Currently, the detector is integrated off-line into the data acquisition architecture at HFIR and SNS. The new instrument, WAND2, will have event mode capability, improved efficiency, and higher resolution and will be available for general users in the proposal call 2018A. This contribution presents results highlighting the improvements on WAND after phase 1. The upgraded instrument now accommodates the whole suite of available sample environment (50 mK–1500 K, magnetic fields (5 T), high pressures (4 GPa)). Also, the background could be reduced significantly by a factor of 2 through improved shielding, allowing the detection of weak signals. The phase 2 upgrade will require new electronics, data acquisition, and visualization and will result in an altogether new instrument: WAND2.

ZnO:Zn/6LiF scintillator—A low afterglow alternative to ZnS:Ag/6LiF for thermal neutron detection

Current ZnS:Ag/6LiF based scintillation detectors are often count rate limited by the long lifetime afterglow in the scintillator. Despite this drawback, new instruments at neutron scattering facilities, like ISIS in the UK, would still like to use ZnS:Ag/6LiF detectors due to their low gamma sensitivity, high light output, simplicity of detector design and relatively inexpensive production. One particular advantage of ZnS:Ag/6LiF detectors is their ability to provide strong pulse shape discrimination between neutrons and gammas. Despite the advantages of these detectors, it is becoming clear that new and upgraded instruments will be limited by the count rate capability of ZnS:Ag/6LiF, so an alternative scintillator technology with equivalent simplicity is being sought. ZnO:Zn/6LiF is investigated here as a low afterglow alternative to ZnS:Ag/6LiF. Basic scintillation properties of ZnO:Zn are studied and are discussed. Pulse shape discrimination between neutrons and gammas is explored and taken advantage of through simple single photon counting methods. A further step toward a realistic detector for neutron scattering is also taken by fiber coupling the ZnO:Zn/6LiF to a PMT. In an initial study of this fiber coupled configuration, 60Co gamma sensitivity of ∼7×10−6 is shown and improvements in count rate capability of at least a factor of 6 over ZnS:Ag/6LiF based neutron detectors are demonstrated.

Vibrational spectroscopy with neutrons: Recent developments

In this short review, we will briefly summarise the differences between INS spectroscopy and conventional infrared and Raman spectroscopies. We will illustrate these with the current state-of-the art, using C70 as an example. The main focus of the article will be on the key advances in INS spectroscopy over the last ten years or so, that are driving new areas of research. The developments fall into three broad categories: (i) new sources, (ii) new and/or upgraded instrumentation and (iii) novel uses for existing instruments. For (i) we summarise the new neutron sources that are now, or will be, operating. For (ii) we show the capabilities of new or upgraded instruments. These offer unprecedented levels of sensitivity: sub-millimole quantities of hydrogen can be measured and millimole quantities of low cross section materials. Recent work on hexahalo metallates and adsorbed CO2 is used to demonstrate what is now feasible. For (iii), instruments that were designed for studies of magnetism, are now being used for molecular spectroscopy, especially for catalysts. This is illustrated with work on CuH and methanol synthesis catalysts.

Consistency of long-term elemental carbon trends from thermal and optical measurements in the IMPROVE network

Abstract. Decreasing trends of elemental carbon (EC) have been reported at US Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network from 1990 to 2004, consistent with the phase-in of cleaner engines, residential biomass burning technologies, and prescribed burning practices. EC trends for the past decade are examined due to an upgrade of IMPROVE carbon instruments and the thermal/optical analysis protocol since 2005. Filter reflectance (τR) values measured as part of the carbon analysis were retrieved from archived data and compared with EC for 65 sites with more complete records within 2000–2009. EC–τR relationships suggest minor changes of EC quantified by the original and upgraded instruments for most IMPROVE samples. EC and τR show universal decreasing trends across the US. The EC and τR trends are correlated, with national average downward rates (relative to the 2000–2004 baseline medians) of 4.5% yr−1 for EC and 4.1% yr−1 for τR. The consistency between independent EC and τR measurements adds to the weight of evidence that EC reductions are real rather than an artifact of changes to the measurement process.

