Calibration of the Solar X-ray Detector on-board the Macao Science Satellite-1B for Soft X-ray Detection

The Solar X-ray Detector(SXD)on-board the Macao Science Satellite-1B(MSS-1B)was successfully launched via the Chinese Long March-2C rocket on 21 May 2023,and commenced operations in early June of the same year.The MSS-1B/Soft X-ray Detection Units(SXDUs)employ two silicon drift detectors(SDDs),providing a wide range of energy spectra spanning from 0.7 to 24 keV.Notably,the SXDUs deliver a high-resolution capability of 0.14 keV@5.9 keV and operate with a time cadence of 1 second.Here,we perform thorough calibrations of the MSS-1B/SXDUs,employing a combination of ground experiments and simulations.In addition,quantitative analysis comparing the flux measurements obtained by the MSS-1B/SXDUs to the data collected by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite(GOES),provides compelling evidence of their consistency.Furthermore,the preliminary spectral analysis results showcase the robustness and expected performance of the MSS-1B/SXDUs,unlocking their potential for facilitating the study of dynamic evolution of solar flares.Moreover,the innovative MSS-1B/Solar X-ray Detector facilitates concurrent observations of solar soft and hard X-rays,thereby making valuable contributions to the advancements in solar research.

Solar cycles during the seventeenth century revealed by equatorial aurora records

Solar cycles are fundamental to astrophysics,space exploration,technological infrastructure,and Earth's climate.A better understanding of these cycles and their history can aid in risk mitigation on Earth,while also deepening our knowledge of stellar physics and solar system dynamics.Determining the solar cycles between 1600 and 1700-especially the post-1645 Maunder Minimum,characterized by significantly reduced solar activity-poses challenges to existing solar activity proxies.This study utilizes a new red equatorial auroral catalog from ancient Korean texts to establish solar cycle patterns from 1623 to 1700.Remarkably,a further reevaluation of the solar cycles between 1610 and 1755 identified a total of 13 cycles,diverging from the widely accepted record of 12 cycles during that time.This research enhances our understanding of historical solar activity,and underscores the importance of integrating diverse historical sources into modern analyses.

SolarDesign:An online photovoltaic device simulation and design platform

Solar Design(https://solardesign.cn/)is an online photovoltaic device simulation and design platform that provides engineering modeling analysis for crystalline silicon solar cells,as well as emerging high-efficiency solar cells such as organic,perovskite,and tandem cells.The platform offers user-updatable libraries of basic photovoltaic materials and devices,device-level multi-physics simulations involving optical–electrical–thermal interactions,and circuit-level compact model simulations based on detailed balance theory.Employing internationally advanced numerical methods,the platform accurately,rapidly,and efficiently solves optical absorption,electrical transport,and compact circuit models.It achieves multi-level photovoltaic simulation technology from“materials to devices to circuits”with fully independent intellectual property rights.Compared to commercial softwares,the platform achieves high accuracy and improves speed by more than an order of magnitude.Additionally,it can simulate unique electrical transport processes in emerging solar cells,such as quantum tunneling,exciton dissociation,and ion migration.

基于WRF-Solar和VMD-BiGRU的超短期太阳辐射订正预报研究

太阳辐射具有很强的非线性特征,给光伏发电并网带来诸多严重挑战。针对该问题,基于数值天气预报模式、机器学习和变分模态分解发展了一种订正预报方法:1)利用WRF-Solar模式对光伏站点的地表太阳辐射进行预报;2)采用变分模态分解(VMD)方法对其与观测值的偏差进行分解;3)利用双向循环神经网络(BiGRU)对分解后的各分量进行训练和预报;4)对各分量的预报进行求和后结合WRF-Solar的预报结果得到地表太阳辐射的订正预报结果。试验结果表明,经过VMD-BiGRU模型订正后,相比于WRF-Solar的预报结果 MAE和RMSE的提升百分比分别为87.39%和87.29%,相关系数提高了0.25。

Molecular Structure Tailoring of Organic Spacers for High‑Performance Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite Solar Cells

