A detailed study on global oceanic precipitation is carried out using the simultaneous TOPEX and TMR (TOPEX Microwave Radiometer) data. It is motivated by he success of a series of feasibility studies based on a few years of TOPEX TMR data, and the availability of a deeade-Iong new dataset thai spans I992-2002. In this context, a previously proposed rain probability index is improved by taking into account the dirtfference ol the dynamic range of the TOPEX-measured backscatter coefficients at the Ku and C hands and the lalitudinally complementary sensitivities of the TOPEX and TMR rain detections, leading to a refined joint precipitation index, which is generally consistent and quantitatively comparable with existing precipitation ciimatologies from the Global Preelpitation Climatology Project (GPCP) and the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS). The new TOPEX-TMR precipitation climatology, on the one hand. confirms the fundamental features of global oceanic rainfall with additional details, and, on the other hand, reveals a number of interesting characteristics that are previously unknown or pnorly defined. 1) The spatial variability of the western Pacific "rain pool" (the atmospheric counterpart of the oceanic warm pool) is characterized by an interannual zonal migration, an annual cycle of meridional seesaw, and a semiannual cycle of expansion and shrinking. 2) The Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean interropical convergence zones (ITCZs) all have all annual cycle of cross-basin oscillation with east and west slops in JJA and DJE respectively. 31 A well-defined prominent rainy zone is observed in the southeast China Seas sound Taiwan Island, connecting with the Pacific rain pool in the south. 4) Between El Nifio and La Nina years, there is a systematic sign reversal of the geographical distribution of precipitation anomaly, which exists globally rather than in the tropical oceans only. 5) On a global basis, interannual and annual precipitation variabilities are of the same magnitude, bul the interannual (annual) com-ponent is more important for the Southern (Northern) Hemisphere. 6) For the tropical oceans, "season" defined by rainfall usually has a one quarter delay with respect to the coaesponding meteorological season. For the "'marine deserts" in the subtropical oceans, however, the raln-based season is found to be anticorrelated with the meteorological season. In addition, the annual cycle of the Atlantic precipitation is nearly 180 out of phase with respeet to thin of the Pacific and Indian Ocean for the same hemisphere.

A thermodynamic model including four irreversiblilities is used to investigate the optimal Performance a solar-driven thermoelectric generator. The efficiency of the system is derived and taken as and objective function for optimiztion. Some important curves, such as the efficiency of the system versus the operating temperature of the solar collector, the reduced current, and the load resistance, are obtained. These curves can reveal the performance charaterisistics of solar-driven thermoelectric generators. the maximum efficeiency of the system and the corresponding reduced current are derived for some special cases. The optimal matching of load resistance which is one of the kdy problems in the optimal design of solar-driven thermoelectric generators is discussed. New bounds of the key performance parameters, such as the efficiency, power output, and load resistance, are determined.

The thermostatistic properties of a q-generalized boson system trapped in an n-dimensional harmonic oscillator potential are studied, based on the generalized statistic distribution derived from Tsallis' entropy. The density of states, total number of particles, critical temperature at which Bose-Einstein condensation occurs, internal energy, and heat capacity at constant volume are derived. The characteristics of Bose-Einstein condensation of the system are discussed in detail. It is found from the results obtained here that the thermostatistic properties of such a system depend closely on parameter q, dimensional number of the space, and frequency of the harmonic oscillator; and the external potential has a great influence on the thermostatistic properties of the system.

The cycle model of a regenerative quantum heat engine working with many nonineracting harmonic oseillators is established. The cycle consists of two isothermol and two constant-frequency processes. The performance of cycle is investigated, based on the quantum master eqution and semigrop approach. The inherent regenerative losses in the two constant-frequency processes are calculated. The expressions of several important performance paramketers cases. Especially, the optimal performance of the cycle in htgh-temperature limit derived for several intersting cases. Especially, the optimal perfomance of the cycle in higt-temperature limit is discussed in detail. The maximum power output and the corresponding parameters are calculated. The optimal region of the efficiency and the optimal ranges of the temperatures of the working substance in the two isothermal processes are determined.

The performance of a multi-couple thermoelectric device as a generator is inverstigated. The general expressions of two important performance parameters, the efficeiency and power output, are given. The η-K characteristic curves of a thermoelectric generator are presented for some differently constrained conditions, where η is the efficiency of the thermoelectric system and K is total thermal conductance of the multi-couple thermoelectric device. The mazimum efficeiency of the system if calculated. The structure parameters of the device are optimized. The effect of the thermal conductances between the thermoelectric device and the external heat reservoirs on the performance of the system is expounded by using some representative numerical examples. The results obtained here will be useful for a more detiled investigation and for the optimal design of real thermoelectric generators.