Quasi-monolithic mirror suspensions in ground-based gravitational wave detectors

At the commencement of a new era in astrophysics, with added information from direct detections of gravitational-wave (GW) signals, this paper is a testament to the quasi-monolithic suspensions of the test masses of the GW detectors that have enabled the opening of a new window on the universe. The quasi-monolithic suspensions are the final stages in the seismic isolation of the test masses in GW detectors, and are specifically designed to introduce as little thermal noise as possible. The history of the development of the fused-silica quasi-monolithic suspensions, which have been so essential for the first detections of GWs, is outlined and a glimpse into the status of research towards quasi-monolithic suspensions made of sapphire and silicon is given. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy’

Productinnovatie voor nichemarkten

Voor het uitbreiden van de afzetmarkt en het aanboren van nieuwe markten zijn productinnovaties nodig. Maar wat voor productinnovaties vallen in de smaak bij consumenten en niet te vergeten bij de retail? En wat doe je als je maar weinig budget hebt voor innovatie en marketing? Ziehier de insteek van de werkbijeenkomst ‘Het zit zó bij bio: productinnovatie voor nichemarkten’ op 11 september in Groenekan

Absorption spectroscopy of complex rare earth ion doped hybrid materials over a broad wavelength range

In the present work we applied a measurement setup to determine several relevant properties of rare-earth doped nanoparticles dispersed in polymer slab waveguides in a single absorption measurement: background absorption of the polymer host material, water absorption, polymer composition (overtones), rare earth concentration, and ligand contribution (increase of exponential loss trend in the UV). Furthermore, nanoparticle size and concentration in case of a refractive index mismatch (1//spl lambda//sup 4/ and r/sup 6/ dependence of Rayleigh scattering losses in the UV) could be extracted

The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE Animal Science students

Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics forms an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and is essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students’ confidence in maths and improve students’ academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials

Erbium doped LaF3 nanoparticles incorporated in silicondioxide thin films for active integrated optical applications

We report on the low-cost processing of erbium doped lanthanum trifluoride (LaF3:Er) nanoparticles dispersed in silicondioxide (SiO2) films prepared through the sol-gel method. The influence of particle concentration and annealing temperature on the optical properties and its implications on scattering in the visible wavelength range will be discussed. Uniform, crackfree and low loss films have been obtained by spincoating multiple layers followed by several annealing steps. The lanthanum trifluoride host shields the erbium from the OH-groups present in the silicondioxide, resulting in a higher excited state lifetime of the erbium due to the reduced OH-quenching

Effect of heat treatment and aging on the mechanical loss and strength of hydroxide catalysis bonds between fused silica samples

Hydroxide catalysis bonds are used in the aLIGO gravitational wave detectors and are an essential technology within the mirror suspensions which allowed for detector sensitivities to be reached that enabled the first direct detections of gravitational waves. Methods aimed at further improving hydroxide catalysis bonds for future upgrades to these detectors, in order to increase detection rates and the number of detectable sources, are explored. Also, the effect on the bonds of an aLIGO suspension construction procedure involving heat, the fibre welding process, is investigated. Here we show that thermal treatments can be beneficial to improving some of the bond properties important to the mirror suspensions in interferometric gravitational wave detectors. It was found that heat treating bonds at 150\,^\circC increases bond strength by a factor of approximately 1.5 and a combination of bond ageing and heat treatment of the optics at 150\,\circC reduces the mechanical loss of a bond from 0.10 to 0.05. It is also shown that current construction procedures do not reduce bond strength

Course leadership in small specialist UK higher education – a review

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review the literature with regards to the course leader in small and specialist higher education in the United Kingdom. Design/methodology/approach - First, the role of the course leader is explored, followed by an evaluation of the barriers to effective course management. This is then followed by a discussion of mitigating solutions to the barriers identified. Course leadership is then reviewed in the context of small and specialist higher education. Finally, areas for future research are suggested. Findings - Course leadership in the UK is a role with wide ranging responsibilities, but is underappreciated by the higher education sector. Various barriers have been identified, and some solutions proposed, in the literature, but problems remain. Originality/value - Course leadership is an underappreciated area with little academic literature available, even though issues have been reported since the 1990s. This paper critically evaluates and summarises the issues, and shows that they are still current. It also proposes solutions and areas of further research so that issues can be resolved for betterment of the higher education sector