Variations In Spectral Shape Research Articles

The Peculiar Variable X-Ray Spectrum of the Active Galactic Nucleus PKS 2005–489

PKS 2005−489 is a well-known, bright southern BL Lac object that has been detected up to TeV energies. In a low-flux state it exhibits the expected multiwavelength double-peaked spectrum in the radio−γ-ray band. The high-flux state shows extreme flux variations in the X-ray band with a hardening as well as a peculiar curved feature in the spectrum. Thus far, PKS 2005−489 is the only source to exhibit such a feature. To study the X-ray variability further, we obtained the first hard X-ray spectrum of the source with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array. We compare quasi-simultaneous radio, optical, UV, soft and hard X-ray, and γ-ray data of PKS 2005−489 to archival data in order to study its broadband behavior. We find a very consistent quiet state in the spectral energy distribution, with little variation in spectral shape or flux between the 2012 and 2020 data. A possible explanation for the peculiar X-ray spectrum in the flaring state is an additional component in the jet, possibly accelerated via magnetic reconnection, that is not co-spatial to the low-flux state emission region.

High-Performance Optical Fiber Fabry–Perot Sensor Based on a Sawtooth Spectrum and Its Application in Acoustic Sensing

An optical fiber sensor based on Fabry–Perot (F–P) resonance with sawtooth spectral shape can break the mutual constraint of sensitivity and response range through simultaneously demodulating intensity variation of lasers working on the two asymmetric spectral lines. Here, theoretical solution and practical approach for obtaining the F–P resonance with a sawtooth spectrum have been proposed. The linear range and slope of the asymmetric spectrum are first calculated based on the proposed theoretical model, which regulates the spectral shape variation. Then, the composite film on fiber end face has been solved to fulfill the model parameters required for the sawtooth spectrum through reversely utilizing an equivalent interface approach, which has been theoretically and experimentally demonstrated by using a composite film of platinum and germanium (Pt/Ge) as the first reflective mirror and gold film as the second mirror. Finally, an optical fiber F–P sensor with sawtooth spectral characteristics is prepared for underwater acoustic sensing application, which demonstrates an average of 10-dB improvement in dynamic range at the frequency range of 20–800 Hz.

EUV spectral shape variation of tungsten unresolved transition arrays in electron temperature range of 2–4 keV observed in the Large Helical Device

Spectroscopic studies of emissions released from tungsten ions combined with a pellet injection technique have been conducted in the Large Helical Device. The tungsten Unresolved Transition Array (UTA) spectrum was observed in the wavelength ranges of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) 6–60 Å and 130–340 Å, and the electron temperature dependence of the UTA spectral shape was investigated in the electron temperature region < 4.3 keV. The UTAs of W24+–W33+ at 20–33 Å, W37+–W42+ at 45–47 Å, W27+–W29+ at 48–55 Å, and W7+– W27+ at 170–210 Å were observed. Unidentified UTAs were also found at 230–270 Å and 280–320 Å. As the electron temperature increased further above 4 keV, the W37+–W42+ UTA at 45–47 Å was maintained, while the other UTAs became less intense.

Local Voltage Mapping of Solar Cells in the Presence of Localized Radiative Defects.

Hyperspectral electroluminescence and photoluminescence imaging of photovoltaic materials and devices produces three-dimensional spatially and spectrally resolved luminescence data, which can be calibrated to an absolute scale, enabling the extraction of high resolution maps of quantities such as the local voltage (quasi-Fermi-level splitting). This extraction requires supplemental measurements of external quantum efficiency (EQE), but these do not have the same spatial resolution. Previously, assumptions have been made to overcome this limitation. In this work, we evaluate these assumptions for InGaAs solar cells with significant spatial variation in the luminescence spectrum shape due to small regions with elevated concentrations of radiative defects. Although appropriate for small variations in spectral shape, we find that with more significant variation, these assumptions can result in non-physical EQEs and too-low voltages. Combining multiple methods can help alleviate this, or a minimum voltage map can be extracted, which will be similar to the actual voltage when EQE is high.

