High-speed observation of cavitation bubble clouds near a tissue boundary in high-intensity focused ultrasound fields

Cavitation bubble clouds generated near a tissue boundary by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) were studied using high-speed photography. In all, 171 image series were captured during the initial 100 ms of continuous HIFU exposure, which showed that cavitation bubble clouds at the tissue boundary organized into two structures - “cone-shape bubble cloud structure” recorded in 146 image series and “crown-shape bubble cloud structure” recorded in 18 image series. The remaining 7 image series showed the interchanging of these two structures. It was found that when cavitation bubbles first appeared at the tissue boundary, they developed to cone-shape bubble cloud. The cone-shape bubble cloud structure was characterized by a nearly fixed tip in front of the tissue boundary. When the cavitation bubbles initially appeared away from the tissue boundary they evolved into a crown-shape bubble cloud. Deformation of tissue boundary was shown in all the recorded image series.     

In Vivo Monitoring of Neovascularization in Tumour Angiogenesis by Photoacoustic Tomography

Photoacoustic tomography （PAT） is presented to in vivo monitor neovascularization in tumour angiogenesis with high resolution and high contrast images in a rat. With a circular scan system, the photoacoustic signal, generated by laser pulses at a wavelength of 532nm from a Q-switched Nd：YAG laser is captured by a hydrophone with a diameter of 1 mm and a sensitivity of 850nV/Pa. The vascular structure around the rat tumour is imaged clearly, with optimal contrast, because blood has strong absorption near this wavelength. Serial noninvasive photoacoustic images of neovascularization in tumour angiogenesis are also obtained consecutively from a growing tumour implanted under the skin of a rat over a period of two weeks. This work demonstrates that PAT can potentially provide a powerful tool for tumour angiogenesis detection in cancer research. It will bring us closer to clinical applications for tumour diagnosis and treatment monitoring.     

The effects of experimental parameters in the thermal diffusivity measurements of oriented polymer films using mirage effect: Computer simulation

Computer simulations have been carried out to study the effects of the experimental parameters when the mirage method has been applied to thermal diffusivity measurements of oriented polymer films. The parameters under study are the thermal diffusivity of the fluid surrounding the sample, the modulation frequency and the radius of the heating beam, the height and the radius of the probe beam, and the sample thickness and thermal diffusivity. Proposals for the optimum parameter values to maximize the measurement sensitivity for the sample diffusivity are made and the difficulties arising from the low diffusivity of the samples are described. It is also concluded that because the thermal properties of the fluid surrounding the sample have a strong contribution to the mirage signals, the signals do not include any simple feature corresponding to the sample diffusivity. Therefore it should be determined from the entire measurement data using regression methods.     

Sensitivity analysis for estimation of power losses in magnetic cores using neural network

Experimental data from a sample of 42 cores made from grain oriented 0.27 mm thick 3% SiFe electrical steel with dimensions ranging from 35 to 160 mm outer diameter, 25-100 mm inner diameter and 10-70 mm strip width and a flux density range 0.2-1.7 T have been obtained at 50 Hz and used as training data to a feed forward neural network. An analytical equation for prediction of power loss as depends on input parameters from the results of sensitivity analysis has been obtained. The calculated power losses with the analytical expression have also been compared with power loss obtained from the Preisach model after it has been applied to toroidal cores. The results show the proposed model can be used for estimation of power losses in the toroidal cores.     

Measurement of temperature, fuel concentration and equivalence ratio fields using tracer LIF in IC engine combustion

A technique based on planar laser-induced fluorescence of 3-pentanone, for measurements of absolute concentration, temperature and fuel/air equivalence ratios in turbulent, high-pressure combustion systems such as an internal combustion engine is presented. Quasi-simultaneous excitation with 248 nm and 308 nm of 3-pentanone that is used as a fluorescence tracer doped to iso-octane, yields pairs of strongly temperature-dependent fluorescence images. Previous investigations have resulted in information on temperature and pressure dependence of absorption cross-sections and fluorescence quantum yields. Using these data the ratio of corresponding fluorescence images can be converted to temperature images. Instantaneous temperature distribution fields in the compression stroke and in the unburned end-gas of an SI engine were measured. The temperature fields obtained from the two-line technique are used to correct the original tracer-LIF images in order to evaluate quantitative fuel distributions in terms of number densities and fuel/air equivalence ratio. Received: 10 March 2000 / Revised version: 19 April 2000 / Published online: 16 August 2000     

Analysis of the local conformation of proteins with two-dimensional fluorescence techniques

