Interlocking egg-crate type grid assembly

DOEpatents

Kast, Steven J.

1987-01-01

Disclosed is an interlocking egg-crate hexagonal grid for supporting a nuclear fuel pin in a hexagonal array. The grid is formed from strips bent at an angle of about 120.degree. at each vertex. Over some faces of each hexagonal cell the strips are coplanar but are arranged, by stacking and interlocking, to avoid any double thickness of metal in that plane. Springs and dimples are formed in the faces of each cell to hold the fuel pin substantially centered.

Interlocking egg-crate type grid assembly

DOEpatents

Kast, S.J.

1985-03-15

Disclosed is an interlocking egg-crate hexagonal grid for supporting a nuclear fuel pin in a hexagonal array. The grid is formed from strips bent at an angle of about 120/sup 0/ at each vertex. Over some faces of each hexagonal cell the strips are coplanar but are arranged, by stacking interlocking, to avoid any double thickness of metal in that plane. Springs and dimples are formed in the faces of each cell to hold the fuel pin substantially centered.

Fabrication and characterization of a co-planar detector in diamond for low energy single ion implantation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abraham, John Bishoy Sam; Pacheco, Jose L.; Aguirre, Brandon Adrian

2016-08-09

We demonstrate low energy single ion detection using a co-planar detector fabricated on a diamond substrate and characterized by ion beam induced charge collection. Histograms are taken with low fluence ion pulses illustrating quantized ion detection down to a single ion with a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 10. We anticipate that this detection technique can serve as a basis to optimize the yield of single color centers in diamond. In conclusion, the ability to count ions into a diamond substrate is expected to reduce the uncertainty in the yield of color center formation by removing Poisson statistics from the implantationmore » process.« less

Focal plane alignment and detector characterization for the Subaru prime focus spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Murdock; Barkhouser, Robert H.; Carr, Michael; Golebiowski, Mirek; Gunn, James E.; Hope, Stephen C.; Smee, Stephen A.

2014-07-01

We describe the infrastructure being developed to align and characterize the detectors for the Subaru Measure- ment of Images and Redshifts (SuMIRe) Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS). PFS will employ four three-channel spectrographs with an operating wavelength range of 3800 °A to 12600 °A. Each spectrograph will be comprised of two visible channels and one near infrared (NIR) channel, where each channel will use a separate Schmidt camera to image the captured spectra onto their respective detectors. In the visible channels, Hamamatsu 2k × 4k CCDs will be mounted in pairs to create a single 4k × 4k detector, while the NIR channel will use a single Teledyne 4k × 4k H4RG HgCdTe device. The fast f/1.1 optics of the Schmidt cameras will give a shallow depth of focus necessitating an optimization of the focal plane array flatness. The minimum departure from flatness of the focal plane array for the visible channels is set the by the CCD flatness, typically 10 μm peak-to-valley. We will adjust the coplanarity for a pair of CCDs such that the flatness of the array is consistent with the flatness of the detectors themselves. To achieve this we will use an optical non-contact measurement system to measure surface flatness and coplanarity at both ambient and operating temperatures, and use shims to adjust the coplanarity of the CCDs. We will characterize the performance of the detectors for PFS consistent with the scientific goals for the project. To this end we will measure the gain, linearity, full well, quantum efficiency (QE), charge diffusion, charge transfer inefficiency (CTI), and noise properties of these devices. We also desire to better understand the non-linearity of the photon transfer curve for the CCDs, and the charge persistence/reciprocity problems of the HgCdTe devices. To enable the metrology and characterization of these detectors we are building two test cryostats nearly identical in design. The first test cryostat will primarily be used for the coplanarity measurements and sub- pixel illumination testing, and the second will be dedicated to performance characterization requiring at field illumination. In this paper we will describe the design of the test cryostats. We will also describe the system we have built for measuring focal plane array flatness, and examine the precision and error with which it operates. Finally we will detail the methods by which we plan to characterize the performance of the detectors for PFS, and provide preliminary results.

Reduction of a grid moiré pattern by integrating a carbon-interspaced high precision x-ray grid with a digital radiographic detector.

PubMed

Yoon, Jai-Woong; Park, Young-Guk; Park, Chun-Joo; Kim, Do-Il; Lee, Jin-Ho; Chung, Nag-Kun; Choe, Bo-Young; Suh, Tae-Suk; Lee, Hyoung-Koo

2007-11-01

The stationary grid commonly used with a digital x-ray detector causes a moiré interference pattern due to the inadequate sampling of the grid shadows by the detector pixels. There are limitations with the previous methods used to remove the moiré such as imperfect electromagnetic interference shielding and the loss of image information. A new method is proposed for removing the moiré pattern by integrating a carbon-interspaced high precision x-ray grid with high grid line uniformity with the detector for frequency matching. The grid was aligned to the detector by translating and rotating the x-ray grid with respect to the detector using microcontrolled alignment mechanism. The gap between the grid and the detector surface was adjusted with micrometer precision to precisely match the projected grid line pitch to the detector pixel pitch. Considering the magnification of the grid shadows on the detector plane, the grids were manufactured such that the grid line frequency was slightly higher than the detector sampling frequency. This study examined the factors that affect the moiré pattern, particularly the line frequency and displacement. The frequency of the moiré pattern was found to be sensitive to the angular displacement of the grid with respect to the detector while the horizontal translation alters the phase but not the moiré frequency. The frequency of the moiré pattern also decreased with decreasing difference in frequency between the grid and the detector, and a moiré-free image was produced after complete matching for a given source to detector distance. The image quality factors including the contrast, signal-to-noise ratio and uniformity in the images with and without the moiré pattern were investigated.

Radiation detector having a multiplicity of individual detecting elements

DOEpatents

Whetten, Nathan R.; Kelley, John E.

1985-01-01

A radiation detector has a plurality of detector collection element arrays immersed in a radiation-to-electron conversion medium. Each array contains a multiplicity of coplanar detector elements radially disposed with respect to one of a plurality of positions which at least one radiation source can assume. Each detector collector array is utilized only when a source is operative at the associated source position, negating the necessity for a multi-element detector to be moved with respect to an object to be examined. A novel housing provides the required containment of a high-pressure gas conversion medium.

Tandem array of nanoelectronic readers embedded coplanar to a fluidic nanochannel for correlated single biopolymer analysis

PubMed Central

Lesser-Rojas, Leonardo; Sriram, K. K.; Liao, Kuo-Tang; Lai, Shui-Chin; Kuo, Pai-Chia; Chu, Ming-Lee; Chou, Chia-Fu

2014-01-01

We have developed a two-step electron-beam lithography process to fabricate a tandem array of three pairs of tip-like gold nanoelectronic detectors with electrode gap size as small as 9 nm, embedded in a coplanar fashion to 60 nm deep, 100 nm wide, and up to 150 μm long nanochannels coupled to a world-micro-nanofluidic interface for easy sample introduction. Experimental tests with a sealed device using DNA-protein complexes demonstrate the coplanarity of the nanoelectrodes to the nanochannel surface. Further, this device could improve transverse current detection by correlated time-of-flight measurements of translocating samples, and serve as an autocalibrated velocimeter and nanoscale tandem Coulter counters for single molecule analysis of heterogeneous samples. PMID:24753731

Characterization and Selection of Polymer Materials for Binary Munitions Storage. Part 3. Branch Content Determination.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

accuracy. The data aquisition system combines a position- sensitive X-ray detector with a 65 kilobyte microcomputer capable of operating as a...The rapid X-ray diffraction system measures intensity versus 20 patterns by placing the detector with its sensitivity axis positioned parallel to the...plane of the diffractometer (see Figure 2). As shown in Figure 2, the detector sensitivity axis z is coplanar with both the incident beam and the

Development of a Massive, Highly Multiplexible, Phonon-Mediated Particle Detector Using Kinetic Inductance Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Y.-Y.; Cornell, B.; Aralis, T.; Bumble, B.; Golwala, S. R.

2018-04-01

We present a status update on the development of a phonon-mediated particle detector using kinetic inductance detector (KID). The design is intended for O(1) kg substrate, using O(102) KIDs on a single readout line, to image the athermal phonon distribution at < 1 mm position resolution and O(10) eV energy resolution. The design specification is set by the need to improve position reconstruction fidelity while maintaining low energy threshold for future rare-event searches such as for low-mass dark matter. We report on the design, which shows negligible crosstalk and > 95% inductor current uniformity, using the coplanar waveguide feedline, ground shield, and a new class of KIDs with symmetric coplanar stripline (sCPS) inductor. The multiplexing is designed upon the frequency-geometry relation we develop for the sCPS KIDs. We introduce the fabrications of the Nb RF assessment prototypes and the high phonon collection efficiency Al-Nb devices. We achieve ≲ 0.07% frequency displacement on a 80-KID RF assessment prototype, and the result indicates that we may place more than 180 resonances in our 0.4 GHz readout band with minimal frequency misordering. The coupling quality factors are ˜ 105 as designed. Finally, we update our work in progress in fabricating the O(102) KID, bi-material, O(1) kg detectors, and the expected position and energy resolutions.

Development of portable CdZnTe spectrometers for remote sensing of signatures from nuclear materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, Arnold; Groza, Michael; Cui, Yunlong; Roy, Utpal N.; Hillman, Damian; Guo, Mike; Li, Longxia; Wright, Gomez W.; James, Ralph B.

2005-03-01

Room temperature cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma-ray spectrometers are being developed for a number for years for medical, space and national security applications where high sensitivity, low operating power and compactness are indispensable. The technology has matured now to the point where large volume (several cubic centimeters) and high energy resolution (approximately 1% at 660 eV) of gamma photons, are becoming available for their incorporation into portable systems for remote sensing of signatures from nuclear materials. The straightforward approach of utilizing a planar CZT device has been excluded due to the incomplete collection arising from the trapping of holes and causing broadening of spectral lines at energies above 80 keV, to unacceptable levels of performance. Solutions are being pursued by developing devices aimed at processing the signal produced primarily by electrons and practically insensitive to the contribution of holes, and recent progress has been made in the areas of material growth as well as electrode and electronics design. Present materials challenges are in the growth of CZT boules from which large, oriented single crystal pieces can be cut to fabricate such sizable detectors. Since virtually all the detector grade CZT boules consist of several grains, the cost of a large, single crystal section is still high. Co-planar detectors, capacitive Frisch-grid detectors and devices taking advantage of the small pixel effect, are configurations with a range of requirements in crystallinity and defect content and involve variable degrees of complexity in the fabrication, surface passivation and signal processing. These devices have been demonstrated by several research groups and will be discussed in terms of their sensitivity and availability.

Electron gas grid semiconductor radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Lee, Edwin Y.; James, Ralph B.

2002-01-01

An electron gas grid semiconductor radiation detector (EGGSRAD) useful for gamma-ray and x-ray spectrometers and imaging systems is described. The radiation detector employs doping of the semiconductor and variation of the semiconductor detector material to form a two-dimensional electron gas, and to allow transistor action within the detector. This radiation detector provides superior energy resolution and radiation detection sensitivity over the conventional semiconductor radiation detector and the "electron-only" semiconductor radiation detectors which utilize a grid electrode near the anode. In a first embodiment, the EGGSRAD incorporates delta-doped layers adjacent the anode which produce an internal free electron grid well to which an external grid electrode can be attached. In a second embodiment, a quantum well is formed between two of the delta-doped layers, and the quantum well forms the internal free electron gas grid to which an external grid electrode can be attached. Two other embodiments which are similar to the first and second embodiment involve a graded bandgap formed by changing the composition of the semiconductor material near the first and last of the delta-doped layers to increase or decrease the conduction band energy adjacent to the delta-doped layers.

What is Scanner and NonScanner?

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2014-12-08

... instruments specifically designed by a team of electronic, thermal, and mechanical experts, built and integrated with the ERBS and NOAA ... of three co-planar detectors (longwave, shortwave and total energy), all of which scan from one limb of the Earth to the other, across the ...

Comparison of pediatric radiation dose and vessel visibility on angiographic systems using piglets as a surrogate: antiscatter grid removal vs. lower detector air kerma settings with a grid — a preclinical investigation

PubMed Central

Racadio, John M.; Abruzzo, Todd A.; Johnson, Neil D.; Patel, Manish N.; Kukreja, Kamlesh U.; den Hartog, Mark. J. H.; Hoornaert, Bart P.A.; Nachabe, Rami A.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to reduce pediatric doses while maintaining or improving image quality scores without removing the grid from X‐ray beam. This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Three piglets (5, 14, and 20 kg) were imaged using six different selectable detector air kerma (Kair) per frame values (100%, 70%, 50%, 35%, 25%, 17.5%) with and without the grid. Number of distal branches visualized with diagnostic confidence relative to the injected vessel defined image quality score. Five pediatric interventional radiologists evaluated all images. Image quality score and piglet Kair were statistically compared using analysis of variance and receiver operating curve analysis to define the preferred dose setting and use of grid for a visibility of 2nd and 3rd order vessel branches. Grid removal reduced both dose to subject and imaging quality by 26%. Third order branches could only be visualized with the grid present; 100% detector Kair was required for smallest pig, while 70% detector Kair was adequate for the two larger pigs. Second order branches could be visualized with grid at 17.5% detector Kair for all three pig sizes. Without the grid, 50%, 35%, and 35% detector Kair were required for smallest to largest pig, respectively. Grid removal reduces both dose and image quality score. Image quality scores can be maintained with less dose to subject with the grid in the beam as opposed to removed. Smaller anatomy requires more dose to the detector to achieve the same image quality score. PACS numbers: 87.53.Bn, 87.57.N‐, 87.57.cj, 87.59.cf, 87.59.Dj PMID:26699297

Parallel-wire grid assembly with method and apparatus for construction thereof

DOEpatents

Lewandowski, E.F.; Vrabec, J.

1981-10-26

Disclosed is a parallel wire grid and an apparatus and method for making the same. The grid consists of a generally coplanar array of parallel spaced-apart wires secured between metallic frame members by an electrically conductive epoxy. The method consists of continuously winding a wire about a novel winding apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced-apart generally parallel spindles. Each spindle is threaded with a number of predeterminedly spaced-apart grooves which receive and accurately position the wire at predetermined positions along the spindle. Overlying frame members coated with electrically conductive epoxy are then placed on either side of the wire array and are drawn together. After the epoxy hardens, portions of the wire array lying outside the frame members are trimmed away.

Parallel-wire grid assembly with method and apparatus for construction thereof

DOEpatents

Lewandowski, Edward F.; Vrabec, John

1984-01-01

Disclosed is a parallel wire grid and an apparatus and method for making the same. The grid consists of a generally coplanar array of parallel spaced-apart wires secured between metallic frame members by an electrically conductive epoxy. The method consists of continuously winding a wire about a novel winding apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced-apart generally parallel spindles. Each spindle is threaded with a number of predeterminedly spaced-apart grooves which receive and accurately position the wire at predetermined positions along the spindle. Overlying frame members coated with electrically conductive epoxy are then placed on either side of the wire array and are drawn together. After the epoxy hardens, portions of the wire array lying outside the frame members are trimmed away.

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy using a fast pixel array detector with a grid mask resolution enhancer.

PubMed

Hoshino, Taiki; Kikuchi, Moriya; Murakami, Daiki; Harada, Yoshiko; Mitamura, Koji; Ito, Kiminori; Tanaka, Yoshihito; Sasaki, Sono; Takata, Masaki; Jinnai, Hiroshi; Takahara, Atsushi

2012-11-01

The performance of a fast pixel array detector with a grid mask resolution enhancer has been demonstrated for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) measurements to investigate fast dynamics on a microscopic scale. A detecting system, in which each pixel of a single-photon-counting pixel array detector, PILATUS, is covered by grid mask apertures, was constructed for XPCS measurements of silica nanoparticles in polymer melts. The experimental results are confirmed to be consistent by comparison with other independent experiments. By applying this method, XPCS measurements can be carried out by customizing the hole size of the grid mask to suit the experimental conditions, such as beam size, detector size and sample-to-detector distance.

Grid artifact reduction for direct digital radiography detectors based on rotated stationary grids with homomorphic filtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dong Sik; Lee, Sanggyun

2013-06-15

Purpose: Grid artifacts are caused when using the antiscatter grid in obtaining digital x-ray images. In this paper, research on grid artifact reduction techniques is conducted especially for the direct detectors, which are based on amorphous selenium. Methods: In order to analyze and reduce the grid artifacts, the authors consider a multiplicative grid image model and propose a homomorphic filtering technique. For minimal damage due to filters, which are used to suppress the grid artifacts, rotated grids with respect to the sampling direction are employed, and min-max optimization problems for searching optimal grid frequencies and angles for given sampling frequenciesmore » are established. The authors then propose algorithms for the grid artifact reduction based on the band-stop filters as well as low-pass filters. Results: The proposed algorithms are experimentally tested for digital x-ray images, which are obtained from direct detectors with the rotated grids, and are compared with other algorithms. It is shown that the proposed algorithms can successfully reduce the grid artifacts for direct detectors. Conclusions: By employing the homomorphic filtering technique, the authors can considerably suppress the strong grid artifacts with relatively narrow-bandwidth filters compared to the normal filtering case. Using rotated grids also significantly reduces the ringing artifact. Furthermore, for specific grid frequencies and angles, the authors can use simple homomorphic low-pass filters in the spatial domain, and thus alleviate the grid artifacts with very low implementation complexity.« less

Single and double grid long-range alpha detectors

DOEpatents

MacArthur, Duncan W.; Allander, Krag S.

1993-01-01

Alpha particle detectors capable of detecting alpha radiation from distant sources. In one embodiment, a voltage is generated in a single electrically conductive grid while a fan draws air containing air molecules ionized by alpha particles through an air passage and across the conductive grid. The current in the conductive grid can be detected and used for measurement or alarm. Another embodiment builds on this concept and provides an additional grid so that air ions of both polarities can be detected. The detector can be used in many applications, such as for pipe or duct, tank, or soil sample monitoring.

Single and double grid long-range alpha detectors

DOEpatents

MacArthur, D.W.; Allander, K.S.

1993-03-16

Alpha particle detectors capable of detecting alpha radiation from distant sources. In one embodiment, a voltage is generated in a single electrically conductive grid while a fan draws air containing air molecules ionized by alpha particles through an air passage and across the conductive grid. The current in the conductive grid can be detected and used for measurement or alarm. Another embodiment builds on this concept and provides an additional grid so that air ions of both polarities can be detected. The detector can be used in many applications, such as for pipe or duct, tank, or soil sample monitoring.

Far infrared through millimeter backshort-under-grid arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Christine A.; Abrahams, John; Benford, Dominic J.; Chervenak, James A.; Chuss, David T.; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Miller, Timothy M.; Moseley, S. Harvey; Wollack, Edward J.

2006-06-01

We are developing a large-format, versatile, bolometer array for a wide range of infrared through millimeter astronomical applications. The array design consists of three key components - superconducting transition edge sensor bolometer arrays, quarter-wave reflective backshort grids, and Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) multiplexer readouts. The detector array is a filled, square grid of bolometers with superconducting sensors. The backshort arrays are fabricated separately and are positioned in the etch cavities behind the detector grid. The grids have unique three-dimensional interlocking features micromachined into the walls for positioning and mechanical stability. The ultimate goal of the program is to produce large-format arrays with background-limited sensitivity, suitable for a wide range of wavelengths and applications. Large-format (kilopixel) arrays will be directly indium bump bonded to a SQUID multiplexer circuit. We have produced and tested 8×8 arrays of 1 mm detectors to demonstrate proof of concept. 8×16 arrays of 2 mm detectors are being produced for a new Goddard Space Flight Center instrument. We have also produced models of a kilopixel detector grid and dummy multiplexer chip for bump bonding development. We present detector design overview, several unique fabrication highlights, and assembly technologies.

Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector

DOEpatents

Lee, Edwin Y.; James, Ralph B.

2002-01-01

Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector useful for gamma-ray and x-ray spectrometers and imaging systems. The detector is fabricated using wafer fusion to insert an electrically conductive grid, typically comprising a metal, between two solid semiconductor pieces, one having a cathode (negative electrode) and the other having an anode (positive electrode). The wafer fused semiconductor radiation detector functions like the commonly used Frisch grid radiation detector, in which an electrically conductive grid is inserted in high vacuum between the cathode and the anode. The wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector can be fabricated using the same or two different semiconductor materials of different sizes and of the same or different thicknesses; and it may utilize a wide range of metals, or other electrically conducting materials, to form the grid, to optimize the detector performance, without being constrained by structural dissimilarity of the individual parts. The wafer-fused detector is basically formed, for example, by etching spaced grooves across one end of one of two pieces of semiconductor materials, partially filling the grooves with a selected electrical conductor which forms a grid electrode, and then fusing the grooved end of the one semiconductor piece to an end of the other semiconductor piece with a cathode and an anode being formed on opposite ends of the semiconductor pieces.

MCP detector development for UV space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conti, Lauro; Barnstedt, Jürgen; Hanke, Lars; Kalkuhl, Christoph; Kappelmann, Norbert; Rauch, Thomas; Stelzer, Beate; Werner, Klaus; Elsener, Hans-Rudolf; Schaadt, Daniel M.

2018-04-01

We are developing imaging and photon counting UV-MCP detectors, which are sensitive in the wavelength range from far ultraviolet to near ultraviolet. A good quantum efficiency, solar blindness and high spatial resolution is the aim of our development. The sealed detector has a Cs-activated photoactive layer of GaN (or similarly advanced photocathode), which is operated in semitransparent mode on (001)-MgF2. The detector comprises a stack of two long-life MCPs and a coplanar cross strip anode with advanced readout electronics. The main challenge is the flawless growth of the GaN photocathode layer as well as the requirements for the sealing of the detector, to prevent a degradation of the photocathode. We present here the detector concept and the experimental setup, examine in detail the status in the production and describe the current status of the readout electronics development.

Large Area Coverage of a TPC Endcap with GridPix Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, Jochen

2018-02-01

The Large Prototype TPC at DESY, Hamburg, was built by the LCTPC collaboration as a testbed for new readout technologies of Time Projection Chambers. Up to seven modules of about 400 cm2 each can be placed in the endcap. Three of these modules were equipped with a total of 160 GridPix detectors. This is a combination of a highly pixelated readout ASIC and a Micromegas built on top. GridPix detectors have a very high efficiency of detecting primary electrons, which leads to excellent spatial and energy resolutions. For the first time a large number of GridPix detectors has been operated and long segments of tracks have been recorded with excellent precision.

Operation of an InGrid based X-ray detector at the CAST experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krieger, Christoph; Desch, Klaus; Kaminski, Jochen; Lupberger, Michael

2018-02-01

The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is searching for axions and other particles which could be candidates for DarkMatter and even Dark Energy. These particles could be produced in the Sun and detected by a conversion into soft X-ray photons inside a strong magnetic field. In order to increase the sensitivity for physics beyond the Standard Model, detectors with a threshold below 1 keV as well as efficient background rejection methods are required to compensate for low energies and weak couplings resulting in very low detection rates. Those criteria are fulfilled by a detector utilizing the combination of a pixelized readout chip with an integrated Micromegas stage. These InGrid (Integrated Grid) devices can be build by photolithographic postprocessing techniques, resulting in a close to perfect match of grid and pixels facilitating the detection of single electrons on the chip surface. The high spatial resolution allows for energy determination by simple electron counting as well as for an event-shape based analysis as background rejection method. Tests at an X-ray generator revealed the energy threshold of an InGrid based X-ray detector to be well below the carbon Kα line at 277 eV. After the successful demonstration of the detectors key features, the detector was mounted at one of CAST's four detector stations behind an X-ray telescope in 2014. After several months of successful operation without any detector related interruptions, the InGrid based X-ray detector continues data taking at CAST in 2015. During operation at the experiment, background rates in the order of 10-5 keV-1 cm-2 s-1 have been achieved by application of a likelihood based method discriminating the non-photon background originating mostly from cosmic rays. For continued operation in 2016, an upgraded InGrid based detector is to be installed among other improvements including decoupling and sampling of the signal induced on the grid as well as a veto scintillator to further lower the observed background rates and improving sensitivity.

Posteriori error determination and grid adaptation for AMR and ALE computational fluid dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lapenta, G. M.

2002-01-01

We discuss grid adaptation for application to AMR and ALE codes. Two new contributions are presented. First, a new method to locate the regions where the truncation error is being created due to an insufficient accuracy: the operator recovery error origin (OREO) detector. The OREO detector is automatic, reliable, easy to implement and extremely inexpensive. Second, a new grid motion technique is presented for application to ALE codes. The method is based on the Brackbill-Saltzman approach but it is directly linked to the OREO detector and moves the grid automatically to minimize the error.

Multi-Grid detector for neutron spectroscopy: results obtained on time-of-flight spectrometer CNCS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasopoulos, M.; Bebb, R.; Berry, K.; Birch, J.; Bryś, T.; Buffet, J.-C.; Clergeau, J.-F.; Deen, P. P.; Ehlers, G.; van Esch, P.; Everett, S. M.; Guerard, B.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Herwig, K.; Hultman, L.; Höglund, C.; Iruretagoiena, I.; Issa, F.; Jensen, J.; Khaplanov, A.; Kirstein, O.; Lopez Higuera, I.; Piscitelli, F.; Robinson, L.; Schmidt, S.; Stefanescu, I.

2017-04-01

The Multi-Grid detector technology has evolved from the proof-of-principle and characterisation stages. Here we report on the performance of the Multi-Grid detector, the MG.CNCS prototype, which has been installed and tested at the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer, CNCS at SNS. This has allowed a side-by-side comparison to the performance of 3He detectors on an operational instrument. The demonstrator has an active area of 0.2 m2. It is specifically tailored to the specifications of CNCS. The detector was installed in June 2016 and has operated since then, collecting neutron scattering data in parallel to the He-3 detectors of CNCS. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of this data, in particular on instrument energy resolution, rate capability, background and relative efficiency. Stability, gamma-ray and fast neutron sensitivity have also been investigated. The effect of scattering in the detector components has been measured and provides input to comparison for Monte Carlo simulations. All data is presented in comparison to that measured by the 3He detectors simultaneously, showing that all features recorded by one detector are also recorded by the other. The energy resolution matches closely. We find that the Multi-Grid is able to match the data collected by 3He, and see an indication of a considerable advantage in the count rate capability. Based on these results, we are confident that the Multi-Grid detector will be capable of producing high quality scientific data on chopper spectrometers utilising the unprecedented neutron flux of the ESS.

Backshort-Under-Grid arrays for infrared astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, C. A.; Benford, D. J.; Chervenak, J. A.; Chuss, D. T.; Miller, T. M.; Moseley, S. H.; Staguhn, J. G.; Wollack, E. J.

2006-04-01

We are developing a kilopixel, filled bolometer array for space infrared astronomy. The array consists of three individual components, to be merged into a single, working unit; (1) a transition edge sensor bolometer array, operating in the milliKelvin regime, (2) a quarter-wave backshort grid, and (3) superconducting quantum interference device multiplexer readout. The detector array is designed as a filled, square grid of suspended, silicon bolometers with superconducting sensors. The backshort arrays are fabricated separately and will be positioned in the cavities created behind each detector during fabrication. The grids have a unique interlocking feature machined into the walls for positioning and mechanical stability. The spacing of the backshort beneath the detector grid can be set from ˜30 300 μm, by independently adjusting two process parameters during fabrication. The ultimate goal is to develop a large-format array architecture with background-limited sensitivity, suitable for a wide range of wavelengths and applications, to be directly bump bonded to a multiplexer circuit. We have produced prototype two-dimensional arrays having 8×8 detector elements. We present detector design, fabrication overview, and assembly technologies.

A novel radiation detector for removing scattered radiation in chest radiography: Monte Carlo simulation-based performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roh, Y. H.; Yoon, Y.; Kim, K.; Kim, J.; Kim, J.; Morishita, J.

2016-10-01

Scattered radiation is the main reason for the degradation of image quality and the increased patient exposure dose in diagnostic radiology. In an effort to reduce scattered radiation, a novel structure of an indirect flat panel detector has been proposed. In this study, a performance evaluation of the novel system in terms of image contrast as well as an estimation of the number of photons incident on the detector and the grid exposure factor were conducted using Monte Carlo simulations. The image contrast of the proposed system was superior to that of the no-grid system but slightly inferior to that of the parallel-grid system. The number of photons incident on the detector and the grid exposure factor of the novel system were higher than those of the parallel-grid system but lower than those of the no-grid system. The proposed system exhibited the potential for reduced exposure dose without image quality degradation; additionally, can be further improved by a structural optimization considering the manufacturer's specifications of its lead contents.

X-ray grid-detector apparatus

DOEpatents

Boone, John M.; Lane, Stephen M.

1998-01-27

A hybrid grid-detector apparatus for x-ray systems wherein a microchannel plate structure has an air-interspaced grid portion and a phosphor/optical fluid-filled grid portion. The grids are defined by multiple adjacent channels separated by lead-glass septa. X-rays entering the air-interspaced grid portion at an angle of impingement upon the septa are attenuated, while non-impinging x-rays pass through to the phosphor/fluid filled portion. X-ray energy is converted to luminescent energy in the phosphor/fluid filled portion and the resultant beams of light are directed out of the phosphor/optical fluid filled portion to an imaging device.

SU-C-209-03: Anti-Scatter Grid-Line Artifact Minimization for Removing the Grid Lines for Three Different Grids Used with a High Resolution CMOS Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rana, R; Bednarek, D; Rudin, S

Purpose: Demonstrate the effectiveness of an anti-scatter grid artifact minimization method by removing the grid-line artifacts for three different grids when used with a high resolution CMOS detector. Method: Three different stationary x-ray grids were used with a high resolution CMOS x-ray detector (Dexela 1207, 75 µm pixels, sensitivity area 11.5cm × 6.5cm) to image a simulated artery block phantom (Nuclear Associates, Stenosis/Aneurysm Artery Block 76–705) combined with a frontal head phantom used as the scattering source. The x-ray parameters were 98kVp, 200mA, and 16ms for all grids. With all the three grids, two images were acquired: the first formore » a scatter-less flat field including the grid and the second of the object with the grid which may still have some scatter transmission. Because scatter has a low spatial frequency distribution, it was represented by an estimated constant value as an initial approximation and subtracted from the image of the object with grid before dividing by an average frame of the grid flat-field with no scatter. The constant value was iteratively changed to minimize residual grid-line artifact. This artifact minimization process was used for all the three grids. Results: Anti-scatter grid lines artifacts were successfully eliminated in all the three final images taken with the three different grids. The image contrast and CNR were also compared before and after the correction, and also compared with those from the image of the object when no grid was used. The corrected images showed an increase in CNR of approximately 28%, 33% and 25% for the three grids, as compared to the images when no grid at all was used. Conclusion: Anti-scatter grid-artifact minimization works effectively irrespective of the specifications of the grid when it is used with a high spatial resolution detector. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.« less

New results of GridPix TPCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Graaf, Harry

2009-07-01

The Gossip detector, being a GridPix TPC equipped with a thin layer of gas, is a promising alternative for Si tracking detectors. In addition, GridPix would be an interesting way to read out the gaseous phase volume of bi-phase Liquid Xe cryostats of v-less double beta decay and rare event (i.e. WIMP) search experiments.

Poster - Thur Eve - 52: Clinical use of nanoDots: In-vivo dosimetry and treatment validation for stereotactic targets with VMAT techniques.

PubMed

Wierzbicki, W; Nicol, S; Furstoss, C; Brunet-Benkhoucha, M; Leduc, V

2012-07-01

A newly acquired nanoDot In-Light system was compared with TLD-100 dosimeters to confirm the treatment dose in the multiple cases: an electron eye treatment, H&N IMRT and VMAT validation for small targets. Eye tumour treatment with 9 MeV electrons A dose of 1.8 Gy per fraction was prescribed to the 85% isodose. The average dose measured by three TLDs and three Dots was 1.90 and 1.97 Gy. Both detectors overestimated dose, by 2.9% and 6.7% respectively. H&N IMRT treatment of skin cancer with 6 MV photons Dose per fraction is 2.5 Gy. The average doses measured by two TLDs and two Dots were 2.48 and 2.56 Gy, which represent errors of -0.8% and 2.2%, respectively. VMAT validation for small targets using an Agarose phantom, dose 15 Gy A single-tumour brain treatment was delivered using two coplanar arcs to an Agarise phantom containing a large plastic insert holding 3 nanoDots and 4 TLDs. The difference between the average Pinnacle dose and the average dose of the corresponding detectors was -0.6% for Dots and -1.7% for TLDs. A two-tumour brain treatment was delivered using three non-coplanar arcs. Small and large plastic inserts separated by 5 cm were used to validate the dose. The difference between the average Pinnacle dose and the average dose of the corresponding detectors was the following; small phantom 0.7% for Dots and 0.3% for TLDs, large phantom-1.9% for Dots and -0.6% for TLDs. In conclusion, nanoDot detectors are suitable for in-vivo dosimetry with photon and electron beams. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Recent Results on Gridpix Detectors:. AN Integrated Micromegas Grid and a Micromegas Ageing Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chefdeville, M.; Aarts, A.; van der Graaf, H.; van der Putten, S.

2006-04-01

A new gas-filled detector combining a Micromegas with a CMOS pixel chip has been recently tested. A procedure to integrate the Micromegas grid onto silicon wafers (‘wafer post processing’) has been developed. We aim to eventually integrate the grid on top of wafers of CMOS pixel chips. The first part of this contribution describes an application in vertex detection (GOSSIP). Then tests of the first detector prototype of a grid integrated on a bare silicon wafer are shown. Finally an ageing test of a Micromegas chamber is presented. After verifying the chambers' proportionality at a very high dose rates, the device was irradiated until ageing became apparent.

SU-G-IeP3-09: Investigating the Interplay of Antiscatter Grids with Modern Detectors and Image Processing in Digital Radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez, A; Little, K; Baad, M

Purpose: To use phantom and simulation experiments to relate technique factors, patient size and antiscatter grid use to image quality in portable digital radiography (DR), in light of advancements in detector design and image processing. Methods: Image contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) on a portable DR system (MobileDaRt Evolution, Shimadzu) was measured by imaging four aluminum inserts of varying thickness, superimposed on a Lucite slab phantom using a pediatric abdominal protocol. Three thicknesses of Lucite were used: 6.1cm, 12cm, and 18.2cm, with both 55 and 65 kVp beams. The mAs was set so that detector entrance exposure (DEE) was matched between kVpmore » values. Each technique and phantom was used with and without an antiscatter grid (focused linear grid embedded in aluminum with an 8:1 ratio). The CNR-improvement-factor was then used to determine the thickness- and technique-dependent appropriateness of grid use. Finally, the same experiment was performed via Monte Carlo simulation, integrating incident energy fluence at each detector pixel, so that effects of detector design and image processing could be isolated from physical factors upstream of the detector. Results: The physical phantom experiment demonstrated a clear improvement for the lower tube voltage (55kVp), along with substantial CNR benefits with grid use for 12–18cm phantoms. Neither trend was evident with Monte Carlo, suggesting that suboptimal quantum-detection-efficiency and automated grid-removal could explain trends in kVp and grid use, respectively. Conclusion: Physical experiments demonstrate marked improvement in CNR when using a grid for phantoms of 12 and 18cm Lucite thickness (above ∼10cm soft-tissue equivalent). This benefit is likely due to image processing, as this result was not seen with Monte Carlo. The impact of image processing on image resolution should also be investigated, and the CNR benefit of low kVp and grid use should be weighed against the increased exposure time necessary to achieve adequate DEE.« less

GridPix detectors: Production and beam test results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koppert, W. J. C.; van Bakel, N.; Bilevych, Y.; Colas, P.; Desch, K.; Fransen, M.; van der Graaf, H.; Hartjes, F.; Hessey, N. P.; Kaminski, J.; Schmitz, J.; Schön, R.; Zappon, F.

2013-12-01

The innovative GridPix detector is a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) that is read out with a Timepix-1 pixel chip. By using wafer post-processing techniques an aluminium grid is placed on top of the chip. When operated, the electric field between the grid and the chip is sufficient to create electron induced avalanches which are detected by the pixels. The time-to-digital converter (TDC) records the drift time enabling the reconstruction of high precision 3D track segments. Recently GridPixes were produced on full wafer scale, to meet the demand for more reliable and cheaper devices in large quantities. In a recent beam test the contribution of both diffusion and time walk to the spatial and angular resolutions of a GridPix detector with a 1.2 mm drift gap are studied in detail. In addition long term tests show that in a significant fraction of the chips the protection layer successfully quenches discharges, preventing harm to the chip.

OPTIMIZATION OF VIRTUAL FRISCH-GRID CdZnTe DETECTOR DESIGNS FOR IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF GAMMA RAYS.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BOLOTNIKOV,A.E.; ABDUL-JABBAR, N.M.; BABALOLA, S.

2007-08-21

In the past, various virtual Frisch-grid designs have been proposed for cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) and other compound semiconductor detectors. These include three-terminal, semi-spherical, CAPture, Frisch-ring, capacitive Frisch-grid and pixel devices (along with their modifications). Among them, the Frisch-grid design employing a non-contacting ring extended over the entire side surfaces of parallelepiped-shaped CZT crystals is the most promising. The defect-free parallelepiped-shaped crystals with typical dimensions of 5x5{approx}12 mm3 are easy to produce and can be arranged into large arrays used for imaging and gamma-ray spectroscopy. In this paper, we report on further advances of the virtual Frisch-grid detector design formore » the parallelepiped-shaped CZT crystals. Both the experimental testing and modeling results are described.« less

SU-F-T-590: Modeling PTV Dose Fall-Off for Cervical Cancer SBRT Treatment Planning Using VMAT and Step-And-Shoot IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delgado, A Brito; Cohen, D; Eng, T

Purpose: Due to the high dose per fraction in SBRT, dose conformity and dose fall-off are critical. In patients with cervical cancer, rapid dose fall-off is particularly important to limit dose to the nearby rectum, small bowel, and bladder. This study compares the target volume dose fall-off for two radiation delivery techniques, fixed-field IMRT & VMAT, using non-coplanar beam geometries. Further comparisons are made between 6 and 10MV photon beam energies. Methods: Eleven (n=11) patients were planned in Pinnacle3 v9.10 with a NovalisTx (HD120 MLC) machine model using 6 and 10 MV photons. The following three techniques were used: (1)more » IMRT (10 non-coplanar beams) (2) Dual, coplanar 360° VMAT arcs (4° spacing), and (3) Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs (1 full arc and dual partial arcs). All plans were normalized such that 98% of the PTV received at least 28Gy/4Fx. Dose was calculated using a 2.0mm isotropic dose grid. To assess dose fall-off, twenty concentric 2mm thick rings were created around the PTV. The maximum dose in each ring was recorded and the data was fitted to model dose fall-off. A separate analysis was performed by separating target volumes into small (0–50cc), medium (51–80cc), and large (81–110cc). Results: Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs showed the best dose fall-off for all patients evaluated. All fitted regressions had an R{sup 2}≥0.99. At 10mm from the PTV edge, 10 MV VMAT3-arc had an absolute improvement in dose fall-off of 3.8% and 6.9% over IMRT and VMAT2-arc, respectively. At 30mm, 10 MV VMAT3-arc had an absolute improvement of 12.0% and 7.0% over IMRT and VMAT2-arc, respectively. Faster dose fall-off was observed for small volumes as opposed to medium and large ones—9.6% at 20mm. Conclusion: Triple, non-coplanar VMAT arcs offer the sharpest dose fall-off for cervical SBRT plans. This improvement is most pronounced when treating smaller target volumes.« less

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras.

PubMed

Bolotnikov, A E; Ackley, K; Camarda, G S; Cherches, C; Cui, Y; De Geronimo, G; Fried, J; Hodges, D; Hossain, A; Lee, W; Mahler, G; Maritato, M; Petryk, M; Roy, U; Salwen, C; Vernon, E; Yang, G; James, R B

2015-07-01

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm(3) detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays' performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2015-07-28

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Metallic wire grid behavior and testing in a low pressure gaseous noble elements detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, W.

2018-05-01

High voltage performance has been a challenge for noble element detectors. One piece of this challenge is the emission of electrons from metal electrodes when applying high voltage. This has become a major concern for low-background detectors such as LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ). LZ is a liquid xenon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) searching for Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs). In this work, we demonstrate a method to measure electron emission from metallic electrode grids via detection of proportional scintillation light. We find consistency with Fowler-Nordheim emission with a surface parameter β = 1988 after electro-polishing treatment of a stainless steel grid.

Single-Grid-Pair Fourier Telescope for Imaging in Hard-X Rays and gamma Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Jonathan

2008-01-01

This instrument, a proposed Fourier telescope for imaging in hard-x rays and gamma rays, would contain only one pair of grids made of an appropriate radiation-absorpting/ scattering material, in contradistinction to multiple pairs of such as grids in prior Fourier x- and gamma-ray telescopes. This instrument would also include a relatively coarse gridlike image detector appropriate to the radiant flux to be imaged. Notwithstanding the smaller number of grids and the relative coarseness of the imaging detector, the images produced by the proposed instrument would be of higher quality.

WE-G-204-06: Grid-Line Artifact Minimization for High Resolution Detectors Using Iterative Residual Scatter Correction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rana, R; Bednarek, D; Rudin, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: Anti-scatter grid-line artifacts are more prominent for high-resolution x-ray detectors since the fraction of a pixel blocked by the grid septa is large. Direct logarithmic subtraction of the artifact pattern is limited by residual scattered radiation and we investigate an iterative method for scatter correction. Methods: A stationary Smit-Rοntgen anti-scatter grid was used with a high resolution Dexela 1207 CMOS X-ray detector (75 µm pixel size) to image an artery block (Nuclear Associates, Model 76-705) placed within a uniform head equivalent phantom as the scattering source. The image of the phantom was divided by a flat-field image obtained withoutmore » scatter but with the grid to eliminate grid-line artifacts. Constant scatter values were subtracted from the phantom image before dividing by the averaged flat-field-with-grid image. The standard deviation of pixel values for a fixed region of the resultant images with different subtracted scatter values provided a measure of the remaining grid-line artifacts. Results: A plot of the standard deviation of image pixel values versus the subtracted scatter value shows that the image structure noise reaches a minimum before going up again as the scatter value is increased. This minimum corresponds to a minimization of the grid-line artifacts as demonstrated in line profile plots obtained through each of the images perpendicular to the grid lines. Artifact-free images of the artery block were obtained with the optimal scatter value obtained by this iterative approach. Conclusion: Residual scatter subtraction can provide improved grid-line artifact elimination when using the flat-field with grid “subtraction” technique. The standard deviation of image pixel values can be used to determine the optimal scatter value to subtract to obtain a minimization of grid line artifacts with high resolution x-ray imaging detectors. This study was supported by NIH Grant R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.« less

Polarization sensitive Multi-Chroic MKIDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Bradley R.; Flanigan, Daniel; Abitbol, Maximilian H.; Ade, Peter A. R.; Bryan, Sean; Cho, Hsiao-Mei; Datta, Rahul; Day, Peter; Doyle, Simon; Irwin, Kent; Jones, Glenn; Kernasovskiy, Sarah; Li, Dale; Mauskopf, Philip; McCarrick, Heather; McMahon, Jeff; Miller, Amber; Pisano, Giampaolo; Song, Yanru; Surdi, Harshad; Tucker, Carole

2016-07-01

We report on the development of scalable prototype microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) arrays tai- lored for future multi-kilo-pixel experiments that are designed to simultaneously characterize the polarization properties of both the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Galactic dust emission. These modular arrays are composed of horn-coupled, polarization-sensitive MKIDs, and each pixel has four detectors: two polariza- tions in two spectral bands between 125 and 280 GHz. A horn is used to feed each array element, and a planar orthomode transducer, composed of two waveguide probe pairs, separates the incoming light into two linear po- larizations. Diplexers composed of resonant-stub band-pass filters separate the radiation into 125 to 170 GHz and 190 to 280 GHz pass bands. The millimeter-wave power is ultimately coupled to a hybrid co-planar waveguide microwave kinetic inductance detector using a novel, broadband circuit developed by our collaboration. Elec- tromagnetic simulations show the expected absorption efficiency of the detector is approximately 90%. Array fabrication will begin in the summer of 2016.

Energy dependent features of X-ray signals in a GridPix detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krieger, C.; Kaminski, J.; Vafeiadis, T.; Desch, K.

2018-06-01

We report on the calibration of an argon/isobutane (97.7%/2.3%)-filled GridPix detector with soft X-rays (277 eV to 8 keV) using the variable energy X-ray source of the CAST Detector Lab at CERN. We study the linearity and energy resolution of the detector using both the number of pixels hit and the total measured charge as energy measures. For the latter, the energy resolution σE / E is better than 10% (20%) for energies above 2 keV (0.5 keV). Several characteristics of the recorded events are studied.

A GridPix-based X-ray detector for the CAST experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krieger, C.; Kaminski, J.; Lupberger, M.; Desch, K.

2017-09-01

The CAST experiment has been searching for axions and axion-like particles for more than 10 years. The continuous improvements in the detector designs have increased the physics reach of the experiment far beyond what was originally conceived. As part of this development, a new detector based on a GridPix readout had been developed in 2014 and was mounted on the CAST experiment during the end of the data taking period of 2014 and the complete period in 2015. We report on the detector design, its advantages and the performance during both periods.

Junction-side illuminated silicon detector arrays

DOEpatents

Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Patt, Bradley E.; Tull, Carolyn

2004-03-30

A junction-side illuminated detector array of pixelated detectors is constructed on a silicon wafer. A junction contact on the front-side may cover the whole detector array, and may be used as an entrance window for light, x-ray, gamma ray and/or other particles. The back-side has an array of individual ohmic contact pixels. Each of the ohmic contact pixels on the back-side may be surrounded by a grid or a ring of junction separation implants. Effective pixel size may be changed by separately biasing different sections of the grid. A scintillator may be coupled directly to the entrance window while readout electronics may be coupled directly to the ohmic contact pixels. The detector array may be used as a radiation hardened detector for high-energy physics research or as avalanche imaging arrays.

