MR diffusion - "diffraction" phenomenon in multi-pulse-field-gradient experiments

Using pulsed-field-gradient (PFG) experiments, the sizes of the pores in ordered porous media can be estimated from the "diffraction" pattern that the signal attenuation curves exhibit. A different diffraction pattern is observed when the experiment is extended to a larger number (N) of diffusion gradient pulse pairs. Simulations to calculate signal values from arbitrary gradient waveforms are performed for diffusion in restricted geometries using a matrix operator formalism. The simulations suggest that the differences in the characteristics of the attenuation curves are expected to make it possible to measure smaller pore sizes, to improve the accuracy of pore size measurements and potentially to distinguish different pore shapes using the N-PFG technique. Moreover, when an even number of PFG pairs is used, it is possible to observe the diffraction pattern at shorter diffusion times and measure an approximation to the average pore size even when the sample contains pores with a broad distribution of sizes.     

Accurate Turbine Inertia Measurement

High fidelity power measurements in free wheel devices require accurate inertia measurements. To evaluate the turbine efficiency, a new experimental technique to measure the momentum of inertia has been developed at the von Karman Institute (VKI). This experimental methodology allows the determination of the inertia of complex shape bodies without being dismounted from their rotating housing.     

Aero-thermal investigation of a multi-splitter axial turbine

This paper reports the external convective heat transfer in an innovative low-pressure vane, designed with a multi-splitter configuration. Three aerodynamic airfoils are positioned in between larger structural vanes, replacing struts presently used in current aero-engines, which results in superior aerodynamic performance. Static pressure and heat flux measurements were carried out in the large compression tube facility of the von Karman Institute, using pneumatic taps and single-layered thin film gauges respectively. The steady and unsteady heat transfer distributions were obtained at representative conditions of modern aero-engines, with M_2,is close to unity and a Reynolds number of approximately 10⁶. This facility is specially suited to control the gas-to-wall temperature ratio that drives transition mechanisms. The heat transfer across the multi-splittered passages is confronted with correlations on ducts to further characterize the boundary layer status. The data will be used to guide code developers by verifying their boundary layer transition models, and designers by showing the areas of the vane where heat transfer is most sensitive to the off-design conditions.     

Interactive Compromise Programming

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a solution method for multiple objective linear programming (MOLP) problems. The method, called interactive compromise programming (ICP), offers a practical solution to MOLP problems by combining judgement with an automatic optimization technique in decision-making. This is realised by using the method of compromise programming and the method of a two-person zero-sum game in an iterative way. The method is illustrated by a numerical example.     

Highly efficient widely tunable subpicosecond double mode-locked laser

A high average power (≈150 mW) subpicosecond (0.5 ps) passively double mode-locked dye laser is described. Two synchronized cw pulse trains are generated which are independently tunable over broad wavelength ranges (≈600 Å).     

Theory of synchronously pumped dye lasers

An analysis of cw synchronously pumped dye lasers is presented. Under the assumption that the cavity (tuning element) bandwidth is much wider than the bandwidth of the transform limited pulses generated, the pulse forming dynamics is rigorously treated. It is shown that for a finite mismatch between the lengths of the dye and the pump lasers, a steady-state pulse develops in the dye laser cavity with a conserved pulseshape. The characteristics (energy, shape, peak power, duration) of these pulses of ultimate width are quantitatively determined as a function of cavity mismatch. An analytical solution for the pulse envelope is determined, which yieldsI(t)∝Sech²(t/t _p ) to a good approximation.     

On The Spaces of Linear Operators Acting Between Asymmetric Cone Normed Spaces

An asymmetric norm is a positive sublinear functional p on a real vector space X satisfying \(x=\theta _X\) whenever \(p(x)=p(-x)=0\). Since the space of all lower semi-continuous linear functionals of an asymmetric normed space is not a linear space, the theory is different in the asymmetric case. The main purpose of this study is to define bounded and continuous linear operators acting between asymmetric cone normed spaces. After examining the differences with symmetric case, we give some results related to Baire’s characterization of completeness in asymmetric cone normed spaces.     

The effect of the diffusion time and pulse gradient duration ratio on the diffraction pattern and the structural information estimated from q-space diffusion MR: experiments and simulations

q-Space diffusion MRI (QSI) provides a means of obtaining microstructural information about porous materials and neuronal tissues from diffusion data. However, the accuracy of this structural information depends on experimental parameters used to collect the MR data. q-Space diffusion MR performed on clinical scanners is generally collected with relatively long diffusion gradient pulses, in which the gradient pulse duration, δ, is comparable to the diffusion time, Δ. In this study, we used phantoms, consisting of ensembles of microtubes, and mathematical models to assess the effect of the ratio of the diffusion time and the duration of the diffusion pulse gradient, i.e., Δ/δ, on the MR signal attenuation vs. q, and on the measured structural information extracted therefrom. We found that for Δ/δ  1, the diffraction pattern obtained from q-space MR data are shallower than when the short gradient pulse (SGP) approximation is satisfied. For long δ the estimated compartment size is, as expected, smaller than the real size. Interestingly, for Δ/δ  1 the diffraction peaks are shifted to even higher q-values, even when δ is kept constant, giving the impression that the restricted compartments are even smaller than they are. When phantoms composed of microtubes of different diameters are used, it is more difficult to estimate the diameter distribution in this regime. Excellent agreement is found between the experimental results and simulations that explicitly account for the use of long duration gradient pulses. Using such experimental data and this mathematical framework, one can estimate the true compartment dimensions when long and finite gradient pulses are used even when Δ/δ  1.     

WDS versus silicon drift detector EDS: a case report for the comparison of quantitative chemical analyses of natural silicate minerals

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is an essential analytical approach to determine elemental concentrations of various solid specimens quantitatively in mineralogical, petrological and materials research. Either wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDS) or energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectrometric techniques can collect the characteristic X-rays generated from each element in the specimen by an incident electron beam in order to define chemical constituents. Although WDS has been the preferred technique because of its higher spectral resolution and ability to detect trace elements, new generation EDS systems with silicon drift detectors (SDD), equipped with thin windows and integrated digital processing electronics, are claimed to approach the WDS throughput. In this study, we compared the analytical capability of a SDD EDS system with respect to WDS equipped systems on natural silicate minerals. For this purpose, natural rock samples, in which the silicate minerals present had already been analysed by various WDS systems, were chosen to compare these results with the ones acquired with a SDD EDS system. SDD EDS yielded satisfactory results for major elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn and Fe) compared with the results of the same minerals obtained by various WDS systems.