Two 2D fluorescence techniques are described which allow the study of conformational changes in proteins in their native form in μM solutions using aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, tyrosine) as intrinsic fluorescence markers. Simultaneous time- and wavelength-resolved fluorescence spectra are measured using a 80 ps laser source in conjunction with streak detection in the exit plane of an astigmatism-corrected spectrometer. This approach allows identification of different photophysical processes by their associated lifetime and spectral intensity distribution; errors due to the more common integration over a wider spectral range are avoided. Time-resolved spectra are sensitive to changes in the collisional environment (dynamic quenching) and can thus be used to monitor local conformation changes close to the respective fluorophors. This is demonstrated for the Ras protein which undergoes a drastic conformation change while binding to different nucleotides. Excitation-emission spectra are two-dimensional fluorescence images with one axis corresponding to the excitation and the other to the emission wavelength. Thus, they contain all conventional excitation and fluorescence spectra of a given substance. The 2D structure facilitates the interpretation of these spectra and allows the direct identification of resonance effects, scattering and the isolation of the contribution of different fluorophors to the complete spectrum. This is demonstrated for mixtures of tyrosine and tryptophan. In this case, both wavelength-resolved spectra and temporal decays are affected by energy transfer processes between the two amino acids. In a last example, both static and time-resolved spectral methods are combined to determine the respective contribution of static and dynamic quenching in calsequestrin. Evaluation of the fluorescence data is in good agreement with a recent crystallographic analysis which shows that all tryptophans are located in a conserved domain of the protein. Addition of Ca²⁺ ions leads to a more compact form of calsequestrin and to polymers. This information would not be obtainable from either of the two techniques alone. Received: 10 February 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

A Method for Quantitative Analysis of Chemical Mixtures with THz Time Domain Spectroscopy

A method for analysing chemical mixtures quantitatively with terahertz time domain spectroscopy is proposed. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this technique. Transmission coefficient of THz wave at the sample surface is taken into account to improve the analytic precision, lsomer mixtures are chosen as the experimental samples. Compared to similar techniques, the analytic precision could be improved evidently in this method.     

Pressure and the quadratic temperature term in the electrical resistance of NbTi

We have measured the electrical resistance of an Nb_0.53Ti_0.47 alloy sample as a function of temperature T (4-300 K) and pressure (<20 GPa). At low temperatures, above the superconducting transition, we observe a T² term whose coefficient decreases with pressure. It is linearly dependent on the residual resistance, that also decreases with pressure, in strong agreement with a Koshino-Taylor origin, i.e. inelastic carrier scattering against impurities.     

A Hamiltonian structure associated with a matrix spectral problem of arbitrary-order

Starting from a specific matrix iso-spectral problem, an associated hierarchy of multi-component Hamiltonian equations is constructed, based on zero curvature equations. The key point is to choose appropriate time parts of Lax pairs which can yield evolution equations, and the existence of a Hamiltonian structure for the obtained hierarchy is established by means of the trace identity. An example with five components is computed, along with its Hamiltonian structure.     

Ultrasound and light scattering from a suspension of reversible fractal clusters in shear flow

Shear break-up of reversible fractal clusters is investigated by ultrasound and multiple light scattering in the low shear regime. We consider a dense suspension of Rayleigh scatterers (particles or clusters) with acoustic properties close to those of the surrounding liquid so that the attenuation of the ultrasonic coherent field is weak and multiple scattering is negligible. The concept of variance in local particle volume fraction is used to derive an original expression of the ultrasound scattering cross-section per unit volume for Rayleigh fractal clusters. On the basis of a scaling law for the shear break-up of aggregates, then we derive the shear stress dependence of the ultrasound scattered intensity from a suspension of reversible fractal clusters. In a second part, we present rheo-acoustical experiments to study the shear break-up of hardened red cell aggregates in plane-plane flow geometry and we examine both the self consistent field approximation and the scaling laws used in microrheological models. We further compare the ability of acoustical backscattering and optical reflectometry techniques to estimate the critical disaggregation shear stress and the particle surface adhesive energy. Finally, the microrheological model from Snabre and Mills [#!ref5!#] based on a fractal approach is shown to describe the non Newtonian behavior of a dense distribution of hardened red cell aggregates. Received 12 November 1998 and Received in final form 17 May 1999     

Laser-assisted photoelectric optogalvanic analysis of thin films and surfaces using a hollow-cathode glow discharge

It is shown that substitution of the spectral line intensity with the photoelectric optogalvanic signal in the hollow-cathode glow discharge enhances the ability for layer-by-layer spectral analysis of surfaces and layers. In particular, this approach improves substantially the thin-film thickness measurements and analysis accuracy.     

