Classified one-step modified signed-digit arithmetic and its optical implementation

Based on the two-step modified signed-digit (MSD) algorithm, we present a one-step algorithm for the parallel addition and subtraction of two MSD numbers. This algorithm is reached by classifying the three neighboring digit pairs into 10 groups and then making a decision on the groups. It has only a look-up truth table, and can be further formulated by eight computation rules. A joint spatial encoding technique is developed to represent both the input data and the computation rules. Furthermore, an optical correlation architecture is suggested to implement the MSD adder in parallel. An experimental demonstration is also given. (C) 1996 Society of Photo-Optical instrumentation Engineers.

Symmetry of the Talbot effect and its applications

The Talbot effect is one of the most basic optical phenomena that has received extensive investigations both because its new results provide us more understanding of the fundamental Fresnel diffraction and also because of its wide applications. We summarize our recent results on this subject. Symmetry of the Talbot effect, which was reported in Optics Communications in 1995, is now realized as the key to reveal other rules for explanation of the Talbot effect for array illumination. The regularly rearranged-neighboring-phase-differences (RRNPD) rule, a completely new set of analytic phase equations (Applied Optics, 1999), and the prime-number decomposing rule (Applied Optics, 2001) are the newly obtained results that reflect the symmetry of the Talbot effect in essence. We also reported our results on the applications of the Talbot effect. Talbot phase codes are the orthogonal codes that can be used for phase coding of holographic storage. A new optical scanner based on the phase codes for Talbot array illumination has unique advantages. Furthermore, a novel two-layered multifunctional computer-generated hologram based on the fractional Talbot effect was proposed and implemented (Optics Letters, 2003). We believe that these new results should bring us more new understanding of the Talbot effect and help us to design novel optical devices that should benefit practical applications. (C) 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

A generalized treatment of the order-disorder transformation in alloys and its effects on their magnetic properties

A theory of the order-disorder transformation is developed in complete generality. The general theory is used to calculate long range order parameters, short range order parameters, energy, and phase diagrams for a face centered cubic binary alloy. The theoretical results are compared to the experimental determination of the copper-gold system, Values for the two adjustable parameters are obtained.

An explanation for the behavior of magnetic alloys is developed, Curie temperatures and magnetic moments of the first transition series elements and their alloys in both the ordered and disordered states are predicted. Experimental agreement is excellent in most cases. It is predicted that the state of order can effect the magnetic properties of an alloy to a considerable extent in alloys such as Ni₃Mn. The values of the adjustable parameter used to fix the level of the Curie temperature, and the adjustable parameter that expresses the effect of ordering on the Curie temperature are obtained.

Devil's Gate Reservoir and its effect upon Pasadena's water supply

[Intro.] The Devil’s Gate Dam has been of great benefit to Pasadena’s water supply, in that it prevents a large amount of the flood waters of the Arroyo Seco being wasted into the ocean.

The culture of algae and its applications

An article explaining how the methods and results from the time spent by the author culturing algae can be applied to other algal investigations. The work by the author found that physiological requirements differ widely among algae belonging to different systematic groups. Details are given of the results of a series of experiments which were undertaken in solutions with similar proporties to some natural waters in the Lake District. Reference is made to a paper under preparation at that time containing data on phytoplankton studied in the field within the Lake District during 1937. Reference is also made to Loch Leven and the affects of bluegreen alga on the number of trout caught weekly during 1937.

Cascaded Fresnel digital hologram and its application to watermarking

A cascaded Fresnel digital hologram (CFDH) is proposed, together with its mathematical derivation. Its application to watermarking has been demonstrated by a simulation procedure, in which the watermark image to be hidden is encoded into the phase of the host image. The watermark image can be deciphered by the CFDH setup, the reconstructed image shows good quality and the error is almost close to zero. Compared with previous technique, this is a lensless architecture which minimizes the hardware requirement, and it is used for the encryption of digital image.

Ranunculus calcareus and its role in lowland streams

Ranunculus calcareus , a species of water crowfoot which occurs in clear, nutrient-rich chalk streams, was studied. Seasonal changes in its biomass, its annual production and its fragmentation (leading to downstream movement of the plant) were investigated. From an understanding of the growth rate and requirements of plants such as these, an indirect method of management can be devised, which does not have the undesirable consequences of the direct methods (such as cutting).

Organic detritus and its role as a food source in chalk streams

This review deals with the variation in populations of invertebrates and the relationships between invertebrate production and detrital food material in chalk streams. The total quantity of detrital material processed by invertebrate consumers is many times greater than the production of these consumers. The amount of detritus ingested each year by chalk stream invertebrates may well be similar to the annual input of autochthonous primary production plus that from allochthonous tree cover.

