Diel cycle of sea spray aerosol concentration.

Sea spray aerosol (SSA) formation have a major role in the climate system, but measurements at a global-scale of this micro-scale process are highly challenging. We measured high-resolution temporal patterns of SSA number concentration over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean covering over 42,000 km. We discovered a ubiquitous 24-hour rhythm to the SSA number concentration, with concentrations increasing after sunrise, remaining higher during the day, and returning to predawn values after sunset. The presence of dominating continental aerosol transport can mask the SSA cycle. We did not find significant links between the diel cycle of SSA number concentration and diel variations of surface winds, atmospheric physical properties, radiation, pollution, nor oceanic physical properties. However, the daily mean sea surface temperature positively correlated with the magnitude of the day-to-nighttime increase in SSA concentration. Parallel diel patterns in particle sizes were also detected in near-surface waters attributed to variations in the size of particles smaller than ~1 µm. These variations may point to microbial day-to-night modulation of bubble-bursting dynamics as a possible cause of the SSA cycle.

Fine-Scale Droplet Clustering in Atmospheric Clouds: 3D Radial Distribution Function from Airborne Digital Holography.

The extent of droplet clustering in turbulent clouds has remained largely unquantified, and yet is of possible relevance to precipitation formation and radiative transfer. To that end, data gathered by an airborne holographic instrument are used to explore the three-dimensional spatial statistics of cloud droplet positions in homogeneous stratiform boundary-layer clouds. The three-dimensional radial distribution functions g(r) reveal unambiguous evidence of droplet clustering. Three key theoretical predictions are observed: the existence of positive correlations, onset of correlation in the turbulence dissipation range, and monotonic increase of g(r) with decreasing r. This implies that current theory captures the essential processes contributing to clustering, even at large Reynolds numbers typical of the atmosphere.

Record-breaking statistics for random walks in the presence of measurement error and noise.

We examine distance record setting by a random walker in the presence of a measurement error δ and additive noise γ and show that the mean number of (upper) records up to n steps still grows universally as (R(n)) ~ n(1/2) for large n for all jump densities, including Lévy distributions, and for all δ and γ. In contrast, the pace of record setting, measured by the amplitude of the n(1/2) growth, depends on δ and γ. In the absence of noise (γ=0), the amplitude S(δ) is evaluated explicitly for arbitrary jump distributions and it decreases monotonically with increasing δ whereas, in the case of perfect measurement (δ=0), the corresponding amplitude T(γ) increases with γ. The exact results for S(δ) offer a new perspective for characterizing instrumental precision by means of record counting. Our analytical results are supported by extensive numerical simulations.

Bounds on spectral dispersion from Fermi-detected gamma ray bursts.

Data from four Fermi-detected gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are used to set limits on spectral dispersion of electromagnetic radiation across the Universe. The analysis focuses on photons recorded above 1 GeV for Fermi-detected GRB 080916C, GRB 090510A, GRB 090902B, and GRB 090926A because these high-energy photons yield the tightest bounds on light dispersion. It is shown that significant photon bunches in GRB 090510A, possibly classic GRB pulses, are remarkably brief, an order of magnitude shorter in duration than any previously claimed temporal feature in this energy range. Although conceivably a>3σ fluctuation, when taken at face value, these pulses lead to an order of magnitude tightening of prior limits on photon dispersion. Bound of Δc/c<6.94×10(-21) is thus obtained. Given generic dispersion relations where the time delay is proportional to the photon energy to the first or second power, the most stringent limits on the dispersion strengths were k1<1.61×10(-5) sec Gpc(-1) GeV(-1) and k2<3.57×10(-7) sec Gpc(-1) GeV(-2), respectively. Such limits constrain dispersive effects created, for example, by the spacetime foam of quantum gravity. In the context of quantum gravity, our bounds set M1c(2) greater than 525 times the Planck mass, suggesting that spacetime is smooth at energies near and slightly above the Planck mass.

Phase signature for particle detection with digital in-line holography.

The spatial phase resulting from the digital reconstruction of an in-line hologram of a particle field is shown to yield a unique pattern that can be used for particle detection. This phase signature is present only when viewed along with the reference light. The existence of the phase pattern is verified computationally and confirmed in laboratory experiments with holograms of calibrated glass spheres. The phase signature provides an alternative to the widely used intensity method for particle detection.

Depth-of-focus reduction for digital in-line holography of particle fields.

Poor axial precision caused, in part, by large depth of focus (tau) has been a vexing problem in extraction of particle position from digital in-line holograms. A simple method is proposed to combat this depth-of-focus difficulty. The method is based on decoupling of size and position information. With d, Delta, and lambda being particle diameter, CCD pixel size, and the wavelength, respectively, our main theoretical result is the reduction of tau from tau - d2/lambda to tau - Delta2/lambda for particles of known size. This result is confirmed in laboratory experiments with holograms of calibrated glass spheres.