Anthropomorphic cardiac ultrasound phantom

A new phantom is described which simulates the human cardiac anatomy for applications in ultrasound imaging, ultrasound Doppler, and color-flow Doppler imaging. The phantom consists of a polymer left ventricle which includes a prosthetic mitral and aortic valve and is connected to a mock circulatory loop. Aerated tap water serves as a blood simulating fluid and ultrasound contrast medium within the circulatory loop. The left ventricle is housed in a Lexan ultrasound visualization chamber which includes ultrasound viewing ports and acoustic absorbers. A piston pump connected to the visualization chamber by a single port pumps degassed water within the chamber which in turn pumps the left ventricle. Real-time ultrasound images and Doppler studies measure flow patterns through the valves and within the left ventricle.     

An experiment with arithmetic precision in linear algebra computations

Several techniques for experimental determination of floating point precision in practical computations are examined, and applied to linear algebra algorithms. These techniques are simple enough to be directly applicable to existing production codes, requiring a very limited amount of software on many machines, and yet they yield interesting information on the numerical precision of a computation. Our choice of linear algebra algorithms includes a direct solver (namely the MA32 program from the Harwell Library) and several variants of preconditioned conjugate gradients (the methods DIAG, INV, MINV and POL of Reference 1). The results may be of interest as method selection criteria, and thus complement Mflop performance data available from several sources.     

Self-stabilized nonlinear lateral modes of broad area lasers

The lateral modes of broad area lasers are investigated theoretically. The nonlinear interaction between optical field and effective refractive index leads to a saturable nonlinearity in the governing field equation, so that self-modulated solutions are found to be stable with increased current injection above saturation intensity. We derive approximate analytical solutions for traveling wave fields within the broad area laser. The field amplitude consists of a small ripple superimposed on a large dc value. Matching fields at the boundary determines the modulation depth and imparts an overall phase curvature to the traveling wave mode. There are multiple lateral modes for a given set of operating conditions, and modes with successively more lobes in the ripple have greater overall phase curvature. In contrast to the linear problem, several lateral modes can achieve the same modal gain, for a given injected current density, by saturating the gain to different extent. Thus, these modes would exhibit slightly different optical powers.     

Exciton reflectivity of GaAs/Ga1−x Al x As multiple quantum wells

Summary The normal incidence reflectivity spectrum of excitons in GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As multiple quantum wells is calculated within the local response approximation. It is shown that the reflectivity lineshape strongly depends on the sample geometry. Using realistic parameters of a multiple quantum well structure, we obtain an excellent fit of the experimental reflectivity curve, thus giving exciton energies, oscillator strengths and exciton broadening parameters.

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Riassunto Lo spettro di riflettività ad incidenza normale degli eccitoni nei pozzi quantistici multipli di GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As è calcolato nell’ambito dell’approssimazione locale. Si mostra con la forma della linea di riflettività dipende in gran misura dalla forma geometrica del campione. Usando parametri realistici di una struttura a pozzi quantistici multipli, si ottiene un’ottima approssimazione della curva di riflettività sperimentale, che fornisce così energie eccitoniche, forze dell’oscillatore e parameri di ampliamento eccitonico.

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Резюме В рамках приближения линейного отклика вычисляется спекрт отражательной способности экситонов при нормальном падении для множественных квантовых ям в GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As. Показывается, что форма линии отражательной способности сильно зависит от геометрии образца. Используя реалистические параметры структуры множественных квантовых ям, мы получаем хорошее соответствие с экспериментальной кривой для отражательной способности. Получаются энергии экситонов, силы осцилляторов и парам⪟тры экситонного уширения.

     

The Influence of Model Parameters on BEG/MEG Single Dipole Source Estimation

This paper deals with source localization and strength estimation based on EEG and MEG data. It describes an estimation method (inverse procedure) which uses a four-spheres model of the head and a single current dipole. The dependency of the inverse solution on model parameters is investigated. It is found that sphere radii and conductivities influence especially the strength of the EEG equivalent dipole and not its location or direction. The influence on the equivalent dipole of the gradiometer is investigated. In general the MEG produces better location estimates than the EEG whereas the reverse is found for the component estimates. An inverse solution simultaneously based on EEG and MEG data appears slightly better than the average of separate EEG and MEG solutions. Variances of parameter estimators which can be calculated on the basis of a linear approximation of the model, were tested by Monte Carlo simulations.     

Exact formulas for wave impedance and propagation constants ofhomogeneous, lossy dielectric and/or magnetic materials

Calculations of propagation constants for lossy materials are performed under the approximations of low loss (or high conductivity). To improve the understanding and better predict the analysis of such materials, exact formulation for wave impedance and propagation constants of homogeneous, lossy, dielectric/magnetic materials are proposed. Formulation is based on dielectric and/or magnetic loss tangent of the material     

Equivalence of u–p and ζ–ψ formulations of the time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations

This paper deals with the non-stationary incompressible Navier--Stokes equations for two-dimensional flows expressed in terms of the velocity and pressure and of the vorticity and streamfunction. The equivalence of the two formulations is demonstrated, both formally and rigorously, by virtue of a condition of compatibility between the boundary and initial values of the normal component of velocity. This condition is shown to be the only compatibility condition necessary to allow for solutions of a minimal regularity, namely H¹ for the velocity, as in most current numerical schemes relying on spatial discretizations of local type.