Clouds blown by the solar windAbstract In this letter we investigate possible relationships between the cloud cover (CC) and the interplanetary electric field (IEF), which is modulated by the solar wind speed and the interplanetary magnetic field. We show that CC at mid-high latitudes systematically correlates with positive IEF, which has a clear energetic input into the atmosphere, but not with negative IEF, in general agreement with predictions of the global electric circuit (GEC)-related mechanism. Thus, our results suggest that mid-high latitude clouds might be affected by the solar wind via the GEC. Since IEF responds differently to solar activity than, for instance, cosmic ray flux or solar irradiance, we also show that such a study allows distinguishing one solar-driven mechanism of cloud evolution, via the GEC, from others.
Different optical parameters for thin solid films can be computed as functions of wavelength from the optical transmission and reflection spectra. Subsequently, several models can be tested on the obtained data, in order to check their validity with respect to the materials under study. Moreover, these models offer the possibility to estimate essential physical parameters. Such models are tested within this article for the refraction index and for the real part of the complex dielectric constant, for bismuth trioxide thin films deposited on glass substrates maintained at three different temperatures. Also, the model proposed by Tauc is applied for the absorption spectrum of the same films, in order to determine the type of electronic transition and to estimate the optical energy bandgap. It will be noticed that the optical parameters vary rather significantly with changing substrate temperature, while the structure of the films, as studied by means of X-ray diffractometry is almost insensitive to this change of deposition parameter.
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