A 2D spring model for the simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in nonlinear hysteretic media

A two-dimensional (2D) approach to the simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in nonclassical nonlinear (NCNL) media is presented. The approach represents the extension to 2D of a previously proposed one dimensional (1D) Spring Model, with the inclusion of a PM space treatment of the intersticial regions between grains. The extension to 2D is of great practical relevance for its potential applications in the field of quantitative nondestructive evaluation and material characterization, but it is also useful, from a theoretical point of view, to gain a better insight of the interaction mechanisms involved. The model is tested by means of virtual 2D experiments. The expected NCNL behaviors are qualitatively well reproduced.     

Modeling for thermal conductivity measurements of thin films using photothermal deflection with obliquely crossed configuration

Received: 21 December 1996     

The detectability of kissing bonds in adhesive joints using ultrasonic techniques

This paper concerns a study of the detectability of dry contact kissing bonds in adhesive joints using three ultrasonic inspection techniques. Conventional normal incidence longitudinal and shear wave inspection were conducted on dry contact kissing bonds using a standard damped ultrasonic transducer and an electro-magnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) respectively. The detectability of the dry contact kissing bonds was assessed by calculating the reflection coefficient of the imperfect interface at varying loads for a number of surface roughnesses. A high power ultrasonic method was also employed to determine the non-linear behavior of the adhesive interface. The non-linearity of the interface was determined by the ratio of the amplitudes of the first harmonic and fundamental frequencies of the transmitted waveform. It was found that the high power technique showed the greatest sensitivity to these kissing bonds at low contact pressures, however at high loads conventional longitudinal wave testing was more sensitive. It was also noted that a combination of two or more techniques could provide enhanced information about the kissing bond compared to a single technique alone.     

Decoherence in atom–field interactions: A treatment using superoperator techniques

Decoherence is a subject of great importance in quantum mechanics, particularly in the fields of quantum optics, quantum information processing and quantum computing. Quantum computation relies heavily in the unitary character of each step carried out by a quantum computational device and this unitarity is affected by decoherence. An extensive study of master equations is therefore needed for a better understanding on how quantum information is processed when a system interacts with its environment. Master equations are usually studied by using Fokker–Planck and Langevin equations and not much attention has been given to the use of superoperator techniques. In this report we study in detail several approaches that lead to decoherence, for instance a variation of the Schrödinger equation that models decoherence as the system evolves through intrinsic mechanisms beyond conventional quantum mechanics rather than dissipative interaction with an environment. For the study of the dissipative interaction we use a correspondence principle approach. We solve the master equations for different physical systems, namely, Kerr and parametric down conversion. In the case of light-matter interaction we show that although dissipation destroys the quantumness of the field, information of the initial field may be obtained via the reconstruction of quasiprobability distribution functions.     

A test of special relativity with stored lithium ions

Laser spectroscopy at the heavy ion storage ring TSR in Heidelberg allows for precision experiments testing the limits of the special theory of relativity. With an optical-type three-level system of⁷Li⁺ the Doppler shift has been measured by saturation spectroscopy as a test of the time dilatation factor = (1 – ²)^–1/2 at an ion velocity of = 6.4% c. A precision of/ < 9 × 10^–9 has been obtained, which sets a second-order limit of 1.1 × 10^–6 for any deviation from the time dilatation factor. The fourth-order limit of this deviation is set below 2.7 × 10^–4 by the present experiment. These limits are given at a 1 confidence level.     

Diode laser based in situ detection of alkali atoms: development of a new method for determination of residence-time distribution in combustion plants

