High contrast air-coupled acoustic imaging with zero group velocity Lamb modes

The well known zero in the group velocity of the first-order symmetric (S1) plate wave mode has been exploited in air-coupled ultrasonic imaging to obtain significantly higher sensitivity than can be achieved in conventional air-coupled scanning. At the zero group velocity point at the frequency minimum of the S1mode, a broad range of wavenumbers couple into the first-order symmetric mode at nearly a constant frequency, greatly enhancing transmission at that frequency. Coupled energy remains localized near the coupling point because the group velocity is zero. We excite the mode with a broadband, focussing, air-coupled transducer at the frequency of the zero group velocity point in the S1 mode. By exploiting the efficient coupling at the zero group velocity frequency, we have easily imaged a single layer of Scotch tape attached to a 6.4-mm thick Plexiglas plate and 3.2-mm Teflon inserts in a composite laminate

Air-coupled acoustic imaging with zero-group-velocity Lamb modes

A Lamb wave resonance has been found that allows unusually efficient transmission of airborne sound waves through plates. This occurs at the zero-group-velocity point at the frequency minimum of the first-order symmetric (S1 ) Lamb mode. At this frequency, plane waves with a range of incident angles can couple between the air and the Lamb mode in the solid plate, dominating the spectrum of transmitted focused sound beams by 10 dB or more. We use this frequency for C-scan imaging, and demonstrate the detection of both a 3.2-mm-diameter buried flaw and a subwavelength thickness changes of .005l ~1%!

Residual Bias Phenomenon in Air‐Coupled Ultrasonic Capacitive Film Transducers

We discuss in this paper the underlying physics of a residual bias phenomenon, whereby the metalized Mylar films of air‐coupled film transducers accept and retain a residual electrostatic charge. Experimental measurements to demonstrate and quantify this effect are reported here, along with a hypothesis of the mechanism of charge transfer and embedding. The measurements show the amplitude performance of the capacitive film transducers as a function of applied bias voltage and frequency. Factors such as humidity and decay time also play roles in the acquisition and holding of charge on a film. We hypothesize that charge transfers from the conductive backplate and collects on the non‐metalized side of the film. The charged films therefore are electrostatically attracted to the transducer backplate even with no applied voltage bias. Typically, an externally applied bias voltage is needed to charge the capacitor. With a persistent residual bias effect, these air‐coupled capacitive film transducers could be used like conventional piezoelectric transducers with no biasing required. This effect has substantial implications for the operation of air‐coupled film transducers

Towards Intelligent Databases

This article is a presentation of the objectives and techniques of deductive databases. The deductive approach to databases aims at extending with intensional definitions other database paradigms that describe applications extensionaUy. We first show how constructive specifications can be expressed with deduction rules, and how normative conditions can be defined using integrity constraints. We outline the principles of bottom-up and top-down query answering procedures and present the techniques used for integrity checking. We then argue that it is often desirable to manage with a database system not only database applications, but also specifications of system components. We present such meta-level specifications and discuss their advantages over conventional approaches

Wednesday Evening Session XIX ‘Town Meeting on a Working Group in NDE’

The following record of the Wednesday evening problem session at th effort Magruder Inn, Williamsburg was transcribed from audio tapes made during the presentations and discussion

Impeded Growth of Magnetic Flux Bubbles in the Intermediate State Pattern of Type I Superconductors

Normal state bubble patterns in Type I superconducting Indium and Lead slabs are studied by the high resolution magneto-optical imaging technique. The size of bubbles is found to be almost independent of the long-range interaction between the normal state domains. Under bubble diameter and slab thickness proper scaling, the results gather onto a single master curve. On this basis, in the framework of the "current-loop" model [R.E. Goldstein, D.P. Jackson and A.T. Dorsey, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3818 (1996)], we calculate the equilibrium diameter of an isolated bubble resulting from the competition between the Biot-and-Savart interaction of the Meissner current encircling the bubble and the superconductor-normal interface energy. A good quantitative agreement with the master curve is found over two decades of the magnetic Bond number. The isolation of each bubble in the superconducting matrix and the existence of a positive interface energy are shown to preclude any continuous size variation of the bubbles after their formation, contrary to the prediction of mean-field models.Comment: \'{e}quipe Nanostructures Quantique

MOSAIC: A Scalable reconfigurable 2D array system for NDT

This paper documents the development of a scalable 2D array system, or Mosaic that can be targeted at a wide range of NDT applications by way of a reconfigurable tile that can be tessellated to form arrays of any size and shape. Close coupling permits utilization of excitation voltages as low as +/-3.3V with insertion loss of 48dB on reflection from an aluminum back wall at 73mm achieved using 2D arrays without decoding