3D-measurement using a scanning electron microscope with four Everhart-Thornley detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vynnyk, Taras; Scheuer, Renke; Reithmeier, Eduard

2011-06-01

Due to the emerging degree of miniaturization in microstructures, Scanning-Electron-Microscopes (SEM) have become important instruments in the quality assurance of chip manufacturing. With a two- or multiple detector system for secondary electrons, a SEM can be used for the reconstruction of three dimensional surface profiles. Although there are several projects dealing with the reconstruction of three dimensional surfaces using electron microscopes with multiple Everhart-Thornley detectors (ETD), there is no profound knowledge of the behaviour of emitted electrons. Hence, several values, which are used for reconstruction algorithms, such as the photometric method, are only estimates; for instance, the exact collection efficiency of the ETD, which is still unknown. This paper deals with the simulation of electron trajectories in a one-, two- and four-detector system with varying working distances and varying grid currents. For each detector, the collection efficiency is determined by taking the working distance and grid current into account. Based on the gathered information, a new collection grid, which provides a homogenous emission signal for each detector of a multiple detector system, is developed. Finally, the results of the preceding tests are utilized for a reconstruction of a three dimensional surface using the photometric method with a non-lambert intensity distribution.

Self-similar grid patterns in free-space shuffle-exchange networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haney, Michael W.

1993-12-01

Self-similar grid patterns are proposed as an alternative to rectangular grid, array optoelectronic sources, and detectors of smart pixels. For shuffle based multistage interconnection networks, it is suggested that smart pixel should not be arrayed on a rectangular grid and that smart pixel unit cell should be the kernel of a self-similar grid pattern.

Feasibility study on an integrated AEC-grid device for the optimization of image quality and exposure dose in mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyo-Tae; Yun, Ryang-Young; Han, Moo-Jae; Heo, Ye-Ji; Song, Yong-Keun; Heo, Sung-Wook; Oh, Kyeong-Min; Park, Sung-Kwang

2017-10-01

Currently, in the radiation diagnosis field, mammography is used for the early detection of breast cancer. In addition, studies are being conducted on a grid to produce high-quality images. Although the grid ratio of the grid, which affects the scattering removal rate, must be increased to improve image quality, it increases the total exposure dose. While the use of automatic exposure control is recommended to minimize this problem, existing mammography equipment, unlike general radiography equipment, is mounted on the back of a detector. Therefore, the device is greatly affected by the detector and supporting device, and it is difficult to control the exposure dose. Accordingly, in this research, an integrated AEC-grid device that simultaneously performs AEC and grid functions was used to minimize the unnecessary exposure dose while removing scattering, thereby realizing superior image quality.

Radiation detector based on a matrix of crossed wavelength-shifting fibers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kross, Brian J.; Weisenberger, Andrew; Zorn, Carl

A radiation detection system comprising a detection grid of wavelength shifting fibers with a volume of scintillating material at the intersecting points of the fibers. Light detectors, preferably Silicon Photomultipliers, are positioned at the ends of the fibers. The position of radiation is determined from data obtained from the detection grid. The system is easily scalable, customizable, and also suitable for use in soil and underground applications. An alternate embodiment employs a fiber grid sheet or layer which is comprised of multiple fibers secured to one another within the same plane. This embodiment further includes shielding in order to preventmore » radiation cross-talk within the grid layer.« less

High-resolution ionization detector and array of such detectors

DOEpatents

McGregor, Douglas S [Ypsilanti, MI; Rojeski, Ronald A [Pleasanton, CA

2001-01-16

A high-resolution ionization detector and an array of such detectors are described which utilize a reference pattern of conductive or semiconductive material to form interaction, pervious and measurement regions in an ionization substrate of, for example, CdZnTe material. The ionization detector is a room temperature semiconductor radiation detector. Various geometries of such a detector and an array of such detectors produce room temperature operated gamma ray spectrometers with relatively high resolution. For example, a 1 cm.sup.3 detector is capable of measuring .sup.137 Cs 662 keV gamma rays with room temperature energy resolution approaching 2% at FWHM. Two major types of such detectors include a parallel strip semiconductor Frisch grid detector and the geometrically weighted trapezoid prism semiconductor Frisch grid detector. The geometrically weighted detector records room temperature (24.degree. C.) energy resolutions of 2.68% FWHM for .sup.137 Cs 662 keV gamma rays and 2.45% FWHM for .sup.60 Co 1.332 MeV gamma rays. The detectors perform well without any electronic pulse rejection, correction or compensation techniques. The devices operate at room temperature with simple commercially available NIM bin electronics and do not require special preamplifiers or cooling stages for good spectroscopic results.

Recent development of the Multi-Grid detector for large area neutron scattering instruments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guerard, Bruno

2015-07-01

Most of the Neutron Scattering facilities are committed in a continuous program of modernization of their instruments, requiring large area and high performance thermal neutron detectors. Beside scintillators detectors, {sup 3}He detectors, like linear PSDs (Position Sensitive Detectors) and MWPCs (Multi-Wires Proportional Chambers), are the most current techniques nowadays. Time Of Flight instruments are using {sup 3}He PSDs mounted side by side to cover tens of m{sup 2}. As a result of the so-called '{sup 3}He shortage crisis{sup ,} the volume of 3He which is needed to build one of these instruments is not accessible anymore. The development of alternativemore » techniques requiring no 3He, has been given high priority to secure the future of neutron scattering instrumentation. This is particularly important in the context where the future ESS (European Spallation Source) will start its operation in 2019-2020. Improved scintillators represent one of the alternative techniques. Another one is the Multi-Grid introduced at the ILL in 2009. A Multi-Grid detector is composed of several independent modules of typically 0.8 m x 3 m sensitive area, mounted side by side in air or in a vacuum TOF chamber. One module is composed of segmented boron-lined proportional counters mounted in a gas vessel; the counters, of square section, are assembled with Aluminium grids electrically insulated and stacked together. This design provides two advantages: First, magnetron sputtering techniques can be used to coat B{sub 4}C films on planar substrates, and second, the neutron position along the anode wires can be measured by reading out individually the grid signals with fast shaping amplifiers followed by comparators. Unlike charge division localisation in linear PSDs, the individual readout of the grids allows operating the Multi-Grid at a low amplification gain, hence this detector is tolerant to mechanical defects and its production accessible to laboratories equipped with standard equipment. Prototypes of different configurations and sizes have been developed and tested. A demonstrator, with a sensitive area of 0.8 m x 3 m, has been studied during the CRISP European project; it contains 1024 grids, and a surface of isotopically enriched B{sub 4}C film close to 80 m{sup 2}. Its size represented a challenge in terms of fabrication and mounting of the detection elements. Another challenge was to make the gas chamber mechanically compatible with operation in a vacuum TOF chamber. Optimal working condition of this detector was achieved by flushing Ar-CO{sub 2} at a pressure of 50 mbar, and by applying 400 Volts on the anodes. This unusual gas pressure allows to greatly simplifying the mechanics of the gas vessel in vacuum. The detection efficiency has been measured with high precision for different film thicknesses. 52% has been measured at 2.5 Angstrom, in good agreement with the MC simulation. A high position resolution has been achieved by centre of gravity measurement of the TOT (Time-Over-Threshold) signals between neighbouring grids. These results, as well as other detection parameters, including gamma sensitivity and spatial uniformity, will be presented. (author)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A. E., E-mail: bolotnik@bnl.gov; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm{sup 3} detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We presentmore » the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

135Xe measurements with a two-element CZT-based radioxenon detector for nuclear explosion monitoring.

PubMed

Ranjbar, Lily; Farsoni, Abi T; Becker, Eric M

2017-04-01

Measurement of elevated concentrations of xenon radioisotopes ( 131m Xe, 133m Xe, 133 Xe and 135 Xe) in the atmosphere has been shown to be a very powerful method for verifying whether or not a detected explosion is nuclear in nature. These isotopes are among the few with enough mobility and with half-lives long enough to make their detection at long distances realistic. Existing radioxenon detection systems used by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) suffer from problems such as complexity, need for high maintenance and memory effect. To study the response of CdZnTe (CZT) detectors to xenon radioisotopes and investigate whether it is capable of mitigating the aforementioned issues with the current radioxenon detection systems, a prototype detector utilizing two coplanar CZT detectors was built and tested at Oregon State University. The detection system measures xenon radioisotopes through beta-gamma coincidence technique by detecting coincidence events between the two detectors. In this paper, we introduce the detector design and report our measurement results with radioactive lab sources and 135 Xe produced in the OSU TRIGA reactor. Minimum Detectable Concentration (MDC) for 135 Xe was calculated to be 1.47 ± 0.05 mBq/m 3 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, Aleksey; Cui, Yonggang; Vernon, Emerson

This document presents motivations, goals and the current status of this project; development (fabrication, performance) of position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors proposed for nanoRaider, an instrument commonly used by nuclear inspectors; ASIC developments for CZT detectors; and the electronics development for the detector prototype..

An ultra-thin Schottky diode as a transmission particle detector for biological microbeams.

PubMed

Grad, Michael; Harken, Andrew; Randers-Pehrson, Gerhard; Attinger, Daniel; Brenner, David J

2012-12-01

We fabricated ultrathin metal-semiconductor Schottky diodes for use as transmission particle detectors in the biological microbeam at Columbia University's Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). The RARAF microbeam can deliver a precise dose of ionizing radiation in cell nuclei with sub-micron precision. To ensure an accurate delivery of charged particles, the facility currently uses a commercial charged-particle detector placed after the sample. We present here a transmission detector that will be placed between the particle accelerator and the biological specimen, allowing the irradiation of samples that would otherwise block radiation from reaching a detector behind the sample. Four detectors were fabricated with co-planar gold and aluminum electrodes thermally evaporated onto etched n-type crystalline silicon substrates, with device thicknesses ranging from 8.5 μm - 13.5 μm. We show coincident detections and pulse-height distributions of charged particles in both the transmission detector and the commercial detector above it. Detections are demonstrated at a range of operating conditions, including incoming particle type, count rate, and beam location on the detectors. The 13.5 μm detector is shown to work best to detect 2.7 MeV protons (H + ), and the 8.5 μm detector is shown to work best to detect 5.4 MeV alpha particles ( 4 He ++ ). The development of a transmission detector enables a range of new experiments to take place at RARAF on radiation-stopping samples such as thick tissues, targets that need immersion microscopy, and integrated microfluidic devices for handling larger quantities of cells and small organisms.

An ultra-thin Schottky diode as a transmission particle detector for biological microbeams

PubMed Central

Harken, Andrew; Randers-Pehrson, Gerhard; Attinger, Daniel; Brenner, David J.

2013-01-01

We fabricated ultrathin metal-semiconductor Schottky diodes for use as transmission particle detectors in the biological microbeam at Columbia University’s Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). The RARAF microbeam can deliver a precise dose of ionizing radiation in cell nuclei with sub-micron precision. To ensure an accurate delivery of charged particles, the facility currently uses a commercial charged-particle detector placed after the sample. We present here a transmission detector that will be placed between the particle accelerator and the biological specimen, allowing the irradiation of samples that would otherwise block radiation from reaching a detector behind the sample. Four detectors were fabricated with co-planar gold and aluminum electrodes thermally evaporated onto etched n-type crystalline silicon substrates, with device thicknesses ranging from 8.5 μm – 13.5 μm. We show coincident detections and pulse-height distributions of charged particles in both the transmission detector and the commercial detector above it. Detections are demonstrated at a range of operating conditions, including incoming particle type, count rate, and beam location on the detectors. The 13.5 μm detector is shown to work best to detect 2.7 MeV protons (H+), and the 8.5 μm detector is shown to work best to detect 5.4 MeV alpha particles (4He++). The development of a transmission detector enables a range of new experiments to take place at RARAF on radiation-stopping samples such as thick tissues, targets that need immersion microscopy, and integrated microfluidic devices for handling larger quantities of cells and small organisms. PMID:24058378

Development of a fountain detector for spectroscopy of secondary electrons in scanning electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agemura, Toshihide; Kimura, Takashi; Sekiguchi, Takashi

2018-04-01

The low-pass secondary electron (SE) detector, the so-called “fountain detector (FD)”, for scanning electron microscopy has high potential for application to the imaging of low-energy SEs. Low-energy SE imaging may be used for detecting the surface potential variations of a specimen. However, the detected SEs include a certain fraction of tertiary electrons (SE3s) because some of the high-energy backscattered electrons hit the grid to yield SE3s. We have overcome this difficulty by increasing the aperture ratio of the bias and ground grids and using the lock-in technique, in which the AC field with the DC offset was applied on the bias grid. The energy-filtered SE images of a 4H-SiC p-n junction show complex behavior according to the grid bias. These observations are clearly explained by the variations of Auger spectra across the p-n junction. The filtered SE images taken with the FD can be applied to observing the surface potential variation of specimens.

Detector shape in hexagonal sampling grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baronti, Stefano; Capanni, Annalisa; Romoli, Andrea; Santurri, Leonardo; Vitulli, Raffaele

2001-12-01

Recent improvements in CCD technology make hexagonal sampling attractive for practical applications and bring a new interest on this topic. In the following the performances of hexagonal sampling are analyzed under general assumptions and compared with the performances of conventional rectangular sampling. This analysis will take into account both the lattice form (squared, rectangular, hexagonal, and regular hexagonal), and the pixel shape. The analyzed hexagonal grid will not based a-priori on a regular hexagon tessellation, i.e., no constraints will be made on the ratio between the sampling frequencies in the two spatial directions. By assuming an elliptic support for the spectrum of the signal being sampled, sampling conditions will be expressed for a generic hexagonal sampling grid, and a comaprison with the well-known sampling conditions for a comparable rectangular lattice will be performed. Further, by considering for sake of clarity a spectrum with a circular support, the comparison will be performed under the assumption of same number of pixels for unity of surface, and the particular case of regular hexagonal sampling grid will also be considered. Regular hexagonal lattice with regular hexagonal sensitivity shape of the detector elements will result as the best trade-off between the proposed sampling requirement. Concerning the detector shape, the hexagonal is more advantageous than the rectangular. To show that a figure of merit is defined which takes into account that the MTF (modulation transfer function) of a hexagonal detector is not separable, conversely from that of a rectangular detector. As a final result, octagonal shape detectors are compared to those with rectangular and hexagonal shape in the two hypotheses of equal and ideal fill factor, respectively.

SU-F-T-339: Comparison Between Coplanar and Non-Coplanar RapidArc Approach of Hippocampal-Sparing Whole Brain Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, B; Kim, J

Purpose: To compare the dosimetry of coplanar and non-coplanar RapidArc whole brain plans for hippocampal sparing Methods: We studied the RapidArc plans of patient with brain metastases, with the prescription of 3750 cGy in 15 fractions. The coplanar approach used a full clockwise (CW) arc and a full counterclockwise (CCW) arc, with the couch angle to be 0°. The non-coplanar approach used a full arc with a couch angle of 0°, and a partial arc with a couch angle of 90°. Treatment planning system is Eclipse Ver. 11. Constraints for eyes, lens, brainstem, optical nerves and chiasm are employed inmore » the optimization so that these OARs’ dose are below tolerance. Constraints for hippocampus are employed so that they receive dose as low as possible while maintain good coverage to whole brain. The beam delivery machine is Varian 21 IX. T1-weighted MRI images were used for hippocampus contouring. Results: The target coverage index for coplanar and non-coplanar RapidArc plans are 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively, with homogeneity index of 0.223 vs 0.226, which is defined as (D2% – D98%)/Dmean of target volume. V95 and V100 are 99.0% and 94.8% for coplanar plan, vs 99.1% and 95.4% for non-coplanar plan, while the mean dose of hippocampus are 1244.5 cGy for coplanar plan vs 1212.3 cGy for non-coplanar plan. Dose for eyes, lens, optical nerves, optical chiasm and brainstem are all below tolerance. Conclusion: Coplanar RapidArc plan provides good target coverage while achieves good hippocampal sparing, and there is no benefit to use non-coplanar approach.« less

A fast 1-D detector for imaging and time resolved SAXS experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menk, R. H.; Arfelli, F.; Bernstorff, S.; Pontoni, D.; Sarvestani, A.; Besch, H. J.; Walenta, A. H.

1999-02-01

A one-dimensional test detector on the principle of a highly segmented ionization chamber with shielding grid (Frisch grid) was developed to evaluate if this kind of detector is suitable for advanced small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments. At present it consists of 128 pixels which can be read out within 0.2 ms with a noise floor of 2000 e-ENC. A quantum efficiency of 80% for a photon energy of 8 keV was achieved. This leads to DQE values of 80% for photon fluxes above 1000 photons/pixel and integration time. The shielding grid is based on the principles of the recently invented MCAT structure and the GEM structure which also allows electron amplification in the gas. In the case of the MCAT structure, an energy resolution of 20% at 5.9 keV was observed. The gas amplification mode enables imaging with this integrating detector on a subphoton noise level with respect to the integration time. Preliminary experiments of saturation behavior show that this kind of detector digests a photon flux density up to 10 12 photons/mm 2 s and operates linearly. A spatial resolution of at least three line pairs/mm was obtained. All these features show that this type of detector is well suited for time-resolved SAXS experiments as well as high flux imaging applications.

Improving Technology for Vascular Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, Raman

Neuro-endovascular image guided interventions (Neuro-EIGIs) is a minimally invasive procedure that require micro catheters and endovascular devices be inserted into the vasculature via an incision near the femoral artery and guided under low dose fluoroscopy to the vasculature of the head and neck. However, the endovascular devices used for the purpose are of very small size (stents are of the order of 50mum to 100mum) and the success of these EIGIs depends a lot on the accurate placement of these devices. In order to accurately place these devices inside the patient, the interventionalist should be able to see them clearly. Hence, high resolution capabilities are of immense importance in neuro-EIGIs. The high-resolution detectors, MAF-CCD and MAF-CMOS, at the Toshiba Stroke and Vascular Research Center at the University at Buffalo are capable of presenting improved images for better patient care. Focal spot of an x-ray tube plays an important role in performance of these high resolution detectors. The finite size of the focal spot results into the blurriness around the edges of the image of the object resulting in reduced spatial resolution. Hence, knowledge of accurate size of the focal spot of the x-ray tube is very essential for the evaluation of the total system performance. Importance of magnification and image detector blur deconvolution was demonstrated to carry out the more accurate measurement of x-ray focal spot using a pinhole camera. A 30 micron pinhole was used to obtain the focal spot images using flat panel detector (FPD) and different source to image distances (SIDs) were used to achieve different magnifications (3.16, 2.66 and 2.16). These focal spot images were deconvolved with a 2-D modulation transfer function (MTF), obtained using noise response (NR) method, to remove the detector blur present in the images. Using these corrected images, the accurate size of all the three focal spots were obtained and it was also established that effect of detector blur can be reduced significantly by using a higher magnification. As discussed earlier, interventionalist need higher resolution capabilities during EIGIs for more confident and successful treatment of the patient. An experimental MAF-CCD enabled with a Control, Acquisition, Processing, Image Display and Storage (CAPIDS) system was installed and aligned on a detector changer attached to the C-arm of a clinical angiographic unit. The CAPIDS system was developed and implemented using LabVIEW software and provides a user-friendly interface that enables control of several clinical radiographic imaging modes of the MAF including: fluoroscopy, roadmap, radiography, and digital-subtraction-angiography (DSA). Whenever the higher resolution is needed, the MAD-CCD detector can be moved in front of the FPD. A particular set of steps were needed to deploy the MAF in front of the FPD and to transfer the controls to CAPIDS from the Toshiba Systems. In order to minimize any possible negative impact of using two different detectors during a procedure, a well-designed workflow was developed that enables smooth deployment of the MAF at critical stages of clinical procedures. The images obtained using MAF-CCD detector demonstrated the advantages the high resolution imagers have over FPDs. Scatter is inevitable in x-ray imaging as it reduces the image quality. The benefit of removing the scatter is that it improves contrast and also increases the signal-to-Noise (SNR). There are various scatter reduction methods like air-gap techniques, collimation, moving anti-scatter grids, stationary anti-scatter grids. Stationary anti-scatter grids is a preferred choice in dynamic imaging because of its compact design and ease to use. However, when these anti-scatter grids are used with high resolution detector, there will be anti-scatter grid-line pattern present in the image, as structure noise. Because of presence of this anti-scatter grid artifact, the contrast-to-Noise (CNR) of the image decreases when grid is used with high resolution detector. In order to address this issue, grid-line artifact minimization method for high resolution detectors is developed. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Neutral particle beam sensing and steering

DOEpatents

Maier, II, William B.; Cobb, Donald D.; Robiscoe, Richard T.

1991-01-01

The direction of a neutral particle beam (NPB) is determined by detecting Ly.alpha. radiation emitted during motional quenching of excited H(2S) atoms in the beam during movement of the atoms through a magnetic field. At least one detector is placed adjacent the beam exit to define an optical axis that intercepts the beam at a viewing angle to include a volume generating a selected number of photons for detection. The detection system includes a lens having an area that is small relative to the NPB area and a pixel array located in the focal plane of the lens. The lens viewing angle and area pixel array are selected to optimize the beam tilt sensitivity. In one embodiment, two detectors are placed coplanar with the beam axis to generate a difference signal that is insensitive to beam variations other than beam tilt.

Coplanar PCB distribution between chorioallantoic membranes and eggs of alligators and Loggerhead sea turtles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bargar, T.A.; Cobb, G.P.

1995-12-31

The relative distribution of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) between chorioallantoic membranes (CAMS) and eggs was investigated in inviable American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretra) eggs. Cam and egg extracts were fractionated by HPLC using a porous graphitic column (PGC) and an in line switching valve to separate coplanar from non-coplanar PCBs. The fractions were collected, concentrated by nitrogen evaporation, and injected on GC-ECD (60M DB-5 capillary column) for quantification. Alligator and Loggerhead sea turtle eggs contain toxicologically significant coplanar PCBs. Mono-ortho substituted PCBs were present with greater frequency relative to non-ortho substituted PCBs in both eggsmore » and CAMS. The presence of coplanar PCBs in eggs appears to be correlated to coplanar PCB presence in CAMS. The chorioallantoic membrane could serve as a biomarker of embryo exposure to coplanar PCBs.« less

Wire-chamber radiation detector with discharge control

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, V.; Mulera, T.A.

1982-03-29

A wire chamber; radiation detector has spaced apart parallel electrodes and grids defining an ignition region in which charged particles or other ionizing radiations initiate brief localized avalanche discharges and defining an adjacent memory region in which sustained glow discharges are initiated by the primary discharges. Conductors of the grids at each side of the memory section extend in orthogonal directions enabling readout of the X-Y coordinates of locations at which charged particles were detected by sequentially transmitting pulses to the conductors of one grid while detecting transmissions of the pulses to the orthogonal conductors of the other grid through glow discharges. One of the grids bounding the memory region is defined by an array of conductive elements each of which is connected to the associated readout conductor through a separate resistance. The wire chamber avoids ambiguities and imprecisions in the readout of coordinates when large numbers of simultaneous or; near simultaneous charged particles have been detected. Down time between detection periods and the generation of radio frequency noise are also reduced.

Making MUSIC: A multiple sampling ionization chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumard, B.; Henderson, D. J.; Rehm, K. E.; Tang, X. D.

2007-08-01

A multiple sampling ionization chamber (MUSIC) was developed for use in conjunction with the Atlas scattering chamber (ATSCAT). This chamber was developed to study the (α, p) reaction in stable and radioactive beams. The gas filled ionization chamber is used as a target and detector for both particles in the outgoing channel (p + beam particles for elastic scattering or p + residual nucleus for (α, p) reactions). The MUSIC detector is followed by a Si array to provide a trigger for anode events. The anode events are gated by a gating grid so that only (α, p) reactions where the proton reaches the Si detector result in an anode event. The MUSIC detector is a segmented ionization chamber. The active length of the chamber is 11.95 in. and is divided into 16 equal anode segments (3.5 in. × 0.70 in. with 0.3 in. spacing between pads). The dead area of the chamber was reduced by the addition of a Delrin snout that extends 0.875 in. into the chamber from the front face, to which a mylar window is affixed. 0.5 in. above the anode is a Frisch grid that is held at ground potential. 0.5 in. above the Frisch grid is a gating grid. The gating grid functions as a drift electron barrier, effectively halting the gathering of signals. Setting two sets of alternating wires at differing potentials creates a lateral electric field which traps the drift electrons, stopping the collection of anode signals. The chamber also has a reinforced mylar exit window separating the Si array from the target gas. This allows protons from the (α, p) reaction to be detected. The detection of these protons opens the gating grid to allow the drift electrons released from the ionizing gas during the (α, p) reaction to reach the anode segment below the reaction.

EEsoF MICAD and ACADEMY macro files for coplanar waveguide and finite ground plan coplanar waveguide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.

1995-01-01

A collection of macro files is presented which when appended to either the EEsoF MICAD.ELE or EEsoF ACADEMY.ELE file permits the layout of coplanar waveguide and finite ground plane coplanar waveguide circuits.

Grid-Enabled High Energy Physics Research using a Beowulf Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, Akhtar

2005-04-01

At Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, we have built a 8-node 25 Gflops Beowulf Cluster with 2.5 TB of disk storage space to carry out grid-enabled, data-intensive high energy physics research for the ATLAS experiment via Grid3. We will describe how we built and configured our Cluster, which we have named the Sphinx Beowulf Cluster. We will describe the results of our cluster benchmark studies and the run-time plots of several parallel application codes. Once fully functional, the Cluster will be part of Grid3[www.ivdgl.org/grid3]. The current ATLAS simulation grid application, models the entire physical processes from the proton anti-proton collisions and detector's response to the collision debri through the complete reconstruction of the event from analyses of these responses. The end result is a detailed set of data that simulates the real physical collision event inside a particle detector. Grid is the new IT infrastructure for the 21^st century science -- a new computing paradigm that is poised to transform the practice of large-scale data-intensive research in science and engineering. The Grid will allow scientist worldwide to view and analyze huge amounts of data flowing from the large-scale experiments in High Energy Physics. The Grid is expected to bring together geographically and organizationally dispersed computational resources, such as CPUs, storage systems, communication systems, and data sources.

Sensitive spin detection using an on-chip SQUID-waveguide resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, G.; Chen, L.; Barreda, J.; Bevara, V.; Hu, L.; Wu, L.; Wang, Z.; Andrei, P.; Bertaina, S.; Chiorescu, I.

2017-11-01

Precise detection of spin resonance is of paramount importance to achieve coherent spin control in quantum computing. We present a setup for spin resonance measurements, which uses a dc-SQUID flux detector coupled to an antenna from a coplanar waveguide. The SQUID and the waveguide are fabricated from a 20 nm Nb thin film, allowing high magnetic field operation with the field applied parallel to the chip. We observe a resonance signal between the first and third excited states of Gd spins S = 7/2 in a CaWO4 crystal, relevant for state control in multi-level systems.

Absorption enhancement in non-coplanar silver nanowire networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Zhihui; Zhou, Zhiping; Ren, Xincheng; Bai, Shaomin; Li, Hongjian; Cao, Dongmei; Li, Gang; Cao, Guangtao

2018-07-01

We propose non-coplanar silver nanowire (AgNW) networks placed on a SiO2 layer. A notable absorption peak is observed in our proposed structure, and compared with the absorption of coplanar periodic AgNW networks and periodic AgNW gratings, the absorption performance of the non-coplanar AgNW networks demonstrates obvious advantages. It could be determined that the absorption ratio in this non-coplanar AgNW networks can reach 95%. In addition, several parameters that have important effects on the absorption of the non-coplanar AgNW networks are discussed in detail. Our research may provide guidance for the fundamental exploration of plasmonic absorption device applications.

Superconducting Vacuum-Gap Crossovers for High Performance Microwave Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denis, Kevin L.; Brown, Ari D.; Chang, Meng-Ping; Hu, Ron; U-Yen, Kongpop; Wollack, Edward J.

2016-01-01

The design and fabrication of low-loss wide-bandwidth superconducting vacuum-gap crossovers for high performance millimeter wave applications are described. In order to reduce ohmic and parasitic losses at millimeter wavelengths a vacuum gap is preferred relative to dielectric spacer. Here, vacuum-gap crossovers were realized by using a sacrificial polymer layer followed by niobium sputter deposition optimized for coating coverage over an underlying niobium signal layer. Both coplanar waveguide and microstrip crossover topologies have been explored in detail. The resulting fabrication process is compatible with a bulk micro-machining process for realizing waveguide coupled detectors, which includes sacrificial wax bonding, and wafer backside deep reactive ion etching for creation of leg isolated silicon membrane structures. Release of the vacuum gap structures along with the wax bonded wafer after DRIE is implemented in the same process step used to complete the detector fabrication. ?

Alternating current long range alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

MacArthur, Duncan W.; McAtee, James L.

1993-01-01

An alpha particle detector, utilizing alternating currents, whcih is capable of detecting alpha particles from distinct sources. The use of alternating currents allows use of simpler ac circuits which, in turn, are not susceptible to dc error components. It also allows the benefit of gas gain, if desired. In the invention, a voltage source creates an electric field between two conductive grids, and between the grids and a conductive enclosure. Air containing air ions created by collision with alpha particles is drawn into the enclosure and detected. In some embodiments, the air flow into the enclosure is interrupted, creating an alternating flow of ions. In another embodiment, a modulated voltage is applied to the grid, also modulating the detection of ions.

Alternating current long range alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1993-02-16

An alpha particle detector, utilizing alternating currents, which is capable of detecting alpha particles from distinct sources. The use of alternating currents allows use of simpler ac circuits which, in turn, are not susceptible to dc error components. It also allows the benefit of gas gain, if desired. In the invention, a voltage source creates an electric field between two conductive grids, and between the grids and a conductive enclosure. Air containing air ions created by collision with alpha particles is drawn into the enclosure and detected. In some embodiments, the air flow into the enclosure is interrupted, creating an alternating flow of ions. In another embodiment, a modulated voltage is applied to the grid, also modulating the detection of ions.

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D gridmore » therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.« less

Mini Compton Camera Based on an Array of Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Wonho; Bolotnikov, Aleksey; Lee, Taewoong

In this study, we constructed a mini Compton camera based on an array of CdZnTe detectors and assessed its spectral and imaging properties. The entire array consisted of 6×6 Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors, each with a size of 6×6 ×15 mm 3. Since it is easier and more practical to grow small CdZnTe crystals rather than large monolithic ones, constructing a mosaic array of parallelepiped crystals can be an effective way to build a more efficient, large-volume detector. With the fully operational CdZnTe array, we measured the energy spectra for 133Ba -, 137Cs -, 60Co-radiation sources; we also located these sourcesmore » using a Compton imaging approach. Although the Compton camera was small enough to hand-carry, its intrinsic efficiency was several orders higher than those generated in previous researches using spatially separated arrays, because our camera measured the interactions inside the CZT detector array, wherein the detector elements were positioned very close to each other. Lastly, the performance of our camera was compared with that based on a pixelated detector.« less

Mini Compton Camera Based on an Array of Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors

DOE PAGES

Lee, Wonho; Bolotnikov, Aleksey; Lee, Taewoong; ...

2016-02-15

In this study, we constructed a mini Compton camera based on an array of CdZnTe detectors and assessed its spectral and imaging properties. The entire array consisted of 6×6 Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors, each with a size of 6×6 ×15 mm 3. Since it is easier and more practical to grow small CdZnTe crystals rather than large monolithic ones, constructing a mosaic array of parallelepiped crystals can be an effective way to build a more efficient, large-volume detector. With the fully operational CdZnTe array, we measured the energy spectra for 133Ba -, 137Cs -, 60Co-radiation sources; we also located these sourcesmore » using a Compton imaging approach. Although the Compton camera was small enough to hand-carry, its intrinsic efficiency was several orders higher than those generated in previous researches using spatially separated arrays, because our camera measured the interactions inside the CZT detector array, wherein the detector elements were positioned very close to each other. Lastly, the performance of our camera was compared with that based on a pixelated detector.« less

Non-coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are direct agonists for the human pregnane-X receptor and constitutive androstane receptor, and activate target gene expression in a tissue-specific manner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Salman, Fadheela; Plant, Nick, E-mail: N.Plant@Surrey.ac.uk

The polychlorinated biphenyl group possesses high environmental persistence, leading to bioaccumulation and a number of adverse effects in mammals. Whilst coplanar PCBs elicit their toxic effects through agonism of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor; however, non-coplanar PCBs are not ligands for AhR, but may be ligands for members of the nuclear receptor family of proteins. To better understand the biological actions of non-coplanar PCBs, we have undertaken a systematic analysis of their ability to activate PXR and CAR-mediated effects. Cells were exposed to a range of non-coplanar PCBs (99, 138, 153, 180 and 194), or the coplanar PCB77: Direct activation ofmore » PXR and CAR was measured using a mammalian receptor activation assay in human liver cells, with rifampicin and CITCO used as positive controls ligands for PXR and CAR, respectively; activation of target gene expression was examined using reporter gene plasmids for CYP3A4 and MDR1 transfected into liver, intestine and lung cell lines. Several of the non-coplanar PCBs directly activated PXR and CAR, whilst the coplanar PCB77 did not. Non-coplanar PCBs were also able to activate PXR/CAR target gene expression in a substitution- and tissue-specific manner. Non-coplanar PCBs act as direct activators for the nuclear receptors PXR and CAR, and are able to elicit transcriptional activation of target genes in a substitution- and tissue-dependent manner. Chronic activation of PXR/CAR is linked to adverse effects and must be included in any risk assessment of PCBs. -- Highlights: ► Several Non-coplanar PCBs are able to directly activate both PXR and CAR in vitro. ► PCB153 is the most potent direct activator of PXR and CAR nuclear receptors. ► Non-coplanar PCB activation of CYP3A4/MDR1 reporter genes is structure-dependent. ► Non-coplanar PCB activate CYP3A4/MDR1 reporter genes in a tissue-dependent. ► PCB153 is the most potent activator of PXR/CAR target gene in all tissues.« less

SU-F-T-416: Dosimetric Comparison of Coplanar and Non-Coplanar IMRT Plans for Peripheral Lung Lesion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, J; Zhang, S; Philbrook, S

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare dosimetric parameters of treatment plans between coplanar and non-coplanar techniques for treating peripheral lung lesions. Methods: The planning CT scans of 6 patients in supine positions were used in this study. The size of the PTV ranges from 163 c.c. to 782 c.c.. The locations of PTV are mostly at the peripheral of Lung, some spreading to the mediastinum. For each patient, we generated two IMRT plans, one with and the other without non-coplanar beams. The non-coplanar beams were carefully selected so that the beams would never exit patient bodies throughmore » the contralateral lung. The IMRT plans were generated with Pinnacle 9.8 treatment planning software. The IMRT optimization objectives were kept the same for the corresponding pairs of plans. All plans were normalized such that 95% of PTV receives the prescription dose (full dose). Results: The conformity index (mean±standard deviation of the mean) is 1.49±0.14 and 1.58±0.23 for the coplanar and noncoplanar plans, respectively. The heterogeneity index (mean±standard deviation of the mean) is 7.74 ±2.33 and 6.34±1.40 for the coplanar and non-coplanar plans, respectively. The maximum heart dose is 60.94±6.22 and 60.42±7.21 Gy, and mean heart dose is 10.22 ±7.57, 9.07 ±6.32 Gy, for the coplanar and non-coplanar plans, respectively. The ipsilateral lung V20 is 48.0%±2.4% and 47.5%±3.3%, and V5 is 68.2%±10.0% and 69.1%±7.3%, for the coplanar and noncoplanar plans, respectively. Furthermore, with the non-coplanar beam arrangement, the contralateral lung V20 was reduced from 3.3%±3.7% to 1.3%±0.8%, and the contralateral Lung V5 is reduced significantly from 65.6%±9.3% to 33.5%±20.9% (p value =0.008). Conclusion: The IMRT plans with non-coplanar beam arrangement could reduce the exit dose to the contralateral lung, and therefore reduce the contralateral lung V5 significantly. This method is especially helpful while the lung lesion doesn’t have a symmetric shape.« less

Statistical variability and confidence intervals for planar dose QA pass rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bailey, Daniel W.; Nelms, Benjamin E.; Attwood, Kristopher

Purpose: The most common metric for comparing measured to calculated dose, such as for pretreatment quality assurance of intensity-modulated photon fields, is a pass rate (%) generated using percent difference (%Diff), distance-to-agreement (DTA), or some combination of the two (e.g., gamma evaluation). For many dosimeters, the grid of analyzed points corresponds to an array with a low areal density of point detectors. In these cases, the pass rates for any given comparison criteria are not absolute but exhibit statistical variability that is a function, in part, on the detector sampling geometry. In this work, the authors analyze the statistics ofmore » various methods commonly used to calculate pass rates and propose methods for establishing confidence intervals for pass rates obtained with low-density arrays. Methods: Dose planes were acquired for 25 prostate and 79 head and neck intensity-modulated fields via diode array and electronic portal imaging device (EPID), and matching calculated dose planes were created via a commercial treatment planning system. Pass rates for each dose plane pair (both centered to the beam central axis) were calculated with several common comparison methods: %Diff/DTA composite analysis and gamma evaluation, using absolute dose comparison with both local and global normalization. Specialized software was designed to selectively sample the measured EPID response (very high data density) down to discrete points to simulate low-density measurements. The software was used to realign the simulated detector grid at many simulated positions with respect to the beam central axis, thereby altering the low-density sampled grid. Simulations were repeated with 100 positional iterations using a 1 detector/cm{sup 2} uniform grid, a 2 detector/cm{sup 2} uniform grid, and similar random detector grids. For each simulation, %/DTA composite pass rates were calculated with various %Diff/DTA criteria and for both local and global %Diff normalization techniques. Results: For the prostate and head/neck cases studied, the pass rates obtained with gamma analysis of high density dose planes were 2%-5% higher than respective %/DTA composite analysis on average (ranging as high as 11%), depending on tolerances and normalization. Meanwhile, the pass rates obtained via local normalization were 2%-12% lower than with global maximum normalization on average (ranging as high as 27%), depending on tolerances and calculation method. Repositioning of simulated low-density sampled grids leads to a distribution of possible pass rates for each measured/calculated dose plane pair. These distributions can be predicted using a binomial distribution in order to establish confidence intervals that depend largely on the sampling density and the observed pass rate (i.e., the degree of difference between measured and calculated dose). These results can be extended to apply to 3D arrays of detectors, as well. Conclusions: Dose plane QA analysis can be greatly affected by choice of calculation metric and user-defined parameters, and so all pass rates should be reported with a complete description of calculation method. Pass rates for low-density arrays are subject to statistical uncertainty (vs. the high-density pass rate), but these sampling errors can be modeled using statistical confidence intervals derived from the sampled pass rate and detector density. Thus, pass rates for low-density array measurements should be accompanied by a confidence interval indicating the uncertainty of each pass rate.« less

Design and evaluation of a grid reciprocation scheme for use in digital breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Tushita; Sporkin, Helen; Peppard, Heather; Williams, Mark B.

2016-03-01

This work describes a methodology for efficient removal of scatter radiation during digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). The goal of this approach is to enable grid image obscuration without a large increase in radiation dose by minimizing misalignment of the grid focal point (GFP) and x-ray focal spot (XFS) during grid reciprocation. Hardware for the motion scheme was built and tested on the dual modality breast tomosynthesis (DMT) scanner, which combines DBT and molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) on a single gantry. The DMT scanner uses fully isocentric rotation of tube and x-ray detector for maintaining a fixed tube-detector alignment during DBT imaging. A cellular focused copper prototype grid with 80 cm focal length, 3.85 mm height, 0.1 mm thick lamellae, and 1.1 mm hole pitch was tested. Primary transmission of the grid at 28 kV tube voltage was on average 74% with the grid stationary and aligned for maximum transmission. It fell to 72% during grid reciprocation by the proposed method. Residual grid line artifacts (GLAs) in projection views and reconstructed DBT images are characterized and methods for reducing the visibility of GLAs in the reconstructed volume through projection image flat-field correction and spatial frequency-based filtering of the DBT slices are described and evaluated. The software correction methods reduce the visibility of these artifacts in the reconstructed volume, making them imperceptible both in the reconstructed DBT images and their Fourier transforms.

Optimization of exposure parameters for pediatric chest x-ray imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hye-Suk; Kim, Ye-Seul; Kim, Hee-Joung

2012-03-01

The pediatric patients are more susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation than adults. Pediatric patients are smaller, more radiosensitive than adult patients and many cannot stand unassisted. Their characteristics affect the method of imaging projection and how dose is optimized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various technical parameters for the dose optimization in pediatric chest radiological examinations by evaluating effective dose and effective detective quantum efficiency (eDQE) including the scatter radiation from the object, the blur caused by the focal spot, geometric magnification and detector characteristics. For the tube voltages ranging from 40 to 90 kV in 10 kV increments at the focus-to-detector distance of 100, 110, 120, 150, 180 cm, the eDQE was evaluated at same effective dose. The results showed that the eDQE was largest at 60 kVp without and with an anti-scatter grid. Especially, the eDQE was considerably higher without the use of an anti-scatter grid on equivalent effective dose. This indicates that the reducing the scatter radiation did not compensate for the loss of absorbed effective photons in the grid. When the grid is not used the eDQE increased with increasing focus-to-detector distance because of the greater effective modulation transfer function (eMTF) with the lower focal spot blurring. In conclusion, for pediatric patients, the amount of scattered radiation is less, and the amount of grid attenuation increased unnecessary radiation dose.

Implementation of a 4x8 NIR and CCD Mosaic Focal Plane Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelinsky, Patrick; Bebek, C. J.; Besuner, R. W.; Haller, G. M.; Harris, S. E.; Hart, P. A.; Heetderks, H. D.; Levi, M. E.; Maldonado, S. E.; Roe, N. A.; Roodman, A. J.; Sapozhnikov, L.

2011-01-01

Mission concepts for NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), ESA's EUCLID mission, as well as for ground based observations, have requirements for large mosaic focal planes to image visible and near infrared (NIR) wavelengths. We have developed detectors, readout electronics and focal plane design techniques that can be used to create very large scalable focal plane mosaic cameras. In our technology, CCDs and HgCdTe detectors can be intermingled on a single, silicon carbide (SiC) cold plate. This enables optimized, wideband observing strategies. The CCDs, developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, are fully-depleted, p-channel devices that are backside illuminated capable of operating at temperatures as low as 110K and have been optimized for the weak lensing dark energy technique. The NIR detectors are 1.7µm and 2.0µm wavelength cutoff H2RG® HgCdTe, manufactured by Teledyne Imaging Sensors under contract to LBL. Both the CCDs and NIR detectors are packaged on 4-side abuttable SiC pedestals with a common mounting footprint supporting a 44.16mm mosaic pitch and are coplanar. Both types of detectors have direct-attached, readout electronics that convert the detector signal directly to serial, digital data streams and allow a flexible, low cost data acquisition strategy, despite the large data volume. A mosaic of these detectors can be operated at a common temperature that achieves the required dark current and read noise performance in both types of detectors necessary for dark energy observations. We report here the design and integration for a focal plane designed to accommodate a 4x8 heterogeneous array of CCDs and HgCdTe detectors. Our current implementation contains over 1/4-billion pixels.

3-D Spatial Resolution of 350 μm Pitch Pixelated CdZnTe Detectors for Imaging Applications.

PubMed

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Garson, Alfred; Li, Qiang; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2013-02-01

We are currently investigating the feasibility of using highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors for sub-500 μ m resolution PET imaging applications. A 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CdZnTe substrate was fabricated with 350 μ m pitch pixels (250 μ m anode pixels with 100 μ m gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing among the pixels of a 350 μ m pitch detector was studied using collimated 122 keV and 511 keV gamma ray sources. For a 350 μ m pitch CdZnTe detector, scatter plots of the charge signal of two neighboring pixels clearly show more charge sharing when the collimated beam hits the gap between adjacent pixels. Using collimated Co-57 and Ge-68 sources, we measured the count profiles and estimated the intrinsic spatial resolution of 350 μ m pitch detector biased at -1000 V. Depth of interaction was analyzed based on two methods, i.e., cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time, in both 122 keV and 511 keV measurements. For single-pixel photopeak events, a linear correlation between cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time was shown, which would be useful for estimating the DOI information and preserving image resolution in CdZnTe PET imaging applications.

3-D Spatial Resolution of 350 μm Pitch Pixelated CdZnTe Detectors for Imaging Applications

PubMed Central

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Garson, Alfred; Li, Qiang; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2016-01-01

We are currently investigating the feasibility of using highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors for sub-500 μm resolution PET imaging applications. A 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CdZnTe substrate was fabricated with 350 μm pitch pixels (250 μm anode pixels with 100 μm gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing among the pixels of a 350 μm pitch detector was studied using collimated 122 keV and 511 keV gamma ray sources. For a 350 μm pitch CdZnTe detector, scatter plots of the charge signal of two neighboring pixels clearly show more charge sharing when the collimated beam hits the gap between adjacent pixels. Using collimated Co-57 and Ge-68 sources, we measured the count profiles and estimated the intrinsic spatial resolution of 350 μm pitch detector biased at −1000 V. Depth of interaction was analyzed based on two methods, i.e., cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time, in both 122 keV and 511 keV measurements. For single-pixel photopeak events, a linear correlation between cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time was shown, which would be useful for estimating the DOI information and preserving image resolution in CdZnTe PET imaging applications. PMID:28250476

Electrostatic dust detector

DOEpatents

Skinner, Charles H [Lawrenceville, NJ

2006-05-02

An apparatus for detecting dust in a variety of environments which can include radioactive and other hostile environments both in a vacuum and in a pressurized system. The apparatus consists of a grid coupled to a selected bias voltage. The signal generated when dust impacts and shorts out the grid is electrically filtered, and then analyzed by a signal analyzer which is then sent to a counter. For fine grids a correlation can be developed to relate the number of counts observed to the amount of dust which impacts the grid.

Application of the coplanar principle to dynamic epidural pressure measurements.

PubMed

Beck, J; Schettini, A; Salton, R

1984-10-01

The application of the coplanar principle to dynamic epidural pressure measurements was investigated in vitro. The authors used a coplanar pressure-displacement transducer, commonly employed to measure the viscoelastic properties of brain tissue in vivo. The present studies were performed using canine dura and a specially constructed fluid-filled chamber. The accuracy of the technique was assessed by comparing the pressure in the chamber recorded by the coplanar transducer to the pressure measured by a transducer directly vented to the chamber. The results show that the coplanar principle remained valid for dynamic measurements with the transducer under a variety of conditions.

Effects on image quality of a 2D antiscatter grid in x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis: Initial experience using the dual modality (x-ray and molecular) breast tomosynthesis scanner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patel, Tushita, E-mail: tp3rn@virginia.edu; Peppard, Heather; Williams, Mark B.

