Measurement of refractive index of hemoglobin in the visible/NIR spectral range

This study is focused on the measurements of the refractive index of hemoglobin solutions in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) spectral range at room temperature for characteristic laser wavelengths: 480, 486, 546, 589, 644, 656, 680, 930, 1100, 1300, and 1550 nm. Measurements were performed using the multiwavelength Abbe refractometer. Aqua hemoglobin solutions of different concentrations obtained from human whole blood were investigated. The specific increment of refractive index on hemoglobin concentration and the Sellmeier coefficients were calculated

High energy supercontinuum sources using tapered photonic crystal fibers for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy

We demonstrate a record bandwidth high energy supercontinuum source suitable for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy. The source has more than 150 nJ?10 nm bandwidth over a spectral range of 500 to 1600 nm. This performance is achieved using a carefully designed fiber taper with large-core input for improved power handling and small-core output that provides the desired spectral range of the supercontinuum source

On the progenitors of millisecond pulsars by the recycling evolutionary channel

The recycling model suggested that low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) could evolve into binary millisecond pulsars (BMSPs). In this work, we attempt to investigate the progenitor properties of BMSPs formed by the recycling evolutionary channel, and if sub-millisecond pulsars can be produced by this channel. Using Eggleton's stellar evolution code, considering that the dead pulsars can be spun up to a short spin period by the accreting material and angular momentum from the donor star, we have calculated the evolution of close binaries consisting of a neutron star and a low-mass main-sequence donor star, and the spin evolution of NSs. In calculation, some physical process such as the thermal and viscous instability of a accretion disk, propeller effect, and magnetic braking are included. Our calculated results indicate that, all LMXBs with a low-mass donor star of 1.0 - 2.0 $M_\odot$ and a short orbital period (\la 3-4 \rm d) can form millisecond pulsars with a spin period less than 10 ms. However, it is difficult to produce sub-millisecond pulsars by this evolutionary channel. In addition, our evolutionary scenario cannot account for the existence of BMSPs with a long orbital period (P_{\rm orb}\ga 70-80\rm d).Comment: 7 pages,5 figures, MNRAS in pres

Timing stability of millisecond pulsars and prospects for gravitational-wave detection

Analysis of high-precision timing observations of an array of approx. 20 millisecond pulsars (a so-called "timing array") may ultimately result in the detection of a stochastic gravitational-wave background. The feasibility of such a detection and the required duration of this type of experiment are determined by the achievable rms of the timing residuals and the timing stability of the pulsars involved. We present results of the first long-term, high-precision timing campaign on a large sample of millisecond pulsars used in gravitational-wave detection projects. We show that the timing residuals of most pulsars in our sample do not contain significant low-frequency noise that could limit the use of these pulsars for decade-long gravitational-wave detection efforts. For our most precisely timed pulsars, intrinsic instabilities of the pulsars or the observing system are shown to contribute to timing irregularities on a five-year timescale below the 100 ns level. Based on those results, realistic sensitivity curves for planned and ongoing timing array efforts are determined. We conclude that prospects for detection of a gravitational-wave background through pulsar timing array efforts within five years to a decade are good.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, submitted to MNRA

PSR J1022+1001: Profile Stability & Precision Timing

We present an investigation of the morphology and arrival times of integrated radio pulses from the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1022+1001. This pulsar is renowned for its poor timing properties, which have been postulated to originate from variability in its average pulse profile. Although a sub-class of long-period pulsars are known to exhibit mode changes that give rise to very large deviations in their integrated profiles, this was the first millisecond pulsar thought to have an unstable mean profile. As part of a precision timing program at the Parkes radio telescope we observed this pulsar between January 2003 and March 2004 using a coherent de-dispersion system (CPSR2). A study of morphological variability during our brightest observations suggests that the pulse profile varies by at most a few percent, similar to the uncertainty in our calibration. Unlike previous authors, we find that this pulsar times extremely well. In five minute integrations of 64 MHz bands we obtain a weighted RMS residual of just 2.27 microseconds. The reduced chi-squared of our best fit is 1.43, which suggests that this pulsar can be timed to high accuracy with standard cross-correlation techniques. Combining relativistic constraints with the pulsar mass function and consideration of the Chandrasekhar mass limit on the white dwarf companion, we can constrain the inclination angle of the system to lie within the range 37 < i < 56 degrees. For reasonable pulsar masses, this suggests that the white dwarf is at least 0.9 solar masses. We also find evidence for secular evolution of the projected semi-major axis.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, see published version for full resolution image

Can precursors improve the transmission of energy at optical frequencies?

The recent interest in precursors has been fuelled by the possibility of using them for the efficient transmission of information through absorbing media at radio or optical frequencies. Here we demonstrate that the low attenuation experienced by the Brillouin precursor is attributed to the inherently low absorption of dispersive media near DC, a characteristic already exploited with communications systems using the extremely low frequency (ELF) band. Pulses, regardless of their temporal width and carrier frequency, always obey Beer's law as long as they propagate in the linear time invariant regime. We conclude with an FDTD simulation of the Maxwell–Bloch equations that shows how optical coherent bleaching effects, which take place in the linear time variant regime of the Lorentz oscillator model, can cause sustained deviations from Beer's law over relatively long distances of water

Study of measured pulsar masses and their possible conclusions

We study the statistics of 61 measured masses of neutron stars (NSs) in binary pulsar systems, including 18 double NS (DNS) systems, 26 radio pulsars (10 in our Galaxy) with white dwarf (WD) companions, 3 NSs with main-sequence companions, 13 NSs in X-ray binaries, and one undetermined system. We derive a mean value of M = 1.46 +/- 0.30 solar masses. When the 46 NSs with measured spin periods are divided into two groups at 20 milliseconds, i.e., the millisecond pulsar (MSP) group and others, we find that their mass averages are, respectively, M=1.57 +/- 0.35 solar masses and M=1.37+/- 0.23 solar masses. In the framework of the pulsar recycling hypothesis, this suggests that an accretion of approximately 0.2 solar mass is sufficient to spin up a neutron star and place it in the millisecond pulsar group. An empirical relation between the accreting mass and MSP spin period is \Delta M=0.43 (solar mass)(P/1 ms)^{-2/3}. UNlike the standard recycling process, if a MSP is formed by the accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf with a mass less than Chandrasekha limit, e.g. 1.35 solar mass, then the binary MSPs involved in AICs is not be higher than 20%, which imposes a constraint on the AIC origin of MSPs.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, in press, Astronomy and Astrophysics 2011, 527, 8

Binary and Millisecond Pulsars at the New Millennium

We review the properties and applications of binary and millisecond pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1300. There are now 56 binary and millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk and a further 47 in globular clusters. This review is concerned primarily with the results and spin-offs from these surveys which are of particular interest to the relativity community.Comment: 59 pages, 26 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in Living Reviews in Relativity (http://www.livingreviews.org

Binary and Millisecond Pulsars

We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1700. There are now 80 binary and millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 103 pulsars in 24 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights have been the discovery of the first ever double pulsar system and a recent flurry of discoveries in globular clusters, in particular Terzan 5.Comment: 77 pages, 30 figures, available on-line at http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2005-