Measurements of benzene concentration by difference-frequency laser absorption spectroscopy

Measurements of benzene concentration based on high-resolution laser absorption spectroscopy by use of the R(6) transition in the nu(4) fundamental vibrational band near 14.8 mum (676.6 cm(-1)) are reported. These measurements were performed with a tunable continuous-wave, mid-infrared spectroscopic light source that employs difference-frequency mixing of two Ti:sapphire lasers in a GaSe nonlinear optical crystal. A minimum benzene concentration detection of ~11.5 parts in 10(6) was realized at a reduced pressure of 40 mbars.     

Combined laser calorimetry and photothermal technique for absorption measurement of optical coatings

To the best of our knowledge, a combined sensitive technique employing both laser calorimetry and a surface thermal lens scheme for measuring absorption values of optical coatings is presented for the first time. Laser calorimetric and pulsed surface thermal lens signals are simultaneously obtained with a highly reflecting UV coating sample irradiated at 193 nm. The advantages and potential applications of the combined technique and the experimental factors limiting the measurement sensitivity are discussed.     

Hydrocarbon absorption coefficients at the 3.39-microm He-Ne laser transition

In view of the application of light-extinction techniques for fuel-specie-concentration measurements in combustion systems, the vapor-absorption coefficient of several hydrocarbon species at the 3.39-microm He-Ne laser transition has been measured. The hydrocarbon species include paraffins, olefins, and aromatics. Result are included for total pressure over the range of approximately 200-650 Torr at 295 K with air as the buffer gas. Observations are made regarding the difference in the absorption coefficient within and between hydrocarbon classifications.     

Method for improving terahertz band absorption spectrum measurement accuracy using noncontact sample thickness measurement

The terahertz absorption spectrum has a complex nonlinear relationship with sample thickness, which is normally measured mechanically with limited accuracy. As a result, the terahertz absorption spectrum is usually determined incorrectly. In this paper, an iterative algorithm is proposed to accurately determine sample thickness. This algorithm is independent of the initial value used and results in convergent calculations. Precision in sample thickness can be improved up to 0.1 μm. A more precise absorption spectrum can then be extracted. By comparing the proposed method with the traditional method based on mechanical thickness measurements, quantitative analysis experiments on a three-component amino acid mixture shows that the global error decreased from 0.0338 to 0.0301.     

Measurements of thermophysical properties of liquid metals by noncontact techniques

With the advent of containerless processing techniques such as electromagnetic levitation, it is now possible to study the properties of high-temperature liquid metalsin situ by applying sophisticated noncontact diagnostics, such as pyrometry and high-speed videography. Thermophysical properties of interest are, e.g., specific heat, thermal conductivity, and viscosity. Applying containerless processing, it is also possible to undercool the melt because of the lack of container-induced nucleation sites. This gives access to a metastable region of the phase diagram. The knowledge of thermophysical data in this region is very important, because undercooling plays a major role in any solidification process. The degree of undercooling not only determines the growth velocity, but also is crucial in selecting the eventually obtained metastable solid phase. In this paper, some recent developments are surveyed relating to the noncontact measurements of emissivity, specific heat, electrical conductivity, density, surface tension, and viscosity, as well as a discussion of possible experiments in microgravity.Paper presented at the Third Workshop on Subsecond Thermophysics, September 17–18, 1992, Graz, Austria.     

Measurements of thermophysical properties by contactless modulation calorimetry

Contactless modulation calorimetry was applied to measure the specific-heat of glass forming eutectic Zr alloys in the stable and undercooled liquid under microgravity conditions during the space shuttle IML-2 mission. The experimental method is described. leading to a quantitative determination of the specific heat from measured temperature modulations. In addition, the enthalpy of Vision of the specimen and the total hemispherical emissivity can be obtained. The data on ZrNi₃₆, permit calculation of the thermodynamic functions in the stable and undercooked melt as well as estimation of the ideal glass transition temperature.Paper presented at the Fourth International Workshop on Subsecond Thermophysics, June 27–29, 1995, Köln, Germany.     

