On the design of broadband quasioptical systems for submillimeter-wave radio-astronomy receivers

In this paper, we summarize the issues that should be considered when designing broadband quasioptical systems for submillimetre-wave radioastronomy receivers. We cover topics such as bandwidth, cross-talk, truncation, and aberrations, and we argue that it should be possible to manufacture high-efficiency systems that have several octaves of bandwidth. A key feature of the paper is that we use the language of multimode Gaussian optics throughout, and in this way, we emphasize that a receiver is a diffraction-limited imaging system rather than just a collection of components for guiding Gaussian beams. The whole discussion is conducted in terms of a particular system we are constructing for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii.     

Magnetic resonance imaging and pulsed Doppler sonography of poststenotic jets: Correlation between signal void and flow velocity distribution

To correlate the appearance of poststenotic jets on gradient echo images with features of localized Doppler spectra of the jets, we studied an in vitro model of steady flow-through stenoses of 86, 96, and 99% area reduction. As fluids, water and a 40% glycerol solution in water were used. MRI was performed with a 1.5 T whole body imager and gradient echo images were obtained in planes parallel to the direction of flow. Doppler spectra were acquired separately from the MR measurements at 1 cm intervals for a distance of 10 cm downstream from the stenosis. Poststenotic signal void was observed for water and for the 40% glycerol solution only if the mean velocity within the stenosis exceeded a limit of 50–60 cm/sec. On the MR images, the jets could be divided into two segments: A proximal jet segment of uniform width equal to the diameter of the stenosis, followed by a distal jet segment which was characterized by broadening and then dissipating signal void. Except for the 99% stenosis, a high signal intensity core was present within the proximal jet segment. In the proximal jet segment, the Doppler measurements showed a low temporal fluctuation of the maximal flow velocity and only little flow opposite to the main flow direction. In the distal jet segment, the velocity fluctuation and the intensity of reverse flow increased sharply. The high signal intensity core of the jet was associated with a poststenotic zone of constant maximal flow velocity. The results demonstrate a close relationship between characteristic features of poststenotic jets in MRI and pulsed Doppler sonography.     

Evolution of the Alfvénic correlation in the solar wind

Summary The radial evolution of Alfvénic correlation is such that its value decreases with increasing heliocentric distance. So far this behaviour has been interpreted as an increase in the local production of ?inward? modes interacting destructively with the ?outward? modes. This work, which deals with largescale turbulence, shows that local generation phenomena are not commonly found in the solar wind and that the Alfvénic character of the fluctuations mainly depend on the ?outward? modes alone. The interaction of these modes with density and/or magnetic-field structures convected by the wind causes their destruction and a consequent depletion of the Alfvénic correlation. The same effect would be obtained if ?inward? modes were really present. Our conclusions are that large-scale ?inward? modes are the spectral counterpart of non-propagating field and plasma structures convected by the solar wind and identified as both compression regions and pressure balance structures. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.     

Intramolecular hemiacetals. The acid-base-catalyzed ring-chain interconversion of 2-substituted 2-hydroxy-4,4-dimethylmorpholinium cations in aqueous solution.

The ring-chain tautomerism in aqueous solution of some aryl-substituted morpholinium salts (bromides), has been studied and equilibrium constants are reported. In the crystals the substrates exist entirely in their cyclic forms as hemiacetals, but in aqueous solution NMR measurements reveal that an equilibrium is established between the cyclic (hemiacetal) and the noncyclic (ketone) form, the degree of ring-opening being more pronounced with electron-donating aryl substituents at the carbonyl carbon. The kinetics of the ring-chain interconversion in water has been investigated spectrophotometrically by a 'pH jump' stopped-flow technique. General base catalysis is observed with a Br?nsted beta value apparently independent of substituent and equal to 0.60. The Hammett rho values for various base catalysts are close to those for very similar intermolecular reactions involving hemiacetal breakdown, leading to the suggestion of a 'normal' class n mechanism for base catalysis. For acid catalysis, however, a quite different situation is encountered, since no general acid but only (weak) catalysis by the hydronium ion can be detected. We believe this deviation from 'normal' general acid catalysis is caused by an electrostatic interaction, and we suggest that it might result from a change in the usual class e mechanism for general acid catalysis by a situation in which rate-limiting concerted proton transfer is replaced by rate-limiting preprotonation. This is supported by the observed drastic change in Hammett rho value for catalysis by the hydronium ion, compared with the 'normal' case. An interesting case is encountered for the 4-aminophenyl-substituted substrate, in which the amino group becomes protonated in acid solution, thus representing a new substituent. Despite this complication, the various equilibrium and rate constants may also be evaluated experimentally for this substrate.     

Variational bounds on shear-driven turbulence and turbulent Boussinesq convection

Based on earlier studies by Hopf (1941), Doering and Constantin (1992, 1994, 1995) have recently formulated a new “background” technique for obtaining upper bounds on turbulent fluid flow quantities. This method produces upper bounds on the limit supremum of long time averages, making no statistical assumptions about the flow in contrast to the well-known Howard-Busse approach. The full optimisation problems posed by this method for the momentum transport in turbulent Couette flow and the heat transport (with zero background flow) in turbulent Boussinesq convection are solved here for the first time at asymptotically large Reynolds number and Rayleigh number within Busse's multiple boundary layer approximation to extract the best (lowest) possible upper bounds available. Intriguingly, the original bounds isolated by Busse (1969, 1970) within the confines of statistical stationarity are recovered exactly using this new formalism. The optimal background velocity profile for turbulent Couette flow is found to be shearless in the interior thus differing from Busse's “ ” mean shear result. In the convective case, an interesting degeneracy in the formulation of the background variational problem leads to an indeterminacy in the optimal background temperature profile. Only for one special choice is the isothermal core feature of Busse's mean profile recovered.     

The missing part of the greenhouse effect

Summary Global average temperatures from 1860 to 1989 were analysed with a simple fitting procedure. The temperature records can be fitted with a rising exponential up to 1946 and with the same exponential minus an increasing cooling action from 1946 to 1989. It is shown that the results are compatible with the hypothesis of an albedo increase caused by SO₂ emissions. This hypothesis gives satisfactory explanations of the temperature drop in the years 1940–1970, of the different warming of the northern and southern hemispheres and of the slower warming observed over North America. The results give an indication that the greenhouse warming in the next years could be faster than predicted until now. Due to the relevance of its scientific content, this paper has been given priority by the Journal Direction.     

Mössbauer studies of iron uptake,ferritin and hemoglobin synthesis and denaturation in erythroid cell cultures

Mössbauer studies in murine (MEL) and human K-562 erythroleukemia cell lines have been utilized to study the fate of iron during intracellular Hb synthesis and denaturation. The results showed that ferritin can serve as an intermediate iron pool for Hb synthesis and for storage of iron released during intracellular Hb denaturation.     

Conformal symmetry and the role of torsion in a Maxwell-Einstein system

We develope a formalism which allows to treat Weyl symmetry with torsion as the gauge theory of the conformal group. The results of the standard Einstein—Cartan theroy are generalized and applied to the Maxwell-Einstein case.To my wife