New periodograms separating orbital radial velocities and spectral shape variation

We present new periodograms that are effective in distinguishing Doppler shift from spectral shape variability in astronomical spectra. These periodograms, building upon the concept of partial distance correlation, separate the periodic radial velocity modulation induced by orbital motion from that induced by stellar activity. These tools can be used to explore large spectroscopic databases in search of targets in which spectral shape variations obscure the orbital motion; such systems include active planet-hosting stars or binary systems with an intrinsically variable component. We provide a detailed prescription for calculating the periodograms, demonstrate their performance via simulations and real-life case studies, and provide a public Python implementation.

Estimating near-infrared reflectance of vegetation from hyperspectral data

Disentangling the individual contributions from vegetation and soil in measured canopy reflectance is a grand challenge to the remote sensing and ecophysiology communities. Since Solar Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) is uniquely emitted from vegetation, it can be used to evaluate how well reflectance-based vegetation indices (VIs) can separate the vegetation and soil components. Due to the residual soil background contributions, Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance of vegetation (NIRv) and Difference Vegetation index (DVI) present offsets when compared to SIF (i.e., the value of NIRv or DVI is non-zero when SIF is zero). In this study, we proposed a simple framework for estimating the true NIR reflectance of vegetation from Hyperspectral measurements (NIRvH) with minimal soil impacts. NIRvH takes advantage of the spectral shape variations in the red-edge region to minimize the soil effects. We evaluated the capability of NIRvH, NIRv and DVI in isolating the true NIR reflectance of vegetation using the data from both the model-based simulations and Hyperspectral Plant imaging spectrometer (HyPlant) measurements. Benchmarked by simultaneously measured SIF, NIRvH has the smallest offset (0–0.037), as compared to an intermediate offset of 0.047–0.062 from NIRv, and the largest offset of 0.089–0.112 from DVI. The magnitude of the offset can vary with different soil reflectance spectra across spatio-temporal scales, which may lead to bias in the downstream NIRv-based photosynthesis estimates. NIRvH and SIF measurements from the same sensor platform avoided complications due to different geometry, footprint and time of observation across sensors when studying the radiative transfer of reflected photons and SIF. In addition, NIRvH was primarily determined by canopy structure rather than chlorophyll content and soil brightness. Our work showcases that NIRvH is promising for retrieving canopy structure parameters such as leaf area index and leaf inclination angle, and for estimating fluorescence yield with current and forthcoming hyperspectral satellite measurements.

Simulations of spatially and angle-resolved vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy for a system with a planar defect

Recent developments in experiments with vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) have revealed spectral shape variations at spatial resolutions down to sub-atomic scale. Interpretation in terms of local phonon density of states enables their qualitative understanding, yet a more detailed analysis is calling for advances in theoretical methods. In Zeiger and Rusz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 025501 (2020) we have presented a frequency resolved frozen phonon multislice method for simulations of vibrational EELS. Detailed simulations for a plane wave electron beam scattering on a vibrating hexagonal boron nitride are presented in a companion manuscript (Zeiger and Rusz, arXiv:2104.03197). Here we present simulations of vibrational EELS assuming a convergent electron probe of nanometer size and atomic size on a hexagonal boron nitride structure model with a planar defect. With a nanometer beam we observe spectral shape modifications in the presence of the defect, which are correlated with local changes of the phonon density of states. With an atomic size electron beam, we observe the same, although with better contrast. In addition, we observe atomic level contrast and sub-atomic scale spectral shape modifications, which are particularly strong for small detector collection angles.

System spectral shape factor-based retrieval approach for accuracy improvement of ocean color radiance

Accurate retrieval of top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiance is a sustained research work in ocean color remote sensing. Spectral shapes of sensor input and sensor spectral response (SRF) function may significantly affect the achievable accuracy. A model is presented here to quantify the effects of spectral shapes. We also proposed an innovative method to retrieve the TOA spectral radiance that accounts for spectral shapes. Ten-fold improvement is demonstrated in retrieval accuracy using the proposed method on multiple data sets. Input spectral shape variations are simulated using spectra of TOA radiance, path radiance, exoatmospheric solar irradiance, and integrating sphere. SRF changes are simulated using SRFs of Ocean Color Monitor-2 and Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor. System spectral shape factor, a new parameter, is found to capture the spectral changes and helps quantitative assessment of the inaccuracy. The proposed method will be highly beneficial in deriving accurate geophysical products from the existing and upcoming ocean color remote sensing instruments.

