Self-stabilizing additive-pulse mode-locking due to thermo-optical non-linearity in an optical fiber

16 , 1671 (1991)] described a Nd:YLF APM laser which somehow automatically adjusted the relative resonator phase. We reproduce this behavior and analyse its origin. Thermal effects due to the light power guided in the fiber affect the effective fiber length, which in turn influences the phase and thus the power level; hence a closed servo loop results. We demonstrate this explanation to be correct in quantitative terms. Consequences arise for other systems involving fiber-optic loops or interferometers. Received: 7 April 1997/Revised version: 15 July 1997     

Rainbow solutions to the Sidon equation

We prove that for every 4-coloring of {1,2,…,n}, with each color class having cardinality more than (n+1)/6, there exists a solution of the equation x+y=z+w with x, y, z and w belonging to different color classes. The lower bound on a color class cardinality is tight.     

Large deformations during the coalescence of fluid interfaces

Surface forces and shape changes were simultaneously measured during the approach and coalescence of two liquid-liquid and liquid-air interfaces. Large normal and lateral deformations were observed that are nevertheless consistent with a simple theoretical analysis of the long-range effects of short-range attractive van der Waals forces. The results imply that two fluidlike structures such as liquid droplets and soft biological cells can sense each other at much larger separations than previously assumed based on criteria taken from the interactions of hard particles.     

Comparative study of hydrofullerides C<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">60</Emphasis></Subscript>H<Subscript><Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> synthesized by direct and catalytic hydrogenation

Hydrofullerides with hydrogen content up to 5 wt.% were obtained by direct and catalytic reactions with H₂ gas. Hydrogen content was monitored in situ using a gravimetric system, and verified by chemical analysis ex situ. It was found that pure C₆₀ reacts rapidly when exposed to H₂ gas at 673 K and 50–100 bar. Gravimetric study of this reaction showed that hydrogenation is saturated at about 5 wt.% of hydrogen. The mass of the sample goes through a maximum and with a longer reaction time its weight starts to decrease. This proves that hydrofullerides with high hydrogen content are not stable and strong hydrogenation results in the collapse of C₆₀ molecules. XRD studies showed that samples prepared by direct hydrogenation without a catalyst retain an original fcc structure with an increase of the cell parameter a up to 15.1 Å. Catalytic hydrogenation of C₆₀ with H₂ gas results in a decrease of the reaction temperature and formation of hydrofullerides with different types of crystal structures. PACS 61.48.+c; 61.10.Nz; 81.05.Tp     

Observation of a structural transition for Coulomb crystals in a linear Paul trap

A structural transition for laser cooled ion Coulomb crystals in a linear Paul trap just above the stability limit of parametrically resonant excitation of bulk plasma modes has been observed. In contrast to the usual spheroidal shell structures present below the stability limit, the ions arrange in a "string-of-disks" configuration. The spheroidal envelopes of the string-of-disks structures are in agreement with results from cold fluid theory usually valid for ion Coulomb crystals if the ion systems are assumed to be rotating collectively.     

Saltwater Upconing and Decay Beneath a Well Pumping Above an Interface Zone

Saltwater, or brine, underlies freshwater in many aquifers, with a transition zone separating them. Pumping freshwater by a well located above the transition zone produces upconing of the latter, eventually salinizing the pumped water, forcing shut-off. Following the well’s shut-off, the upconed saltwater mound undergoes decay, tending to return to the pre-pumping regime. The FEAS code is used for the simulation of coupled density-dependent flow and salt transport involved in the upconing–decay process. In this code, the flow equation is solved by the Galerkin finite element method (FEM), while the advective–dispersive salt transport equation is solved in the Eulerian–Lagrangian framework. The code does not suffer from the instability constraint on the Peclet number. The code is used to investigate the transient upconing–decay process in an axially symmetric system and to discover how the process is affected by two major factors: the density difference factor (DDF) and the dispersivities. Simulation results show that under certain conditions, pumping essentially freshwater can be maintained for a certain time period, the length of which depends on the dispersivity values used. A recirculating flow cell may occur in the saltwater layer beneath the pumping well, widening the saltwater mound. The decay process is lengthy; it takes a long time for the upconed saltwater to migrate back to its original shape of a horizontal transition zone prior to pumping. However, the wider transition zone caused by hydrodynamic dispersion can never return to the initial one. This indicates that once a pumping well is abandoned because of high salinity, it can be reused for groundwater utilization only after a long time. It is also shown that the upconing–decay process is very sensitive to DDF, which, in our work, ranges from 0 (for an ideal tracer) to 0.2 (for brine). For a DDF of 0.025 (for seawater), local upconing occurs only for low iso-salinity surfaces, while those of high salt concentration remain stable after a short time. For an ideal tracer, all iso-salinity surfaces rise toward the pumping well, whereas for brine only iso-salinity surfaces of very low salinity upcone towards the pumping well. This may imply that the traditional finding that the sharp interface approximation is practically close to the 0.5 iso-salinity surface may not be true for a high DDF solution.     

On the performance of automated porpoise-click-detectors in experiments with captive harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Recently, automated porpoise-click-detectors (T-PODs, Chelonia-Marine-Research) have been used intensively in monitoring harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the wild. However, the automated click-detection-mechanism of the T-POD leads to questions on the characteristics of the detection process. We undertook experiments with six captive harbor porpoises (four subadult males in one pool, two adult males in another) at the Dolfinarium Harderwijk (Netherlands). One T-POD was placed for over a week in each pool, while the behavior of the porpoises was logged by visual observation. Data were analyzed using the T-POD software. A total of 725 431 clicks in 30 090 trains were recorded with 32% of the trains classified as CET HI, 27% as CET LO, and 41% as DOUBTFUL. All three train classes differed significantly in all parameters, except for click duration. We conclude that T-PODs perform generally well in detecting click trains of harbor porpoises but that in any future study trains classified as being of lower probability should be investigated very carefully to avoid the risk of losing valuable information.     

Power-law-distributed dark states are the main pathway for photobleaching of single organic molecules

We exploit the strong excitonic coupling in a superradiant trimer molecule to distinguish between long-lived collective dark states and photobleaching events. The population and depopulation kinetics of the dark states in a single molecule follow power-law statistics over 5 orders of magnitude in time. This result is consistent with the formation of a radical unit via electron tunneling to a time-varying distribution of trapping sites in the surrounding polymer matrix. We furthermore demonstrate that this radicalization process forms the dominant pathway for molecular photobleaching.