Cellular pattern formation in circular domains

An analysis of stationary and nonstationary cellular patterns observed in premixed flames on a circular, porous plug burner is presented. A phenomenological model is introduced, that exhibits patterns similar to the experimental states. The primary modes of the model are combinations of Fourier-Bessel functions, whose radial parts have neighboring zeros. This observation explains several features of patterns, such as the existence of concentric rings of cells and the weak coupling between rings. Properties of rotating rings of cells, including the existence of modulated rotations and heteroclinic cycles can be deduced using mode coupling. For nonstationary patterns, the modal decomposition of experimental data can be carried out using the Karhunen-Loeve (KL) analysis. Experimental states are used to demonstrate the possibility of using KL analysis to differentiate between uniform and nonuniform rotations. The methodology can be extended to study more complicated nonstationary patterns. In particular, it is shown how the complexity of "hopping states" can be unraveled through the analysis. (c) 1997 American Institute of Physics.     

Visualizing electronic chirality and Berry phases in graphene systems using photoemission with circularly polarized light

Electronic chirality near the Dirac point is a key property of graphene systems, which is revealed by the spectral intensity patterns as measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy under various polarization conditions. Specifically, the strongly modulated circular patterns for monolayer (bilayer) graphene rotate by ±90° (±45°) in changing from linearly to circularly polarized light; these angles are directly related to the phases of the wave functions and thus visually confirm the Berry's phase of π (2π) around the Dirac point. The details are verified by calculations.     

Spontaneous wrinkling pattern of a constrained thin film membrane

The wrinkling morphology of an inhomogeneously constrained thin film membrane is explored using finite element simulations, where a small circular area in a thin sheet undergoes expansion, and buckles emerge due to differential in-plane deformation. The local wrinkling patterns are characterized by the normalized circular (inner) area size, the modulus mismatch between the inner and outer regions, and the normalized stress in the inner area. As the stress increases, the morphology transits from ripple-like to petal-like and finally to a branched pattern. Through parametric studies, the effect of the governing variables on the pattern evolution, wave number, and maximum deflection is discussed. The model is used to qualitatively explain the delamination/blister morphology observed in thin film/substrate systems. The study has the potential of inspiring new fabrication techniques based on mechanical self-assembly.     

Nanocrystalline SnO2–TiO2 thin film deposited on base of equilateral prism as an opto-electronic humidity sensor

Present paper reports the synthesis of SnO₂–TiO₂ nanocomposite, its characterization and performance as opto-electronic humidity sensor. Nanocrystalline SnO₂–TiO₂ film was deposited on the base of an equilateral prism using a photo resist spinner and the as prepared film was annealed at 200 °C for 2 h. The crystal structure of the prepared film was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Minimum crystallite size of the material was found 7 nm. Surface morphology of the film was investigated by Scanning electron microscope (SEM LEO-0430, Cambridge). SEM image shows that the film is porous. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of as synthesized material shows two exothermic peaks at about 40 and 110 °C, respectively which are due to the evaporation of chemical impurities and water. Further the prepared film was investigated through the exposure of humidity and relative humidity (%RH) was measured directly in terms of modulation in the intensity of light recorded on a digital power meter. The maximum sensitivity of sensor was found 4.14 μW/%RH, which is quite significant for sensor fabrication purposes.     

Changes in the spectral degree of polarization of a partially coherent dark hollow beam in the turbulent atmosphere for on-axis and off-axis propagation point

We report analytic formulas for the elements of the 2 × 2 cross spectral density matrix of a partially coherent dark hollow beam (DHB) with circular symmetry propagating through the turbulent atmosphere. In this paper, from these formulas changes in the spectral degree of polarization of partially coherent DHB for on-axis and off-axis propagation point and for near and far fields are determined for different source conditions.     

