Basic functions for early vision

It is commonly agreed on that the first step in early vision consists of projections of the image to a set of basis functions. Usually the spatial distribution of the basis functions is homogeneous and the projection is a convolution but in general this will not be the case. In the literature there is a wealth of different basis functions, each of them optimal with respect to certain criteria. On the other hand, there seems to be a convergence towards derivatives of Gaussians or harmonic modulations of Gaussians (Gabor functions). In this report we discuss the principles and analysing methods underlying the choice of these functions. One of these methods that recently became of exceptional importance is the energy/phase representation. We investigate in detail the quality of succesive orders of derivatives of Gaussians as odd/even pairs for the energy/phase concept. In addition we work out to which extent derivatives of Gaussians can be approximated by Gabor functions

Reconstruction of multidimensional signals from multiple level threshold crossings

Also issued as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1987.Includes bibliographical references.Supported in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency monitored by ONR. N00014-81-K-0742 Supported in part by the National Science Foundation. ECS 84-07285 Supported in part by a Fanny and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship.Avideh Zakhor

Constructing velocity distributions in crossed-molecular beam studies using fourier transform doppler spectroscopy

The goal of our scattering experiments is to derive the distribution the differential cross-section and elucidate the dynamics of a bimolecular collision via pure rotational spectroscopy. We have explored the use of a data reduction model to directly transform rotational line shapes into the differential cross section and speed distribution of a reactive bimolecular collision. This inversion technique, known as Fourier Transform Doppler Spectroscopy (FTDS), initially developed by James Kinsey [1], deconvolves the velocity information contained in one-dimensional Doppler Profiles to construct the non-thermal, state-selective three-dimensional velocity distribution. By employing an expansion in classical orthogonal polynomials, the integral transform in FTDS can be simplified into a set of purely algebraic expressions technique; i.e. the Taatjes method [2]. In this investigation, we extend the Taatjes method for general use in recovering asymmetric velocity distributions. We have also constructed a hypothet- ical asymmetric distribution from adiabatic scattering in Argon-Argon to test the general method. The angle- and speed-components of the sample distribution were derived classically from a Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential, with collisions at 60 meV, and mapped onto Radon space to generate a set of discrete Doppler profiles. The sample distribution was reconstructed from these profiles using FTDS. Both distributions were compared along with derived total cross sections for the Argon-Argon system. This study serves as a template for constructing velocity distributions from bimolecular scattering experiments using the FTDS inversion technique

Region Operators of Wigner Function: Transformations, Realizations and Bounds

An integral of the Wigner function of a wavefunction |psi >, over some region S in classical phase space is identified as a (quasi) probability measure (QPM) of S, and it can be expressed by the |psi > average of an operator referred to as the region operator (RO). Transformation theory is developed which provides the RO for various phase space regions such as point, line, segment, disk and rectangle, and where all those ROs are shown to be interconnected by completely positive trace increasing maps. The latter are realized by means of unitary operators in Fock space extended by 2D vector spaces, physically identified with finite dimensional systems. Bounds on QPMs for regions obtained by tiling with discs and rectangles are obtained by means of majorization theory.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. Hurst Bracken Festschrift, Reports of Mathematical Physics, Feb 2006, to appea

The exponentially convergent trapezoidal rule

It is well known that the trapezoidal rule converges geometrically when applied to analytic functions on periodic intervals or the real line. The mathematics and history of this phenomenon are reviewed and it is shown that far from being a curiosity, it is linked with computational methods all across scientific computing, including algorithms related to inverse Laplace transforms, special functions, complex analysis, rational approximation, integral equations, and the computation of functions and eigenvalues of matrices and operators

Modal Analysis of Millimetre-wave and Terahertz Imaging Systems

This thesis presents the theory and applications of electromagnetic field calculation using orthogonal Gaussian beam modes within the context of far-infrared imaging systems. Laguerre and Hermite-Gaussian modes have been frequently reported in the analysis of paraxial millimetre-wave propagation in astronomical optical systems. Here the method of Gaussian beam mode analysis (GBMA) is extended to fields of optical research that have until recently been associated with wavelengths in the visible band. Using recently derived expressions for the non-paraxial diffraction of Hermite-Gaussian modes, the author demonstrates the modal calculation of far-field intensity distributions with less angular restriction on the accuracy of the method compared to the conventional paraxial description of orthogonal Gaussian modes. This method shows excellent agreement with predictions from more rigourous fullwave numerical methods such as the finite-difference time-domain algorithm, which is also described as a software tool in the modelling of horn and lens antennas. The properties of diffraction limited Bessel beams is described using the Laguerre-Gaussian expansion of conical lenses, and experimental measurements of a conical lens is presented to explore the validity of the use of these optical elements as horn coupled devices in millimetre wave imaging systems. A study of diffractive Fresnel lenses has been undertaken with a comparison of experimentally measured fields with those predicted by the modal techniques. The effects of such lenses on ultrashort paraxial pulses are also investigated using a novel numerical description of few-cycle fields as a superposition of pulsed Laguerre- Gaussian modes. The application of digital holography in the far-infra red band has the prospect of diffraction limited imaging systems without creating distortions and aberrations which is a common problem in conventional techniques using lenses and mirrors. The author presents results from a simple proof-of-concept system which exhibits the potential of this technique for application in, for example, mm-wave security imaging