Decay phases of Swift X-ray afterglows and the forward-shock model

The X-ray flux of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows monitored by the Swift satellite from January 2005 to July 2006 displays one to four phases of flux power-law decay. In chronological order, they are: the GRB tail, the 'hump', the standard decay and the post-jet-break decay. More than half of the GRB tails can be identified with the large-angle emission produced during the burst (but arriving later at observer). The remaining, slower GRB tails imply that the gamma-ray mechanism continues to radiate after the burst, as also suggested by the frequent occurrence of X-ray flares during the burst tail. The several GRB tails exhibiting a slow unbroken power-law decay until 100ks must be attributed to the forward shock. In fact, the decay of most GRB tails is also consistent with that of the forward-shock emission from a narrow jet. The X-ray light-curve hump may be due to an increase of the kinetic energy per solid angle of the forward-shock region visible to the observer, caused by either the transfer of energy from ejecta to the forward shock or the emergence of the emission from an outflow seen from a location outside the jet opening. The decay following the X-ray light-curve hump is consistent with the emission from an adiabatic blast wave but, contrary to expectations, the light-curve decay index and spectral slope during this phase are not correlated. The X-ray light curves of two dozens X-ray afterglows that followed for more than a week do not exhibit a jet break, in contrast with the behaviour of pre-Swift optical afterglows, which displayed jet breaks at 0.5-2 days. Nevertheless, the X-ray light curves of several Swift afterglows show a second steepening break at 0.4-3 days that is consistent with the break expected for a jet when its edge becomes visible to the observer.     

Optical/UV and X-Ray Microwave Kinetic Inductance Strip Detectors

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are superconducting detectors that sense the change in the surface impedance of a thin superconducting film when Cooper Pairs are broken by using a high quality factor resonant circuit. We are developing strip detectors that have aluminum MKID sensors on both ends of a rectangular tantalum strip. These devices can provide one dimensional spatial imaging with high quantum efficiency, energy resolution, and microsecond time resolution for single photons from the IR to the X-ray. We have demonstrated X-ray strip detectors with an energy resolution of 62 eV at 6 keV, and hope to improve this substantially. We will also report on our progress towards optical arrays for a planned camera for the Palomar 200″ telescope.     

Optical Society of America's 2007 Topical Meeting on Optical Interference Coatings: overview

The Optical Society of America's Topical Meeting on Optical Interference Coatings convenes every three years to survey and capture advancements in the broad area of optical coatings. This meeting serves as a focal point for global technical interchange in the field of optical interference coatings. It includes papers on research, development, and applications of optical coatings, such as fundamental and theoretical contributions in the field as well as practical techniques and applications.     

紫外光纤的激光传输特性测试

为适应紫外激光传输需要，试制了高透过紫外石英光纤，设计了实验装置，并测量了该种光纤的紫外传输损耗、弯曲损耗、激光损伤阈值和非线性光学效应，并与普通商用石英光纤作比较。分析并获得了紫外光纤的激光传输特性。     

Efficient UV polymerisation of 3BCMU: Optical and waveguiding properties of the material

A modified method to synthesize 3BCMU and to polymerize it by ultraviolet (UV) radiation is presented; the polymerization technique gave a maximum yield of 18%. Langmuir-Blodgett and spin coated films of UV/poly-3BCMU have been fabricated. Visible and resonance Raman spectroscopy and waveguide tests were performed: the results are compared with those obtained with y/poly-3BCMU films.     

Optical properties of metal-dielectric multilayers in the near UV region

Metal-dielectric multilayers have versatile optical properties that can be used in many applications. The special properties of metal films in the near UV region are analyzed in terms of the d-band contribution to the plasma oscillation. The important parameters that determine the multilayer optical properties such as skin depth dependence on the wavelength and the thickness of silver films have been calculated. The morphology of silver films on titanium dioxide has been observed by TEM. The results indicate that an optimal thickness exists for near UV transparency, and that may be related to the resonance of voids and interface enhanced resonance-tunneling transmission of semi-continuous silver films. A special heat mirror with high transparency in the near UV region was designed and fabricated according to the optimal thickness of silver; it has been found to exhibit sound optical properties.     

微型紫外光纤光谱仪的光学系统设计及性能检测

采用非对称交叉的切尼尔-特纳(C-T)光路结构,设计了一种微型紫外光纤光谱仪的光学系统.用ZEMAX对光路进行仿真、像质评价和优化,对各类像差进行校正.同时,对不同狭缝尺寸和光栅常数的光谱仪理论分辨率进行了分析.当采用30μm狭缝和1 800线/mm光栅时,模拟光学系统在180~270nm光谱范围内整体分辨率优于0.5nm,在180nm附近最高分辨率达到0.1nm.最后,基于该光学设计研制了一台光谱仪样机,在使用交流电弧激发金属纯铁样品的条件下,对原子发射光谱进行了检测.     

Optical absorption and thermoluminescence in single NaCl:Cu crystals exposed to 60Co and UV light

Optical absorption (OA) and thermally stimulated luminescence measurements were performed on NaCl:Cu+(0.04 and 0.08%) crystals blocks grown by the Czochralski technique. The NaCl:Cu+ crystals were exposed to gamma rays from a 60Co source (0.954-30 kGy) as well as UV radiation. The radiation-induced defects were mainly F, Cu- and Cu+ centres, with absorption bands located at 464, 256.7 and 236 nm, respectively. The absorption bands were found to be independent of the Cu impurity concentration. As the gamma-dose irradiation increased, the absorption band at 256.7 nm decreased while the band at 236.3 nm increased highly along with the 256.7 nm band. The F-centres produced at high gamma-radiation dose while thermally bleached showed an increase of the Cu+ OA bands with a simultaneous decrease of Cu- absorption band. The bleaching with F-light showed the participation of the F centre generated by gamma radiation on the ion valence changes of the doping impurity as well as on the TL phenomenon. The TL measurements in NaCl:Cu crystals with both impurity concentrations demonstrated that the Cu+ concentration has a strong influence on the intensity and shape of the glow peaks.     

