The Murchison Widefield Array, and its recently developed Voltage Capture System, facilitates extending the low-frequency range of pulsar observations at high-time and -frequency resolution in the Southern Hemisphere, providing further information about pulsars and the ISM. We present the results of an initial time-resolved census of known pulsars using the Murchison Widefield Array. To significantly reduce the processing load, we incoherently sum the detected powers from the 128 Murchison Widefield Array tiles, which yields ~10% of the attainable sensitivity of the coherent sum. This preserves the large field-of-view (~450 deg2 at 185 MHz), allowing multiple pulsars to be observed simultaneously. We developed a WIde-field Pulsar Pipeline that processes the data from each observation and automatically folds every known pulsar located within the beam. We have detected 50 pulsars to date, 6 of which are millisecond pulsars. This is consistent with our expectation, given the telescope sensitivity and the sky coverage of the processed data (~17 000 deg2). For 10 pulsars, we present the lowest frequency detections published. For a subset of the pulsars, we present multi-frequency pulse profiles by combining our data with published profiles from other telescopes. Since the Murchison Widefield Array is a low-frequency precursor to the Square Kilometre Array, we use our census results to forecast that a survey using the low-frequency component of the Square Kilometre Array Phase 1 can potentially detect around 9 400 pulsars.

The S-band Polarisation All-Sky Survey has observed the entire southern sky using the 64-m Parkes radio telescope at 2.3 GHz with an effective bandwidth of 184 MHz. The surveyed sky area covers all declinations δ ⩽ 0°. To analyse compact sources, the survey data have been re-processed to produce a set of 107 Stokes I maps with 10.75 arcmin resolution and the large scale emission contribution filtered out. In this paper, we use these Stokes I images to create a total intensity southern-sky extragalactic source catalogue at 2.3 GHz. The source catalogue contains 23 389 sources and covers a sky area of 16 600 deg2, excluding the Galactic plane for latitudes |b| < 10°. Approximately, 8% of catalogued sources are resolved. S-band Polarisation All-Sky Survey source positions are typically accurate to within 35 arcsec. At a flux density of 225 mJy, the S-band Polarisation All-Sky Survey source catalogue is more than 95% complete, and ~ 94% of S-band Polarisation All-Sky Survey sources brighter than 500 mJy beam−1 have a counterpart at lower frequencies.

Studies were conducted in a stale field production system in 2012 and 2013 to determine the effect of herbicide timing on Palmer amaranth control and ‘Covington’ sweetpotato yield and quality. Treatments consisted of flumioxazin at 72, 90, or 109 g ai ha−1 applied 45 d before transplanting (DBT) or 1 DBT, or sequentially the same rate at 45 DBT followed by (fb) 1 DBT; flumioxazin 109 g ha−1 applied 1 DBT fb S-metolachlor (800 g ai ha−1) at 0, 6 (± 1), or 10 d after treatment (DAT); flumioxazin at 72, 90, or 109 g ha−1 plus clomazone (630 g ai ha−1) applied 45 DBT fb S-metolachlor (800 g ha−1) applied 10 DAT; and fomesafen alone at 280 g ai ha−1 applied 45 DBT. Nontreated weed-free and weedy controls were included for comparison. Flumioxazin application time had a significant effect on Palmer amaranth control and sweetpotato yields, and the effect of flumioxazin rate was not significant. Treatments consisting of sequential application of flumioxazin 45 DBT fb 1 DBT or flumioxazin plus clomazone 45 DBT fb S-metolachlor 10 DAT provided the maximum Palmer amaranth control and sweetpotato yields (jumbo, No. 1, jumbo plus No. 1, marketable) among all treatments. Delayed flumioxazin application timings until 1 DBT allowed Palmer amaranth emergence on stale seedbeds and resulted only in 65, 62, 48, and 17% control at 14, 32, 68, and 109 DAT, respectively. POST transplant S-metolachlor applications following flumioxazin 1 DBT did not improve Palmer amaranth control, because the majority of Palmer amaranth emerged prior to S-metolachlor application. A control program consisting of flumioxazin 109 g ha−1 plus clomazone 630 g ha−1 at 45 DBT fb S-metolachlor 800 g ha−1 at 0 to 10 DAT provides an effective herbicide program for Palmer amaranth control in stale seedbed production systems in North Carolina sweetpotato.

