Proposition of a compensated pixelwise calibration for photonic infrared cameras and comparison to classic calibration procedures: Case of thermoelastic stress analysis

In this paper, we propose a compensated pixelwise calibration that integrates the effects of the camera housing temperature. The results of this calibration are compared on black body images to classic two points Non Uniformity Correction based calibrations, compensated or not. It is shown that the proposed approach leads to a significant improvement in the thermal resolution with a reduction in the mean error as well as the standard deviation. The approach is finally challenged on a real case measurement focusing on thermoelasticity. The gain in terms of accuracy measurement is highlighted by comparing the proposed calibration to classic calibrations and the scope of interest of this new calibration is discussed.     

高精度中小11径非球面修抛技术研究

为实现高精度中小口径非球面的加工，介绍了一种非球面修抛技术。基于Preston假设，将抛光过程描述成一个线性方程，计算得到材料的去除量与抛光时间、抛光压力和零件转速之间的函数关系。设计了整体修抛法和环带修抛法两种方法，在数控抛光的基础上，对口径为Ф117mm的凹抛物面和口径为Ф17mm凸双曲面进行修抛，修抛后非球面的面形精度PV值为0．184μm，RMS均小于0．032μm，达到了工程化应用要求，实现了中小口径非球面的高精度加工。     

A comparison of numerical and analytical radiative-transfer solutions for plane albedo of natural waters

Several numerical and analytical solutions of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) were compared for plane albedo in a problem of solar light reflection by sea water. The study incorporated the simplest case—a semi-infinite one-dimensional plane—parallel absorbing and scattering homogeneous layer illuminated by a monodirectional light beam. Inelastic processes (such as Raman scattering and fluorescence), polarization and air-water surface refraction-reflection effects, were not considered. Algorithms were based on the invariant imbedding method and two different variants of the discrete ordinate method (DOM). Calculations were performed using parameters across all possible ranges (single-scattering albedo ω₀ and refracted solar zenith angle θ₁), but with a special emphasis on natural waters. All computations were made for two scattering phase functions, which included an almost isotropic Rayleigh phase function and strongly anisotropic double-peaked Fournier-Forand-Mobley phase function. Models were validated using quasi-single-scattering (QSSA) and exponential approximations, which represent the extreme cases of ω₀→0 and ω₀→1, respectively. All methods yielded relative differences within 1.8% for modeled natural waters. An analysis of plane albedo behavior resulted in the development of a new extended QSSA approximation, which when applied in conjunction with the extended Hapke approximation developed earlier, resulted in a maximum relative error of 2.7%. The study results demonstrated that for practical applications, the estimation of inherent optical properties from observed reflectance can best be achieved using an extended Hapke approximation.     

Heavy-Ion Collisions: Experimental Highlights

Lattice QCD predicts a phase transition between hadronic matter and a system of deconfined quarks and gluons (the Quark Gluon Plasma) at high energy densities. Our current understanding of this new state of matter will be discussed with two key results from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC).     

Analysis of an aggregation‐based algebraic two‐grid method for a rotated anisotropic diffusion problem

A two‐grid convergence analysis based on the paper [Algebraic analysis of aggregation‐based multigrid, by A. Napov and Y. Notay, Numer. Lin. Alg. Appl. 18 (2011), pp. 539–564] is derived for various aggregation schemes applied to a finite element discretization of a rotated anisotropic diffusion equation. As expected, it is shown that the best aggregation scheme is one in which aggregates are aligned with the anisotropy. In practice, however, this is not what automatic aggregation procedures do. We suggest approaches for determining appropriate aggregates based on eigenvectors associated with small eigenvalues of a block splitting matrix or based on minimizing a quantity related to the spectral radius of the iteration matrix. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinetics of radical‐molecule reactions in aqueous solution: A benchmark study of the performance of density functional methods

