Pound-Drever-Hall-locked, frequency-stabilized cavity ring-down spectrometer

We describe a high sensitivity and high spectral resolution laser absorption spectrometer based upon the frequency-stabilized cavity ring-down spectroscopy (FS-CRDS) technique. We used the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) method to lock the probe laser to the high-finesse ring-down cavity. We show that the concomitant narrowing of the probe laser line width leads to dramatically increased ring-down event acquisition rates (up to 14.3 kHz), improved spectrum signal-to-noise ratios for weak O(2) absorption spectra at λ = 687 nm and substantial increase in spectrum acquisition rates compared to implementations of FS-CRDS that do not incorporate high-bandwidth locking techniques. The minimum detectable absorption coefficient and the noise-equivalent absorption coefficient for the spectrometer are about 2×10(-10) cm(-1) and 7.5×10(-11) cm(-1)Hz(-1/2), respectively.     

Investigation of the γ′ Precipitates Dissolution in a Ni-Based Superalloy During Stress-Free Short-Term Annealing at High Homologous Temperatures

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The equiaxed Ni-based superalloy René 108 was subjected to short-term annealing at five temperatures between 900 °C and 1100 °C....     

Regional cardiac motion and strain estimation in three-dimensional echocardiography: a validation study in thick-walled univentricular phantoms

Automatic quantification of regional left ventricular deformation in volumetric ultrasound data remains challenging. Many methods have been proposed to extract myocardial motion, including techniques using block matching, phase-based correlation, differential optical flow methods, and image registration. Our lab previously presented an approach based on elastic registration of subsequent volumes using a B-spline representation of the underlying transformation field. Encouraging results were obtained for the assessment of global left ventricular function, but a thorough validation on a regional level was still lacking. For this purpose, univentricular thick-walled cardiac phantoms were deformed in an experimental setup to locally assess strain accuracy against sonomicrometry as a reference method and to assess whether regions containing stiff inclusions could be detected. Our method showed good correlations against sonomicrometry: r(2) was 0.96, 0.92, and 0.84 for the radial (ε(RR)), longitudinal (ε(LL)), and circumferential (ε(CC)) strain, respectively. Absolute strain errors and strain drift were low for ε(LL) (absolute mean error: 2.42%, drift: -1.05%) and ε(CC) (error: 1.79%, drift: -1.33%) and slightly higher for ε(RR) (error: 3.37%, drift: 3.05%). The discriminative power of our methodology was adequate to resolve full transmural inclusions down to 17 mm in diameter, although the inclusion-to-surrounding tissue stiffness ratio was required to be at least 5:2 (absolute difference of 39.42 kPa). When the inclusion-to-surrounding tissue stiffness ratio was lowered to approximately 2:1 (absolute difference of 22.63 kPa), only larger inclusions down to 27 mm in diameter could still be identified. Radial strain was found not to be reliable in identifying dysfunctional regions.     

Effects of multistress aging (radiation, thermal, electrical) onpolypropylene

Capacitor-grade polypropylene films were aged under multiple stresses (electrical, thermal, and radiation). The aging experiments were performed for both singular and simultaneous combined stresses. The polypropylene was exposed to combined neutron-gamma radiation with a total dose of 1.6×10⁶ rad, electrical stress at 40 V _rms/μm, and thermal stress at 90°C. Post-aging diagnostics consisting of electrical, mechanical, physical and chemical characterization were carried out to identify degradation mechanisms for polypropylene films under multifactor stress aging. The most pronounced changes were observed in the mechanical properties of the film. Significant decrease in elongation at break and tensile strength proved deterioration of the polypropylene under combined neutron-gamma radiation. This decrease was caused by chain-scission of the polypropylene molecules. The temperature stress had an opposite effect, causing an increase in the above-mentioned properties and offsetting, therefore, the negative effect of radiation. Although changes were observed in the electrical properties, they were not as significant as those for the mechanical characteristics. It can be concluded, that the failure mechanism of the electrical insulation under multistress aging conditions could be a mechanical failure of the material, rather than direct homogeneous decay in the dielectric strength or thermal breakdown of the polymer     

System for personal dosimetry in interventional radiology

The progress made in radiological image processing and transmission is being widely applied in new branches of medicine. The increasing use of interventional radiology in research and clinical practice means that new groups of workers are being exposed to radiation and need to be covered by a system of radiation protection. Interventional radiology requires the operator and assisting personnel to remain close to the patient; typically these procedures require placement of the hands within the radiation field. A system of hand dose monitoring was introduced in Poland in 2000. This system uses ring badges with TL dosemeters. The measurements conducted so far characteristically show an asymmetric right-sided distribution of monthly doses. As expected, operators and their assistants are the most exposed groups of medical personnel. Average hand doses may be very dependent on the type of procedure, personal skills and quality of equipment. The hand doses of these personnel are significant from a radiological protection point of view.     

Calixarene monolayers as quartz crystal microbalance sensing elements in aqueous solution

We have examined p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenetetrathiolate (BCAT) monolayers for their potential use as molecular recognition elements for in situ aqueous chemical sensors. Spectroscopic and wetting studies of BCAT monolayers on Au{111} reveal that the calixarene molecules exist in monolayers, preferentially oriented with their phenyl rings parallel to the surface normal axis. Using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors with gold-coated electrodes, the chemical specificity of monolayers and thin films to a variety of aromatic and aliphatic analytes in aqueous solution was examined. The response of BCAT sensors was compared to the responses of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (BCA)- and decanethiolate (DT)-coated QCM electrodes. BCAT is very selective for alkylbenzenes, much more so than either its spray-coated thin-film analogue, BCA, or the highly ordered DT monolayer. From these measurements, the factors behind molecular differentiation in each film are explored. Drawing upon these findings, the roles of cavitation and film order in molecular recognition for calixarene films are discussed.     

Testing and Evaluation of Insulating Films Part I: Description of Test Facilities at the University at Buffalo

This first part in a two-part series examines the test facilities available at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York. The facilities have been set up to study-the effect of electrical, thermal, and radiation, prestressing upon the physical properties of dielectric materials proposed for use in high voltage energy storage and transfer systems.     

Effects of fast neutron radiation on polypropylene

Capacitor-grade polypropylene films were irradiated in a 2-MW thermal nuclear reactor and exposed to fast neutron radiation at a flux rate of 2.6×10¹² neutron/cm² s and gamma radiation at a level of 10⁷ rad/h. The postirradiation effects on changes in the electrical and chemical properties of the films were studied for irradiation times up to 10 h. The electrical properties were DC and AC breakdown voltages, life under pulsed voltage stress, dielectric permittivity, dielectric losses, and volume resistivity. Chemical analysis was performed using the infrared spectroscopy technique. Small changes were detected in the dielectric strength, dielectric properties, and volume resistivity of the film. These changes are believed to be caused by oxidation of the polypropylene film, as was evidenced by the infrared spectra showing an increase in the carbonyl absorption peak at 1720 cm^-1