The Cosmic Background Explorer, launched November 18, 1989, has nearly completed its first full mapping of the sky with all three of its instruments: a Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) covering 0.1 to 10 mm, a set of Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR) operating at 3.3, 5.7, and 9.6 mm, and a Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) spanning 1 to 300 µm in ten bands. A preliminary map of the sky derived from DIRBE data is presented. Initial cosmological implications include: a limit on the Comptonization y parameter of 10−3, on the chemical potential μ parameter of 10−2, a strong limit on the existence of a hot smooth intergalactic medium, and a confirmation that the dipole anisotropy has the spectrum expected from a Doppler shift of a blackbody. There are no significant anisotropies in the microwave sky detected, other than from our own galaxy and a cosθ dipole anisotropy whose amplitude and direction agree with previous data. At shorter wavelengths, the sky spectrum and anisotropies are dominated by emission from ‘local’ sources of emission within our Galaxy and Solar System. Preliminary comparison of IRAS and DIRBE sky brightnesses toward the ecliptic poles shows the IRAS values to be significantly higher than found by DIRBE at 100 μm. We suggest the presence of gain and zero-point errors in the IRAS total brightness data. The spacecraft, instrument designs, and data reduction methods are described.

Si-doping of cubic GaN epilayers grown by an rf plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on semi-insulating GaAs (001) substrates is investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), photoluminescence (PL) and by Hall-effect measurements. SIMS measurements show a homogeneous incorporation of Si in cubic GaN epilayers up to concentrations of 5*1019 cm−3. PL shows a clear shift of the donor-acceptor emission to higher energies with increasing Si-doping. Above a Si-flux of 1*1011cm−2s−1 the near band edge lines merge to one broad band due to band gap renormalization and conduction band filling effects. The influence of the high dislocation density (≈1011cm−2) in c-GaN:Si on the electrical properties is reflected in the dependence of the electron mobility on the free carrier concentration. We find that dislocations in cubic GaN act as acceptors and are electrically active.

P-type doping with Mg and n-type doping with Si of cubic GaN (c-GaN) epilayers is reported. Cubic GaN films are grown by rf-plasma assisted MBE on semi-insulating GaAs (001) substrates at a substrate temperature of 720°C. Elemental Mg and Si are evaporated from thermal effusions cells. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and temperature dependent Hall-effect measurements are used to study the incorporation, optical and electrical properties. A Mg related shallow donor-acceptor transiton at 3.04 eV with an acceptor activation energy of EA= 0.230 eV is observed by low temperature PL. At Mg concentrations above 1018 cm−3 the dominance of a broad blue band indicates that also in c-GaN Mg is incorporated at different lattice sites or forms complexes. Si-doped c-GaN epilayers are ntype with electron concentrations up to 5*1019 cm−3. The incorporation of Si follows exactly the vapor pressure curve of Si, indicating a sticking coefficient of 1 for Si in cGaN. With increasing Si-concentration the intensity of the near-band luminescence continuously increases and broadens.

Epitaxial layers of GaN on c-plane sapphire are analyzed by continuous-wave and time-resolved photoluminescence at 4K and by X-ray diffraction. Besides the well-known emissions from hexagonal GaN we observe luminescence bands at 3.279 and 3.15 to 3.21 eV which are identified as the transition of the donor bound exciton and the donor-acceptor pair recombination in cubic GaN, respectively. Measurements of the luminescence decay times are essential for the clarification of the emission processes. Due to the probing depth of about 200 nm in PL we find that the fraction of cubic phase typically decreases with layer thickness. In our best samples, however, we do not detect the cubic phase at all.

Si-doping of cubic GaN epilayers grown by an rf plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on semi-insulating GaAs (001) substrates is investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), photoluminescence (PL) and by Hall-effect measurements. SIMS measurements show a homogeneous incorporation of Si in cubic GaN epilayers up to concentrations of 5*1019 cm−3. PL shows a clear shift of the donor-acceptor emission to higher energies with increasing Si-doping. Above a Si-flux of 1*1011cm−2s−1 the near band edge lines merge to one broad band due to band gap renormalization and conduction band filling effects. The influence of the high dislocation density (≈1011cm−2) in c-GaN:Si on the electrical properties is reflected in the dependence of the electron mobility on the free carrier concentration. We find that dislocations in cubic GaN act as acceptors and are electrically active.

