Additive-subtractive phase-modulated speckle interferometry: Fringe visibility under partial decorrelation

Additive-subtractive phase modulated speckle interferometry (ASPMSI) is a technique that minimizes the susceptibility of speckle methods to environmental noise while providing fringes of good visibility. The method requires the acquisition of two consecutive video frames of additive-speckle images of the same two deformed states of an object at a rapid enough rate such that ambient noise is not a problem. The additive-speckle images as expected are of very poor visibility due to the presence of the self-interference term. An interframe phase-modulation is introduced and the two additive-speckle images are digitally subtracted to improve the fringe visibility by removing the self-interference term. The ASPM-SI method works with in-plane and out-of-plane deformation sensitive ESPI as well as with displacement-gradient sensitive speckle-shearing interferometry. It is shown that the ASPM-SI scheme has higher visibility than conventional additive-SI and performs consistently better than subtractive-SI schemes in the presence of partial interframe speckle decorrelating optical noise. Furthermore, it is shown that the fringe visibility of the out-of-plane displacement sensitive interferometer which uses a protected reference beam separate from the object beam can be made to be essentially unity even at complete interframe decorrelation.     

Modeling high-pressure densities at wide temperature range with volume scaling: Cyclohexane + n-hexadecane mixtures

High-pressure density data for cyclohexane + n-hexadecane mixtures at a wide temperature range was modeled with several classical equations of state (EOS) and correlative models. A modification for softening the co-volume and another for a volume scaling of the Peng–Robinson EOS (VS-PR) were proposed. The VS-PR model is able to correlate the pure component experimental data employing only five adjustable parameters, with root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) between calculated and experimental densities essentially within the experimental error. This result is superior to widely used approaches, i.e., a six parameter Tait model and six parameter volume translations (temperature and pressure dependent) for Peng–Robinson and Patel–Teja EOS. The VS-PR model also represents well the isobaric thermal expansion and the isothermal compressibility coefficients of the pure cyclohexane, a small naphthenic substance as well as a long chain n-alkane hydrocarbon, n-hexadecane. When modeling the mixture data, the use of VS-PR model of pure components along with the Redlich–Kister expansion, truncated at the first term, the density was correlated within a RMSD only 60% greater than the experimental error. The proposed model is able to accurately represent all the tested mixture data with a relatively small number of parameters.     

An analysis of the complex molecular orbitals method

Numerical results for the ground state of the HN ₂ ⁺ and HCO⁺ molecular ions at their near equilibrium geometry, obtained by the complex molecular orbitals (CMO) method in the extended basis set, are reported. The CMO wavefunction of the HN ₂ ⁺ ion is compared with the CI wavefunction obtained in the same basis set. This reveals the nature of approximations inherent in the CMO method. A peculiar feature of the occupation numbers of the CMO natural orbitals is also explained.Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. On leave from the Institute Rudjer Bokovi, Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia.     

Theoretical study of the electronic spectrum of diimide by AB initio methods

A series of ab initio calculations is reported for the ground and low-lying valence and Rydberg states of diimide N₂H₂. Symmetric bending potential curves for both the cis and trans forms of this system have been obtained at the SCF level of treatment. In addition Cl calculations have been carried out for the trans-diimide ground state equilibrium nuclear conformation, using a configuration selection procedure described elsewhere; an associated energy extrapolation scheme is also employed which enables the effective solution of secular equations with orders of up to 40000. The ensuing Cl wavefunctions are interpreted in the discussion and the corresponding calculated energy differences between the various electronic states are compared with experimental transition energy results for both diimide and for related systems such as trans-azomethane. A more detailed analysis of the observed absorption bands in the ¹B_g-X¹A_g transition in N₂H₂ is also given, making use of calculated potential curve data as well as the pertinent Cl vertical energy difference. The dipole-forbiddenness of the excitation process is thereupon concluded to result in a distinct non-verticality for this electronic band system, causing its absorption maximum to occur at a position some 0.6 eV to the blue of the so-called vertical transition, i.e., that for which maximum vibrational overlap is obtained.     

Mass spring lattice modeling of the scanning laser source technique

The scanning laser source (SLS) technique is a promising new laser ultrasonic tool for the detection of small surface-breaking defects. The SLS approach is based on monitoring the changes in laser generated ultrasound as a laser source is scanned over a defect. Changes in amplitude and frequency content have been observed for ultrasound generated by the laser over uniform and defective areas. In this paper, the SLS technique is simulated numerically using the mass spring lattice model. Thermoelastic laser generation of ultrasound in an elastic material is modeled using a shear dipole distribution. The spatial and temporal energy distribution profiles of typical pulsed laser sources are used to model the laser source. The amplitude and spectral variations in the laser generated ultrasound as the SLS scans over a large aluminum block containing a small surface-breaking crack are observed. The experimentally observed SLS amplitude and spectral signatures are shown to be captured very well by the model. In addition, the possibility of utilizing the SLS technique to size surface-breaking cracks that are sub-wavelength in depth is explored.     

The influence of oxygen on the continuum emission from ion-bombarded metal surfaces

Spectral scans of 12 metals: Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, Ni, Pd, Si, Ti and W under Ar⁺ ion bombardment have been taken with and without backfilled oxygen in the target chamber to study the effect of oxygen on the emission of continuum radiation. Some of the observed broad band features can be attributed to sputtered metal-oxide molecular emission while other continua remain unidentified. In all cases except Pd, increasing the partial pressure of oxygen enhances the continuum emission.     

Additive-subtractive phase-modulated shearography with synchronized acoustic stressing

A robust electronic shearography technique is described that is immune to ambinet noise. In this technique, additive speckle-interference images containing information about the same two states of deformation of a test object undergoing acoustic stressing are acquired in each video frame. When a spatially nonuniform phase modulation is introduced in every other frame during the video sequence (using a tilting mirror) and the additive interference images are subtracted sequentially using a real-time image processor, the self-interference component of sheared-speckle interference pattern is removed. The susceptibility of this method to environmental noise caused by induced thermal noise and low frequency vibration is demonstrated to be lower than that of conventional substractive shearography methods; fringe visibility and contrast are significantly improved as well. The ability of this technique to work in a turbulent environment is demonstrated, and application to detection of structural defects in adhesively bonded structures, a problem of interest in nondestructive evaluation of structures, is shown.     

Highly active and reusable catalyst for fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate

Silica-12-tungstophosphoric acid core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method followed by steaming. The catalytic activity of fresh and steamed catalysts was studied in Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate. The reaction parameters, such as catalyst loading and reaction temperature, were optimized. The structural properties of the prepared catalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The nature and strength of acid sites in the catalysts were analyzed by pyridine adsorption followed by infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The XRD and TEM analyses confirm the formation of silica-12-tungstophosphoric acid core-shell nanoparticles during steaming process. Acidity measurement indicates that both fresh and steamed catalyst samples carry weak acid sites and Brøsted acid sites. In addition, the steaming of heteropoly acid contained silica enhances the strength of Brøsted acid sites. The catalytic activity of fresh as well as steamed catalysts in liquid-phase Fries rearrangement showed that the steam treated sample exhibits higher conversion and selectivity to the desired product compared to the fresh catalyst sample. The higher activity of steam treated catalysts has been explained in terms of surface acidity of the catalysts. Reusability of the steamed catalyst shows that there is no appreciable change either in the conversion rate or product selectivity.