On the elimination of DC in reconstructed wavefronts from in-line holograms

New experimental results to demonstrate that the annoying DC in the reconstructed wavefronts from in-line holograms could be successfully eliminated are presented in this paper. The complete elimination of DC has been achieved by making proper use of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The results for an in-line hololens and an in-line Fourier transform hologram are discussed. Contribution No. 8 from Laboratories for Coherent Optics and Electrooptical Research.     

Limits of coherence-based aeroacoustic analysis in the presence of distributed sources

Coherence-based analysis techniques utilizing a small number of microphones are often applied in aeroacoustic measurements. These techniques can remove statistically incoherent noise, electronic or hydrodynamic, from acoustic signals measured by microphones, at significantly lower cost than array methods. However, the assumptions involved in the usage of the ordinary coherence function technically limit analysis to a single-source field. In the presence of multiple sources the coherence function breaks down and ordinary analysis techniques under-predict true acoustic levels. This phenomenon is demonstrated mathematically and illustrated using experimental trailing edge noise data.     

Criticality in the relaxation phase of a spontaneously contracting atria isolated from a frog's heart

We investigate the spontaneous contraction generated by the atria of a frog's heart isolated in a physiological solution. In the relaxation phase, the recorded time series for two different sampling rates possesses an intermittent component similar to the dynamics of the order parameter's fluctuations of a thermal critical system belonging to the mean field universality class. This behavior is not visible through conventional analysis in the frequency space due to the presence of Brownian noise dominating the corresponding power spectrum.     

Defibrillation via the elimination of spiral turbulence in a model for ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation, the major reason behind sudden cardiac death, is turbulent cardiac electrical activity in which rapid, irregular disturbances in the spatiotemporal electrical activation of the heart make it incapable of any concerted pumping action. Methods of controlling ventricular fibrillation include electrical defibrillation as well as injected medication. Electrical defibrillation, though widely used, involves subjecting the whole heart to massive, and often counterproductive, electrical shocks. We propose a defibrillation method that uses a very low-amplitude shock (of order mV) applied for a brief duration (of order 100 ms) and over a coarse mesh of lines on our model ventricle.     

Three-dimensional (13)C-spectroscopic imaging in the isolated infarcted rat heart

Acquisition weighted (13)C-spectroscopic imaging with three spatial dimensions is demonstrated in the isolated, perfused rat heart. Experiments were performed at 11.75 T with a home-built double resonant (13)C-(1)H probehead. Three-dimensional chemical shift imaging was used to obtain (1)H-decoupled (13)C-spectra in 96-microl voxels in about 58 min. Acquisition weighting significantly reduced signal contamination and improved image quality, with no penalty in sensitivity. As a first application, infarcted hearts were studied during perfusion with [2-(13)C]-sodium acetate. The extent of the incorporation of the (13)C-label into glutamate allows us to distinguish intact and infarcted myocardium. Chemical shift images show a homogeneous glutamate distribution in intact tissue, but a negligible amount in the infarction scar.     

Cold sources observations in the millimetric region from the TIRGO telescope

Summary We describe a photometer which uses a³He-cooled bolometer working in the millimetric atmospheric window, aimed at a program of observations of galactic and extra-galactic sources. We also give an account of the results obtained during the January 1988 run at the TIRGO telescope. To speed up publication, the proofs were not sent to the authors and were supervised by the Scientific Committee.     

Determination of the copper diffusion coefficient in silicon from transient ion-drift

We use the transient ion drift in a depletion region of a Schottky barrier to determine ion diffusivities at moderate temperatures. The pulsed reverse bias leads to temperature dependent capacitance transients similar to deep level carrier emission transients. A simple theoretical model together with classical transient signal analysis provide the means to extract the ion diffusion constant. When applied to copper in silicon, diffusion data are obtained in a not yet investigated temperature range (280–400 K) which agree well with both low and high temperature diffusion data.     

Wave front fragmentation due to ventricular geometry in a model of the rabbit heart

The role of the heart's complex shape in causing the fragmentation of activation wave fronts characteristic of ventricular fibrillation (VF) has not been well studied. We used a finite element model of cardiac propagation capable of simulating functional reentry on curved two-dimensional surfaces to test the hypothesis that uneven surface curvature can cause local propagation block leading to proliferation of reentrant wave fronts. We found that when reentry was induced on a flat sheet, it rotated in a repeatable meander pattern without breaking up. However, when a model of the rabbit ventricles was formed from the same medium, reentrant wave fronts followed complex, nonrepeating trajectories. Local propagation block often occurred when wave fronts propagated across regions where the Gaussian curvature of the surface changed rapidly. This type of block did not occur every time wave fronts crossed such a region; rather, it only occurred when the wave front was very close behind the previous wave in the cycle and was therefore propagating into relatively inexcitable tissue. Close wave front spacing resulted from nonstationary reentrant propagation. Thus, uneven surface curvature and nonstationary reentrant propagation worked in concert to produce wave front fragmentation and complex activation patterns. None of the factors previously thought to be necessary for local propagation block (e.g., heterogeneous refractory period, steep action potential duration restitution) were present. We conclude that the complex geometry of the heart may be an important determinant of VF activation patterns. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.     

