X-ray absolute calibration of the time response of a silicon photodiode

The time-dependent response of a 1-mm2 silicon photodiode was characterized by use of pulsed synchrotron radiation in the 4- to 16-nm-wavelength range. Modeling the input radiation pulse and the electrical response of the photodiode allowed the photodiode's capacitance as a function of wavelength and applied bias voltage to be determined. The capacitance was in the 7- to 19-pF range and resulted in response fall times as small as 0.4 ns. The capacitance determined by pulsed x-ray illumination was in good agreement with the capacitance determined by pulsed optical laser illumination. The absolute responsivity was measured by comparison with the responsivity of a calibrated photodiode.     

Influence of dielectric substrate on the responsivity of microstrip dipole-antenna-coupled infrared microbolometers

We report on the influence of the dielectric substrate on the performance of microstrip dipole-antenna-coupled microbolometers. The location, the width, and the magnitude of the resonance of a printed dipole are altered when the dielectric substrate is backed by a ground plane. A thicker dielectric substrate shifts the antenna resonance toward shorter dipole lengths and leads to a stronger and slower detector response. The incorporation of an air layer into the antenna substrate further increases thermal impedance, leading to an even stronger response and shifting the antenna resonance toward longer dipole lengths.     

Dynamic air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary

Simultaneous measurements of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air and water over Raritan Bay and New York Harbor were taken in July 1998, allowing the first determinations of air-water exchange fluxes for this heavily impacted system. Average gas-phase concentrations of sigmaPCBs were 1.0 ng m(-3) above Raritan Bay and 3.1 ng m(-3) above New York Harbor. A similar gradient was observed for dissolved water concentrations (1.6 and 3.8 ng L(-1), respectively). Shallow slopes of log K(oc) vs log K(ow) plots indicated a colloidal contribution to the dissolved concentrations, and a three-phase partitioning model was therefore applied. PCBs associated with colloids ranged from 6% to 93% for trichloro- to nonachlorobiphenyls, respectively. Air-water gas exchange fluxes of sigmaPCBs exhibited net volatilization for both Raritan Bay at +400 ng m(-2) day(-1) and New York Harbor at +2100 ng m(-2) day(-1). The correction for the colloidal interactions decreased the volatilization flux of sigmaPCBs by about 15%. Net air-water exchange fluxes of PCBs are expected to remain positive throughout the year due to the large water-air fugacity gradient and relatively constant seasonal water concentrations. The volatilization fluxes are approximately 40 times greater than atmospheric deposition of PCBs via both wet and dry particle deposition, suggesting that the estuary acts as a net source of PCBs to the atmosphere year-round.     

Bio-Inspired Actuation and Sensing

The superb ability of animals to negotiate rough terrain has caused engineers to focus on mechanical properties of muscle and other unique features in order to design improved robots for exploration. This paper reviews recent work in artificial muscle actuators, as well as a new sensor based on a robotic model of the muscle spindle cell. The actuator contains a pneumatic force generator in parallel with a non-linear damping element and in series with a non-linear elastic tendon. Work loop experiments were performed to characterize this actuator under conditions similar to real locomotion at different speeds. The robotic muscle spindle is an 8 × 1 cm device which simulates the response of the physiological muscle spindle to stretch. Its non-linear properties are thought to contribute to stable accurate control over a wide range of motion.     

The distimulus method of assessing luminous efficiency of the spectrally pure stimuli

In the tristimulus method of photometry, the luminance of any monochromatic stimulus can be assessed by matching it in hue and brightness to a mixture of two primaries and then reducing the saturation of the test stimulus to obtain a complete match. The luminances of the stimuli are considered to be additive, and the luminances of the two mixtures to be equal. In this article it is shown that if the primaries are properly chosen, it is not necessary to desaturate the test stimulus. The difference in saturation between the test stimulus and the mixture of the two primaries can be ignored and it may be assumed that the luminance of the test stimulus is equal to the sum of the luminances of the two primaries when the mixture and the test stimulus match in hue and brightness. Luminous efficiencies assessed in this way agree well with assessments based on flicker photometry. Flicker photometry has been used to assess the luminances of the primaries.     

Fault Tree Analysis Using Bit Manipulation

This paper describes an efficient technique for computerized fault-tree analysis. The technique is based upon binary coding of events and bit manipulation for tree reduction, reducing both computation time and computer storage requirements. The operations include generation of minimal cut sets for trees containing arbitrary AND and OR logic, and determination of top event existence probability for s-independent minimal cut sets composed of s-independent basic events. By the use of an upward algorithm for tree reduction, information is available at each logic gate. The effectiveness in producing minimal cut sets and top event probability has been demonstrated through analysis of fault trees of various sizes. The current implementation accommodates trees containing AND and OR gates, including all logical redundancies.     

Induction Generator Applications for Petroleum and Chemical Plants

A 13 900-hp 1200-r/min induction machine has been applied as a motor/generator in a compressor-expander string associated with a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process. Power factor correction capacitors are connected at the terminals of the induction machine. The specific principles of application, as they apply to generator applications, of induction machines are reviewed. Mechanical design, overspeed, excitation, electrical and mechanical transients, and machine control are studied in detail.     

Native fluorescence and excitation spectroscopic changes in Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria subjected to conditions of starvation

Fluorescence emission and excitation spectra were measured over a 7-day period for Bacillus subtilis (Bs), a spore-forming, and Staphylococcus aureus (Sa), a nonspore-forming bacteria subjected to conditions of starvation. Initially, the Bs fluorescence was predominantly due to the amino acid tryptophan. Later, a fluorescence band with an emission peak at 410 nm and excitation peak at 345 m, from dipicolinic acid, appeared. Dipicolinic acid is produced during spore formation and serves as a spectral signature for detection of spores. The intensity of the 410-nm band continued to increase over the next 3 days. The Sa fluorescence was predominantly from tryptophan and did not change over time. In 6 of the 17 Bs specimens studied, an additional band appeared with a weak emission peak at 460 cm and excitation peaks at 250, 270, and 400 nm. The addition of beta-hydroxybutyric acid to the Bs or the Sa cultures resulted in a two-order of magnitude increase in the 460-nm emission. The addition of Fe2+ quenched the 460 emission, indicating that a source of the 460-nm emission was a siderophore produced by the bacteria. We demonstrate that optical spectroscopy-based instrumentation can detect bacterial spores in real time.     

Hyperspectral data processing for repeat detection of small infestations of leafy spurge

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an invasive plant species in the north central and western U.S. and southern Canada. Idaho has established populations in the north and southeastern regions which are spreading into new sites. This study demonstrates the ability of high resolution hyperspectral imagery to provide high quality data and consistent methods to locate small and low percent canopy cover occurrences of leafy spurge. Locating leafy spurge in its early stages of invasion is critical for land managers in order to prioritize treatment, conservation, and restoration activities. Hyperspectral data were collected in 2002 and 2003 for the study area in southeastern Idaho. The imagery was classified with the Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF) algorithm. Although classifications from single date images provided discrimination of leafy spurge at approximately 10% cover in one 3.5 m pixel, for repeatability and consistency purposes, the threshold for leafy spurge discrimination is approximately 40% cover. We hypothesize that georegistration errors, small differences in leafy spurge reflectance, training endmember selection, and image processing and field validation biases between years influence multi-date detection limits. Although hyperspectral imagery is costly, in some situations, the advantages of having reliable and repeatable mapping abilities for discrimination of economically damaging invasive species such as leafy spurge outweigh the image and processing costs.