A theoretical and experimental study of the ionosphere using radio signals from earth satellites progress report no. 9, 1 jan. - 30 jun. 1964

Morphology of ionosphere using radio signals from earth satellite

Length summation in noise

To investigate the effect of background noise on visual summation, we measured the contrast detection thresholds for targets with or without a white noise mask in luminance contrast. The targets were Gabor patterns placed at 3° eccentricity to either the left or right of the fixation and elongated along an arc of the same radius to ensure equidistance from fixation for every point along the long axis. The task was a spatial two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) paradigm in which the observer had to indicate whether the target was on the left or the right of the fixation. The threshold was measured at 75% accuracy with a staircase procedure. The detection threshold decreased with target length with slope −1/2 on log-log coordinates for target lengths between 30′ and 300′ half-height full-width (HHFW), defining a range of ideal matched-filter summation extending up to about 200′ (or about 16× the center width of the Gabor targets). The summation curves for different noise contrasts were shifted copies of each other. For the threshold versus mask contrast (TvN) functions, the target threshold was constant for noise levels up to about −22 dB, then increased with noise contrast to a linear asymptote on log-log coordinates. Since the “elbow” of the target threshold versus noise function is an index of the level of the equivalent noise experienced by the visual system during target detection, our results suggest that the signal-to-noise ratio was invariant with target length. We further show that a linear-nonlinear-linear gain-control model can fully account for these results with far fewer parameters than a matched-filter model

Tunable transmission and bistability in left-handed bandgap structures

We study the defect-induced nonlinear transmission of a periodic structure created by alternating slabs of two materials with positive and negative refractive index. We demonstrate bistable switching and tunable nonlinear transmission in a novel type of bandgap that corresponds to the vanishing average refractive index, and compare the observed effects for two types of the bandgaps.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures; significant change

Bistable diode action in left-handed periodic structures

We study nonlinear transmission of an asymmetric multilayer structure created by alternating slabs of two materials with positive and negative refractive index. We demonstrate that such a structure exhibits passive spatially nonreciprocal transmission of electromagnetic waves, the analogue of the electronic diode. We study the properties of this left-handed diode and confirm its highly nonreciprocal and bistable transmittance by employing direct simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Scattering of Pruppacher-Pitter raindrops at 30 GHz

Optimum design of modern ground-satellite communication systems requires the knowledge of rain-induced differential attenuation, differential phase shift, and cross polarization factors. Different available analytical techniques for raindrop scattering problems were assessed. These include: (1) geometrical theory of diffraction; (2) method of moment; (3) perturbation method; (4) point matching methods; (5) extended boundary condition method; and (6) global-local finite element method. The advantages and disadvantages of each are listed. The extended boundary condition method, which was determined to yield the most scattering results, is summarized. The scattered fields for Pruppacher-Pitter raindrops with sizes ranging from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm at 20 C and at 30 GHz for several incidence angles are tabulated

Silicon nitride-aluminum oxide solid solution (SiAION) formation and densification by pressure sintering

Stirred-ball-mill-blended Si3N4 and Al2O3 powders were pressure sintered in order to investigate the mechanism of solid solution formation and densification in the Si3N4-Al2O3 system. Powder blends with Si3N4:Al2O3 mole ratios of 4:1, 3:2, and 2:3 were pressure sintered at 27.6-MN/sq m pressure at temperatures to 17000 C (3090 F). The compaction behavior of the powder blends during pressure sintering was determined by observing the density of the powder compact as a function of temperature and time starting from room temperature. This information, combined with the results of X-ray diffraction and metallographic analyses regarding solutioning and phase transformation phenomena in the Si3N4-Al2O3 system, was used to describe the densification behavior

Two-dimensional matrix algorithm using detrended fluctuation analysis to distinguish Burkitt and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Copyright © 2012 Rong-Guan Yeh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.A detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method is applied to image analysis. The 2-dimensional (2D) DFA algorithms is proposed for recharacterizing images of lymph sections. Due to Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), there is a significant different 5-year survival rates after multiagent chemotherapy. Therefore, distinguishing the difference between BL and DLBCL is very important. In this study, eighteen BL images were classified as group A, which have one to five cytogenetic changes. Ten BL images were classified as group B, which have more than five cytogenetic changes. Both groups A and B BLs are aggressive lymphomas, which grow very fast and require more intensive chemotherapy. Finally, ten DLBCL images were classified as group C. The short-term correlation exponent α1 values of DFA of groups A, B, and C were 0.370 ± 0.033, 0.382 ± 0.022, and 0.435 ± 0.053, respectively. It was found that α1 value of BL image was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than DLBCL. However, there is no difference between the groups A and B BLs. Hence, it can be concluded that α1 value based on DFA statistics concept can clearly distinguish BL and DLBCL image.National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan the Center for Dynamical Biomarkers and Translational Medicine, National Central University, Taiwan (also sponsored by National Science Council)