In situ analysis of mediaeval wall paintings: a challenge for mobile Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique, which is gaining attention as a molecular technique for the investigation of objects of art. Especially the non-destructive properties of the method make this application suitable for the in situ analysis of artefacts. However, although using mobile, fibre optics Raman instrumentation for this type of research seems to be straightforward, some practical obstacles may hamper the investigation. In this paper, pitfalls and solutions are described when applying a dedicated spectrometer to the analysis of mediaeval wall paintings. It is shown how some practical problems may be overcome, and the results of the analysis are presented. Although the mediaeval wall paintings from the chapel of the castle of Ponthoz are well-preserved, still some interesting degradation phenomena could be observed: the identification of a black degradation product, likely to be meta-cinnabar, a degradation product of the red pigment vermilion (HgS); the formation of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) as a weathering product of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃); the observation of copper(II)hydroxychlorides.     

磁共振快速T/R开关驱动器研制

在磁共振T/R开关和主动失谐线圈中广泛使用PIN管,由外部驱动器向PIN管提供驱动电源,控制其导通或截止,从而达到开关切换和线圈失谐的目的.因此,驱动器的性能直接影响T/R开关和线圈的性能.该工作提出了一种新的T/R开关驱动器设计方案.电路中门控信号与驱动电源互相隔离,同时包含了场效应管死区调整电路,提高了电路稳定性和灵活性.该电路开关切换时间可达500 ns,驱动电压和电流理论上分别可达400 V和10 A以上,具有快速、驱动能力强等特点.可用于快速T/R开关和主动失谐线圈的驱动、缩短死时间、减小发射线圈和接收线圈间的耦合.     

Summary of ISO/TC 201 standard: XXXIII,ISO 18115:2001/Amd. 2:2007—Surface Chemical Analysis—Vocabulary—Amendment 2

This International Standard adds a further 87 terms to this Vocabulary series, many for secondary ion mass spectrometry, elastic peak electron spectroscopy and reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy, together with 76 acronyms for scanned probes, 33 definitions of scanned probe techniques, 6 terms for contact mechanics and 147 terms for concepts in scanned probe analysis. This brings the total number of terms and acronyms to over 750 in these documents. The terms cover words or phrases used in describing the samples, instruments and theoretical concepts involved in surface chemical analysis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved 3D displacement measurements method and calibration of a combined fringe projection and 2D-DIC system

An improved measurement method and an automatic calibration procedure are proposed for a combined 2D Digital Image Correlation and Fringe Projection system that allows measuring in- and out-of-plane displacement maps with only one image at each deformation stage of a specimen. The proposed method increases the accuracy and range of the out-of-plane displacements by taking into account the divergences of both the projected fringes (uncollimated) and the camera (with non-zero FOV). The calibration is performed automatically by acquiring a sequence of images of a reference plane by displacing perpendicular to it the camera and fringe projector with a motorized translation stage. The acquired images are then used to obtain a fringe function for each pixel and the necessary parameters required for the correction of the in-plane displacements. Furthermore, a closed form expression is obtained that relates the out-of-plane displacements with the shifted phase at each pixel for a given experimental set-up. This expression is in good agreement with the fringe function obtained by fitting a simple 2nd order polynomial to the experimental obtained calibration data. Finally, the polynomial approach is proposed as a fringe function because it avoids the errors in the determination of the required parameters of the theoretical expression as well as some small misalignment or aberration effects.     

红外地球敏感器扫描镜摆角激光动态测试方法

为解决扫描镜摆角实时动态非接触测量问题,基于激光检测技术和CCD探测技术,提出一种红外地球敏感器扫描镜摆角激光动态测试方法,并研制了扫描镜摆角动态测试系统,其可实现扫描镜的摆动频率、零位角、幅值、峰峰值平均等参量的动静态激光非接触测量。介绍了系统的组成和总体结构,着重对扫描镜摆角动态测量理论和大视场、大相对孔径特殊线性扫描光学系统的设计方法进行了分析与探讨,通过建立系统的数学模型,解决了测量数据误差修正与图形处理问题。对测量系统的精度进行了验证,结果表明系统的摆角测量范围为0~±12°,分辨力为0.01°,动静态测量精度优于±0.04°。     

Molecular many-body dissociation: Data reduction strategies in translational spectroscopy

