45,500 research outputs found
Compressive imaging of transient absorption dynamics on the femtosecond timescale
Femtosecond spectroscopy is an important tool for tracking rapid photoinduced
processes in a variety of materials. To spatially map the processes in a sample
would substantially expand the capabilities of the method. This is, however,
difficult to achieve due to the necessity to use low-noise detection and to
maintain feasible data acquisition time. Here we demonstrate realization of an
imaging pump-probe setup, featuring sub-100 fs temporal resolution, by a
straightforward modification of a standard pump-probe technique, using a
randomly structured probe beam. The structured beam, made by a diffuser,
enabled us to computationally reconstruct the maps of transient absorption
dynamics based on the concept of compressed sensing. We demonstrate the
functionality of the setup in two proof-of-principle experiments, were we
achieve spatial resolution of 20 \mu m. The presented concept provides a
feasible route to imaging, using the pump-probe technique and ultrafast
spectroscopy in general.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
CORMASS: A Compact and Efficient NIR Spectrograph for Studying Low-Mass Objects
CorMASS (Cornell Massachusetts Slit Spectrograph) is a compact,
low-resolution (R=300), double-pass prism cross-dispersed near-infrared (NIR)
spectrograph in operation on the Palomar Observatory 60-inch telescope. Its
2-dimensional spectral format provides simultaneous coverage from lambda ~ 0.75
microns to lambda ~ 2.5 microns (z'JHK bands). A remotely operated cold flip
mirror permits its NICMOS3 detector to function as a K_s slit viewer to assist
object placement into the 2 arcsec x 15 arcsec slit. CorMASS was primarily
designed for the rapid spectral classification of low-mass stellar and
sub-stellar objects identified by the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS).
CorMASS' efficiency and resolution also make it a versatile instrument for the
spectral observation and classification of many other types of bright objects
(K<14) including quasars, novae, and emission line objects.Comment: To be published in Feb 2001 PASP, 19 pages, 12 Figures, High
Resolution file can be retrieved from
ftp://iras2.tn.cornell.edu/pub/wilson/papers/cormass.ps.g
Role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in emotional learning
Amygdala dopamine is crucially involved in the acquisition of Pavlovian associations, as measured via conditioned approach to the location of the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, learning begins before skeletomotor output, so this study assessed whether amygdala dopamine is also involved in earlier 'emotional' learning. A variant of the conditioned reinforcement (CR) procedure was validated where training was restricted to curtail the development of selective conditioned approach to the US location, and effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations before training or later CR testing assessed. Experiment 1a presented a light paired (CS+ group) or unpaired (CS- group) with a US. There were 1, 2 or 10 sessions, 4 trials per session. Then, the US was removed, and two novel levers presented. One lever (CR+) presented the light, and lever pressing was recorded. Experiment 1b also included a tone stimulus. Experiment 2 applied intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (10 nmol/1.0 A mu l/side) before two training sessions (Experiment 2a) or a CR session (Experiment 2b). For Experiments 1a and 1b, the CS+ group preferred the CR+ lever across all sessions. Conditioned alcove approach during 1 or 2 training sessions or associated CR tests was low and nonspecific. In Experiment 2a, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT before training greatly diminished lever pressing during a subsequent CR test, preferentially on the CR+ lever. For Experiment 2b, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions before the CR test also reduced lever pressing. Manipulations of amygdala dopamine impact the earliest stage of learning in which emotional reactions may be most prevalent
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