arXiv subjects

Jérôme Kasparian

Publications and source records attributed to Jérôme Kasparian.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Shifting velocity of temperature extremes under climate change

Rapid changes in climatic conditions threaten both socioeconomic and ecological systems, as these might not be able to adapt or to migrate at the same pace as that of global warming. In particular, an increase of weather and climate extremes can lead to increased stress on human and natural systems, and a tendency for serious adverse effects. We rely on the EURO-CORDEX simulations and focus on the the screen-level daily mean temperature (T2m). We compare the shifting velocities of the cold and hot extremes with these of the associated central trends, i.e., the arithmetical mean or median. We define the extremes relative to the T2m distribution as it evolves with time over the period of 1951--2100. We find that temperature extremes shift at a similar velocity compared to that of the central trends. Accordingly, the T2m probability distribution shifts mostly as a whole, as the tails of the distribution increase together with the central trends. Exceptions occur however in specific regions and for the clustering of warm days, which shifts slower than all other extremes investigated in this study.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2019

Co-existing climate attractors in a coupled aquaplanet

The first step in exploring the properties of dynamical systems like the Earth climate is to identify the different phase space regions where the trajectories asymptotically evolve, called `attractors'. In a given system, multiple attractors can co-exist under the effect of the same forcing. At the boundaries of their basins of attraction, small changes produce large effects. Therefore, they are key regions for understanding the system response to perturbations. Here we prove the existence of up to five attractors in a simplified climate system where the planet is entirely covered by the ocean (aquaplanet). These attractors range from a snowball to a hot state without sea ice, and their exact number depends on the details of the coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice configuration. We characterise each attractor by describing the associated climate feedbacks, by using the principal component analysis, and by measuring quantities borrowed from the study of dynamical systems, namely instantaneous dimension and persistence.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2019

Ab-initio calculations of laser-atom interactions reveal harmonics feedback during macroscopic propagation

We couple the full 3D ab initio quantum evolution of the light pulse polarization in interaction with an atom with a propagation model to simulate the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses over macroscopic dimensions, in the presence of self-generated harmonics up to order 11. We evidence a clear feedback of the generated harmonics on propagation, with an influence on the ionization probability as well as the yield of the harmonic generation itself.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

HV discharges triggered by dual- and triple-frequency laser filaments

We study the use of frequency upconversion schemes of near-IR picosecond laser pulses and compare their ability to guide and trigger electric discharges through filamentation in air. Upconversion, such as Second Harmonic Generation, is favorable for triggering electric discharges for given amount of available laser energy, even taking into account the losses inherent to frequency conversion. We focus on the practical question of optimizing the use of energy from a given available laser system and the potential advantage to use frequency conversion schemes.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Quantitative analysis of self-organized patterns in ombrotrophic peatlands

We numerically investigate a diffusion-reaction model of an ombrotrophic peatland implementing a Turing instability relying on nutrient accumulation. We propose a systematic and quantitative sorting of the vegetation patterns, based on the statistical analysis of the numbers and filling factor of clusters of both \textit{Sphagnum} mosses and vascular plants. In particular, we define the transition from \textit{Sphagnum}-percolating to vascular plant-percolating patterns as the nutrient availability is increased. Our pattern sorting allows us to characterize the peatland pattern stability under climate stress, including strong drought.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2018

Viscous damping of gravity-capillary waves: Dispersion relations and nonlinear corrections

We discuss the impact of viscosity on nonlinear propagation of surface waves at the interface of air and a fluid of large depth. After a survey of the available approximations of the dispersion relation, we propose to modify the hydrodynamic boundary conditions to model both short and long waves. From them, we derive a nonlinear Schrödinger equation where both linear and nonlinear parts are modified by dissipation and show that the former plays the main role in both gravity and capillary-gravity waves while, in most situations, the latter represents only small corrections. This provides a justification of the conventional approaches to damped propagation found in the literature.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2018

