Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

About: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a facility organization based out in Thiruvananthapuram, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Aerosol & Ultimate tensile strength. The organization has 2092 authors who have published 3058 publications receiving 47975 citations. The organization is also known as: VSSC.

Diurnal and seasonal variability of surface ozone and NOx at a tropical coastal site: Association with mesoscale and synoptic meteorological conditions

Abstract: [1] Simultaneous measurements of near-surface ozone, NOx (NO + NO2), and meteorological parameters were carried out at the tropical coastal location of Trivandrum (8.55°N, 77°E) in India from November 2007 to May 2009. The data have been used to investigate the diurnal and seasonal patterns of ozone and its precursor, NOx, and also the interdependence of these two chemical species. The diurnal pattern is found to be closely associated with the mesoscale circulation (sea breeze and land breeze) and the availability of NOx. The daytime peak in ozone extends until the onset of land breeze, which brings in NOx for titration of ozone. Near-surface ozone concentration reaches peak values during the postmonsoon or winter months and shows minima during the summer or monsoon season. The high ozone concentration during winter is due to the presence of northeasterly winds that transport precursor gases to the site. The daytime concentration of ozone is found to be directly linked to the nighttime level of NOx. The present analysis reveals that one molecule of NOx or NO2 is responsible for the formation of about seven to nine molecules of ozone. A study of satellite-derived tropospheric ozone and total ozone has shown that tropospheric ozone contributes 8%–15% of total ozone over this site and near-surface ozone contributes 34%–83% of tropospheric ozone. The seasonal pattern of tropospheric column ozone is similar to that of tropospheric NO2.

Effect of iodine doping on the bandgap of plasma polymerized aniline thin films

Abstract: Pure and iodine-doped polyaniline thin films are prepared by ac plasma polymerization technique. Doping of iodine is carried out in situ as well as by employing iodine chamber methods. The structural analyses of pure and iodine-doped polyaniline thin films are carried out by FTIR spectroscopic studies. Optical bandgaps of these films are evaluated from UV-VIS absorption studies. Direct and indirect transition energy gaps are determined from Tauc plots. The structural changes of polyaniline upon doping and the reduction of optical bandgap are explained on the basis of the results obtained from FTIR spectroscopic and UV-VIS absorption studies.

Spatial and vertical heterogeneities in aerosol properties over oceanic regions around India: Implications for radiative forcing

Abstract: The influence of atmospheric aerosols on Earth's radiation budget and hence climate, though well recognized and extensively investigated in recent years, remains largely uncertain mainly because of the large spatio-temporal heterogeneity and the lack of data with adequate resolution. To characterize this diversity, a major multi-platform field campaign ICARB (Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget) was carried out during the pre-monsoon period of 2006 over the Indian landmass and surrounding oceans, which was the biggest such campaign ever conducted over this region. Based on the extensive and concurrent measurements of the optical and physical properties of atmospheric aerosols during ICARB, the spatial distribution of aerosol radiative forcing was estimated over the entire Bay of Bengal (BoB), northern Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea (AS) as well as large spatial variations within these regions. Besides being considerably lower than the mean values reported earlier for this region, our studies have revealed large differences in the forcing components between the BoB and the AS. While the regionally averaged aerosol-induced atmospheric forcing efficiency was 31 +/- 6 W m(-2) tau(-1) for the BoB, it was only similar to 18 +/- 7 W m(-2) tau(-1) for the AS. Airborne measurements revealed the presence of strong, elevated aerosol layers even over the oceans, leading to vertical structures in the atmospheric forcing, resulting in significant warming in the lower troposphere. These observations suggest serious climate implications and raise issues ranging from the impact of aerosols on vertical thermal structure of the atmospheric and hence cloud formation processes to monsoon circulation.