2016-04-15

Purpose: Radiation scattered from the breast in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) causes image degradation, including loss of contrast between cancerous and background tissue. Unlike in 2-dimensional (2D) mammography, an antiscatter grid cannot readily be used in DBT because changing alignment between the tube and detector during the scan would result in unacceptable loss of primary radiation. However, in the dual modality breast tomosynthesis (DMT) scanner, which combines DBT and molecular breast tomosynthesis, the tube and detector rotate around a common axis, thereby maintaining a fixed tube-detector alignment. This C-arm geometry raises the possibility of using a 2D (cellular) focused antiscattermore » grid. The purpose of this study is to assess change in image quality when using an antiscatter grid in the DBT portion of a DMT scan under conditions of fixed radiation dose. Methods: Two 2D focused prototype grids with 80 cm focal length were tested, one stack-laminated from copper (Cu) and one cast from a tungsten-polymer (W-poly). They were reciprocated using a motion scheme designed to maximize transmission of primary x-ray photons. Grid-in and grid-out scatter-to-primary ratios (SPRs) were measured for rectangular blocks of material simulating 30%, 50%, and 70% glandular tissue compositions. For assessment of changes in image quality through the addition of a grid, the Computerized Imaging Reference Systems, Inc., phantom Model 011A containing a set of 1 cm thick blocks simulating a range of glandular/adipose ratios from 0/100 to 100/0 was used. To simulate 6.5 and 8.5 cm thick compressed breasts, 1 cm thick slices of PMMA were added to the Model 011A phantom. DBT images were obtained with and without the grid, with exposure parameters fixed for a given compressed thickness. Signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNRs), contrast, and voxel value-based attenuation coefficients (μ) were measured for all blocks from reconstructed phantom images. Results: For 4, 6, and 8 cm tissue-equivalent block phantom thicknesses, the inclusion of the W-poly grid reduced the SPR by factors of 5, 6, and 5.8, respectively. For the same thicknesses, the copper grid reduced the SPR by factors of 3.9, 4.5, and 4.9. For the 011A phantom, the W-poly grid raised the SDNR of the 70/30 block from 0.8, −0.32, and −0.72 to 0.9, 0.76, and 0.062 for the 4.5, 6.5, and 8.5 cm phantoms, respectively. It raised the SDNR of the 100/0 block from 3.78, 1.95, and 1.0 to 3.79, 3.67, and 3.25 for the 4.5, 6.5, and 8.5 cm phantoms, respectively. Inclusion of the W-poly grid improved the accuracy of image-based μ values for all block compositions. However, smearing of attenuation across slices due to limited angular sampling decreases the sensitivity of voxel values to changing composition compared to theoretical μ values. Conclusions: Under conditions of fixed radiation dose to the breast, use of a 2D focused grid increased contrast, SDNR, and accuracy of estimated attenuation for mass-simulating block compositions in all phantom thicknesses tested, with the degree of improvement depending upon material composition. A 2D antiscatter grid can be usefully incorporated in DBT systems that employ fully isocentric tube-detector rotation.« less

MPGD2015: Low-energy electron source to characterize Micromegas/InGrid and study of dE/dx for low energy electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attie, David; Barsuk, Sergey; Bezshyyko, Oleg; Burmistrov, Leonid; Chaus, Andrii; Colas, Paul; Fedorchuk, Oleksii; Golinka-Bezshyyko, Larisa; Haranko, Mykyta; Krylov, Vladyslav; Kubytskyi, Viacheslav; Lopez, Roberto; Monard, Hugues; Sukhonos, Daniil; Titov, Maxim; Tomassini, Davide; Variola, Alessandro; Rodin, Volodymyr

2018-02-01

Insert your english abstract here.A new versatile facility LEETECH for detector R&D, tests and calibration is designed and constructed. It uses electrons produced by the photoinjector PHIL at LAL, Orsay and provides a powerful tool for wide range R&D studies of different detector concepts delivering "monochromatic" samples of low energy electrons with adjustable energy and intensity. Among other innovative instrumentation techniques, LEETECH will be used for testing various gaseous tracking detectors and studying new Micromegas/InGrid concept which has very promising characteristics of spatial resolution and can be a good candidate for particle tracking and identification. In this paper the importance and expected characteristics of such facility based on detailed simulation studies are addressed.

Determining beam parameters in a storage ring with a cylindrical hodoscope using elastic proton proton scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohdjeß, H.; Albers, D.; Bisplinghoff, J.; Bollmann, R.; Büßer, K.; Diehl, O.; Dohrmann, F.; Engelhardt, H.-P.; Eversheim, P. D.; Gasthuber, M.; Greiff, J.; Groß, A.; Groß-Hardt, R.; Hinterberger, F.; Igelbrink, M.; Langkau, R.; Maier, R.; Mosel, F.; Müller, M.; Münstermann, M.; Prasuhn, D.; von Rossen, P.; Scheid, H.; Schirm, N.; Schwandt, F.; Scobel, W.; Trelle, H. J.; Wellinghausen, A.; Wiedmann, W.; Woller, K.; Ziegler, R.

2006-01-01

The EDDA-detector at the cooler-synchrotron COSY/Jülich has been operated with an internal CH2 fiber target to measure proton-proton elastic scattering differential cross-sections. For data analysis knowledge of beam parameters, like position, width and angle, are indispensable. We have developed a method to obtain these values with high precision from the azimuthal and polar angles of the ejectiles only, by exploiting the coplanarity of the two final-state protons with the beam and the kinematic correlation. The formalism is described and results for beam parameters obtained during beam acceleration are given.

Grid point extraction and coding for structured light system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhan; Chung, Ronald

2011-09-01

A structured light system simplifies three-dimensional reconstruction by illuminating a specially designed pattern to the target object, thereby generating a distinct texture on it for imaging and further processing. Success of the system hinges upon what features are to be coded in the projected pattern, extracted in the captured image, and matched between the projector's display panel and the camera's image plane. The codes have to be such that they are largely preserved in the image data upon illumination from the projector, reflection from the target object, and projective distortion in the imaging process. The features also need to be reliably extracted in the image domain. In this article, a two-dimensional pseudorandom pattern consisting of rhombic color elements is proposed, and the grid points between the pattern elements are chosen as the feature points. We describe how a type classification of the grid points plus the pseudorandomness of the projected pattern can equip each grid point with a unique label that is preserved in the captured image. We also present a grid point detector that extracts the grid points without the need of segmenting the pattern elements, and that localizes the grid points in subpixel accuracy. Extensive experiments are presented to illustrate that, with the proposed pattern feature definition and feature detector, more features points in higher accuracy can be reconstructed in comparison with the existing pseudorandomly encoded structured light systems.

Robust pattern decoding in shape-coded structured light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Suming; Zhang, Xu; Song, Zhan; Song, Lifang; Zeng, Hai

2017-09-01

Decoding is a challenging and complex problem in a coded structured light system. In this paper, a robust pattern decoding method is proposed for the shape-coded structured light in which the pattern is designed as grid shape with embedded geometrical shapes. In our decoding method, advancements are made at three steps. First, a multi-template feature detection algorithm is introduced to detect the feature point which is the intersection of each two orthogonal grid-lines. Second, pattern element identification is modelled as a supervised classification problem and the deep neural network technique is applied for the accurate classification of pattern elements. Before that, a training dataset is established, which contains a mass of pattern elements with various blurring and distortions. Third, an error correction mechanism based on epipolar constraint, coplanarity constraint and topological constraint is presented to reduce the false matches. In the experiments, several complex objects including human hand are chosen to test the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that our decoding method not only has high decoding accuracy, but also owns strong robustness to surface color and complex textures.

Arrays of Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors: Results From a $$4\\times 4$$ Array Prototype

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ocampo Giraldo, L. A.; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.

Position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) CdZnTe (CZT) detectors offer a unique capability for correcting the response nonuniformities caused by crystal defects. This allowed us to achieve high energy resolution, while using typical-grade commercial CZT crystals with relaxed requirements to their quality, thus reducing the overall cost of detectors. Another advantage of the VFG detectors is that they can be integrated into arrays and used in small compact hand-held instruments or large-area gamma cameras that will enhance detection capability for many practical applications, including nonproliferation, medical imaging, and gamma-ray astronomy. Here in this paper, we present the results from testing small arraymore » prototypes coupled with front-end application-specified integrated circuit. Each detector in the array is furnished with 5-mm-wide charge-sensing pads placed near the anode. The pads signals are converted into XY coordinates, which combined with the cathode signals (for Z coordinates) provide 3-D position information of all interaction points. The basic array consists of a number of detectors grouped into 2×2 subarrays, each having a common cathode made by connecting together the cathodes of the individual detectors. Lastly, these features can significantly improve the performance of detectors while using typical-grade low-cost CZT crystals to reduce the overall cost of the proposed instrument.« less

Arrays of Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors: Results From a $$4\\times 4$$ Array Prototype

DOE PAGES

Ocampo Giraldo, L. A.; Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2017-08-22

Position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) CdZnTe (CZT) detectors offer a unique capability for correcting the response nonuniformities caused by crystal defects. This allowed us to achieve high energy resolution, while using typical-grade commercial CZT crystals with relaxed requirements to their quality, thus reducing the overall cost of detectors. Another advantage of the VFG detectors is that they can be integrated into arrays and used in small compact hand-held instruments or large-area gamma cameras that will enhance detection capability for many practical applications, including nonproliferation, medical imaging, and gamma-ray astronomy. Here in this paper, we present the results from testing small arraymore » prototypes coupled with front-end application-specified integrated circuit. Each detector in the array is furnished with 5-mm-wide charge-sensing pads placed near the anode. The pads signals are converted into XY coordinates, which combined with the cathode signals (for Z coordinates) provide 3-D position information of all interaction points. The basic array consists of a number of detectors grouped into 2×2 subarrays, each having a common cathode made by connecting together the cathodes of the individual detectors. Lastly, these features can significantly improve the performance of detectors while using typical-grade low-cost CZT crystals to reduce the overall cost of the proposed instrument.« less

Wide-range radioactive-gas-concentration detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, D.F.

1981-11-16

A wide-range radioactive-gas-concentration detector and monitor capable of measuring radioactive-gas concentrations over a range of eight orders of magnitude is described. The device is designed to have an ionization chamber sufficiently small to give a fast response time for measuring radioactive gases but sufficiently large to provide accurate readings at low concentration levels. Closely spaced parallel-plate grids provide a uniform electric field in the active region to improve the accuracy of measurements and reduce ion migration time so as to virtually eliminate errors due to ion recombination. The parallel-plate grids are fabricated with a minimal surface area to reduce the effects of contamination resulting from absorption of contaminating materials on the surface of the grids. Additionally, the ionization-chamber wall is spaced a sufficient distance from the active region of the ionization chamber to minimize contamination effects.

Exploration of exposure conditions with a novel wireless detector for bedside digital radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosmans, Hilde; Nens, Joris; Delzenne, Louis; Marshall, Nicholas; Pauwels, Herman; De Wever, Walter; Oyen, Raymond

2012-03-01

We propose, apply and validate an optimization scheme for a new wireless CsI based DR detector in combination with a regular mobile X-ray system for bedside imaging applications. Three different grids were tested in this combination. Signal-difference-to-noise was investigated in two ways, using a 1mm Cu piece in combination with different thicknesses of PMMA and by means of the CDRAD phantom using 10 images per condition and an automated evaluation method. A Figure of Merit (FOM), namely SDNR2/Imparted Energy, was calculated for a large range of exposure conditions, without and with grid in place. Misalignment of the grids was evaluated via the same FOMs. This optimization study was validated with comparative X-ray acquisitions performed on dead bodies. An experienced radiologist scored the quality of several specific aspects for all these exposures. Signal difference to noise ratios measured with the Cu method correlated well with the threshold contrasts from the CDRAD analysis (R2 > 0.9). The analysis showed optimal FOM with detector air kerma rates as typically used in clinical practice. Lower tube voltages provide higher FOM than the higher values but their practical use depends on the limitations of X-ray tubes, linked to patient motion artefacts. The use of high resolution grids should be encouraged, as the FOM increases with 47% at 75kV. These scores from the Visual grading study confirmed the results obtained with the FOM. The switch to (wireless) DR technology for bedside imaging could benefit from devices to improve grid positioning or any scatter reduction technique.

Continued development of room temperature semiconductor nuclear detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hadong; Cirignano, Leonard; Churilov, Alexei; Ciampi, Guido; Kargar, Alireza; Higgins, William; O'Dougherty, Patrick; Kim, Suyoung; Squillante, Michael R.; Shah, Kanai

2010-08-01

Thallium bromide (TlBr) and related ternary compounds, TlBrI and TlBrCl, have been under development for room temperature gamma ray spectroscopy due to several promising properties. Due to recent advances in material processing, electron mobility-lifetime product of TlBr is close to Cd(Zn)Te's value which allowed us to fabricate large working detectors. We were also able to fabricate and obtain spectroscopic results from TlBr Capacitive Frisch Grid detector and orthogonal strip detectors. In this paper we report on our recent TlBr and related ternary detector results and preliminary results from Cinnabar (HgS) detectors.

Wire chamber radiation detector with discharge control

DOEpatents

Perez-Mendez, Victor; Mulera, Terrence A.

1984-01-01

A wire chamber radiation detector (11) has spaced apart parallel electrodes (16) and grids (17, 18, 19) defining an ignition region (21) in which charged particles (12) or other ionizing radiations initiate brief localized avalanche discharges (93) and defining an adjacent memory region (22) in which sustained glow discharges (94) are initiated by the primary discharges (93). Conductors (29, 32) of the grids (18, 19) at each side of the memory section (22) extend in orthogonal directions enabling readout of the X-Y coordinates of locations at which charged particles (12) were detected by sequentially transmitting pulses to the conductors (29) of one grid (18) while detecting transmissions of the pulses to the orthogonal conductors (36) of the other grid (19) through glow discharges (94). One of the grids (19) bounding the memory region (22) is defined by an array of conductive elements (32) each of which is connected to the associated readout conductor (36) through a separate resistance (37). The wire chamber (11) avoids ambiguities and imprecisions in the readout of coordinates when large numbers of simultaneous or near simultaneous charged particles (12) have been detected. Down time between detection periods and the generation of radio frequency noise are also reduced.

The Physics of Superconducting Microwave Resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jiansong

Over the past decade, low temperature detectors have brought astronomers revolutionary new observational capabilities and led to many great discoveries. Although a single low temperature detector has very impressive sensitivity, a large detector array would be much more powerful and are highly demanded for the study of more difficult and fundamental problems in astronomy. However, current detector technologies, such as transition edge sensors and superconducting tunnel junction detectors, are difficult to integrate into a large array. The microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) is a promising new detector technology invented at Caltech and JPL which provides both high sensitivity and an easy solution to the detector integration. It senses the change in the surface impedance of a superconductor as incoming photons break Cooper pairs, by using high-Q superconducting microwave resonators capacitively coupled to a common feedline. This architecture allows thousands of detectors to be easily integrated through passive frequency domain multiplexing. In this thesis, we explore the rich and interesting physics behind these superconducting microwave resonators. The first part of the thesis discusses the surface impedance of a superconductor, the kinetic inductance of a superconducting coplanar waveguide, and the circuit response of a resonator. These topics are related with the responsivity of MKIDs. The second part presents the study of the excess frequency noise that is universally observed in these resonators. The properties of the excess noise, including power, temperature, material, and geometry dependence, have been quantified. The noise source has been identified to be the two-level systems in the dielectric material on the surface of the resonator. A semi-empirical noise model has been developed to explain the power and geometry dependence of the noise, which is useful to predict the noise for a specified resonator geometry. The detailed physical noise mechanism, however, is still not clear. With the theoretical results of the responsivity and the semi-empirical noise model established in this thesis, a prediction of the detector sensitivity (noise equivalent power) and an optimization of the detector design are now possible.

AGIS: The ATLAS Grid Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisenkov, Alexey; Belov, Sergey; Di Girolamo, Alessandro; Gayazov, Stavro; Klimentov, Alexei; Oleynik, Danila; Senchenko, Alexander

2012-12-01

ATLAS is a particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The experiment produces petabytes of data annually through simulation production and tens petabytes of data per year from the detector itself. The ATLAS Computing model embraces the Grid paradigm and a high degree of decentralization and computing resources able to meet ATLAS requirements of petabytes scale data operations. In this paper we present ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS) designed to integrate configuration and status information about resources, services and topology of whole ATLAS Grid needed by ATLAS Distributed Computing applications and services.

Toward Large FOV High-Resolution X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer: Microwave Multiplexed Readout of 32 TES Microcalorimeters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoon, Wonsik; Adams, Joseph S.; Bandler, Simon R.; Chervenak, James A.; Datesman, Aaron M.; Eckart, Megan E.; Finkbeiner, Fred M.; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Miniussi, Antoine R.;

Measurement of neutron dose equivalent outside and inside of the treatment vault of GRID therapy.

PubMed

Wang, Xudong; Charlton, Michael A; Esquivel, Carlos; Eng, Tony Y; Li, Ying; Papanikolaou, Nikos

2013-09-01

To evaluate the neutron and photon dose equivalent rates at the treatment vault entrance (Hn,D and HG), and to study the secondary radiation to the patient in GRID therapy. The radiation activation on the grid was studied. A Varian Clinac 23EX accelerator was working at 18 MV mode with a grid manufactured by .decimal, Inc. The Hn,D and HG were measured using an Andersson-Braun neutron REM meter, and a Geiger Müller counter. The radiation activation on the grid was measured after the irradiation with an ion chamber γ-ray survey meter. The secondary radiation dose equivalent to patient was evaluated by etched track detectors and OSL detectors on a RANDO(®) phantom. Within the measurement uncertainty, there is no significant difference between the Hn,D and HG with and without a grid. However, the neutron dose equivalent to the patient with the grid is, on average, 35.3% lower than that without the grid when using the same field size and the same amount of monitor unit. The photon dose equivalent to the patient with the grid is, on average, 44.9% lower. The measured average half-life of the radiation activation in the grid is 12.0 (± 0.9) min. The activation can be categorized into a fast decay component and a slow decay component with half-lives of 3.4 (± 1.6) min and 15.3 (± 4.0) min, respectively. There was no detectable radioactive contamination found on the surface of the grid through a wipe test. This work indicates that there is no significant change of the Hn,D and HG in GRID therapy, compared with a conventional external beam therapy. However, the neutron and scattered photon dose equivalent to the patient decrease dramatically with the grid and can be clinical irrelevant. Meanwhile, the users of a grid should be aware of the possible high dose to the radiation worker from the radiation activation on the surface of the grid. A delay in handling the grid after the beam delivery is suggested.

Ion mobility spectrometer with virtual aperture grid

DOEpatents

Pfeifer, Kent B.; Rumpf, Arthur N.

2010-11-23

An ion mobility spectrometer does not require a physical aperture grid to prevent premature ion detector response. The last electrodes adjacent to the ion collector (typically the last four or five) have an electrode pitch that is less than the width of the ion swarm and each of the adjacent electrodes is connected to a source of free charge, thereby providing a virtual aperture grid at the end of the drift region that shields the ion collector from the mirror current of the approaching ion swarm. The virtual aperture grid is less complex in assembly and function and is less sensitive to vibrations than the physical aperture grid.

Sensor And Method For Detecting A Superstrate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, G. Dickey (Inventor); Cari, James R. (Inventor); Ngo, Phong H. (Inventor); Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor); Siekierski, James D. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

Method and apparatus are provided for determining a superstrate on or near a sensor, e.g., for detecting the presence of an ice superstrate on an airplane wing or a road. In one preferred embodiment, multiple measurement cells are disposed along a transmission line. While the present invention is operable with different types of transmission lines, construction details for a presently preferred coplanar waveguide and a microstrip waveguide are disclosed. A computer simulation is provided as part of the invention for predicting results of a simulated superstrate detector system. The measurement cells may be physically partitioned, nonphysically partitioned with software or firmware, or include a combination of different types of partitions. In one embodiment, a plurality of transmission lines are utilized wherein each transmission line includes a plurality of measurement cells. The plurality of transmission lines may be multiplexed with the signal from each transmission line being applied to the same phase detector. In one embodiment, an inverse problem method is applied to determine the superstrate dielectric for a transmission line with multiple measurement cells.

Enhanced R200 with Frisch-Grid CZT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A.

2017-12-01

The goal of this project is to demonstrate an engineering prototype of a gamma ray spectrometer that uses Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) in a configuration comprised of an array of position-sensitive virtual Frisch grid (PSVFG) detectors and show its capability to perform functions that would be useful to the IAEA. The detectors should achieve energy resolution of ~2% at 200 keV and <1% at > 662 keV, thereby outperforming all hand-held instruments currently in use other than cryogenically cooled germanium. BNL will make every effort to transfer the technology to an industrial partner so that robust, fieldable instruments can bemore » manufactured.« less

Enhanced R200 with Frisch-Grid CZT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, Aleksey

The goal of this project is to demonstrate an engineering prototype of a gamma ray spectrometer that uses Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) in a configuration comprised of an array of position-sensitive virtual Frisch grid (PSVFG) detectors and show its capability to perform functions that would be useful to the IAEA. The detectors should achieve energy resolution of ~2% at 200 keV and <1% at > 662 keV, thereby outperforming all hand-held instruments currently in use other than cryogenically cooled germanium. BNL will make every effort to transfer the technology to an industrial partner so that robust, fieldable instruments can bemore » manufactured.« less

Gossip: Gaseous pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koffeman, E. N.

2007-12-01

Several years ago a revolutionary miniature TPC was developed using a pixel chip with a Micromegas foil spanned over it. To overcome the mechanical stability problems and improve the positioning accuracy while spanning a foil on top of a small readout chip a process has been developed in which a Micromegas-like grid is applied on a CMOS wafer in a post-processing step. This aluminum grid is supported on insulating pillars that are created by etching after the grid has been made. The energy resolution (measured on the absorption of the X-rays from a 55Fe source) was remarkably good. Several geometries have since been tested and we now believe that a Gas On Slimmed Silicon Pixel chip' (Gossip) may be realized. The drift region of such a gaseous pixel detector would be reduced to a millimeter. Such a detector is potentially very radiation hard (SLHC vertexing) but aging and sparking must be eliminated.

Wide range radioactive gas concentration detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, David F.

1984-01-01

A wide range radioactive gas concentration detector and monitor which is capable of measuring radioactive gas concentrations over a range of eight orders of magnitude. The device of the present invention is designed to have an ionization chamber which is sufficiently small to give a fast response time for measuring radioactive gases but sufficiently large to provide accurate readings at low concentration levels. Closely spaced parallel plate grids provide a uniform electric field in the active region to improve the accuracy of measurements and reduce ion migration time so as to virtually eliminate errors due to ion recombination. The parallel plate grids are fabricated with a minimal surface area to reduce the effects of contamination resulting from absorption of contaminating materials on the surface of the grids. Additionally, the ionization chamber wall is spaced a sufficient distance from the active region of the ionization chamber to minimize contamination effects.

Noncoplanar VMAT for nasopharyngeal tumors: Plan quality versus treatment time.

PubMed

Wild, Esther; Bangert, Mark; Nill, Simeon; Oelfke, Uwe

2015-05-01

The authors investigated the potential of optimized noncoplanar irradiation trajectories for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments of nasopharyngeal patients and studied the trade-off between treatment plan quality and delivery time in radiation therapy. For three nasopharyngeal patients, the authors generated treatment plans for nine different delivery scenarios using dedicated optimization methods. They compared these scenarios according to dose characteristics, number of beam directions, and estimated delivery times. In particular, the authors generated the following treatment plans: (1) a 4π plan, which is a not sequenced, fluence optimized plan that uses beam directions from approximately 1400 noncoplanar directions and marks a theoretical upper limit of the treatment plan quality, (2) a coplanar 2π plan with 72 coplanar beam directions as pendant to the noncoplanar 4π plan, (3) a coplanar VMAT plan, (4) a coplanar step and shoot (SnS) plan, (5) a beam angle optimized (BAO) coplanar SnS IMRT plan, (6) a noncoplanar BAO SnS plan, (7) a VMAT plan with rotated treatment couch, (8) a noncoplanar VMAT plan with an optimized great circle around the patient, and (9) a noncoplanar BAO VMAT plan with an arbitrary trajectory around the patient. VMAT using optimized noncoplanar irradiation trajectories reduced the mean and maximum doses in organs at risk compared to coplanar VMAT plans by 19% on average while the target coverage remains constant. A coplanar BAO SnS plan was superior to coplanar SnS or VMAT; however, noncoplanar plans like a noncoplanar BAO SnS plan or noncoplanar VMAT yielded a better plan quality than the best coplanar 2π plan. The treatment plan quality of VMAT plans depended on the length of the trajectory. The delivery times of noncoplanar VMAT plans were estimated to be 6.5 min in average; 1.6 min longer than a coplanar plan but on average 2.8 min faster than a noncoplanar SnS plan with comparable treatment plan quality. The authors' study reconfirms the dosimetric benefits of noncoplanar irradiation of nasopharyngeal tumors. Both SnS using optimized noncoplanar beam ensembles and VMAT using an optimized, arbitrary, noncoplanar trajectory enabled dose reductions in organs at risk compared to coplanar SnS and VMAT. Using great circles or simple couch rotations to implement noncoplanar VMAT, however, was not sufficient to yield meaningful improvements in treatment plan quality. The authors estimate that noncoplanar VMAT using arbitrary optimized irradiation trajectories comes at an increased delivery time compared to coplanar VMAT yet at a decreased delivery time compared to noncoplanar SnS IMRT.

A deep learning-based reconstruction of cosmic ray-induced air showers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdmann, M.; Glombitza, J.; Walz, D.

2018-01-01

We describe a method of reconstructing air showers induced by cosmic rays using deep learning techniques. We simulate an observatory consisting of ground-based particle detectors with fixed locations on a regular grid. The detector's responses to traversing shower particles are signal amplitudes as a function of time, which provide information on transverse and longitudinal shower properties. In order to take advantage of convolutional network techniques specialized in local pattern recognition, we convert all information to the image-like grid of the detectors. In this way, multiple features, such as arrival times of the first particles and optimized characterizations of time traces, are processed by the network. The reconstruction quality of the cosmic ray arrival direction turns out to be competitive with an analytic reconstruction algorithm. The reconstructed shower direction, energy and shower depth show the expected improvement in resolution for higher cosmic ray energy.

Evaluation of PET Imaging Resolution Using 350 mu{m} Pixelated CZT as a VP-PET Insert Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yongzhi; Chen, Ximeng; Li, Chongzheng; Wu, Heyu; Komarov, Sergey; Guo, Qingzhen; Krawczynski, Henric; Meng, Ling-Jian; Tai, Yuan-Chuan

2014-02-01

A cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) detector with 350 μm pitch pixels was studied in high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) imaging applications. The PET imaging system was based on coincidence detection between a CZT detector and a lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO)-based Inveon PET detector in virtual-pinhole PET geometry. The LSO detector is a 20 ×20 array, with 1.6 mm pitches, and 10 mm thickness. The CZT detector uses ac 20 ×20 ×5 mm substrate, with 350 μm pitch pixelated anodes and a coplanar cathode. A NEMA NU4 Na-22 point source of 250 μm in diameter was imaged by this system. Experiments show that the image resolution of single-pixel photopeak events was 590 μm FWHM while the image resolution of double-pixel photopeak events was 640 μm FWHM. The inclusion of double-pixel full-energy events increased the sensitivity of the imaging system. To validate the imaging experiment, we conducted a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for the same PET system in Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography. We defined LSO detectors as a scanner ring and 350 μm pixelated CZT detectors as an insert ring. GATE simulated coincidence data were sorted into an insert-scanner sinogram and reconstructed. The image resolution of MC-simulated data (which did not factor in positron range and acolinearity effect) was 460 μm at FWHM for single-pixel events. The image resolutions of experimental data, MC simulated data, and theoretical calculation are all close to 500 μm FWHM when the proposed 350 μm pixelated CZT detector is used as a PET insert. The interpolation algorithm for the charge sharing events was also investigated. The PET image that was reconstructed using the interpolation algorithm shows improved image resolution compared with the image resolution without interpolation algorithm.

Rotational-translational fourier imaging system requiring only one grid pair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Jonathan W. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

The sky contains many active sources that emit X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons. Unfortunately hard X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons cannot be imaged by conventional optics. This obstacle led to the development of Fourier imaging systems. In early approaches, multiple grid pairs were necessary in order to create rudimentary Fourier imaging systems. At least one set of grid pairs was required to provide multiple real components of a Fourier derived image, and another set was required to provide multiple imaginary components of the image. It has long been recognized that the expense associated with the physical production of the numerous grid pairs required for Fourier imaging was a drawback. Herein one grid pair (two grids), with accompanying rotation and translation, can be used if one grid has one more slit than the other grid, and if the detector is modified.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salvagnini, Elena; Bosmans, Hilde; Marshall, Nicholas W.

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to illustrate the value of the new metric effective detective quantum efficiency (eDQE) in relation to more established measures in the optimization process of two digital mammography systems. The following metrics were included for comparison against eDQE: detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the detector, signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR), and detectability index (d′) calculated using a standard nonprewhitened observer with eye filter.Methods: The two systems investigated were the Siemens MAMMOMAT Inspiration and the Hologic Selenia Dimensions. The presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) required for the eDQE was measured using two geometries: amore » geometry containing scattered radiation and a low scatter geometry. The eDQE, SdNR, and d′ were measured for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thicknesses of 20, 40, 60, and 70 mm, with and without the antiscatter grid and for a selection of clinically relevant target/filter (T/F) combinations. Figures of merit (FOMs) were then formed from SdNR and d′ using the mean glandular dose as the factor to express detriment. Detector DQE was measured at energies covering the range of typical clinically used spectra.Results: The MTF measured in the presence of scattered radiation showed a large drop at low spatial frequency compared to the low scatter method and led to a corresponding reduction in eDQE. The eDQE for the Siemens system at 1 mm{sup −1} ranged between 0.15 and 0.27, depending on T/F and grid setting. For the Hologic system, eDQE at 1 mm{sup −1} varied from 0.15 to 0.32, again depending on T/F and grid setting. The eDQE results for both systems showed that the grid increased the system efficiency for PMMA thicknesses of 40 mm and above but showed only small sensitivity to T/F setting. While results of the SdNR and d′ based FOMs confirmed the eDQE grid position results, they were also more specific in terms of T/F selection. For the Siemens system at 20 mm PMMA, the FOMs indicated Mo/Mo (grid out) as optimal while W/Rh (grid in) was the optimal configuration at 40, 60, and 70 mm PMMA. For the Hologic, the FOMs pointed to W/Rh (grid in) at 20 and 40 mm of PMMA while W/Ag (grid in) gave the highest FOM at 60 and 70 mm PMMA. Finally, DQE at 1 mm{sup −1} averaged for the four beam qualities studied was 0.44 ± 0.02 and 0.55 ± 0.03 for the Siemens and Hologic detectors, respectively, indicating only a small influence of energy on detector DQE.Conclusions: Both the DQE and eDQE data showed only a small sensitivity to T/F setting for these two systems. The eDQE showed clear preferences in terms of scatter reduction, being highest for the grid-in geometry for PMMA thicknesses of 40 mm and above. The SdNR and d′ based figures of merit, which contain additional weighting for contrast and dose, pointed to specific T/F settings for both systems.« less

Methods and results of a search for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts using the GEO 600, LIGO, and Virgo detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J. S.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Augustus, H.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cain, J.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castaldi, G.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J. A.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Croce, R. P.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, C.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Dickson, J.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Dominguez, E.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Gendre, B.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C. J.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Ha, J.; Hall, E. D.; Hamilton, W.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hanson, J.; Haris, K.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Hopkins, P.; Horrom, T.; Hoske, D.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Idrisy, A.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Islas, G.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, N.; Kim, S.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, D. Nanda; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lam, P. K.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, P. J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lopez, E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Ma, Y.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magee, R.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N. M.; Mansell, G.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; May, G.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, A.; Meyer, M. S.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A. H.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Omar, S.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, R.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pedraza, M.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Recchia, S.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Reula, O.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S. B.; Rogstad, S.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sankar, S.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schilman, M.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shao, Z.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tao, J.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; Tellez, G.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trias, M.; Tse, M.; Tshilumba, D.; Tuennermann, H.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Wolovick, N.; Worden, J.; Wu, Y.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2014-06-01

In this paper we report on a search for short-duration gravitational wave bursts in the frequency range 64 Hz-1792 Hz associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), using data from GEO 600 and one of the LIGO or Virgo detectors. We introduce the method of a linear search grid to analyze GRB events with large sky localization uncertainties, for example the localizations provided by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Coherent searches for gravitational waves (GWs) can be computationally intensive when the GRB sky position is not well localized, due to the corrections required for the difference in arrival time between detectors. Using a linear search grid we are able to reduce the computational cost of the analysis by a factor of O(10) for GBM events. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our analysis pipeline can improve upon the sky localization of GRBs detected by the GBM, if a high-frequency GW signal is observed in coincidence. We use the method of the linear grid in a search for GWs associated with 129 GRBs observed satellite-based gamma-ray experiments between 2006 and 2011. The GRBs in our sample had not been previously analyzed for GW counterparts. A fraction of our GRB events are analyzed using data from GEO 600 while the detector was using squeezed-light states to improve its sensitivity; this is the first search for GWs using data from a squeezed-light interferometric observatory. We find no evidence for GW signals, either with any individual GRB in this sample or with the population as a whole. For each GRB we place lower bounds on the distance to the progenitor, under an assumption of a fixed GW emission energy of 10-2M⊙c2, with a median exclusion distance of 0.8 Mpc for emission at 500 Hz and 0.3 Mpc at 1 kHz. The reduced computational cost associated with a linear search grid will enable rapid searches for GWs associated with Fermi GBM events once the advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors begin operation.

Methods and Results of a Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Using the GEO 600, LIGO, and Virgo Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Blackburn, Lindy L.;

CERN@school: bringing CERN into the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whyntie, T.; Cook, J.; Coupe, A.; Fickling, R. L.; Parker, B.; Shearer, N.

2016-04-01

CERN@school brings technology from CERN into the classroom to aid with the teaching of particle physics. It also aims to inspire the next generation of physicists and engineers by giving participants the opportunity to be part of a national collaboration of students, teachers and academics, analysing data obtained from detectors based on the ground and in space to make new, curiosity-driven discoveries at school. CERN@school is based around the Timepix hybrid silicon pixel detector developed by the Medipix 2 Collaboration, which features a 300 μm thick silicon sensor bump-bonded to a Timepix readout ASIC. This defines a 256-by-256 grid of pixels with a pitch of 55 μm, the data from which can be used to visualise ionising radiation in a very accessible way. Broadly speaking, CERN@school consists of a web portal that allows access to data collected by the Langton Ultimate Cosmic ray Intensity Detector (LUCID) experiment in space and the student-operated Timepix detectors on the ground; a number of Timepix detector kits for ground-based experiments, to be made available to schools for both teaching and research purposes; and educational resources for teachers to use with LUCID data and detector kits in the classroom. By providing access to cutting-edge research equipment, raw data from ground and space-based experiments, CERN@school hopes to provide the foundation for a programme that meets the many of the aims and objectives of CERN and the project's supporting academic and industrial partners. The work presented here provides an update on the status of the programme as supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. This includes recent results from work with the GridPP Collaboration on using grid resources with schools to run GEANT4 simulations of CERN@school experiments.

PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in albatross from the North Pacific and Southern Oceans: levels, patterns, and toxicological implications.

PubMed

Tanabe, Shinsuke; Watanabe, Mafumi; Minh, Tu Binh; Kunisue, Tatsuya; Nakanishi, Shigeyuki; Ono, Hitoshi; Tanaka, Hiroyuki

2004-01-15

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs) were determined in five albatross species collected from the North Pacific and Southern Oceans to assess the north-south differences in residue levels, accumulation patterns, and toxic potential. Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses from the North Pacific Ocean contained higher levels of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs than albatrosses from the Southern Ocean, indicating that emission sources of these contaminants were predominant in the northern hemisphere. Residue levels in albatrosses from the remote North Pacific Ocean far from the point source of pollution were comparable to or higher than those in terrestrial and coastal birds from contaminated areas in developed nations, suggesting the specific exposure and accumulation of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in albatross. The long life span and ingestion of plastic resin pellets by albatrosses could be the plausible explanations for the elevated accumulation of persistent and lipophilic contaminants including PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in these birds. Relative proportions of PCDFs and coplanar PCBs in albatross were higher than those observed in birds inhabiting terrestrial and coastal areas, suggesting that these toxic chemicals may have higher transportability by air and water than PCDDs. Congener patterns of PCDD/Fs in albatross showed less variability as compared to those in terrestrial species, indicating that contamination patterns of PCDD/Fs were similar within the open ocean environment. Contributions of PCDD/Fs to total TEQs in albatrosses from the open ocean were generally lower than those in terrestrial birds, suggesting different toxic potency of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs on animals inhabiting open ocean and terrestrial environment. Whereas albatrosses from southern oceans retained lower TEQ concentrations, possible adverse effects of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs to black-footed and Laysan albatrosses of the North Pacific Ocean may be suspected from TEQ levels.

Noncoplanar VMAT for nasopharyngeal tumors: Plan quality versus treatment time

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wild, Esther, E-mail: e.wild@dkfz.de; Bangert, Mark; Nill, Simeon

Purpose: The authors investigated the potential of optimized noncoplanar irradiation trajectories for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments of nasopharyngeal patients and studied the trade-off between treatment plan quality and delivery time in radiation therapy. Methods: For three nasopharyngeal patients, the authors generated treatment plans for nine different delivery scenarios using dedicated optimization methods. They compared these scenarios according to dose characteristics, number of beam directions, and estimated delivery times. In particular, the authors generated the following treatment plans: (1) a 4π plan, which is a not sequenced, fluence optimized plan that uses beam directions from approximately 1400 noncoplanar directionsmore » and marks a theoretical upper limit of the treatment plan quality, (2) a coplanar 2π plan with 72 coplanar beam directions as pendant to the noncoplanar 4π plan, (3) a coplanar VMAT plan, (4) a coplanar step and shoot (SnS) plan, (5) a beam angle optimized (BAO) coplanar SnS IMRT plan, (6) a noncoplanar BAO SnS plan, (7) a VMAT plan with rotated treatment couch, (8) a noncoplanar VMAT plan with an optimized great circle around the patient, and (9) a noncoplanar BAO VMAT plan with an arbitrary trajectory around the patient. Results: VMAT using optimized noncoplanar irradiation trajectories reduced the mean and maximum doses in organs at risk compared to coplanar VMAT plans by 19% on average while the target coverage remains constant. A coplanar BAO SnS plan was superior to coplanar SnS or VMAT; however, noncoplanar plans like a noncoplanar BAO SnS plan or noncoplanar VMAT yielded a better plan quality than the best coplanar 2π plan. The treatment plan quality of VMAT plans depended on the length of the trajectory. The delivery times of noncoplanar VMAT plans were estimated to be 6.5 min in average; 1.6 min longer than a coplanar plan but on average 2.8 min faster than a noncoplanar SnS plan with comparable treatment plan quality. Conclusions: The authors’ study reconfirms the dosimetric benefits of noncoplanar irradiation of nasopharyngeal tumors. Both SnS using optimized noncoplanar beam ensembles and VMAT using an optimized, arbitrary, noncoplanar trajectory enabled dose reductions in organs at risk compared to coplanar SnS and VMAT. Using great circles or simple couch rotations to implement noncoplanar VMAT, however, was not sufficient to yield meaningful improvements in treatment plan quality. The authors estimate that noncoplanar VMAT using arbitrary optimized irradiation trajectories comes at an increased delivery time compared to coplanar VMAT yet at a decreased delivery time compared to noncoplanar SnS IMRT.« less

Measurement of Neutron and Muon Fluxes 100~m Underground with the SciBath Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garrison, Lance

2014-01-01

The SciBath detector is an 80 liter liquid scintillator detector read out by a three dimensional grid of 768 wavelength-shifting fibers. Initially conceived as a fine-grained charged particle detector for neutrino studies that could image charged particle tracks in all directions, it is also sensitive to fast neutrons (15-200 MeV). In fall of 2011 the apparatus performed a three month run to measure cosmic-induced muons and neutrons 100~meters underground in the FNAL MINOS near-detector area. Data from this run has been analyzed and resulted in measurements of the cosmic muon flux as \

IMRT for Image-Guided Single Vocal Cord Irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osman, Sarah O.S., E-mail: s.osman@erasmusmc.nl; Astreinidou, Eleftheria; Boer, Hans C.J. de

2012-02-01

Purpose: We have been developing an image-guided single vocal cord irradiation technique to treat patients with stage T1a glottic carcinoma. In the present study, we compared the dose coverage to the affected vocal cord and the dose delivered to the organs at risk using conventional, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) coplanar, and IMRT non-coplanar techniques. Methods and Materials: For 10 patients, conventional treatment plans using two laterally opposed wedged 6-MV photon beams were calculated in XiO (Elekta-CMS treatment planning system). An in-house IMRT/beam angle optimization algorithm was used to obtain the coplanar and non-coplanar optimized beam angles. Using these angles, the IMRTmore » plans were generated in Monaco (IMRT treatment planning system, Elekta-CMS) with the implemented Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm. The organs at risk included the contralateral vocal cord, arytenoids, swallowing muscles, carotid arteries, and spinal cord. The prescription dose was 66 Gy in 33 fractions. Results: For the conventional plans and coplanar and non-coplanar IMRT plans, the population-averaged mean dose {+-} standard deviation to the planning target volume was 67 {+-} 1 Gy. The contralateral vocal cord dose was reduced from 66 {+-} 1 Gy in the conventional plans to 39 {+-} 8 Gy and 36 {+-} 6 Gy in the coplanar and non-coplanar IMRT plans, respectively. IMRT consistently reduced the doses to the other organs at risk. Conclusions: Single vocal cord irradiation with IMRT resulted in good target coverage and provided significant sparing of the critical structures. This has the potential to improve the quality-of-life outcomes after RT and maintain the same local control rates.« less

SuperB Simulation Production System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomassetti, L.; Bianchi, F.; Ciaschini, V.; Corvo, M.; Del Prete, D.; Di Simone, A.; Donvito, G.; Fella, A.; Franchini, P.; Giacomini, F.; Gianoli, A.; Longo, S.; Luitz, S.; Luppi, E.; Manzali, M.; Pardi, S.; Paolini, A.; Perez, A.; Rama, M.; Russo, G.; Santeramo, B.; Stroili, R.

2012-12-01

The SuperB asymmetric e+e- collider and detector to be built at the newly founded Nicola Cabibbo Lab will provide a uniquely sensitive probe of New Physics in the flavor sector of the Standard Model. Studying minute effects in the heavy quark and heavy lepton sectors requires a data sample of 75 ab-1 and a peak luminosity of 1036 cm-2 s-1. The SuperB Computing group is working on developing a simulation production framework capable to satisfy the experiment needs. It provides access to distributed resources in order to support both the detector design definition and its performance evaluation studies. During last year the framework has evolved from the point of view of job workflow, Grid services interfaces and technologies adoption. A complete code refactoring and sub-component language porting now permits the framework to sustain distributed production involving resources from two continents and Grid Flavors. In this paper we will report a complete description of the production system status of the art, its evolution and its integration with Grid services; in particular, we will focus on the utilization of new Grid component features as in LB and WMS version 3. Results from the last official SuperB production cycle will be reported.

A new measurement method of actual focal spot position of an x-ray tube using a high-precision carbon-interspaced grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H. W.; Lim, H. W.; Jeon, D. H.; Park, C. K.; Cho, H. S.; Seo, C. W.; Lee, D. Y.; Kim, K. S.; Kim, G. A.; Park, S. Y.; Kang, S. Y.; Park, J. E.; Kim, W. S.; Woo, T. H.; Oh, J. E.

2018-06-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of a new method for measuring the actual focal spot position of a diagnostic x-ray tube using a high-precision antiscatter grid and a digital x-ray detector in which grid magnification, which is directly related to the focal spot position, was determined from the Fourier spectrum of the acquired x-ray grid’s image. A systematic experiment was performed to demonstrate the viability of the proposed measurement method. The hardware system used in the experiment consisted of an x-ray tube run at 50 kVp and 1 mA, a flat-panel detector with a pixel size of 49.5 µm, and a high-precision carbon-interspaced grid with a strip density of 200 lines/inch. The results indicated that the focal spot of the x-ray tube (Jupiter 5000, Oxford Instruments) used in the experiment was located approximately 31.10 mm inside from the exit flange, well agreed with the nominal value of 31.05 mm, which demonstrates the viability of the proposed measurement method. Thus, the proposed method can be utilized for system’s performance optimization in many x-ray imaging applications.

Electromagnetic radiation detector

DOEpatents

Benson, Jay L.; Hansen, Gordon J.

1976-01-01

An electromagnetic radiation detector including a collimating window, a cathode member having a photoelectric emissive material surface angularly disposed to said window whereby radiation is impinged thereon at acute angles, an anode, separated from the cathode member by an evacuated space, for collecting photoelectrons emitted from the emissive cathode surface, and a negatively biased, high transmissive grid disposed between the cathode member and anode.

Measurements of charge distributions of the fragments in the low energy fission reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Taofeng; Han, Hongyin; Meng, Qinghua; Wang, Liming; Zhu, Liping; Xia, Haihong

2013-01-01

The measurement for charge distributions of fragments in spontaneous fission 252Cf has been performed by using a unique style of detector setup consisting of a typical grid ionization chamber and a ΔΕ-Ε particle telescope, in which a thin grid ionization chamber served as the ΔΕ-section and the E-section was an Au-Si surface barrier detector. The typical physical quantities of fragments, such as mass number and kinetic energies as well as the deposition in the gas ΔΕ detector and E detector were derived from the coincident measurement data. The charge distributions of the light fragments for the fixed mass number A2* and total kinetic energy (TKE) were obtained by the least-squares fits for the response functions of the ΔΕ detector with multi-Gaussian functions representing the different elements. The results of the charge distributions for some typical fragments are shown in this article which indicates that this detection setup has the charge distribution capability of Ζ:ΔΖ>40:1. The experimental method developed in this work for determining the charge distributions of fragments is expected to be employed in the neutron induced fissions of 232Th and 238U or other low energy fission reactions.