An upgraded CottonscanTM instrument for measuring the average fiber linear density (fineness) of cotton lint samples

We have previously described CottonscanTM and its performance in determining the average fiber linear density of cotton lint samples in detail. The previous work was focused on demonstrating that a reliable and sufficiently precise measurement was technically feasible. However, the measurement cycle time was 6 min. Thus the focus has now shifted to reducing the measurement cycle time in order to increase the sample throughput and demonstrate that the instrument is likely to be useful to the industry. Here we describe the engineering improvements made to bring the cycle time down to 1 min and provide results to show that the measurement is unaffected.

Disks and planetary forming regions as seen by mm/submm interferometers

Until the last fifteen years, the origin of planetary systems was mostly investigated from observations and modelling of our own Solar System. However, the new generation of large interferometers, is slowly but surely changing this. In particular, observations of circumstellar gas and dust around young stars similar to the Sun in its infancy are now routinely provided by millimeter and submillimeter arrays with angular resolution corresponding to 40-100 AU, at the distance of the nearest star forming regions (e.g. Taurus-Auriga). Waiting for ALMA, these upgraded instruments provide invaluable information inside the regions of young disks where planets should form. I briefly discuss here their contribution to this scientific domain which is quickly evolving. I will present several well-known objects such as HH30 or AB Auriga in order to emphasize the input of mm/submm arrays but also to demonstrate that multi-wavelength approaches remain necessary to trace the dust and gas material from the inner disk to the outer disk.

Relocation and upgrade of neutron spin echo spectrometer, iNSE

ISSP-NSE instrument previously installed at the C2-2 port of the guide hall of JRR-3M, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAERI), was relocated to the C2-3-1 port at the end of the C2 cold guide and renamed as “iNSE”. The instrument is now equipped with a neutron velocity selector capable of changing the neutron wavelength in the range of 4– 16 Å with the wavelength resolution from 10% to 20%. The scattering angle was extended up to 98 ∘ . A new set of polarizer and analyzer consisting of the remanent supermirrors derives about 87% of polarized neutrons with the wavelength of 7 Å . The neutron flux at the sample position was increased by a factor of 2 to 3. At present, the upgraded instrument covered the range of the spatial and time domains of 0.01 ⩽ q ⩽ 0.4 Å - 1 and 0.05 ⩽ t ⩽ 50 ns , and these ranges may be further extended.

An Overview of the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) and Some Preliminary Highlights

The International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) is one of the largest North American meteorological field experiments in history. From 13 May to 25 June 2002, over 250 researchers and technical staff from the United States, Germany, France, and Canada converged on the Southern Great Plains to measure water vapor and other atmospheric variables. The principal objective of IHOP_2002 is to obtain an improved characterization of the time-varying three-dimensional water vapor field and evaluate its utility in improving the understanding and prediction of convective processes. The motivation for this objective is the combination of extremely low forecast skill for warm-season rainfall and the relatively large loss of life and property from flash floods and other warm-season weather hazards. Many prior studies on convective storm forecasting have shown that water vapor is a key atmospheric variable that is insufficiently measured. Toward this goal, IHOP_2002 brought together many of the existing operational and new state-of-the-art research water vapor sensors and numerical models. The IHOP_2002 experiment comprised numerous unique aspects. These included several instruments fielded for the first time (e.g., reference radiosonde); numerous upgraded instruments (e.g., Wyoming Cloud Radar); the first ever horizontal-pointing water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL; i.e., Leandre II on the Naval Research Laboratory P-3), which required the first onboard aircraft avoidance radar; several unique combinations of sensors (e.g., multiple profiling instruments at one field site and the German water vapor DIAL and NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory Doppler lidar on board the German Falcon aircraft); and many logistical challenges. This article presents a summary of the motivation, goals, and experimental design of the project, illustrates some preliminary data collected, and includes discussion on some potential operational and research implications of the experiment.