Layer-structured Ruddlesden–Popper(RP)perovskites(RPPs)with decent stability have captured the imagination of the photovoltaic research community and bring hope for boosting the development of perovskite solar cell(PSC)technology.However,two-dimensional(2D)or quasi-2D RP PSCs are encountered with some challenges of the large exciton binding energy,blocked charge transport and poor film quality,which restrict their photovoltaic performance.Fortunately,these issues can be readily resolved by rationally designing spacer cations of RPPs.This review mainly focuses on how to design the molecular structures of organic spacers and aims to endow RPPs with outstanding photovoltaic applications.We firstly elucidated the important roles of organic spacers in impacting crystallization kinetics,charge transporting ability and stability of RPPs.Then we brought three aspects to attention for designing organic spacers.Finally,we presented the specific molecular structure design strategies for organic spacers of RPPs aiming to improve photovoltaic performance of RP PSCs.These proposed strategies in this review will provide new avenues to develop novel organic spacers for RPPs and advance the development of RPP photovoltaic technology for future applications.

Dynamic Regulation of Hydrogen Bonding Networks and Solvation Structures for Synergistic Solar‑Thermal Desalination of Seawater and Catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants

Although solar steam generation strategy is efficient in desalinating seawater,it is still challenging to achieve continuous solar-thermal desalination of seawater and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants.Herein,dynamic regulations of hydrogen bonding networks and solvation structures are realized by designing an asymmetric bilayer membrane consisting of a bacterial cellulose/carbon nanotube/Co_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)nanorod top layer and a bacterial cellulose/Co_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)nanorod(BCH)bottom layer.Crucially,the hydrogen bonding networks inside the membrane can be tuned by the rich surface–OH groups of the bacterial cellulose and Co_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)as well as the ions and radicals in situ generated during the catalysis process.Moreover,both SO_(4)^(2−)and HSO_(5)−can regulate the solvation structure of Na^(+)and be adsorbed more preferentially on the evaporation surface than Cl^(−),thus hindering the de-solvation of the solvated Na^(+)and subsequent nucleation/growth of NaCl.Furthermore,the heat generated by the solar-thermal energy conversion can accelerate the reaction kinetics and enhance the catalytic degradation efficiency.This work provides a flow-bed water purification system with an asymmetric solar-thermal and catalytic membrane for synergistic solar thermal desalination of seawater/brine and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

An Unprecedented Efficiency with Approaching 21%Enabled by Additive‑Assisted Layer‑by‑Layer Processing in Organic Solar Cells

Recently published in Joule,Feng Liu and colleagues from Shanghai Jiaotong University reported a record-breaking 20.8%power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells(OSCs)with an interpenetrating fibril network active layer morphology,featuring a bulk p-in structure and proper vertical segregation achieved through additive-assisted layer-by-layer deposition.This optimized hierarchical gradient fibrillar morphology and optical management synergistically facilitates exciton diffusion,reduces recombination losses,and enhances light capture capability.This approach not only offers a solution to achieving high-efficiency devices but also demonstrates the potential for commercial applications of OSCs.

Solar flare forecasting based on a Fusion Model

Solar flare prediction is an important subject in the field of space weather.Deep learning technology has greatly promoted the development of this subject.In this study,we propose a novel solar flare forecasting model integrating Deep Residual Network(ResNet)and Support Vector Machine(SVM)for both≥C-class(C,M,and X classes)and≥M-class(M and X classes)flares.We collected samples of magnetograms from May 1,2010 to September 13,2018 from Space-weather Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager(HMI)Active Region Patches and then used a cross-validation method to obtain seven independent data sets.We then utilized five metrics to evaluate our fusion model,based on intermediate-output extracted by ResNet and SVM using the Gaussian kernel function.Our results show that the primary metric true skill statistics(TSS)achieves a value of 0.708±0.027 for≥C-class prediction,and of 0.758±0.042 for≥M-class prediction;these values indicate that our approach performs significantly better than those of previous studies.The metrics of our fusion model’s performance on the seven datasets indicate that the model is quite stable and robust,suggesting that fusion models that integrate an excellent baseline network with SVM can achieve improved performance in solar flare prediction.Besides,we also discuss the performance impact of architectural innovation in our fusion model.