Technical note: characterization of spectral changes with measurement geometry and magnetic field strength in light guides used for scintillation dosimetry

The purpose of this work was to characterize the stem-effect signal and the Cerenkov light ratio (CLR) in various light guides as functions of measurement geometry and magnetic field strength. Two PMMA-, two silica-, and one polystyrene-based light guides were considered in this work. Spectra measurements were performed as functions of depth, fiber-beam angle, and magnetic field strength using an optical spectrometer. All measurements were performed using a clinical linear accelerator at a nominal photon beam energy of 6 MV. Depths ranging from 1 cm to 10 cm, fiber-beam angles ranging from 90 degrees to 30 degrees, and magnetic field strengths ranging from 0 T to ± 1.40 T were investigated. The CLR was calculated from each spectrum by taking the ratio of the integral signal between 400 nm and 500 nm to the integral signal between 500 nm and 600 nm. A maximum increase of 80.5% in the stem-effect signal was observed in the magnetic field. Variations in spectral shape and, consequently, the CLR were observed for all of the fibers as functions of magnetic field strength and measurement geometry, particularly for wavelengths less than 400 nm. The plastic fibers exhibited decreases in the CLR as a function of magnetic field strength at all depths investigated, whereas the silica fibers exhibited increases in the CLR with decreasing magnetic field strength. A maximum variation of 11.1% in the CLR was observed for the polystyrene fiber due to the magnetic field. The sensitivity of the CLR to the magnetic field decreased as the fiber-beam angle decreased. The measured spectral response, shape, and CLR were found to be sensitive to the applied magnetic field strength and polarity where the variations in response were unique to each fiber.

Characterization of spectral and intensity changes with measurement geometry in various light guides used in scintillation dosimetry.

To characterize response changes of various light guides used in megavoltage (MV) photon beam scintillation dosimetry as a function of irradiation conditions. Particular emphasis was placed on quantifying the impact of response changes on the Čerenkov light ratio (CLR). Intensity and spectral response measurements as a function of dose, depth, and fiber-beam angle were performed with a commercial scintillation detector stripped of its scintillation material and five different custom-made light guides. The core materials of the light guides investigated consisted of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), low- and high-hydroxyl content silica, and polystyrene. Dose levels ranging from 50monitor units (MU) to 1000MU, depths ranging from 1 to 20cm, and fiber-beam angles ranging from 10° to 90° were investigated. All measurements were performed at a photon beam energy of 6MV. The CLR was calculated by taking the ratio of the responses in the blue to green spectral regions. There was no significant change in the CLR measured with the modified commercial scintillation detector as a function of delivered dose. In addition, increases in the CLR as functions of depth and fiber-beam angle were observed where the maximum changes were 4.2% and 3.6%, respectively. The spectrum measurements showed no observable changes in spectral shape with depth except for the low-hydroxyl content silica fiber. Variations in the measured spectral shape with fiber-beam angle were observed for all fibers investigated. The magnitude of the changes in the spectral shape varied with fiber type, where the silica fibers exhibited the largest changes and the plastic fibers exhibited the smallest changes. Increases in the CLR were observed for the silica fibers with depth and for all fibers with fiber-beam angle. The plastic fibers showed no significant change in the CLR as a function of depth. Increases of 3.1% and 9.5% in the CLR were observed for the high- and low-hydroxyl content silica fibers, respectively, over the range of depths investigated. Variations of 2.3%, 6.1%, 5.1% and 11.9% were observed for the PMMA, polystyrene, high-hydroxyl, and low-hydroxyl content silica fiber CLR values as a function of fiber-beam angle, respectively. The insignificant change in the CLR with delivered dose indicates that a single CLR value over the investigated dose range is sufficient for accurate Čerenkov subtraction. Variations in the stem-effect spectrum shape can occur with changes in irradiation geometry. The magnitude of the changes are governed by the fiber construction and the optical properties of the fiber. The observed spectral shape changes can be explained by a combination of variations in optical path length through the fiber and the fiber fluorescent signal contribution to the stem-effect. These spectral shape variations directly influence the calculated CLR values. This work confirms that careful characterization of scintillation detectors is important as changes in the stem-effect spectrum can cause changes in the CLR. If the CLR changes between the reference and measurement conditions, this could result in an incorrect stem-effect subtraction and reduced measurement accuracy.

