140 research outputs found
Microscopic Inner Retinal Hyper-reflective Phenotypes in Retinal and Neurologic Disease
Purpose.
We surveyed inner retinal microscopic features in retinal and neurologic disease using a reflectance confocal adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO).
Methods.
Inner retinal images from 101 subjects affected by one of 38 retinal or neurologic conditions and 11 subjects with no known eye disease were examined for the presence of hyper-reflective features other than vasculature, retinal nerve fiber layer, and foveal pit reflex. The hyper-reflective features in the AOSLO images were grouped based on size, location, and subjective texture. Clinical imaging, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, and fundus photography was analyzed for comparison.
Results.
Seven categories of hyper-reflective inner retinal structures were identified, namely punctate reflectivity, nummular (disc-shaped) reflectivity, granular membrane, waxy membrane, vessel-associated membrane, microcysts, and striate reflectivity. Punctate and nummular reflectivity also was found commonly in normal volunteers, but the features in the remaining five categories were found only in subjects with retinal or neurologic disease. Some of the features were found to change substantially between follow up imaging months apart.
Conclusions.
Confocal reflectance AOSLO imaging revealed a diverse spectrum of normal and pathologic hyper-reflective inner and epiretinal features, some of which were previously unreported. Notably, these features were not disease-specific, suggesting that they might correspond to common mechanisms of degeneration or repair in pathologic states. Although prospective studies with larger and better characterized populations, along with imaging of more extensive retinal areas are needed, the hyper-reflective structures reported here could be used as disease biomarkers, provided their specificity is studied further
Velocity-selected molecular pulses produced by an electric guide
Electrostatic velocity filtering is a technique for the production of
continuous guided beams of slow polar molecules from a thermal gas. We extended
this technique to produce pulses of slow molecules with a narrow velocity
distribution around a tunable velocity. The pulses are generated by
sequentially switching the voltages on adjacent segments of an electric
quadrupole guide synchronously with the molecules propagating at the desired
velocity. This technique is demonstrated for deuterated ammonia (ND),
delivering pulses with a velocity in the range of and a
relative velocity spread of at FWHM. At velocities around
, the pulses contain up to molecules each. The data are
well reproduced by Monte-Carlo simulations, which provide useful insight into
the mechanisms of velocity selection.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Adiabatic orientation of rotating dipole molecules in an external field
The induced polarization of a beam of polar clusters or molecules passing
through an electric or magnetic field region differs from the textbook
Langevin-Debye susceptibility. This distinction, which is important for the
interpretation of deflection and focusing experiments, arises because instead
of acquiring thermal equilibrium in the field region, the beam ensemble
typically enters the field adiabatically, i.e., with a previously fixed
distribution of rotational states. We discuss the orientation of rigid
symmetric-top systems with a body-fixed electric or magnetic dipole moment. The
analytical expression for their "adiabatic-entry" orientation is elucidated and
compared with exact numerical results for a range of parameters. The
differences between the polarization of thermodynamic and "adiabatic-entry"
ensembles, of prolate and oblate tops, and of symmetric-top and linear rotators
are illustrated and identified.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
Assessing Photoreceptor Structure Associated with Ellipsoid Zone Disruptions Visualized with Optical Coherence Tomography
Purpose: To compare images of photoreceptor layer disruptions obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) in a variety of pathologic states.Methods: Five subjects with photoreceptor ellipsoid zone disruption as per OCT and clinical diagnoses of closed-globe blunt ocular trauma (n = 2), macular telangiectasia type 2 (n = 1), blue-cone monochromacy (n = 1), or cone-rod dystrophy (n = 1) were included. Images were acquired within and around photoreceptor lesions using spectral domain OCT, confocal AOSLO, and split-detector AOSLO.Results: There were substantial differences in the extent and appearance of the photoreceptor mosaic as revealed by confocal AOSLO, split-detector AOSLO, and spectral domain OCT en face view of the ellipsoid zone.Conclusion: Clinically available spectral domain OCT, viewed en face or as B-scan, may lead to misinterpretation of photoreceptor anatomy in a variety of diseases and injuries. This was demonstrated using split-detector AOSLO to reveal substantial populations of photoreceptors in areas of no, low, or ambiguous ellipsoid zone reflectivity with en face OCT and confocal AOSLO. Although it is unclear if these photoreceptors are functional, their presence offers hope for therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving or restoring photoreceptor function
Is it possible to detect gravitational waves with atom interferometers?