Amplification of intense light fields by nearly free electrons

Light can be used to modify and control properties of media, as in the case of electromagnetically induced transparency or, more recently, for the generation of slow light or bright coherent XUV and X-ray radiation. Particularly unusual states of matter can be created by light fields with strengths comparable to the Coulomb field that binds valence electrons in atoms, leading to nearly-free electrons oscillating in the laser field and yet still loosely bound to the core [1,2]. These are known as Kramers-Henneberger states [3], a specific example of laser-dressed states [2]. Here, we demonstrate that these states arise not only in isolated atoms [4,5], but also in rare gases, at and above atmospheric pressure, where they can act as a gain medium during laser filamentation. Using shaped laser pulses, gain in these states is achieved within just a few cycles of the guided field. The corresponding lasing emission is a signature of population inversion in these states and of their stability against ionization. Our work demonstrates that these unusual states of neutral atoms can be exploited to create a general ultrafast gain mechanism during laser filamentation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Free space laser telecommunication through fog

Atmospheric clearness is a key issue for free space optical communications (FSO). We present the first active method to achieve FSO through clouds and fog, using ultrashort high intensity laser filaments. The laser filaments opto-mechanically expel the droplets out of the beam and create a cleared channel for transmitting high bit rate telecom data at 1.55 microns. The low energy required for the process allows considering applications to Earth-satellite FSO and secure ground based optical communication, with classical or quantum protocols.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Modifications of filament spectra by shaped octave-spanning laser pulses

In this paper we examine the spectral changes in a white light laser filament due to different pulse shapes generated by a pulse shaping setup. We particularly explore how the properties of the filament spectra can be controlled by parametrically tailored white light pulses. The experiments are carried out in a gas cell with up to 9 bar of argon. Plasma generation and self-phase modulation strongly affect the pulse in the spectral and temporal domain. By exploiting these effects we show that the pulse spectrum can be modified in a desired way by either using second order parametric chirp functions to shift the filament spectrum to higher or lower wavelengths, or by optimizing pulse shapes with a genetic algorithm to generate more complex filament spectra. This paper is one of the first examples of the application of complex, parametrically shaped white light pulses.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Maximizing energy deposition by shaping few-cycle laser pulses

We experimentally investigate the impact of pulse shape on the dynamics of laser-generated plasma in rare gases. Fast-rising triangular pulses with a slower decay lead to early ionization of the air and depose energy more efficiently than their temporally reversed counterparts. As a result, in both argon and krypton, the induced shockwave as well as the plasma luminescence are stronger. This is due to an earlier availability of free electrons to undergo inverse Bremsstrahlung on the pulse trailing edge. Our results illustrate the ability of adequately tailored pulse shapes to optimize the energy deposition in gas plasmas.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Energy conservation in self-phase modulation

Spectral broadening of ultrashort laser pulses is simultaneously described by either self-phase modulation (SPM) or four-wave mixing (FWM). The latter implies the instantaneous conservation of both the photon number and energy, while the former describes a time-dependent frequency shift, implying a violation of the energy conservation if the number of photons is to be conserved in each time slice. We resolve this paradox by considering the transient energy storage in the propagation medium, that can be calculated in the SPM formalism via the dephasing between the incident pulse and the medium polarization leading to an effective imaginary part in the third-order susceptibility. In parallel, considering the temporal variation of the incident intensity in FWM offsets the instantaneous frequency.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Nonlinear stage of Benjamin-Feir instability in forced/damped deep water waves

We study a three-wave truncation of a recently proposed damped/forced high-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation for deep-water gravity waves under the effect of wind and viscosity. The evolution of the norm (wave-action) and spectral mean of the full model are well captured by the reduced dynamics. Three regimes are found for the wind-viscosity balance: we classify them according to the attractor in the phase-plane of the truncated system and to the shift of the spectral mean. A downshift can coexist with both net forcing and damping, i.e., attraction to period-1 or period-2 solutions. Upshift is associated with stronger winds, i.e., to a net forcing where the attractor is always a period-1 solution. The applicability of our classification to experiments in long wave-tanks is verified.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