Dynamic photoelastic study of the transient stress field in solids during shock wave lithotripsy

Photoelastic and shadowgraph imaging techniques were used to visualize the propagation and evolution of stress waves, and the resultant transient stress fields in solids during shock wave lithotripsy. In parallel, theoretical analysis of the wavefront evolution inside the solids was performed using a ray-tracing method. Excellent agreement between the theoretical prediction and experimental results was observed. Both the sample size and geometry were found to have a significant influence on the wave evolution and associated stress field produced inside the solid. In particular, characteristic patterns of spalling damage (i.e., transverse and longitudinal crack formation) were observed using plaster-of-Paris cylindrical phantoms of rectangular and circular cross sections. It was found that the leading tensile pulse of the reflected longitudinal wave is responsible for the initiation of microcracks in regions inside the phantom where high tensile stresses are produced. In addition, the transmitted shear wave was found to play a critical role in facilitating the extension and propagation of the microcrack.     

Security risk during the transient in a key exchange protocol using random signals and feedback

Random signals and feedback may facilitate the exchange of shared keys in secure communications systems. In this Letter, the security risk during the initial turn-on is examined. Results indicate that causality plays a critical role. If signals are continuous, the eavesdropper can use extrapolation to breach the security. In digital signaling, however, two parties in communication are in control. They use sampling and set the quantization accuracy to limit the information available to eavesdropper. They can gradually increase the feedback coefficient. By using these countermeasures, they can prevent the eavesdropper from gathering useful information during the transient.     

The nature of oscillations of the crystallization front in a diluted binary melt during the initial transient process

The cause of oscillations of the crystallization rate of a binary melt that arise in the initial transient process and have been revealed earlier in numerical experiments is investigated theoretically. Within a simple time-dependent model of directed crystallization, the problem of impurity diffusion in the melt from which a crystal is drawn at constant rate is solved in a linear approximation. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the solution represents a superposition of two concentration waves, a traveling and a standing wave. The concept of a characteristic distance of directed crystallization of a binary melt is introduced. It is established that the nonmonotonic behavior of the crystallization rate during the initial transient process, in particular, its damped oscillations, is attributed to the accumulation of impurities in the melt that is excessive with respect to its distribution in the stationary regime. Impurities in the melt are accumulated excessively when the characteristic distance of directed crystallization starts to exceed the characteristic diffusion length of the impurity in the melt.     

Simulation of the radiation fields from ionizing radiation sources inside the containment in an accident

In the present work, a set of codes used for simulations of the radiation fields from ionizing radiation sources inside the containment in an accident is described. A method of evaluating the gamma dose rate from a space and energy distributed source is given. The dose rate is calculated by means of the design point kernel method and using buildup factors. The code MCU-REA with the ORIMCU module is used for the burnup calculations.     

用蒙特卡罗方法计算光通过薄层随机分布粒子的散射

本文利用蒙特卡罗方法计算准直光束通过薄层随机分布粒子散射的透射和反射光强,并和输运理论的扩散近似结果做了比较。当散射接近各向同性时两者符合良好。当散射明显地成为各向异性时,蒙特卡罗方法的结果是合理的,而输运理论的扩散近似失效。     

Electromagnetic radiation from filamentary sources in the presence of axially magnetized cylindrical plasma scatterers

Electromagnetic radiation from filamentary electric-dipole and magnetic-current sources of infinite length in the presence of gyrotropic cylindrical scatterers in the surrounding free space is studied. The scatterers are assumed to be infinitely long, axially magnetized circular plasma columns parallel to the axis of the filamentary source. The field and the radiation pattern of each source are calculated in the case where the source frequency is equal to one of the surface plasmon resonance frequencies of the cylindrical scatterers. It is shown that the presence of even a single resonant magnetized plasma scatterer of small electrical radius or a few such scatterers significantly affects the total fields of the filamentary sources, so that their radiation patterns become essentially different from those in the absence of scatterers or the presence of isotropic scatterers of the same shape and size. It is concluded that the radiation characteristics of the considered sources can efficiently be controlled using their resonance interaction with the neighboring gyrotropic scatterers.     

Optothermal transient emission radiometry for studying the changes in epidermal hydration induced during ripening of tomato fruit mutants

Optothermal transient emission radiometry (OTTER) was used to determine the mean surface hydration and the hydration profile of three mutants (beefsteak, slicing and salad) of harvested tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) that were kept under ambient conditions for as long as 51 days. Maximal sensitivity of OTTER to water in the samples was achieved by using 2.94 m and 13.1 m as excitation and emission wavelengths, respectively. The surface hydration increases rapidly and reaches a constant level during the remaining period. The hydrolysis of pectic substances that occur in tomatoes while ripening might be a possible cause for the observed change in hydration. PACS 81.70.Cr; 39.30.+w; 87.14.-g; 78.47.+p