Tunable lasers for water vapor measurements and other lidar applications

A tunable dye laser suitable for differential absorption (DIAL) measurements of water vapor in the troposphere was constructed. A multi-pass absorption cell for calibration was also constructed for use in atmospheric DIAL measurements of water vapor

Spacelab experiment definition study on phase transition and critical phenomena in fluids: Interim report on experimental justification

Pure fluids and fluid mixtures near critical points are identified and are related to the progress of several disciplines. Consideration is given to thermodynamic properties, transport properties, and the complex nonlinear phenomena which occur when fluids undergo phase transitions in the critical region. The distinction is made between practical limits which may be extended by advances in technology and intrinsic ones which arise from the modification of fluid properties by the earth's gravitational field. The kinds of experiments near critical points which could best exploit the low gravity environment of an orbiting laboratory are identified. These include studies of the index of refraction, constant volume specific heat, and phase separation

Light Scattering from Nonequilibrium Concentration Fluctuations in a Polymer solution

We have performed light-scattering measurements in dilute and semidilute polymer solutions of polystyrene in toluene when subjected to stationary temperature gradients. Five solutions with concentrations below and one solution with a concentration above the overlap concentration were investigated. The experiments confirm the presence of long-range nonequilibrium concentration fluctuations which are proportional to $(\nabla T)^2/k^4$, where $\nabla T$ is the applied temperature gradient and $k$ is the wave number of the fluctuations. In addition, we demonstrate that the strength of the nonequilibrium concentration fluctuations, observed in the dilute and semidilute solution regime, agrees with theoretical values calculated from fluctuating hydrodynamics. Further theoretical and experimental work will be needed to understand nonequilibrium fluctuations in polymer solutions at higher concentrations.Comment: revtex, 16 pages, 7 figures. J. Chem. Phys., to appea

Stimulated and spontaneous optical generation of electron spin coherence in charged GaAs quantum dots

We report on the coherent optical excitation of electron spin polarization in the ground state of charged GaAs quantum dots via an intermediate charged exciton (trion) state. Coherent optical fields are used for the creation and detection of the Raman spin coherence between the spin ground states of the charged quantum dot. The measured spin decoherence time, which is likely limited by the nature of the spin ensemble, approaches 10 ns at zero field. We also show that the Raman spin coherence in the quantum beats is caused not only by the usual stimulated Raman interaction but also by simultaneous spontaneous radiative decay of either excited trion state to a coherent combination of the two spin states.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Minor modification

Tubal ligation and risk of breast cancer

Although it has been demonstrated in previous studies that tubal ligation can have widespread effects on ovarian function, including a decrease in the risk of subsequent ovarian cancer, few studies have evaluated effects on breast cancer risk. In a population-based case–control study of breast cancer among women 20–54 years of age conducted in three geographic areas, previous tubal ligations were reported by 25.3% of the 2173 cases and 25.8% of the 1990 controls. Initially it appeared that tubal ligations might impart a slight reduction in risk, particularly among women undergoing the procedure at young ages (< 25 years). However, women were more likely to have had the procedure if they were black, less educated, young when they bore their first child, or multiparous. After accounting for these factors, tubal ligations were unrelated to breast cancer risk (relative risk (RR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–1.3), with no variation in risk by age at, interval since, or calendar year of the procedure. The relationship of tubal ligations to risk did not vary according to the presence of a number of other risk factors, including menopausal status or screening history. Furthermore, effects of tubal ligation were similar for all stages at breast cancer diagnosis. Further studies would be worthwhile given the biologic plausibility of an association. However, future investigations should include information on type of procedure performed (since this may relate to biologic effects) as well as other breast cancer risk factors. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Raman Scattering Spectra of Elementary Electronic Excitations in Coupled Double-Quantum Well Structures

Using the time-dependent-local-density-approximation (TDLDA) within a self-consistent linear response theory, we calculate the elementary excitation energies and the associated inelastic light-scattering spectra of a strongly coupled two-component plasma in a double-quantum well system with electron occupation of symmetric and antisymmetric subbands. We find, consistent with the results of a recent experimental Raman scattering study, that the intersubband spin density excitations tend to merge with the single particle excitations (i.e. the excitonic shift decreases monotonically) as the Fermi energy increases beyond the symmetric-antisymmetric energy gap $\bigtriangleup_{SAS}$. However, our TDLDA calculation does not show the abrupt suppresion of the excitonic shift seen experimentally at a finite value of the subband occupancy parameter $\eta \equiv \bigtriangleup_{\text{SAS}} / E_{\text{F}}$.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX, 5 figures available upon request, PIT-SDS-00

Coherence Length of Excitons in a Semiconductor Quantum Well

We report on the first experimental determination of the coherence length of excitons in semiconductors using the combination of spatially resolved photoluminescence with phonon sideband spectroscopy. The coherence length of excitons in ZnSe quantum wells is determined to be 300 ~ 400 nm, about 25 ~ 30 times the exciton de Broglie wavelength. With increasing exciton kinetic energy, the coherence length decreases slowly. The discrepancy between the coherence lengths measured and calculated by only considering the acoustic phonon scattering suggests an important influence of static disorder.Comment: 4 Pages, 4 figure

Lactose and benign ovarian tumours in a case–control study

We investigated the relation between benign ovarian tumours and lactose among 746 case women identified at seven New York metropolitan hospitals and 404 community controls, age and hospital frequency matched to the expected case distribution. No increase in risk was found for lactose (highest quartile versus lowest: adjusted odds ratio = 0.82 (95% CI 0.57–1.20) or for any other lactose foods. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Hormonal content and potency of oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk among young women

A small study of women with early-onset breast cancer published in 1983 initially sparked the debate about combination oral contraceptives and breast cancer by suggesting that a woman's risk of breast cancer increased if she used oral contraceptives early in life, particularly pills with high progestin potency (Pike et al, 1983). Evidence from a multitude of case–control and cohort studies conducted in the 1980s and early 1990s subsequently found a modest (approximately 20–40%) but consistent excess in breast cancer risk associated with recent oral contraceptive use among women younger than 45 years of age (Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, 1996a). Whether this excess risk is ubiquitous for all pill types or attributable to specific oral contraceptive preparations is considerably less well studied