The performance of 18 density functional approximations has been tested for a very challenging task, the calculations of rate constants for radical‐molecule reactions in aqueous solution. Despite of the many difficulties involved in such an enterprise, six of them provide high quality results, and are recommended to that purpose. They are LC‐ωPBE, M06‐2X, BMK, B2PLYP, M05‐2X, and MN12SX, in that order. This trend was obtained using experimental data as reference. The other relevant aspects used in this benchmark are: (i) the SMD model for mimicking the solvent; (ii) the conventional transition state, the zero‐curvature tunneling correction, and the limit imposed by diffusion for the calculation of the rate constants. Even though changing any of these aspects might alter the trend in performance, at least, when using them, the aforementioned functionals can be successfully used to obtain high quality kinetic data for the kind of reactions investigated in this work. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Defect Engineering and Anisotropic Modulation of Ionic Transport in Perovskite Solid Electrolyte LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3

Solid electrolytes, such as perovskite Li_3xLa_2/1−xTiO₃, Li_xLa_(1−x)/3NbO₃ and garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ ceramic oxides, have attracted extensive attention in lithium-ion battery research due to their good chemical stability and the improvability of their ionic conductivity with great potential in solid electrolyte battery applications. These solid oxides eliminate safety issues and cycling instability, which are common challenges in the current commercial lithium-ion batteries based on organic liquid electrolytes. However, in practical applications, structural disorders such as point defects and grain boundaries play a dominating role in the ionic transport of these solid electrolytes, where defect engineering to tailor or improve the ionic conductive property is still seldom reported. Here, we demonstrate a defect engineering approach to alter the ionic conductive channels in Li_xLa_(1−x)/3NbO₃ (x = 0.1~0.13) electrolytes based on the rearrangements of La sites through a quenching process. The changes in the occupancy and interstitial defects of La ions lead to anisotropic modulation of ionic conductivity with the increase in quenching temperatures. Our trial in this work on the defect engineering of quenched electrolytes will offer opportunities to optimize ionic conductivity and benefit the solid electrolyte battery applications.     

Structural and anisotropic elastic properties of hexagonal MP (M = Ti,Zr, Hf) monophosphides determined by first-principles calculations

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the structural properties, phase stabilities, elastic properties and thermal conductivities of MP (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) monophosphides. These monophosphides are thermodynamically and mechanically stable. Values for the bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young’s modulus E and Poisson’s ratio ν were calculated by Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation. The mechanical anisotropy was discussed via several anisotropy indices and three-dimensional (3D) surface constructions. The order of elastic anisotropy is ZrP > HfP > TiP. The minimum thermal conductivities of these monophosphides were investigated using Clarke’s model and Cahill’s model. The results revealed that these monophosphides are suitable for use as thermal insulating materials and that their minimum thermal conductivities are anisotropic.     

基于黑体标定的红外图像非均匀性校正系统设计

为提高某中波红外探测器的图像质量,设计了基于FPGA的红外图像实时处理系统,系统能够完成实时的非均匀性校正与盲元补偿处理。介绍了目前常用的非均匀性校正、盲元识别和补偿算法,并结合实际工程需求采用多点法进行非均匀性校正以及8点平均法进行盲元补偿。在仿真实验成功的基础上,基于FPGA平台构建了硬件平台。系统可以实现系数自定义更新,可以手动或自动完成非均匀性较正系数计算,以及实现盲元列表的自动更新操作。利用某国产中波红外探测器对处理系统进行了测试试验,实验结果表明:校正后图像非均匀性0.3%,盲元率0.001%。系统工作稳定、可靠,图像处理满足实时性和精度要求。     

An evaluation method based on absolute difference to validate the performance of SBNUC algorithms

Scene-based non-uniformity correction (SBNUC) algorithms are an important part of infrared image processing; however, SBNUC algorithms usually cause two defects: (1) ghosting artifacts and (2) over-correction. In this paper, we use the absolute difference based on guided image filter (AD-GF) method to validate the performance of SBNUC algorithms. We obtain a self-separation source using the improved guided image filter to process the input image, and use the self-separation source to obtain the space-high-frequency parts of the input image and the corrected image. Finally, we use the absolute difference between the two space-high-frequency parts as the evaluation result. Based on experimental results, the AD-GF method has better robustness and can validate the performance of SBNUC algorithms even if ghosting artifacts or over-correction occur. Also the AD-GF method can measure how SBNUC algorithms perform in the time domain, it’s an effective evaluation method for SBNUC algorithm.