A novel non-uniformity evaluation metric of infrared imaging system

Non-uniformity (NU) evaluation metric of infrared thermal imaging system is important for evaluating the thermal imager and also can help to improve existing NU correction methods. However, in existing evaluation metrics, there are still some problems, such as not objective enough and not comprehensive enough. This paper brings forward a novel NU evaluation metric, in which we adopt the average derivative of the response of thermal imager with the temperature of test blackbody as a new parameter. A metric-temperature curve which shows the change trend of the NU with the temperature of test blackbody was achieved to enhance the performance of NU evaluation metric. Both the subjective images and objective data indicate that the new method raised in this work is much more objective and comprehensive. Our work is expected to become a general NU evaluation metric in the future.     

SERS signal response and SERS/SERDS spectra of fluoranthene in water on naturally grown Ag nanoparticle ensembles

We present experimental results of the time‐dependent Raman signal response of fluoranthene adsorbed on a naturally grown Ag nanoparticle ensemble, which serves as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. In addition, SERS characteristics such as the concentration‐dependent calibration curves and the limit of detection (LOD) for fluoranthene in distilled water will be shown. The SERS substrate was prepared by Volmer–Weber growth under ultrahigh vacuum condition and exhibits a plasmon resonance wavelength at 491 nm. For the measurement of SERS signal response and SERS/shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy spectra of fluoranthene in water, experimental Raman setup containing a microsystem light source with two emission wavelengths (487.61 nm and 487.91 nm) was used. We experimentally demonstrate that the maximum SERS intensity is achieved 9 min after changing the analyte concentration from 0 nmol/l to 600 nmol/l. This response time is explained by a time‐dependent adsorption of the probe molecules onto the nanoparticles. The LOD for fluoranthene in water was evaluated applying shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) at different molecule concentrations. For SERDS, two emission wavelengths of a prototype microsystem light source have been used for Raman excitation. The experimental results reveal that the LOD for the probe molecules is very low. Experimentally, we have detected a fluoranthene concentration of only 4 nmol/l, which is very close to our estimated LOD of 2 nmol/l. Thus, the presented Raman setup, with a SERS substrate, whose plasmon resonance coincides with the excitation wavelength for SERS measurements, is well suited for in‐situ trace detection of pollutant chemicals in water. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bounds on the reflectivity of two-component composite

Bounds on the effective permittivity circumscribe 2D area in the complex plane representing possible values of permittivity. It is shown that the corresponding possible values of reflectivity occur within the interval determined by the lowest and the highest reflectivity value, which represent minimum and maximum values of reflectivity found at the permittivity bounds.     

Approximate and Exact Small Signal Analysis for Single-Mode Fiber Near Zero Dispersion Wavelength with Higher Order Dispersion

This article presents the comparison of approximate and exact small-signal theories for analyzing the influence of the higher-order dispersion terms on dispersive optical communication systems operating near zero dispersion wavelength for linear single-mode fiber. For the approximate theory, the generalized conversion matrix has been reported and gives the transfer function of intensity and phase from the fiber input to fiber output for a laser source including the influence of any higher-order dispersion term. In addition, expressions for the small-signal frequency response and the relative intensity noise (RIN) response of an ultrafast laser diode including noises are derived. However, it is observed that the approximation assumed for the second-order dispersion term for the approximate analysis is not valid. From the approximate theory, the exact generalized conversion matrix and exact expressions for small-signal frequency response and relative intensity noise (RIN) are obtained. We show that for the exact theory, the second-order dispersion term has no effect on intensity and frequency response even at large modulating frequencies and large propagation distances contrary to the approximate theory as reported by other authors. But we show that third-order dispersion term certainly has some minute impact on the frequency and RIN response for long distance links at high modulating frequencies.     

Unusual domain evolution in semiconducting ferroelectrics: A phase field study

The effect of electrical conductivity on the domain evolution of semiconducting ferroelectrics is investigated using a phase field model which includes the drift of space charges. Phase field simulations show that the tail-to-tail 90° charged domain wall appears during the domain formation in the semiconducting ferroelectrics at zero field, which is prohibited in common insulating ferroelectrics. Due to the screening of polarization charges, the domain switching takes place through the motion of head-to-head 180° charged domain wall in the semiconducting single-domain ferroelectrics subjected to an electric field. Comparing to the insulating ferroelectrics, the semiconducting ferroelectrics have a lower speed of domain evolution due to the decrease of mobility of charged domain walls. The response of semiconducting ferroelectrics to a mechanical load is also found different from that of insulating ferroelectrics.     