We investigate the possibility to use atom interferometers to detect
gravitational waves. We discuss the interaction of gravitational waves with an
atom interferometer and analyze possible schemes
An ellipsoidal mirror for focusing neutral atomic and molecular beams
Manipulation of atomic and molecular beams is essential to atom optics applications including atom lasers, atom lithography, atom interferometry and neutral atom microscopy. The manipulation of charge-neutral beams of limited polarizability, spin or excitation states remains problematic, but may be overcome by the development of novel diffractive or reflective optical elements. In this paper, we present the first experimental demonstration of atom focusing using an ellipsoidal mirror. The ellipsoidal mirror enables stigmatic off-axis focusing for the first time and we demonstrate focusing of a beam of neutral, ground-state helium atoms down to an approximately circular spot, (26.8±0.5) μm×(31.4±0.8) μm in size. The spot area is two orders of magnitude smaller than previous reflective focusing of atomic beams and is a critical milestone towards the construction of a high-intensity scanning helium microscope
Lattice model of gas condensation within nanopores
We explore the thermodynamic behavior of gases adsorbed within a nanopore.
The theoretical description employs a simple lattice gas model, with two
species of site, expected to describe various regimes of adsorption and
condensation behavior. The model includes four hypothetical phases: a
cylindrical shell phase (S), in which the sites close to the cylindrical wall
are occupied, an axial phase (A), in which sites along the cylinder's axis are
occupied, a full phase (F), in which all sites are occupied, and an empty phase
(E). We obtain exact results at T=0 for the phase behavior, which is a function
of the interactions present in any specific problem. We obtain the
corresponding results at finite T from mean field theory. Finally, we examine
the model's predicted phase behavior of some real gases adsorbed in nanopores
An ellipsoidal mirror for focusing neutral atomic and molecular beams
Manipulation of atomic and molecular beams is essential to atom optics applications including atom lasers, atom lithography, atom interferometry and neutral atom microscopy. The manipulation of charge-neutral beams of limited polarizability, spin or excitation states remains problematic, but may be overcome by the development of novel diffractive or reflective optical elements. In this paper, we present the first experimental demonstration of atom focusing using an ellipsoidal mirror. The ellipsoidal mirror enables stigmatic off-axis focusing for the first time and we demonstrate focusing of a beam of neutral, ground-state helium atoms down to an approximately circular spot, (26.8±0.5) μm×(31.4±0.8) μm in size. The spot area is two orders of magnitude smaller than previous reflective focusing of atomic beams and is a critical milestone towards the construction of a high-intensity scanning helium microscope
Formation and interactions of cold and ultracold molecules: new challenges for interdisciplinary physics
Progress on researches in the field of molecules at cold and ultracold
temperatures is reported in this review. It covers extensively the experimental
methods to produce, detect and characterize cold and ultracold molecules
including association of ultracold atoms, deceleration by external fields and
kinematic cooling. Confinement of molecules in different kinds of traps is also
discussed. The basic theoretical issues related to the knowledge of the
molecular structure, the atom-molecule and molecule-molecule mutual
interactions, and to their possible manipulation and control with external
fields, are reviewed. A short discussion on the broad area of applications
completes the review.Comment: to appear in Reports on Progress in Physic
Atom Interferometers
Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves is a rich branch of
atomic physics and quantum optics. It started with atom diffraction from
crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic
clocks. Atom interferometry is now reaching maturity as a powerful art with
many applications in modern science. In this review we first describe the basic
tools for coherent atom optics including diffraction by nanostructures and
laser light, three-grating interferometers, and double wells on AtomChips. Then
we review scientific advances in a broad range of fields that have resulted
from the application of atom interferometers. These are grouped in three
categories: (1) fundamental quantum science, (2) precision metrology and (3)
atomic and molecular physics. Although some experiments with Bose Einstein
condensates are included, the focus of the review is on linear matter wave
optics, i.e. phenomena where each single atom interferes with itself.Comment: submitted to Reviews of Modern Physic
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