Design and fabrication of low-cost X-ray mirrors

Traditional X-ray mirrors made from Zerodur and silicon carbide are quite expensive because of the fabrication cost involved in achieving a very high surface finish of the order of 15 Å or better. The cost of X-ray mirrors can be greatly reduced by using replication methods for producing the grazing-incidence type mirrors. This paper presents the optical and optomechanical design for a Wolter type I mirror and its mount, and the fabrication method used to produce a low-cost replicated nickel mirror. The finite element analysis results for this mirror are also presented. The design and fabrication steps for the aluminium master mandrel used for replication are also discussed. A surface finish of better than 15 Å was achieved for a such an electroformed mirror with a wall thickness of only 1 mm.     

Roughness measurement of metallic surfaces based on the laser speckle contrast method

A method of measuring surface roughness of flat lapped, ground and polished metallic surfaces, by the far-field speckle contrast method is presented in this paper. The laser speckle contrast technique depends on the existence of an approximately linear relationship between the speckle contrast and the roughness of the illuminated surface. Initially it was shown that the linear relationship existed up to 0.1 μm Ra (centre-line average) roughness using Helium–Neon light, after which a saturation effect was observed. The effect of varying the incident angle of illumination was investigated with a view to extending the measurement range. The use of high incident angles of illumination has been found to increase the surface roughness range up to 0.4 μm measurement Ra.     

Intensity profile distortion at the processing image plane of a focused femtosecond laser below the critical power: Analysis and counteraction

Femtosecond laser surface processing of materials allows for precise micro or sub-micrometer machining with restricted detrimental side effects. Thus, fine control of the laser intensity distribution (repeatability) in the processing plane is of outmost importance for industrial implementation. In this paper, we study the influence on non-linear effects on the machining quality. We experimentally study the profiles of cavities machined at the image plane of a focused femtosecond laser for a large set of fluences on stainless steel below the critical power. A strong distortion of the cavities is observed for high energetic levels. A beam analysis performed in the machining conditions reveals that the cavity profile follows the laser beam profile even at high fluences where the beam undergoes an increasing distortion. Numerical calculations of the laser beam distribution taking a Kerr effect into account are presented showing a good agreement with the experimental laser profile. To counteract the beam distortion at high fluences, we propose and successfully employ a robust solution consisting in geometrically forming the image processing plane before the laser focusing point. This ensures a beam profile free of distortion even at high fluences. Experimental evidence is made, showing a significant quality increase of the cavity profiles with an image plane placed before the focus point.     

Noncommutative integrable coupling system of TC equation hierarchy

A noncommutative version of the TC soliton equation hierarchy is presented, which possesses the zero curvature representation. Then, we show that noncommutative (NC) TC equation can be derived from the noncommutative (anti-)self-dual Yang-Mills equation by reduction. Finally, an integrable coupling system of the NC TC equation hierarchy is constructed by using of the enlarged Lax pairs.     

Photocytotoxic and anaerobic DNA cleavage activity of binuclear 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid cobalt(II) complexes having phenanthroline bases

Dicobalt(II) complexes [{(B)Co^II}₂(μ-dtdp)₂] (1–3) of 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (dtdp) and phenanthroline bases (B), viz. 1,10-phenanthroline (phen in 1), dipyrido[3,2-d:2′,3′-f]quinoxaline (dpq in 2) and dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine (dppz in 3), have been prepared, characterized and their photo-induced anaerobic DNA cleavage activity studied. The elemental analysis and mass spectral data suggest binuclear formulation of the complexes. The redox inactive complexes have magnetically non-interacting dicobalt(II) core showing magnetic moment of ∼3.9 μ_B per cobalt(II) center. The complexes show good binding propensity to calf thymus DNA giving K_b values within 4.3 × 10⁵–4.0 × 10⁶ M⁻¹. Thermal melting and viscosity data predict DNA groove binding and/or partial intercalative nature of the complexes. The complexes show significant anaerobic DNA cleavage activity in green light under argon atmosphere possibly involving radical species generated from the disulfide moiety in a type-I pathway. The DNA cleavage reaction under aerobic medium in green light is found to involve hydroxyl radical species. The dppz complex 3 exhibits significant photocytotoxicity in HeLa cervical cancer cells with an IC₅₀ value of 2.3 μM in UV-A light of 365 nm, while it is essentially non-toxic in dark giving an IC₅₀ value of >200 μM. A significant reduction of the dark toxicity of the organic dppz base (IC₅₀ = 8.3 μM in dark) is observed on binding to the cobalt(II) center while essentially retaining its photocytotoxicity in UV-A light (IC₅₀ = 0.4 μM).     