Numerical convergence and validation of the DIMP inverse particle transport model

DOE PAGES

Nelson, Noel; Azmy, Yousry

2017-09-01

The data integration with modeled predictions (DIMP) model is a promising inverse radiation transport method for solving the special nuclear material (SNM) holdup problem. Unlike previous methods, DIMP is a completely passive nondestructive assay technique that requires no initial assumptions regarding the source distribution or active measurement time. DIMP predicts the most probable source location and distribution through Bayesian inference and quasi-Newtonian optimization of predicted detector re-sponses (using the adjoint transport solution) with measured responses. DIMP performs well with for-ward hemispherical collimation and unshielded measurements, but several considerations are required when using narrow-view collimated detectors. DIMP converged well to themore » correct source distribution as the number of synthetic responses increased. DIMP also performed well for the first experimental validation exercise after applying a collimation factor, and sufficiently reducing the source search vol-ume's extent to prevent the optimizer from getting stuck in local minima. DIMP's simple point detector response function (DRF) is being improved to address coplanar false positive/negative responses, and an angular DRF is being considered for integration with the next version of DIMP to account for highly collimated responses. Overall, DIMP shows promise for solving the SNM holdup inverse problem, especially once an improved optimization algorithm is implemented.« less

A comparison of dioxins, dibenzofurans and coplanar PCBs in uncooked and broiled ground beef, catfish and bacon.

PubMed

Schecter, A; Dellarco, M; Päpke, O; Olson, J

1998-01-01

The primary source of dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar PCBs for the general population is food, especially meat, fish, and dairy products. However, most data on the levels of these chemicals is from food in the raw or uncooked state. We report here the effect of one type of cooking (broiling) on the levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in ground beef (hamburger), bacon and catfish. Samples of hamburger, bacon, and catfish were broiled and compared to uncooked samples in order to measure changes in the amounts of dioxins in cooked food. The total amount of PCDD, PCDF, and coplanar PCB TEQ decreased by approximately 50% on average for each portion as a result of broiling the hamburger, bacon and catfish specimens. The mean concentration (pg TEQ/kg, wet weight) of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs, however, remained the same in the hamburger, increased by 83% in the bacon, and decreased by 34% in the catfish. On average, the total measured concentration (pg/kg) of the congeners of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs increased 14% in the hamburger, increased 29% in the bacon, and decreased 33% in the catfish.

AGIS: The ATLAS Grid Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisenkov, A.; Di Girolamo, A.; Klimentov, A.; Oleynik, D.; Petrosyan, A.; Atlas Collaboration

2014-06-01

ATLAS, a particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, produced petabytes of data annually through simulation production and tens of petabytes of data per year from the detector itself. The ATLAS computing model embraces the Grid paradigm and a high degree of decentralization and computing resources able to meet ATLAS requirements of petabytes scale data operations. In this paper we describe the ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS), designed to integrate configuration and status information about resources, services and topology of the computing infrastructure used by the ATLAS Distributed Computing applications and services.

Fast two-dimensional grid and transmission X-ray microscopy scanning methods for visualizing and characterizing protein crystals

PubMed Central

Wojdyla, Justyna Aleksandra; Panepucci, Ezequiel; Martiel, Isabelle; Ebner, Simon; Huang, Chia-Ying; Caffrey, Martin; Bunk, Oliver; Wang, Meitian

2016-01-01

A fast continuous grid scan protocol has been incorporated into the Swiss Light Source (SLS) data acquisition and analysis software suite on the macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines. Its combination with fast readout single-photon counting hybrid pixel array detectors (PILATUS and EIGER) allows for diffraction-based identification of crystal diffraction hotspots and the location and centering of membrane protein microcrystals in the lipid cubic phase (LCP) in in meso in situ serial crystallography plates and silicon nitride supports. Diffraction-based continuous grid scans with both still and oscillation images are supported. Examples that include a grid scan of a large (50 nl) LCP bolus and analysis of the resulting diffraction images are presented. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) complements and benefits from fast grid scanning. STXM has been demonstrated at the SLS beamline X06SA for near-zero-dose detection of protein crystals mounted on different types of sample supports at room and cryogenic temperatures. Flash-cooled crystals in nylon loops were successfully identified in differential and integrated phase images. Crystals of just 10 µm thickness were visible in integrated phase images using data collected with the EIGER detector. STXM offers a truly low-dose method for locating crystals on solid supports prior to diffraction data collection at both synchrotron microfocusing and free-electron laser X-ray facilities. PMID:27275141

Mixing in 3D Sparse Multi-Scale Grid Generated Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usama, Syed; Kopec, Jacek; Tellez, Jackson; Kwiatkowski, Kamil; Redondo, Jose; Malik, Nadeem

2017-04-01

Flat 2D fractal grids are known to alter turbulence characteristics downstream of the grid as compared to the regular grids with the same blockage ratio and the same mass inflow rates [1]. This has excited interest in the turbulence community for possible exploitation for enhanced mixing and related applications. Recently, a new 3D multi-scale grid design has been proposed [2] such that each generation of length scale of turbulence grid elements is held in its own frame, the overall effect is a 3D co-planar arrangement of grid elements. This produces a 'sparse' grid system whereby each generation of grid elements produces a turbulent wake pattern that interacts with the other wake patterns downstream. A critical motivation here is that the effective blockage ratio in the 3D Sparse Grid Turbulence (3DSGT) design is significantly lower than in the flat 2D counterpart - typically the blockage ratio could be reduced from say 20% in 2D down to 4% in the 3DSGT. If this idea can be realized in practice, it could potentially greatly enhance the efficiency of turbulent mixing and transfer processes clearly having many possible applications. Work has begun on the 3DSGT experimentally using Surface Flow Image Velocimetry (SFIV) [3] at the European facility in the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization located in Gottingen, Germany and also at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) in Spain, and numerically using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia and in University of Warsaw in Poland. DNS is the most useful method to compare the experimental results with, and we are studying different types of codes such as Imcompact3d, and OpenFoam. Many variables will eventually be investigated for optimal mixing conditions. For example, the number of scale generations, the spacing between frames, the size ratio of grid elements, inflow conditions, etc. We will report upon the first set of findings from the 3DSGT by the time of the conference. {Acknowledgements}: This work has been supported partly by the EuHIT grant, 'Turbulence Generated by Sparse 3D Multi-Scale Grid (M3SG)', 2017. {References} [1] S. Laizet, J. C. Vassilicos. DNS of Fractal-Generated Turbulence. Flow Turbulence Combust 87:673705, (2011). [2] N. A. Malik. Sparse 3D Multi-Scale Grid Turbulence Generator. USPTO Application no. 14/710,531, Patent Pending, (2015). [3] J. Tellez, M. Gomez, B. Russo, J.M. Redondo. Surface Flow Image Velocimetry (SFIV) for hydraulics applications. 18th Int. Symposium on the Application of Laser Imaging Techniques in Fluid Mechanics, Lisbon, Portugal (2016).

Coplanar Waveguide Radial Line Double Stub and Application to Filter Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, R. N.; Taub, S. R.

1993-01-01

Coplanar waveguide (CPW) and grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) radial line double stub resonators are experimentally characterized with respect to stub radius and sector angle. A simple closed-form design equation, which predicts the resonance radius of the stub, is presented. Use of a double stub resonator as a lowpass filter or as a harmonic suppression filter is demonstrated, and design rules are given.

SU-F-BRB-04: Comparison of Coplanar VMAT, Non-Coplanar VMAT, and 4π Treatment Plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, K; Nguyen, D; Tran, A

2015-06-15

Purpose: The 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy delivery technique has demonstrated significantly better normal tissue sparing and dose conformality than the clinically used volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). It is unclear whether this is a fundamental limitation of VMAT delivery or the coplanar nature of its typical clinical plans. The non-coplanar basis of 4π is incorporated into VMAT treatment planning to compare its effect on plan quality. Methods: Clinical stereotactic body radiation therapy plans for 9 liver patients treated with 30–60 Gy using coplanar VMAT (cVMAT) were re-planned using non-coplanar VMAT (nVMAT) with 3 arcs and 4 π with 20 intensity-modulated non-coplanarmore » fields. All plans were optimized to deliver 100% of the prescribed dose to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV), and nVMAT and 4π plans were tailored to match the maximum and mean PTV dose from the clinical plan. The conformality index (CI), 50% dose spillage volume (R50), normal liver volume receiving >15 Gy (VL>15), and doses to organs at risk (OARs) were compared for all three treatment plans. Results: Compared to cVMAT, the nVMAT and 4π plans reduced VL>15 by an average of 30.6 cm3 and 96.3 cm3, respectively. The average CI was also reduced from 1.22 (cVMAT) to 1.17 (nVMAT) and 1.14 (4π), indicating higher conformality in the same order. Similarly, R50 was reduced from 3.87 (cVMAT) to 3.58 (nVMAT) and 2.74 (4π). With the exception of the mean right kidney dose, which increased by an average of only 0.6 Gy for nVMAT, the dose differences to OARs were not statistically significant between the two VMAT plans. 4π plans either significantly decreased or maintained OAR doses. Conclusion: While the manual selection of intuitive non-coplanar arcs does show some improvement over coplanar VMAT, the automated beam selection for 4π still results in superior plan quality. This project is supported in part by Varian Medical Systems and NIH R43 CA183390.« less

SU-E-T-217: Comprehensive Dosimetric Evaluation On 3D-CRT, IMRT and Non-Coplanar Arc Treatment for Prone Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chiu, T; Yan, Y; Ramirez, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an effective treatment for early stage breast-cancer. Irradiation in a prone position can mitigate breast motion and spare heart and lung. In this study, a comprehensive study is performed to evaluate various treatment techniques for prone APBI treatment including: 3D-CRT, IMRT, co-planar and non-coplanar partial arcs treatment. Methods: In this treatment planning study, a left breast patient treated in prone position in our clinic was imported into Varian Eclipse TPS. Six beams tangential to chest wall were used in both 3D-CRT and IMRT plans. These six beams were coplanar in a transactional planemore » achieved by both gantry and couch rotation. A 60-beam IMRT plan was also created to explore the maximum benefit of co-planar IMRT. Within deliverable couch rotation range (±30°), partial arc treatment plans with one and up to ten couch positions were generated for comparison. For each plan, 30Gy in 6 fractions was prescribed to 95% PTV volume. Critical dosimetric parameters, such as conformity index, mean, maximum, and volume dose of organ at risk, are evaluated. Results: The conformity indexes (CI) are 3.53, 3.17, 2.21 and 1.08 respectively to 3D-CRT, 6-beam IMRT, 60-beam IMRT, and two-partial-arcs coplanar plans. However, arc plans increase heart dose. CI for non-coplanar arc plans decreases from 1.19 to 1.10 when increases couch positions. Maximum dose in ipsilateral lung (1.98 to 1.13 Gy), and heart (0.62 to 0.43 Gy) are steadily decreased with the increased number of non-coplanar arcs. Conclusions: The dosimetric evaluation results show that partial arc plans have improved CIs compared to conventional 3D-CRT and IMRT plans. Increasing number of partial arcs decreases lung and heart dose. The dosimetric benefit obtained from non-coplanar arcs should be considered with treatment delivery time.« less

Noise in CdZnTe detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luke, P. N.; Amman, M.; Lee J. S.

2000-10-10

Noise in CdZnTe devices with different electrode configurations was investigated. Measurements on devices with guard-ring electrode structures showed that surface leakage current does not produce any significant noise. The parallel white noise component of the devices appeared to be generated by the bulk current alone, even though the surface current was substantially higher. This implies that reducing the surface leakage current of a CdZnTe detector may not necessarily result in a significant improvement in noise performance. The noise generated by the bulk current is also observed to be below full shot noise. This partial suppression of shot noise may bemore » the result of Coulomb interaction between carriers or carrier trapping. Devices with coplanar strip electrodes were observed to produce a 1/f noise term at the preamplifier output. Higher levels of this 1/f noise were observed with decreasing gap widths between electrodes. The level of this 1/f noise appeared to be independent of bias voltage and leakage current but was substantially reduced after certain surface treatments.« less

Methods and apparatus of analyzing electrical power grid data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hafen, Ryan P.; Critchlow, Terence J.; Gibson, Tara D.

Apparatus and methods of processing large-scale data regarding an electrical power grid are described. According to one aspect, a method of processing large-scale data regarding an electrical power grid includes accessing a large-scale data set comprising information regarding an electrical power grid; processing data of the large-scale data set to identify a filter which is configured to remove erroneous data from the large-scale data set; using the filter, removing erroneous data from the large-scale data set; and after the removing, processing data of the large-scale data set to identify an event detector which is configured to identify events of interestmore » in the large-scale data set.« less

An Experimental and Numerical Study on Cracking Behavior of Brittle Sandstone Containing Two Non-coplanar Fissures Under Uniaxial Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Sheng-Qi; Tian, Wen-Ling; Huang, Yan-Hua; Ranjith, P. G.; Ju, Yang

2016-04-01

To understand the fracture mechanism in all kinds of rock engineering, it is important to investigate the fracture evolution behavior of pre-fissured rock. In this research, we conducted uniaxial compression experiments to evaluate the influence of ligament angle on the strength, deformability, and fracture coalescence behavior of rectangular prismatic specimens (80 × 160 × 30 mm) of brittle sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures. The experimental results show that the peak strength of sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures depends on the ligament angle, but the elastic modulus is not closely related to the ligament angle. With the increase of ligament angle, the peak strength decreased at a ligament angle of 60°, before increasing up to our maximum ligament angle of 120°. Crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence were all observed and characterized from the inner and outer tips of pre-existing non-coplanar fissures using photographic monitoring. Based on the results, the sequence of crack evolution in sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures was analyzed in detail. In order to fully understand the crack evolution mechanism of brittle sandstone, numerical simulations using PFC2D were performed for specimens containing two non-coplanar fissures under uniaxial compression. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results. By analyzing the stress field, the crack evolution mechanism in brittle sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures under uniaxial compression is revealed. These experimental and numerical results are expected to improve the understanding of the unstable fracture mechanism of fissured rock engineering structures.

Charged-particle spectroscopy in organic semiconducting single crystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ciavatti, A.; Basiricò, L.; Fraboni, B.

2016-04-11

The use of organic materials as radiation detectors has grown, due to the easy processability in liquid phase at room temperature and the possibility to cover large areas by means of low cost deposition techniques. Direct charged-particle detectors based on solution-grown Organic Semiconducting Single Crystals (OSSCs) are shown to be capable to detect charged particles in pulse mode, with very good peak discrimination. The direct charged-particle detection in OSSCs has been assessed both in the planar and in the vertical axes, and a digital pulse processing algorithm has been used to perform pulse height spectroscopy and to study the chargemore » collection efficiency as a function of the applied bias voltage. Taking advantage of the charge spectroscopy and the good peak discrimination of pulse height spectra, an Hecht-like behavior of OSSCs radiation detectors is demonstrated. It has been possible to estimate the mobility-lifetime value in organic materials, a fundamental parameter for the characterization of radiation detectors, whose results are equal to μτ{sub coplanar} = (5 .5 ± 0.6 ) × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/V and μτ{sub sandwich} = (1 .9 ± 0.2 ) × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/V, values comparable to those of polycrystalline inorganic detectors. Moreover, alpha particles Time-of-Flight experiments have been carried out to estimate the drift mobility value. The results reported here indicate how charged-particle detectors based on OSSCs possess a great potential as low-cost, large area, solid-state direct detectors operating at room temperature. More interestingly, the good detection efficiency and peak discrimination observed for charged-particle detection in organic materials (hydrogen-rich molecules) are encouraging for their further exploitation in the detection of thermal and high-energy neutrons.« less

SigWin-detector: a Grid-enabled workflow for discovering enriched windows of genomic features related to DNA sequences.

PubMed

Inda, Márcia A; van Batenburg, Marinus F; Roos, Marco; Belloum, Adam S Z; Vasunin, Dmitry; Wibisono, Adianto; van Kampen, Antoine H C; Breit, Timo M

2008-08-08

Chromosome location is often used as a scaffold to organize genomic information in both the living cell and molecular biological research. Thus, ever-increasing amounts of data about genomic features are stored in public databases and can be readily visualized by genome browsers. To perform in silico experimentation conveniently with this genomics data, biologists need tools to process and compare datasets routinely and explore the obtained results interactively. The complexity of such experimentation requires these tools to be based on an e-Science approach, hence generic, modular, and reusable. A virtual laboratory environment with workflows, workflow management systems, and Grid computation are therefore essential. Here we apply an e-Science approach to develop SigWin-detector, a workflow-based tool that can detect significantly enriched windows of (genomic) features in a (DNA) sequence in a fast and reproducible way. For proof-of-principle, we utilize a biological use case to detect regions of increased and decreased gene expression (RIDGEs and anti-RIDGEs) in human transcriptome maps. We improved the original method for RIDGE detection by replacing the costly step of estimation by random sampling with a faster analytical formula for computing the distribution of the null hypothesis being tested and by developing a new algorithm for computing moving medians. SigWin-detector was developed using the WS-VLAM workflow management system and consists of several reusable modules that are linked together in a basic workflow. The configuration of this basic workflow can be adapted to satisfy the requirements of the specific in silico experiment. As we show with the results from analyses in the biological use case on RIDGEs, SigWin-detector is an efficient and reusable Grid-based tool for discovering windows enriched for features of a particular type in any sequence of values. Thus, SigWin-detector provides the proof-of-principle for the modular e-Science based concept of integrative bioinformatics experimentation.

Lightning Detection Efficiency Analysis Process: Modeling Based on Empirical Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rompala, John T.

2005-01-01

A ground based lightning detection system employs a grid of sensors, which record and evaluate the electromagnetic signal produced by a lightning strike. Several detectors gather information on that signal s strength, time of arrival, and behavior over time. By coordinating the information from several detectors, an event solution can be generated. That solution includes the signal s point of origin, strength and polarity. Determination of the location of the lightning strike uses algorithms based on long used techniques of triangulation. Determination of the event s original signal strength relies on the behavior of the generated magnetic field over distance and time. In general the signal from the event undergoes geometric dispersion and environmental attenuation as it progresses. Our knowledge of that radial behavior together with the strength of the signal received by detecting sites permits an extrapolation and evaluation of the original strength of the lightning strike. It also limits the detection efficiency (DE) of the network. For expansive grids and with a sparse density of detectors, the DE varies widely over the area served. This limits the utility of the network in gathering information on regional lightning strike density and applying it to meteorological studies. A network of this type is a grid of four detectors in the Rondonian region of Brazil. The service area extends over a million square kilometers. Much of that area is covered by rain forests. Thus knowledge of lightning strike characteristics over the expanse is of particular value. I have been developing a process that determines the DE over the region [3]. In turn, this provides a way to produce lightning strike density maps, corrected for DE, over the entire region of interest. This report offers a survey of that development to date and a record of present activity.

PULSE AMPLIFIER

DOEpatents

Johnstone, C.W.

1958-06-17

The improvement of pulse amplifiers used with scintillation detectors is described. The pulse amplifier circuit has the advantage of reducing the harmful effects of overloading cause by large signal inputs. In general the pulse amplifier circuit comprises two amplifier tubes with the input pulses applied to one amplifier grid and coupled to the second amplifier tube through a common cathode load. The output of the second amplifier is coupled from the plate circuit to a cathode follower tube grid and a diode tube in connected from grid to cathode of the cathode follower tube. Degenerative feedback is provided in the second amplifier by coupling a signal from the cathode follower cathode to the second amplifier grid. The circuit proqides moderate gain stability, and overload protection for subsequent pulse circuits.

Dynamical Analysis of the Circumprimary Planet in the Eccentric Binary System HD 59686

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trifonov, Trifon; Lee, Man Hoi; Reffert, Sabine; Quirrenbach, Andreas

2018-04-01

We present a detailed orbital and stability analysis of the HD 59686 binary-star planet system. HD 59686 is a single-lined, moderately close (a B = 13.6 au) eccentric (e B = 0.73) binary, where the primary is an evolved K giant with mass M = 1.9 M ⊙ and the secondary is a star with a minimum mass of m B = 0.53 M ⊙. Additionally, on the basis of precise radial velocity (RV) data, a Jovian planet with a minimum mass of m p = 7 M Jup, orbiting the primary on a nearly circular S-type orbit with e p = 0.05 and a p = 1.09 au, has recently been announced. We investigate large sets of orbital fits consistent with HD 59686's RV data by applying bootstrap and systematic grid search techniques coupled with self-consistent dynamical fitting. We perform long-term dynamical integrations of these fits to constrain the permitted orbital configurations. We find that if the binary and the planet in this system have prograde and aligned coplanar orbits, there are narrow regions of stable orbital solutions locked in a secular apsidal alignment with the angle between the periapses, Δω, librating about 0°. We also test a large number of mutually inclined dynamical models in an attempt to constrain the three-dimensional orbital architecture. We find that for nearly coplanar and retrograde orbits with mutual inclination 145° ≲ Δi ≤ 180°, the system is fully stable for a large range of orbital solutions.

High frequency optical communications; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cambridge, MA, Sept. 23, 24, 1986

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramer, O. Glenn; Sierak, Paul

Topics discussed in this volume include systems and applications, detectors, sources, and coherent communications. Papers are presented on RF fiber optic links for avionics applications, fiber optics and optoelectronics for radar and electronic warfare applications, symmetric coplanar electrodes for high-speed Ti:LiNbO3 devices, and surface wave electrooptic modulator. Attention is given to X-band RF fiber-optic links, fiber-optic links for microwave signal transmission, GaAs monolithic receiver and laser driver for GHz transmission rates, and monolithically integrable high-speed photodetectors. Additional papers are on irregular and chaotic behavior of semiconductor lasers under modulation, high-frequency laser package for microwave optical communications, receiver modeling for coherent light wave communications, and polarization sensors and controllers for coherent optical communication systems.

Design and performance of a high-Tc superconductor coplanar waveguide filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chew, Wilbert; Riley, A. L.; Rascoe, Daniel L.; Hunt, Brian D.; Foote, Marc C.; Cooley, Thomas W.; Bajuk, Louis J.

1991-01-01

The design of a coplanar waveguide low-pass filter made of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) (YBCO) on an LaAlO3 substrate is described. Measurements were incorporated into simple models for microwave CAD analysis to develop a final design. The patterned and packaged coplanar waveguide low-pass filter of YBCO, with dimensions suited for integrated circuits, exhibited measured insertion losses when cooled in liquid nitrogen superior to those of a similarly cooled thin-film copper filter throughout the 0 to 9.5 GHz passband. Coplanar waveguide models for use with thin-film normal metal (with thickness either greater or less than the skin depth) and YBCO are discussed and used to compare the losses of the measured YBCO and copper circuits.

Orbital stability of compact three-planets systems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavino, Sacha; Lissauer, Jack

2018-04-01

Recent discoveries unveiled a significant number of compact multi-planetary systems, where the adjacent planets orbits are much closer to those found in the Solar System. Studying the orbital stability of such compact systems provides information on how they form and how long they survive. We performed a general study of three Earth-like planets orbiting a Sun-mass star in circular and coplanar prograde orbits. The simulations were performed over a wide range of mutual Hill radii and were conducted for virtual times reaching at most 10 billion years. Both equally-spaced and unequally spaced planet systems are investigated. We recover the results of previous studies done for systems of planets spaced uniformly in mutual Hill radius and we investigate mean motion resonances and test chaos. We also study systems with different initial spacing between the adjacent inner pair of planets and the outer pair of planets and we displayed their lifetime on a grid at different resolution. Over 45000 simulations have been done. We then characterize isochrones for lifetime of systems of equivalent spacing. We find that the stability time increases significantly for values of mutual Hill radii beyond 8. We also study the affects of mean motion resonances, the degree of symmetry in the grid and test chaos.

High-Energy 3D Calorimeter for Use in Gamma-Ray Astronomy Based on Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moiseev, A.; Bolotnikov, A.; DeGeronimo, G.; Hays, E.; James, R.; Thompson, D.; Vernon, E.

2017-01-01

We will present a concept for a calorimeter based on a novel approach of 3D position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (hereafter CZT) detectors. This calorimeter aims to measure photons with energies from approximately 100 keV to 20 - 50 MeV . The expected energy resolution at 662 keV is better than 1% FWHM, and the photon interaction position-measurement accuracy is better than 1 mm in all 3 dimensions. Each CZT bar is a rectangular prism with typical cross-section from 5 x 5 to 7 x 7 mm2 and length of 2 - 4 cm. The bars are arranged in modules of 4 x 4 bars, and the modules themselves can be assembled into a larger array. The 3D virtual voxel approach solves a long-standing problem with CZT detectors associated with material imperfections that limit the performance and usefulness of relatively thick detectors (i.e., greater than 1 cm). Also, it allows us to use the standard (unselected) grade crystals, while achieving the energy resolution of the premium detectors and thus substantially reducing the cost of the instrument. Such a calorimeter can be successfully used in space telescopes that use Compton scattering of gamma rays, such as AMEGO, serving as part of its calorimeter and providing the position and energy measurement for Compton-scattered photons (like a focal plane detector in a Compton camera). Also, it could provide suitable energy resolution to allow for spectroscopic measurements of gamma ray lines from nuclear decays.

High-energy 3D calorimeter for use in gamma-ray astronomy based on position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moiseev, Alexander; Bolotnikov, A.; DeGeronimo, G.

Here, we will present a concept for a calorimeter based on a novel approach of 3D position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (hereafter CZT) detectors. This calorimeter aims to measure photons with energies from ~100 keV to 20–50 MeV . The expected energy resolution at 662 keV is better than 1% FWHM, and the photon interaction position-measurement accuracy is better than 1 mm in all 3 dimensions. Each CZT bar is a rectangular prism with typical cross-section from 5×5 to 7×7 mm 2 and length of 2–4 cm. The bars are arranged in modules of 4×4 bars, and the modules themselves canmore » be assembled into a larger array. The 3D virtual voxel approach solves a long-standing problem with CZT detectors associated with material imperfections that limit the performance and usefulness of relatively thick detectors (i.e., >1 cm). Also, it allows us to use the standard (unselected) grade crystals, while achieving the energy resolution of the premium detectors and thus substantially reducing the cost of the instrument. Such a calorimeter can be successfully used in space telescopes that use Compton scattering of γ-rays, such as AMEGO, serving as part of its calorimeter and providing the position and energy measurement for Compton-scattered photons (like a focal plane detector in a Compton camera). Also, it could provide suitable energy resolution to allow for spectroscopic measurements of γ-ray lines from nuclear decays.« less

High-energy 3D calorimeter for use in gamma-ray astronomy based on position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors

DOE PAGES

Moiseev, Alexander; Bolotnikov, A.; DeGeronimo, G.; ...

2017-12-19

Here, we will present a concept for a calorimeter based on a novel approach of 3D position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (hereafter CZT) detectors. This calorimeter aims to measure photons with energies from ~100 keV to 20–50 MeV . The expected energy resolution at 662 keV is better than 1% FWHM, and the photon interaction position-measurement accuracy is better than 1 mm in all 3 dimensions. Each CZT bar is a rectangular prism with typical cross-section from 5×5 to 7×7 mm 2 and length of 2–4 cm. The bars are arranged in modules of 4×4 bars, and the modules themselves canmore » be assembled into a larger array. The 3D virtual voxel approach solves a long-standing problem with CZT detectors associated with material imperfections that limit the performance and usefulness of relatively thick detectors (i.e., >1 cm). Also, it allows us to use the standard (unselected) grade crystals, while achieving the energy resolution of the premium detectors and thus substantially reducing the cost of the instrument. Such a calorimeter can be successfully used in space telescopes that use Compton scattering of γ-rays, such as AMEGO, serving as part of its calorimeter and providing the position and energy measurement for Compton-scattered photons (like a focal plane detector in a Compton camera). Also, it could provide suitable energy resolution to allow for spectroscopic measurements of γ-ray lines from nuclear decays.« less

Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site Blind Grid Scoring Record No. 764

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

Attainable accuracy of depth (z) ± 0.3 meter Detection performance for ferrous and nonferrous metals : will detect ammunition components 20-mm...ASSOCIATES, INC. 6832 OLD DOMINION DRIVE MCLEAN, VA 22101 TECHNOLOGY TYPE/PLATFORM: MULTI CHANNEL DETECTOR SYSTEM (AMOS)/TOWED PREPARED BY: U.S...Multi Channel Detector System (AMOS)/Towed, MEC 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT Unclassified b. ABSTRACT

Design aspects and comparison between high Tc superconducting coplanar waveguide and microstrip line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, K. S.; Bhasin, K. B.; Itoh, T.

1991-01-01

The high T sub c superconducting microstrip line and coplanar waveguide are compared in terms of the loss characteristics and the design aspects. The quality factor Q values for each structure are compared in respect to the same characteristic impedance with the comparable dimensions of the center conductor of the coplanar waveguide and the strip of the microstrip line. Also, the advantages and disadvantages for each structure are discussed in respect to passive microwave circuit applications.

Design and Measurement of Self-Matched, Dual-Frequency Coplanar-Waveguide-Fed Slot Antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omar, Amjad A.; Scardelletti, Maxmilian C.; Hejazi, Zuhair M.; Dib, Nihad

2007-01-01

This report presents two new designs of dual-frequency, coplanar-waveguide-fed, double-folded slot antennas. An important advantage of these antennas is that, because they are self-matched to the feeding coplanar waveguide, they do not need an external matching circuit. This reduces the antenna size and simplifies its design. To verify the designs, the authors measured and compared the return loss and radiation patterns with those obtained using available commercial software with good agreement. Dual-frequency slot antennas;

Dynamics of Circumbinary Planets Near the Stability Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quarles, Billy; Satyal, Suman; Kostov, Veselin; Kaib, Nathan; Haghighipour, Nader

2018-04-01

The stability limit for circumbinary planets (CBPs) is not well defined and carries uncertainty that depends on the orbital parameters of the stellar binary and possible planets. Previous work by Holman & Wiegert (1999, AJ 117, 621) developed a two parameter fitting formula for CBPs. We update the coefficients for this formula and introduce a grid interpolation method that is based on ∼150 million full N-body simulations of systems with Jupiter-mass planets on initially circular, coplanar orbits. We find an improvement in the accuracy in estimating the inner boundary of stability and use planet packing to identify the relative proximity of the Kepler CBPs to their respective stability limits. As a result, 55% of the Kepler CBPs could host a planet at the stability limit in addition to the innermost observed planet. The results of our simulations and python tools to determine the stability limit are available to the CBP community on Zenodo and GitHub, respectively.

Characterization of an Ionization Readout Tile for nEXO

DOE PAGES

Jewell, M.; Schubert, A.; Cen, W. R.; ...

2018-01-10

Here, a new design for the anode of a time projection chamber, consisting of a charge-detecting "tile", is investigated for use in large scale liquid xenon detectors. The tile is produced by depositing 60 orthogonal metal charge-collecting strips, 3 mm wide, on a 10 cm × 10 cm fused-silica wafer. These charge tiles may be employed by large detectors, such as the proposed tonne-scale nEXO experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Modular by design, an array of tiles can cover a sizable area. The width of each strip is small compared to the size of the tile, so amore » Frisch grid is not required. A grid-less, tiled anode design is beneficial for an experiment such as nEXO, where a wire tensioning support structure and Frisch grid might contribute radioactive backgrounds and would have to be designed to accommodate cycling to cryogenic temperatures. The segmented anode also reduces some degeneracies in signal reconstruction that arise in large-area crossed-wire time projection chambers. A prototype tile was tested in a cell containing liquid xenon. Very good agreement is achieved between the measured ionization spectrum of a 207Bi source and simulations that include the microphysics of recombination in xenon and a detailed modeling of the electrostatic field of the detector. An energy resolution σ/ E=5.5% is observed at 570 keV, comparable to the best intrinsic ionization-only resolution reported in literature for liquid xenon at 936 V/cm.« less

Characterization of an Ionization Readout Tile for nEXO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jewell, M.; Schubert, A.; Cen, W. R.; Dalmasson, J.; DeVoe, R.; Fabris, L.; Gratta, G.; Jamil, A.; Li, G.; Odian, A.; Patel, M.; Pocar, A.; Qiu, D.; Wang, Q.; Wen, L. J.; Albert, J. B.; Anton, G.; Arnquist, I. J.; Badhrees, I.; Barbeau, P.; Beck, D.; Belov, V.; Bourque, F.; Brodsky, J. P.; Brown, E.; Brunner, T.; Burenkov, A.; Cao, G. F.; Cao, L.; Chambers, C.; Charlebois, S. A.; Chiu, M.; Cleveland, B.; Coon, M.; Craycraft, A.; Cree, W.; Côté, M.; Daniels, T.; Daugherty, S. J.; Daughhetee, J.; Delaquis, S.; Der Mesrobian-Kabakian, A.; Didberidze, T.; Dilling, J.; Ding, Y. Y.; Dolinski, M. J.; Dragone, A.; Fairbank, W.; Farine, J.; Feyzbakhsh, S.; Fontaine, R.; Fudenberg, D.; Giacomini, G.; Gornea, R.; Hansen, E. V.; Harris, D.; Hasan, M.; Heffner, M.; Hoppe, E. W.; House, A.; Hufschmidt, P.; Hughes, M.; Hößl, J.; Ito, Y.; Iverson, A.; Jiang, X. S.; Johnston, S.; Karelin, A.; Kaufman, L. J.; Koffas, T.; Kravitz, S.; Krücken, R.; Kuchenkov, A.; Kumar, K. S.; Lan, Y.; Leonard, D. S.; Li, S.; Li, Z.; Licciardi, C.; Lin, Y. H.; MacLellan, R.; Michel, T.; Mong, B.; Moore, D.; Murray, K.; Newby, R. J.; Ning, Z.; Njoya, O.; Nolet, F.; Odgers, K.; Oriunno, M.; Orrell, J. L.; Ostrovskiy, I.; Overman, C. T.; Ortega, G. S.; Parent, S.; Piepke, A.; Pratte, J.-F.; Radeka, V.; Raguzin, E.; Rao, T.; Rescia, S.; Retiere, F.; Robinson, A.; Rossignol, T.; Rowson, P. C.; Roy, N.; Saldanha, R.; Sangiorgio, S.; Schmidt, S.; Schneider, J.; Sinclair, D.; Skarpaas, K.; Soma, A. K.; St-Hilaire, G.; Stekhanov, V.; Stiegler, T.; Sun, X. L.; Tarka, M.; Todd, J.; Tolba, T.; Tsang, R.; Tsang, T.; Vachon, F.; Veeraraghavan, V.; Visser, G.; Vuilleumier, J.-L.; Wagenpfeil, M.; Weber, M.; Wei, W.; Wichoski, U.; Wrede, G.; Wu, S. X.; Wu, W. H.; Yang, L.; Yen, Y.-R.; Zeldovich, O.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, J.; Zhou, Y.; Ziegler, T.

2018-01-01

A new design for the anode of a time projection chamber, consisting of a charge-detecting "tile", is investigated for use in large scale liquid xenon detectors. The tile is produced by depositing 60 orthogonal metal charge-collecting strips, 3 mm wide, on a 10 cm × 10 cm fused-silica wafer. These charge tiles may be employed by large detectors, such as the proposed tonne-scale nEXO experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Modular by design, an array of tiles can cover a sizable area. The width of each strip is small compared to the size of the tile, so a Frisch grid is not required. A grid-less, tiled anode design is beneficial for an experiment such as nEXO, where a wire tensioning support structure and Frisch grid might contribute radioactive backgrounds and would have to be designed to accommodate cycling to cryogenic temperatures. The segmented anode also reduces some degeneracies in signal reconstruction that arise in large-area crossed-wire time projection chambers. A prototype tile was tested in a cell containing liquid xenon. Very good agreement is achieved between the measured ionization spectrum of a 207Bi source and simulations that include the microphysics of recombination in xenon and a detailed modeling of the electrostatic field of the detector. An energy resolution σ/E=5.5% is observed at 570 keV, comparable to the best intrinsic ionization-only resolution reported in literature for liquid xenon at 936 V/cm.

Characterization of an Ionization Readout Tile for nEXO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jewell, M.; Schubert, A.; Cen, W. R.

Here, a new design for the anode of a time projection chamber, consisting of a charge-detecting "tile", is investigated for use in large scale liquid xenon detectors. The tile is produced by depositing 60 orthogonal metal charge-collecting strips, 3 mm wide, on a 10 cm × 10 cm fused-silica wafer. These charge tiles may be employed by large detectors, such as the proposed tonne-scale nEXO experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Modular by design, an array of tiles can cover a sizable area. The width of each strip is small compared to the size of the tile, so amore » Frisch grid is not required. A grid-less, tiled anode design is beneficial for an experiment such as nEXO, where a wire tensioning support structure and Frisch grid might contribute radioactive backgrounds and would have to be designed to accommodate cycling to cryogenic temperatures. The segmented anode also reduces some degeneracies in signal reconstruction that arise in large-area crossed-wire time projection chambers. A prototype tile was tested in a cell containing liquid xenon. Very good agreement is achieved between the measured ionization spectrum of a 207Bi source and simulations that include the microphysics of recombination in xenon and a detailed modeling of the electrostatic field of the detector. An energy resolution σ/ E=5.5% is observed at 570 keV, comparable to the best intrinsic ionization-only resolution reported in literature for liquid xenon at 936 V/cm.« less

Precision tracking with a single gaseous pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsigaridas, S.; van Bakel, N.; Bilevych, Y.; Gromov, V.; Hartjes, F.; Hessey, N. P.; de Jong, P.; Kluit, R.

2015-09-01

The importance of micro-pattern gaseous detectors has grown over the past few years after successful usage in a large number of applications in physics experiments and medicine. We develop gaseous pixel detectors using micromegas-based amplification structures on top of CMOS pixel readout chips. Using wafer post-processing we add a spark-protection layer and a grid to create an amplification region above the chip, allowing individual electrons released above the grid by the passage of ionising radiation to be recorded. The electron creation point is measured in 3D, using the pixel position for (x, y) and the drift time for z. The track can be reconstructed by fitting a straight line to these points. In this work we have used a pixel-readout-chip which is a small-scale prototype of Timepix3 chip (designed for both silicon and gaseous detection media). This prototype chip has several advantages over the existing Timepix chip, including a faster front-end (pre-amplifier and discriminator) and a faster TDC which reduce timewalk's contribution to the z position error. Although the chip is very small (sensitive area of 0.88 × 0.88mm2), we have built it into a detector with a short drift gap (1.3 mm), and measured its tracking performance in an electron beam at DESY. We present the results obtained, which lead to a significant improvement for the resolutions with respect to Timepix-based detectors.

SU-F-BRE-07: Experimental Validation of a Lung SBRT Technique Using a Novel, True Volumetric Plenoptic-Plastic-Scintillator Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goulet, M; Rilling, M; Gingras, L

2014-06-15

Purpose: Lung SBRT is being used by an increasing number of clinics, including our center which recently treated its first patient. In order to validate this technique, the 3D dose distribution of the SBRT plan was measured using a previously developed 3D detector based on plenoptic camera and plastic scintillator technology. The excellent agreement between the detector measurement and the expected dose from the treatment planning system Pinnacle{sup 3} shows great promise and amply justify the development of the technique. Methods: The SBRT treatment comprised 8 non-coplanar 6MV photon fields with a mean field size of 12 cm{sup 2} atmore » isocentre and a total prescription dose of 12Gy per fraction for a total of 48Gy. The 3D detector was composed of a 10×10×10 cm{sup 2} EJ-260 water-equivalent plastic scintillator embedded inside a truncated cylindrical acrylic phantom of 10cm radius. The scintillation light was recorded using a static R5 light-field camera and the 3D dose was reconstructed at a 2mm resolution in all 3 dimensions using an iterative backprojection algorithm. Results: The whole 3D dose distribution was recorded at a rate of one acquisition per second. The mean absolute dose difference between the detector and Pinnacle{sup 3} was 1.3% over the region with more than 10% of the maximum dose. 3D gamma tests performed over the same region yield passing rates of 98.8% and 96.6% with criteria of 3%/1mm and 2%/1mm, respectively. Conclusion: Experimental results showed that our beam modeling and treatment planning system calculation was adequate for the safe administration of small field/high dose techniques such as SBRT. Moreover, because of the real-time capability of the detector, further validation of small field rotational, dynamic or gated technique can be monitored or verified by this system.« less

Triple differential cross-sections of Ne (2s2) in coplanar to perpendicular plane geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L. Q.; Khajuria, Y.; Chen, X. J.; Xu, K. Z.

2003-10-01

The distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) with the spin averaged static exchange potential has been used to calculate the triple differential cross-sections (TDCSs) for Ne (2s^2) ionization by electron impact in coplanar to perpendicular plane symmetric geometry at 110.5 eV incident electron energy. The present theoretical results at gun angles Psi = 0^circ (coplanar symmetric geometry) and Psi = 90^circ (perpendicular plane geometry) are in satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data. A deep interference minimum appears in the TDCS in the coplanar symmetric geometry and a strong peak at scattering angle xi = 90^circ caused by the single collision mechanism has been observed in the perpendicular plane geometry. The TDCSs at the gun angles Psi = 30^circ, and Psi = 60^circ are predicted.

Array Detector Modules for Spent Fuel Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, Aleksey

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) proposes to evaluate the arrays of position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) detectors for passive gamma-ray emission tomography (ET) to verify the spent fuel in storage casks before storing them in geo-repositories. Our primary objective is to conduct a preliminary analysis of the arrays capabilities and to perform field measurements to validate the effectiveness of the proposed array modules. The outcome of this proposal will consist of baseline designs for the future ET system which can ultimately be used together with neutrons detectors. This will demonstrate the usage of this technology in spent fuel storage casks.

SU-E-T-391: Assessment and Elimination of the Angular Dependence of the Response of the NanoDot OSLD System in MV Beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, J; University of Sydney, Sydney; RMIT University, Melbourne

2014-06-01

Purpose: Assess the angular dependence of the nanoDot OSLD system in MV X-ray beams at depths and mitigate this dependence for measurements in phantoms. Methods: Measurements for 6 MV photons at 3 cm and 10 cm depth and Monte Carlo simulations were performed. Two special holders were designed which allow a nanoDot dosimeter to be rotated around the center of its sensitive volume (5 mm diameter disk). The first holder positions the dosimeter disk perpendicular to the beam (en-face). It then rotates until the disk is parallel with the beam (edge on). This is referred to as Setup 1. Themore » second holder positions the disk parallel to the beam (edge on) for all angles (Setup 2). Monte Carlo simulations using GEANT4 considered detector and housing in detail based on microCT data. Results: An average drop in response by 1.4±0.7% (measurement) and 2.1±0.3% (Monte Carlo) for the 90° orientation compared to 0° was found for Setup 1. Monte Carlo simulations also showed a strong dependence of the effect on the composition of the sensitive layer. Assuming 100% active material (Al??O??) results in a 7% drop in response for 90° compared to 0°. Assuming the layer to be completely water, results in a flat response (within simulation uncertainty of about 1%). For Setup 2, measurements and Monte Carlo simulations found the angular dependence of the dosimeter to be below 1% and within the measurement uncertainty. Conclusion: The nanoDot dosimeter system exhibits a small angular dependence off approximately 2%. Changing the orientation of the dosimeter so that a coplanar beam arrangement always hits the detector material edge on reduces the angular dependence to within the measurement uncertainty of about 1%. This makes the dosimeter more attractive for phantom based clinical measurements and audits with multiple coplanar beams. The Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service is a joint initiative between the Australian Department of Health and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.« less

Monte Carlo study of the effects of system geometry and antiscatter grids on cone-beam CT scatter distributions

PubMed Central

Sisniega, A.; Zbijewski, W.; Badal, A.; Kyprianou, I. S.; Stayman, J. W.; Vaquero, J. J.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The proliferation of cone-beam CT (CBCT) has created interest in performance optimization, with x-ray scatter identified among the main limitations to image quality. CBCT often contends with elevated scatter, but the wide variety of imaging geometry in different CBCT configurations suggests that not all configurations are affected to the same extent. Graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerated Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are employed over a range of imaging geometries to elucidate the factors governing scatter characteristics, efficacy of antiscatter grids, guide system design, and augment development of scatter correction. Methods: A MC x-ray simulator implemented on GPU was accelerated by inclusion of variance reduction techniques (interaction splitting, forced scattering, and forced detection) and extended to include x-ray spectra and analytical models of antiscatter grids and flat-panel detectors. The simulator was applied to small animal (SA), musculoskeletal (MSK) extremity, otolaryngology (Head), breast, interventional C-arm, and on-board (kilovoltage) linear accelerator (Linac) imaging, with an axis-to-detector distance (ADD) of 5, 12, 22, 32, 60, and 50 cm, respectively. Each configuration was modeled with and without an antiscatter grid and with (i) an elliptical cylinder varying 70–280 mm in major axis; and (ii) digital murine and anthropomorphic models. The effects of scatter were evaluated in terms of the angular distribution of scatter incident upon the detector, scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR), artifact magnitude, contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and visual assessment. Results: Variance reduction yielded improvements in MC simulation efficiency ranging from ∼17-fold (for SA CBCT) to ∼35-fold (for Head and C-arm), with the most significant acceleration due to interaction splitting (∼6 to ∼10-fold increase in efficiency). The benefit of a more extended geometry was evident by virtue of a larger air gap—e.g., for a 16 cm diameter object, the SPR reduced from 1.5 for ADD = 12 cm (MSK geometry) to 1.1 for ADD = 22 cm (Head) and to 0.5 for ADD = 60 cm (C-arm). Grid efficiency was higher for configurations with shorter air gap due to a broader angular distribution of scattered photons—e.g., scatter rejection factor ∼0.8 for MSK geometry versus ∼0.65 for C-arm. Grids reduced cupping for all configurations but had limited improvement on scatter-induced streaks and resulted in a loss of CNR for the SA, Breast, and C-arm. Relative contribution of forward-directed scatter increased with a grid (e.g., Rayleigh scatter fraction increasing from ∼0.15 without a grid to ∼0.25 with a grid for the MSK configuration), resulting in scatter distributions with greater spatial variation (the form of which depended on grid orientation). Conclusions: A fast MC simulator combining GPU acceleration with variance reduction provided a systematic examination of a range of CBCT configurations in relation to scatter, highlighting the magnitude and spatial uniformity of individual scatter components, illustrating tradeoffs in CNR and artifacts and identifying the system geometries for which grids are more beneficial (e.g., MSK) from those in which an extended geometry is the better defense (e.g., C-arm head imaging). Compact geometries with an antiscatter grid challenge assumptions of slowly varying scatter distributions due to increased contribution of Rayleigh scatter. PMID:23635285

Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site, Blind Grid Scoring Record No. 919

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

provided by demonstrator) a. The core component of the electromagnetic (EM) AMOS metal detector is a linear multichannel sensor array consisting of a...Attainable accuracy of depth (z) +0.3 m h. Detection performance for ferrous and nonferrous metals : Will detect ammunition components 20-mm caliber...2-meter-wide transmitter coil and 16 receiver coils, mounted on a robust, all-terrain trailer (fig. 1). b. The AMOS detector unit consists of the

The Airborne Optical Systems Testbed (AOSTB)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-31

appropriate color to each pixel in and displayed in a two -dimensional array. Another method is to render a 3D model from the data and display the model as if...USA Distribution A: Public Release ALBOTA@LL.MIT.EDU ABSTRACT Over the last two decades MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MITLL) has pioneered the development... two -dimensional (2D) grid of detectors. Rather than measuring intensity, as in a conventional camera, these detectors measure the photon time-of

Optical Modeling and Polarization Calibration for CMB Measurements with Actpol and Advanced Actpol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koopman, Brian; Austermann, Jason; Cho, Hsiao-Mei; Coughlin, Kevin P.; Duff, Shannon M.; Gallardo, Patricio A.; Hasselfield, Matthew; Henderson, Shawn W.; Ho, Shuay-Pwu Patty; Hubmayr, Johannes;

Optical modeling and polarization calibration for CMB measurements with ACTPol and Advanced ACTPol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koopman, Brian; Austermann, Jason; Cho, Hsiao-Mei; Coughlin, Kevin P.; Duff, Shannon M.; Gallardo, Patricio A.; Hasselfield, Matthew; Henderson, Shawn W.; Ho, Shuay-Pwu Patty; Hubmayr, Johannes; Irwin, Kent D.; Li, Dale; McMahon, Jeff; Nati, Federico; Niemack, Michael D.; Newburgh, Laura; Page, Lyman A.; Salatino, Maria; Schillaci, Alessandro; Schmitt, Benjamin L.; Simon, Sara M.; Vavagiakis, Eve M.; Ward, Jonathan T.; Wollack, Edward J.