Advances in the Fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells by Roll-to-Roll Technology

In recent years,perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have garnered significant attention as a potential mainstream technology in the future photovol-taic(PV)market.This is primarily attributed to their salient advantages including high efficiency,low cost,and ease of preparation.Nota-bly,the power conversion efficiency(PCE)of PSCs has experienced a remarkable increase from 3.8%in 2009 to over 26%at present.Conse-quently,the adoption of roll-to-roll(R2R)technology for PSCs is considered a crucial step towards their successful commercialization.This arti-de reviews the diverse substrates,scalable deposition techniques(such as solution-based knife-coating and spraying technology),and optimiza.tion procedures employed in recent years to enhance device performance within the R2R process.Additionally,novel perspectives are presented to enrich the existing knowledge in this field.

Optimization of lithium extraction solar pond in Zabuye Salt Lake: Theoretical calculation combined with field experiments

This research optimized the structure of lithium extraction solar ponds to enhance the crystallization rate and yield of Li_(2)CO_(3).Using the response surface methodology in Design-Expert 10.0.3,the authors conducted experiments to investigate the influence of four factors related to solar pond structure on the crystallization of Li_(2)CO_(3) and their pairwise interactions.Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)simulations of the flow field within the solar pond were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics software to compare temperature distributions before and after optimization.The results indicate that the optimal structure for lithium extraction from the Zabuye Salt Lake solar ponds includes UCZ(Upper Convective Zone)thickness of 53.63 cm,an LCZ(Lower Convective Zone)direct heating temperature of 57.39℃,a CO32−concentration of 32.21 g/L,and an added soda ash concentration of 6.52 g/L.Following this optimized pathway,the Li_(2)CO_(3) precipitation increased by 7.34% compared to the initial solar pond process,with a 33.33% improvement in lithium carbonate crystallization rate.This study demonstrates the feasibility of optimizing lithium extraction solar pond structures,offering a new approach for constructing such ponds in salt lakes.It provides valuable guidance for the efficient extraction of lithium resources from carbonate-type salt lake brines.

Energy and Exergy Analysis of Pyramid-Type Solar Still Coupled with Magnetic and Electrical Effects by Using Matlab Simulation

In the face of an escalating global water crisis,countries worldwide grapple with the crippling effects of scarcity,jeopardizing economic progress and hindering societal advancement.Solar energy emerges as a beacon of hope,offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to desalination.Solar distillation technology,harnessing the power of the sun,transforms seawater into freshwater,expanding the availability of this precious resource.Optimizing solar still performance under specific climatic conditions and evaluating different configurations is crucial for practical implementation and widespread adoption of solar energy.In this study,we conducted theoretical investigations on three distinct solar still configurations to evaluate their performance under Baghdad’s climatic conditions.The solar stills analyzed include the passive solar still,themodified solar still coupled with a magnetic field,and themodified solar still coupled with bothmagnetic and electrical fields.The results proved that the evaporation heat transfer coefficient peaked at 14:00,reaching 25.05 W/m^(2).℃for the convention pyramid solar still(CPSS),32.33 W/m^(2).℃for the magnetic pyramid solar still(MPSS),and 40.98 W/m^(2).℃for elecro-magnetic pyramid solar still(EMPSS),highlighting their efficiency in converting solar energy to vapor.However,exergy efficiency remained notably lower,at 1.6%,5.31%,and 7.93%for the three still types,even as energy efficiency reached its maximum of 18.6%at 14:00 with a corresponding peak evaporative heat of 162.4 W/m^(2).

The Dependence between Solar Flare Emergence and the Average Background Solar X-Ray Flux Emission

Solar flares, sudden bursts of intense electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, can significantly disrupt technological infrastructure, including communication and navigation satellites. To mitigate these risks, accurate forecasting of solar activity is crucial. This study investigates the potential of the Sun’s background X-ray flux as a tool for predicting solar flares. We analyzed data collected by solar telescopes and satellites between the years 2013 and 2023, focusing on the duration, frequency, and intensity of solar flares. We compared these characteristics with the background X-ray flux at the time of each flare event. Our analysis employed statistical methods to identify potential correlations between these solar phenomena. The key finding of this study reveals a significant positive correlation between solar flare activity and the Sun’s background X-ray flux. This suggests that these phenomena are interconnected within the framework of overall solar activity. We observed a clear trend: periods with increased occurrences of solar flares coincided with elevated background flux levels. This finding has the potential to improve solar activity forecasting. By monitoring background flux variations, we may be able to develop a more effective early warning system for potentially disruptive solar flares. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between solar flares and the Sun’s overall radiative output. These findings indicate that lower-resolution X-ray sensors can be a valuable tool for identifying periods of increased solar activity by allowing us to monitor background flux variations. A more affordable approach to solar activity monitoring is advised.