Application of optical 3D measurement on thin film buckling to estimate interfacial toughness

The shape-from-focus (SFF) method has been widely studied as a passive depth recovery and 3D reconstruction method for digital images. An important step in SFF is the calculation of the focus level for different points in an image by using a focus measure. In this work, an image entropy-based focus measure is introduced into the SFF method to measure the 3D buckling morphology of an aluminum film on a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrate at a micro scale. Spontaneous film wrinkles and telephone-cord wrinkles are investigated after the deposition of a 300 nm thick aluminum film onto the PMMA substrate. Spontaneous buckling is driven by the highly compressive stress generated in the Al film during the deposition process. The interfacial toughness between metal films and substrates is an important parameter for the reliability of the film/substrate system. The height profiles of different sections across the telephone-cord wrinkle can be considered a straight-sided model with uniform width and height or a pinned circular model that has a delamination region characterized by a sequence of connected sectors. Furthermore, the telephone-cord geometry of the thin film can be used to calculate interfacial toughness. The instability of the finite element model is introduced to fit the buckling morphology obtained by SFF. The interfacial toughness is determined to be 0.203 J/m² at a 70.4° phase angle from the straight-sided model and 0.105 J/m² at 76.9° from the pinned circular model.     

基于径向剪切干涉仪的三维位移测量技术

本文提出一种基于双圆光栅径向剪切干涉仪的三维位移测量方法,其测量原理是径向剪切干涉仪所形成的莫尔条纹不仅由二维平面内位移决定,轴向位移会在+1和–1级莫尔条纹之间产生一个特定的相移.首先,基于标量衍射理论对双圆光栅径向剪切干涉仪的+1和–1级莫尔条纹强度分布进行推导,建立了三维位移量与莫尔条纹强度分布的精确解析关系;其次,在频谱分析的基础上,利用半圆环滤波器进行空间滤波,实现+1和–1级莫尔条纹的同时成像;然后,提出了从莫尔条纹图中定量提取三维位移的算法,并通过数值模拟进行验证;最后,实验结果验证了该方法测量平面内位移的最大绝对误差为4.8×10^–3 mm,平均误差为2.0×10^–4 mm,轴向位移的最大绝对误差为0.25 mm,平均误差为8.6×10^–3 mm.该方法具有装置简单、测量精度高、非接触、瞬时测量等特点,可实现三维位移的同时测量.     

Effect of relative humidity on current–voltage characteristics of monopolar DC wire-to-plane system

This paper deals with the DC monopolar corona discharge in wire-to-plane geometry under variable humid air conditions. The classical formulas of Townsend commonly used for the current–voltage characteristics were used to determine the various corona parameters for the both polarities of the corona discharge. A circular biased probe has been adapted to the plane and is used to measure the ground plane current density and electric field during the monopolar corona discharge. A new approach to the problem of corona discharge in transmission system has been described in this paper. The effect of varying the humidity and wires diameter is also investigated. The values of the electric field and the current density are maximum beneath the corona wire and decrease when moving away from them and the current–voltage characteristics follow the quadratic Townsend's law. The experimental results show that the monopolar corona discharge is strongly affected by the air humidity. The current density and the electric field are measured and compared with the computed values. The agreement between the calculated values and those obtained experimentally is satisfactory. The per unit electric field and current density are also represented by a unique function.     

Differential confocal technology based on radial birefringent pupil filtering principle

In order to improve the spatial resolution of a confocal system, a radial birefringent pupil filter (RBPF) is introduced into a differential confocal system. RBPF consists of two polarizers with a birefringent element between them, and its pupil function is deduced from Jones matrix. The thickness and curvature radius of RBPF are optimized independently, using the first zero coordinate ratio. The pupil function is modulated by RBPF to enhance the half-width of the response function, and lateral resolution is improved when response curve is changed with the position of RBPF as well as the polarization; then axial super-resolution of the system can be guaranteed using differential confocal detection mechanism. In comparison with conventional pupil filtering technology, RBPF features high lateral resolution and can be easily produced; moreover, it also has a simple structure. Together with its low cost, RBPF provides a new way for the improvement of super-resolution of confocal system. It is indicated from theoretical analysis and preliminary experiments that the lateral resolution can be significantly improved and the measurement error is reduced by 76 nm when measuring a standard grating of period 3 μm; the axial resolution up to 3 nm has been achieved using the optimized pupil filter. In addition to its application for measurement of a small irregular surface in a limited space, the whole differential confocal system proposed can be fitted onto a coordinate measuring machine for non-contact measurement of dimensions and surface roughness.     