Advanced time- and position-sensitive multi-hit detectors allow to study molecular breakup processes into two, three, and more massive fragments by translational spectroscopy. We discuss the feasibility to perform kinematically complete final state analysis of complex molecular dissociation processes using such detectors. We have developed new algorithms to determine - for an arbitrary number of fragments - the fragment momentum vectors in the center-of-mass frame from the measured positions and arrival time differences. These algorithms can easily be implemented to perform online data reduction in coincidence experiments. We have tested the new data reduction strategies in an experimental study and in Monte-Carlo simulations of realistic experimental conditions. We show that the new algorithms can discriminate between two-, three-, and four-body decay of a four-atomic molecule and can uniquely determine the momentum vectors of all fragments. For two-body decay, we find that the accuracy of the new algorithm is superior to the frequently used approximate formula introduced by DeBruijn and Los. We demonstrate this improvement in the evaluation of experimental data for the decay of laser-excited triatomic hydrogen H₃ 3s (N=1,K=0) into H + H₂(v,J) fragment pairs. Received 12 April 2000     

分析化学学科发展趋势

本文对近年分析化学发展的新动向进行了简要的综述,包括痕量危险污染物和生物活性化合物分析方法的新进展。质谱法在分析生物样品中极性和荷电分子方面有着明显的长处。本文还评述了毛细管电泳、电分析、流动注射分析以及计算机在现代分析中的应用。     

透射晶体谱仪及其理论计算

为了测量更广能量范围的等离子体辐射的硬X射线轫致辐射光谱,以获得激光等离子体超热电子能谱的特性,基于柱面弯曲晶体的分光原理,提出了透射晶体谱仪。为满足实验中光源到谱仪距离不同的需要,设计了Johann型可调节透射晶体谱仪。谱仪中的会聚狭缝设计成可移动的,位置随着光源到谱仪距离的变化而改变。通过理论计算获得了会聚狭缝位置变量与光源距离变化之间的关系,得出小角度(小于0.2 rad)入射时能够保证入射光线经过晶体后近似会聚于一点,并对谱仪具体设计时遇到的一些问题,给出了初步的理论分析和看法。该谱仪中会聚狭缝的可调节解除了谱仪到光源距离固定的限制;前端晶体的可更换,也增加了谱仪测量的灵活性。     

Dielectrophoretic cell trapping for improved surface plasmon resonance imaging sensing

The performance of conventional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors can be limited by the diffusion of the target analyte to the sensor surface. This work presents an SPR biosensor that incorporates an active mass‐transport mechanism based on dielectrophoresis and electroosmotic flow to enhance analyte transport to the sensor surface and reduce the time required for detection. Both these phenomena rely on the generation of AC electric fields that can be tailored by shaping the electrodes that also serve as the SPR sensing areas. Numerical simulations of electric field distribution and microparticle trajectories were performed to choose an optimal electrode design. The proposed design improves on previous work combining SPR with DEP by using face‐to‐face electrodes, rather than a planar interdigitated design. Two different top‐bottom electrode designs were experimentally tested to concentrate firstly latex beads and secondly biological cells onto the SPR sensing area. SPR measurements were then performed by varying the target concentrations. The electrohydrodynamic flow enabled efficient concentration of small objects (3 μm beads, yeasts) onto the SPR sensing area, which resulted in an order of magnitude increased SPR response. Negative dielectrophoresis was also used to concentrate HEK293 cells onto the metal electrodes surrounded by insulating areas, where the SPR response was improved by one order of magnitude.     

高通量、自动化蛋白质结晶筛选技术以及相关仪器的研究进展

基于X射线晶体学的蛋白质结构解析主要依赖于大规模结晶条件筛选获得的高衍射分辨率的蛋白质晶体。近年来,自动化、高通量的液体操控技术和相关仪器的快速发展为蛋白质结晶筛选提供了高效、可靠的研究手段,显著推动了蛋白质结构生物学的研究。文章综述了蛋白质结晶筛选的自动化液体处理技术的发展,包括移液器、注射泵、同步纳升定量吸取注射、喷墨打印、超声喷射以及微流控等技术。文章详细介绍了各技术所对应的典型商品化仪器及其在蛋白质结晶筛选中的应用。此外,文章还介绍了集成多孔板的储存和操控、编码扫描、环境控制和软件管理等诸多功能的一体化液体操纵平台。