纳秒级紫外/软X射线条纹相机

纳秒级紫外/软X射线条纹相机是一种利用高速扫描电路实现将纳秒级光信号转化为图像信 号的高速图像设备,它主要包括了条纹管、高速高压扫描单元、高压单元以及控制记录单元等部分。系统设计中采用近贴聚焦电子光学系统和雪崩管电路使得目前所能达到的指标为:能谱响应范围紫外～1keV,空间分辨力静态15Lp/mm,动态5Lp/mm,时间分辨力为500ps。     

Oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid by UV radiation and by TiO2/UV radiation: comparison and modelling of reaction kinetic

The phenolic compound p-hydroxybenzoic acid is very common in a great variety of agroindustrial wastewaters (olive oil and table olive industries, distilleries). The objective of this work was to study the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 towards the decomposition of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. In order to demonstrate the greater oxidizing power of the photocatalytic system and to quantify the additional levels of degradation attained, we performed experiments on the oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid by UV radiation alone and by the TiO2/UV radiation combination. A kinetic model is applied for the photooxidation by UV radiation and by the TiO(2)/UV system. Experimental results indicated that the kinetics for both oxidation processes can be fitted well by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The second oxidation process can be explained in terms of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model. The values of the adsorption equilibrium constant, K(pHB), and the second order kinetic rate constant, k(c), were 0.37 ppm(-1) and 6.99 ppm min(-1), respectively. Finally, a comparison between the kinetic rate constants for two oxidation systems reveals that the constants for the TiO2/UV system are clearly greater (between 220-435%) than those obtained in the direct UV photooxidation.     

Short-Period GaMnAs/GaAs Superlattices: Optical and Magnetic Characterization

Superlattices with magnetic layers containing from 8 to 16 GaMnAs monolayers corresponding to the mixed crystal composition between 5 and 6% of Mn and from 4 to 10 GaAs monolayers were grown by the low temperature MBE technique and characterized by Raman scattering. Folded acoustic phonons were observed for all superlattices in the Raman scattering spectra. The interlayer exchange coupling, found previously by the wide-angle neutron diffraction in selected superlattices was investigated by the spin-polarized neutron reflectometry. It was always of ferromagnetic type, no trace of antiferromagnetic coupling was found.     

Photodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) by UV/H2O2 and UV/TiO2

Two UV-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), UV/H2O2 and UV/TiO2, were tested in batch reactor systems to evaluate the removal efficiencies and optimal conditions for the photodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). The optimal conditions at an initial MTBE concentration of 1 mM ([MTBE]0=1 mM) were acidic and 15 mM H2O2 in UV/H2O2 system, and pH 3.0 and 2.0 g/l TiO2 in UV/TiO2 suspended slurries system under 254-nm UV irradiation. Under the optimal conditions, MTBE photodegradation during the initial period of 60 min in UV/H2O2 and UV/TiO2 systems reached 98 and 80%, respectively. In both systems, MTBE photodegradation decreased with increasing [MTBE]0. While MTBE photodegradation rates increased with increasing dosage of H2O2 (5-15 mM) and TiO2 (0.5-3 g/l), further increase in the dosage of H2O2 (20 mM) or TiO2 (4 g/l) adversely reduced the MTBE photodegradation. Pseudo first-order kinetics with regard to [MTBE] can be used to describe the MTBE photodegradation in both systems. The pseudo first-order rate constants linearly increased with the increase in the molar ratio of [H2O2]0 to [MTBE]0 in UV/H2O2 system and linearly increased with the decrease in [MTBE]0 in UV/TiO2 system.     

屏蔽紫外线LDPE透明包装薄膜的光学设计及其在油脂食品包装上的应用

通过透射光谱分析研究了自制可屏蔽紫外线LDPE透明包装薄膜的光学性质,并针对透明包装材料透光性对油炸椒盐花生氧化酸败的影响进行了分析研究,建立了描述其货架寿命的数学模型.     

Diffusion-engineered single-photon spectrometer for UV/visible detection

We present predictions for a diffusion-engineered, single-photon spectrometer in the UV–visible range using a superconducting tunnel junction. Quasiparticles are created by photoexcitation, with charge Q₀. After tunneling through the junction, the quasiparticles can either backtunnel or diffuse away. With confinement by a higher gap or by narrow leads the quasiparticles in the counterelectrode dwell next to the junction and backtunnel, increasing the collected charge to Q=pQ₀, p>1. For very narrow leads the dwell time is inversely proportional to the lead width, up to the recombination time of Al, 1 ms at 0.2 K. The new aspect of our work is the use of narrow leads to control the charge gain p, while minimizing self-heating. This charge gain will improve the energy resolution compared to the case p=1, where the electronic noise is dominant, and compared to much larger charge gain, p≈50, where large self-heating resulted with extra noise.     

Rail defects: an overview

For about 150 years, the steel rail has been at the very heart of the world's railway systems. The rail works in a harsh environment and, as part of the track structure, it has little redundancy; thus, its failure may lead to catastrophic derailment of vehicles, the consequences of which can include death, injury, costs and loss of public confidence. These can have devastating and long‐lasting effects on the industry. Despite the advances being made in railway permanent way engineering, inspection and rail‐making technology, continually increasing service demands have resulted in rail failure continuing to be a substantial economic burden and a threat to the safe operation of virtually every railway in the world. This paper presents an overview of rail defects and their consequences from the earliest days of railways to the present day.