Measurement of Small-Slope Free-Form Optical Surfaces with the Modified Phase Retrieval

In this paper, we demonstrate the use of the modified phase retrieval as a method for application in the measurement of small-slope free-form optical surfaces. This technique is a solution for the measurement of small-slope free-form optical surfaces, based on the modified phase retrieval algorithm, whose essence is that only two defocused images are needed to estimate the wave front with an accuracy similar to that of the traditional phase retrieval but with less image capturing and computation time. An experimental arrangement used to measure the small-slope free-form optical surfaces using the modified phase retrieval is described. The results of these experiments demonstrate that the modified phase retrieval method can achieve measurements comparable to those of the standard interferometer.

Experimental Arrangement for Testing the Effectiveness of Lead Glass for Shielding Against Ionizing Radiation in Low Earth Orbit for Future Space Vehicles

The present times are exhilarating, full of possibilities, which humans, just a century ago, would deem impossible. One of them is space travel: an effort to step one foot in the vast cosmic ocean. Through this experimental arrangement, we want to make the journey a little bit affordable, easier, and most importantly, more enjoyable. The future of transportation is in space. The future space vehicle needs a material that is transparent, cheap, and safe by blocking ionizing radiation. Lead glass which is abundantly found on earth and is cheap is proved to be effective in shielding ionizing radiation. The problem is that it is tested in the earth’s environment for less energy radiation. Our experiment arrangement is designed to test the effectiveness of lead glass and if effective, the thickness of lead glass required for effective shielding of skin cells and microdrive. The experiment is designed as such to accommodate the whole setup in a cube of 3cm*3cm*3cm, so that experiment will be portable enough and easy to transport in low earth orbit This paper, however, doesn’t address the structural engineering solutions regarding implementation of lead glass as the material for space vehicles. Keywords: Ionizing radiation, radiation shielding, lead glass, low earth orbit, future space vehicles

Sound Localization for Ad-Hoc Microphone Arrays

Sound localization is a field of signal processing that deals with identifying the origin of a detected sound signal. This involves determining the direction and distance of the source of the sound. Some useful applications of this phenomenon exists in speech enhancement, communication, radars and in the medical field as well. The experimental arrangement requires the use of microphone arrays which record the sound signal. Some methods involve using ad-hoc arrays of microphones because of their demonstrated advantages over other arrays. In this research project, the existing sound localization methods have been explored to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each method. A novel sound localization routine has been formulated which uses both the direction of arrival (DOA) of the sound signal along with the location estimation in three-dimensional space to precisely locate a sound source. The experimental arrangement consists of four microphones and a single sound source. Previously, sound source has been localized using six or more microphones. The precision of sound localization has been demonstrated to increase with the use of more microphones. In this research, however, we minimized the use of microphones to reduce the complexity of the algorithm and the computation time as well. The method results in novelty in the field of sound source localization by using less resources and providing results that are at par with the more complex methods requiring more microphones and additional tools to locate the sound source. The average accuracy of the system is found to be 96.77% with an error factor of 3.8%.

GROWTH AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF PAPAYA AND PASSION FRUIT SEEDLINGS IRRIGATED WITH GRAY WATER

ABSTRACT The semi-arid region has long periods of drought, so reusing water is an important alternative to enable irrigated agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and mineral composition of papaya and passion fruit seedlings irrigated with gray water effluents. Two experiments were carried out with papaya and passion fruit seedlings. For nondestructive analyses, the experimental arrangement was in splitplots in time, with plots consisting of three types of irrigation water (gray water effluent; supply water and mixture of gray water and supply water, at 1:1 ratio) and subplots formed by the evaluation times 30, 60 and 75 days after sowing, with three replicates and five plants per replicate. For destructive analyses, the experimental arrangement was a simple randomized block design, with three treatments, corresponding to the irrigation waters, with three replicates and five plants per replicate. The seedlings irrigated with gray water effluent had higher values of plant height, stem diameter, length of the largest root, shoot dry mass and root dry mass. N, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn contents in the tissue of papaya seedlings, cv. ‘Golden’, were not altered by irrigation with gray water effluent. N, Fe and Zn contents in the tissue of passion fruit seedlings, cv. ‘Redondo Amarelo’, were increased by the application of gray water effluent, while P, K, Ca, Mg and Mn contents were not influenced.

X-ray pulse stretching after diffraction

The development of ultrashort X-ray pulse sources requires optics that keep the pulse length as short as possible. One source of pulse stretching is the penetration of the pulse into a crystal during diffraction. Another source is the inclination of the intensity front when the diffraction is asymmetric. The theory of short X-ray pulse diffraction has been well developed by many authors. As it is rather complicated, it is sometimes difficult to foresee the pulse behavior (mainly stretching) during diffraction in various crystal arrangements. In this article, a simple model is suggested that gives a qualitatively similar shape to the diffracted pulse which follows from exact theory. It allows proposal of what experimental arrangement is optimal to minimize the pulse stretching during diffraction. First, the effect of pulse stretching due to penetration into a crystal surface is studied. On the basis of this, the pulse profile change during diffraction by two crystals, either symmetric or asymmetric, is predicted.

V-MOKE MAGNETOMETRY: IN PLANE MAGNETIZATION COMPONENTS SCALING

In this paper we introduce an alternative method to determine the scale factor necessary to quantitatively compare the two coplanar components of the magnetization (components in the plane of the surface of the sample) of a film using the v-MOKE technique (vectorial-MOKE). The proposed method has the advantage of not needing the reorientation ofthe electromagnet generating the magnetic field, since, depending on the dimensions and weight there of, this action can be difficult or directly impracticable. In this way, the experiment that allows for the acquisition of the two components in the plane of magnetization simultaneously, is executed without the need to modify the initial experimental arrangement (fixed assembly). As test samples, two 9 nm and 100 nm thick FePt films are used, presenting the first uniaxial anisotropy. All experiments were carried out at room temperature and using a MOKE system entirely built in the Surface Physics Group of the Instituto de Física del Litoral, allowing to simultaneously measure the two magnetization components coplanar with the surface sample (v-MOKE).

Nitrogen fertilization on ornamental ginger under fertigation in protected cultivation

ABSTRACT Tropical floriculture has increased significantly in the last decade due to a growing worldwide market trend of consuming exotic, colorful, beautiful and durable flowers. Among the tropical floriculture products, ornamental gingers, species belonging to the families Zingiberaceae and Costaceae, have high potential for ornamental use, both for landscaping, for cut and potted flower and foliage. However, little information can be found in literature when it comes to crop fertilization, mainly concerning nitrogen fertilization, quite important to tropical soils which are poor in organic matter resource. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate application of nitrogen doses, using fertigation for growing ornamental ginger under protected cultivation. The experiment was carried out from 2012 to 2016, using seedlings produced in vitro multiplication. Plantlets remained for a period of acclimatization in a nursery and, then were planted in pits spaced 1x1 m in a greenhouse. The agronomic parameters and recommendation of nitrogen using SPAD were evaluated from the beginning 2013 until 2016. The experimental arrangement was in randomized blocks with five nitrogen doses (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 kg ha-1) and 4 replicates. The increase of nitrogen doses, up to 400 kg ha-1 via fertigation, produces 77 100-cm-height commercial flowers/tussock/year, favoring the commercial production and standardization of ornamental ginger.