This paper presents a synthetic view of the geodynamic evolution of the Zagros orogen within the frame of the Arabia–Eurasia collision. The Zagros orogen and the Iranian plateau preserve a record of the long-standing convergence history between Eurasia and Arabia across the Neo-Tethys, from subduction/obduction processes to present-day collision (from ~ 150 to 0 Ma). We herein combine the results obtained on several geodynamic issues, namely the location of the oceanic suture zone, the age of oceanic closure and collision, the magmatic and geochemical evolution of the Eurasian upper plate during convergence (as testified by the successive Sanandaj–Sirjan, Kermanshah and Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arcs), the P–T–t history of the few Zagros blueschists, the convergence characteristics across the Neo-Tethys (kinematic velocities, tomographic constraints, subduction zones and obduction processes), together with a survey of recent results gathered by others. We provide lithospheric-scale reconstructions of the Zagros orogen from ~ 150 to 0 Ma across two SW–NE transects. The evolution of the Zagros orogen is also compared to those of the nearby Turkish and Himalayan orogens. In our geotectonic scenario for the Zagros convergence, we outline three main periods/regimes: (1) the Mid to Late Cretaceous (115–85 Ma) corresponds to a distinctive period of perturbation of subduction processes and interplate mechanical coupling marked by blueschist exhumation and upper-plate fragmentation, (2) the Paleocene–Eocene (60–40 Ma) witnesses slab break-off, major shifts in arc magmatism and distributed extension within the upper plate, and (3) from the Oligocene onwards (~ 30–0 Ma), collision develops with a progressive SW migration of deformation and topographic build-up (Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone: 20–15 Ma, High Zagros: ~12–8 Ma; Simply Folded Belt: 5–0 Ma) and with partial slab tear at depths (~10 Ma to present). Our reconstructions underline the key role played by subduction throughout the whole convergence history. We finally stress that such a long-lasting subduction system with changing boundary conditions also makes the Zagros orogen an ideal natural laboratory for subduction processes.

We have studied defects introduced in n-GaN during 25 keV hydrogen and 40 keV He implantation using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). These measurements revealed that 25 keV hydrogen implantation introduces a complex set of electron traps, of which most are different to the defects observed after high-energy (MeV) electron and proton implantation. At least three of the defects detected after 25 keV proton implantation exhibit a metastable character in that they can be reproducibly removed and re-introduced during reverse and zero bias anneal cycles. Isochronal and isothermal annealing experiments yielded low activation energies of approximately 0.1 – 0.2 eV for both processes. By comparison, 40 keV He ion implantation introduced the same metastable defects, but in different relative concentrations.

The synthesis of multipodes based on substituted ferrocene groups and the results of the investigations of the liquid-crystalline phase properties of these materials, determined by optical polarising microscopy DSC and X-ray diffraction studies as central cores is reported.

Cd1-xZnxTe ZriTe crystals grown by the travelling heater methode (THM) have been investigated by low temperature photoluminescence (PL). The excitonic energy gap as a function of the alloy composition was determined for the complete range of x - 0 to x - 1. The composition dependent broadening of the neutral acceptor bound exciton (A°X) line was measured and compared to theoretical calculations. The Donor - Acceptor pair luminescence in the crystals is a superposition of recombinations due to residual Cu acceptors and A - centers (anion vacancy - donor pairs ).

In this paper we present contact-free measurement techniques which are important for the evaluation of heterojunctions of interest for optical as well as high-speed devices. The techniques are the microwave-detection of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, photoluminescence-detected magneto-oscillations, and optically detected cyclotron resonance using microwaves (ODCR) as well as far-infrared lasers (FIR-ODCR). The techniques are illustrated by several examples, and the possibilities to determine 2D carrier concentrations, effective masses, and scattering times in the heterojunction structures are discussed.