Noise properties of a resonance-type spin-torque microwave detector

We analyze performance of a resonance-type spin-torque microwave detector (STMD) in the presence of noise and reveal two distinct regimes of STMD operation. In the first (high-frequency) regime the minimum detectable microwave power $P_{\rm min}$ is limited by the low-frequency Johnson-Nyquist noise and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of STMD is proportional to the input microwave power $P_{\rm RF}$. In the second (low-frequency) regime $P_{\rm min}$ is limited by the magnetic noise, and the SNR is proportional to $\sqrt{P_{\rm RF}}$. The developed formalism can be used for the optimization of the practical noise-handling parameters of a STMD.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

The principle of a virtual multi-channel lock-in amplifier and its application to magnetoelectric measurement system

This letter presents principles and applications of a virtual multi-channel lock-in amplifier that is a simple but effective method to recover small ac signal from noise with high presison. The fundamentals of this method are based on calculation of cross-correlation function. Via this method, we successfully built up a magnetoelectric measurement system which can perform precise and versatile measurements without any analog lock-in amplifier. Using the virtual multi-channel lock-in amplifier, the output of the magnetoelectric measurement system is extensively rich in magnetoelectric coupling behaviors, including coupling strength and phase lag, under various dc bias magnetic field and ac magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. To be submitted to Rev. Sci. Instr

Advances and new applications using the acousto-optic effect in optical fibers

This work presents a short review of the current research on the acousto-optic mechanism applied to optical fibers. The role of the piezoelectric element and the acousto-optic modulator in the excitation of flexural and longitudinal acoustic modes in the frequency range up to 1.2 MHz is highlighted. A combination of the finite elements and the transfer matrix methods is used to simulate the interaction of the waves with Bragg and long period gratings. Results show a very good agreement with experimental data. Recent applications such as the writing of gratings under the acoustic excitation and a novel viscometer sensor based on the acousto-optic mechanism are discussed

LOSS-OF-COOLANT ACIDENT SIMULATIONS IN THE NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSAL REACTOR

Pressurized water reactor loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) phenomena are being simulated with a series of experiments in the U-2 loop of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. The first of these experiments includes up to 45 parametric thermal-hydraulic tests to establish the relationship among the reflood delay time of emergency coolant, the reflooding rate, and the resultant fuel rod cladding peak temperature. Subsequent experiments establish the fuel rod failure characteristics at selected peak cladding temperatures. Fuel rod cladding pressurization simulates high burnup fission gas pressure levels of modern PWRs. This document contains both an experiment overview of the LOCA simulation program and a review of the safety analyses performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to define the expected operating conditions as well as to evaluate the worst case operating conditions. The primary intent of this document is to supply safety information required by the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories (CRNL), to establish readiness to proceed from one test phase to the next and to establish the overall safety of the experiment. A hazards review summarizes safety issues, normal operation and three worst case accidents that have been addressed during the development of the experiment plan

Conserved Cysteine Residues Provide a Protein-Protein Interaction Surface in Dual Oxidase (DUOX) Proteins*

Intramolecular disulfide bond formation is promoted in oxidizing extracellular and endoplasmic reticulum compartments and often contributes to protein stability and function. DUOX1 and DUOX2 are distinguished from other members of the NOX protein family by the presence of a unique extracellular N-terminal region. These peroxidase-like domains lack the conserved cysteines that confer structural stability to mammalian peroxidases. Sequence-based structure predictions suggest that the thiol groups present are solvent-exposed on a single protein surface and are too distant to support intramolecular disulfide bond formation. To investigate the role of these thiol residues, we introduced four individual cysteine to glycine mutations in the peroxidase-like domains of both human DUOXs and purified the recombinant proteins. The mutations caused little change in the stabilities of the monomeric proteins, supporting the hypothesis that the thiol residues are solvent-exposed and not involved in disulfide bonds that are critical for structural integrity. However, the ability of the isolated hDUOX1 peroxidase-like domain to dimerize was altered, suggesting a role for these cysteines in protein-protein interactions that could facilitate homodimerization of the peroxidase-like domain or, in the full-length protein, heterodimeric interactions with a maturation protein. When full-length hDUOX1 was expressed in HEK293 cells, the mutations resulted in decreased H2O2 production that correlated with a decreased amount of the enzyme localized to the membrane surface rather than with a loss of activity or with a failure to synthesize the mutant proteins. These results support a role for the cysteine residues in intermolecular disulfide bond formation with the DUOX maturation factor DUOXA1