Acid precipitation and its effects on aquatic systems in the English Lake District

There is no evidence of an increase in the acidity (lower pH or alkalinity) of water-bodies in the Lake District over the last 50 years. Brown trout occur in acid streams and upland tarns where pH is 4.5-5.2 throughout the year. Their occurrence in such waters in Britain and Ireland has been known for most of this century and there is no previous evidence of harmful effects on salmonid fisheries, though numbers of fish are naturally low. However, many benthic invertebrates that are common in hill-streams where pH is above 5.7 do not occur in more acid streams. This phenomenon occurs in the headwaters of several western rivers in Cumbria. It is not a recent response to "acid rain". Harmful effects of pH are undoubtedly more pronounced in waters that are poor in other dissolved ions. Low concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride are especially important and may limit the distributions of some aquatic animals even where pH is above 5.7. The concentration of sulphate ions is usually relatively high but this is not important to the fauna; concentrations are at least two times higher in productive alkaline water-bodies than they are in unproductive acid waters.

Specklegram in a multiple-mode fiber and its dependence on longitudinal modes of the laser source

A specklegram in a multimode fiber (MMF) has successfully been used as a sensor for detecting external disturbance. Our experiments showed that the sensitivity in the sensor with a multiple longitudinal-mode laser as its source was much higher than that with a single longitudinal-mode laser. In addition, the near-field pattern observations indicated that the coupling between different transverse modes in the MMF is quite weak. Based on the experimental results, a theoretical model for the speckle formation is proposed, taking a bend-caused phase factor into consideration. It is shown in the theoretical analysis that the interferences between different longitudinal modes make a larger contribution to the specklegram signals. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.

Specklegram in a grapefruit fiber and its response to external mechanical disturbance in a single-multiple-single mode fiber structure

Specklegram in multimode fiber has successfully been used as a sensor for detecting mechanical disturbance. Speckles in a multimode pure silica grapefruit fiber are observed and compared to that of a step-index multimode fiber, showing different features between them. The sensitivities to external disturbance of two kinds of fiber were measured, based on single-multiple-single mode (SMS) fiber structure. Experimental results show that the grapefruit fiber shows higher sensitivity than does the step-index multimode fiber. The transmission spectrum of the grapefruit fiber was measured as well, showing some oscillation features that are significantly different from that of a step-index multimode fiber. The experiments may provide suggestions to understand the mechanisms of light propagation in grapefruit fibers. (D 2008 Optical Society of America.

Gas laser discharge noise and its effect on the laser output

A large portion of the noise in the light output of a laser oscillator is associated with the noise in the laser discharge. The effect of the discharge noise on the laser output has been studied. The discharge noise has been explained through an ac equivalent circuit of the laser discharge tube.

The discharge noise corresponds to time-varying spatial fluctuations in the electron density, the inverted population density and the dielectric permittivity of the laser medium from their equilibrium values. These fluctuations cause a shift in the resonant frequencies of the laser cavity. When the fluctuation in the dielectric permittivity of the laser medium is a longitudinally traveling wave (corresponding to the case in which moving striations exist in the positive column of the laser discharge), the laser output is frequency modulated.

The discharge noise has been analyzed by representing the laser discharge by an equivalent circuit. An appropriate ac equivalent circuit of a laser discharge tube has been obtained by considering the frequency spectrum of the current response of the discharge tube to an ac voltage modulation. It consist of a series ρLC circuit, which represents the discharge region, in parallel with a capacitance C', which comes mainly from the stray wiring. The equivalent inductance and capacitance of the discharge region have been calculated from the values of the resonant frequencies measured on discharge currents, gas pressures and lengths of the positive column. The experimental data provide for a set of typical values and dependencies on the discharge parameters for the equivalent inductance and capacitance of a discharge under laser operating conditions. It has been concluded from the experimental data that the equivalent inductance originates mainly from the positive column while the equivalent capacitance is due to the discharge region other than the positive column.

The ac equivalent circuit of the laser discharge has been shown analytically and experimentally to be applicable to analyzing the internal discharge noise. Experimental measurements have been made on the frequency of moving striations in a laser discharge. Its experimental dependence on the discharge current agrees very well with the expected dependence obtained from an analysis of the circuit and the experimental data on the equivalent circuit elements. The agreement confirms the validity of representing a laser discharge tube by its ac equivalent circuit in analyzing the striation phenomenon and other low frequency noises. Data have also been obtained for the variation of the striation frequency with an externally-applied longitudinal magnetic field and the increase in frequency has been attributed to a decrease in the equivalent inductance of the laser discharge.