A Novel Approach to Unsupervised Change Detection Based on Hybrid Spectral Difference

The most commonly used features in unsupervised change detection are spectral characteristics. Traditional methods describe the degree of the change between two pixels by quantifying the difference in spectral values or spectral shapes (spectral curve shapes). However, traditional methods based on variation in spectral shapes tend to miss the change between two pixels if their spectral curves are close to flat; and traditional methods based on variation in spectral values tend to miss the change between two pixels if their values are low (dark objects). To inhibit the weaknesses of traditional methods, a novel approach to unsupervised change detection based on hybrid spectral difference (HSD) is proposed which combines the difference between spectral values and spectral shapes. First, a new method referred to as change detection based on spectral shapes (CDSS) is proposed that fuses the difference images produced by the spectral correlation mapper (SCM) and spectral gradient difference (SGD) in order to describe the variation in spectral shapes. Second, a method called change detection based on spectral values (CDSV), computing the Euclidean distance between two spectral vectors, is used to obtain a difference image based on the variation in spectral values. Then, the credibility of CDSS and CDSV for every pixel is calculated to describe how appropriate these two methods are for detecting the change. Finally, the difference images produced by CDSS and CDSV are fused with the corresponding credibility to generate the hybrid spectral difference image. Two experiments were carried out on worldview-2/3 and Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) datasets, and both qualitative and quantitative results indicated that HSD had superior capabilities of change detection compared with standard change vector analysis (CVA), SCM, SGD and multivariate alteration detection (MAD). The accuracy of CDSS is higher than CDSV in case-1 but lower in case-2 and, compared to the higher one, the overall accuracy and the kappa coefficient of HSD improved by 3.45% and 6.92%, respectively, in the first experiment, and by 1.66% and 3.31%, respectively, in the second experiment. The omission rate dropped by approx. 4.4% in both tests.

Acoustic and seismic ambient noise measurements in urban and rural areas

Using portable sound level meters, simultaneous one-third octave spectral measurements of acoustic and seismic ambient noise as a function of frequency were conducted in different urban terrains and at two rural locations. The acoustic measurement frequency band of 6Hz–20kHz includes frequencies lower than are commonly measured in acoustic surveys, while the seismic band of 6Hz–1kHz extends to higher frequencies than most past seismic measurements. The urban acoustic measurements are dominated by traffic noise. The seismic signatures also are heavily influenced by traffic noise but exhibit more variation with respect to urban location due to the influence of subsurface conditions. For most urban measurement sites, the acoustic peak frequency was usually around 60Hz, while the peak seismic frequencies were usually less than 25Hz. The measured urban seismic spectra also tended to have more structure and variation in spectral shape from one location to another compared to the acoustic spectra, and a more rapid decline with increasing frequency, usually decreasing by about 30dB from 30Hz to 600Hz.

A method to compute the n-dimensional solid spectral angle between vectors and its use for band selection in hyperspectral data

This study presents the calculation of spectral angle beyond two endmember vectors to the n-dimensional solid spectral angle (NSSA). The calculation of the NSSA is used to characterize the local spectral shape difference among a set of endmembers, leading to a methodology for band selection based on spectral shape variations of more than two spectra. Equidistributed sequences used in the quasi-Monte Carlo method (ESMC) for numerical simulations are shown to expedite the calculation of the NSSA. We develop a band selection method using the computation of NSSA(ϑn) in the context of a sliding window. By sliding the window over all bands available for varying band intervals, the calculated solid spectral angle values can capture the similarity of the endmembers over all spectral regions available and for spectral features of varying widths. By selecting a subset of spectral bands with largest solid spectral angles, a methodology can be developed to capture the most important spectral information for the separation or mapping of endmembers. We provide an example of the merits of the NSSA-ESMC method for band selection as applied to linear spectral unmixing. Specifically, we examine the endmember abundance errors resulting from the NSSA band selection method as opposed to using the full spectral dimensionality available.