Z pinch imploding plasma density profile measurements using a two-frame laser shearing interferometer

A laser shearing interferometer (LSI) was used to make spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the electron density profile in an imploding z pinch. Experiments were conducted on the 0.7-MA/250-ns Hawk machine, the 2.5-MA/100-ns ACE-4 machine, and the 3.8-MA/190-ns Double Eagle machine. Time and space resolved measurements of the current and plasma density are needed for better understanding of the implosion dynamics and stagnation physics of z pinches. The electron density profile can be obtained using an LSI. The LSI passes a short pulse, collimated laser beam across the imploding z pinch, which distorts the laser wavefront. the maximum wavefront distortion occurs where the density gradient is highest, such as across the current sheath. After passing through the pinch, the distorted wavefronts are split into two beams that are laterally displaced relative to one other. This shearing causes interference between these two wavefronts and produces an interferogram, from which the plasma density profiles are derived. In the experiments, a 150-ps laser pulse was split into two pulses with an interpulse delay of several tens. of nanoseconds. This pulse pair gave two snap shots of the electron density profiles during the 100-300-ns implosions. From these interferograms, electron densities and implosion velocities of the imploding plasmas were derived, the current sheath was observed, and the plasma ionization states, growth rates, and wavelengths of instabilities were estimated. The results motivate construction of an upgraded instrument with four or more frames and with an added laser polarimetry measurement (Faraday rotation) capability to obtain both electron and current profiles.

Reinstrumentation of an earthfill dam

The performance of the original instrumentation system of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam on the Columbia River in British Columbia was assessed after 25 years of operation. Many of the piezometers installed to monitor the performance of the dam and upstream blanket had failed. The adequacy of the remaining instruments was evaluated and the requirements for additional instrumentation were defined to reestablish "base conditions" for dam and blanket monitoring. A study of the existing piezometric data combined with the results of a comprehensive seepage analyses resulted in the development of an areal model simulating actual seepage conditions. The model was then employed to define the requirements and configurations of an upgraded instrumentation system that would be capable of detecting potential deficiencies in the till core and the upstream blanket. The instrumentation system was then upgraded to monitor the present flow regime. System upgrading requirements, implementation, and performance are described. Key words : instrumentation, earthfill dam, impervious blanket, flow regime, piezometers, upgrading, areal flow net, finite element, monitoring system.

The imaging fourier transform spectrometer for the SIMURIS mission

Abstract The Solar Interferometric Mission for Ultrahigh Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy (SIMURIS) is an interferometric investigation in space at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths aimed at reconnaissance of solar features at angular scales from 0.3 to 0.01 arcsec. The Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (IFTS) is, with the Solar Ultraviolet Network (SUN), one of the core instruments of the proposed SIMURIS mission. It consists of a 40 cm Gregory telescope feeding a double grating pre-dispersive spectrometer before entering a Fourier transform spectrometer for a field of 10 × 10 arcsec2 at 0.3 arcsec resolution. The SIMURIS/IFTS requires upgrading of existing FTS down to 120 nm, with imaging capabilities. For the IFTS imaging a detector with fast readout must be used. There are also demanding constraints on the real time processing, and the subsequent important data rate, and requirements on an upgraded instrument pointing system (IPS), within the resources and capabilities of the Space Station.

MS/MS by time-resolved magnetic dispersion mass spectrometry

The modification of a magnetic sector mass spectrometer to provide measurement of Ion flight time results in a novel instrument which can provide all the data presently obtained from tandem MS/MS instrumentation. The combination of ion momentum and velocity analysis provides unambiguous mass assignments for parent and daughter ions while flight time comparison establishes parent-daughter relationships. Data has been obtained from a modified LKB-9000 which demonstrates the feasibility of this technique. Suggestions for an upgraded instrument wlth automated scanning are made and the possibility of achieving full MS/MS data collection on the chromatographic time scale through the use of an integrating transient recorder is presented.