Thermal hysteresis and memory effects in TIInS2

The dielectric susceptibility of layered TlInS₂ was studied in the temperature range of successive phase transitions. Thermal hysteresis was observed in the incommensurate phase. It was shown that after annealing the crystal at a fixed temperature within the incommensurate phase, the existing temperature interval of this phase reveals noticeable broadening. The thermal memory effect is discussed using a defect density wave model.     

Pseudodifferential Operators on Prehomogeneous Vector Spaces

ABSTRACT

Let G be a connected, linear algebraic group defined over ?, acting regularly on a finite dimensional vector space V over ? with ?-structure V _?. Assume that V possesses a Zariski-dense orbit, so that (G, ?, V) becomes a prehomogeneous vector space over ?. We consider the left regular representation π of the group of ?-rational points G _? on the Banach space C₀(V _?) of continuous functions on V _? vanishing at infinity, and study the convolution operators π(f), where f is a rapidly decreasing function on the identity component of G _?. Denote the complement of the dense orbit by S, and put S _? = S ∩ V _?. It turns out that, on V _? ? S _?, π(f) is a smooth operator. If S _? = {0}, the restriction of the Schwartz kernel of π(f) to the diagonal defines a homogeneous distribution on V _? ? {0}. Its nonunique extension to V _? can then be regarded as a trace of π(f). If G is reductive, and S and S _? are irreducible hypersurfaces, π(f) corresponds, on each connected component of V _? ? S _?, to a totally characteristic pseudodifferential operator. In this case, the restriction of the Schwartz kernel of π(f) to the diagonal defines a distribution on V _? ? S _? given by some power |p(m)| ^s of a relative invariant p(m) of (G, ?, V) and, as a consequence of the Fundamental Theorem of Prehomogeneous Vector Spaces, its extension to V _?, and the complex s-plane, satisfies functional equations similar to those for local zeta functions. A trace of π(f) can then be defined by subtracting the singular contributions of the poles of the meromorphic extension.     

Using the Viable System Model (VSM) to structure information processing complexity in disaster response

Earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding and terrorist attacks continue to threaten our society and, when the worst happens, lives depend on different agencies to manage the response. The literature shows that there is significant potential for operational research (OR) to aid disaster management and that, whilst some of this potential has been delivered, there is more that OR can contribute. In particular, OR can provide detailed support to analysing the complexity of information processing – an essential topic as failure could cause response agencies to act on low quality information or act too slowly – putting responders and victims at risk. However, there is a gap in methods for analysing information processing whilst delivering rapid response. This paper explores how OR can fill this gap through taking a Viable System Model (VSM) approach to analyse information processing. It contributes to the OR literature by showing how VSM can support the analysis of information processing as well as how the OR modelling technique can be further strengthened to facilitate the task.     

On Conditional Independence,Mixing, and Association

Abstract

This is a follow-up to a recent article by Prakasa Rao [15 Prakasa Rao , B.L.S. 2008 . Conditional independence, conditional mixing and association . Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics AISM , doi: 10.1007/S10463-007-0152-2 . [Google Scholar]] on conditional independence, conditional mixing and conditional association. The purpose of this article is to derive rigorously some results following from conditioning. To this end, a brief review is presented of the concepts of conditional independence of events, classes of events, and random variables, followed by a conditional version of a factorization theorem, as well as a first installment of some basic results. Next, the concepts of conditional covariance and variance are introduced, and a second installment of basic results follows. Furthermore, a certain representation of the covariance is established in detail, followed by a conditional version of it, as well as a generalization. The concept of the conditional characteristic function is also recalled, and a certain inequality is established. Finally, the concept of conditional positive (negative) quadrant dependence, as well as that of conditional positive (negative) association are introduced. The article concludes with the derivation of the conditional versions of some known results, regarding positive (negative) association. This is done anticipating that conditional association (and also conditional mixing) will prove to be of significant applicability.