Evaluation of seismic assessment procedures for determining deformation demands in RC wall buildings

This work evaluates the performance of a number of seismic assessment procedures when applied to a case study reinforced concrete (RC) wall building. The performance of each procedure is evaluated through its ability to accurately predict deformation demands, specifically, roof displacement, inter-storey drift ratio and wall curvatures are considered as the key engineering demand parameters. The different procedures include Direct Displacement-Based Assessment, nonlinear static analysis and nonlinear dynamic analysis. For the latter two approaches both lumped and distributed plasticity modelling are examined. To thoroughly test the different approaches the case study building is considered in different configurations to include the effects of unequal length walls and plan asymmetry. Recommendations are made as to which methods are suited to different scenarios, in particular focusing on the balance that needs to be made between accurate prediction of engineering demand parameters and the time and expertise required to undertake the different procedures. All methods are shown to have certain merits, but at the same time a number of the procedures are shown to have areas requiring further development. This work also highlights a number of key aspects related to the seismic response of RC wall buildings that may significantly impact the results of an assessment. These include the influence of higher-mode effects and variations in spectral shape with ductility demands.

Properties of the half-filled Hubbard model investigated by the strong coupling diagram technique

The equation for the electron Green's function of the fermionic Hubbard model, derived using the strong coupling diagram technique, is solved self-consistently for the near-neighbor form of the kinetic energy and for half-filling. In this case the Mott transition occurs at the Hubbard repulsion Uc ≈ 6.96t, where t is the hopping constant. The calculated spectral functions, density of states (DOS) and momentum distribution are compared with results of Monte Carlo simulations. A satisfactory agreement was found for U &gt; Uc and for temperatures, at which magnetic ordering and spin correlations are suppressed. For U &lt; Uc and lower temperatures the theory describes qualitatively correctly the positions and widths of spectral continua, variations of spectral shapes and occupation numbers with changing wave vector and repulsion. The locations of spectral maxima turn out to be close to the positions of δ-function peaks in the Hubbard-I approximation.

The high-energyγ-ray emission of AP Librae

The $\gamma$-ray spectrum of the low-frequency-peaked BL Lac (LBL) object AP Librae is studied, following the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE; $E>100\,{\rm GeV}$) $\gamma$-ray emission up to the TeV range by the H.E.S.S. experiment. This makes AP Librae one of the few VHE emitters of the LBL type. The measured spectrum yields a flux of $(8.8 \pm 1.5_{\rm stat} \pm 1.8_{\rm sys}) \times 10^{-12}\ {\rm cm}^{-2} {\rm s}^{-1}$ above 130 GeV and a spectral index of $\Gamma = 2.65\pm0.19_{\rm stat}\pm0.20_{\rm sys}$. This study also makes use of \textit{Fermi}-LAT, observations in the high energy (HE, E$>$100 MeV) range, providing the longest continuous light curve (5 years) ever published on this source. The source underwent a flaring event between MJD 56306-56376 in the HE range, with a flux increase of a factor 3.5 in the 14-day bin light curve and no significant variation in spectral shape with respect to the low-flux state. While the H.E.S.S., and (low state) \textit{Fermi}-LAT fluxes are in good agreement where they overlap, a spectral curvature between the steep VHE spectrum and the \textit{Fermi}-LAT, spectrum is observed. The maximum of the $\gamma$-ray emission in the spectral energy distribution is located below the GeV energy range.

Influence of crystalline structure on the luminescence properties of terbium orthotantalates

Terbium orthotantalate powders were produced with M-fergusonite type (I2/a) and M′-fergusonite type (P2/a) structures. The samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence measurements (emission and decay curves). The results showed that crystalline materials were obtained with all the 18 Raman-active modes predicted by group theory calculations. Also, it was observed through photoluminescence decay curves that the Tb3+ ions occupies only one-symmetry site in both crystallographic arrangements. Photoluminescence emission curves exhibited some variation in spectral shape, peak position, and relative intensity as a consequence of their different crystalline arrangements. The dominated emission of Tb3+ (5D4→7F5) is centered with a maximum intensity at 549.2nm (M-type) and 543.0nm (M′-type). Fluorescence lifetimes for M-TbTaO4 and M′-TbTaO4 were determined as 33.4μs and 1.25ms, respectively. M′-type materials seems to be the most suitable for luminescent devices and could be a potential green luminescent material due to the strongest emission if compared with the M-fergusonite type.