Minimum ignition energy of hydrogen–air mixture: Effects of humidity and spark duration

The minimum ignition energy (MIE) of hydrogen–air mixture is measured using capacitive spark discharge. First, the effect of humidity on MIE is studied. It is shown that the MIE is approximately constant when the relative humidity increases from 0% to 90% at room temperature. This indicates that humidity has no significant influence on MIE. Next, the effect of spark duration on MIE is studied. The spark duration is increased by connecting a series resistor to the spark circuit. It is shown that the MIE is approximately constant when the spark duration is varied from 5 ns to 1 ms.     

模式转换环形耦合振动超声辐射器

提出了一种新型耦合振动环形超声辐射器,辐射器由纵振换能器及变幅杆激励特定尺寸的金属圆环,使其能有效地将纵向振动转化为圆环的径向轴向耦合振动从而向环的径向、轴向辐射超声波,并且在环的中心形成聚焦声场。推导了该辐射器的等效电路,给出了等效电路法和有限元法优化设计环形超声辐射器的详细过程。研究了耦合振动环形超声辐射器的谐振特性及其辐射声场特性,根据理论计算结果加工了相应的环形超声辐射器,实验测试结果与理论计算结果符合得较好。本文提出的模式转换环形耦合超声辐射器可望在声化学等液体处理领域获得应用。      

Circular carrier-frequency photography for observing phase objects

A circular grating is photographed through a phase object which deforms the image of the grating lines. By super-imposing these deformed lines with a master grating on photographic film, moiré patterns are observed. These patterns are interpreted as fringes of constant radial derivative.     

A new electro-optic modulated circular heterodyne interferometer for measuring the rotation angle in a chiral medium

A new optical polarimeter capable of measuring the rotation angle in a chiral medium is developed successfully, and is an extension of previously developed simultaneous or sequential measurement system of the principal axis and retardance in linearly birefringent materials. The polarimeter for measuring the rotation angle is based on an electro-optic modulated circular heterodyne interferometer and using phase-lock technique to measure the rotation angle directly and precisely. The validity of the proposed design is demonstrated by the measurement of rotation angle in a half-wave plate and the glucose sample. The average relative error in rotation angle level of 0.00284° has been obtained for a half-wave plate. A correlation coefficient value of 0.9999975 is determined; it indicates a highly linear relationship between the reference values and the measured rotation angles. Moreover, a standard deviation in rotation angle level of 0.005275° has been obtained for glucose solutions with concentrations ranging from 0 to 1.2 g/dl in 0.2 g/dl increments, with a correlation coefficient value of 0.99915 between the reference and the measured values. This setup is compact in configuration, and is easy in calibration. The linearity and resolution characteristics of this system are comparable to those previous studies adopting phase-sensitive techniques.     

Investigation of excitation energies and Hund's rule in open shell quantum dots by diffusion Monte Carlo

We use diffusion Monte Carlo to study the ground state, the low-lying excitation spectrum and the spin densities of circular quantum dots with parabolic radial potentials containing N = 16 and N = 24 electrons, each having four open-shell electrons and compare the results to those obtained from Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional local spin density approximation (LSDA) calculations. We find that Hund's first rule is obeyed in both cases and that neither HF nor LSDA correctly predict the ordering of the energy levels. Received 20 November 2001 and Received in final form 20 February 2002 Published online 6 June 2002     

Magnetization patterns simulations of Fe,Ni, Co,and permalloy individual nanomagnets

Hysteresis loop behaviours are studied in circular, triangular and Reuleaux's triangle (RT) of Fe, Co, Ni, and permalloy nanomagnets using micromagnetic simulations. The size and morphology of the nanomagnets are analyzed for three different thickness (10, 20, and 40 nm). For the triangle and RT shapes, our results reveal that for all magnetic material considered and in the low thickness (10 nm) the hysteresis prefer to be open, showing important coercive fields and remanence. However, when the thickness is increased (40 nm) almost all hysteresis loops are closed. Finally, the different mechanism of the magnetization reversal are investigated by monitoring the spin configuration as a function of the applied magnetic field.     