Quantifying the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of tissuelike turbid media over a broad spectral range with noncontact Fourier-transform hyperspectral imaging

Absorption (mu(a)) and reduced scattering (mu(s)') spectra of turbid media were quantified with a noncontact imaging approach based on a Fourier-transform interferometric imaging system (FTIIS). The FTIIS was used to collect hyperspectral images of the steady-state diffuse reflectance from turbid media. Spatially resolved reflectance data from Monte Carlo simulations were fitted to the recorded hyperspectral images to quantify mu(a) and mu(s)' spectra in the 550-850-nm region. A simple and effective calibration approach was introduced to account for the instrument response. With reflectance data that were close to and far from the source (0.5-6.5 mm), mu(a) and mu(s)' of homogeneous, semi-infinite turbid phantoms with optical property ranges comparable with those of tissues were determined with an accuracy of +/-7% and +/-3%, respectively. Prediction accuracy for mu(a) and mu(s)' degraded to +/-12% and +/-4%, respectively, when only reflectance data close to the source (0.5-2.5 mm) were used. Results indicate that reflectance data close to and far from the source are necessary for optimal quantification of mu(a) and mu(s)'. The spectral properties of mu(a) and mu(s)' values were used to determine the concentrations of absorbers and scatterers, respectively. Absorber and scatterer concentrations of two-chromophore turbid media were determined with an accuracy of +/-5% and +/-3%, respectively.     

Tissue ultrasound absorption measurement with MRI calorimetry

The renewed interest in the use of high intensity focused ultrasound (US) for minimally invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided thermal therapy has stimulated a review of the interaction mechanisms of US with tissue. Although the study of tissue US properties has been conducted extensively, agreements on the measured values of tissue US absorption are poor. We propose a noninvasive approach to measure tissue US absorption based on a form of MRI calorimetry. US absorption is measured in a small tissue sample through a knowledge of the US intensity distribution incident on the tissue and an MRI measurement of total absorbed energy arising from US exposure. US absorption measurements were conducted at room temperature for ex-vivo bovine liver tissue at 1 MHz, which led to a measured US absorption coefficient of 0.058 Np/cm or 0.504 dB/cm. Because this approach is noninvasive, the experimental complications exhibited in earlier studies are not present. Furthermore, this approach can be applied over a range of frequencies, tissues, and temperatures, which will aid in understanding of biothermal effects of high intensity US to improve thermal therapy.     

Phase-demodulation error of a fiber-optic Fabry-Perot sensor with complex reflection coefficients

The influence of reflector losses attracts little discussion in standard treatments of the Fabry-Perot interferometer yet may be an important factor contributing to errors in phase-stepped demodulation of fiber optic Fabry-Perot (FFP) sensors. We describe a general transfer function for FFP sensors with complex reflection coefficients and estimate systematic phase errors that arise when the asymmetry of the reflected fringe system is neglected, as is common in the literature. The measured asymmetric response of higher-finesse metal-dielectric FFP constructions corroborates a model that predicts systematic phase errors of 0.06 rad in three-step demodulation of a low-finesse FFP sensor (R = 0.05) with internal reflector losses of 25%.     

Diffusion coefficients of water and leachables in methacrylate-based crosslinked polymers using absorption experiments

The diffusion of water into dentin adhesive polymers and leaching of unpolymerized monomer from the adhesive are linked to their mechanical softening and hydrolytic degradation. Therefore, diffusion coefficient data are critical for the mechanical design of these polymeric adhesives. In this study, diffusion coefficients of water and leachables were obtained for sixteen methacrylate-based crosslinked polymers using absorption experiments. The experimental mass change data was interpreted using numerical solution of the two-dimensional diffusion equations. The calculated diffusion coefficients varied from 1.05 × 10⁻⁸ cm²/sec (co-monomer TMTMA) to 3.15 × 10⁻⁸ cm²/sec (co-monomer T4EGDMA). Correlation of the diffusion coefficients with crosslink density and hydrophilicity showed an inverse trend (R ² = 0.41). The correlation of diffusion coefficient with crosslink density and hydrophilicity are closer for molecules differing by simple repeat units (R ² = 0.95). These differences in the trends reveal mechanisms of interaction of the diffusing water with the polymer structure.     

Reconfiguration of spectral absorption features using a frequency-chirped laser pulse

A technique is proposed to manipulate atomic population in an inhomogeneously broadened medium, which can set an arbitrary absorption spectrum to a uniform transparency (erasure) or to a nearly complete inversion. These reconfigurations of atomic spectral distribution are achieved through excitation of electronic transitions using a laser pulse with chirped frequency, which precisely affects selected spectral regions while leaving the rest of the spectrum unperturbed. An erasure operation sets the final atomic population inversion to zero and the inversion operation flips the population between the ground and the excited states, regardless of the previously existing population distribution. This technique finds important applications both in optical signal processing, where fast, recursive processing and high dynamic range are desirable and in quantum memory and quantum computing, which both require high efficiency and high fidelity in quantum state preparation of atomic ensembles. Proof-of-concept demonstrations were performed in a rare-earth doped crystal.