699 research outputs found
Imaging the Near Field
In an earlier paper we introduced the concept of the perfect lens which
focuses both near and far electromagnetic fields, hence attaining perfect
resolution. Here we consider refinements of the original prescription designed
to overcome the limitations of imperfect materials. In particular we show that
a multi-layer stack of positive and negative refractive media is less sensitive
to imperfections. It has the novel property of behaving like a fibre-optic
bundle but one that acts on the near field, not just the radiative component.
The effects of retardation are included and minimized by making the slabs
thinner. Absorption then dominates image resolution in the near-field. The
deleterious effects of absorption in the metal are reduced for thinner layers.Comment: RevTeX, (9 pages, 8 figures
Spectral fingerprinting for specific algal groups on sediments in situ: a new sensor
Currently it is still extremely difficult to adequately sample populations of microalgae on sediments for large-scale biomass determination. We have now devised a prototype of a new benthic sensor (BenthoFluor) for the quantitative and qualitative assessment of microphytobenthos populations in situ. This sensor enables a high spatial and temporal resolution and a rapid evaluation of the community structure and distribution. These determinations are based on the concept that five spectral excitation ranges can be used to differentiate groups of microalgae, in situ, within a few seconds. In addition, because sediments contain a lot of yellow substances, which can affect the fluorescence and optical differentiation of the algae, the device was equipped with a UV-LED for yellow substances correction. The device was calibrated against HPLC with cultures and tested in the field. Our real-time approach can be used to monitor algal assemblage composition on sediments and is an ideal tool for investigations on the large-scale spatial and temporal variation of algal populations in sediments. Apart from the differentiation of algal populations, the BenthoFluor allows instantaneous monitoring of the chlorophyll concentrations and determination of which algae are responsible for this on the uppermost surface of sediments in the field and in experimental set-ups
Noise performance of magneto-inductive cables
Magneto-inductive (MI) waveguides are metamaterial structures based on periodic arrangements of inductively coupled resonant magnetic elements. They are of interest for power transfer, communications and sensing, and can be realised in a flexible cable format. Signal-to-noise ratio is extremely important in applications involving signals. Here, we present the first experimental measurements of the noise performance of metamaterial cables. We focus on an application involving radiofrequency signal transmission in internal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where the subdivision of the metamaterial cable provides intrinsic patient safety. We consider MI cables suitable for use at 300 MHz during 1H MRI at 7 T, and find noise figures of 2.3–2.8 dB/m, together with losses of 3.0–3.9 dB/m, in good agreement with model calculations. These values are high compared to conventional cables, but become acceptable when (as here) the environment precludes the use of continuous conductors. To understand this behaviour, we present arguments for the fundamental performance limitations of these cables
A DC magnetic metamaterial
Electromagnetic metamaterials are a class of materials which have been
artificially structured on a subwavelength scale. They are currently the focus
of a great deal of interest because they allow access to previously
unrealisable properties like a negative refractive index. Most metamaterial
designs have so far been based on resonant elements, like split rings, and
research has concentrated on microwave frequencies and above. In this work, we
present the first experimental realisation of a non-resonant metamaterial
designed to operate at zero frequency. Our samples are based on a
recently-proposed template for an anisotropic magnetic metamaterial consisting
of an array of superconducting plates. Magnetometry experiments show a strong,
adjustable diamagnetic response when a field is applied perpendicular to the
plates. We have calculated the corresponding effective permeability, which
agrees well with theoretical predictions. Applications for this metamaterial
may include non-intrusive screening of weak DC magnetic fields.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Composite metamaterials with dual-band magnetic resonances in the terahertz frequency regime
Composite metamaterials(CMMs) combining a subwavelength metallic hole array
(i.e. one-layer fishnet structure) and an array of split-ring resonators(SRRs)
on the same board are fabricated with gold films on silicon wafer. Transmission
measurements of the CMMs in the terahertz range have been performed. Dual-band
magnetic resonances, namely, a LC resonance at 4.40 THz and an additional
magnetic resonance at 8.64 THz originating from the antiparallel current in
wire pairs in the CMMs are observed when the electrical field polarization of
the incident light is parallel to the gap of the component SRR. The numerical
simulations agree well with the experimental results and further clarify the
nature of the dual-band magnetic resonances.Comment: 4 figures, 14 page
Thin-shell wormholes in Einstein-Maxwell theory with a Gauss-Bonnet term
We study five dimensional thin-shell wormholes in Einstein-Maxwell theory
with a Gauss-Bonnet term. The linearized stability under radial perturbations
and the amount of exotic matter are analyzed as a function of the parameters of
the model. We find that the inclusion of the quadratic correction substantially
widens the range of possible stable configurations, and besides it allows for a
reduction of the exotic matter required to construct the wormholes.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures; v2: minor changes and new references added.
Accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitatio
How strong is the evidence for accelerated expansion?
We test the present expansion of the universe using supernova type Ia data
without making any assumptions about the matter and energy content of the
universe or about the parameterization of the deceleration parameter. We assume
the cosmological principle to apply in a strict sense. The result strongly
depends on the data set, the light-curve fitting method and the calibration of
the absolute magnitude used for the test, indicating strong systematic errors.
Nevertheless, in a spatially flat universe there is at least a 5 sigma evidence
for acceleration which drops to 1.8 sigma in an open universe.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure
Evolution of a periodic eight-black-hole lattice in numerical relativity
The idea of black-hole lattices as models for the large-scale structure of
the universe has been under scrutiny for several decades, and some of the
properties of these systems have been elucidated recently in the context of the
problem of cosmological backreaction. The complete, three-dimensional and fully
relativistic evolution of these system has, however, never been tackled. We
explicitly construct the first of these solutions by numerically integrating
Einstein's equation in the case of an eight-black-hole lattice with the
topology of S3.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures. Corrected and clarified discussio
An inhomogeneous universe with thick shells and without cosmological constant
We build an exact inhomogeneous universe composed of a central flat Friedmann
zone up to a small redshift , a thick shell made of anisotropic matter, an
hyperbolic Friedmann metric up to the scale where dimming galaxies are observed
() that can be matched to a hyperbolic Lema\^{i}tre-Tolman-Bondi
spacetime to best fit the WMAP data at early epochs. We construct a general
framework which permits us to consider a non-uniform clock rate for the
universe. As a result, both for a uniform time and a uniform Hubble flow, the
deceleration parameter extrapolated by the central observer is always positive.
Nevertheless, by taking a non-uniform Hubble flow, it is possible to obtain a
negative central deceleration parameter, that, with certain parameter choices,
can be made the one observed currently. Finally, it is conjectured a possible
physical mechanism to justify a non-uniform time flow.Comment: Version published in Class. Quantum gra
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