Application and prospect of the fluid cooling system of solar arrays for probing the Sun

The Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments(SCOPE)mission,which has been proposed by the Yunnan Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences,aiming to operate at a distance of 5 to 10 solar radii from the Sun,plans to complete the in situ detection of the solar eruption process and observation of the magnetic field structure response.The solar flux received by the satellite ranges from 10^(3) to 10^(6) Wm^(-2),which poses challenges for thermal management of the solar arrays.In this work,the solar array cooling system of the Parker Solar Probe is discussed,the developments of the fluid loop technique are reviewed,and a research plan for a next-generation solar array cooling system is proposed.This paper provides a valuable reference for novel thermal control systems in spacecraft for solar observation.

Solar fuel production through concentrating light irradiation

The climate crisis necessitates the development of non-fossil energy sources.Harnessing solar energy for fuel production shows promise and offers the potential to utilize existing energy infrastructure.However,solar fuel production is in its early stages of development,constrained by low conversion efficiency and challenges in scaling up production.Concentrated solar energy(CSE)technology has matured alongside the rapid growth of solar thermal power plants.This review provides an overview of current CSE methods and solar fuel production,analyzes their integration compatibility,and delves into the theoretical mechanisms by which CSE impacts solar energy conversion efficiency and product selectivity in the context of photo-electrochemistry,thermochemistry,and photo-thermal co-catalysis for solar fuel production.The review also summarizes approaches to studying the photoelectric and photothermal effects of CSE.Lastly,it explores emerging novel CSE technology methods in the field of solar fuel production.

A Tutorial Review of the Solar Power Curve: Regressions, Model Chains, and Their Hybridization and Probabilistic Extensions

Owing to the persisting hype in pushing toward global carbon neutrality,the study scope of atmospheric science is rapidly expanding.Among numerous trending topics,energy meteorology has been attracting the most attention hitherto.One essential skill of solar energy meteorologists is solar power curve modeling,which seeks to map irradiance and auxiliary weather variables to solar power,by statistical and/or physical means.In this regard,this tutorial review aims to deliver a complete overview of those fundamental scientific and engineering principles pertaining to the solar power curve.Solar power curves can be modeled in two primary ways,one of regression and the other of model chain.Both classes of modeling approaches,alongside their hybridization and probabilistic extensions,which allow accuracy improvement and uncertainty quantification,are scrutinized and contrasted thoroughly in this review.

Amphipathic Janus Nanofibers Aerogel for Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Solar steam generation is a promising water purification technology due to its low-cost and environmentally friendly applications in water purification and desalination.However,hydrophilic or hydrophobic materials alone are insufficient in achieving necessary characteristics for constructing highquality solar steam generators with good comprehensive properties.Herein,novel hydrophile/hydrophobe amphipathic Janus nanofibers aerogel is designed and used as a host material for preparing solar steam generators.The product consists of an internal cubic aerogel and an external layer of photothermal materials.The internal aerogel is composed of electrospun amphipathic Janus nanofibers.Owing to the unique composition and structure,the prepared solar steam generator integrates the features of high water evaporation rate(2.944 kg m^(-2)h^(-1)under 1 kW m^(-2)irradiation),selffloating,salt-resisting,and fast performance recovery after flipping.Moreover,the product also exhibits excellent properties on desalination and removal of organic pollutants.Compared with traditional hydrophilic aerogel host material,the amphipathic Janus nanofibers aerogel brings much higher water evaporation rate and salt resistance.

Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Modules Enabled by Solid-Liquid Two-Step Film Formation

A considerable efficiency gap exists between large-area perovskite solar modules and small-area perovskite solar cells.The control of forming uniform and large-area film and perovskite crystallization is still the main obstacle restricting the efficiency of PSMs.In this work,we adopted a solid-liquid two-step film formation technique,which involved the evaporation of a lead iodide film and blade coating of an organic ammonium halide solution to prepare perovskite films.This method possesses the advantages of integrating vapor deposition and solution methods,which could apply to substrates with different roughness and avoid using toxic solvents to achieve a more uniform,large-area perovskite film.Furthermore,modification of the NiO_(x)/perovskite buried interface and introduction of Urea additives were utilized to reduce interface recombination and regulate perovskite crystallization.As a result,a large-area perovskite film possessing larger grains,fewer pinholes,and reduced defects could be achieved.The inverted PSM with an active area of 61.56 cm^(2)(10×10 cm^(2)substrate)achieved a champion power conversion efficiency of 20.56%and significantly improved stability.This method suggests an innovative approach to resolving the uniformity issue associated with large-area film fabrication.

