Ultrafast laser micro-nano structuring of transparent materials with high aspect ratio

Ultrafast lasers are ideal tools to process transparent materials because they spatially confine the deposition of laser energy within the material's bulk via nonlinear photoionization processes. Nonlinear propagation and filamentation were initially regarded as deleterious effects. But in the last decade, they turned out to be benefits to control energy deposition over long distances. These effects create very high aspect ratio structures which have found a number of important applications, particularly for glass separation with non-ablative techniques. This chapter reviews the developments of in-volume ultrafast laser processing of transparent materials. We discuss the basic physics of the processes, characterization means, filamentation of Gaussian and Bessel beams and provide an overview of present applications

The ‘Oxycythereis’ problem: taxonomy and palaeobiogeography of deep-sea ostracod genera Pennyella and Rugocythereis

Systematic revision of the globally distributed deep-sea ostracod genera Pennyella Neale, 1974 and Rugocythereis Dingle, Lord and Boomer, 1990, which have been considered to correspond, at least partially, to nomen nudum but widely used genus name ‘Oxycythereis,’ was conducted to reduce taxonomic uncertainty of these important components of the Modern and fossil deep-sea ostracod community. Approximately 100 specimens from 18 species were examined, ranging in age from the Cretaceous to the present day. Nine new species are described: Pennyella rexi, Pennyella sanfordae, Pennyella liowae, Pennyella schellenbergi, Pennyella majorani, Pennyella iani, Pennyella ayressi, Rugocythereis melonis and Rugocythereis zarikiani. Emended generic concepts of Pennyella and Rugocythereis are proposed, and the palaeobiogeographical distributions of these two genera are discussed.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Deep−sea benthic ostracodes from multiple core and epibenthic sledge samples in Icelandic waters

Deep-sea benthic Ostracoda (Crustacea) in Icelandic waters are poorly known. Here we report deep-sea ostracode assemblages from the multiple core (MUC) and the epibenthic sledge (EBS) samples collected from Icelandic waters by the first cruise of the IceAGE (Icelandic Marine Animals: Genetics and Ecology) project. Samples from shelf-edge and lower-bathyal working areas are examined. The results show (1) distinct MUC and EBS faunas due to the large difference in mesh size of MUC and EBS; and (2) distinct shelf-edge and lower-bathyal ostracode faunas. Such remarkable faunal turnover from shelf to bathyal depths is similar to the faunal turnovers reported from depth transects in the adjacent regions of the western North Atlantic Ocean, the Greenland Sea, and the North Sea, but, at the same time, there are certain differences in the faunal composition between the Icelandic waters and these adjacent regions. In addition, we illustrate many Icelandic deep-sea ostracode species with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and composite all-in-focus stereomicroscopic images for the first time. These results provide important basic information on deep-sea ostracode research and biogeography of this important region connecting North Atlantic proper and Nordic Seas.link_to_OA_fulltex