Quantitative non‐destructive determination of trace elements in archaeological pottery using a portable beam stability‐controlled XRF spectrometer

A portable beam stability‐controlled XRF spectrometer developed at the LNS/INFN laboratories at Catania (Italy) was used for the non‐destructive determination of some trace elements (Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb) in fine pottery artefacts. The XRF system and the method developed to control the energy and intensity stability of the excitation beam are briefly discussed. Concentrations of Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb were determined in 50 fine potsherds from the votive deposit of San Francesco in Catania by using a multi‐linear regression method. Additionally, in order to test the homogeneity of the material composing the fine pottery samples, a small portion of a few potsherds was powdered and analysed using the XRF system and the multilinear regression method. A comparison between non‐destructive and destructive approaches is presented and discussed. Finally, quantitative XRF data were compared with those obtained by chemical analysis of the powdered samples. The results allowed the testing of a non‐destructive methodology to be used for the identification and grouping of the different typological classes of fine pottery mainly represented in the San Francesco sanctuary. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of some ancient glass vessels fragments found in Xinjiang,China, using a portable energy dispersive XRF spectrometer

In this article, a portable energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer having determination capability for elements of Na and Mg is applied to characterization of the 58 ancient glass vessels fragments found in Xinjiang, China, successfully. These ancient glass samples were found in different historical sites dated from the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–220 A.D.) to early Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 A.D.). The chemical composition difference between the original weathered and inner fresh surfaces is distinguished. Using Mg, Ca, Al and K as the diagnostic elements, the glass samples analyzed are mainly classified into three types through cluster analysis. Each type of glass seems to be produced under different recipes. The techniques used to make these glasses and their possible provenances are discussed briefly. The obtained results provide new useful information for further understanding of the exchange and trade networks related to early glasses found in Xinjiang, China. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of the structures of an atomic three-valence-electron system with a nuclear three-valence-neutron system

A comparison has been made between the states of a 3-valence-electron system and a 3-valence-neutron system. The fermions are supposed to move in a sphere. The structures and internal motions of the head-states (the lowest of a given^2S+1 L ) of these systems havingL=0,S=1/2 and 3/2, and even and odd parity have been investigated. We have found that the symmetry governing the particular quantum system plays an essential role. In particular, all the nodal surfaces in the head-states originate from symmetry but not from dynamics. Consequently, the head-states of different dynamic systems have similar structures and similar internal motions.     

Control of spontaneous emission spectra via an external coherent magnetic field in a cycle-configuration atomic medium

We theoretically study the features of the spontaneous emission spectra in a coherently driven cold four-level atomic system with a cyclic configuration. It is shown that a few interesting phenomena such as spectral-line narrowing, spectral-line enhancement, and spectral-line suppression can be realized in our system. Interestingly enough, the spectral-line enhancement and suppression can be controlled just by appropriately modulating the phase, the frequency, and the intensity of an external coherent magnetic field, respectively. This investigation may find applications in high-precision spectroscopy. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Propagation of a light beam in an absorbing medium with large-scale inhomogeneities

A method of solving the radiative transfer equation is proposed; it enables one to take into account the influence of absorption on the angular and spatial distributions of radiation under conditions of sharply anisotropic multiple scattering. For phase functions that decrease with an increase in the scattering angle by the power law, the total flux attenuation and profiles of the angular and spatial distributions in a strongly absorbing medium are studied. The obtained analytical dependences exhibit a good agreement with results of numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation.     

有源耦合腔激光器锁模特性研究

本文在理论上首次发现有源耦合腔激光器的自启动锁模和时域调制特性,并对其进行了全面的分析和计算.对有源耦合腔激光器的自启动锁模机制和时域调制特性给予详尽的数值计算结果和清晰的物理图象解释,提出在有源耦合腔锁模激光器中可用连续泵浦源代替锁模泵浦源,而且有产生更短的光脉冲可能性.     

Nonautonomous bright solitons and soliton collisions in a nonlinear medium with an external potential

We present exact bright multi-soliton solutions of a generalized nonautonomous nonlinear Schrdinger equation with time-and space-dependent distributed coefficients and an external potential which describes a pulse propagating in nonlinear media when its transverse and longitudinal directions are nonuniformly distributed.Such solutions exist in certain constraint conditions on the coefficients depicting dispersion,nonlinearity,and gain(loss).Various shapes of bright solitons and interesting interactions between two solitons are observed.Physical applications of interest to the field and stability of the solitons are discussed.     

