Sensitivity of SAR data to post-fire forest regrowth in Mediterranean and boreal forests

Disturbed forests may need decades to reach a mature stage and optically-based vegetation indices are usually poorly suited for monitoring purposes due to the rapid saturation of the signal with increasing canopy cover. Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data provide an alternate monitoring approach since the backscattered microwave energy is sensitive to the vegetation structure. Images from two regions in Spain and Alaska were used to analyze SAR metrics (cross-polarized backscatter and co-polarized interferometric coherence) from regrowing forests previously affected by fire. TerraSAR-X X-band backscatter showed the lowest sensitivity to forest regrowth, with the average backscatter increasing by 1-2 dB between the most recent fire scar and the unburned forest. Increased sensitivity (around 3-4 dB) was observed for C-band Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture (ASAR) backscatter. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array-type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) L-band backscatter presented the highest dynamic range from unburned to recently burned forests (approximately 8 dB). The interferometric coherence showed low sensitivity to forest regrowth at all SAR frequencies. For Mediterranean forests, five phases of forest regrowth were discerned whereas for boreal forest, up to four different regrowth phases could be discerned with L-band SAR data. In comparison, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) provided reliable differentiation only for the most recent development stages. The results obtained were consistent in both environments.     

Microstructural and microwave dielectric properties of LZT (Li2ZnTi3O8) ceramics sintered in presence of bismuth borate glass for LTCC applications

In the present research, the Li₂ZnTi₃O₈(LZT) ceramics were synthesized throughout solid-state ceramic processing, then mixed with bismuth borate (BiBO) glass prepared based on conventional melt quenching method. Wetting behavior of BiBO glass on the LZT ceramic substrate was monitored by hot stage microscopy. Afterward, dielectric LZT ceramics containing different amounts of BiBO glass (0.25–6 wt%) were sintered at various temperatures. X-ray diffraction and electron back scatter diffraction examinations revealed the presence of two crystalline phases of Li₂ZnTi₃O₈ and Bi₂Ti₂O₇. The maximum value of relative density (above 95%) was obtained in the case of specimens contained more than 5 wt% glass. The microwave dielectric properties of the finally sintered BiBO glass containing LZT ceramics were as follows: dielectric constant (ε_r) = 21.44–25.09, quality factor (Q × f) = 10839–54708 GHz and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) = (? 15.58) ? (? 12.86)ppm/°C.     

High‐performance serial block‐face SEM of nonconductive biological samples enabled by focal gas injection‐based charge compensation

A longstanding limitation of imaging with serial block‐face scanning electron microscopy is specimen surface charging. This charging is largely due to the difficulties in making biological specimens and the resins in which they are embedded sufficiently conductive. Local accumulation of charge on the specimen surface can result in poor image quality and distortions. Even minor charging can lead to misalignments between sequential images of the block‐face due to image jitter. Typically, variable‐pressure SEM is used to reduce specimen charging, but this results in a significant reduction to spatial resolution, signal‐to‐noise ratio and overall image quality. Here we show the development and application of a simple system that effectively mitigates specimen charging by using focal gas injection of nitrogen over the sample block‐face during imaging. A standard gas injection valve is paired with a precisely positioned but retractable application nozzle, which is mechanically coupled to the reciprocating action of the serial block‐face ultramicrotome. This system enables the application of nitrogen gas precisely over the block‐face during imaging while allowing the specimen chamber to be maintained under high vacuum to maximise achievable SEM image resolution. The action of the ultramicrotome drives the nozzle retraction, automatically moving it away from the specimen area during the cutting cycle of the knife. The device described was added to a Gatan 3View system with minimal modifications, allowing high‐resolution block‐face imaging of even the most charge prone of epoxy‐embedded biological samples.     

Wind Velocity Measurement of Multi-Laser Beams Measurement System Based on Peak Delay Technique

Contactless measurement of wind flow has been utilized in many fields,such as weather forecasting,hurricane tracking,and aeronautic alarm.In this paper,a novel multi-laser beams measuring system(MLBM) for high precision detection of wind field based on optical scintillations and small perturbation theory was proposed and verified.According to the fluctuation intensity of laser backscatter received by two detectors,peak delay technique was adopted to determine the velocity of wind flow.Detailed procedure to ...     

水下激光成像及主要参数的理论计算

利用双流辐射理论，导出了信号光辐射照度的表达式。从理论上计算了同步扫描系统的信号光和后向散射光传到探测器的辐照度与衰减长度的定量关系。减小视场角和增大光源到探测器的距离可增成像距离。     

Review of Fiber-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing Technology

A distributed optical-fiber acoustic sensor is an acoustic sensor that uses the optical fiber itself as a photosensitive medium,and is based on Rayleigh backsca...     

Joint Monitoring of Ground and Sky for Cereal Crops Based on Scatterometer Measurement and ASAR Images

The joint monitoring of the ground and sky for cereal crops based on microwave data has become a popular method for researches on earth surface objects. Focused on the sensitivity of backscatter from the scatterometer measurement and advanced synthetic aperture radar (ASAR) images to cereal parameters of rice, nine acquisitions, including rice parameters related eco-physiological variables and scattering coefficients, have been carried over the paddy field corresponding to rice growth stages. This paper analyzes the relationship between the corresponding backscatter to the cereal parameters based on the measurement at the interesting bands, polarizations, and incidence angels. Further, a modified water cloud model is built based on the ground measurement and advanced integrated equation model (AIEM), and then cereal parameters from ASAR images are retrieved and verified. The research results show that the sensitivity of backscatter to cereals from the sensor of the radar scatterometer could be helpful to build the retrieve model for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, which can achieve the scientific goals of the joint monitoring of ground and sky for cereal crops.     

一种无干扰可配置的后向散射无线传感网络架构

低成本、低功耗是无线传感网络得到普遍应用的重要原因。基于软件无线电技术、LabVIEW和USRP（Universal Software Radio Peripheral）平台,本文提出并实现了一种面向多传感应用、无干扰可配置的后向散射无线传感网络架构原型,架构由可配置零中频接收的后向散射无线传感收发器和传感节点组成,通过无线射频能量获取和传感节点的射频唤醒,有效地降低了系统功耗。论述副载波可配置的频分多址接入方法,给出并证明了避免多传感器接入碰撞的传感数据脉冲周期约束条件。实验和仿真验证了提出架构的有效性和可行性,实验测试误差矢量幅度EVM值小于2.8%,且数值分析和Monte Carlo仿真验证间的中断率误差小于1.86%。     

Problems in determining the misorientation axes, for small angular misorientations, using electron backscatter diffraction in the SEM

The errors associated with calculating misorientation axes from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data have been assessed experimentally. EBSD measurements were made on the same grains after imposed rotations of 2°, 5°, 7°, 10°, 12°, 17°, 27° and 180° around the normal to the specimen surface. The misorientation magnitudes and the misorientation axes associated with the imposed rotations have been calculated from the EBSD data. Individual measurements of misorientation axes are precise for misorientation magnitudes greater than ≈ 20°. The errors must be appreciated when assessing misorientation data at lower misorientation magnitudes and particularly at magnitudes less than 5°. Where misorientation axes can be characterized by the distribution of axes from a number of individual measurements, current EBSD techniques are satisfactory, for data sets of 30 measurements, as long as misorientation magnitudes are 10° or more. With larger data sets it may be possible to extend this approach to smaller misorientation magnitudes. For characterization of individual misorientations less than 5°, new EBSD techniques need to be developed.