Spectropolarimetry as a tool for understanding the diversity of planetary atmospheres

AbstractThe polarization state of starlight reflected by a planetary atmosphere uniquely reveals coverage, particle size, and composition of aerosols as well as changing cloud patterns. It is not possible to obtain a comparable level of detail from flux-only observations. It is therefore a powerful tool to better understand the crucial role played by clouds and aerosols in the chemistry, dynamics, and radiative balance of a planet. Furthermore, polarization observations can probe the atmosphere of planets independently of the orbital geometry (hence it applies to both transiting and non-transiting exoplanets). A high-resolution spectropolarimeter with a broad wavelength coverage, particularly if attached to a large space telescope, would enable simultaneous study of the polarimetric planetary properties of the continuum and to look for and characterize the polarimetric signal due to scattering from single molecules, providing detailed information about the composition and vertical structure of the atmosphere.

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Polarization-selective modulation of supercavity resonances originating from bound states in the continuum

Communications Physics ◽

10.1038/s42005-020-00453-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chan Kyaw ◽

Riad Yahiaoui ◽

Joshua A. Burrow ◽

Viet Tran ◽

Kyron Keelen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Strong Coupling ◽

Bound States ◽

Photonic Band Gap ◽

Incidence Angle ◽

Polarization State ◽

Normal Incidence ◽

Polarization Angle ◽

Sensing Applications ◽

Symmetry Protected ◽

The Continuum

AbstractBound states in the continuum (BICs) are widely studied for their ability to confine light, produce sharp resonances for sensing applications and serve as avenues for lasing action with topological characteristics. Primarily, the formation of BICs in periodic photonic band gap structures are driven by symmetry incompatibility; structural manipulation or variation of incidence angle from incoming light. In this work, we report two modalities for driving the formation of BICs in terahertz metasurfaces. At normal incidence, we experimentally confirm polarization driven symmetry-protected BICs by the variation of the linear polarization state of light. In addition, we demonstrate through strong coupling of two radiative modes the formation of capacitively-driven Freidrich-Wintgen BICs, exotic modes which occur in off-Γ points not accessible by symmetry-protected BICs. The capacitance-mediated strong coupling at 0° polarization is verified to have a normalized coupling strength ratio of 4.17% obtained by the Jaynes-Cummings model. Furthermore, when the polarization angle is varied from 0° to 90° (0° ≤ ϕ < 90°), the Freidrich-Wintgen BIC is modulated until it is completely switched off at 90°.

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Research on Kinematic Modeling of Octopus-Like Arm Manipulator Composed with Mixed Joints

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.461.278 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 461 ◽

pp. 278-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiang Hai Zhao ◽

Xiao Dong Ye ◽

Wen Huan Qian

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Kinematic Model ◽

Modeling Method ◽

Kinematic Modeling ◽

Large Space ◽

Heavy Load ◽

Continuum Manipulator ◽

Robot Configuration ◽

High Flexibility ◽

The Continuum

Due to the space constraints and obstacles, the traditional industrial manipulator is too difficult to achieve some tasks, such as the gluing for the wing bulkhead of the aircraft and the maintenance for cooling pipes of the nuclear power plant, etc. Continuum manipulator, inspired by the trunk and the tentacle, proves to be very effective for above-mentioned tasks. A novel octopus-like biomimetic robots, is proposed in this paper, which is consisting of continuum joints and discrete joints, and provide a host of benefits, such as the large space of movement, the high flexibility and the heavy load. A novel analytical approach for solving kinematics of the octopus-like arm manipulator with mixed joints is presented in this paper. Based on the bionic mechanism of the continuum manipulator constructed from mixed joints, the robot configuration is established. In this paper, we present a detailed formulation and explanation of a novel kinematic model for the continuum robots with mixed joints. The modeling method based on the Denavit–Hartenberg parameters(also called DH parameters) is used to depict the motion of robot. The robot is comprised of the continuum joint and the rotated joint, so the kinematic model of continuum joint is crucial for constructing that of the whole robot. The continuum joint is equivalent to a section of elastic body, whose D-H parametors can be obtain from the constant-curvature method. Then the forward kinematics of the whole robot can be builded in a D-H frame. Research results will create a new modeling method for the octopus-like continuum manipulators with mixed joints, which can give a new approach for the design on the biomimetic manipulators operating in the unstructured envirement.