Coherent control of light shifts in an atomic system: modulation of the medium gain

A sequence of two femtosecond coherent pulses--a strong pi-polarized pulse and a weak sigma-polarized pulse--excite the S1/2-P1/2 transition of atomic rubidium in an optically dense vapor. The sigma pulse induces transitions between the adiabatic states with a coupling strength that is different for identically and oppositely light-shifted coupled states, and that can be modified by tuning the relative phase between the pulses. An efficient control of the medium gain for the sigma pulse is experimentally demonstrated. It is shown to be the result of interference between the absorption and the stimulated emission paths for sigma photons.     

Imaging and focusing of an atomic beam with a large period standing light wave

A novel atomic lens scheme is reported. A cylindrical lens potential was created by a large period ( 45 m) standing light wave perpendicular to a beam of metastable He atoms. The lens aperture (25 m) was centered in one antinode of the standing wave; the laser frequency was nearly resonant with the atomic transition 2³ S ₁–2³ P ₂ (=1.083 m) and the interaction time was significantly shorter than the spontaneous lifetime (100 ns) of the excited state. The thickness of the lens was given by the laser beam waist (40 m) in the direction of the atomic beam. Preliminary results are presented, where an atomic beam is focused down to a spot size of 4 m. Also, a microfabricated grating with a period of 8 m was imaged. We discuss the principle limitations of the spatial resolution of the lens given by spherical and chromatic aberrations as well as by diffraction. The fact that this lens is very thin offers new perspectives for deep focusing into the nm range.     

Simulation of the scattering in an atomic beam evaporated from a He film

We have simulated the scattering in a pulsed atomic beam evaporated from a superfluid ⁴He film. Assuming that the atoms leaving the surface of the film have an equilibrium Maxwellian distribution, we find that the experimentally observed deviations from Lambert's law are explained by scattering of the atoms after evaporation.     

Asymptotic form of the radial profile of a relativistic electron beam propagating in a gas-plasma medium in the presence of an external magnetic field and a neutralizing ion background

Boltzmann’s H theorem and variational methods are used to find the temporally asymptotic form of the radial current density profile of a paraxial relativistic electron beam propagating in a scattering gas-plasma medium along a static external magnetic field and a neutralizing ion background. It is shown that in this case the radial profile is Gaussian. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 62–65 (November 1997)     

Characterisation of the different hands in the composition of a 14th century breviary by means of portable XRF analysis and complementary techniques

A 14th‐century breviary known as Breviario di San Michele della Chiusa, produced at the disposal of the monks of Sacra di San Michele abbey (near Turin, Italy) has been analysed in order to identify the different authors who contributed in its making. The study aimed at revealing how many scribes composed the text and the musical notations and how many artists worked for miniatures and for the decorations of initials. All inks and decorative features have been analysed by means of portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry for determining elemental distribution and by means of ultraviolet–Visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optic fibres and spectrofluorimetry for identifying colourants. The results on non‐invasive measurements highlighted that at least 11 persons (six scribes for the text, two scribes for the musical notations, two artists for initials and filigrees and one artist for the full‐page miniature at f. 208v) were at work at the Breviario. Moreover, the black inks used for text and notes have an anomalous composition, being iron gall inks with a larger than usual amount of zinc, possibly as a consequence of the use of vitriols made from goslarite; this suggests that the scribes could come from Northern Europe. The presence of traces of bismuth in blue paints also suggested the provenance of azurite from Central or Northern Europe. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a multispan Timoshenko beam carrying a number of various concentrated elements

The purpose of this paper is to utilize the numerical assembly method (NAM) to determine the exact natural frequencies and mode shapes of the multispan Timoshenko beam carrying a number of various concentrated elements including point masses, rotary inertias, linear springs, rotational springs and spring–mass systems. First, the coefficient matrices for an intermediate pinned support, an intermediate concentrated element, left- and right-end support of a Timoshenko beam are derived. Next, the overall coefficient matrix for the whole structural system is obtained using the numerical assembly technique of the finite element method. Finally, the exact natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the vibrating system are determined by equating the determinant of the last overall coefficient matrix to zero and substituting the corresponding values of integration constants into the associated eigenfunctions, respectively. The effects of distribution of in-span pinned supports and various concentrated elements on the dynamic characteristics of the Timoshenko beam are also studied.     

Observation of collimation and decollimation of an atomic beam in a misaligned standing wave

This paper reports an experimental study on the collimation and decollimation of an atomic beam in a misaligned standing wave, in which the effective detuning caused by the Doppler effect is affected by the longitudinal velocity of the atomic beam. The experiment shows that in a strong field with red detuning between laser field and atomic transition frequency, laser heating in a normal standing wave becomes laser cooling in a misaligned standing wave for an approriate misalignment angle. For blue detuning, laser cooling in a standing wave can also become laser heating in a misaligned standing wave for an appropriate condition. These results ca be used in controling atomic motion.