VARIOUS DIFFRACTION EFFECTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR DETECTION OF INHOMOGENEITES IN HUMAN TISSUES

Hitherto described microwave modalities for detection of internal inhomogeneities in human tissues such as breasts and heads are by image reconstruction, requiring time-consuming computational resources. The method developed at MDH is instead based on the use of a magnetic field transducer, creating an essentially circular electrical field. This is in turn diffracted by the dielectric inhomogenity and that signal is received by an E-field sensor in an appropriate position. The transmitting applicator is unique by no need to contact the object under study (OUS) and does not generate any surface waves at it. The primary field has properties behaving as coming from a magnetic monopole. The receiving 3D contacting applicator contains a high-permittivity ceramic and is resonant in order to provide the desired field polarisation sensitivity. The desired system properties are achieved by optimized use of the orthogonality properties of the primary magnetic, induced electric, and diffracted electric fields

Physical Parameters and Contrasts of Wooden Objects in Lacustrine Environment: Ground Penetrating Radar and Geoelectrics

We investigate how suitable ground penetrating radar (GPR) and geoelectrics are to prospect the remains of submerged wooden archaeological constructions in the water column. For this purpose, we determined the contrasts of electric resistivity and dielectric permittivity from measurements on present-day wood samples, serving as simplified approximations of water saturated and undegraded archaeological wood. As common substitutes of hard and soft construction wood, we investigated oak and spruce wood. The electric resistivity and dielectric permittivity were determined with increasing moisture content from small-scale electric and GPR measurements using a Wenner alpha array and a 2 GHz Palm antenna in a watering experiment. In a water-saturated state, resistivity values of 20 were observed. The anisotropy effects and deviations of the wood species were seen to be up to 30%. On the basis of this, the relative material contrasts of wood with respect to fresh water, sand, and clay were calculatedand compared to values found in the literature for seismic contrasts. Geoelectric, GPR, and seismic measurements show contrasts of 0.3 to 0.8, −0.4 to 0.2, and −0.24 to 0.35, depending on the surrounding material and structural orientation of the wood. The highest contrasts were found for wood in fresh water, followed by clayey and sandy subsoils. On the basis of the determined contrasts, analytical calculations were performed showing that an object of 0.5 m diameter can be detected at depths between 0.5 m and 1.5 m with geoelectrics (Schlumberger) and at depths between 0.5 m and 3 m with ground penetrating radar measurements (400 MHz)

Shape-induced force fields in optical trapping

Advances in optical tweezers, coupled with the proliferation of two-photon polymerization systems, mean that it is now becoming routine to fabricate and trap non-spherical particles. The shaping of both light beams and particles allows fine control over the flow of momentum from the optical to mechanical regimes. However, understanding and predicting the behaviour of such systems is highly complex in comparison with the traditional optically trapped microsphere. In this Article, we present a conceptually new and simple approach based on the nature of the optical force density. We illustrate the method through the design and fabrication of a shaped particle capable of acting as a passive force clamp, and we demonstrate its use as an optically trapped probe for imaging surface topography. Further applications of the design rules highlighted here may lead to new sensors for probing biomolecule mechanics, as well as to the development of optically actuated micromachines

Application of impedance spectroscopy to the study of dithiocarbamate species on Au surfaces: Effects of aqueous Cu²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions

Self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of dithiocarbamate ligands were formed on the Au surface of an interdigitated electrode (IDE) array by reaction of amines with CS2 in H2O/CH3OH solutions. Impedance spectroscopy was used to probe for the presence of each SAM as they were individually applied to the surface of the IDE by examining differences in collected impedance data after each step of the chemical application sequence. The impedance behavior of the SAM’s were then studied in the presence of aqueous Cu2+ and Mg2+ ions. A treated IDE array would, in theory, be able to preferentially detect lower concentrations of Cu2+(aq) by complexing with that specific ion, thus concentrating it within the capacitance field. Cupric ion chelating groups anchored to the gold surface by the dithiocarbamate group included morpholine or 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline. A sensitive determination of the amount of Cu2+ leaching from anti-fouling marine hull coatings into water would be a useful example of practical applications of impedance-based sensors for heavy metal ions. Results of this work indicate that the SAM-treated IDE arrays differed in their impedance behavior relative to untreated IDE arrays. The SAM-treated IDE arrays detected 1.00 μM Cu2+ concentrations with confidence, while untreated IDE arrays only detected as low as 50.0 μM Cu2+ with confidence. i

Analysis of forces for micromanipulations in dry and liquid media.

International audienceDuring microscale object manipulation, contact (pull-off) forces and non-contact (capillary, van der Waals and electrostatic) forces determine the behaviour of the micro-objects rather than the inertial forces. The aim of this article is to give an experimental analysis of the physical phenomena at a microscopic scale in dry and liquid media. This article introduces a review of the major differences between dry and submerged micromanipulations. The theoretical influences of the medium on van der Waals forces, electrostatic forces, pull-off forces and hydrodynamic forces are presented. Experimental force measurements based on an AFM system are carried out. These experiments exhibit a correlation better than 40 % between the theoretical forces and the measured forces (except for pull-off in water). Finally, some comparative experimental micromanipulation results are described and show the advantages of the liquid medium

Marine and Limnic Archaeological Prospection with Geoelectrics and Ground-Penetrating Radar

In recent years, near-surface geophysical prospection of archaeological issues such as harbours in the littoral zone has gained increasing interest. So far, the two methods geoelectrics and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) have hardly been used for archaeological prospection in littoral zones. In addition, there is a lack of knowledge on the physical parameters of the materials to be prospected, including water-saturated, possibly weathered wood. In my thesis, I systematically investigate possible areas of application of the methods geoelectrics and GPR in the littoral zone. I investigate the methods’ limitations and conditions under which they can be used individually or as a complementary method to seismics. The targeted prospection of the material wood with the methods is treated in detail. First, application possibilities of geoelectrics were investigated. The method is suitable to resolve archaeological stone settings and groundwater upwelling areas. For survey measurements and geological issues, towed, floating electrode arrays are well suited. Submerged electrodes should be used for archaeological prospection. Next, the characteristics of GPR in water under field conditions were analysed. The methods’ penetration depth is almost independent of the antenna frequency and the presence of organic material in the water. An antenna array would have to be used for areal archaeological prospection with centimetre accuracy. The topic of the third part is “wood”. In order to evaluate possibilities of prospecting archaeological wooden objects such as shipwrecks with GPR and geoelectrics, the physical parameters of wood were determined experimentally and material contrasts were calculated. Both methods are suitable for the prospecting of wood in freshwater. The accurate evaluation of the methods in water environments allows them to be used in the future for well-defined research issues