2016-07-01

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) is a polarization sensitive upgrade to the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, located at an elevation of 5190 m on Cerro Toco in Chile. ACTPol uses transition edge sensor bolometers coupled to orthomode transducers to measure both the temperature and polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Calibration of the detector angles is a critical step in producing polarization maps of the CMB. Polarization angle offsets in the detector calibration can cause leakage in polarization from E to B modes and induce a spurious signal in the EB and TB cross correlations, which eliminates our ability to measure potential cosmological sources of EB and TB signals, such as cosmic birefringence. We calibrate the ACTPol detector angles by ray tracing the designed detector angle through the entire optical chain to determine the projection of each detector angle on the sky. The distribution of calibrated detector polarization angles are consistent with a global offset angle from zero when compared to the EB-nulling offset angle, the angle required to null the EB cross-correlation power spectrum. We present the optical modeling process. The detector angles can be cross checked through observations of known polarized sources, whether this be a galactic source or a laboratory reference standard. To cross check the ACTPol detector angles, we use a thin film polarization grid placed in front of the receiver of the telescope, between the receiver and the secondary reflector. Making use of a rapidly rotating half-wave plate (HWP) mount we spin the polarizing grid at a constant speed, polarizing and rotating the incoming atmospheric signal. The resulting sinusoidal signal is used to determine the detector angles. The optical modeling calibration was shown to be consistent with a global offset angle of zero when compared to EB nulling in the first ACTPol results and will continue to be a part of our calibration implementation. The first array of detectors for Advanced ACTPol, the next generation upgrade to ACTPol, will be deployed in 2016. We plan to continue using both techniques and compare them to astrophysical source measurements for the Advanced ACTPol polarization calibration.

Lunar Dust Monitor to BE Onboard the Next Japanese Lunar Mission SELENE-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohashi, Hideo

The next Japanese lunar mission SELENE-2, after a successful mission Kaguya (a project named SELENE), is planned to be launched in mid 2010s and is consisted of a lander, a rover, and an orbiter, as a transmitting satellite to the earth. A dust particle detector LDM (Lunar Dust Monitor) is proposed to be onboard the orbiter. The LDM is an impact ionization detector with dimensions 25 cm × 25 cm × 30 cm, and it has a sensor part (LDM-S, upper module) and an electronics part (LDM-E, lower module). The LDM-S has a large target (gold-plated Al) of 400 cm2 , to which a high voltage of +500 V is applied. The LDM-S also has two meshed grids parallel to the target. The grids are etched stainless steel with 90% transparency: the inner grid is 2 cm apart from the target and the outer grid is 15 cm from the target. When a charged dust particle passes through the outer and inner grids, it induces an electric signal on the grids separated by a certain time interval, determined by the velocity of the incident particle and the distance between the outer and inner grids. By measuring the time interval, we can calculate the velocity of the particle, with the ambiguity of its trajectory to the target. When the incident particle impacts on the target, plasma gas of electrons and ions is generated. The electrons of the plasma are collected by the target and the ions are accelerated toward the inner grids as a result of the electric field. Some of the ions drift through the inner grid and reach the outer grid. The outer and inner grids and the target are connected to charge-sensitive amplifiers, which convert charge signals induced by the electrons and ions to voltage signals that are fed to a following flash ADC driven with 10 MHz. The waveforms from two grids and the target can be stored and be sent back to ground for data analysis. We can deduce the mass and velocity information of the incident dust particle from the recorded waveforms. The orbiter of SELENE-2 is planned to be in operation for one year or more, and the LDM will observe circumlunar dust for as long as possible. We report scientific importance of dust measurement around the Moon, and current status of LDM in this conference.

Coplanar monolithic integrated circuits for low-noise communication and radar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessemoulin, Alexandre; Verweyen, Ludger; Marsetz, Waldemar; Massler, Hermann; Neumann, Markus; Hulsmann, Axel; Schlechtweg, Michael

1999-12-01

This paper presents coplanar millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuits with high performance and small size for use in low noise communication and radar system applications. Technology and modeling issues with respect to active and passive elements are discussed first. In a second step, the potential of coplanar waveguides to realize compact ICs is illustrated through various design examples, such as low noise amplifiers, mixers and power amplifiers. The performance of multifunctional ICs is also presented by comparing simulated and measured results for a complete 77 GHz Transceive MMIC.

SU-F-T-649: Dosimetric Evaluation of Non-Coplanar Arc Therapy Using a Novel Rotating Gamma Ray System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eldib, A; Chibani, O; Jin, L

2016-06-15

Purpose: Stereotactic intra and extra-cranial body radiation therapy has evolved with advances in treatment accuracy, effective radiation dose, and parameters necessary to maximize machine capabilities. Novel gamma systems with a ring type gantry were developed having the ability to perform oblique arcs. The aim of this study is to explore the dosimetric advantages of this new system. Methods: The rotating Gamma system is named CybeRay (Cyber Medical Corp., Xian, China). It has a treatment head of 16 cobalt-60 sources focused to the isocenter, which can rotate 360° on the ring gantry and swing 35° in the superior direction. Treatment plansmore » were generated utilizing our in-house Monte Carlo treatment planning system. A cylindrical phantom was modeled with 2mm voxel size. Dose inside the cylindrical phantom was calculated for coplanar and non-coplanar arcs. Dosimetric differences between CybeRay cobalt beams and CyberKnife 6MV beams were compared in a lung phantom and for previously treated SBRT patients. Results: The full width at half maxima of cross profiles in the S-I direction for the coplanar setup matched the cone sizes, while for the non-coplanar setup, FWHM was larger by 2mm for a 10mm cone and about 5mm for larger cones. In the coronal and sagittal view, coplanar beams showed elliptical shaped isodose lines, while non-coplanar beams showed circular isodose lines. Thus proper selection of the oblique angle and cone size can aid optimal dose matching to the target volume. Comparing a single 5mm cone from CybeRay to that from CyberKnife showed similar penumbra in a lung phantom but CybeRay had significant lower doses beyond lung tissues. Comparable treatment plans were obtained with CybeRay as that from CyberKnife.ConclusionThe noncoplanar multiple source arrangement of CybeRay will be of great clinical benefits for stereotactic intra and extra-cranial radiation therapy.« less

Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) Waveguide: It's Characteristics and Advantages for Use in RF and Wireless Communication Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Katehi, Linda P. B.; Tentzeris, Emmanouil M.

1998-01-01

To solve many of the problems encountered when using conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW) with its semi-infinite ground planes, a new version of coplanar waveguide with electrically narrow ground planes has been developed. This new transmission line which we call Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguide has several advantages which make it a better transmission line for RF and wireless circuits. Since the ground planes are electrically narrow, spurious resonances created by the CPW ground planes and the metal carrier or package base are eliminated. In addition, lumped and distributed circuit elements may now be integrated into the ground strips in the same way as they traditionally have been integrated into the center conductor to realize novel circuit layouts that are smaller and have less parasitic reactance. Lastly, FGC is shown to have lower coupling between adjacent transmission lines than conventional CPW.

Coplanar UHF RFID tag antenna with U-shaped inductively coupled feed for metallic applications.

PubMed

Salman, Karrar Naji; Ismail, Alyani; Raja Abdullah, Raja Syamsul Azmir; Saeedi, Tale

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a novel compact, coplanar, tag antenna design for metallic objects. Electrically small antenna has designed for a UHF RFID (860-960 MHz) based on a proximity-coupled feed through. Furthermore, two symmetrical Via-loaded coplanar grounds fed by a U-shaped inductively coupled feed through an embedded transmission line. This configuration results in an antenna with dimensions of 31 × 19.5 × 3.065 mm3 at 915 MHz, and the total gain for the antenna is 0.12 dBi. The Via-loaded coplanar and U-shaped inductively coupled feeds allow the antenna to provide flexible tuning in terms of antenna impedance. In addition, a figure of merit is applied for the proposed tag antenna, and the results are presented. The read range is measured to be 4.2 m, which is very close to simulated values. This antenna measurement shows very good agreement with simulations.

WE-AB-207A-10: Transmission Characteristics of a Two Dimensional Antiscatter Grid Prototype for CBCT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altunbas, C; Kavanagh, B; Miften, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: Scattered radiation remains to be a major contributor to image quality degradation in CBCT. To address the scatter problem, a focused, 2D antiscatter grid (2DASG) prototype was designed, and fabricated using additive manufacturing processes. Its scatter and primary transmission properties were characterized using a linac mounted CBCT system. Methods: The prototype 2DASG was composed of rectangular grid holes separated by tungsten septa, and has a grid pitch of 2.91 mm, grid ratio of 8, and a septal thickness of 0.1 mm. Each grid hole was aligned or focused towards the x-ray source in half-fan (i.e. offset detector) geometry ofmore » the Varian TrueBeam CBCT system. Scatter and primary transmission experiments were performed by using acrylic blocks and the beam-stop method. Transmission properties of a radiographic ASG (1DASG) (grid ratio of 10) was also performed by using the identical setup. Results: At 30 cm phantom thickness, scatter to primary ratio (SPR) was 4.51 without any ASG device. SPR was reduced to 1.28 with 1DASG, and it was further reduced to 0.28 with 2DASG. Scatter transmission fraction (Ts) of 1DASG was 21%, and Ts was reduced to 5.8% with 2DASG. The average primary transmission fraction (Tp) of 1DASG was 70.6%, whereas Tp increased to 85.1% with 2DASG. Variation of Tp across 40 cm length (the long axis of flat panel detector) was 2.6%. Conclusion: When compared to conventional ASGs, the focused 2DASG can vastly improve scatter suppression and primary transmission performance. Due to precise alignment of 2DASG’s grid holes with respect to beam divergence, high degree of primary transmission through the 2DASG was maintained across the full length of the prototype. We strongly believe that robust scatter rejection and primary transmission characteristics of our 2DASG can translate into both improved quantitative accuracy and soft tissue resolution in linac mounted CBCT systems.« less

A simple way to obtain backscattered electron images in a scanning transmission electron microscope.

PubMed

Tsuruta, Hiroki; Tanaka, Shigeyasu; Tanji, Takayoshi; Morita, Chiaki

2014-08-01

We have fabricated a simple detector for backscattered electrons (BSEs) and incorporated the detector into a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) sample holder. Our detector was made from a 4-mm(2) Si chip. The fabrication procedure was easy, and similar to a standard transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample thinning process based on ion milling. A TEM grid containing particle objects was fixed to the detector with a silver paste. Observations were carried out using samples of Au and latex particles at 75 and 200 kV. Such a detector provides an easy way to obtain BSE images in an STEM. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Precision grid survey apparatus and method for the mapping of hidden ferromagnetic structures

DOEpatents

von Wimmerspeg, Udo

2004-11-16

The present invention is for a precision grid surveyor having a stationary unit and a roving unit. The stationary unit has a light source unit that emits a light beam and a rotator to project the light beam toward detectors on a roving unit. The roving unit moves over an area to be surveyed. Further the invention is for a method of mapping details of hidden underground iron pipelines, and more particularly the location of bell joints.

Global Lightning Climatology from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and the Optical Transient Detector (OTD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cecil, Daniel J.; Buechler, Dennis E.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

2015-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) has been collecting observations of total lightning in the global tropics and subtropics (roughly 38 deg S - 38 deg N) since December 1997. A similar instrument, the Optical Transient Detector, operated from 1995-2000 on another low earth orbit satellite that also saw high latitudes. Lightning data from these instruments have been used to create gridded climatologies and time series of lightning flash rate. These include a 0.5 deg resolution global annual climatology, and lower resolution products describing the annual cycle and the diurnal cycle. These products are updated annually. Results from the update through 2013 will be shown at the conference. The gridded products are publicly available for download. Descriptions of how each product can be used will be discussed, including strengths, weaknesses, and caveats about the smoothing and sampling used in various products.

Thermal detection of single e-h pairs in a biased silicon crystal detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Romani, R. K.; Brink, P. L.; Cabrera, B.

We demonstrate that individual electron-hole pairs are resolved in a 1 cm 2 by 4 mm thick silicon crystal (0.93 g) operated at ~35 mK. One side of the detector is patterned with two quasiparticle-trap-assisted electro-thermal-feedback transition edge sensor arrays held near ground potential. The other side contains a bias grid with 20% coverage. Bias potentials up to ±160 V were used in the work reported here. A fiber optic provides 650 nm (1.9 eV) photons that each produce an electron-hole (e –h +) pair in the crystal near the grid. The energy of the drifting charges is measured withmore » a phonon sensor noise σ ~0.09 e – h + pair. In conclusion, the observed charge quantization is nearly identical for h +s or e –s transported across the crystal.« less

Thermal detection of single e-h pairs in a biased silicon crystal detector

DOE PAGES

Romani, R. K.; Brink, P. L.; Cabrera, B.; ...

2018-01-23

We demonstrate that individual electron-hole pairs are resolved in a 1 cm 2 by 4 mm thick silicon crystal (0.93 g) operated at ~35 mK. One side of the detector is patterned with two quasiparticle-trap-assisted electro-thermal-feedback transition edge sensor arrays held near ground potential. The other side contains a bias grid with 20% coverage. Bias potentials up to ±160 V were used in the work reported here. A fiber optic provides 650 nm (1.9 eV) photons that each produce an electron-hole (e –h +) pair in the crystal near the grid. The energy of the drifting charges is measured withmore » a phonon sensor noise σ ~0.09 e – h + pair. In conclusion, the observed charge quantization is nearly identical for h +s or e –s transported across the crystal.« less

Advances in Dust Detection and Removal for Tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, A.; Skinner, C. H.; Roquemore, A. L.; Leisure, J. O. V.; Wagner, S.

2008-11-01

Dust diagnostics and removal techniques are vital for the safe operation of next step fusion devices such as ITER. An electrostatic dust detector[1] developed in the laboratory is being applied to NSTX. In the tokamak environment, large particles or fibres can fall on the grid potentially causing a permanent short. We report on the development of a gas puff system that uses helium to clear such particles from the detector. Experiments with varying nozzle designs, backing pressures, puff durations, and exit flow orientations have obtained an optimal configuration that effectively removes particles from a 25 cm^2 area. Dust removal from next step tokamaks will be required to meet regulatory dust limits. A tripolar grid of fine interdigitated traces has been designed that generates an electrostatic travelling wave for conveying dust particles to a ``drain.'' First trials have shown particle motion in optical microscope images. [1] C. H. Skinner et al., J. Nucl. Mater., 376 (2008) 29.

Extraction of topographic and material contrasts on surfaces from SEM images obtained by energy filtering detection with low-energy primary electrons.

PubMed

Nagoshi, Masayasu; Aoyama, Tomohiro; Sato, Kaoru

2013-01-01

Secondary electron microscope (SEM) images have been obtained for practical materials using low primary electron energies and an in-lens type annular detector with changing negative bias voltage supplied to a grid placed in front of the detector. The kinetic-energy distribution of the detected electrons was evaluated by the gradient of the bias-energy dependence of the brightness of the images. This is divided into mainly two parts at about 500 V, high and low brightness in the low- and high-energy regions, respectively and shows difference among the surface regions having different composition and topography. The combination of the negative grid bias and the pixel-by-pixel image subtraction provides the band-pass filtered images and extracts the material and topographic information of the specimen surfaces. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Imaging alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, David F.

1985-01-01

A method and apparatus for detecting and imaging alpha particles sources is described. A conducting coated high voltage electrode (1) and a tungsten wire grid (2) constitute a diode configuration discharge generator for electrons dislodged from atoms or molecules located in between these electrodes when struck by alpha particles from a source (3) to be quantitatively or qualitatively analyzed. A thin polyester film window (4) allows the alpha particles to pass into the gas enclosure and the combination of the glass electrode, grid and window is light transparent such that the details of the source which is imaged with high resolution and sensitivity by the sparks produced can be observed visually as well. The source can be viewed directly, electronically counted or integrated over time using photographic methods. A significant increase in sensitivity over other alpha particle detectors is observed, and the device has very low sensitivity to gamma or beta emissions which might otherwise appear as noise on the alpha particle signal.

Thermal detection of single e-h pairs in a biased silicon crystal detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romani, R. K.; Brink, P. L.; Cabrera, B.; Cherry, M.; Howarth, T.; Kurinsky, N.; Moffatt, R. A.; Partridge, R.; Ponce, F.; Pyle, M.; Tomada, A.; Yellin, S.; Yen, J. J.; Young, B. A.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate that individual electron-hole pairs are resolved in a 1 cm2 by 4 mm thick silicon crystal (0.93 g) operated at ˜35 mK. One side of the detector is patterned with two quasiparticle-trap-assisted electro-thermal-feedback transition edge sensor arrays held near ground potential. The other side contains a bias grid with 20% coverage. Bias potentials up to ±160 V were used in the work reported here. A fiber optic provides 650 nm (1.9 eV) photons that each produce an electron-hole (e- h+) pair in the crystal near the grid. The energy of the drifting charges is measured with a phonon sensor noise σ ˜0.09 e- h+ pair. The observed charge quantization is nearly identical for h+s or e-s transported across the crystal.

Imaging alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, D.F.

1980-10-29

A method and apparatus for detecting and imaging alpha particles sources is described. A dielectric coated high voltage electrode and a tungsten wire grid constitute a diode configuration discharge generator for electrons dislodged from atoms or molecules located in between these electrodes when struck by alpha particles from a source to be quantitatively or qualitatively analyzed. A thin polyester film window allows the alpha particles to pass into the gas enclosure and the combination of the glass electrode, grid and window is light transparent such that the details of the source which is imaged with high resolution and sensitivity by the sparks produced can be observed visually as well. The source can be viewed directly, electronically counted or integrated over time using photographic methods. A significant increase in sensitivity over other alpha particle detectors is observed, and the device has very low sensitivity to gamma or beta emissions which might otherwise appear as noise on the alpha particle signal.

A three-dimensional spacecraft-charging computer code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, A. G.; Katz, I.; Mandell, M.; Schnuelle, G.; Steen, P.; Parks, D.; Cassidy, J.; Roche, J.

1980-01-01

A computer code is described which simulates the interaction of the space environment with a satellite at geosynchronous altitude. Employing finite elements, a three-dimensional satellite model has been constructed with more than 1000 surface cells and 15 different surface materials. Free space around the satellite is modeled by nesting grids within grids. Applications of this NASA Spacecraft Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP) code to the study of a satellite photosheath and the differential charging of the SCATHA (satellite charging at high altitudes) satellite in eclipse and in sunlight are discussed. In order to understand detector response when the satellite is charged, the code is used to trace the trajectories of particles reaching the SCATHA detectors. Particle trajectories from positive and negative emitters on SCATHA also are traced to determine the location of returning particles, to estimate the escaping flux, and to simulate active control of satellite potentials.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fedorov, G. E., E-mail: gefedorov@mail.ru; Stepanova, T. S.; Gazaliev, A. Sh.

Various asymmetric detecting devices based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are studied. The asymmetry is understood as inhomogeneous properties along the conducting channel. In the first type of devices, an inhomogeneous morphology of the CNT grid is used. In the second type of devices, metals with highly varying work functions are used as the contact material. The relation between the sensitivity and detector configuration is analyzed. Based on the data obtained, approaches to the development of an efficient detector of terahertz radiation, based on carbon nanotubes are proposed.

Performance of Backshort-Under-Grid Kilopixel TES Arrays for HAWC+

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staguhn, J. G.; Benford, D. J.; Dowell, C. D.; Fixsen, D. J.; Hilton, G. C.; Irwin, K. D.; Jhabvala, C. A.; Maher, S. F.; Miller, T. M.; Moseley, S. H.;

Development of absorber coupled TES polarimeter at millimeter wavelengths.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, G.; Yefremenko, V.; Novosad, V.

2009-06-01

We report an absorber coupled TES bolometric polarimeter, consisting of an absorptive metal grid and a Mo/Au bi-layer TES on a suspended silicon nitride membrane disk. The electromagnetic design of the polarization sensitive absorbers, the heat transport modeling of the detector, the thermal response of the TES, and the micro-fabrication processes are presented. We also report the results of laboratory tests of a single pixel prototype detector, and compare with theoretical expectations.

Positron lifetime spectrometer using a DC positron beam

DOEpatents

Xu, Jun; Moxom, Jeremy

2003-10-21

An entrance grid is positioned in the incident beam path of a DC beam positron lifetime spectrometer. The electrical potential difference between the sample and the entrance grid provides simultaneous acceleration of both the primary positrons and the secondary electrons. The result is a reduction in the time spread induced by the energy distribution of the secondary electrons. In addition, the sample, sample holder, entrance grid, and entrance face of the multichannel plate electron detector assembly are made parallel to each other, and are arranged at a tilt angle to the axis of the positron beam to effectively separate the path of the secondary electrons from the path of the incident positrons.

Acuros CTS: A fast, linear Boltzmann transport equation solver for computed tomography scatter - Part I: Core algorithms and validation.

PubMed

Maslowski, Alexander; Wang, Adam; Sun, Mingshan; Wareing, Todd; Davis, Ian; Star-Lack, Josh

2018-05-01

To describe Acuros ® CTS, a new software tool for rapidly and accurately estimating scatter in x-ray projection images by deterministically solving the linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE). The LBTE describes the behavior of particles as they interact with an object across spatial, energy, and directional (propagation) domains. Acuros CTS deterministically solves the LBTE by modeling photon transport associated with an x-ray projection in three main steps: (a) Ray tracing photons from the x-ray source into the object where they experience their first scattering event and form scattering sources. (b) Propagating photons from their first scattering sources across the object in all directions to form second scattering sources, then repeating this process until all high-order scattering sources are computed using the source iteration method. (c) Ray-tracing photons from scattering sources within the object to the detector, accounting for the detector's energy and anti-scatter grid responses. To make this process computationally tractable, a combination of analytical and discrete methods is applied. The three domains are discretized using the Linear Discontinuous Finite Elements, Multigroup, and Discrete Ordinates methods, respectively, which confer the ability to maintain the accuracy of a continuous solution. Furthermore, through the implementation in CUDA, we sought to exploit the parallel computing capabilities of graphics processing units (GPUs) to achieve the speeds required for clinical utilization. Acuros CTS was validated against Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations using two digital phantoms: (a) a water phantom containing lung, air, and bone inserts (WLAB phantom) and (b) a pelvis phantom derived from a clinical CT dataset. For these studies, we modeled the TrueBeam ® (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) kV imaging system with a source energy of 125 kVp. The imager comprised a 600 μm-thick Cesium Iodide (CsI) scintillator and a 10:1 one-dimensional anti-scatter grid. For the WLAB studies, the full-fan geometry without a bowtie filter was used (with and without the anti-scatter grid). For the pelvis phantom studies, a half-fan geometry with bowtie was used (with the anti-scatter grid). Scattered and primary photon fluences and energies deposited in the detector were recorded. The Acuros CTS and Monte Carlo results demonstrated excellent agreement. For the WLAB studies, the average percent difference between the Monte Carlo- and Acuros-generated scattered photon fluences at the face of the detector was -0.7%. After including the detector response, the average percent differences between the Monte Carlo- and Acuros-generated scatter fractions (SF) were -0.1% without the grid and 0.6% with the grid. For the digital pelvis simulation, the Monte Carlo- and Acuros-generated SFs agreed to within 0.1% on average, despite the scatter-to-primary ratios (SPRs) being as high as 5.5. The Acuros CTS computation time for each scatter image was ~1 s using a single GPU. Acuros CTS enables a fast and accurate calculation of scatter images by deterministically solving the LBTE thus offering a computationally attractive alternative to Monte Carlo methods. Part II describes the application of Acuros CTS to scatter correction of CBCT scans on the TrueBeam system. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Concentric Coplanar Capacitive Sensor System with Quantitative Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Tianming (Inventor); Bowler, Nicola (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A concentric coplanar capacitive sensor includes a charged central disc forming a first electrode, an outer annular ring coplanar with and outer to the charged central disc, the outer annular ring forming a second electrode, and a gap between the charged central disc and the outer annular ring. The first electrode and the second electrode may be attached to an insulative film. A method provides for determining transcapacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and using the transcapacitance in a model that accounts for a dielectric test piece to determine inversely the properties of the dielectric test piece.

Cockpit Displays to Support Hazard Awareness in Free Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, Christopher D.; Carbonari, Ron; Merwin, Dave; Morphew, Ephimia; OBrien, Janelle V.

1997-01-01

Three experiments are described which each examine different aspects of the formatting and integration of cockpit displays of traffic information to support pilots in traffic avoidance planning. The first two experiments compared two-dimensional (coplanar) with three-dimensional (perspective) versions of a cockpit display of traffic information. In Experiment 1, 30 certified flight instructors flew a series of traffic conflict detection and avoidance maneuvers around an intruder aircraft, sometimes in the presence of a second intruder. The results revealed an advantage for the coplanar display, particularly when there was vertical intruder behavior. In Experiment 2, 17 instructors flew with the coplanar and perspective formats when weather information was either overlaid or displayed separately. Again performance was best with the coplanar display, particularly when the weather data were overlaid. The results of both experiments are also discussed in ten-ns of the traffic maneuver stereotypes exhibited by the pilots. Experiment 3 examined the benefits of the two different predictor elements used in the coplanar displays of Experiments 1 and 2. The study was carried out in a multitask context. These elements were both found to improve safety (reduce actual and predicted conflicts) and to reduce workload, although the different elements affected workload in different ways. Neither predictor element imposed a cost to concurrent task performance.

Evaluation of Perspective and Coplanar Cockpit Displays of Traffic Information to Support Hazard Awareness in Free Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merwin, David H.; Wickens, Christopher D.

1996-01-01

We examined the cockpit display representation of traffic, to support the pilot in tactical planning and conflict avoidance. Such displays may support the "free flight" concept, but can also support greater situation awareness in a non-free flight environment. Two perspective views and a coplanar display were contrasted in scenarios in which pilots needed to navigate around conflicting traffic, either in the absence (low workload) or presence (high workload) of a second intruder aircraft. All three formats were configured with predictive aiding vectors that explicitly represented the predicted point of closest pass, and predicted penetration of an alert zone around ownship. Ten pilots were assigned to each of the display conditions, and each flew a series of 60 conflict maneuvers that varied in their workload and the complexity of the conflict geometry. Results indicated a tendency to choose vertical over lateral maneuvers, a tendency which was amplified with the coplanar display. Vertical maneuvers by the intruder produced an added source of workload. Importantly, the coplanar display supported performance in all measures that was equal to or greater than either of the perspective displays (i.e., fewer predicted and actual conflicts, less extreme maneuvers). Previous studies that have indicated perspective superiority have only contrasted these with UNIplanar displays rather than the coplanar display used here.

Detector Position Estimation for PET Scanners.

PubMed

Pierce, Larry; Miyaoka, Robert; Lewellen, Tom; Alessio, Adam; Kinahan, Paul

2012-06-11

Physical positioning of scintillation crystal detector blocks in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners is not always exact. We test a proof of concept methodology for the determination of the six degrees of freedom for detector block positioning errors by utilizing a rotating point source over stepped axial intervals. To test our method, we created computer simulations of seven Micro Crystal Element Scanner (MiCES) PET systems with randomized positioning errors. The computer simulations show that our positioning algorithm can estimate the positions of the block detectors to an average of one-seventh of the crystal pitch tangentially, and one-third of the crystal pitch axially. Virtual acquisitions of a point source grid and a distributed phantom show that our algorithm improves both the quantitative and qualitative accuracy of the reconstructed objects. We believe this estimation algorithm is a practical and accurate method for determining the spatial positions of scintillation detector blocks.

DISTRIBUTION OF DIOXINS, FURANS, AND COPLANAR PCBS IN DIFFERENT FAT MATRICES IN CATTLE

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently collaborated on a statistically-based, national survey of dioxin-like compounds, including dioxins, furans, and coplanar PCBs, in the back fat from slaughtered ...

Magnetic resonance imaging of the long head of the biceps tendon: benefit of coplanar image.

PubMed

Lin, Anderson; Ting, Julius; Lee, Kwo-Whei

2007-01-01

To evaluate coplanar imaging of the long head of the biceps tendon. We retrospectively compared coronal oblique magnetic resonance images aligned with the principal supraspinatus tendon and with the intra-articular biceps tendon in 21 patients. Magnetic resonance images were analyzed for lesions depicted, including superior labral anteroposterior (SLAP) tears. Arthroscopic findings were reviewed. Coronal oblique images aligned with intra-articular biceps tendon depicted 18 (86%) of 21 coplanar intra-articular biceps tendons. Coplanar images identified 6 cases of tendinosis, 1 tear, 3 intra-articular ruptures, and 20 (95.2%) of 21 exact origins of the tendon. Arthroscopy revealed 18 SLAP tears. The detection of SLAP lesions between both coronal oblique magnetic resonance images was significantly different (P = 0.007). Advantages included imaging of the intra-articular biceps tendon with least partial-volume effects, definition of SLAP lesions and the tendinous origin at the supraglenoid tubercle, depiction of intra-articular bicipital ruptures, and increased sensitivity and specificity for intra-articular lesions.

Coplanar UHF RFID tag antenna with U-shaped inductively coupled feed for metallic applications

PubMed Central

Ismail, Alyani; Raja Abdullah, Raja Syamsul Azmir; Saeedi, Tale

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a novel compact, coplanar, tag antenna design for metallic objects. Electrically small antenna has designed for a UHF RFID (860–960 MHz) based on a proximity-coupled feed through. Furthermore, two symmetrical Via-loaded coplanar grounds fed by a U-shaped inductively coupled feed through an embedded transmission line. This configuration results in an antenna with dimensions of 31 × 19.5 × 3.065 mm3 at 915 MHz, and the total gain for the antenna is 0.12 dBi. The Via-loaded coplanar and U-shaped inductively coupled feeds allow the antenna to provide flexible tuning in terms of antenna impedance. In addition, a figure of merit is applied for the proposed tag antenna, and the results are presented. The read range is measured to be 4.2 m, which is very close to simulated values. This antenna measurement shows very good agreement with simulations. PMID:28570706

Image Reconstruction in Radio Astronomy with Non-Coplanar Synthesis Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodrick, L.

2015-03-01

Traditional radio astronomy imaging techniques assume that the interferometric array is coplanar, with a small field of view, and that the two-dimensional Fourier relationship between brightness and visibility remains valid, allowing the Fast Fourier Transform to be used. In practice, to acquire more accurate data, the non-coplanar baseline effects need to be incorporated, as small height variations in the array plane introduces the w spatial frequency component. This component adds an additional phase shift to the incoming signals. There are two approaches to account for the non-coplanar baseline effects: either the full three-dimensional brightness and visibility model can be used to reconstruct an image, or the non-coplanar effects can be removed, reducing the three dimensional relationship to that of the two-dimensional one. This thesis describes and implements the w-projection and w-stacking algorithms. The aim of these algorithms is to account for the phase error introduced by non-coplanar synthesis arrays configurations, making the recovered visibilities more true to the actual brightness distribution model. This is done by reducing the 3D visibilities to a 2D visibility model. The algorithms also have the added benefit of wide-field imaging, although w-stacking supports a wider field of view at the cost of more FFT bin support. For w-projection, the w-term is accounted for in the visibility domain by convolving it out of the problem with a convolution kernel, allowing the use of the two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform. Similarly, the w-Stacking algorithm applies a phase correction in the image domain to image layers to produce an intensity model that accounts for the non-coplanar baseline effects. This project considers the KAT7 array for simulation and analysis of the limitations and advantages of both the algorithms. Additionally, a variant of the Högbom CLEAN algorithm was used which employs contour trimming for extended source emission flagging. The CLEAN algorithm is an iterative two-dimensional deconvolution method that can further improve image fidelity by removing the effects of the point spread function which can obscure source data.

SU-D-BRB-01: A Comparison of Learning Methods for Knowledge Based Dose Prediction for Coplanar and Non-Coplanar Liver Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tran, A; Ruan, D; Woods, K

Purpose: The predictive power of knowledge based planning (KBP) has considerable potential in the development of automated treatment planning. Here, we examine the predictive capabilities and accuracy of previously reported KBP methods, as well as an artificial neural networks (ANN) method. Furthermore, we compare the predictive accuracy of these methods on coplanar volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and non-coplanar 4π radiotherapy. Methods: 30 liver SBRT patients previously treated using coplanar VMAT were selected for this study. The patients were re-planned using 4π radiotherapy, which involves 20 optimally selected non-coplanar IMRT fields. ANNs were used to incorporate enhanced geometric information including livermore » and PTV size, prescription dose, patient girth, and proximity to beams. The performance of ANN was compared to three methods from statistical voxel dose learning (SVDL), wherein the doses of voxels sharing the same distance to the PTV are approximated by either taking the median of the distribution, non-parametric fitting, or skew-normal fitting. These three methods were shown to be capable of predicting DVH, but only median approximation can predict 3D dose. Prediction methods were tested using leave-one-out cross-validation tests and evaluated using residual sum of squares (RSS) for DVH and 3D dose predictions. Results: DVH prediction using non-parametric fitting had the lowest average RSS with 0.1176(4π) and 0.1633(VMAT), compared to 0.4879(4π) and 1.8744(VMAT) RSS for ANN. 3D dose prediction with median approximation had lower RSS with 12.02(4π) and 29.22(VMAT), compared to 27.95(4π) and 130.9(VMAT) for ANN. Conclusion: Paradoxically, although the ANNs included geometric features in addition to the distances to the PTV, it did not perform better in predicting DVH or 3D dose compared to simpler, faster methods based on the distances alone. The study further confirms that the prediction of 4π non-coplanar plans were more accurate than VMAT. NIH R43CA183390 and R01CA188300.« less

Low energy electron-impact ionization of hydrogen atom for coplanar equal-energy-sharing kinematics in Debye plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Zhang, Song Bin; Ye, Bang Jiao; Wang, Jian Guo; Janev, R. K.

2016-12-01

Low energy electron-impact ionization of hydrogen atom in Debye plasmas has been investigated by employing the exterior complex scaling method. The interactions between the charged particles in the plasma have been represented by Debye-Hückel potentials. Triple differential cross sections (TDCS) in the coplanar equal-energy-sharing geometry at an incident energy of 15.6 eV for different screening lengths are reported. As the screening strength increases, TDCS change significantly. The evolutions of dominant typical peak structures of the TDCS are studied in detail for different screening lengths and for different coplanar equal-energy-sharing geometries.

Method for position emission mammography image reconstruction

DOEpatents

Smith, Mark Frederick

2004-10-12

An image reconstruction method comprising accepting coincidence datat from either a data file or in real time from a pair of detector heads, culling event data that is outside a desired energy range, optionally saving the desired data for each detector position or for each pair of detector pixels on the two detector heads, and then reconstructing the image either by backprojection image reconstruction or by iterative image reconstruction. In the backprojection image reconstruction mode, rays are traced between centers of lines of response (LOR's), counts are then either allocated by nearest pixel interpolation or allocated by an overlap method and then corrected for geometric effects and attenuation and the data file updated. If the iterative image reconstruction option is selected, one implementation is to compute a grid Siddon retracing, and to perform maximum likelihood expectation maiximization (MLEM) computed by either: a) tracing parallel rays between subpixels on opposite detector heads; or b) tracing rays between randomized endpoint locations on opposite detector heads.

Conversion of mammographic images to appear with the noise and sharpness characteristics of a different detector and x-ray system.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Alistair; Dance, David R; Workman, Adam; Yip, Mary; Wells, Kevin; Young, Kenneth C

2012-05-01

Undertaking observer studies to compare imaging technology using clinical radiological images is challenging due to patient variability. To achieve a significant result, a large number of patients would be required to compare cancer detection rates for different image detectors and systems. The aim of this work was to create a methodology where only one set of images is collected on one particular imaging system. These images are then converted to appear as if they had been acquired on a different detector and x-ray system. Therefore, the effect of a wide range of digital detectors on cancer detection or diagnosis can be examined without the need for multiple patient exposures. Three detectors and x-ray systems [Hologic Selenia (ASE), GE Essential (CSI), Carestream CR (CR)] were characterized in terms of signal transfer properties, noise power spectra (NPS), modulation transfer function, and grid properties. The contributions of the three noise sources (electronic, quantum, and structure noise) to the NPS were calculated by fitting a quadratic polynomial at each spatial frequency of the NPS against air kerma. A methodology was developed to degrade the images to have the characteristics of a different (target) imaging system. The simulated images were created by first linearizing the original images such that the pixel values were equivalent to the air kerma incident at the detector. The linearized image was then blurred to match the sharpness characteristics of the target detector. Noise was then added to the blurred image to correct for differences between the detectors and any required change in dose. The electronic, quantum, and structure noise were added appropriate to the air kerma selected for the simulated image and thus ensuring that the noise in the simulated image had the same magnitude and correlation as the target image. A correction was also made for differences in primary grid transmission, scatter, and veiling glare. The method was validated by acquiring images of a CDMAM contrast detail test object (Artinis, The Netherlands) at five different doses for the three systems. The ASE CDMAM images were then converted to appear with the imaging characteristics of target CR and CSI detectors. The measured threshold gold thicknesses of the simulated and target CDMAM images were closely matched at normal dose level and the average differences across the range of detail diameters were -4% and 0% for the CR and CSI systems, respectively. The conversion was successful for images acquired over a wide dose range. The average difference between simulated and target images for a given dose was a maximum of 11%. The validation shows that the image quality of a digital mammography image obtained with a particular system can be degraded, in terms of noise magnitude and color, sharpness, and contrast to account for differences in the detector and antiscatter grid. Potentially, this is a powerful tool for observer studies, as a range of image qualities can be examined by modifying an image set obtained at a single (better) image quality thus removing the patient variability when comparing systems.

Detecting Planar Surfaces in Outdoor Urban Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

coplanar or parallel scene points and lines. Sturm and Maybank (18) perform 3D reconstruction given user-provided coplanarity, perpendicularity, and... Maybank , S. J. A method for intactive 3d reconstruction of piercewise planar objects from single images. in BMVC, 1999, 265–274 [19] Schaffalitzky, F

Intelligent mapping of alluvial aquifer characteristics in the Otago region, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedel, Michael; Rawlinson, Zara; Westerhoff, Rogier

2015-04-01

We adopt a hybrid approach to map the 3D hydrostratigraphy of an alluvial aquifer using big data collected in the Ettrick basin, Otago New Zealand. First, a subset (1%) of the 18 million regional helicopter frequency-domain electromagnetic (HEM) sounding measurements (300 Hz, Horizontal co-planar; 3300 Hz, vertical co-planar; 8200 Hz, horizontal co-planar; 40 kHz, horizontal co-planar; 137 kHz horizontal coplanar) and their numerically-inverted 1D resistivity (50¬-100 Ω-m) profiles are randomly split. For example, 50% of these data are used for training an unsupervised machine-learning (ML) network, and 50% of these data are used for performance at independent locations. The remaining set of HEM measurements are then presented to the vetted ML network to estimate regional resistivity structure which is compared to previously inverted resistivity. Second, about 50 borehole autocorrelation functions are computed based on cross-component correlations of quantized borehole locations sampled for lithology and HEM sounding data. Third, an unsupervised ML network is trained and performance tested using sparse borehole lithology (fractions of sand, silt, clay, mudstone, schist) and hydraulic properties (storage, hydraulic conductivity), and those HEM sounding data occurring within a radius defined by the maximum borehole autocorrelation distances. Fourth, this ML network is then used together with independent HEM sounding measurements to map the spatial distribution of physical aquifer properties and hydraulic properties across the basin.

Accurate determination of segmented X-ray detector geometry

PubMed Central

Yefanov, Oleksandr; Mariani, Valerio; Gati, Cornelius; White, Thomas A.; Chapman, Henry N.; Barty, Anton

2015-01-01

Recent advances in X-ray detector technology have resulted in the introduction of segmented detectors composed of many small detector modules tiled together to cover a large detection area. Due to mechanical tolerances and the desire to be able to change the module layout to suit the needs of different experiments, the pixels on each module might not align perfectly on a regular grid. Several detectors are designed to permit detector sub-regions (or modules) to be moved relative to each other for different experiments. Accurate determination of the location of detector elements relative to the beam-sample interaction point is critical for many types of experiment, including X-ray crystallography, coherent diffractive imaging (CDI), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and spectroscopy. For detectors with moveable modules, the relative positions of pixels are no longer fixed, necessitating the development of a simple procedure to calibrate detector geometry after reconfiguration. We describe a simple and robust method for determining the geometry of segmented X-ray detectors using measurements obtained by serial crystallography. By comparing the location of observed Bragg peaks to the spot locations predicted from the crystal indexing procedure, the position, rotation and distance of each module relative to the interaction region can be refined. We show that the refined detector geometry greatly improves the results of experiments. PMID:26561117

Transport conductivity of graphene at RF and microwave frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awan, S. A.; Lombardo, A.; Colli, A.; Privitera, G.; Kulmala, T. S.; Kivioja, J. M.; Koshino, M.; Ferrari, A. C.

2016-03-01

We measure graphene coplanar waveguides from direct current (DC) to a frequency f = 13.5 GHz and show that the apparent resistance (in the presence of parasitic impedances) has an {ω }2 dependence (where ω =2π f), but the intrinsic conductivity (without the influence of parasitic impedances) is frequency-independent. Consequently, in our devices the real part of the complex alternating current (AC) conductivity is the same as the DC value and the imaginary part is ˜0. The graphene channel is modeled as a parallel resistive-capacitive network with a frequency dependence identical to that of the Drude conductivity with momentum relaxation time ˜2.1 ps, highlighting the influence of AC electron transport on the electromagnetic properties of graphene. This can lead to optimized design of high-speed analog field-effect transistors, mixers, frequency doublers, low-noise amplifiers and radiation detectors.

New coplanar waveguide to rectangular waveguide end launcher

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, R. N.; Taub, S. R.

1992-01-01

A new coplanar waveguide to rectangular waveguide end launcher is experimentally demonstrated. The end launcher operates over the Ka-band frequencies that are designated for the NASA Advanced Communication Technology Satellite uplink. The measured insertion loss and return loss are better than 0.5 and -10 dB, respectively.

The ATLAS Simulation Infrastructure

DOE PAGES

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; ...

2010-09-25

The simulation software for the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is being used for large-scale production of events on the LHC Computing Grid. This simulation requires many components, from the generators that simulate particle collisions, through packages simulating the response of the various detectors and triggers. All of these components come together under the ATLAS simulation infrastructure. In this paper, that infrastructure is discussed, including that supporting the detector description, interfacing the event generation, and combining the GEANT4 simulation of the response of the individual detectors. Also described are the tools allowing the software validation, performance testing, andmore » the validation of the simulated output against known physics processes.« less

Focal-surface detector for heavy ions

DOEpatents

Erskine, John R.; Braid, Thomas H.; Stoltzfus, Joseph C.

1979-01-01

A detector of the properties of individual charged particles in a beam includes a gridded ionization chamber, a cathode, a plurality of resistive-wire proportional counters, a plurality of anode sections, and means for controlling the composition and pressure of gas in the chamber. Signals generated in response to the passage of charged particles can be processed to identify the energy of the particles, their loss of energy per unit distance in an absorber, and their angle of incidence. In conjunction with a magnetic spectrograph, the signals can be used to identify particles and their state of charge. The detector is especially useful for analyzing beams of heavy ions, defined as ions of atomic mass greater than 10 atomic mass units.

TA×4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, Hiroyuki

How cosmic rays obtain energies of about 1020 eV and where they come from are big mysteries in physics. The Telescope Array (TA) is comprised of Surface Detectors (SDs) and Fluorescence Detectors (FDs) located in Utah, U.S.A., and aims to explore the origin of highest-energy cosmic rays. The SD array consists of 507 scintillation detectors arranged on a square grid of 1.2-km spacing, covering approximately 700 km2. The FD telescopes, located at three sites, look over the surface array. Using the first five years of data collected by the surface detectors, we found a cluster of cosmic rays with energies greater than 5.7 × 1019 eV that we call the hot spot. With enhanced statistics, we expect to observe the structure of that hot spot along with other possible excesses, and point sources along with the correlations with extreme phenomena in the nearby universe. We plan to make the area of the TA SD array four times larger to approximately 3,000 km2, by adding 500 SDs on a square grid of 2.08-km spacing. Two FD stations will be built viewing the new SD array. This TA extension that we call TA×4 will greatly accelerate the speed at which we will reach the goals mentioned above, and will enhance cosmic-ray energy spectrum measurement and composition study at the highest energies by TA. At this conference, we present our plan for TA×4.

