Effect of temperature on rectified diffusion during ultrasound-induced heating

Experimental observations of delayed-onset cavitation during ultrasound insonation have been suggested as being caused by a change in the size distribution of the bubble population due to rectified diffusion. To investigate this hypothesis, a single bubble model is used here to explore the effect of heating and the subsequent elevated temperatures on the rectified diffusion process. Numerical solution of the model, which includes the temperature dependences of seven relevant physical parameters, allows quantification of the change in the pressure threshold for rectified diffusion, as well as the importance of the bulk liquid saturation concentration in determining bubble evolution. Although elevated temperatures and liquid supersaturation reduce the rectified diffusion threshold, it remains coincident with the inertial cavitation thresholds at submicron bubble sizes at all temperatures. This observation suggests that changes in the nucleation environment, rather than bubble growth due to rectified diffusion, is a more likely cause of delayed-onset cavitation events.     

Conical parametric scattering of a single extraordinary beam in BaTiO3 crystal

In this paper, the parametric scattering of a single extraordinary polarized beam of laser in BaTiO₃ photorefractive crystal has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. The resulting pattern consists of beam fanning, isotropic ring, and anisotropic one. Among all parts of scattering pattern, isotropic ring has not been studied as much as beam fanning and anisotropic ring, and there still are some differences in reports about it. Therefore, the study has mainly focused on this part. In this experimental configuration, isotropic ring is just visible in positive angles although the other parts of parametric scattering pattern can be visible from behind and in front of the crystal. In addition to steady state pattern in forward and backward directions, its transient behavior with the rotation of crystal has been studied. The results of experiments have been analyzed carefully, and their theoretical explanations have been presented based on the standard theory of parametric scattering in photorefractive crystals. It has been shown that this configuration corresponds to the so called parametric B-process scattering.     

Book reviews

MODERN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY I, by B. K. Vainshtein, Springer Series in Solid State Sciences 15. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1981. 399 pp., USf47.50.

SPECTROSCOPY IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS: Modern Trends, Edited by F. J. Comes, A. Muller and W. J. Orville-Thomas (Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company). Price US $87.75, Dfl 180.00.

ELECTRONIC STATES OF MOLECULES AND ATOM CLUSTERS-Foundations and Prospects of Semiempirical Methods, by G. Del Re, G. Berthier and J. Serre. Springer Lecture Notes in Chemistry, Vol. 13. Price: US817.50 (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1980).

MATERIALS FOR THE FUTURE, Edited by P. M. Kelly, Australian Academy of Science, 1981.     

Appearance potential spectroscopy of layer materials

It has been shown that soft X-ray appearance potential spectroscopy (SXAPS) can be used as a probe of the conduction band density of states in several of the layer transition metal dichalcogenides, where the pronounced structure seen for TiS₂ agrees well with X-ray absorption data. In contrast, the complex structure seen in the SXAPS of pyrolytic graphite has previously been interpreted in terms of strong plasmon coupling. However, we find that the SXAP spectrum for vacuum cleaved pyrolytic graphite shows details not readily explicable by such an argument but which agree well with what would be expected on the basis of a conduction band self-convolution model. Further strong support for this interpretation is derived from XPS and SXAPS studies of the isostructural, isoelectronic boron nitride.     

Tumour detection by ultrasonic Doppler blood-flow signals

Ultrasonic Doppler blood-flow signals which seem to be associated with malignant tumour neovascularization have been detected in the female breast. No such signals have been detected from cysts. This discovery may lead to the development of a high-speed ultrasonic Doppler scanner which might make breast screening for cancer practicable.     

Biochemical sensor based on a novel all-fibre cavity ring down spectroscopy technique incorporating a tilted fibre Bragg grating

A novel all-fibre cavity ring down spectroscopy technique is proposed where a tilt fibre Bragg grating (TFBG) or long-period grating (LPG) in the cavity provides sensitivity to surrounding medium. Such configuration with an LPG as the representative was theoretically analyzed. Two spectral bands were identified employable for sensing of surrounding refractive index for a weak LPG while only one band existed for a strong LPG. A TFBG, with enhanced sensitivity compared to usual LPGs, was used in a ring down cavity of 1 m constructed with 2 fibre Bragg gratings as the reflectors and the decay time changed from 220 to 450 ns when the TFBG was immersed into water from air.     

Interferometry from a scattering medium

A two-beam random interferometer is demonstrated where coupling is facilitated by a scattering medium. A modulation observed in the normalized second-order intensity frequency correlation of the transmitted light is attributed to the relative temporal delay of the two beams and is insensitive to beam alignment and spacing.     

Positive current correlations associated with super-Poissonian shot noise

We report on shot noise cross spectrum measurements in a beam splitter configuration. Electrons tunneling through potential barriers are incident on a beam splitter and scattered into two separate channels. Such a partition process introduces correlations between the fluctuations of the two currents. Our work has confirmed that the generally expected negative correlations resulted from sub-Poissonian electron sources. More interestingly, positive cross correlations associated with barriers exhibiting super-Poissonian shot noise have also been observed. We have found that both positive and negative correlations can be related to the noise properties of the electron source.     

Error-rate measurements on an all-optically regenerated signal

Error-rate measurements have been performed on an experimental all-optical regenerator at 140 Mbit s⁻¹ for a range of input wavelengths in the 1.5-μm band. The best sensitivity was −40 dB m and the maximum gain 31.5 dB from facet to facet. Wavelength translations from −11 to +24 nm were obtained for a penalty of less than 5 dB. The regenerator used the interaction of the input signal with an optical clock waveform in a bistable laser amplifier to re-time the signal and restore the data levels. Future applications may include use in a repeater, as an interface in a wavelength-multiplexed network or as a logic element.

     

More on quadratic convergence in interval arithmetic

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for quadratic convergence in interval arithmetic.Partially supported by NSF grant GJ-797.