Fiber-optic push-pull sensor systems

Fiber-optic push-pull sensors are those which exploit the intrinsically differential nature of an interferometer with concommitant benefits in common-mode rejection of undesired effects. Several fiber-optic accelerometer and hydrophone designs are described. Additionally, the recent development at the Naval Postgraduate School of a passive low-cost interferometric signal demodulator permits the development of economical fiber-optic sensor systems

Antenna Factorization in Strongly-Ordered Limits

When energies or angles of gluons emitted in a gauge-theory process are small and strongly ordered, the emission factorizes in a simple way to all orders in perturbation theory. I show how to unify the various strongly-ordered soft, mixed soft-collinear, and collinear limits using antenna factorization amplitudes, which are generalizations of the Catani--Seymour dipole factorization function.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures; final Phys Rev version, corrected definition of multiple-emission recosnstruction functions for strongly-ordered limit, added appendix with new form of double-emission antenna function valid in strongly-ordered limi

Molecular dynamics study of nanoparticle stability at liquid interfaces : effect of nanoparticle-solvent interaction and capillary waves

While the interaction of colloidal particles (sizes in excess of 100 nm) with liquid interfaces may be understood in terms of continuum models, which are grounded in macroscopic properties such as surface and line tensions, the behaviour of nanoparticles at liquid interfaces may be more complex. Recent simulations [D. L. Cheung and S. A. F. Bon, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 066103 (2009)] of nanoparticles at an idealised liquid-liquid interface showed that the nanoparticle-interface interaction range was larger than expected due, in part, to the action of thermal capillary waves. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations of a Lennard-Jones nanoparticle in a binary Lennard-Jones mixture are used to confirm that these previous results hold for more realistic models. Furthermore by including attractive interactions between the nanoparticle and the solvent, it is found that the detachment energy decreases as the nanoparticle-solvent attraction increases. Comparison between the simulation results and recent theoretical predictions [H. Lehle and M. Oettel, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 20, 404224 (2008)] shows that for small particles the incorporation of capillary waves into the predicted effective nanoparticle-interface interaction improves agreement between simulation and theory

Passive laser irradiation as a tool for optical catalysis

The mechanisms of absorption, emission, and scattering of photons form the foundations of optical interactions between light and matter. In the vast majority of such interactions there is a significant interplay and energy exchange between the radiation field and the material components. In absorption for example, modes of the field are depopulated by photons whose energy is at resonance with a molecular transition producing excited material states. In all such optical phenomena, the initial state of the radiation field differs in mode occupation to its final state. However, certain optical processes can involve off-resonance laser beams that are unchanged on interaction with the material: the output light, after interaction, is identical to the laser input. Such off-resonance interactions include forward Rayleigh scattering, responsible for the wellknown gradient force in optical trapping, and the laser-induced intermolecular interaction commonly termed optical binding; in both processes, an intense beam delivers its effect without suffering change. It is possible for beams detuned from resonance to provide not only techniques for optomechanical and optical manipulation, but also to passively influence other important and functional interactions such as absorption from a resonant beam, or energy transfer. Such effects can be grouped under the banner of ‘optical catalysis’, since they can significantly influence resonant processes. Furthermore, off-resonance photonics affords a potential to impact on chemical interactions, as in the passive modification of rotational constants and phase transitions. To date, apart from optical manipulation, the potential applicability of passive photonics, particularly in the realm of chemical physics and materials science, has received little attention. Here we open up this field, highlighting the distinct and novel role that off-resonance laser beams and the ensuing photonics can play

A spectroscopic ruler for intermediate-zone FRET measurements

It is well known that Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), the most common mechanism for electronic energy to migrate between molecular chromophores, has a predominantly inverse sixth power dependence on the rate of transfer as a function of the distance R between the chromophores. However, the unified theory of electronic energy transfer, derived from quantum electrodynamics, predicts an additional contribution with an R-4 dependence on distance. This intermediate-zone term becomes especially important when the chromophore spacing is similar in magnitude to the reduced wavelength (ƛ= λ 2π ) associated with the mediated energy. In previous theoretical studies we have suggested that inclusion of the intermediate term, through rate equation and quantum dynamical calculations, may be important for describing the exciton diffusion process in some circumstances, and in particular when the distance between the chromophores exceeds 5 nm. In this paper, we focus of the role of the intermediate-zone contribution to distance measurements between chromophores made through the application of spectroscopic ruler techniques. One of the major assumptions made in employing these experimental techniques is that the R−6dependence is valid. In this work, we reformulate the spectroscopic ruler principles for intermediate distances to include the inverse fourth power rate component, and compare the results of this reformulation to experimental FRET results from the literature. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Resonant Acoustic Determination of Complex Elastic Moduli