Second-order Born calculation of coplanar symmetric (e, 2e) process on Mg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yong-Zhi; Wang, Yang; Zhou, Ya-Jun

2014-06-01

The second-order distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) method is employed to investigate the triple differential cross sections (TDCS) of coplanar doubly symmetric (e, 2e) collisions for magnesium at excess energies of 6 eV-20 eV. Comparing with the standard first-order DWBA calculations, the inclusion of the second-order Born term in the scattering amplitude improves the degree of agreement with experiments, especially for backward scattering region of TDCS. This indicates that the present second-order Born term is capable to give a reasonable correction to DWBA model in studying coplanar symmetric (e, 2e) problems of two-valence-electron target in low energy range.

The Gamma Ray Imaging Detector of the AGILE satellite: A novel application of silicon trackers for detection of astrophysics high-energy photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rappoldi, Andrea; AGILE Collaboration

2009-10-01

AGILE is a project of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Scientific Program dedicated to Gamma ray astrophysics. It is designed to be a very light and compact instrument, capable of photon detections and imaging in both the 30 MeV-50 GeV and 18-60 keV energy ranges, with a large field of view (FOV is ˜3 and ˜1 sr, respectively). The core of the instrument (launched on April 23, 2007 from the Indian Space Research Organization's launch facility) is represented by the Gamma Ray Imaging Detector (GRID), which is a silicon tracker developed by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), with a spatial resolution of ˜40 μm. The GRID performances have been studied by means of a GEANT Montecarlo, and tested with a dedicated calibration campaign using the tagged gamma beam available at Beam Test Facility (BTF) of INFN Frascati Laboratory.

On-ground calibration of AGILE-GRID with a photon beam: results and lessons for the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattaneo, P. W.; Rappoldi, A.

2013-06-01

On the AGILE satellite, there is the Gamma Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) consisting of a Silicon Tracker (ST), a Cesium Iodide Mini-Calorimeter and an Anti-Coincidence system of plastic scintillator bars. The ST needs a calibration with a γ-ray beam to validate the simulation used to calculate the detector response versus the energy and the direction of the γ rays. A tagged γ-ray beam line was designed at the Beam Test Facility of the Laboratori Nazionali of Frascati, generated by an electron beam through bremsstrahlung in a position-sensitive target. The γ-ray energy is deduced by the difference with the post-bremsstrahlung electron energy [P. W. Cattaneo, et al., Characterization of a tagged γ-ray beam line at the daΦne beam test facility, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 674 (2012) 55-66; P. W. Cattaneo, et al., First results about on-ground calibration of the silicon tracker for the agile satellite, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 630(1) (2011) 251-257.]. The electron energy is measured by a spectrometer consisting of a dipole magnet and an array of position sensitive silicon strip detectors, the Photon Tagging System (PTS). In this paper the setup and the calibration of AGILE performed in 2005 are described.

Direct Dark Matter Detection through the use of a Xenon Based TPC Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, Jonathan; Akerib, Daniel; LZ group at SLAC

2018-01-01

The vast majority of matter in the universe is unaccounted for. Only 15% of the universe's mass density is visible matter, while the other 85% is Dark Matter (DM). The Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) is currently the frontrunner of the DM candidates. The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) and next generation LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiments are designed to directly detect WIMPs. Both experiments are xenon-based Time Projection Chambers (TPC) used to observe possible WIMP interactions. These interactions produce photons and electrons with the photons being collected in a set of two photomultiplier tube (PMT) arrays and the electrons drifted upwards in the detector by a strong electric field to create a secondary production of photons in gaseous xenon. These two populations of photons are classified as S1 and S2 signals, respectively. Using these signals we reconstruct the energy and position of the interaction and in doing so we can eliminate background events that would otherwise “light up” the detector. My participation in the experiment, while at SLAC, was the creation of the grids that produce the large electric field, along with additional lab activities aimed at testing the grids. While at Stan State, I work on background modeling in order to distinguish a possible WIMP signal from ambient backgrounds.

Development of a mercuric iodide detector array for in-vivo x-ray imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patt, B.E.; Iwanczyk, J.S.; Tornai, M.P.

A nineteen element mercuric iodide (HgI{sub 2}) detector array has been developed in order to investigate the potential of using this technology for in-vivo x-ray and gamma-ray imaging. A prototype cross-grid detector array was constructed with hexagonal pixels of 1.9 mm diameter (active area = 3.28 mm{sup 2}) and 0.2 mm thick septa. The overall detector active area is roughly 65 mm{sup 2}. A detector thickness of 1.2 mm was used to achieve about 100% efficiency at 60 keV and 67% efficiency at 140 keV The detector fabrication, geometry and structure were optimized for charge collection and to minimize crosstalkmore » between elements. A section of a standard high resolution cast-lead gamma-camera collimator was incorporated into the detector to provide collimation matching the discrete pixel geometry. Measurements of spectral and spatial performance of the array were made using 241-Am and 99m-Tc sources. These measurements were compared with similar measurements made using an optimized single HgI{sub 2} x-ray detector with active area of about 3 mm{sup 2} and thickness of 500 {mu}m.« less

Preliminary report on electromagnetic model studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frischknecht, F.C.; Mangan, G.B.

1960-01-01

More than 70 resopnse curves for various models have been obtained using the slingram and turam electromagnetic methods. Results show that for the slingram method, horizontal co-planar coils are usually more sensitive than vertical, co-axial or vertical, co-planar coils. The shape of the anomaly usually is simpler for the vertical coils.

Optimal Low-Thrust Limited-Power Transfers between Arbitrary Elliptic Coplanar Orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

daSilvaFernandes, Sandro; dasChagasCarvalho, Francisco

2007-01-01

In this work, a complete first order analytical solution, which includes the short periodic terms, for the problem of optimal low-thrust limited-power transfers between arbitrary elliptic coplanar orbits in a Newtonian central gravity field is obtained through Hamilton-Jacobi theory and a perturbation method based on Lie series.

A half millimeter thick coplanar flexible battery with wireless recharging capability.

PubMed

Kim, Joo-Seong; Ko, Dongah; Yoo, Dong-Joo; Jung, Dae Soo; Yavuz, Cafer T; Kim, Nam-In; Choi, In-Suk; Song, Jae Yong; Choi, Jang Wook

2015-04-08

Most of the existing flexible lithium ion batteries (LIBs) adopt the conventional cofacial cell configuration where anode, separator, and cathode are sequentially stacked and so have difficulty in the integration with emerging thin LIB applications, such as smart cards and medical patches. In order to overcome this shortcoming, herein, we report a coplanar cell structure in which anodes and cathodes are interdigitatedly positioned on the same plane. The coplanar electrode design brings advantages of enhanced bending tolerance and capability of increasing the cell voltage by in series-connection of multiple single-cells in addition to its suitability for the thickness reduction. On the basis of these structural benefits, we develop a coplanar flexible LIB that delivers 7.4 V with an entire cell thickness below 0.5 mm while preserving stable electrochemical performance throughout 5000 (un)bending cycles (bending radius = 5 mm). Also, even the pouch case serves as barriers between anodes and cathodes to prevent Li dendrite growth and short-circuit formation while saving the thickness. Furthermore, for convenient practical use wireless charging via inductive electromagnetic energy transfer and solar cell integration is demonstrated.

Printing Semiconductor-Insulator Polymer Bilayers for High-Performance Coplanar Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Bu, Laju; Hu, Mengxing; Lu, Wanlong; Wang, Ziyu; Lu, Guanghao

2018-01-01

Source-semiconductor-drain coplanar transistors with an organic semiconductor layer located within the same plane of source/drain electrodes are attractive for next-generation electronics, because they could be used to reduce material consumption, minimize parasitic leakage current, avoid cross-talk among different devices, and simplify the fabrication process of circuits. Here, a one-step, drop-casting-like printing method to realize a coplanar transistor using a model semiconductor/insulator [poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/polystyrene (PS)] blend is developed. By manipulating the solution dewetting dynamics on the metal electrode and SiO 2 dielectric, the solution within the channel region is selectively confined, and thus make the top surface of source/drain electrodes completely free of polymers. Subsequently, during solvent evaporation, vertical phase separation between P3HT and PS leads to a semiconductor-insulator bilayer structure, contributing to an improved transistor performance. Moreover, this coplanar transistor with semiconductor-insulator bilayer structure is an ideal system for injecting charges into the insulator via gate-stress, and the thus-formed PS electret layer acts as a "nonuniform floating gate" to tune the threshold voltage and effective mobility of the transistors. Effective field-effect mobility higher than 1 cm 2 V -1 s -1 with an on/off ratio > 10 7 is realized, and the performances are comparable to those of commercial amorphous silicon transistors. This coplanar transistor simplifies the fabrication process of corresponding circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Levels of coplanar PCBs in human breast milk at different times of lactation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gonzalez, M.J.; Ramos, L.; Hernandez, L.M.

PCBs are a highly lipophilic group of global pollutants, consisting of 209 congeners which exhibit wide differences in their toxic and biological effects. The coplanar PCB (non-, mono- and di-ortho Chlorine substituted) congeners, the most toxic ones, induce similar toxic effects as 2,3,7,8 TCDD. Thus for risk assessment of exposure to PCBs, the analysis of these coplanar congeners is required. The PCB levels in human breast milk are of specific concern because of the potential health damage which may be caused to the nursing baby. The PCB levels in this sample come from previously accumulated quantities in body fat whosemore » principal source is food, and pass directly to the nursing baby who accumulates the PCBs in adipose tissue. The amount of total PCBs and other organochlorine compounds (OCC) in human milk at different time intervals after birth was reported earlier, but data concerning individual and coplanar PCBs are sparse in the literature. The results from some studies showed a gradual decrease of residual levels in milk and milk fat. However, other research has shown differences in this respect. We present our first result concerning the concentration of 14 individual PCBs (13 coplanars) in breast milk from the same mother, during weeks 8 to 12 of lactation. We related the different concentration variations observed among the individual PCBs to their molecular structure and % fat in human breast milk. 17 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.« less

Dielectric Covered Planar Antennas at Submillimeter Wavelengths for Terahertz Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhyay, Goutam; Gill, John J.; Skalare, Anders; Lee, Choonsup; Llombart, Nuria; Siegel, Peter H.

2011-01-01

Most optical systems require antennas with directive patterns. This means that the physical area of the antenna will be large in terms of the wavelength. When non-cooled systems are used, the losses of microstrip or coplanar waveguide lines impede the use of standard patch or slot antennas for a large number of elements in a phased array format. Traditionally, this problem has been solved by using silicon lenses. However, if an array of such highly directive antennas is to be used for imaging applications, the fabrication of many closely spaced lenses becomes a problem. Moreover, planar antennas are usually fed by microstrip or coplanar waveguides while the mixer or the detector elements (usually Schottky diodes) are coupled in a waveguide environment. The coupling between the antenna and the detector/ mixer can be a fabrication challenge in an imaging array at submillimeter wavelengths. Antennas excited by a waveguide (TE10) mode makes use of dielectric superlayers to increase the directivity. These antennas create a kind of Fabry- Perot cavity between the ground plane and the first layer of dielectric. In reality, the antenna operates as a leaky wave mode where a leaky wave pole propagates along the cavity while it radiates. Thanks to this pole, the directivity of a small antenna is considerably enhanced. The antenna consists of a waveguide feed, which can be coupled to a mixer or detector such as a Schottky diode via a standard probe design. The waveguide is loaded with a double-slot iris to perform an impedance match and to suppress undesired modes that can propagate on the cavity. On top of the slot there is an air cavity and on top, a small portion of a hemispherical lens. The fractional bandwidth of such antennas is around 10 percent, which is good enough for heterodyne imaging applications.The new geometry makes use of a silicon lens instead of dielectric quarter wavelength substrates. This design presents several advantages when used in the submillimeter-wave and terahertz bands: a) Antenna fabrication compatible with lithographic techniques. b) Much simpler fabrication of the lens. c) A simple quarter-wavelength matching layer of the lens will be more efficient if a smaller portion of the lens is used. d) The directivity is given by the lens diameter instead of the leaky pole (the bandwidth will not depend anymore on the directivity but just on the initial cavity). The feed is a standard waveguide, which is compatible with proven Schottky diode mixer/detector technologies. The development of such technology will benefit applications where submillimeter- wave heterodyne array designs are required. The main fields are national security, planetary exploration, and biomedicine. For national security, wideband submillimeter radars could be an effective tool for the standoff detection of hidden weapons or bombs concealed by clothing or packaging. In the field of planetary exploration, wideband submillimeter radars can be used as a spectrometer to detect trace concentrations of chemicals in atmospheres that are too cold to rely on thermal imaging techniques. In biomedicine, an imaging heterodyne system could be helpful in detecting skin diseases.

Accurate determination of segmented X-ray detector geometry

DOE PAGES

Yefanov, Oleksandr; Mariani, Valerio; Gati, Cornelius; ...

2015-10-22

Recent advances in X-ray detector technology have resulted in the introduction of segmented detectors composed of many small detector modules tiled together to cover a large detection area. Due to mechanical tolerances and the desire to be able to change the module layout to suit the needs of different experiments, the pixels on each module might not align perfectly on a regular grid. Several detectors are designed to permit detector sub-regions (or modules) to be moved relative to each other for different experiments. Accurate determination of the location of detector elements relative to the beam-sample interaction point is critical formore » many types of experiment, including X-ray crystallography, coherent diffractive imaging (CDI), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and spectroscopy. For detectors with moveable modules, the relative positions of pixels are no longer fixed, necessitating the development of a simple procedure to calibrate detector geometry after reconfiguration. We describe a simple and robust method for determining the geometry of segmented X-ray detectors using measurements obtained by serial crystallography. By comparing the location of observed Bragg peaks to the spot locations predicted from the crystal indexing procedure, the position, rotation and distance of each module relative to the interaction region can be refined. Furthermore, we show that the refined detector geometry greatly improves the results of experiments.« less

First real-time detection of surface dust in a tokamak.

PubMed

Skinner, C H; Rais, B; Roquemore, A L; Kugel, H W; Marsala, R; Provost, T

2010-10-01

The first real-time detection of surface dust inside a tokamak was made using an electrostatic dust detector. A fine grid of interlocking circuit traces was installed in the NSTX vessel and biased to 50 V. Impinging dust particles created a temporary short circuit and the resulting current pulse was recorded by counting electronics. The techniques used to increase the detector sensitivity by a factor of ×10,000 to match NSTX dust levels while suppressing electrical pickup are presented. The results were validated by comparison to laboratory measurements, by the null signal from a covered detector that was only sensitive to pickup, and by the dramatic increase in signal when Li particles were introduced for wall conditioning purposes.

CdZnTe Image Detectors for Hard-X-Ray Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, C. M. Hubert; Cook, Walter R.; Harrison, Fiona A.; Lin, Jiao Y. Y.; Mao, Peter H.; Schindler, Stephen M.

2005-01-01

Arrays of CdZnTe photodetectors and associated electronic circuitry have been built and tested in a continuing effort to develop focal-plane image sensor systems for hard-x-ray telescopes. Each array contains 24 by 44 pixels at a pitch of 498 m. The detector designs are optimized to obtain low power demand with high spectral resolution in the photon- energy range of 5 to 100 keV. More precisely, each detector array is a hybrid of a CdZnTe photodetector array and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) containing an array of amplifiers in the same pixel pattern as that of the detectors. The array is fabricated on a single crystal of CdZnTe having dimensions of 23.6 by 12.9 by 2 mm. The detector-array cathode is a monolithic platinum contact. On the anode plane, the contact metal is patterned into the aforementioned pixel array, surrounded by a guard ring that is 1 mm wide on three sides and is 0.1 mm wide on the fourth side so that two such detector arrays can be placed side-by-side to form a roughly square sensor area with minimal dead area between them. Figure 1 shows two anode patterns. One pattern features larger pixel anode contacts, with a 30-m gap between them. The other pattern features smaller pixel anode contacts plus a contact for a shaping electrode in the form of a grid that separates all the pixels. In operation, the grid is held at a potential intermediate between the cathode and anode potentials to steer electric charges toward the anode in order to reduce the loss of charges in the inter-anode gaps. The CdZnTe photodetector array is mechanically and electrically connected to the ASIC (see Figure 2), either by use of indium bump bonds or by use of conductive epoxy bumps on the CdZnTe array joined to gold bumps on the ASIC. Hence, the output of each pixel detector is fed to its own amplifier chain.

A Survey of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans and Co-planar Polychlorinated Biphenyls in U.S. Meat and Poultry, 2007-2008

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A statistically-based survey of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in domestic meat and poultry was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from September 2007 to September 2008. Seventeen toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and three coplanar pol...

A flexible CPW package for a 30 GHz MMIC amplifier. [coplanar waveguide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Taub, Susan R.

1992-01-01

A novel package, which consists of a carrier housing, has been developed for monolithic-millimeter wave Integrated Circuit amplifiers which operate at 30 giga-Hz. The carrier has coplanar waveguide (CPW) interconnects and provides heat-sinking, tuning, and cascading capabilities. The housing provides electrical isolation, mechanical protection and a feed-thru for biasing.

WE-EF-207-03: Design and Optimization of a CBCT Head Scanner for Detection of Acute Intracranial Hemorrhage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, J; Sisniega, A; Zbijewski, W

Purpose: To design a dedicated x-ray cone-beam CT (CBCT) system suitable to deployment at the point-of-care and offering reliable detection of acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and other head and neck injuries. Methods: A comprehensive task-based image quality model was developed to guide system design and optimization of a prototype head scanner suitable to imaging of acute TBI and ICH. Previously reported models were expanded to include the effects of x-ray scatter correction necessary for detection of low contrast ICH and the contribution of bit depth (digitization noise) to imaging performance. Task-based detectablity index provided themore » objective function for optimization of system geometry, x-ray source, detector type, anti-scatter grid, and technique at 10–25 mGy dose. Optimal characteristics were experimentally validated using a custom head phantom with 50 HU contrast ICH inserts imaged on a CBCT imaging bench allowing variation of system geometry, focal spot size, detector, grid selection, and x-ray technique. Results: The model guided selection of system geometry with a nominal source-detector distance 1100 mm and optimal magnification of 1.50. Focal spot size ∼0.6 mm was sufficient for spatial resolution requirements in ICH detection. Imaging at 90 kVp yielded the best tradeoff between noise and contrast. The model provided quantitation of tradeoffs between flat-panel and CMOS detectors with respect to electronic noise, field of view, and readout speed required for imaging of ICH. An anti-scatter grid was shown to provide modest benefit in conjunction with post-acquisition scatter correction. Images of the head phantom demonstrate visualization of millimeter-scale simulated ICH. Conclusions: Performance consistent with acute TBI and ICH detection is feasible with model-based system design and robust artifact correction in a dedicated head CBCT system. Further improvements can be achieved with incorporation of model-based iterative reconstruction techniques also within the scope of the task-based optimization framework. David Foos and Xiaohui Wang are employees of Carestream Health.« less

High-Performance Secure Database Access Technologies for HEP Grids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthew Vranicar; John Weicher

2006-04-17

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN Laboratory will become the largest scientific instrument in the world when it starts operations in 2007. Large Scale Analysis Computer Systems (computational grids) are required to extract rare signals of new physics from petabytes of LHC detector data. In addition to file-based event data, LHC data processing applications require access to large amounts of data in relational databases: detector conditions, calibrations, etc. U.S. high energy physicists demand efficient performance of grid computing applications in LHC physics research where world-wide remote participation is vital to their success. To empower physicists with data-intensive analysismore » capabilities a whole hyperinfrastructure of distributed databases cross-cuts a multi-tier hierarchy of computational grids. The crosscutting allows separation of concerns across both the global environment of a federation of computational grids and the local environment of a physicist’s computer used for analysis. Very few efforts are on-going in the area of database and grid integration research. Most of these are outside of the U.S. and rely on traditional approaches to secure database access via an extraneous security layer separate from the database system core, preventing efficient data transfers. Our findings are shared by the Database Access and Integration Services Working Group of the Global Grid Forum, who states that "Research and development activities relating to the Grid have generally focused on applications where data is stored in files. However, in many scientific and commercial domains, database management systems have a central role in data storage, access, organization, authorization, etc, for numerous applications.” There is a clear opportunity for a technological breakthrough, requiring innovative steps to provide high-performance secure database access technologies for grid computing. We believe that an innovative database architecture where the secure authorization is pushed into the database engine will eliminate inefficient data transfer bottlenecks. Furthermore, traditionally separated database and security layers provide an extra vulnerability, leaving a weak clear-text password authorization as the only protection on the database core systems. Due to the legacy limitations of the systems’ security models, the allowed passwords often can not even comply with the DOE password guideline requirements. We see an opportunity for the tight integration of the secure authorization layer with the database server engine resulting in both improved performance and improved security. Phase I has focused on the development of a proof-of-concept prototype using Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) Argonne Tandem-Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) project as a test scenario. By developing a grid-security enabled version of the ATLAS project’s current relation database solution, MySQL, PIOCON Technologies aims to offer a more efficient solution to secure database access.« less

A gating grid driver for time projection chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tangwancharoen, S.; Lynch, W. G.; Barney, J.; Estee, J.; Shane, R.; Tsang, M. B.; Zhang, Y.; Isobe, T.; Kurata-Nishimura, M.; Murakami, T.; Xiao, Z. G.; Zhang, Y. F.; SπRIT Collaboration

2017-05-01

A simple but novel driver system has been developed to operate the wire gating grid of a Time Projection Chamber (TPC). This system connects the wires of the gating grid to its driver via low impedance transmission lines. When the gating grid is open, all wires have the same voltage allowing drift electrons, produced by the ionization of the detector gas molecules, to pass through to the anode wires. When the grid is closed, the wires have alternating higher and lower voltages causing the drift electrons to terminate at the more positive wires. Rapid opening of the gating grid with low pickup noise is achieved by quickly shorting the positive and negative wires to attain the average bias potential with N-type and P-type MOSFET switches. The circuit analysis and simulation software SPICE shows that the driver restores the gating grid voltage to 90% of the opening voltage in less than 0.20 μs, for small values of the termination resistors. When tested in the experimental environment of a time projection chamber larger termination resistors were chosen so that the driver opens the gating grid in 0.35 μs. In each case, opening time is basically characterized by the RC constant given by the resistance of the switches and terminating resistors and the capacitance of the gating grid and its transmission line. By adding a second pair of N-type and P-type MOSFET switches, the gating grid is closed by restoring 99% of the original charges to the wires within 3 μs.

Real-time continuous-wave terahertz line scanner based on a compact 1 × 240 InGaAs Schottky barrier diode array detector.

PubMed

Han, Sang-Pil; Ko, Hyunsung; Kim, Namje; Lee, Won-Hui; Moon, Kiwon; Lee, Il-Min; Lee, Eui Su; Lee, Dong Hun; Lee, Wangjoo; Han, Seong-Tae; Choi, Sung-Wook; Park, Kyung Hyun

2014-11-17

We demonstrate real-time continuous-wave terahertz (THz) line-scanned imaging based on a 1 × 240 InGaAs Schottky barrier diode (SBD) array detector with a scan velocity of 25 cm/s, a scan line length of 12 cm, and a pixel size of 0.5 × 0.5 mm². Foreign substances, such as a paper clip with a spatial resolution of approximately 1 mm that is hidden under a cracker, are clearly detected by this THz line-scanning system. The system consists of the SBD array detector, a 200-GHz gyrotron source, a conveyor system, and several optical components such as a high-density polyethylene cylindrical lens, metal cylindrical mirror, and THz wire-grid polarizer. Using the THz polarizer, the signal-to-noise ratio of the SBD array detector improves because the quality of the source beam is enhanced.

Assessment of the Technology and Practice for Determining Casing Degradation during Offshore Drilling Operations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

industries. Transport of hydrocarbons Castagnet. A.COG. InStituto de Energia Atomica. Sao Paulo (Brazil). Divisao de ApI icacao de Radioisotopos na...DETECTOR*; MEETING PAPER; OPERATING CONDITION; PIPELINE*; PRESSURE: SAFETY EQUIPMENT; SOLAR ENERGY: THERMAL INSULATION: TUBE; VALVE Leaks In gas grids

Towards Reliable Evaluation of Anomaly-Based Intrusion Detection Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viswanathan, Arun

2012-01-01

This report describes the results of research into the effects of environment-induced noise on the evaluation process for anomaly detectors in the cyber security domain. This research was conducted during a 10-week summer internship program from the 19th of August, 2012 to the 23rd of August, 2012 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The research performed lies within the larger context of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Smart Grid cyber security project, a Department of Energy (DoE) funded effort involving the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California/ Information Sciences Institute. The results of the present effort constitute an important contribution towards building more rigorous evaluation paradigms for anomaly-based intrusion detectors in complex cyber physical systems such as the Smart Grid. Anomaly detection is a key strategy for cyber intrusion detection and operates by identifying deviations from profiles of nominal behavior and are thus conceptually appealing for detecting "novel" attacks. Evaluating the performance of such a detector requires assessing: (a) how well it captures the model of nominal behavior, and (b) how well it detects attacks (deviations from normality). Current evaluation methods produce results that give insufficient insight into the operation of a detector, inevitably resulting in a significantly poor characterization of a detectors performance. In this work, we first describe a preliminary taxonomy of key evaluation constructs that are necessary for establishing rigor in the evaluation regime of an anomaly detector. We then focus on clarifying the impact of the operational environment on the manifestation of attacks in monitored data. We show how dynamic and evolving environments can introduce high variability into the data stream perturbing detector performance. Prior research has focused on understanding the impact of this variability in training data for anomaly detectors, but has ignored variability in the attack signal that will necessarily affect the evaluation results for such detectors. We posit that current evaluation strategies implicitly assume that attacks always manifest in a stable manner; we show that this assumption is wrong. We describe a simple experiment to demonstrate the effects of environmental noise on the manifestation of attacks in data and introduce the notion of attack manifestation stability. Finally, we argue that conclusions about detector performance will be unreliable and incomplete if the stability of attack manifestation is not accounted for in the evaluation strategy.

DEVELOPMERNT OF A LOW-LEVEL ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR CO-PLANAR PCB CONGENERS IN SOIL/SEDIMENT MATRICES USING GC/ECD.

EPA Science Inventory

The method development is on-going in the Region 10 Laboratory. The conditions of the separation technique is complete. The MDLs have been determined to be between 3 to 6 ppt in marine sediment for co-planar PCB congeners #77; #81; #126 and #169. The procedure has been used fo...

Low-loss LIGA-micromachined conductor-backed coplanar waveguide.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forman, Michael A.

2004-12-01

A mesoscale low-loss LIGA-micromachined conductor-backed coplanar waveguide is presented. The 517 {micro}m lines are the tallest uniplanar LIGA-fabricated microwave transmission lines to date, as well as the first to be constructed of copper rather than nickel. The conductor-backed micromachined CPW on quartz achieves a measured attenuation of 0.064 dB/cm at 15.5 GHz.

Reference values of coplanar and non-coplanar PCBs in serum samples from two Italian population groups.

PubMed

Turci, Roberta; Finozzi, Enrico; Catenacci, Giovanni; Marinaccio, Alessandro; Balducci, Claudio; Minoia, Claudio

2006-04-10

The main goal of this study is to establish the reference values of individual Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in non-occupationally exposed subjects. Since the PCB pattern in human serum is related to the living area, two different population groups from North and Central Italy, were compared. Serum concentrations of both coplanar and non-coplanar PCB congeners were measured by using gas chromatography coupled with low-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-LRMS). A fast and reliable method for the determination of 60 congeners had been previously validated. Its reliability was further verified by using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Thirty-one congeners out of 60 were found at detectable concentrations in at least one sample. The mean value for total PCBs was found to be 2.48 and 3.93 microg/L for the two population groups. Eight dioxin-like PCBs were detected. In accordance with the findings from the literature, the most abundant congeners were found to be 153, 138, 180, and 170. Both univariate and multivariate analysis showed that age is a significant determinant of PCB concentrations. The correlation increased with increasing chlorination. Slight differences in the PCB pattern were observed in the two population groups.

Characterization of Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide with Narrow Ground Planes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Tentzeris, Emmanouil M.; Katehi, Linda P. B.

1997-01-01

Coplanar waveguide with finite width ground planes is characterized through measurements, conformal mapping, and the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique for the purpose of determining the optimum ground plane width. The attenuation and effective permittivity of the lines are related to its geometry. It is found that the characteristics of the Finite Ground Coplanar line (FGC) are not dependent on the ground plane width if it is greater than twice the center conductor width, but less than lambda(sub d)/8. In addition, electromagnetic field plots are presented which show for the first time that electric fields in the plane of the substrate terminate on the outer edge of the ground plane, and that the magnitude of these fields is related to the ground plane width.

UHF coplanar-slot antenna for aircraft-to-satellite data communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myhre, R. W.

1979-01-01

A lightweight low drag coplanar slot antenna was developed for use on commercial jet aircraft that will provide upper hemisphere coverage in the UHF band at frequencies of 402 and 468 MHz is described. The antenna is designed to transmit meteorological data from wide body jet aircraft to ground users via synchronous meteorological data relay satellites. The low profile antenna (23.5 cm wide by 38.1 cm long slot by 1.9 cm high) is a conformal antenna utilizing the coplanar approach with the advantages of broad frequency bandwidth and improved electrical integrity over wide range of temperature. The antenna is circular polarized, has anon axis gain of near +2.5 dB, and a HPBW greater than 90 deg. Areas discussed include antenna design, radiation characteristics, flight testing, and system performance.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minami, R., E-mail: minami@prc.tsukuba.ac.jp; Imai, T.; Kariya, T.

Temporally and spatially resolved soft x-ray and end-loss-electron analyses of the electron cyclotron heated plasmas are carried out by using a semiconductor detector array and an electrostatic energy analyzer in the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. The flux and the energy spectrum of the end loss electrons are measured by a multi-grid energy analyzer. Recently, the electron cyclotron heating power modulation experiments have been started in order to generate and control the high heat flux and to make the edge localized mode-like intermittent heat load pattern for the divertor simulation studies by the use of these detectors for electron properties.

Method and apparatus for two-dimensional absolute optical encoding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leviton, Douglas B. (Inventor)

2004-01-01

This invention presents a two-dimensional absolute optical encoder and a method for determining position of an object in accordance with information from the encoder. The encoder of the present invention comprises a scale having a pattern being predetermined to indicate an absolute location on the scale, means for illuminating the scale, means for forming an image of the pattern; and detector means for outputting signals derived from the portion of the image of the pattern which lies within a field of view of the detector means, the field of view defining an image reference coordinate system, and analyzing means, receiving the signals from the detector means, for determining the absolute location of the object. There are two types of scale patterns presented in this invention: grid type and starfield type.

New Techniques for Exciting Linearly Tapered Slot Antennas with Coplanar Waveguide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, R. N.; Lee, R. Q.; Perl, T. D.

1992-01-01

Two new techniques for exciting a linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) with coplanar waveguide (CPW) are introduced. In the first approach, an air bridge is used to couple power from a CPW to an LTSA. In the second approach, power is electromagnetically coupled from a finite CPW (FCPW) to an LTSA. Measured results at 18 GHz show excellent return loss and radiation patterns.

Coplanar waveguide discontinuities for P-I-N diode switches and filter applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dib, N. I.; Katehi, P. B.; Ponchak, George E.; Simons, Rainee N.

1990-01-01

A full wave space domain integral equation (SDIE) analysis of coplanar waveguide (CPW) two port discontinuities is presented. An experimental setup to measure the S-parameters of such discontinuities is described. Experimental and theoretical results for CPW realizations of pass-band and stop-band filters are presented. The S-parameters of such structures are plotted in the frequency range 5 to 25 GHz.

Journal Article: the National Dioxin Air Monitoring Network (Ndamn): Measurements of CDDs, CDFs and Coplanar PCBs at 15 Rural and 6 National Park Areas of the U.S.: June 1998-December 1999.

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA has established a National Dioxin Air Monitoring Network (NDAMN) to determine the temporal and geographical variability of atmospheric CDDs, CDFs and coplanar PCBs at rural and nonimpacted locations throughout the United States. Currently operating at 32 sampling st...

Temperature Dependence of Attenuation of Coplanar Waveguide on 4H High Resistivity SIC Through 540C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, G. E.; Schwartz, Z.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Downey, A. N.; Freeman, J. C.

2003-01-01

For the first time, the temperature and frequency dependence of the attenuation of a Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) on 4H, High Resistivity Sic substrate is reported. The low frequency attenuation increases by 2 dB/cm at 500 C and the high frequency attenuation increases by 3.3 dB/cm at 500 C compared to room temperature.

Minimum fuel coplanar aeroassisted orbital transfer using collocation and nonlinear programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Yun Yuan; Young, D. H.

1991-01-01

The fuel optimal control problem arising in coplanar orbital transfer employing aeroassisted technology is addressed. The mission involves the transfer from high energy orbit (HEO) to low energy orbit (LEO) without plane change. The basic approach here is to employ a combination of propulsive maneuvers in space and aerodynamic maneuvers in the atmosphere. The basic sequence of events for the coplanar aeroassisted HEO to LEO orbit transfer consists of three phases. In the first phase, the transfer begins with a deorbit impulse at HEO which injects the vehicle into a elliptic transfer orbit with perigee inside the atmosphere. In the second phase, the vehicle is optimally controlled by lift and drag modulation to satisfy heating constraints and to exit the atmosphere with the desired flight path angle and velocity so that the apogee of the exit orbit is the altitude of the desired LEO. Finally, the second impulse is required to circularize the orbit at LEO. The performance index is maximum final mass. Simulation results show that the coplanar aerocapture is quite different from the case where orbital plane changes are made inside the atmosphere. In the latter case, the vehicle has to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere to perform the desired orbital plane change. For the coplanar case, the vehicle needs only to penetrate the atmosphere deep enough to reduce the exit velocity so the vehicle can be captured at the desired LEO. The peak heating rates are lower and the entry corridor is wider. From the thermal protection point of view, the coplanar transfer may be desirable. Parametric studies also show the maximum peak heating rates and the entry corridor width are functions of maximum lift coefficient. The problem is solved using a direct optimization technique which uses piecewise polynomial representation for the states and controls and collocation to represent the differential equations. This converts the optimal control problem into a nonlinear programming problem which is solved numerically by using a modified version of NPSOL. Solutions were obtained for the described problem for cases with and without heating constraints. The method appears to be more robust than other optimization methods. In addition, the method can handle complex dynamical constraints.

SU-E-T-321: Dosimetric Evaluation of Non-Coplanar Arcs in VMAT Planning for SBRT Lung Cases: A Planning Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, S; Gardner, S; Doemer, A

Purpose: Investigate use of standardized non-coplanar arcs to improve plan quality in lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy(SBRT) VMAT planning. Methods: VMAT planning was performed for 9 patients previously treated with SBRT for peripheral lung tumors (tumor size:12.7cc to 32.5cc). For each patient, 7 VMAT plans (couch rotation values:0,5,10,15,20,25,and 30 deg) were generated; the coplanar plans were pushed to meet the RTOG0915 constraints and each non-coplanar plans utilized the same optimization constraints. The following plan dose metrics were used (taken from RTOG 0915): D-2cm: the maximum dose at 2 cm from the PTV, conformality index (CI), gradient index (GI), lung volumemore » receiving 5 Gy (V5) and lung volume receiving 20 Gy (V20). The couch collision clearance was checked for each plan through a dry run using the couch position from the patient’s treatment. Results: Of the 9 cases, one coplanar plan failed to meet two protocol guidelines (both gradient index and D-2cm parameter), and an additional plan failed the D-2cm parameter. When introducing at least 5 degree couch rotation, all plans met the protocol guidelines. The largest feasible couch angle available was 15 to 20 degrees due to gantry collision issues. Non-coplanar plans resulted in the average (standard deviation) reduction of the following metrics: GI by 7.3% (3.7%); lung V20 by 11.1% (3.2%); D-2cm by 12.7% (3.9%). The CI was unchanged (−0.3%±0.6%), and lung V5 increased (3.8%±8.2%). Conclusion: The use of couch rotations as little as 5 degrees allows for plan quality that will meet RTOG0915 constraints while reducing D-2cm, GI, and lung V20. Using default couch rotations while planning SBRT cases will allow for more efficient planning with the stated goal of meeting RTOG0915 criteria for all clinical cases. Gantry clearance checks in the treatment room may be necessary to ensure safe treatments for larger couch rotation values.« less

Levels of non-ortho-substituted (coplanar), mono- and di-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans in human serum and adipose tissue.

PubMed Central

Patterson, D G; Todd, G D; Turner, W E; Maggio, V; Alexander, L R; Needham, L L

1994-01-01

We have measured non-ortho-substituted (coplanar) polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels as well as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) levels in human adipose tissue and serum collected in Atlanta, Georgia. The results show that the concentrations of the coplanar PCBs can be more than an order of magnitude higher than the concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Our measurements in pooled serum collected in 1982, 1988, and 1989 show a decrease in coplanar PCB levels from 1982 to 1989. We found that the pattern of relative amounts of coplanar PCBs in adipose tissue varied greatly from person to person unlike the PCDD and PCDF patterns, which were more nearly the same. Age was significantly correlated with the concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD,3,3'4,4'-PCB, 3,3',4,4',5-PCB, and 3,3'4,4',5,5'-PCB in adipose tissue. We also measured levels of the mono- and di-ortho chlorine-substituted PCBs in human serum. The levels for some of these PCB congeners were three orders of magnitude higher than the coplanar PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. We used the international toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) for PCDDs and PCDFs and the TEFs proposed by Safe for PCBs to calculate the 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents. Four PCBs (3,3',4,4',5-; 2,3',4,4',5-;2,3,3',4,4'-;2,3,3',4,4',5-) make a larger contribution than 2,3,7,8-TCDD, while four other PCBs (3,3',4,4'5,5'-; 2,2',3,4,4',5'-;2,2',4,4',5,5'-;2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-) make nearly the same contribution as 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The mono-ortho-chlorine-substituted 2,3',4,4',5-PCB, however, is the major contributor to the total 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents in general population samples from the United States, Sweden, and Japan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:8187709

Distributed data analysis in ATLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, Paul; Atlas Collaboration

2012-12-01

Data analysis using grid resources is one of the fundamental challenges to be addressed before the start of LHC data taking. The ATLAS detector will produce petabytes of data per year, and roughly one thousand users will need to run physics analyses on this data. Appropriate user interfaces and helper applications have been made available to ensure that the grid resources can be used without requiring expertise in grid technology. These tools enlarge the number of grid users from a few production administrators to potentially all participating physicists. ATLAS makes use of three grid infrastructures for the distributed analysis: the EGEE sites, the Open Science Grid, and Nordu Grid. These grids are managed by the gLite workload management system, the PanDA workload management system, and ARC middleware; many sites can be accessed via both the gLite WMS and PanDA. Users can choose between two front-end tools to access the distributed resources. Ganga is a tool co-developed with LHCb to provide a common interface to the multitude of execution backends (local, batch, and grid). The PanDA workload management system provides a set of utilities called PanDA Client; with these tools users can easily submit Athena analysis jobs to the PanDA-managed resources. Distributed data is managed by Don Quixote 2, a system developed by ATLAS; DQ2 is used to replicate datasets according to the data distribution policies and maintains a central catalog of file locations. The operation of the grid resources is continually monitored by the Ganga Robot functional testing system, and infrequent site stress tests are performed using the Hammer Cloud system. In addition, the DAST shift team is a group of power users who take shifts to provide distributed analysis user support; this team has effectively relieved the burden of support from the developers.

Ab initio simulation of diffractometer instrumental function for high-resolution X-ray diffraction1

PubMed Central

Mikhalychev, Alexander; Benediktovitch, Andrei; Ulyanenkova, Tatjana; Ulyanenkov, Alex

2015-01-01

Modeling of the X-ray diffractometer instrumental function for a given optics configuration is important both for planning experiments and for the analysis of measured data. A fast and universal method for instrumental function simulation, suitable for fully automated computer realization and describing both coplanar and noncoplanar measurement geometries for any combination of X-ray optical elements, is proposed. The method can be identified as semi-analytical backward ray tracing and is based on the calculation of a detected signal as an integral of X-ray intensities for all the rays reaching the detector. The high speed of calculation is provided by the expressions for analytical integration over the spatial coordinates that describe the detection point. Consideration of the three-dimensional propagation of rays without restriction to the diffraction plane provides the applicability of the method for noncoplanar geometry and the accuracy for characterization of the signal from a two-dimensional detector. The correctness of the simulation algorithm is checked in the following two ways: by verifying the consistency of the calculated data with the patterns expected for certain simple limiting cases and by comparing measured reciprocal-space maps with the corresponding maps simulated by the proposed method for the same diffractometer configurations. Both kinds of tests demonstrate the agreement of the simulated instrumental function shape with the measured data. PMID:26089760

In situ optimization of pH for parts-per-billion electrochemical detection of dissolved hydrogen sulfide using boron doped diamond flow electrodes.

PubMed

Bitziou, Eleni; Joseph, Maxim B; Read, Tania L; Palmer, Nicola; Mollart, Tim; Newton, Mark E; Macpherson, Julie V

2014-11-04

A novel electrochemical approach to the direct detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), in aqueous solutions, covering a wide pH range (acid to alkali), is described. In brief, a dual band electrode device is employed, in a hydrodynamic flow cell, where the upstream electrode is used to controllably generate hydroxide ions (OH(-)), which flood the downstream detector electrode and provide the correct pH environment for complete conversion of H2S to the electrochemically detectable, sulfide (HS(-)) ion. All-diamond, coplanar conducting diamond band electrodes, insulated in diamond, were used due to their exceptional stability and robustness when applying extreme potentials, essential attributes for both local OH(-) generation via the reduction of water, and for in situ cleaning of the electrode, post oxidation of sulfide. Using a galvanostatic approach, it was demonstrated the pH locally could be modified by over five pH units, depending on the initial pH of the mobile phase and the applied current. Electrochemical detection limits of 13.6 ppb sulfide were achieved using flow injection amperometry. This approach which offers local control of the pH of the detector electrode in a solution, which is far from ideal for optimized detection of the analyte of interest, enhances the capabilities of online electrochemical detection systems.

Comparison of the extent of hippocampal sparing according to the tilt of a patient's head during WBRT using linear accelerator-based IMRT and VMAT.

PubMed

Moon, Sun Young; Yoon, Myonggeun; Chung, Mijoo; Chung, Weon Kuu; Kim, Dong Wook

2016-05-01

In this paper, we report the results of our investigation into whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) using linear accelerator-based intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in lung cancer patients with a high risk of metastasis to the brain. Specifically, we assessed the absorbed dose and the rate of adverse effects for several organs at risk (OAR), including the hippocampus, according to the tilt of a patient's head. We arbitrarily selected five cases where measurements were made with the patients' heads tilted forward and five cases without such tilt. We set the entire brain as the planning target volume (PTV), and the hippocampi, the lenses, the eyes, and the cochleae as the main OAR, and formulated new plans for IMRT (coplanar, non-coplanar) and VMAT (coplanar, non-coplanar). Using the dose-volume histogram (DVH), we calculated and compared the effective uniform dose (EUD), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) of the OAR and the mean and the maximum doses of hippocampus. As a result, if the patient tilted the head forward when receiving the Linac-based treatment, for the same treatment effect in the PTV, we confirmed that a lower dose entered the OAR, such as the hippocampus, eye, lens, and cochlea. Moreover, the damage to the hippocampus was expected to be the least when receiving coplanar VMAT with the head tilted forward. Accordingly, if patients tilt their heads forward when undergoing Linac-based WBRT, we anticipate that a smaller dose would be transmitted to the OAR, resulting in better quality of life following treatment. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

results obtained by the application of two different methods for the calculation of optimal coplanar orbital maneuvers with time limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocco, Emr; Prado, Afbap; Souza, Mlos

In this work, the problem of bi-impulsive orbital transfers between coplanar elliptical orbits with minimum fuel consumption but with a time limit for this transfer is studied. As a first method, the equations presented by Lawden (1993) were used. Those equations furnishes the optimal transfer orbit with fixed time for this transfer, between two elliptical coplanar orbits considering fixed terminal points. The method was adapted to cases with free terminal points and those equations was solved to develop a software for orbital maneuvers. As a second method, the equations presented by Eckel and Vinh (1984) were used, those equations provide the transfer orbit between non-coplanar elliptical orbits with minimum fuel and fixed time transfer, or minimum time transfer for a prescribed fuel consumption, considering free terminal points. But in this work only the problem with fixed time transfer was considered, the case of minimum time for a prescribed fuel consumption was already studied in Rocco et al. (2000). Then, the method was modified to consider cases of coplanar orbital transfer, and develop a software for orbital maneuvers. Therefore, two software that solve the same problem using different methods were developed. The first method, presented by Lawden, uses the primer vector theory. The second method, presented by Eckel and Vinh, uses the ordinary theory of maxima and minima. So, to test the methods we choose the same terminal orbits and the same time as input. We could verify that we didn't obtain exactly the same result. In this work, that is an extension of Rocco et al. (2002), these differences in the results are explored with objective of determining the reason of the occurrence of these differences and which modifications should be done to eliminate them.

Dosimetric verification of IMRT treatment planning using Monte Carlo simulations for prostate cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Li, J.; Chen, L.; Price, R.; McNeeley, S.; Qin, L.; Wang, L.; Xiong, W.; Ma, C.-M.

2005-03-01

The purpose of this work is to investigate the accuracy of dose calculation of a commercial treatment planning system (Corvus, Normos Corp., Sewickley, PA). In this study, 30 prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans from the commercial treatment planning system were recalculated using the Monte Carlo method. Dose-volume histograms and isodose distributions were compared. Other quantities such as minimum dose to the target (Dmin), the dose received by 98% of the target volume (D98), dose at the isocentre (Diso), mean target dose (Dmean) and the maximum critical structure dose (Dmax) were also evaluated based on our clinical criteria. For coplanar plans, the dose differences between Monte Carlo and the commercial treatment planning system with and without heterogeneity correction were not significant. The differences in the isocentre dose between the commercial treatment planning system and Monte Carlo simulations were less than 3% for all coplanar cases. The differences on D98 were less than 2% on average. The differences in the mean dose to the target between the commercial system and Monte Carlo results were within 3%. The differences in the maximum bladder dose were within 3% for most cases. The maximum dose differences for the rectum were less than 4% for all the cases. For non-coplanar plans, the difference in the minimum target dose between the treatment planning system and Monte Carlo calculations was up to 9% if the heterogeneity correction was not applied in Corvus. This was caused by the excessive attenuation of the non-coplanar beams by the femurs. When the heterogeneity correction was applied in Corvus, the differences were reduced significantly. These results suggest that heterogeneity correction should be used in dose calculation for prostate cancer with non-coplanar beam arrangements.

