Investigation on effect of transmit condition on ultrasonic measurement of 2D motion velocity

A phase-sensitive 2D motion estimator is useful for measurement of minute tissue motion. However, the effect of conditions for emission of ultrasonic waves on the accuracy of such an estimator has not been investigated thoroughly. In the present study, the accuracy of the phase-sensitive 2D motion estimator was evaluated under a variety of transmission conditions. Although plane wave imaging with a single emission per frame achieved an extremely high temporal resolution of 10417 Hz, the accuracy in estimation of lateral velocities was worse than compound-based method or focused-beam method. By contrast, the accuracy in estimation of axial velocities hardly depended on the transmission conditions. Also, the phase-sensitive 2D motion estimator was combined with the block matching method to estimate displacements larger than the ultrasonic wavelength. Furthermore, the results show that the correlation coefficient in block matching has potential to be used for evaluation of the reliability of the estimated velocity.

Laser synthesis of a weakly agglomerated aluminium oxide nanopowder doped with terbium and ytterbium

This paper describes a method of femtosecond laser synthesis of nanoparticles of powdered aluminum oxide doped with terbium and ytterbium was developed. The formation of a plasma torch of nanoparticles of a powdery material is carried out as a result of ablation under the influence of a sharply focused beam of femtosecond laser radiation with an intensity of 108- 1010W/m2. The radiation source is the TETA-10 laser system. SEM images of the obtained nanopowders are presented. Spherical nanoparticles of narrow particle size distribution in the range from 5 to 15 nm was synthesized with the ability to control the size of nanoparticles by purposefully changing the parameters and characteristics of pulsed radiation in the treatment area. The design of a specialized high-voltage electrostatic precipitator up to 25 kV for capturing ablated nanoparticles in an electron cloud of increased concentration was developed.

Lime/Sodium Carbonate Treated Seawater to Improve Flocculation and Sedimentation of Clay-Based Tailings

Seawater treated with lime and sodium carbonate in different proportions to reduce magnesium and calcium contents is used in flocculation and sedimentation tests of artificial quartz and kaolin tailings. Solid complexes were separated from water by vacuum filtration, and factors such as lime/sodium carbonate ratio, kaolin content, flocculation time, and flocculant dose are evaluated. The growth of the aggregates was captured in situ by a focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) probe. Solid magnesium and calcium complexes are formed in raw seawater at pH 11, impairing the performance of flocculant polymers based on polyacrylamides. The results show that the settling rate improved when the treatment’s lime/sodium carbonate ratio increased. That is, when a greater removal of magnesium is prioritized over calcium. The amount of magnesium required to be removed depends on the mineralogy of the system: more clay will require more significant removal of magnesium. These results respond to the structural changes of the flocs, achieving that the more magnesium is removed, the greater the size and density of the aggregates. In contrast, calcium removal does not significantly influence flocculant performance. The study suggests the necessary conditions for each type of tailing to maximize water recovery, contributing to the effective closure of the water cycle in processes that use seawater with magnesium control.

Complex Permittivity Measurements of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites Using a Free-Space Reflection Method with a Focused Beam Lens Horn Antenna

To measure the electromagnetic properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) in the X-band, 1-port measurements were performed using a lens horn antenna in a free-space measurement system. Free-space 1-port calibration with translations of the position of the reflector regarding the characteristics of the focused beam lens horn antenna was applied. The intrinsic impedance and complex permittivity of the SFRC were obtained from the measured reflection characteristics. The steel fiber content increased and the electromagnetic properties of the SFRC gradually changed from a dielectric to a conductor, even in very low frequencies compared to the plasma frequencies of general metal, which are optical frequencies. This is considered to be the plasmon effect of the metallic structure formed by the steel fiber. This result is applicable for analyses of the electromagnetic phenomenon of large structures with fiber content.

Absorption of laser radiation in a laser-produced plasma of Xe – hydrodynamic effects and nonequilibrium ionization

Experiments on measuring absorption of an IR laser radiation in the laser-produced plasma of Xe are described. The absorbed fraction of up to 65% has been obtained when the gas-jet target was illuminated by a wide, defocused beam, whereas it barely reached 8.5% in the case of a sharply focused beam. The phenomenon is explained on the basis of a hypothesis of the plasma hydrodynamic expansion according to which the plasma leaves the illuminated area the faster, the smaller its size. Based on the experimental results, an attempt to estimate plasma parameters (N, T, <Z>) is undertaken, with the mean ion charge, <Z>, being calculated using ionization cross-sections for ions from +7Xe to +14Xe which were obtained by means of a quantum-mechanical numeric simulation especially for the present work. A similarity of the EUV output and the laser energy absorption as functions of the laser beam diameter needs an additional study in a future.

Angular Goos-Hanchen shift in subwavelength gratings enhanced by surface plasmon resonance

The angular Goos-Hanchen shift dependence on the subwavelength grating parameters and the incident Gaussian beam width is investigated theoretically. High sensitivity of the angular Goos-Hanchen shift to the incident angle of a light beam near the surface plasmon resonance is demonstrated. Splitting of the reflected beam into two angularly separated beams is shown for strongly focused beam incident at the surface plasmon resonance angle.

A Study of Terahertz-Wave Cylindrical Super-Oscillatory Lens for Industrial Applications

This paper describes the design and development of a cylindrical super-oscillatory lens (CSOL) for applications in the sub-terahertz frequency range, which are especially ideal for industrial inspection of films using terahertz (THz) and millimeter waves. Product inspections require high resolution (same as inspection with visible light), long working distance, and long depth of focus (DOF). However, these are difficult to achieve using conventional THz components due to diffraction limits. Here, we present a numerical approach in designing a 100 mm × 100 mm CSOL with optimum properties and performance for 0.1 THz (wavelength λ = 3 mm). Simulations show that, at a focal length of 70 mm (23.3λ), the focused beam by the optimized CSOL is a thin line with a width of 2.5 mm (0.84λ), which is 0.79 times the diffraction limit. The DOF of 10 mm (3.3λ) is longer than that of conventional lenses. The results also indicate that the generation of thin line-shaped focal beam is dominantly influenced by the outer part of the lens.