Non-destructive buffer enabling near-infrared-transparent inverted inorganic perovskite solar cells toward 1400 h light-soaking stable perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se_(2) tandem solar cells

Near-infrared(NIR)transparent inverted all-inorganic perovskite solar cells(PSCs)are excellent top cell candidates in tandem applications.An essential challenge is the replacement of metal contacts with transparent conductive oxide(TCO)electrodes,which requires the introduction of a buffer layer to prevent sputtering damage.In this study,we show that the conventional buffers(i.e.,small organic molecules and atomic layer deposited metal oxides)used for organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites are not applicable to all-inorganic perovskites,due to non-uniform coverage of the vulnerable layers underneath,deterioration upon ion bombardment and moisture induced perovskite phase transition,A thin film of metal oxide nanoparticles by the spin-coating method serves as a non-destructive buffer layer for inorganic PSCs.All-inorganic inverted near-infrared-transparent PSCs deliver a PCE of 17.46%and an average transmittance of 73.7%between 780 and 1200 nm.In combination with an 18.56%Cu(In,Ga)Se_(2) bottom cell,we further demonstrate the first all-inorganic perovskite/CIGS 4-T tandem solar cell with a PCE of 24.75%,which exhibits excellent illumination stability by maintaining 86.7%of its initial efficiency after 1400 h.The non-destructive buffer lays the foundation for efficient and stable NIR-transparent inverted inorganic perovskite solar cells and perovskite-based tandems.

Solar Radiation Estimation Based on a New Combined Approach of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) in South Algeria

When designing solar systems and assessing the effectiveness of their many uses,estimating sun irradiance is a crucial first step.This study examined three approaches(ANN,GA-ANN,and ANFIS)for estimating daily global solar radiation(GSR)in the south of Algeria:Adrar,Ouargla,and Bechar.The proposed hybrid GA-ANN model,based on genetic algorithm-based optimization,was developed to improve the ANN model.The GA-ANN and ANFIS models performed better than the standalone ANN-based model,with GA-ANN being better suited for forecasting in all sites,and it performed the best with the best values in the testing phase of Coefficient of Determination(R=0.9005),Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE=8.40%),and Relative Root Mean Square Error(rRMSE=12.56%).Nevertheless,the ANFIS model outperformed the GA-ANN model in forecasting daily GSR,with the best values of indicators when testing the model being R=0.9374,MAPE=7.78%,and rRMSE=10.54%.Generally,we may conclude that the initial ANN stand-alone model performance when forecasting solar radiation has been improved,and the results obtained after injecting the genetic algorithm into the ANN to optimize its weights were satisfactory.The model can be used to forecast daily GSR in dry climates and other climates and may also be helpful in selecting solar energy system installations and sizes.

Surface-functionalized hole-selective monolayer for high efficiency single-junction wide-bandgap and monolithic tandem perovskite solar cells

Carbazole moiety-based 2PACz([2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid)self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)are excellent hole-selective contact(HSC)materials with abilities to excel the charge-transferdynamics of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Herein,we report a facile but powerful method to functionalize the surface of 2PACz-SAM,by which reproducible,highly stable,high-efficiency wide-bandgap PSCs can be obtained.The 2PACz surface treatment with various donor number solvents improves assembly of 2PACz-SAM and leave residual surface-bound solvent molecules on 2PACz-SAM,which increases perovskite grain size,retards halide segregation,and accelerates hole extraction.The surface functionalization achieves a high power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 17.62%for a single-junction wide-bandgap(~1.77 e V)PSC.We also demonstrate a monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cell using surfaceengineered HSC,showing high PCE of 24.66%with large open-circuit voltage of 2.008 V and high fillfactor of 81.45%.Our results suggest this simple approach can further improve the tandem device,when coupled with a high-performance narrow-bandgap sub-cell.