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This study investigated both the disturbance electric fields processes including the Interplanetary Electric Field (IEFy) to low-latitude, known as prompt penetration electric field (PPEF) and the disturbance dynamo electric field (DDEF), and their effects on ionospheric TEC and scintillations over south China during four storms of 17 March 2015, 15 July 2012, 7 October 2015 and 20 December 2015. GPS ionospheric and magnetometer data were derived from receiver stations at Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and at Guangdong Zhaoqin (GZH) and equatorial station Dalat, respectively. Results presented that cases of the eastward PPEF on dayside with durations of 3 and 8 h were identified during storm main phases of 17 March 2015 and of 20 December 2015 respectively. DDEFs were found to dominate on nightside during the three main storm phases other than storm of 15 July 2012, and on dayside during the recovery storm phase of 21 December 2015. The responses of positive TEC deviation to the eastward PPEF on dayside were identified during the storm main phase of 20 December 2015 rather than during the storm of 17 March 2015, which showed longitudinal, latitudinal and seasonal dependences as compared to the previous studies. During the storm of 15 July 2012, positive TEC deviations with no response to the eastward PPEF on dayside were identified. Negative TEC deviation responses to the DDEF on dayside were seen during all four storm recovery phases. GPS ionospheric scintillations (S 4 ≥ 0.4) dominated in the equinox months before the occurrences of four storms, but were inhibited during the storm of 17 March 2015 over south China, which was attributed to the inhibitions of irregularities caused scintillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma irregularity in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere, which leads to ionospheric scintillation, can threaten the operation of radio-based communication and navigation systems. A method for forecasting scintillation activity is still pending. In this study, we examined the performance of ionospheric parameters, including the critical frequency (foF2), peak height of the F2-layer (hmF2), scale height (Hm) and virtual height (h'F), around local sunset from ground-based ionosonde observations, and also the characteristics of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observations in equinoctial months (March–April and September–October) during high solar activities (2012–2013) at a low-latitude station at Sanya (18.3° N, 109.6° E; dip lat.: 12.8° N), China. Furthermore, the simplified linear growth rate of Rayleigh–Taylor (R–T) instability inferred from ionosonde measurements and EIA strength derived from GRACE observations were used to estimate the day-to-day occurrence of post-sunset scintillation. The results indicate that it is not adequate to determine whether scintillation in a low-latitude region would occur or not based on one ionospheric parameter around sunset. The simplified growth rate of R–T instability can be a good indicator for the day-to-day occurrence of scintillation, especially in combination with variations in EIA strength. An index including the growth rate and EIA variations for the prediction of the post-sunset occurrence of irregularity and scintillation is proposed; the overall prediction accuracy could be about 90%. Our results may provide useful information for the development of a forecasting model of the day-to-day variability of irregularities and scintillation in equatorial and low-latitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Serappis (SEarch for RAre PP-neutrinos In Scintillator) project aims at a precision measurement of the flux of solar pp neutrinos on the few-percent level. Such a measurement will be a relevant contribution to the study of solar neutrino oscillation parameters and a sensitive test of the equilibrium between solar energy output in neutrinos and electromagnetic radiation (solar luminosity constraint). The concept of Serappis relies on a small organic liquid scintillator detector (∼ 20 m 3 ) with excellent energy resolution (∼ 2.5% at 1 MeV), low internal background and sufficient shielding from surrounding radioactivity. This can be achieved by a minor upgrade of the OSIRIS facility at the site of the JUNO neutrino experiment in southern China. To go substantially beyond current accuracy levels for the pp flux, an organic scintillator with ultra-low 14 C levels (below 10 - 18 ) is required. The existing OSIRIS detector and JUNO infrastructure will be instrumental in identifying suitable scintillator materials, offering a unique chance for a low-budget high-precision measurement of a fundamental property of our Sun that will be otherwise hard to access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace/minor element variation in pyrite is a feature that has proved invaluable for reconstructing a wide range of geological processes. Routine reflectance observations commonly fail to constrain this variation due to the typically subtle and barely perceptible change in reflectance brought about by deviation from ideal stoichiometry. Such differences may be difficult or impossible to observe in conventional polished sections using standard optical microscopes, at least without oil immersion. Chemical etching and staining, although widely used, are destructive, hazardous, or both, and the etching process is not completely reproducible. Here we use the γ correction method to enhance optical digital signal differences obtained in reflected light to constrain compositional heterogeneity in pyrite from a representative hydrothermal ore deposit in eastern China. The γ-enhanced images show significant reflectance variation caused by compositional heterogeneity, confirmed by quantitative electron microprobe analysis and qualitative imaging. Higher reflectance domains in γ-enhanced images correspond to increases in the effective number of free electrons, whereas darker domains are attributed to the decrease of these free electrons by trace/minor element substitution in pyrite (e.g., As). Gamma correction provides a rapid, effective, non-destructive method to constrain compositional heterogeneity of pyrite through enhancement of reflectance variation. Used alone, this method is unable to determine the chemical composition due to simultaneous substitutions, causing a disparate increase or decrease of reflectance, in most ore minerals. Nevertheless, γ correction may be sufficient to predict the substitution of trace/minor elements under the optical microscope prior to scanning electron microscope imaging and quantitative investigation of mineral composition and may help constrain links between textures and compositions of pyrite in evolving ore systems, which could also be applied to other ore minerals with negligible bireflectance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Positioning System (GPS) L-band ionospheric scintillation produced by electron density irregularities in the ionospheric E- and F-regions, is mainly a low- and high-latitude phenomenon. In this study, the statistical behavior of GPS ionospheric scintillation over a Chinese low-latitude station Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E; dip lat: 12.8°N) has been investigated. A detailed study on the seasonal and solar activity dependence of scintillation occurrence during July 2004–December 2012 show that the amplitude scintillation pattern, with a maximum occurrence during equinox of solar maximum, agrees with plasma bubble observations by in situ satellites in this longitude. A few daytime periodic scintillation events are found during June solstice months of solar minimum. Interestingly, a significant equinoctial asymmetry of scintillation onset time is found in 2011–2012. The initiation of scintillation during September–October is on average earlier than that of March–April about 25 min. Meanwhile, the zonal drifts of irregularities estimated using two spatially separated GPS receivers over Sanya show a similar behavior during the two equinoxes, slowly decreasing from 150 m/s at post-sunset to 50 m/s near midnight. The possible mechanisms responsible for the occurrence characteristics of GPS scintillation over Sanya, and relevant aspects of the zonal drifts of the irregularities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]