Exploring Protonation and Deprotonation Effects with Auger Electron Spectroscopy.

Auger electron spectroscopy is demonstrated to be a very efficient tool to probe alterations in local chemical environment due to changes in protonation states. We show that electronic and geometric structure changes induced by protonation or deprotonation are well reflected in Auger spectra through characteristic chemical shifts and spectral shape variations. We also present evidence that Auger spectra are sensitive to relative concentrations of compounds in different protonation states. Special attention is paid to the high kinetic energy spectral regions that exhibit remarkable features resulting from core ICD-like transitions in normal species and Auger transitions in deprotonated fragments. The latter contribution was so far ignored when explaining Auger spectra of species embedded in the environment. This contribution should be reconsidered, taking into account the recently discovered possibility of ultrafast dissociation of core-ionized hydrogen-bonded systems in media.

Monochromatic soft-x-ray-induced reactions of CF2Cl2 adsorbed on Si(111)-7 × 7 studied by continuous-time photon-stimulated desorption spectroscopy near the F(1s) edge

Continuous-time core-level photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) spectroscopy was used to investigate the monochromatic soft x-ray photoreactions of CF2Cl2 adsorbed on Si(111)-7 × 7 near the F(1s) edge (681–704 eV). Sequential F+ PSD spectra were observed as a function of photon exposure at the CF2Cl2-covered surface (dose = 2.0 × 1014 molecules cm−2, ∼0.75 monolayer). The F+ PSD and total electron yield (TEY) spectra of solid CF2Cl2 near the F(1s) edge were also measured. Both F+ PSD and TEY spectra depict three features in the energy range of 687–695 eV, and are assigned to the excitations of F(1s) to (13a1 + 9b2)[(C–Cl)∗], (7b1 + 14a1)[(C–F)∗] antibonding and 5p Rydberg orbitals, respectively. Following the Auger decay process, two holes are created in the C–F bonding orbitals producing the 2h1e final state which results in the F+ desorption. This PSD mechanism, responsible for the F+ PSD of solid CF2Cl2, is used to explain the first F+ PSD spectrum in the sequential F+ PSD spectra. The variation of spectral shapes in the sequential F+ PSD spectra shows the consumption of adsorbed CF2Cl2 molecules and the production of surface SiF species as a function of photon exposure. The photolysis cross section of the adsorbed CF2Cl2 molecules by photons with varying energy (681–704 eV) is deduced from the sequential F+ PSD spectra and found to be ∼6.0 × 10−18 cm2.

The widespread occurrence of high-calcium pyroxene in bright-ray craters on the Moon and implications for lunar-crust composition

[1] We investigated the continuous spectral features of fresh craters on the Moon accompanied by distinctive bright rays, with cavity diameters between 8 and 24 km. We used the data from the Spectral Profiler onboard SELENE (Kaguya) to gain a better understanding of the composition of the lunar highland crust. We found that the observed spectra exhibited strong symmetric absorption around 1 μm and recognizable absorption around 1.3 μm. The spectra around a few craters showed a drastic change in the relative strengths of these two absorption bands s1.3/1.0 at different locations in and around the craters, indicating differences in the abundance of plagioclase and mafic minerals. In contrast, the spectra around most of the craters showed no significant variation in spectral shape, with an essentially constant s1.3/1.0. We analyzed the absorption features of the craters with an essentially constant s1.3/1.0 using the Modified Gaussian Model. We found that the strongest symmetric absorption bands were centered at 0.97–1.01 μm with s1.3/1.0 ≈ 0.2–0.6. Comparing these values with data from known samples, we concluded that high-calcium pyroxene (HCP) is the most plausible dominant mafic mineral identified from the observed spectra. The fact that we detected such HCP-dominant spectra among rayed craters widely spaced across the lunar highland implies that the major mafic component of some portions of the lunar crust is HCP rather than low-calcium pyroxene (LCP).