HV discharge acceleration by sequences of UV laser filaments with visible and near-infrared pulses

We investigate the triggering and guiding of DC high-voltage discharges over a distance of 37 cm by filaments produced by ultraviolet (266 nm) laser pulses of 200 ps duration. The latter reduce the breakdown electric field by half and allow up to 80% discharge probability in an electric field of 920 kV/m. This high efficiency is not further increased by adding nanosecond pulses in the Joule range at 532 nm and 1064 nm. However, the latter statistically increases the guiding length, thereby accelerating the discharge by a factor of 2. This effect is due both to photodetachment and to the heating of the plasma channel, that increases the efficiency of avalanche ionization and reduces electron attachment and recombination.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Recurrence in the high-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation: a low dimensional analysis

We study a three-wave truncation of the high-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation for deepwater waves (HONLS, also named Dysthe equation). We validate our approach by comparing it to numerical simulation, distinguish the impact of the different fourth-order terms and classify the solutions according to their topology. This allows us to properly define the temporary spectral upshift occurring in the nonlinear stage of Benjamin-Feir instability and provides a tool for studying further generalizations of this model.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Time-resolved monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on atmospheric particles

Real-time monitoring of individual particles from atmospheric aerosols was performed by means of a specifically developed single-particle fluorescence spectrometer (SPFS). The observed fluorescence was assigned to particles bearing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). This assignment was supported by an intercomparison with classical speciation on filters followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. As compared with daily-averaged data, our time resolved approach provided information about the physicochemical dynamics of the particles. In particular, distinctions were made between background emissions related to heating, and traffic peaks during rush hours. Also, the evolution of the peak fluorescence wavelength provided an indication of the aging of the particles during the day.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2017

Linearity of charge measurement in laser filaments

We evaluate the linearity of three electric measurement techniques of the initial electron density in laser filaments by comparing their results for a pair of filaments and for the sum of each individual filament. The conductivity measured between two plane electrodes in a longitudinal configuration is linear within 2% provided the electric field is kept below 100 kV/m. Furthermore, simulations show that the signal behaves like the amount of generated free electrons. The slow ionic current measured with plane electrodes in a parallel configuration is representative of the ionic charge available in the filament, after several $μ$s, when the free electrons have recombined. It is linear within 2% with the amount of ions and is insensitive to misalignment. Finally, the fast polarization signal in the same configuration deviates from linearity by up to 80% and can only be considered as a semi-qualitative indication of the presence of charges, e.g., to characterize the filament length.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Remote electrical arc suppression by laser filamentation

We investigate the interaction of narrow plasma channels formed in the filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses, with a DC high voltage. The laser filaments prevent electrical arcs by triggering corona that neutralize the high-voltage electrodes. This phenomenon, due to the electric field modulation and free electron release around the filament, opens new prospects to lightning and over-voltage mitigation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Gas-solid phase transition in laser multiple filamentation

While propagating in transparent media, near-infrared multi-terawatt (TW) laser beams break up in a multitude of filaments of typically 100-200 um diameter with peak intensities as high as 10 to 100~TW/cm$^{2}$. We observe a phase transition at incident beam intensities of 0.4~TW/cm$^2$, where the interaction between filaments induce solid-like 2-dimensional crystals with a 2.7 mm lattice constant, independent of the initial beam diameter. Below 0.4~TW/cm$^2$, we evidence a mixed phase state in which some filaments are closely packed in localized clusters, nucleated on inhomogeneities (seeds) in the transverse intensity profile of the beam, and other are sparse with almost no interaction with their neighbors, similar to a gas. This analogy with a thermodynamic gas-solid phase transition is confirmed by calculating the interaction Hamiltonian between neighboring filaments, which takes into account the effect of diffraction, Kerr self-focusing and plasma generation. The shape of the effective potential is close to a Morse potential with an equilibrium bond length close to the observed value.

physics.optics↗