Development of high-speed video cameras for Dynamic PIV

The most promising next generation Image Velocimtry (IV) is the high-speed Dynamic PIV. It requires the development of innovative high-speed video camera sensors. We started by specifying the required performance of these new sensors, for measurements in air and water flows. These criteria founded on the most recent developments in PIV algorithms and incorporate results from a large questionnaire survey of users of high-speed video cameras in Japan. The results suggest that the followings are required: (1) frame rate of 1,000,000 fps, (2) pixel count of 1,000,000 pixels, (3) frame storage capacity of 100–200 frames for tracing a single event and 10,000 frames for turbulent measurements, (4) gray levels of 4–8 bits for PTV; 12 bits for observation. Finally, we reviewed the state of the art of high-speed video-image sensors. Currently the standard parallel-readout sensors can operate at 1 Kfps with a pixel count of approximately 1 Kpixels. The In-situ Storage Image Sensor (ISIS) developed by the authors has recently achieved frame rates of 1 Mfps.     

Self-Restoration Properties of VWP Networks by Spare Wavelength Optimization

The self-restoration properties in VWP networks are investigated with optimization about spare wavelength by simulations. Rapid restoration can be achieved by selection of rerouting path with long delay and no delay-limitation for new routes.     

Magnetic pole pinning at rectangular defects on MnAs/GaAs(0 0 1)

Strong magnetic poles at characteristic rectangular defects have been observed using a magnetic force microscope on a MnAs(  1 0 0) thin film with the thickness of 30 nm. The MnAs thin film was epitaxially grown on a GaAs(0 0 1) substrate. The magnetic poles were in one-arranging direction, being independent of the magnetization direction of the film. The poles were pinned at the edges of the rectangular defects until just below the Curie temperature, and formed a stable magnetic-field loop on the MnAs surface. The stability of the magnetic pole pinning shows the distinctive feature of the magnetic domain structure on the surface with a strong anisotropy, which was built in the heterostructure of MnAs and GaAs.     

Development of measuring magnetic Compton profiles by grazing incidence geometry

A novel technique of measuring a magnetic Compton profile using the grazing angle geometry against a sample surface (Grazing Incidence Magnetic Compton Profile) has been successively developed. Measurements of a magnetic moment and a magnetic Compton profile are possible for a Fe 200 nm film on a thick glass substrate. The estimated thinnest limit for measurements is 100 nm for a Fe film.     

Polarization Sensitive Spectral Interferometric Optical Coherence Tomography for Biological Samples

A spectral interferometric optical coherence tomography (OCT) system which has polarization sensitivity is developed. This system reduces the mechanical scanning dimension by employing the principle of spectral interferometry, and measures a two dimensional cross-sectional image of biological tissue with one dimensional mechanical scanning. Sixteen OCT images with different polarization conditions are measured, and two dimensional distributions of each element of the Müller matrix of a sample to be measured are calculated.     

The effect of surface modification with silane coupling agent on suppressing the photo-catalytic activity of fine TiO2 particles as inorganic UV filter

The effect of surface modification with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and n-propyltriethoxysilane (PTES) on photo-catalytic activity and UV-shielding ability of fine TiO₂ particles were investigated. The number of surface groups (N_R) [nm⁻²] which shows the density of modifier on TiO₂ surface was calculated from the results of elemental analysis and BET measurement. The modified samples of which N_R are different were obtained by changing the concentration of modifier. When the photo-catalytic activity and UV-shielding ability of modified samples were evaluated, it was found that APTES was more effective modifier than PTES to obtained samples with low photo-catalytic activity and high UV-shielding ability. This is probably because the adsorption mechanisms on TiO₂ surface between modifiers were different and N_R is a key factor to control the performances of fine TiO₂ particles. The result of zeta potential showed that surface character of modified samples was varied by changing N_R. It suggested from these results that N_R affected the photo-catalytic activity and UV-shielding ability because N_R changed surface character of modified samples.     

Iron speciation related to color of Jurassic sedimentary rocks in Turpan Basin, northwest China

Mesozoic-Cenozoic reddish and green beds are widely distributed in northwest China. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the composition of iron species varies with color in the middle-upper Jurassic sedimentary rocks from the Turpan Basin. Three main kinds of iron species were identified: (1) ferric iron of hematite (hem-Fe³⁺), (2) paramagnetic ferric iron (para-Fe³⁺), and (3) paramagnetic ferrous iron (para-Fe²⁺). Pyrite iron (pyr-Fe²⁺) was revealed only in a few samples. In general, there is a direct correlation between rock color, iron species and total iron content, however, in detail, this relationship is more complicated. The reddish rocks contain higher contents of total iron and hem-Fe³⁺, whereas the gray rocks contain much more para-Fe²⁺. However, relatively low hematite content cannot give red color to rocks, probably due to suppression by other pigments such as organic matter in black or chlorite in green. The dark or green rocks normally contain either only paramagnetic Fe²⁺ and paramagnetic Fe³⁺ species or these two species associated with hematite Fe³⁺, but the relative content of hematite species is lower. The variations of different iron species control lithological properties such as color and also may reflect the sedimentary conditions. Moreover, iron speciation in these rocks is one of the main factors, which result the color features of rocks in remote sensing imagery.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Translational diffusion of intermediate species in solutions

In this article, applications of the TG method to measurements of the translational diffusion of photochemically created intermediate species are reviewed. The intermediate species include unstable isomers, photochromic charged molecules, transient radicals created by photochemical reactions, and the electronically photoexcited species. Diffusional behaviors of these intermediates are different from those of stable molecules, which have been investigated extensively so far. The investigations of the diffusion of these species will provide opportunity to reveal the unique intermolecular interaction between the intermediates and matrix. Furthermore, by using products of photochemical reactions as probe molecules, the molecular dynamics of the system can be studied. This information will be valuable for understanding photochemistry in solution.