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C. The Continuous Spectrum of Pulsating Variable Stars

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s007418090001901x ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 177-206

Author(s):

J. B. Oke ◽

C. A. Whitney

Keyword(s):

Continuous Spectrum ◽

Variable Stars ◽

Velocity Fields ◽

The Other ◽

Line Spectrum ◽

Direct Information ◽

Thermodynamic Structure ◽

Diagnostic Interpretation ◽

Pulsating Variable Stars ◽

The Continuum

Pecker:The topic to be considered today is the continuous spectrum of certain stars, whose variability we attribute to a pulsation of some part of their structure. Obviously, this continuous spectrum provides a test of the pulsation theory to the extent that the continuum is completely and accurately observed and that we can analyse it to infer the structure of the star producing it. The continuum is one of the two possible spectral observations; the other is the line spectrum. It is obvious that from studies of the continuum alone, we obtain no direct information on the velocity fields in the star. We obtain information only on the thermodynamic structure of the photospheric layers of these stars–the photospheric layers being defined as those from which the observed continuum directly arises. So the problems arising in a study of the continuum are of two general kinds: completeness of observation, and adequacy of diagnostic interpretation. I will make a few comments on these, then turn the meeting over to Oke and Whitney.

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Photo-electric Hβ and uvby photometry

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900053407 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 170-180

Author(s):

D. L. Crawford

Keyword(s):

Narrow Band ◽

Line Strength ◽

Interference Filter ◽

B Stars ◽

Relative Line ◽

The Mean ◽

F Stars ◽

Two Parameters ◽

Filter Photometry ◽

The Continuum

Early in the 1950's Strömgren (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) introduced medium to narrow-band interference filter photometry at the McDonald Observatory. He used six interference filters to obtain two parameters of astrophysical interest. These parameters he calledlandc, for line and continuum hydrogen absorption. The first measured empirically the absorption line strength of Hβby means of a filter of half width 35Å centered on Hβand compared to the mean of two filters situated in the continuum near Hβ. The second index measured empirically the Balmer discontinuity by means of a filter situated below the Balmer discontinuity and two above it. He showed that these two indices could accurately predict the spectral type and luminosity of both B stars and A and F stars. He later derived (6) an indexmfrom the same filters. This index was a measure of the relative line blanketing near 4100Å compared to two filters above 4500Å. These three indices confirmed earlier work by many people, including Lindblad and Becker. References to this earlier work and to the systems discussed today can be found in Strömgren's article inBasic Astronomical Data(7).

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Observations of the continuum near the galactic centre

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900101305 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 405

Author(s):

F. J. Kerr

Keyword(s):

Galactic Centre ◽

The Past ◽

Centre Region ◽

The Continuum

A continuum survey of the galactic-centre region has been carried out at Parkes at 20 cm wavelength over the areal11= 355° to 5°,b11= -3° to +3° (Kerr and Sinclair 1966, 1967). This is a larger region than has been covered in such surveys in the past. The observations were done as declination scans.