Trajectory optimization for dynamic couch rotation during volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyth, Gregory; Bamber, Jeffrey C.; Evans, Philip M.; Bedford, James L.

2013-11-01

Non-coplanar radiation beams are often used in three-dimensional conformal and intensity modulated radiotherapy to reduce dose to organs at risk (OAR) by geometric avoidance. In volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) non-coplanar geometries are generally achieved by applying patient couch rotations to single or multiple full or partial arcs. This paper presents a trajectory optimization method for a non-coplanar technique, dynamic couch rotation during VMAT (DCR-VMAT), which combines ray tracing with a graph search algorithm. Four clinical test cases (partial breast, brain, prostate only, and prostate and pelvic nodes) were used to evaluate the potential OAR sparing for trajectory-optimized DCR-VMAT plans, compared with standard coplanar VMAT. In each case, ray tracing was performed and a cost map reflecting the number of OAR voxels intersected for each potential source position was generated. The least-cost path through the cost map, corresponding to an optimal DCR-VMAT trajectory, was determined using Dijkstra’s algorithm. Results show that trajectory optimization can reduce dose to specified OARs for plans otherwise comparable to conventional coplanar VMAT techniques. For the partial breast case, the mean heart dose was reduced by 53%. In the brain case, the maximum lens doses were reduced by 61% (left) and 77% (right) and the globes by 37% (left) and 40% (right). Bowel mean dose was reduced by 15% in the prostate only case. For the prostate and pelvic nodes case, the bowel V50 Gy and V60 Gy were reduced by 9% and 45% respectively. Future work will involve further development of the algorithm and assessment of its performance over a larger number of cases in site-specific cohorts.

Altered thyroid status in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) exposed to co-planar 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl.

PubMed

Brown, Scott B; Evans, Robert E; Vandenbyllardt, Lenore; Finnson, Ken W; Palace, Vince P; Kane, Andrew S; Yarechewski, Alvin Y; Muir, Derek C G

2004-03-30

Recent studies indicate that co-planar 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners or their metabolites may disrupt thyroid function in fishes. Although co-planar PCB have been detected at microgram per kilogram levels in fish from contaminated areas, few studies have examined mechanisms whereby, co-planar PCBs may alter thyroid function in fish. We treated immature lake trout by intraperitoneal (i.p.)-injection or dietary gavage with vehicle containing 0, 0.7, 1.2, 25 or 40 microg 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) per kgBW. Blood and tissue samples were collected at various times up to 61 weeks following exposure. The treatments produced sustained dose-dependent elevations of tissue (PCB 126) concentrations. Thyroid epithelial cell height (TECH), plasma thyroxine (T4) and 3,3',5-triiodo-l-thyronine (T3) concentrations, hepatic 5'-monodeiodinase, hepatic glucuronidation of T4 and T3, as well as plasma T4 kinetics and fish growth were analyzed. Exposure to the highest doses of PCB 126 caused increased TECH, plasma T4 dynamics and T4-glucuronidation (T4-G). PCB 126 did not affect 5'-monodeiodinase and T3-glucuronidation (T3-G) and there were no effects on fish growth or condition. Because T3 status and growth were unaffected, the thyroid system was able to compensate for the alterations caused by the PCB 126 exposure. It is clear that concentrations of co-planar PCBs similar to those found in predatory fish from contaminated areas in the Great Lakes are capable of enhancing metabolism of T4. These changes may be of significance when T4 requirements are high for other reasons (e.g. periods of rapid growth, warm temperatures, metamorphosis, and parr-smolt transformation).

Further studies on criteria for the onset of dynamical instability in general three-body systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pendleton, Y. J.; Black, D. C.

1983-01-01

Numerical experiments designed for the elucidation of the conditions under which self-gravitating, three-body systems become dynamically unstable are examined of the cases of four orbital configuration types: circular, prograde, and coplanar; circular, retrograde, and coplanar; circular, direct, and inclined; and eccentric, direct, and coplanar. Results indicate that orbital inclination does not significantly affect stability in 'outer planet' configurations, while the stability of 'inner planet' configurations, where the tertiary is in close orbit about one member of the binary, is markedly less affected, once the relative orbital inclination is greater than 50 deg. It is found that the onset of dynamical instability is only weakly dependent on the eccentricity of either the binary or tertiary orbit, as long as the mass of the tertiary is comparable to the reduced mass of the binary.

Conductor-backed coplanar waveguide resonators of Y-Ba-Cu-O and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O on LaAlO3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, F. A.; Bhasin, K. B.; Stan, M. A.; Kong, K. S.; Itoh, T.

1992-01-01

Conductor-backed coplanar waveguide (CBCPW) resonators operating at 10.8 GHz have been fabricated from Tl-Ba-Ca-O (TBCCO) and Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) thin films on LaAlO3. The resonators consist of a coplanar waveguide (CPW) patterned on the superconducting film side of the LaAlO3 substrate with a gold ground plane coated on the opposite side. These resonators were tested in the temperature range from 14 to 106 K. At 77 K, the best of our TBCCO and YBCO resonators have an unloaded quality factor (Qo) 7 and 4 times, respectively, larger than that of a similar all-gold resonator. In this study, the Qo's of the TBCCO resonators were larger than those of their YBCO counterparts throughout the aforementioned temperature range.

Phase diagram of the Shastry-Sutherland Kondo lattice model with classical localized spins: a variational calculation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, Munir; Sengupta, Pinaki

2017-08-01

We study the Shastry-Sutherland Kondo lattice model with additional Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions, exploring the possible magnetic phases in its multi-dimensional parameter space. Treating the local moments as classical spins and using a variational ansatz, we identify the parameter ranges over which various common magnetic orderings are potentially stabilized. Our results reveal that the competing interactions result in a heightened susceptibility towards a wide range of spin configurations including longitudinal ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order, coplanar flux configurations and most interestingly, multiple non-coplanar configurations including a novel canted-flux state as the different Hamiltonian parameters like electron density, interaction strengths and degree of frustration are varied. The non-coplanar and non-collinear magnetic ordering of localized spins behave like emergent electromagnetic fields and drive unusual transport and electronic phenomena.

Laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(7-x) high temperature superconductor coplanar waveguide resonator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valco, G. J.; Blemker, A. R.; Bhasin, K. B.

1992-01-01

Several 8.8-GHz coplanar waveguide resonators are fabricated and tested that are made from laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(7-x) thin films on LaAlO3 substrates. A quality factor of 1250 at 77 K was measured. A correlation between the microwave performance of the resonators and the critical temperature and morphology of the films was observed.

The Application of the FDTD Method to Millimeter-Wave Filter Circuits Including the Design and Analysis of a Compact Coplanar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oswald, J. E.; Siegel, P. H.

1994-01-01

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is applied to the analysis of microwave, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave filter circuits. In each case, the validity of this method is confirmed by comparison with measured data. In addition, the FDTD calculations are used to design a new ultra-thin coplanar-strip filter for feeding a THz planar-antenna mixer.

Non-line-of-sight ultraviolet link loss in noncoplanar geometry.

PubMed

Wang, Leijie; Xu, Zhengyuan; Sadler, Brian M

2010-04-15

Various path loss models have been developed for solar blind non-line-of-sight UV communication links under an assumption of coplanar source beam axis and receiver pointing direction. This work further extends an existing single-scattering coplanar analytical model to noncoplanar geometry. The model is derived as a function of geometric parameters and atmospheric characteristics. Its behavior is numerically studied in different noncoplanar geometric settings.

Journal Article: the National Dioxin Air Monitoring Network (Ndamn): Measurements of CDDs, CDFs, and Coplanar PCBs at 18 Rural, 8 National Parks, and 2 Suburban Areas of the U.S.: Results for the Year 2000.

EPA Science Inventory

In June, 1998, the U.S. EPA established the National Dioxin Air Monitoring Network (NDAMN). The primary goal of NDAMN is determine the temporal and geographical variability of atmospheric CDDs, CDFs, and coplanar PCBs at rural and nonimpacted locations throughout the United Stat...

Multi-directional emission and detection of spin waves propagating in yttrium iron garnet with wavelengths down to about 100 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maendl, Stefan; Grundler, Dirk

2018-05-01

We performed broadband spin-wave spectroscopy on 200 nm thick yttrium iron garnet containing arrays of partially embedded magnetic nanodisks. Using integrated coplanar waveguides (CPWs), we studied the excitation and transmission of spin waves depending on the presence of nanomagnet arrays of different lateral extensions. By means of the grating coupler effect, we excited spin waves propagating in multiple lateral directions with wavelengths down to 111 nm. They exhibited group velocities of up to 1 km/s. Detection of such short-wavelength spin waves was possible only in symmetrically designed emitter/detector configurations, not with a bare CPW. We report spin waves propagating between grating couplers under oblique angles exhibiting a wave vector component parallel to the CPW. The effective propagation distance amounted to about 80 μm. Such transmission signals were not addressed before and substantiate the versatility of the grating coupler effect for implementing nanomagnonic circuits.

Investigation of high sensitivity radio-frequency readout circuit based on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Yu; Tan, Ren-Bing; Sun, Jian-Dong; Li, Xin-Xing; Zhou, Yu; Lü, Li; Qin, Hua

2015-10-01

An AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device is prepared by using a semiconductor nanofabrication process. A reflective radio-frequency (RF) readout circuit is designed and the HEMT device is assembled in an RF circuit through a coplanar waveguide transmission line. A gate capacitor of the HEMT and a surface-mounted inductor on the transmission line are formed to generate LC resonance. By tuning the gate voltage Vg, the variations of gate capacitance and conductance of the HEMT are reflected sensitively from the resonance frequency and the magnitude of the RF reflection signal. The aim of the designed RF readout setup is to develop a highly sensitive HEMT-based detector. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61107093), the Suzhou Science and Technology Project, China (Grant No. ZXG2012024), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2012243).

Coplanar surface barrier discharge ignited in water vapor—a selective source of OH radicals proved by (TA)LIF measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procházka, V.; Tučeková, Z.; Dvořák, P.; Kováčik, D.; Slavíček, P.; Zahoranová, A.; Voráč, J.

2018-01-01

Coplanar dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was ignited in pure water vapor at atmospheric pressure in order to generate highly oxidizing plasma with one specific type of reactive radicals. In order to prevent water condensation the used plasma reactor was heated to 120 {}\\circ C. The composition of the radical species in the discharge was studied by methods based on laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and compared with analogous measurements realized in the same coplanar DBD ignited in air. Fast collisional processes and laser-surface interaction were taken into account during LIF data processing. It was found that coplanar DBD ignited in water vapor produces hydroxyl (OH) radicals with concentration in the order of 1020 m-3, which is 10× higher than the value measured in discharge in humid air (40% relative humidity at 21 {}\\circ C). The concentration of atomic hydrogen radicals in the DBD ignited in water vapor was below the detection limit, which proves that the generation of oxidizing plasma with dominance of one specific type of reactive radicals was achieved. The temporal evolution, spatial distribution, power dependence and rotational temperature of the OH radicals was determined in the DBD ignited in both water vapor and air.

Effects and Location of Coplanar and Noncoplanar PCB in a Lipid Bilayer: A Solid-State NMR Study.

PubMed

Totland, Christian; Nerdal, Willy; Steinkopf, Signe

2016-08-02

Coplanar and noncoplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to have different routes and degree of toxicity. Here, the effects of noncoplanar PCB 52 and coplanar PCB 77 present at 2 mol % in a model system consisting of POPC liposomes (50% hydrated) are investigated by solid-state (13)C and (31)P NMR at 298 K. Both PCBs intercalate horizontally in the outer part of the bilayer, near the segments of the acyl chain close to the glycerol group. Despite similar membrane locations, the coplanar PCB 77 shows little effect on the bilayer properties overall, except for the four nearest neighboring lipids, while the effect of PCB 52 is more dramatic. The first ∼2 layers of lipids around each PCB 52 in the bilayer form a high fluidity lamellar phase, whereas lipids beyond these layers form a lamellar phase with a slight increase in fluidity compared to a bilayer without PCB 52. Further, a third high mobility domain is observed. The explanation for this is the interference of several high fluidity lamellar phases caused by interactions of PCB 52 molecules in different leaflets of the model bilayer. This causes formation of high curvature toroidal region in the bilayer and might induce formation of channels.

A secondary, coplanar design Ni/MCM-41/Zn microbattery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meskon, S. R.; Othman, R.; Ani, M. H.

2018-01-01

A secondary Ni/Zn microbattery (∼200 µm thick) has been developed in a coplanar electrode configuration. The cell is essentially of a circular shape (∼30 mm in diameter) consisting of a fine circular ring (cathode) and a circle (anode) split apart (~800 µm). Unlike the stacking cell architecture, coplanar configuration offers simple design, ease of fabrication and eventually cost saving. The use of MCM-41 mesoporous silica as the membrane separator cum electrolyte reservoir enables the successful implementation of coplanar configuration. The fabrication of Ni/Zn microbattery first begins with electrodeposition of zinc (Zn) and nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) thin films onto patterned FR4 printed circuit board, followed by deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) slurry onto the zinc active layer, and finally ends by multiple drop-coating procedures of MCM-41 from its precursor solution at ambient temperature. Once a potassium hydroxide (6 M KOH)/MCM-41 electrolyte-separator mixture is incorporated, the cell is sealed with an acrylic sheet and epoxy adhesive. The fabricated microbatteries were capable to sustain around 130 deep charge-discharge cycles. When rated at 0.1 mA, the energy density of the microbattery was around 3.82 Wh l-1 which is suitable for low rate applications and storage for micro energy harvesters such as piezoelectric generators.

SU-F-P-48: The Quantitative Evaluation and Comparison of Image Distortion and Loss of X-Ray Images Between Anti-Scattered Grid and Moire Compensation Processing in Digital Radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chung, W; Jung, J; Kang, Y

Purpose: To quantitatively analyze the influence image processing for Moire elimination has in digital radiography by comparing the image acquired from optimized anti-scattered grid only and the image acquired from software processing paired with misaligned low-frequency grid. Methods: Special phantom, which does not create scattered radiation, was used to acquire non-grid reference images and they were acquired without any grids. A set of images was acquired with optimized grid, aligned to pixel of a detector and other set of images was acquired with misaligned low-frequency grid paired with Moire elimination processing algorithm. X-ray technique used was based on consideration tomore » Bucky factor derived from non-grid reference images. For evaluation, we analyze by comparing pixel intensity of acquired images with grids to that of reference images. Results: When compared to image acquired with optimized grid, images acquired with Moire elimination processing algorithm showed 10 to 50% lower mean contrast value of ROI. Severe distortion of images was found with when the object’s thickness was measured at 7 or less pixels. In this case, contrast value measured from images acquired with Moire elimination processing algorithm was under 30% of that taken from reference image. Conclusion: This study shows the potential risk of Moire compensation images in diagnosis. Images acquired with misaligned low-frequency grid results in Moire noise and Moire compensation processing algorithm used to remove this Moire noise actually caused an image distortion. As a result, fractures and/or calcifications which are presented in few pixels only may not be diagnosed properly. In future work, we plan to evaluate the images acquired without grid but based on 100% image processing and the potential risks it possesses.« less

Baby MIND: A Magnetized Segmented Neutrino Detector for the WAGASCI Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Antonova, M.; et al.

T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment in Japan designed to study various parameters of neutrino oscillations. A near detector complex (ND280) is located 280 m downstream of the production target and measures neutrino beam parameters before any oscillations occur. ND280's measurements are used to predict the number and spectra of neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande detector at the distance of 295 km. The difference in the target material between the far (water) and near (scintillator, hydrocarbon) detectors leads to the main non-cancelling systematic uncertainty for the oscillation analysis. In order to reduce this uncertainty a new WAter-Grid-And-SCintillator detector (WAGASCI) hasmore » been developed. A magnetized iron neutrino detector (Baby MIND) will be used to measure momentum and charge identification of the outgoing muons from charged current interactions. The Baby MIND modules are composed of magnetized iron plates and long plastic scintillator bars read out at the both ends with wavelength shifting fibers and silicon photomultipliers. The front-end electronics board has been developed to perform the readout and digitization of the signals from the scintillator bars. Detector elements were tested with cosmic rays and in the PS beam at CERN. The obtained results are presented in this paper.« less

Baby MIND: a magnetized segmented neutrino detector for the WAGASCI experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonova, M.; Asfandiyarov, R.; Bayes, R.; Benoit, P.; Blondel, A.; Bogomilov, M.; Bross, A.; Cadoux, F.; Cervera, A.; Chikuma, N.; Dudarev, A.; Ekelöf, T.; Favre, Y.; Fedotov, S.; Hallsjö, S.-P.; Izmaylov, A.; Karadzhov, Y.; Khabibullin, M.; Khotyantsev, A.; Kleymenova, A.; Koga, T.; Kostin, A.; Kudenko, Y.; Likhacheva, V.; Martinez, B.; Matev, R.; Medvedeva, M.; Mefodiev, A.; Minamino, A.; Mineev, O.; Nessi, M.; Nicola, L.; Noah, E.; Ovsiannikova, T.; Pais Da Silva, H.; Parsa, S.; Rayner, M.; Rolando, G.; Shaykhiev, A.; Simion, P.; Soler, F. J. P.; Suvorov, S.; Tsenov, R.; Ten Kate, H.; Vankova-Kirilova, G.; Yershov, N.

2017-07-01

T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment in Japan designed to study various parameters of neutrino oscillations. A near detector complex (ND280) is located 280 m downstream of the production target and measures neutrino beam parameters before any oscillations occur. ND280's measurements are used to predict the number and spectra of neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande detector at the distance of 295 km. The difference in the target material between the far (water) and near (scintillator, hydrocarbon) detectors leads to the main non-cancelling systematic uncertainty for the oscillation analysis. In order to reduce this uncertainty a new WAter-Grid-And-SCintillator detector (WAGASCI) has been developed. A magnetized iron neutrino detector (Baby MIND) will be used to measure momentum and charge identification of the outgoing muons from charged current interactions. The Baby MIND modules are composed of magnetized iron plates and long plastic scintillator bars read out at the both ends with wavelength shifting fibers and silicon photomultipliers. The front-end electronics board has been developed to perform the readout and digitization of the signals from the scintillator bars. Detector elements were tested with cosmic rays and in the PS beam at CERN. The obtained results are presented in this paper.

High-resolution wavefront reconstruction using the frozen flow hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xuewen; Liang, Yonghui; Liu, Jin; Xu, Jieping

2017-10-01

This paper describes an approach to reconstructing wavefronts on finer grid using the frozen flow hypothesis (FFH), which exploits spatial and temporal correlations between consecutive wavefront sensor (WFS) frames. Under the assumption of FFH, slope data from WFS can be connected to a finer, composite slope grid using translation and down sampling, and elements in transformation matrices are determined by wind information. Frames of slopes are then combined and slopes on finer grid are reconstructed by solving a sparse, large-scale, ill-posed least squares problem. By using reconstructed finer slope data and adopting Fried geometry of WFS, high-resolution wavefronts are then reconstructed. The results show that this method is robust even with detector noise and wind information inaccuracy, and under bad seeing conditions, high-frequency information in wavefronts can be recovered more accurately compared with when correlations in WFS frames are ignored.

Ten-channel InP-based large-scale photonic integrated transmitter fabricated by SAG technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Can; Zhu, Hongliang; Liang, Song; Cui, Xiao; Wang, Huitao; Zhao, Lingjuan; Wang, Wei

2014-12-01

A 10-channel InP-based large-scale photonic integrated transmitter was fabricated by selective area growth (SAG) technology combined with butt-joint regrowth (BJR) technology. The SAG technology was utilized to fabricate the electroabsorption modulated distributed feedback (DFB) laser (EML) arrays at the same time. The design of coplanar electrodes for electroabsorption modulator (EAM) was used for the flip-chip bonding package. The lasing wavelength of DFB laser could be tuned by the integrated micro-heater to match the ITU grids, which only needs one electrode pad. The average output power of each channel is 250 μW with an injection current of 200 mA. The static extinction ratios of the EAMs for 10 channels tested are ranged from 15 to 27 dB with a reverse bias of 6 V. The frequencies of 3 dB bandwidth of the chip for each channel are around 14 GHz. The novel design and simple fabrication process show its enormous potential in reducing the cost of large-scale photonic integrated circuit (LS-PIC) transmitter with high chip yields.

Comparative study of bowtie and patient scatter in diagnostic CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Prakhar; Boudry, John M.

2017-03-01

A fast, GPU accelerated Monte Carlo engine for simulating relevant photon interaction processes over the diagnostic energy range in third-generation CT systems was developed to study the relative contributions of bowtie and object scatter to the total scatter reaching an imaging detector. Primary and scattered projections for an elliptical water phantom (major axis set to 300mm) with muscle and fat inserts were simulated for a typical diagnostic CT system as a function of anti-scatter grid (ASG) configurations. The ASG design space explored grid orientation, i.e. septa either a) parallel or b) parallel and perpendicular to the axis of rotation, as well as septa height. The septa material was Tungsten. The resulting projections were reconstructed and the scatter induced image degradation was quantified using common CT image metrics (such as Hounsfield Unit (HU) inaccuracy and loss in contrast), along with a qualitative review of image artifacts. Results indicate object scatter dominates total scatter in the detector channels under the shadow of the imaged object with the bowtie scatter fraction progressively increasing towards the edges of the object projection. Object scatter was shown to be the driving factor behind HU inaccuracy and contrast reduction in the simulated images while shading artifacts and elevated loss in HU accuracy at the object boundary were largely attributed to bowtie scatter. Because the impact of bowtie scatter could not be sufficiently mitigated with a large grid ratio ASG, algorithmic correction may be necessary to further mitigate these artifacts.

Performance of Gas Scintillation Proportional Counter Array for High-Energy X-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, Mikhail; Ramsey, Brian; Apple, Jeffery

2004-01-01

A focal plane array of high-pressure gas scintillation proportional counters (GSPC) for a High Energy X-Ray Observatory (HERO) is developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The array is consisted from eight GSPCs and is a part of balloon born payload scheduled to flight in May 2004. These detectors have an active area of approximately 20 square centimeters, and are filled with a high pressure (10(exp 6) Pa) xenon-helium mixture. Imaging is via crossed-grid position-sensitive phototubes sensitive in the UV region. The performance of the GSPC is well matched to that of the telescopes x-ray optics which have response to 75 keV and a focal spot size of approximately 500 microns. The detector's energy resolution, 4% FWHM at 60 keV, is adequate for resolving the broad spectral lines of astrophysical importance and for accurate continuum measurements. Results of the on-earth detector calibration will be presented and in-flight detector performance will be provided, as available.

High pressure xenon ionization detector

DOEpatents

Markey, J.K.

1989-11-14

A method is provided for detecting ionization comprising allowing particles that cause ionization to contact high pressure xenon maintained at or near its critical point and measuring the amount of ionization. An apparatus is provided for detecting ionization, the apparatus comprising a vessel containing a ionizable medium, the vessel having an inlet to allow high pressure ionizable medium to enter the vessel, a means to permit particles that cause ionization of the medium to enter the vessel, an anode, a cathode, a grid and a plurality of annular field shaping rings, the field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another, the anode, cathode, grid and field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another in order to form an electric field between the cathode and the anode, the electric field originating at the anode and terminating at the cathode, the grid being disposed between the cathode and the anode, the field shaping rings being disposed between the cathode and the grid, the improvement comprising the medium being xenon and the vessel being maintained at a pressure of 50 to 70 atmospheres and a temperature of 0 to 30 C. 2 figs.

High pressure xenon ionization detector

DOEpatents

Markey, John K.

1989-01-01

A method is provided for detecting ionization comprising allowing particles that cause ionization to contact high pressure xenon maintained at or near its critical point and measuring the amount of ionization. An apparatus is provided for detecting ionization, the apparatus comprising a vessel containing a ionizable medium, the vessel having an inlet to allow high pressure ionizable medium to enter the vessel, a means to permit particles that cause ionization of the medium to enter the vessel, an anode, a cathode, a grid and a plurality of annular field shaping rings, the field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another, the anode, cathode, grid and field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another in order to form an electric field between the cathode and the anode, the electric field originating at the anode and terminating at the cathode, the grid being disposed between the cathode and the anode, the field shaping rings being disposed between the cathode and the grid, the improvement comprising the medium being xenon and the vessel being maintained at a pressure of 50 to 70 atmospheres and a temperature of 0.degree. to 30.degree. C.

Early AGILE gamma-ray observations of the recent Glitch in the Crab Pulsar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verrecchia, F.; Piano, G.; Tavani, M.; Pilia, M.; Pittori, C.; Lucarelli, F.; Bulgarelli, A.; Cardillo, M.; Fioretti, V.; Parmiggiani, N.; Striani, E.; Vercellone, S.; Donnarumma, I.; Gianotti, F.; Trifoglio, M.; Giuliani, A.; Mereghetti, S.; Caraveo, P.; Perotti, F.; Chen, A.; Argan, A.; Costa, E.; Del Monte, E.; Evangelista, Y.; Feroci, M.; Lazzarotto, F.; Lapshov, I.; Pacciani, L.; Soffitta, P.; Sabatini, S.; Vittorini, V.; Pucella, G.; Rapisarda, M.; Di Cocco, G.; Fuschino, F.; Galli, M.; Labanti, C.; Marisaldi, M.; Pellizzoni, A.; Trois, A.; Barbiellini, G.; Vallazza, E.; Longo, F.; Morselli, A.; Picozza, P.; Prest, M.; Lipari, P.; Zanello, D.; Cattaneo, P. W.; Rappoldi, A.; Colafrancesco, S.; Ferrari, A.; Paoletti, F.; Antonelli, A.; Giommi, P.; Salotti, L.; Valentini, G.; D'Amico, F.

2017-11-01

AGILE observed the Crab region in its spinning mode after the large glitch recently reported in the radio band (ATel #10939). At the glitch event time (T_0) the AGILE satellite was occulted by the Earth, and no observation of any relevant gamma-ray signal could be obtained by the GRID detector.

Status and performance of the AS array of the Tibet AS sub. gamma. experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amenomori, M.; Bai, Z.W.; Cao, Z.

1991-04-05

The Tibet AS{gamma} experiment, which has started since January, 1990, is located at an altitude of 4,300m at Yangbaging in Tibet, China (90.5{degree} E, 301{degree} N). The air-shower array is composed of 49 scintillation counters for fast timing (FT), each counter having an area of 0.5 m{sup 2}, in a grid pattern with a spacing of 15 m and 16 density detectors. The density detectors surrounding the FT detectors are planned to select the showers of which core are inside the FT array. For the constant and continuous opeation, the system for laser calibration, the ADC,TDC module calibration and themore » power check system were installed. A Rb clock is used for the phase analysis of {gamma}-rays.« less

Attenuation of epsilon(sub eff) of coplanar waveguide transmission lines on silicon substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taub, Susan R.; Young, Paul G.

1993-01-01

Attenuation and epsilon(sub eff) of Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) transmission lines were measured on Silicon substrates with resistivities ranging from 400 to greater than 30,000 ohm-cm, that have a 1000 angstrom coating of SiO2. Both attenuation and epsilon(sub eff) are given over the frequency range 5 to 40 GHz for various strip and slot widths. These measured values are also compared to the theoretical values.

Picosecond Optical Electronics

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

Optoelecironics, New York: Springer-Verlag, 1987 65. J. Archer, "Millimeter Wavelength Frequency Multipliers", IEEE MTr, Vol. 29, No. 6, June * 1981. 66. R. Majidi ...337-339. I 74. R. Majidi -Ahy et al., "Electrooptic Sampling Measurement of Coplanar Waveguide (Coupled Slot Line) Modes", Elect. Lett., Vol. 23, No...24, Nov. 1987, pp. 1262-1263. 1 75. R. Majidi -Ahy et al., "Electrooptic Sampling Measurement of Dispersion Characteristics of Slot line and Coplanar

Antenna structure with distributed strip

DOEpatents

Rodenbeck, Christopher T.

2008-10-21

An antenna comprises electrical conductors arranged to form a radiating element including a folded line configuration and a distributed strip configuration, where the radiating element is in proximity to a ground conductor. The folded line and the distributed strip can be electrically interconnected and substantially coplanar. The ground conductor can be spaced from, and coplanar to, the radiating element, or can alternatively lie in a plane set at an angle to the radiating element. Embodiments of the antenna include conductor patterns formed on a printed wiring board, having a ground plane, spacedly adjacent to and coplanar with the radiating element. Other embodiments of the antenna comprise a ground plane and radiating element on opposed sides of a printed wiring board. Other embodiments of the antenna comprise conductors that can be arranged as free standing "foils". Other embodiments include antennas that are encapsulated into a package containing the antenna.

Antenna structure with distributed strip

DOEpatents

Rodenbeck, Christopher T [Albuquerque, NM

2008-03-18

An antenna comprises electrical conductors arranged to form a radiating element including a folded line configuration and a distributed strip configuration, where the radiating element is in proximity to a ground conductor. The folded line and the distributed strip can be electrically interconnected and substantially coplanar. The ground conductor can be spaced from, and coplanar to, the radiating element, or can alternatively lie in a plane set at an angle to the radiating element. Embodiments of the antenna include conductor patterns formed on a printed wiring board, having a ground plane, spacedly adjacent to and coplanar with the radiating element. Other embodiments of the antenna comprise a ground plane and radiating element on opposed sides of a printed wiring board. Other embodiments of the antenna comprise conductors that can be arranged as free standing "foils". Other embodiments include antennas that are encapsulated into a package containing the antenna.

Analysis of a Segmented Annular Coplanar Capacitive Tilt Sensor with Increased Sensitivity.

PubMed

Guo, Jiahao; Hu, Pengcheng; Tan, Jiubin

2016-01-21

An investigation of a segmented annular coplanar capacitor is presented. We focus on its theoretical model, and a mathematical expression of the capacitance value is derived by solving a Laplace equation with Hankel transform. The finite element method is employed to verify the analytical result. Different control parameters are discussed, and each contribution to the capacitance value of the capacitor is obtained. On this basis, we analyze and optimize the structure parameters of a segmented coplanar capacitive tilt sensor, and three models with different positions of the electrode gap are fabricated and tested. The experimental result shows that the model (whose electrode-gap position is 10 mm from the electrode center) realizes a high sensitivity: 0.129 pF/° with a non-linearity of <0.4% FS (full scale of ± 40°). This finding offers plenty of opportunities for various measurement requirements in addition to achieving an optimized structure in practical design.

Observing electron spin resonance between 0.1 and 67 GHz at temperatures between 50 mK and 300 K using broadband metallic coplanar waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiemann, Yvonne; Simmendinger, Julian; Clauss, Conrad; Bogani, Lapo; Bothner, Daniel; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold; Dressel, Martin; Scheffler, Marc

2015-05-01

We describe a fully broadband approach for electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments, where it is possible to tune not only the magnetic field but also the frequency continuously over wide ranges. Here, a metallic coplanar transmission line acts as compact and versatile microwave probe that can easily be implemented in different cryogenic setups. We perform ESR measurements at frequencies between 0.1 and 67 GHz and at temperatures between 50 mK and room temperature. Three different types of samples (Cr3+ ions in ruby, organic radicals of the nitronyl-nitroxide family, and the doped semiconductor Si:P) represent different possible fields of application for the technique. We demonstrate that an extremely large phase space in temperature, magnetic field, and frequency for ESR measurements, substantially exceeding the range of conventional ESR setups, is accessible with metallic coplanar lines.

Use of Emerging Grid Computing Technologies for the Analysis of LIGO Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koranda, Scott

2004-03-01

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) today faces the challenge of enabling analysis of terabytes of LIGO data by hundreds of scientists from institutions all around the world. To meet this challenge the LSC is developing tools, infrastructure, applications, and expertise leveraging Grid Computing technologies available today, and making available to LSC scientists compute resources at sites across the United States and Europe. We use digital credentials for strong and secure authentication and authorization to compute resources and data. Building on top of products from the Globus project for high-speed data transfer and information discovery we have created the Lightweight Data Replicator (LDR) to securely and robustly replicate data to resource sites. We have deployed at our computing sites the Virtual Data Toolkit (VDT) Server and Client packages, developed in collaboration with our partners in the GriPhyN and iVDGL projects, providing uniform access to distributed resources for users and their applications. Taken together these Grid Computing technologies and infrastructure have formed the LSC DataGrid--a coherent and uniform environment across two continents for the analysis of gravitational-wave detector data. Much work, however, remains in order to scale current analyses and recent lessons learned need to be integrated into the next generation of Grid middleware.

Coplanar polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in shark livers from the north-western African Atlantic ocean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serrano, R.; Fernandez, M.A.; Hernandez, L.M.

1997-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls have been widely used by industry throughout the world since 1930. Although their use has been banned in many countries since the late 1970s, they still represent an important class of priority pollutants due to their persistence. Most open uses of these chemicals have been severely curtailed in industrialized nations, but a considerable fraction of past productions is probably still cycling in the ecosphere. In recent years, attention has been focused on the toxicity of PCBs, especially of those congeners showing similar toxicity as the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). It has been shown that PCB congeners`more » toxicity largely depends on the chlorine substitution pattern. The most toxic PCB cogeners are those with two para chlorines, at least two meta chlorines and 0-2 ortho chlorines. These so-called {open_quotes}coplanar{close_quotes} (non- mono- and di-ortho) PCB cogeners are able to obtain planar conformation. Recently, toxic equivalence factors have been assigned to coplanar PCBs. Thus determination of individual PCB cogeners is important for evaluating the toxic potentials of PCB residues in, for example, wildlife. This paper presents preliminary results of a study looking at levels of PCB congeners, including coplanar ones, in the liver of six shark species, collected in the North African Atlantic Ocean. 15 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Congener-specific extraction and separation of coplanar PCBs from soil using SPME and capillary GC/MS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woolley, C.L.; Mani, V.; Shirey, R.E.

1995-12-31

The persistence and widespread environmental occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air, waterways and industrial facilities has created a need for quantitative and qualitative analysis of Aroclor-like mixtures. Although there are 209 possible PCB concerns, only a limited number have shown toxic activity similar to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The World Health Organization recently released a list of the 13 most toxic PCB congeners. Each was rated by its Toxic Equivalency Factor relative to TCDD. These 13 PCB congeners belong to the class of toxic coplanar compounds. These congeners commonly contain chlorosubstitutions in the 3,3{prime},4,4{prime} or 3,4,4{prime} or 3{prime},4,4{prime} positions andmore » either 0, 1, or 2 chloro-substituents in the ortho positions. A new capillary column containing a bonded octylmethyl polysiloxane stationary phase (SPB-Octyl) was evaluated for its propensity to separate coplanar PCB congeners. Solid phase microextraction (SPME), a solvent-free method for extracting volatiles and semi-volatiles from drinking water, waste water, soil and sludge was used to extract PCBs from soil. GC-ECD and GC-MS separations of PCB ladened soils were examined via SPME on the SPB-Octyl column. An approach for selective extraction of coplanar PCB congeners by SPME will be described.« less

Dynamics of changes in coplanar and indicator PCB in sewage sludge during mesophilic methane digestion.

PubMed

Rosińska, A; Karwowska, B

2017-02-05

Research was conducted, which aim was to evaluate the influence of mesophilic methane digestion on degradation of coplanar and indicator PCB in sewage sludge, and on dynamics of changes of these congeners during the process. For the research, sewage sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant were used. Mesophilic digestion was conducted at the temperature of 36°C±1°C. The anaerobic stabilization processes of sewage sludge occurred correctly what was confirmed by appropriate values of pH, content of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ratio of VFA to alkalinity. Biodegradation of organic compounds in sewage sludge was confirmed by the decrease in total solids (by 26%) and volatile solids (by 36%). Up to the 3rd day of the digestion process no statistically significant differences in concentration of both coplanar and indicator PCB was observed. During the following days of the process, an increase in lower chlorinated PCB concentration was demonstrated and a decrease in concentration of higher chlorinated congeners (penta-, hexa-, and heptachlorobiphenyls). After the digestion, a decrease in higher chlorinated congener concentration was found. Significant degradation was demonstrated for coplanar PCB 169 (from 77.8 to 80.5%), and indicator PCB 180 (from 57.1 to 90.3%) and PCB 153 (from 60.4 to 79.2%). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PLATFORM DEFORMATION PHASE CORRECTION FOR THE AMiBA-13 COPLANAR INTERFEROMETER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liao, Yu-Wei; Lin, Kai-Yang; Huang, Yau-De

2013-05-20

We present a new way to solve the platform deformation problem of coplanar interferometers. The platform of a coplanar interferometer can be deformed due to driving forces and gravity. A deformed platform will induce extra components into the geometric delay of each baseline and change the phases of observed visibilities. The reconstructed images will also be diluted due to the errors of the phases. The platform deformations of The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy (AMiBA) were modeled based on photogrammetry data with about 20 mount pointing positions. We then used the differential optical pointing error between two opticalmore » telescopes to fit the model parameters in the entire horizontal coordinate space. With the platform deformation model, we can predict the errors of the geometric phase delays due to platform deformation with a given azimuth and elevation of the targets and calibrators. After correcting the phases of the radio point sources in the AMiBA interferometric data, we recover 50%-70% flux loss due to phase errors. This allows us to restore more than 90% of a source flux. The method outlined in this work is not only applicable to the correction of deformation for other coplanar telescopes but also to single-dish telescopes with deformation problems. This work also forms the basis of the upcoming science results of AMiBA-13.« less

Multiple mechanisms of PCB neurotoxicity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carpenter, D.O.; Stoner, C.T.; Lawrence, D.A.

1996-12-31

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been implicated in cancer, but many of the symptoms in humans exposed to PCBs are related to the nervous system and behavior. We demonstrated three different direct mechanisms whereby PCBs are neurotoxic in rats. By using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that the orthosubstituted PCB congener 2,4,4{prime}, but neither TCDD nor the coplanar PCB congener 3,4,5,3{prime},4{prime}, causes rapid death of cerebellar granule cells. The ortho-substituted congener 2,4,4{prime} reduced long-term potentiation, an indicator of cognitive potential, in hippocampal brain slices, but a similar effect was observed for the coplanar congener 3,4,3{prime},4{prime}, indicating that this effect may be causedmore » by both ortho- and coplanar congeners by mechanisms presumably not mediated via the Ah receptor. It was previously shown that some ortho-substituted PCB congeners cause a reduction in levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and we present in vitro and in vivo evidence that this is due to reduction of synthesis of dopamine via inhibition of the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Thus, PCBs have a variety of mechanisms of primary neurotoxicity, and neurotoxicity is a characteristic of ortho-substituted, non-dioxin-like congeners as well as some coplanar congeners. The relative contribution of each of these mechanisms to the loss of cognitive function in humans exposed to PCBs remains to be determined. 42 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

Comparison of a new noncoplanar intensity-modulated radiation therapy technique for craniospinal irradiation with 3 coplanar techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Anders T., E-mail: andehans@rm.dk; Lukacova, Slavka; Lassen-Ramshad, Yasmin

2015-01-01

When standard conformal x-ray technique for craniospinal irradiation is used, it is a challenge to achieve satisfactory dose coverage of the target including the area of the cribriform plate, while sparing organs at risk. We present a new intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), noncoplanar technique, for delivering irradiation to the cranial part and compare it with 3 other techniques and previously published results. A total of 13 patients who had previously received craniospinal irradiation with standard conformal x-ray technique were reviewed. New treatment plans were generated for each patient using the noncoplanar IMRT-based technique, a coplanar IMRT-based technique, and a coplanarmore » volumetric-modulated arch therapy (VMAT) technique. Dosimetry data for all patients were compared with the corresponding data from the conventional treatment plans. The new noncoplanar IMRT technique substantially reduced the mean dose to organs at risk compared with the standard radiation technique. The 2 other coplanar techniques also reduced the mean dose to some of the critical organs. However, this reduction was not as substantial as the reduction obtained by the noncoplanar technique. Furthermore, compared with the standard technique, the IMRT techniques reduced the total calculated radiation dose that was delivered to the normal tissue, whereas the VMAT technique increased this dose. Additionally, the coverage of the target was significantly improved by the noncoplanar IMRT technique. Compared with the standard technique, the coplanar IMRT and the VMAT technique did not improve the coverage of the target significantly. All the new planning techniques increased the number of monitor units (MU) used—the noncoplanar IMRT technique by 99%, the coplanar IMRT technique by 122%, and the VMAT technique by 26%—causing concern for leak radiation. The noncoplanar IMRT technique covered the target better and decreased doses to organs at risk compared with the other techniques. All the new techniques increased the number of MU compared with the standard technique.« less

MO-FG-CAMPUS-TeP2-05: Optimizing Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastasis Lesions with Individualized Rotational Arc Trajectories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, P; Xing, L; Ma, L

Purpose: Radiosurgery of multiple (n>4) brain metastasis lesions requires 3–4 noncoplanar VMAT arcs with excessively high monitor units and long delivery time. We investigated whether an improved optimization technique would decrease the needed arc numbers and increase the delivery efficiency, while improving or maintaining the plan quality. Methods: The proposed 4pi arc space optimization algorithm consists of two steps: automatic couch angle selection followed by aperture generation for each arc with optimized control points distribution. We use a greedy algorithm to select the couch angles. Starting from a single coplanar arc plan we search through the candidate noncoplanar arcs tomore » pick a single noncoplanar arc that will bring the best plan quality when added into the existing treatment plan. Each time, only one additional noncoplanar arc is considered making the calculation time tractable. This process repeats itself until desired number of arc is reached. The technique is first evaluated in coplanar arc delivery scheme with testing cases and then applied to noncoplanar treatments of a case with 12 brain metastasis lesions. Results: Clinically acceptable plans are created within minutes. For the coplanar testing cases the algorithm yields singlearc plans with better dose distributions than that of two-arc VMAT, simultaneously with a 12–17% reduction in the delivery time and a 14–21% reduction in MUs. For the treatment of 12 brain mets while Paddick conformity indexes of the two plans were comparable the SCG-optimization with 2 arcs (1 noncoplanar and 1 coplanar) significantly improved the conventional VMAT with 3 arcs (2 noncoplanar and 1 coplanar). Specifically V16 V10 and V5 of the brain were reduced by 11%, 11% and 12% respectively. The beam delivery time was shortened by approximately 30%. Conclusion: The proposed 4pi arc space optimization technique promises to significantly reduce the brain toxicity while greatly improving the treatment efficiency.« less

TU-G-BRB-01: Continuous Path Optimization for Non-Coplanar Variant SAD IMRT Delivery Using C-Arm Machines.

PubMed

Ruan, D; Dong, P; Low, D; Sheng, K

2012-06-01

To develop and investigate a continuous path optimization methodology to traverse prescribed non-coplanar IMRT beams with variant SADs, by orchestrating the couch and gantry movement with zero-collision, minimal patient motion consequence and machine travel time. We convert the given collision zone definition and the prescribed beam location/angles to a tumor-centric coordinate, and represent the traversing path as a continuous open curve. We proceed to optimize a composite objective function consisting of (1) a strong attraction energy to ensure all prescribed beams are en-route, (2) a penalty for patient-motion inducing couch motion, and (3) a penalty for travel-time inducing overall path-length. Feasibility manifold is defined as complement to collision zone and the optimization is performed with a level set representation evolved with variational flows. The proposed method has been implemented and tested on clinically derived data. In the absence of any existing solutions for the same problem, we validate by: (1) visual inspecting the generated path rendered in the 3D tumor-centric coordinates, and (2) comparing with a traveling-salesman (TSP) solution obtained from relaxing the variant SADs and continuous collision-avoidance requirement. The proposed method has generated delivery paths that are smooth and intuitively appealing. Under relaxed settings, our results outperform the generic TSP solutions and agree with specially tuned versions. We have proposed a novel systematic approach that automatically determines the continuous path to cover non-coplanar, varying SAD IMRT beams. The proposed approach accommodates patient-specific collision zone definition and ensures its avoidance continuously. The differential penalty to couch and gantry motions allows customizable tradeoff between patient geometry stability and delivery efficiency. This development paves the path to achieve safe, accurate and efficient non-coplanar IMRT delivery with the advanced robotic controls in new-generation C-arm systems, enabling practical harvesting of the dose benefit offered by non-coplanar, variant SAD IMRT treatment. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Optical beam forming techniques for phased array antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Te-Kao; Chandler, C.

1993-01-01

Conventional phased array antennas using waveguide or coax for signal distribution are impractical for large scale implementation on satellites or spacecraft because they exhibit prohibitively large system size, heavy weight, high attenuation loss, limited bandwidth, sensitivity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) temperature drifts and phase instability. However, optical beam forming systems are smaller, lighter, and more flexible. Three optical beam forming techniques are identified as applicable to large spaceborne phased array antennas. They are (1) the optical fiber replacement of conventional RF phased array distribution and control components, (2) spatial beam forming, and (3) optical beam splitting with integrated quasi-optical components. The optical fiber replacement and the spatial beam forming approaches were pursued by many organizations. Two new optical beam forming architectures are presented. Both architectures involve monolithic integration of the antenna radiating elements with quasi-optical grid detector arrays. The advantages of the grid detector array in the optical process are the higher power handling capability and the dynamic range. One architecture involves a modified version of the original spatial beam forming approach. The basic difference is the spatial light modulator (SLM) device for controlling the aperture field distribution. The original liquid crystal light valve SLM is replaced by an optical shuffling SLM, which was demonstrated for the 'smart pixel' technology. The advantages are the capability of generating the agile beams of a phased array antenna and to provide simultaneous transmit and receive functions. The second architecture considered is the optical beam splitting approach. This architecture involves an alternative amplitude control for each antenna element with an optical beam power divider comprised of mirrors and beam splitters. It also implements the quasi-optical grid phase shifter for phase control and grid amplifier for RF power. The advantages are no SLM is required for this approach, and the complete antenna system is capable of full monolithic integration.