Development of enzyme-based bar code-style lateral-flow assay for hydrogen peroxide determination

A unique approach of developing a bar code version of lateral-flow enzymatic-based assay for the semi-quantification of hydrogen peroxide is described. The proposed assay system is mainly composed of a goat anti-mouse IgG-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (Gt anti-M IgG-HRP)-coated nitrocellulose (NC) membrane and a peroxidase substrate pad. Unlike the bar code immunochromatographic assay which depends on the stepwise capture of analyte, the principle of enzyme-based bar code lateral-flow assay is based on the different reaction time on successive lines due to the delay in 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) release. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) acts as a limiting factor which controls the rate of the enzymatic conversion of TMB to blue color complex. The system expresses the concentration of H₂O₂ in micromole range as three distinct ladder bars in 9 min therefore without the need of any reading device. The major advantages of this assay are its easily readable result, and also its simplicity and low-cost in production offers a cheaper alternative for testing those expensive biosensors might not be available to the third world countries. By incorporating with H₂O₂-generating oxidoreductases, the assay can be further extended to detect a variety of analytes with clinical and environmental importance. Glucose was chosen to be the model analyte where the proposed system gave signal response at between 5 μM and 100 μM.     

Study of the parameters in electrical discharge machining through response surface methodology approach

Whereas the efficiency of traditional cutting processes is limited by the mechanical properties of the processed material and the complexity of the workpiece geometry, electrical discharge machining (EDM) being a thermal erosion process, is subject to no such constraints. The lack of correlations between the cutting rate, the surface finish and the physical material parameters of this process made it difficult to use. This paper highlights the development of a comprehensive mathematical model for correlating the interactive and higher order influences of various electrical discharge machining parameters through response surface methodology (RSM), utilizing relevant experimental data as obtained through experimentation. The adequacy of the above the proposed models have been tested through the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Optimal combination of these parameters was obtained for achieving controlled EDM of the workpieces.     

Computer simulation of two-dimensional electrolyte flow in electrochemical machining

A mathematical model and a method for numerical modeling of two-dimensional electrolyte flow in the interelectrode gap during electrochemical machining (ECM) are presented. Programs for modeling electrolyte flow and observing the distribution of ECM parameters are designed. The modeling results are compared with experimental data on continuous ECM and ECM with a vibrating tool.Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2005, pp. 102–110.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Dabrowski, Paczkowski.     

NC2S+离子的结构和稳定性的理论研究

在密度泛函和从头算理论水平下计算了单重态的NC2S+离子的结构、能量、光谱以及稳定性. 在B3LYP/6-311G(d)水平下, 得到8个异构体, 它们由15个过渡态相连接. 在CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df)//QCISD/6-311G(d)+ZPVE水平下, 得到能量最低的异构体是直线型的具有1Σ电子态的NCCS+(1)(0.0 kJ/mol), 其次是直线型的异构体CNCS+(2)(54.8 kJ/mol). 两个低能量的异构体1和2及另外一个高能量的直线型异构体CCNS+(3)(323.8 kJ/mol)都具有相当大的动力学稳定性, 这三个异构体在具备一定条件的实验室和星际条件下是可以进行观测的. 分析了这3个异构体的成键性质.     

超声波加工盲孔的研究

本文以超声波加工机对玻璃等硬脆材料元件的加工工艺为主要研究对象,阐述了超声波加工的原理、变幅杆和刀具的设计以及加工工艺的研究,并将它应用在空间光学系统中光学元件的轻量化的加工。同时对加工后的表面微观特性——表面微裂纹和表面微应力进行具体测试分析,以解决在复杂的空间环境中元件的表面质量对使用精度和应力变形的影响,从而提出适于大型光学元件轻量化的工艺技术方法。