Stimulated Raman backward scattering of a laser beam in a magnetized plasma

Stimulated Raman scattering of a laser beam is investigated in the plasma with strong self generated magnetic field. The magnetized plasma supports various localized radial and azimuthal modes of lower hybrid frequencies. The density fluctuations due to lower hybrid modes couple with the oscillating velocity due to the pump, and drive the scattered wave. Equations describing the Raman process are derived and effects of various modes are studied on the growth rate analytically. Self generated magnetic field has a strong localization effect on the Raman process and growth rate is maximum for radial eigen mode number q = 0 and azimuthal eigen mode number l = 3. The frequency shift has signatures of self generated magnetic field and could serve as a diagnostic.     

Microwave metamaterial absorber for sensing applications

A metamaterial absorber (MA) based sensor is designed and analysed for various important applications including pressure, temperature, density, and humidity sensing. Material parameters, as well as equivalent circuit model have been extracted and explained. After obtaining a perfect absorption (PA) at around 6.46 GHz and 7.68 GHz, surface current distributions at resonance points have been explained. Since bandwidth and applicability to different sensor applications are important for metamaterial sensor applications, we have realized distinctive sensor demonstrations for pressure, temperature, moisture content and density and the obtained results have been compared with the current literature. The proposed structure uses the changes on the overall system resonance frequency which is caused by the sensor layer’s dielectric constant that varies depending on the electromagnetic behaviour of the sample placed in. This model can be adapted to be used in sensor applications including industrial, medical and agricultural products.     

Humidity sensing properties of Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles synthesized via sonochemical method

This work focuses on humidity sensor based Ni(OH)₂ nanoparticles. The sonochemical method was employed to prepare nanoparticles and impedance analysis was used to characterize sensitivity, response, and recovery time of the prepared sensor. The Ni(OH)₂ sensor was found to have high sensitivity and fast response/recovery time to humidity, and its impedance changed approximately two orders of magnitude from about 2.01 MΩ in dry air 20% RH (relative humidity) to 0.0258 MΩ in 90% RH air. Our results demonstrate the potential application of Ni(OH)₂ nanoparticles for fabricating high performance humidity sensors.     

Study on the radial composite piezoelectric ceramic transducer in radial vibration

A new type of radial composite piezoelectric transducer in radial vibration is developed and analyzed. The radial composite transducer consists of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring polarized in the thickness direction and a metal thin circular ring. They are connected together and excited to vibrate in the radial direction. The radial vibrations of a piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and a metal thin circular ring are analyzed, respectively. Their radial electro-mechanical equivalent circuits are obtained. Based on the electro-mechanical equivalent circuits and using the boundary conditions between the piezoelectric ceramic thin ring and the metal thin circular ring in the radial direction, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit of the radial composite piezoelectric transducer is derived out and the resonance frequency equation is obtained. The relationship between the resonance frequency and the geometrical dimensions of the transducer is analyzed. Some radial composite piezoelectric transducers are designed and manufactured. The resonance frequencies and the anti-resonance frequencies, the electro-mechanical equivalent circuit parameters are measured. The effective electro-mechanical coupling coefficient and the mechanical quality factor are calculated. It is illustrated that the measured radial resonance frequencies are in good agreement with the theoretical results from the resonance frequency equation.     

Experimental study of annular bright field (ABF) imaging using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)

Experimental parameters used in the annular bright field (ABF) imaging method were tested using images simulated with the multislice method. Images simulated under identical conditions were found to agree well with experimental images. The ABF technique was shown to be relatively insensitive to the sample thickness and the defocus. In experimental ABF images, atomic columns exhibited dark contrast over a wide range of specimen thickness and defocus values, from 10 to 70 nm and ?20 to +20 nm, respectively. A series of diffraction patterns at atomic columns, obtained using the diffraction imaging method, exhibited higher intensities in their central regions (0–11 mrad) for light elements and in their peripheral regions (11–22 mrad) for heavy elements. The results indicated that the contrast of light elements is enhanced by subtraction of the central region of the transmitted beam, since this is blocked by a circular mask in the ABF-STEM technique. Thus, the overall contrast of light elements is greatly improved, allowing them to be clearly visualized.