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Seti Space Missions

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100015372 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 161 ◽

pp. 761-776 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Claudio Maccone

Keyword(s):

Electromagnetic Waves ◽

Space Missions ◽

Gravitational Lens ◽

The Sun ◽

Space Antenna ◽

Focal Distance ◽

Large Space ◽

The Earth ◽

Space Antennas ◽

New Space

AbstractSETI from space is currently envisaged in three ways: i) by large space antennas orbiting the Earth that could be used for both VLBI and SETI (VSOP and RadioAstron missions), ii) by a radiotelescope inside the Saha far side Moon crater and an Earth-link antenna on the Mare Smythii near side plain. Such SETIMOON mission would require no astronaut work since a Tether, deployed in Moon orbit until the two antennas landed softly, would also be the cable connecting them. Alternatively, a data relay satellite orbiting the Earth-Moon Lagrangian pointL2would avoid the Earthlink antenna, iii) by a large space antenna put at the foci of the Sun gravitational lens: 1) for electromagnetic waves, the minimal focal distance is 550 Astronomical Units (AU) or 14 times beyond Pluto. One could use the huge radio magnifications of sources aligned to the Sun and spacecraft; 2) for gravitational waves and neutrinos, the focus lies between 22.45 and 29.59 AU (Uranus and Neptune orbits), with a flight time of less than 30 years. Two new space missions, of SETI interest if ET’s use neutrinos for communications, are proposed.

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Removing Substrate Background in TEM Microanalysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100052857 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 568-569

Author(s):

John C. Russ ◽

Nicholas C. Barbi

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Rapid Growth ◽

Organic Film ◽

Absolute Concentration ◽

Background Signal ◽

X Ray ◽

Elemental Concentrations ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Electron Microscopes ◽

The Continuum

The rapid growth of interest in attaching energy-dispersive x-ray analysis systems to transmission electron microscopes has centered largely on microanalysis of biological specimens. These are frequently either embedded in plastic or supported by an organic film, which is of great importance as regards stability under the beam since it provides thermal and electrical conductivity from the specimen to the grid.Unfortunately, the supporting medium also produces continuum x-radiation or Bremsstrahlung, which is added to the x-ray spectrum from the sample. It is not difficult to separate the characteristic peaks from the elements in the specimen from the total continuum background, but sometimes it is also necessary to separate the continuum due to the sample from that due to the support. For instance, it is possible to compute relative elemental concentrations in the sample, without standards, based on the relative net characteristic elemental intensities without regard to background; but to calculate absolute concentration, it is necessary to use the background signal itself as a measure of the total excited specimen mass.

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EELS white line intensities calculated for the 3d and 4d metals

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100153919 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 388-389

Author(s):

C. C. Ahn ◽

D. H. Pearson ◽

P. Rez ◽

B. Fultz

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Line Intensity ◽

Transition Probabilities ◽

Initial Increase ◽

White Line ◽

Hartree Fock ◽

Line Intensities ◽

Integrated Intensity ◽

X Ray Absorption ◽

The Continuum

Previous experimental measurements of the total white line intensities from L2,3 energy loss spectra of 3d transition metals reported a linear dependence of the white line intensity on 3d occupancy. These results are inconsistent, however, with behavior inferred from relativistic one electron Dirac-Fock calculations, which show an initial increase followed by a decrease of total white line intensity across the 3d series. This inconsistency with experimental data is especially puzzling in light of work by Thole, et al., which successfully calculates x-ray absorption spectra of the lanthanide M4,5 white lines by employing a less rigorous Hartree-Fock calculation with relativistic corrections based on the work of Cowan. When restricted to transitions allowed by dipole selection rules, the calculated spectra of the lanthanide M4,5 white lines show a decreasing intensity as a function of Z that was consistent with the available experimental data.Here we report the results of Dirac-Fock calculations of the L2,3 white lines of the 3d and 4d elements, and compare the results to the experimental work of Pearson et al. In a previous study, similar calculations helped to account for the non-statistical behavior of L3/L2 ratios of the 3d metals. We assumed that all metals had a single 4s electron. Because these calculations provide absolute transition probabilities, to compare the calculated white line intensities to the experimental data, we normalized the calculated intensities to the intensity of the continuum above the L3 edges. The continuum intensity was obtained by Hartree-Slater calculations, and the normalization factor for the white line intensities was the integrated intensity in an energy window of fixed width and position above the L3 edge of each element.

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