A simple, inexpensive, yet accurate method for measuring the dynamic complex modulus of elasticity is described. Using a 'free-free' bar selectively excited in three independent vibrational modes, the shear modulus is obtained by measuring the frequency of the torsional resonant mode and the Young's modulus is determined from measurement of either the longitudinal or flexural mode. The damping properties are obtained by measuring the quality factor (Q) for each mode. The Q is inversely proportional to the loss tangent. The viscoelastic behavior of the sample can be obtained by tracking a particular resonant mode (and thus a particular modulus) using a phase locked loop (PLL) and by changing the temperature of the sample. The change in the damping properties is obtained by measuring the in-phase amplitude of the PLL which is proportional to the Q of the material. The real and imaginary parts or the complex modulus can be obtained continuously as a function of parameters such as temperature, pressure, or humidity. For homogeneous and isotropic samples only two independent moduli are needed in order to characterize the complete set of elastic constants, thus, values can be obtained for the dynamic Poisson's ratio, bulk modulus, Lame constants, etc

Surface Free Energies, Interfacial Tensions and Correlation Lengths of the ABF Models

The surface free energies, interfacial tensions and correlation lengths of the Andrews-Baxter-Forrester models in regimes III and IV are calculated with fixed boundary conditions. The interfacial tensions are calculated between arbitrary phases and are shown to be additive. The associated critical exponents are given by $2-\alpha_s=\mu=\nu$ with $\nu=(L+1)/4$ in regime III and $4-2\alpha_s=\mu=\nu$ with $\nu=(L+1)/2$ in regime IV. Our results are obtained using general commuting transfer matrix and inversion relation methods that may be applied to other solvable lattice models.Comment: 21 pages, LaTeX 2e, requires the amsmath packag

What is General Relativity?

General relativity is a set of physical and geometric principles, which lead to a set of (Einstein) field equations that determine the gravitational field, and to the geodesic equations that describe light propagation and the motion of particles on the background. But open questions remain, including: What is the scale on which matter and geometry are dynamically coupled in the Einstein equations? Are the field equations valid on small and large scales? What is the largest scale on which matter can be coarse grained while following a geodesic of a solution to Einstein's equations? We address these questions. If the field equations are causal evolution equations, whose average on cosmological scales is not an exact solution of the Einstein equations, then some simplifying physical principle is required to explain the statistical homogeneity of the late epoch Universe. Such a principle may have its origin in the dynamical coupling between matter and geometry at the quantum level in the early Universe. This possibility is hinted at by diverse approaches to quantum gravity which find a dynamical reduction to two effective dimensions at high energies on one hand, and by cosmological observations which are beginning to strongly restrict the class of viable inflationary phenomenologies on the other. We suggest that the foundational principles of general relativity will play a central role in reformulating the theory of spacetime structure to meet the challenges of cosmology in the 21st century.Comment: 18 pages. Invited article for Physica Scripta Focus issue on 21st Century Frontiers. v2: Appendix amended, references added. v3: Small corrections, references added, matches published versio

Comparison of Torpedograss and Pickerelweed Susceptibility to Glyphosate

Torpedograss (Panicum repens L.) is one of the most invasive exotic plants in aquatic systems. Repeat applications of (N-phosphonomethyl) glycine (glyphosate) herbicides provide limited control of torpedograss; unfortunately, glyphosate often negatively impacts most non-target native species that grow alongside the weed. This experiment studied the effect of glyphosate on pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.), a native plant that shares habitats with torpedograss. Actively growing plants of torpedograss and pickerelweed were cultured in 8-liter containers and sprayed to wet with one of four rates of glyphosate: 0%, 0.75%, 1.0%, or 1.5%. Each treatment included a surfactant to aid in herbicide uptake and a surface dye to verify uniform application of the treatments. All herbicide treatments were applied with a backpack sprayer to intact plants and to cut stubble of both species. Four replicates were treated for each species-rategrowth combination during each of two experiment periods. Plant dry weights 8 weeks after herbicide application suggest that torpedograss was effectively controlled by the highest rate of glyphosate applied to cut stubble. Pickerelweed was unaffected when the highest rate of glyphosate was applied as a cut-and-spray treatment. These data suggest that a cut-and-spray application of a 1.5% solution of glyphosate may be an effective strategy to control torpedograss without deleteriously affecting pickerelweed. (PDF contains 4 pages.