A simplified analytical approach to calculation of the electromagnetic behavior of left-handed metamaterials with a graded refractive index profile

We investigated the spectral properties of a new class of nanostructured artificial composite materials with tailored electromagnetic response, i.e. negative refractive index materials, also known as "left-handed" metamaterials. We analyzed structures incorporating both ordinary positive index media and negative refractive index metamaterials where the interface may be graded to an arbitrary degree. Utilizing a modified version of the Rosen-Morse function, we derived analytical expressions for the field intensity and spectral reflection and transmission through a graded interface between positive and negative index materials. We compared our results to numerical solutions obtained using the transfer matrix technique.

A parametric model for the changes in the complex valued conductivity of a lung during tidal breathing

Classical homogenization theory based on the Hashin-Shtrikman coated ellipsoids is used to model the changes in the complex valued conductivity (or admittivity) of a lung during tidal breathing. Here, the lung is modeled as a two-phase composite material where the alveolar air-filling corresponds to the inclusion phase. The theory predicts a linear relationship between the real and the imaginary parts of the change in the complex valued conductivity of a lung during tidal breathing, and where the loss cotangent of the change is approximately the same as of the effective background conductivity and hence easy to estimate. The theory is illustrated with numerical examples, as well as by using reconstructed Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) images based on clinical data from an ongoing study within the EU-funded CRADL project. The theory may be potentially useful for improving the imaging algorithms and clinical evaluations in connection with lung EIT for respiratory management and monitoring in neonatal intensive care units

Implementation of a Miniaturized Planar Tri-Band Microstrip Patch Antenna for Wireless Sensors in Mobile Applications

Antennas in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are characterized by the enhanced capacity of the network, longer range of transmission, better spatial reuse, and lower interference. In this paper, we propose a planar patch antenna for mobile communication applications operating at 1.8, 3.5, and 5.4 GHz. A planar microstrip patch antenna (MPA) consists of two F-shaped resonators that enable operations at 1.8 and 3.5 GHz while operation at 5.4 GHz is achieved when the patch is truncated from the middle. The proposed planar patch is printed on a low-cost FR-4 substrate that is 1.6 mm in thickness. The equivalent circuit model is also designed to validate the reflection coefficient of the proposed antenna with the S-11 obtained from the circuit model. It contains three RLC (resistor-inductor-capacitor) circuits for generating three frequency bands for the proposed antenna. Thereby, we obtained a good agreement between simulation and measurement results. The proposed antenna has an elliptically shaped radiation pattern at 1.8 and 3.5 GHz, while the broadside directional pattern is obtained at the 5.4 GHz frequency band. At 1.8, 3.5, and 5.4 GHz, the simulated peak realized gains of 2.34, 5.2, and 1.42 dB are obtained and compared to the experimental peak realized gains of 2.22, 5.18, and 1.38 dB at same frequencies. The results indicate that the proposed planar patch antenna can be utilized for mobile applications such as digital communication systems (DCS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and wireless local area networks (WLAN)

Tensor calculus, relativity, and cosmology: a first course

This book combines relativity, astrophysics, and cosmology in a single volume, providing an introduction to each subject that enables students to understand more detailed treatises as well as the current literature. The section on general relativity gives the case for a curved space-time, presents the mathematical background (tensor calculus, Riemannian geometry), discusses the Einstein equation and its solutions (including black holes, Penrose processes, and similar topics), and considers the energy-momentum tensor for various solutions. The next section on relativistic astrophysics discusse