Vienna University of Technology

About: Vienna University of Technology is a education organization based out in Vienna, Austria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Context (language use). The organization has 16723 authors who have published 49341 publications receiving 1302168 citations.

Determination of the nuclear quadrupole moment of 57Fe.

Abstract: We determine the nuclear quadrupole moment $Q$ of the most important M\"ossbauer nucleus ${}^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$ by comparing experimental quadrupole splittings with calculated electric field gradients (EFG) for a large number of different Fe compounds. These ab initio calculations are based on the linearized-augmented plane-wave band structure method. From the slope of the linear correlation between theoretical EFGs and experimental quadrupole splittings a new value of $Q{(}^{57}\mathrm{Fe})\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.16\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{b}$ is deduced, twice as large as previously suggested. Our results should also stimulate nuclear physicists to revise nuclear structure shell model calculations of $Q$.

Life-Cycle Monitoring and Voltage-Managing Unit for DC-Link Electrolytic Capacitors in PWM Converters

Abstract: A novel life-cycle monitoring and voltage-managing device for dc-link electrolytic capacitors in pulsewidth modulation converters is presented. The system performs online identification of the capacitor's equivalent series resistance (ESR) in order to detect the life-cycle status and permit preventive maintenance. The ESR detection is based on the capacitor's ac losses calculated from voltage/current measurements using a simple low-cost microcontroller. The unit is designed as small printed circuit board located directly at the capacitor's screw terminals in order to simplify the required temperature sensing and to minimize wiring effort. The minimized energy consumption allows a power supply taken out of the capacitor to be tested. Besides life-cycle monitoring, the unit further facilitates energy-efficient voltage balancing for capacitors in series arrangements avoiding any power resistors typically used in balancing circuits. Instead, the unit controls the capacitor voltage by influencing its power consumption. Each individual monitoring unit (one per each power capacitor of the converter) transfers the ESR results to the converter's main controller and receives control commands via a common optoisolated fieldbus. Alternatively, this data transfer is performed using wireless near-field communication leading to a completely autonomous monitoring unit without any wiring for power supply and data transmission.

Validation of MODIS snow cover images over Austria

Abstract: . This study evaluates the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover product over the territory of Austria. The aims are (a) to analyse the spatial and temporal variability of the MODIS snow product classes, (b) to examine the accuracy of the MODIS snow product against in situ snow depth data, and (c) to identify the main factors that may influence the MODIS classification accuracy. We use daily MODIS grid maps (version 4) and daily snow depth measurements at 754 climate stations in the period from February 2000 to December 2005. The results indicate that, on average, clouds obscured 63% of Austria, which may significantly restrict the applicability of the MODIS snow cover images to hydrological modelling. On cloud-free days, however, the classification accuracy is very good with an average of 95%. There is no consistent relationship between the classification errors and dominant land cover type and local topographical variability but there are clear seasonal patterns to the errors. In December and January the errors are around 15% while in summer they are less than 1%. This seasonal pattern is related to the overall percentage of snow cover in Austria, although in spring, when there is a well developed snow pack, errors tend to be smaller than they are in early winter for the same overall percent snow cover. Overestimation and underestimation errors balance during most of the year which indicates little bias. In November and December, however, there appears to exist a tendency for overestimation. Part of the errors may be related to the temporal shift between the in situ snow depth measurements (07:00 a.m.) and the MODIS acquisition time (early afternoon). The comparison of daily air temperature maps with MODIS snow cover images indicates that almost all MODIS overestimation errors are caused by the misclassification of cirrus clouds as snow.

Recent advances in quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis: challenges and solutions in the life sciences and environmental chemistry

Abstract: Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a widely accepted method for direct sampling of solid materials for trace elemental analysis. The number of reported applications is high and the application range is broad; besides geochemistry, LA-ICP-MS is mostly used in environmental chemistry and the life sciences. This review focuses on the application of LA-ICP-MS for quantification of trace elements in environmental, biological, and medical samples. The fundamental problems of LA-ICP-MS, such as sample-dependent ablation behavior and elemental fractionation, can be even more pronounced in environmental and life science applications as a result of the large variety of sample types and conditions. Besides variations in composition, the range of available sample states is highly diverse, including powders (e.g., soil samples, fly ash), hard tissues (e.g., bones, teeth), soft tissues (e.g., plants, tissue thin-cuts), or liquid samples (e.g., whole blood). Within this article, quantification approaches that have been proposed in the past are critically discussed and compared regarding the results obtained in the applications described. Although a large variety of sample types is discussed within this article, the quantification approaches used are similar for many analytical questions and have only been adapted to the specific questions. Nevertheless, none of them has proven to be a universally applicable method.