The residence-time of the flue gas in a furnace is an important parameter for a complete and clean combustion. A new method to determine the residence-time has been developed and is presented for the first time. It is based on the injection of alkali compounds as a tracer. Alkali atoms that are produced by thermal decomposition of the tracer are detected in the hot flue gas after passage of the combustion facility. This is done without any gas sampling using direct tunable diode laser based absorption spectroscopy. Different diode laser (DL) types (Fabry–Pérot DLs, external-cavity DLs, and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) were analyzed and used to develop several spectrometers for the in situ detection of lithium (671 nm), potassium (770 nm), and rubidium (780 nm). Various spectrometers were built for single- or multi-species detection using a single laser, for time-multiplexed multi-species detection using two lasers, and for multi-path detection at two different locations along the flue-gas duct. To evaluate the system performance the potassium atom background caused by the fuel was continuously monitored in the post-combustion chamber (PCC) for several weeks. A typical concentration range of 1 ng to 1 μg at STP (800 ppq to 800 ppt; ppq=10^-15) was observed. By averaging 100 individual absorption scans the response time was 2.7 s. The minimum detectable absorption was about 10^-4 optical density, corresponding to a detection limit of 4×10¹¹ K atoms/m³ at 1200 K instead of ‘°K’. (K(D2) absorption line; 1.9-m absorption path). This is equivalent to a detection limit of 0.1 ng/m³ at STP or 80 ppq. The fastest response time (0.16 s) was achieved by evaluating single absorption scans. Two combustion facilities at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (a batch combustor and a 3-MW special waste incinerator with a rotary kiln followed by a PCC) were investigated. Alkali chlorides were added to the combustion chamber in different forms, of which short spray pulses of an aqueous salt solution was the method of choice for the residence-time measurement. Flow-time distributions were measured and the mean residence-time was calculated for various operation conditions. A simultaneous flow-time measurement at two different locations (8.4 m/17.0 m from the tracer discharge location) was realized with a binary K/Rb tracer and a multi-species spectrometer. Mean residence-times of (±) 151s and (±) 261s were observed and met the expected values. Received: 29 April 2002 / Revised version: 21 June 2002 / Published online: 2 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-6221/5450-50, E-mail: volker.ebert@pci.uni-heidelberg.de This paper is dedicated to Prof. Dr. Gottfried Huttner on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Simulated equation of state of CaF2 with fluorite-type structure at high temperature and high pressure

The pressure-volume-temperature (P-V-T) equation of state (EOS), isothermal bulk modulus, and thermal expansivity of CaF₂ with cubic fluorite-type structure are investigated using the constant temperature and pressure shell model molecular dynamics (MD) method with effective pair potentials which consist of the Coulomb, dispersion, and repulsion interaction. It was shown that MD simulation is very successful in accurately reproducing the measured volumes of the CaF₂ over a wide range of pressures. The simulated P-V data matched X-ray diffraction experimental results up to 9.5 GPa at 300 K. In addition, volume thermal-expansion coefficient and isothermal bulk modulus were also calculated and compared with available experimental data and the latest theoretical results at ambient condition. At extended temperature and pressure ranges, The P-V EOS under different isotherms at selected temperatures, T-V EOS under different isobars at selected pressures, thermal expansivity, and isothermal bulk modulus were predicted up to 1500 K and 10 GPa. The detailed knowledge of thermodynamic behavior and EOS at extreme conditions are of fundamental importance to the understanding of the physical properties of CaF₂.     

A crossed optical cavities apparatus for a precision test of the isotropy of light propagation

A novel apparatus for a sensitive test of the independence of the speed of optical waves from the propagation direction has been developed. It employs a monolithic ULE glass structure containing two orthogonal, crossing Fabry-Perot cavities which enable common mode rejection of certain disturbances. Highly accurate locking and cavity frequency read-out are achieved using laser frequency modulation at audio frequencies. Several systematic effects were characterized. Without rotation the root Allan variance (RAV) of the beat frequency reaches a minimum of 0.5 Hz (2 × 10⁻¹⁵) close to the thermal noise floor of the cavities. The performance of the apparatus under rotation is demonstrated by determining with improved accuracy one parameter of the standard model extension test theory,  = (−1.0 ± 2.3) × 10⁻¹⁵, under simplifying assumptions.     

Experimental constraints of using slow-light in sodium vapor for light-drag enhanced relative rotation sensing

We report on experimental observation of electromagnetically induced transparency and slow-light (v_g ≈ c/607) in atomic sodium vapor, as a potential medium for a recently proposed experiment on slow-light enhanced relative rotation sensing [Shahriar et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. (submitted for publication), http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0505192.]. We have performed an interferometric measurement of the index variation associated with a two-photon resonance to estimate the dispersion characteristics of the medium that are relevant to the slow-light based rotation sensing scheme. We also show that the presence of counter-propagating pump beams in an optical Sagnac loop produces a backward optical phase conjugation beam that can generate spurious signals, which may complicate the measurement of small rotations in the slow-light enhanced gyroscope. We identify techniques for overcoming this constraint. Conclusions reached from the results presented here will pave the way for designing and carrying out an experiment that will demonstrate the slow-light induced enhancement of rotation sensing.