Folded Coplanar Waveguide Slot Antenna on Silicon Substrates With a Polyimide Interface Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bacon, Andrew; Ponchak, George E.; Papapolymerou, John; Bushyager, Nathan; Tentzeris, Manos; Williams, W. D. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A novel mm-wave Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) folded slot antenna is characterized on low-resistivity Si substrate (1 omega-cm) and a high resistivity Si substrate with a polyimide interface layer for the first time. The antenna resonates around 30 GHz with a return loss greater than 14.6 dB. Measured radiation patterns indicate the existence of a main lobe, but the radiation pattern is affected by a strong surface wave mode, which is greater in the high resistivity Si wafer.

Minimum required capture radius in a coplanar model of the aerial combat problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breakwell, J. V.; Merz, A. W.

1977-01-01

Coplanar aerial combat is modeled with constant speeds and specified turn rates. The minimum capture radius which will always permit capture, regardless of the initial conditions, is calculated. This 'critical' capture radius is also the maximum range which the evader can guarantee indefinitely if the initial range, for example, is large. A composite barrier is constructed which gives the boundary, at any heading, of relative positions for which the capture radius is less than critical.

Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide Shunt MEMS Switches for Switched Line Phase Shifters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Simons, Rainee N.; Scardelletti, Maximillian; Varaljay, Nicholas C.

2000-01-01

Switches with low insertion loss and high isolation are required for switched line phase shifters and the transmit/receive switch at the front end of communication systems. A Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguide capacitive, shunt MEMS switch has been implemented on high resistivity Si. The switch has demonstrated an insertion loss of less than 0.3 dB and a return loss greater than 15 dB from 10 to 20, GHz. The switch design, fabrication, and characteristics are presented.

New coplanar waveguide feed network for 2 x 2 linearly tapered slot antenna subarray

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Perl, Thomas D.; Lee, Richard Q.

1992-01-01

A novel feed method is presently demonstrated for a 2 x 2 linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) on the basis of a coplanar-waveguide (CPW)-to-slotline transition and a coax-to-CPW in-phase, four-way power divider. The LTSA subarray exhibits excellent radiation patterns and return-loss characteristics at 18 GHz, and has symmetric beamwidth; its compactness renders it applicable as either a feed for a reflector antenna or as a building-block for large arrays.

Supramolecular Polymers Based on Non-Coplanar AAA-DDD Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes.

PubMed

Mendez, Iamnica J Linares; Wang, Hong-Bo; Yuan, Ying-Xue; Wisner, James A

2018-03-01

Non-coplanar triple-hydrogen-bond arrays are connected as telechelic groups to alkyl chains and their properties as AA/BB type supramolecular polymers are examined. Viscosity studies at three temperatures are used to study the ring-chain equilibrium and determine the critical concentrations where polymer chains are formed. It is observed that neither the temperature range studied nor the alkyl chain length of one component significantly affect the polymerization properties in this system. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Temperature Dependent Performance of Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) on Substrates of Various Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taub, Susan R.; Young, Paul

1994-01-01

The attenuation (a) and effective dielectric constant (E(sub eff)) of Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) transmission lines on high-resistivity silicon and diamond substrates as a function of both temperature and frequency are presented. The technique used to obtain the values for a and E(sub eff) involves the use of a unique cryogenic probe station designed and built by NASA. Attenuation of gold CPW lines on diamond substrates is compared with that of superconducting CPW lines.

Toward Large Field-of-View High-Resolution X-ray Imaging Spectrometers: Microwave Multiplexed Readout of 28 TES Microcalorimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, W.; Adams, J. S.; Bandler, S. R.; Becker, D.; Bennett, D. A.; Chervenak, J. A.; Datesman, A. M.; Eckart, M. E.; Finkbeiner, F. M.; Fowler, J. W.; Gard, J. D.; Hilton, G. C.; Kelley, R. L.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Mates, J. A. B.; Miniussi, A. R.; Moseley, S. H.; Noroozian, O.; Porter, F. S.; Reintsema, C. D.; Sadleir, J. E.; Sakai, K.; Smith, S. J.; Stevenson, T. R.; Swetz, D. S.; Ullom, J. N.; Vale, L. R.; Wakeham, N. A.; Wassell, E. J.; Wollack, E. J.

2018-04-01

We performed small-scale demonstrations at GSFC of high-resolution X-ray TES microcalorimeters read out using a microwave SQUID multiplexer. This work is part of our effort to develop detector and readout technologies for future space-based X-ray instruments such as the microcalorimeter spectrometer envisaged for Lynx, a large mission concept under development for the Astro 2020 Decadal Survey. In this paper we describe our experiment, including details of a recently designed, microwave-optimized low-temperature setup that is thermally anchored to the 55 mK stage of our laboratory ADR. Using a ROACH2 FPGA at room temperature, we read out pixels of a GSFC-built detector array via a NIST-built multiplexer chip with Nb coplanar waveguide resonators coupled to rf-SQUIDs. The resonators are spaced 6 MHz apart (at ˜ 5.9 GHz) and have quality factors of ˜ 15,000. In our initial demonstration, we used flux-ramp modulation frequencies of 125 kHz to read out 5 pixels simultaneously and achieved spectral resolutions of 2.8-3.1 eV FWHM at 5.9 keV. Our subsequent work is ongoing: to-date we have achieved a median spectral resolution of 3.4 eV FWHM at 5.9 keV while reading out 28 pixels simultaneously with flux-ramp frequencies of 160 kHz. We present the measured system-level noise and maximum slew rates and briefly describe our future development work.

Optimal aeroassisted coplanar orbital transfer using an energy model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halyo, Nesim; Taylor, Deborah B.

1989-01-01

The atmospheric portion of the trajectories for the aeroassisted coplanar orbit transfer was investigated. The equations of motion for the problem are expressed using reduced order model and total vehicle energy, kinetic plus potential, as the independent variable rather than time. The order reduction is achieved analytically without an approximation of the vehicle dynamics. In this model, the problem of coplanar orbit transfer is seen as one in which a given amount of energy must be transferred from the vehicle to the atmosphere during the trajectory without overheating the vehicle. An optimal control problem is posed where a linear combination of the integrated square of the heating rate and the vehicle drag is the cost function to be minimized. The necessary conditions for optimality are obtained. These result in a 4th order two-point-boundary-value problem. A parametric study of the optimal guidance trajectory in which the proportion of the heating rate term versus the drag varies is made. Simulations of the guidance trajectories are presented.

Effective spring stiffness for a periodic array of interacting coplanar penny-shaped cracks at an interface between two dissimilar isotropic materials

PubMed Central

Lekesiz, Huseyin; Katsube, Noriko; Rokhlin, Stanislav I.; Seghi, Robert R.

2013-01-01

An effective spring stiffness approximation is proposed for a hexagonal array of coplanar penny shaped cracks located at the interface between two dissimilar solids. The approximation is based on the factorization of the solution on the material dissimilarity factor, the crack interaction factor and the effective spring stiffness solution for non-interacting cracks in a homogeneous material. Such factorization is exact and was validated for 2D collinear cracks between two dissimilar solids. The crack interaction factor is obtained using a recently developed model for stress intensity factors for an array of coplanar penny shaped cracks in a homogeneous material; also the material dissimilarity function recently obtained for non-interacting penny shaped crack at the interface between two dissimilar materials is employed. The obtained solution is useful for an assessment by ultrasonic measurements of the interface stiffness in bonded structures for monitoring the interfacial microdamage growth due to mechanical loading and environmental factors. PMID:27175036

Magnon Hall effect without Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

PubMed

Owerre, S A

2017-01-25

Topological magnon bands and magnon Hall effect in insulating collinear ferromagnets are induced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) even at zero magnetic field. In the geometrically frustrated star lattice, a coplanar/noncollinear [Formula: see text] magnetic ordering may be present due to spin frustration. This magnetic structure, however, does not exhibit topological magnon effects even with DMI in contrast to collinear ferromagnets. We show that a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the star plane induces a non-coplanar spin configuration with nonzero spin scalar chirality, which provides topological effects without the need of DMI. The non-coplanar spin texture originates from the topology of the spin configurations and does not need the presence of DMI or magnetic ordering, which suggests that this phenomenon may be present in the chiral spin liquid phases of frustrated magnetic systems. We propose that these anomalous topological magnon effects can be accessible in polymeric iron (III) acetate-a star-lattice antiferromagnet with both spin frustration and long-range magnetic ordering.

Design and optimization of surface profilometer based on coplanar guide rail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuai; Dai, Yifan; Hu, Hao; Tie, Guipeng

2017-10-01

In order to implement the sub-micron precision measurement, a surface profilometer which based on the coplanar guide rail is designed. This profilometer adopts the open type air floating load and is driven by the magnetic force. As to achieve sub-micron accuracy, the flatness of granite guide working face and aerodynamic block are both processed to the micron level based on the homogenization of air flotation film theory. Permanent magnet which could reduce the influence of the driving disturbance to the measurement accuracy is used as the driving part. In this paper, the bearing capacity and the air floating stiffness of air floating block are both simulated and analyzed as to optimize the design parameters firstly. The layout and magnetic force of the magnet are also simulated. According to the simulation results, type selection and the position arrangement of the magnets are then confirmed. The test results on the experimental platform show that the surface profilometer based on coplanar guide rail possess the basis for realizing the submicron precision measurement.

Coplanar electrode microfluidic chip enabling accurate sheathless impedance cytometry.

PubMed

De Ninno, Adele; Errico, Vito; Bertani, Francesca Romana; Businaro, Luca; Bisegna, Paolo; Caselli, Federica

2017-03-14

Microfluidic impedance cytometry offers a simple non-invasive method for single-cell analysis. Coplanar electrode chips are especially attractive due to ease of fabrication, yielding miniaturized, reproducible, and ultimately low-cost devices. However, their accuracy is challenged by the dependence of the measured signal on particle trajectory within the interrogation volume, that manifests itself as an error in the estimated particle size, unless any kind of focusing system is used. In this paper, we present an original five-electrode coplanar chip enabling accurate particle sizing without the need for focusing. The chip layout is designed to provide a peculiar signal shape from which a new metric correlating with particle trajectory can be extracted. This metric is exploited to correct the estimated size of polystyrene beads of 5.2, 6 and 7 μm nominal diameter, reaching coefficient of variations lower than the manufacturers' quoted values. The potential impact of the proposed device in the field of life sciences is demonstrated with an application to Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast.

Coupling Between CPW and Slotline Modes in Finite Ground CPW with Unequal Ground Plane Widths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Papapolymerou, John; Williams, W. D. (Technical Monitor); Tentzeris, Emmanouil M.

2002-01-01

The coupling between the desired CPW mode and the unwanted, slotline, mode is presented for finite ground coplanar waveguides with unequal ground plane widths. Measurements, quasi-static conformal mapping, and Method of Moment analysis are performed to determine the dependence of the slotline mode excitation on the physical dimensions of the FGC line and on the frequency range of operation. Introduction: Finite ground coplanar waveguide (FGC) is often used in low cost Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) because of its many advantages over microstrip and conventional CoPlanar Waveguide (CPW). It is uniplanar, which facilitates easy connection of series and shunt elements without via holes, supports a low loss, quasi-TEM mode over a wide frequency band, and since the ground planes are electrically and physically narrow, typically less than lambda/5 wide where lambda is the guided wavelength, they reduce the circuit size and the influence of higher order modes. However, they still support the parasitic slotline mode that plagues all CPW transmission lines.

Observing electron spin resonance between 0.1 and 67 GHz at temperatures between 50 mK and 300 K using broadband metallic coplanar waveguides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiemann, Yvonne; Simmendinger, Julian; Clauss, Conrad

2015-05-11

We describe a fully broadband approach for electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments, where it is possible to tune not only the magnetic field but also the frequency continuously over wide ranges. Here, a metallic coplanar transmission line acts as compact and versatile microwave probe that can easily be implemented in different cryogenic setups. We perform ESR measurements at frequencies between 0.1 and 67 GHz and at temperatures between 50 mK and room temperature. Three different types of samples (Cr{sup 3+} ions in ruby, organic radicals of the nitronyl-nitroxide family, and the doped semiconductor Si:P) represent different possible fields of application formore » the technique. We demonstrate that an extremely large phase space in temperature, magnetic field, and frequency for ESR measurements, substantially exceeding the range of conventional ESR setups, is accessible with metallic coplanar lines.« less

Analysis of a Segmented Annular Coplanar Capacitive Tilt Sensor with Increased Sensitivity

PubMed Central

Guo, Jiahao; Hu, Pengcheng; Tan, Jiubin

2016-01-01

An investigation of a segmented annular coplanar capacitor is presented. We focus on its theoretical model, and a mathematical expression of the capacitance value is derived by solving a Laplace equation with Hankel transform. The finite element method is employed to verify the analytical result. Different control parameters are discussed, and each contribution to the capacitance value of the capacitor is obtained. On this basis, we analyze and optimize the structure parameters of a segmented coplanar capacitive tilt sensor, and three models with different positions of the electrode gap are fabricated and tested. The experimental result shows that the model (whose electrode-gap position is 10 mm from the electrode center) realizes a high sensitivity: 0.129 pF/° with a non-linearity of <0.4% FS (full scale of ±40°). This finding offers plenty of opportunities for various measurement requirements in addition to achieving an optimized structure in practical design. PMID:26805844

Effective spring stiffness for a periodic array of interacting coplanar penny-shaped cracks at an interface between two dissimilar isotropic materials.

PubMed

Lekesiz, Huseyin; Katsube, Noriko; Rokhlin, Stanislav I; Seghi, Robert R

2013-08-15

An effective spring stiffness approximation is proposed for a hexagonal array of coplanar penny shaped cracks located at the interface between two dissimilar solids. The approximation is based on the factorization of the solution on the material dissimilarity factor, the crack interaction factor and the effective spring stiffness solution for non-interacting cracks in a homogeneous material. Such factorization is exact and was validated for 2D collinear cracks between two dissimilar solids. The crack interaction factor is obtained using a recently developed model for stress intensity factors for an array of coplanar penny shaped cracks in a homogeneous material; also the material dissimilarity function recently obtained for non-interacting penny shaped crack at the interface between two dissimilar materials is employed. The obtained solution is useful for an assessment by ultrasonic measurements of the interface stiffness in bonded structures for monitoring the interfacial microdamage growth due to mechanical loading and environmental factors.

Design and Performance Testing of a Linear Array of Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors for Uranium Enrichment Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ocampo, Luis

Abstract— Arrays of position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors with enhanced energy resolution have been proposed for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma-ray sources in different applications. The flexibility of the array design, which can employ CZT crystals with thicknesses up to several centimeters in the direction of electron drift, allows for integration into different kinds of field-portable instruments. These can include small hand-held devices, compact gamma cameras and large field-of-view imaging systems. In this work, we present results for a small linear array of such detectors optimized for the low-energy region, 50-400 keV gamma-rays, which is principally intended for incorporationmore » into hand-held instruments. There are many potential application areas for such instruments, including uranium enrichment measurements, storage monitoring, dosimetry and other safeguards-related tasks that can benefit from compactness and isotope-identification capability. The array described here provides a relatively large area with a minimum number of readout channels, which potentially allows the developers to avoid using an ASIC-based electronic readout by substituting it with hybrid preamplifiers followed by digitizers. The array prototype consists of six (5x5.7x25 mm3) CZT detectors positioned in a line facing the source to achieve a maximum exposure area (~10 cm2). Each detector is furnished with 5 mm-wide charge-sensing pads placed near the anode. The pad signals are converted into X-Y coordinates for each interaction event, which are combined with the cathode signals (for determining the Z coordinates) to give 3D positional information for all interaction points. This information is used to correct the response non-uniformity caused by material inhomogeneity, which therefore allows the usage of standard-grade (unselected) CZT crystals, while achieving high-resolution spectroscopic performance for the instrument. In this presentation we describe the design of the array, the results from detailed laboratory tests, and preliminary results from measurements taken during a field test.« less

The Sensitivity of Coded Mask Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, Gerald K.

2008-01-01

Simple formulae are often used to estimate the sensitivity of coded mask X-ray or gamma-ray telescopes, but t,hese are strictly only applicable if a number of basic assumptions are met. Complications arise, for example, if a grid structure is used to support the mask elements, if the detector spatial resolution is not good enough to completely resolve all the detail in the shadow of the mask or if any of a number of other simplifying conditions are not fulfilled. We derive more general expressions for the Poisson-noise-limited sensitivity of astronomical telescopes using the coded mask technique, noting explicitly in what circumstances they are applicable. The emphasis is on using nomenclature and techniques that result in simple and revealing results. Where no convenient expression is available a procedure is given which allows the calculation of the sensitivity. We consider certain aspects of the optimisation of the design of a coded mask telescope and show that when the detector spatial resolution and the mask to detector separation are fixed, the best source location accuracy is obtained when the mask elements are equal in size to the detector pixels.

Fabricating interlocking support walls, with an adjustable backshort, in a TES bolometer array for far-infrared astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Timothy M.; Abrahams, John H.; Allen, Christine A.

2006-04-01

We report a fabrication process for deep etching silicon to different depths with a single masking layer, using standard masking and exposure techniques. Using this technique, we have incorporated a deep notch in the support walls of a transition-edge-sensor (TES) bolometer array during the detector back-etch, while simultaneously creating a cavity behind the detector. The notches serve to receive the support beams of a separate component, the Backshort-Under-Grid (BUG), an array of adjustable height quarter-wave backshorts that fill the cavities behind each pixel in the detector array. The backshort spacing, set prior to securing to the detector array, can be controlled from 25 to 300 μm by adjusting only a few process steps. In addition to backshort spacing, the interlocking beams and notches provide positioning and structural support for the ˜1 mm pitch, 8×8 array. This process is being incorporated into developing a TES bolometer array with an adjustable backshort for use in far-infrared astronomy. The masking technique and machining process used to fabricate the interlocking walls will be discussed.

Recent Results of the Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Dmitri

2015-04-01

The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest cosmic ray experiment in the northern hemisphere and covers 10 PeV to 100 EeV range. TA is a hybrid detector that uses air fluorescence detectors combined with a ground array. TA consists of 507 plastic scintillation counters on a 1.2km square grid, overlooked by 3 fluorescence detector stations, and measures cosmic rays above 1 EeV. TA has collected 6.5 years of data. Results from the TA low energy extension (TALE), which sees cosmic rays down to 10 PeV, will also be shown. This contribution will consist of three parts. First, we will present the cosmic ray energy spectrum measured over 4 decades in energy. Next, we will discuss the latest results of the measurements of cosmic ray mass composition by the TA fluorescence detectors. Finally, we will show the latest results of the TA anisotropy measurements at the highest energies, where we have seen a concentration of events, called the ``hotspot,'' centered in the Ursa Major. For the Telescope Array Collaboration. Done...processed 1261 records...10:46:59 Beginning APS data extraction...10:47:48

Region-of-interest cone beam computed tomography (ROI CBCT) with a high resolution CMOS detector.

PubMed

Jain, A; Takemoto, H; Silver, M D; Nagesh, S V S; Ionita, C N; Bednarek, D R; Rudin, S

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems with rotational gantries that have standard flat panel detectors (FPD) are widely used for the 3D rendering of vascular structures using Feldkamp cone beam reconstruction algorithms. One of the inherent limitations of these systems is limited resolution (<3 lp/mm). There are systems available with higher resolution but their small FOV limits them to small animal imaging only. In this work, we report on region-of-interest (ROI) CBCT with a high resolution CMOS detector (75 μm pixels, 600 μm HR-CsI) mounted with motorized detector changer on a commercial FPD-based C-arm angiography gantry (194 μm pixels, 600 μm HL-CsI). A cylindrical CT phantom and neuro stents were imaged with both detectors. For each detector a total of 209 images were acquired in a rotational protocol. The technique parameters chosen for the FPD by the imaging system were used for the CMOS detector. The anti-scatter grid was removed and the incident scatter was kept the same for both detectors with identical collimator settings. The FPD images were reconstructed for the 10 cm x10 cm FOV and the CMOS images were reconstructed for a 3.84 cm × 3.84 cm FOV. Although the reconstructed images from the CMOS detector demonstrated comparable contrast to the FPD images, the reconstructed 3D images of the neuro stent clearly showed that the CMOS detector improved delineation of smaller objects such as the stent struts (~70 μm) compared to the FPD. Further development and the potential for substantial clinical impact are suggested.

Comparison of the in vitro effects of TCDD, PCB 126 and PCB 153 on thyroid-restricted gene expression and thyroid hormone secretion by the chicken thyroid gland.

PubMed

Katarzyńska, Dorota; Hrabia, Anna; Kowalik, Kinga; Sechman, Andrzej

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126; a coplanar PCB congener) and 2,2'4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153; non-coplanar PCB) on mRNA expression of thyroid-restricted genes, i.e. sodium iodide symporter (NIS), thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TG), and thyroid hormone secretion from the thyroid gland of the laying chicken. Relative expression levels of NIS, TG and TPO genes and thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) secretion from the thyroidal explants were quantified by the real-time qPCR and RIA methods, respectively. In comparison with the control group, TCDD and PCB 126 significantly increased mRNA expression of TPO and TG genes. TCDD did not affect NIS mRNA levels, but PCB 126 decreased its expression. No effect of PCB 153 on the expression of these genes was observed. TCDD and PCB 126 significantly decreased T4 and T3 secretion. There was no significant effect of PCB 153 on these hormone secretions. In conclusion, the results obtained show that in comparison with non-coplanar PCB 153, TCDD and coplanar PCB 126 can directly affect thyroid hormone synthesis and secretion, and in consequence, they may disrupt the endocrine function of the thyroid gland of the laying chicken. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Angular dependence of the response of the nanoDot OSLD system for measurements at depth in clinical megavoltage beams.

PubMed

Lehmann, Joerg; Dunn, Leon; Lye, Jessica E; Kenny, John W; Alves, Andrew D C; Cole, Andrew; Asena, Andre; Kron, Tomas; Williams, Ivan M

2014-06-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the angular dependence of a commercial optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) dosimetry system in MV x-ray beams at depths beyond d(max) and to find ways to mitigate this dependence for measurements in phantoms. Two special holders were designed which allow a dosimeter to be rotated around the center of its sensitive volume. The dosimeter's sensitive volume is a disk, 5 mm in diameter and 0.2 mm thick. The first holder rotates the disk in the traditional way. It positions the disk perpendicular to the beam (gantry pointing to the floor) in the initial position (0°). When the holder is rotated the angle of the disk towards the beam increases until the disk is parallel with the beam ("edge on," 90°). This is referred to as Setup 1. The second holder offers a new, alternative measurement position. It positions the disk parallel to the beam for all angles while rotating around its center (Setup 2). Measurements with five to ten dosimeters per point were carried out for 6 MV at 3 and 10 cm depth. Monte Carlo simulations using GEANT4 were performed to simulate the response of the active detector material for several angles. Detector and housing were simulated in detail based on microCT data and communications with the manufacturer. Various material compositions and an all-water geometry were considered. For the traditional Setup 1 the response of the OSLD dropped on average by 1.4% ± 0.7% (measurement) and 2.1% ± 0.3% (Monte Carlo simulation) for the 90° orientation compared to 0°. Monte Carlo simulations also showed a strong dependence of the effect on the composition of the sensitive layer. Assuming the layer to completely consist of the active material (Al2O3) results in a 7% drop in response for 90° compared to 0°. Assuming the layer to be completely water, results in a flat response within the simulation uncertainty of about 1%. For the new Setup 2, measurements and Monte Carlo simulations found the angular dependence of the dosimeter to be below 1% and within the measurement uncertainty. The dosimeter system exhibits a small angular dependence of approximately 2% which needs to be considered for measurements involving other than normal incident beams angles. This applies in particular to clinical in vivo measurements where the orientation of the dosimeter is dictated by clinical circumstances and cannot be optimized as otherwise suggested here. When measuring in a phantom, the proposed new setup should be considered. It changes the orientation of the dosimeter so that a coplanar beam arrangement always hits the disk shaped detector material from the thin side and thereby reduces the angular dependence of the response to within the measurement uncertainty of about 1%. This improvement makes the dosimeter more attractive for clinical measurements with multiple coplanar beams in phantoms, as the overall measurement uncertainty is reduced. Similarly, phantom based postal audits can transition from the traditional TLD to the more accurate and convenient OSLD.

Monodomain dynamics for rigid rod and platelet suspensions in strongly coupled coplanar linear flow and magnetic fields. II. Kinetic theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forest, M. Gregory; Sircar, Sarthok; Wang, Qi; Zhou, Ruhai

2006-10-01

We establish reciprocity relations of the Doi-Hess kinetic theory for rigid rod macromolecular suspensions governed by the strong coupling among an excluded volume potential, linear flow, and a magnetic field. The relation provides a reduction of the flow and field driven Smoluchowski equation: from five parameters for coplanar linear flows and magnetic field, to two field parameters. The reduced model distinguishes flows with a rotational component, which map to simple shear (with rate parameter) subject to a transverse magnetic field (with strength parameter), and irrotational flows, for which the reduced model consists of a triaxial extensional flow (with two extensional rate parameters). We solve the Smoluchowski equation of the reduced model to explore: (i) the effect of introducing a coplanar magnetic field on each sheared monodomain attractor of the Doi-Hess kinetic theory and (ii) the coupling of coplanar extensional flow and magnetic fields. For (i), we show each sheared attractor (steady and unsteady, with peak axis in and out of the shearing plane, periodic and chaotic orbits) undergoes its own transition sequence versus magnetic field strength. Nonetheless, robust predictions emerge: out-of-plane degrees of freedom are arrested with increasing field strength, and a unique flow-aligning or tumbling/wagging limit cycle emerges above a threshold magnetic field strength or modified geometry parameter value. For (ii), irrotational flows coupled with a coplanar magnetic field yield only steady states. We characterize all (generically biaxial) equilibria in terms of an explicit Boltzmann distribution, providing a natural generalization of analytical results on pure nematic equilibria [P. Constantin, I. Kevrekidis, and E. S. Titi, Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 174, 365 (2004); P. Constantin, I. Kevrekidis, and E. S. Titi, Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems 11, 101 (2004); P. Constantin and J. Vukadinovic, Nonlinearity 18, 441 (2005); H. Liu, H. Zhang, and P. Zhang, Comm. Math. Sci. 3, 201 (2005); C. Luo, H. Zhang, and P. Zhang, Nonlinearity 18, 379 (2005); I. Fatkullin and V. Slastikov, Nonlinearity 18, 2565 (2005); H. Zhou, H. Wang, Q. Wang, and M. G. Forest, Nonlinearity 18, 2815 (2005)] and extensional flow-induced equilibria [Q. Wang, S. Sircar, and H. Zhou, Comm. Math. Sci. 4, 605 (2005)]. We predict large parameter regions of bi-stable equilibria; the lowest energy state always has principal axis aligned in the flow plane, while another minimum energy state often exists, with primary alignment transverse to the coplanar field.

Feasibility of a simple method of hybrid collimation for megavoltage grid therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Almendral, Pedro; Mancha, Pedro J.; Roberto, Daniel

2013-05-15

Purpose: Megavoltage grid therapy is currently delivered with step-and-shoot multisegment techniques or using a high attenuation block with divergent holes. However, the commercial availability of grid blocks is limited, their construction is difficult, and step-and-shoot techniques require longer treatment times and are not practical with some multileaf collimators. This work studies the feasibility of a hybrid collimation system for grid therapy that does not require multiple segments and can be easily implemented with widely available technical means. Methods: The authors have developed a system to generate a grid of beamlets by the simultaneous use of two perpendicular sets of equallymore » spaced leaves that project stripe patterns in orthogonal directions. One of them is generated with the multileaf collimator integrated in the accelerator and the other with an in-house made collimator constructed with a low melting point alloy commonly available at radiation oncology departments. The characteristics of the grid fields for 6 and 18 MV have been studied with a shielded diode, an unshielded diode, and radiochromic film. Results: The grid obtained with the hybrid collimation is similar to some of the grids used clinically with respect to the beamlet size (about 1 cm) and the percentage of open beam (1/4 of the total field). The grid fields are less penetrating than the open fields of the same energy. Depending on the depth and the direction of the profiles (diagonal or along the principal axes), the measured valley-to-peak dose ratios range from 5% to 16% for 6 MV and from 9% to 20% for 18 MV. All the detectors yield similar results in the measurement of profiles and percent depth dose, but the shielded diode seems to overestimate the output factors. Conclusions: The combination of two stripe pattern collimators in orthogonal directions is a feasible method to obtain two-dimensional arrays of beamlets and has potential usefulness as an efficient way to deliver grid therapy. The implementation of this method is technically simpler than the construction of a conventional grid block.« less

Feasibility of a simple method of hybrid collimation for megavoltage grid therapy.

PubMed

Almendral, Pedro; Mancha, Pedro J; Roberto, Daniel

2013-05-01

Megavoltage grid therapy is currently delivered with step-and-shoot multisegment techniques or using a high attenuation block with divergent holes. However, the commercial availability of grid blocks is limited, their construction is difficult, and step-and-shoot techniques require longer treatment times and are not practical with some multileaf collimators. This work studies the feasibility of a hybrid collimation system for grid therapy that does not require multiple segments and can be easily implemented with widely available technical means. The authors have developed a system to generate a grid of beamlets by the simultaneous use of two perpendicular sets of equally spaced leaves that project stripe patterns in orthogonal directions. One of them is generated with the multileaf collimator integrated in the accelerator and the other with an in-house made collimator constructed with a low melting point alloy commonly available at radiation oncology departments. The characteristics of the grid fields for 6 and 18 MV have been studied with a shielded diode, an unshielded diode, and radiochromic film. The grid obtained with the hybrid collimation is similar to some of the grids used clinically with respect to the beamlet size (about 1 cm) and the percentage of open beam (1/4 of the total field). The grid fields are less penetrating than the open fields of the same energy. Depending on the depth and the direction of the profiles (diagonal or along the principal axes), the measured valley-to-peak dose ratios range from 5% to 16% for 6 MV and from 9% to 20% for 18 MV. All the detectors yield similar results in the measurement of profiles and percent depth dose, but the shielded diode seems to overestimate the output factors. The combination of two stripe pattern collimators in orthogonal directions is a feasible method to obtain two-dimensional arrays of beamlets and has potential usefulness as an efficient way to deliver grid therapy. The implementation of this method is technically simpler than the construction of a conventional grid block.

Investigating the use of an antiscatter grid in chest radiography for average adults with a computed radiography imaging system

PubMed Central

Wood, T J; Avery, G; Balcam, S; Needler, L; Smith, A; Saunderson, J R; Beavis, A W

2015-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate via simulation a proposed change to clinical practice for chest radiography. The validity of using a scatter rejection grid across the diagnostic energy range (60–125 kVp), in conjunction with appropriate tube current–time product (mAs) for imaging with a computed radiography (CR) system was investigated. Methods: A digitally reconstructed radiograph algorithm was used, which was capable of simulating CR chest radiographs with various tube voltages, receptor doses and scatter rejection methods. Four experienced image evaluators graded images with a grid (n = 80) at tube voltages across the diagnostic energy range and varying detector air kermas. These were scored against corresponding images reconstructed without a grid, as per current clinical protocol. Results: For all patients, diagnostic image quality improved with the use of a grid, without the need to increase tube mAs (and therefore patient dose), irrespective of the tube voltage used. Increasing tube mAs by an amount determined by the Bucky factor made little difference to image quality. Conclusion: A virtual clinical trial has been performed with simulated chest CR images. Results indicate that the use of a grid improves diagnostic image quality for average adults, without the need to increase tube mAs, even at low tube voltages. Advances in knowledge: Validated with images containing realistic anatomical noise, it is possible to improve image quality by utilizing grids for chest radiography with CR systems without increasing patient exposure. Increasing tube mAs by an amount determined by the Bucky factor is not justified. PMID:25571914

Characteristics of Coplanar Waveguide on Sapphire for High Temperature Applications (25 to 400 degrees C)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Jordan, Jennifer L.; Scardelletti, Maximilian; Stalker, Amy R.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the characteristics of coplanar waveguide transmission lines fabricated on R-plane sapphire substrates as a function of temperature across the temperature range of 25 to 400 C. Effective permittivity and attenuation are measured on a high temperature probe station. Two techniques are used to obtain the transmission line characteristics, a Thru-Reflect-Line calibration technique that yields the propagation coefficient and resonant stubs. To a first order fit of the data, the effective permittivity and the attenuation increase linearly with temperature.

Lunar Flight Study Series: Volume 6. A Study of Geometrical and Terminal Characteristics of Earth-Moon Transits Embedded in the Earth-Moon Plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lisle, B. J.

1963-01-01

This report represents the results of a study of coplanar earth-moon transits. The study was initiated to provide information concerning coplanar geometrical characteristics of earth-moon trnasits. The geometrical aspects of transit behavior are related to variations injection conditions. The model of the earth-moon system used in this investigation is the Jacobian model of the restricted three body problem. All transits considered in this study are restricted to the moon-earth plane (MEP).

CORRIGENDUM: Dielectric dispersion of BaxSr1 - xTiO3 thin film with parallel-plate and coplanar interdigital electrodes Dielectric dispersion of BaxSr1 - xTiO3 thin film with parallel-plate and coplanar interdigital electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Yu; Song, Qing; Xu, Feng; Sheng, Su; Wang, Peng; Ong, C. K.

2010-03-01

Figures 1, 2 and 5 of this paper are reprinted from the authors' previous paper, Zhang X-Y, Wang P, Sheng S, Xu F and Ong C K 2008 Ferroelectric BaxSr1 - xTiO3 thin-film varactors with parallel plate and interdigital electrodes for microwave applications J. Appl. Phys. 104 124110, copyright 2008, with permission from the American Institute of Physics.

Micro-Coplanar Striplines: New Transmission Media for Microwave Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goverdhanam, Kavita; Simons, Rainee N.; Katehi, Linda P. B.

1998-01-01

In this paper a new transmission line for microwave applications, referred to here as the Micro-Coplanar Stripline (MCPS), is introduced. The propagation characteristics, such as, characteristic impedance (Z(sub 0) and effective dielectric constant (epsilon eff) for a range of MCPS geometries have been modeled using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Technique and presented here. Also, preliminary experimental results on the performance of an MCP-Microstrip transition and an MCPS-fed patch antenna are presented. The results indicate several potential applications of the MCPS line in microwave integrated circuit technology.

Coplanar waveguide metamaterials: The role of bandwidth modifying slots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibraheem, Ibraheem A.; Koch, Martin

2007-09-01

The authors propose a coplanar waveguide stopband metasurface based on the Babinet principle. The resulting layout is a compact planar metal structure with complementary split ring resonators, which exhibits a high rejection stop band. The complementary rings provide a frequency band with an effective negative dielectric permittivity. Moreover, the rejected bandwidth can be expanded by introducing slots close to the rings. The authors provide a simple physical model which explains the impact of the slots. Simulations confirm the expected behavior and are in excellent agreement with the measurements.

Packaging of microwave integrated circuits operating beyond 100 GHz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samoska, L.; Daniel, E.; Sokolov, V.; Sommerfeldt, S.; Bublitz, J.; Olson, K.; Gilbert, B.; Chow, D.

2002-01-01

Several methods of packaging high speed (75-330 GHz) InP HEMT MMIC devices are discussed. Coplanar wirebonding is presented with measured insertion loss of less than 0.5dB and return loss better than -17 dB from DC to 110 GHz. A motherboard/daughterboard packaging scheme is presented which supports minimum loss chains of MMICs using this coplanar wirebonding method. Split waveguide block packaging approaches are presented in G-band (140-220 GHz) with two types of MMIC-waveguide transitions: E-plane probe andantipodal finline.

Coplanar asymmetrical reduced graphene oxide-titanium electrodes for polymer photodetectors.

PubMed

Pang, Shuping; Yang, Shubin; Feng, Xinliang; Müllen, Klaus

2012-03-22

Narrow gaps and a "built-in" potential originating from the different work functions of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and titanium electrodes are used to explain the improved photosensitivity of the poly(3-hexylthiophene) photodetectors with asymmetrical RGO-Ti electrodes presented here compared to those based on symmetrical electrodes. Easy processing, high photosensitivity, high on/off ratio, and low energy consumption contribute to the promising potential of coplanar asymmetrical electrodes in the field of photoelectric devices. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of a 32-detector CdTe matrix for the SVOM ECLAIRs X/Gamma camera: Preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacombe, K.; Nasser, G.; Amoros, C.; Atteia, J.-L.; Barret, D.; Billot, M.; Cordier, B.; Gevin, O.; Godet, O.; Gonzalez, F.; Houret, B.; Landé, J.; Lugiez, F.; Mandrou, P.; Martin, J.-A.; Marty, W.; Mercier, K.; Pons, R.; Rambaud, D.; Ramon, P.; Rouaix, G.; Waegebaert, V.

2013-12-01

ECLAIRs, a 2D coded-mask imaging telescope on the Sino-French SVOM space mission, will detect and locate gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) between 4 and 150 keV. The detector array is an assembly of 6400 Schottky CdTe detectors of size 4×4×1 mm3, biased from -100 V to -600 V and operated at -20 °C to minimize the leakage current and maximize the polarization time. The remarkable low-energy threshold is achieved through various steps: an extensive detectors selection, a low-noise 32 channels ASIC study, and the design of an innovative detection module called XRDPIX formed by a thick film ceramic holding 32 detectors, a high voltage grid and an HTCC substrate housing the ASIC within a hermetic cavity. In this paper, we describe the XRDPIX module and explain the results of first tests to measure the linearity and compare the sources of noise, such as leakage currents and the Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) measured on ASIC Ceramics. We confront these values with the energy threshold and spectral resolution made with dedicated test benches. Finally, we present the superposition of 32 calibrated spectra of one XRDPIX module, showing the excellent homogeneity of the 32 detectors and the achievement of a detection threshold at 4 keV over the entire module.

Detection of nitro-based and peroxide-based explosives by fast polarity-switchable ion mobility spectrometer with ion focusing in vicinity of Faraday detector.

PubMed

Zhou, Qinghua; Peng, Liying; Jiang, Dandan; Wang, Xin; Wang, Haiyan; Li, Haiyang

2015-05-29

Ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) has been widely deployed for on-site detection of explosives. The common nitro-based explosives are usually detected by negative IMS while the emerging peroxide-based explosives are better detected by positive IMS. In this study, a fast polarity-switchable IMS was constructed to detect these two explosive species in a single measurement. As the large traditional Faraday detector would cause a trailing reactant ion peak (RIP), a Faraday detector with ion focusing in vicinity was developed by reducing the detector radius to 3.3 mm and increasing the voltage difference between aperture grid and its front guard ring to 591 V, which could remove trailing peaks from RIP without loss of signal intensity. This fast polarity-switchable IMS with ion focusing in vicinity of Faraday detector was employed to detect a mixture of 10 ng 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 50 ng hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) by polarity-switching, and the result suggested that [TNT-H](-) and [HMTD+H](+) could be detected in a single measurement. Furthermore, the removal of trailing peaks from RIP by the Faraday detector with ion focusing in vicinity also promised the accurate identification of KClO4, KNO3 and S in common inorganic explosives, whose product ion peaks were fairly adjacent to RIP.

Research on the Application of Fast-steering Mirror in Stellar Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, R.; Hu, Z. W.; Xu, T.; Sun, C. S.

2017-07-01

For a stellar interferometer, the fast-steering mirror (FSM) is widely utilized to correct wavefront tilt caused by atmospheric turbulence and internal instrumental vibration due to its high resolution and fast response frequency. In this study, the non-coplanar error between the FSM and actuator deflection axis introduced by manufacture, assembly, and adjustment is analyzed. Via a numerical method, the additional optical path difference (OPD) caused by above factors is studied, and its effects on tracking accuracy of stellar interferometer are also discussed. On the other hand, the starlight parallelism between the beams of two arms is one of the main factors of the loss of fringe visibility. By analyzing the influence of wavefront tilt caused by the atmospheric turbulence on fringe visibility, a simple and efficient real-time correction scheme of starlight parallelism is proposed based on a single array detector. The feasibility of this scheme is demonstrated by laboratory experiment. The results show that starlight parallelism meets the requirement of stellar interferometer in wavefront tilt preliminarily after the correction of fast-steering mirror.

A full-field transmission x-ray microscope for time-resolved imaging of magnetic nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ewald, J.; Nisius, T.; Abbati, G.

Sub-nanosecond magnetization dynamics of small permalloy (Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20}) elements has been investigated with a new full-field transmission microscope at the soft X-ray beamline P04 of the high brilliance synchrotron radiation source PETRA III. The soft X-ray microscope generates a flat-top illumination field of 20 μm diameter using a grating condenser. A tilted nanostructured magnetic sample can be excited by a picosecond electric current pulse via a coplanar waveguide. The transmitted light of the sample plane is directly imaged by a micro zone plate with < 65 nm resolution onto a 2D gateable X-ray detector to select one particular bunch in themore » storage ring that probes the time evolution of the dynamic information successively via XMCD spectromicroscopy in a pump-probe scheme. In the experiments it was possible to generate a homogeneously magnetized state in patterned magnetic layers by a strong magnetic Oersted field pulse of 200 ps duration and directly observe the recovery to the initial flux-closure vortex patterns.« less

Dose characteristics of in-house-built collimators for stereotactic radiotherapy with a linear accelerator.

PubMed

Norrgård, F S; Sipilä, P M; Kulmala, J A; Minn, H R

1998-06-01

Dose characteristics of a stereotactic radiotherapy unit based on a standard Varian Clinac 4/100 4 MV linear accelerator, in-house-built Lipowitz collimators and the SMART stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning software have been determined. Beam collimation is constituted from the standard collimators of the linear accelerator and a tertiary collimation consisting of a replaceable divergent Lipowitz collimator. Four collimators with isocentre diameters of 15, 25, 35 and 45 mm, respectively, were constructed. Beam characteristics were measured in air, acrylic or water with ionization chamber, photon diode, electron diode, diamond detector and film. Monte Carlo simulation was also applied. The radiation leakage under the collimators was less than 1% at 50 mm depth in water. Specific beam characteristics for each collimator were imported to SMART and dose planning with five non-coplanar converging 140 degrees arcs separated by 36 degrees angles was performed for treatment of a RANDO phantom. Dose verification was made with TLD and radiochromic film. The in-house-built collimators were found to be suitable for stereotactic radiotherapy and patient treatments with this system are in progress.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.

Following our successful demonstration of the position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, we investigated the feasibility of using high-granularity position sensing to correct response non-uniformities caused by the crystal defects in CdZnTe (CZT) pixelated detectors. The development of high-granularity detectors able to correct response non-uniformities on a scale comparable to the size of electron clouds opens the opportunity of using unselected off-the-shelf CZT material, whilst still assuring high spectral resolution for the majority of the detectors fabricated from an ingot. Here, we present the results from testing 3D position-sensitive 15×15×10 mm 3 pixelated detectors, fabricated with conventional pixel patterns with progressively smallermore » pixel sizes: 1.4, 0.8, and 0.5 mm. We employed the readout system based on the H3D front-end multi-channel ASIC developed by BNL's Instrumentation Division in collaboration with the University of Michigan. We use the sharing of electron clouds among several adjacent pixels to measure locations of interaction points with sub-pixel resolution. By using the detectors with small-pixel sizes and a high probability of the charge-sharing events, we were able to improve their spectral resolutions in comparison to the baseline levels, measured for the 1.4-mm pixel size detectors with small fractions of charge-sharing events. These results demonstrate that further enhancement of the performance of CZT pixelated detectors and reduction of costs are possible by using high spatial-resolution position information of interaction points to correct the small-scale response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects present in most devices.« less

Stability Limits of Circumbinary Planets: Is There a Pile-up in the Kepler CBPs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quarles, B.; Satyal, S.; Kostov, V.; Kaib, N.; Haghighipour, N.

2018-04-01

The stability limit for circumbinary planets (CBPs) is not well defined and can depend on initial parameters defining either the planetary orbit and/or the inner binary orbit. We expand on the work of Holman & Wiegert (1999) to develop numerical tools for quick, easy, and accurate determination of the stability limit. The results of our simulations, as well as our numerical tools, are available to the community through Zenodo and GitHub, respectively. We employ a grid interpolation method based on ∼150 million full N-body simulations of initially circular, coplanar systems and compare to the nine known Kepler CBP systems. Using a formalism from planet packing studies, we find that 55% of the Kepler CBP systems allow for an additional equal-mass planet to potentially exist on an interior orbit relative to the observed planet. Therefore, we do not find strong evidence for a pile-up in the Kepler CBP systems and more detections are needed to adequately characterize the formation mechanisms for the CBP population. Observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite are expected to substantially increase the number of detections using the unique geometry of CBP systems, where multiple transits can occur during a single conjunction.

A revision of the gamma-evaluation concept for the comparison of dose distributions.

PubMed

Bakai, Annemarie; Alber, Markus; Nüsslin, Fridtjof

2003-11-07

A method for the quantitative four-dimensional (4D) evaluation of discrete dose data based on gradient-dependent local acceptance thresholds is presented. The method takes into account the local dose gradients of a reference distribution for critical appraisal of misalignment and collimation errors. These contribute to the maximum tolerable dose error at each evaluation point to which the local dose differences between comparison and reference data are compared. As shown, the presented concept is analogous to the gamma-concept of Low et al (1998a Med. Phys. 25 656-61) if extended to (3+1) dimensions. The pointwise dose comparisons of the reformulated concept are easier to perform and speed up the evaluation process considerably, especially for fine-grid evaluations of 3D dose distributions. The occurrences of false negative indications due to the discrete nature of the data are reduced with the method. The presented method was applied to film-measured, clinical data and compared with gamma-evaluations. 4D and 3D evaluations were performed. Comparisons prove that 4D evaluations have to be given priority, especially if complex treatment situations are verified, e.g., non-coplanar beam configurations.

SU-F-T-613: Multi-Lesion Cranial SRS VMAT Plan Quality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ballangrud, A; Kuo, L; Happersett, L

Purpose: Cranial SRS VMAT plans must have steep dose gradient around each target to reduce dose to normal brain. This study reports on the correlation between gradient index (GI=V50%/V100%), target size and target dose heterogeneity index (HI=PTV Dmax/prescription dose) for multi-lesion cranial SRS VMAT plans. Methods: VMAT plans for 10 cranial cases with 3 to 6 lesions (total 39 lesions) generated in Varian Eclipse V11.0.47 with a fine-tuned AAA beam model and 0.125 cm dose grid were analyzed. One or two iso centers were used depending on the spatial distribution of lesions. Two to nine coplanar and non-coplanar arcs weremore » used per isocenter. Conformity index (CI= V100%/VPTV), HI, and GI were determined for each lesion. Dose to critical structures were recorded. Results: Lesion size ranged from 0.05–11.00 cm3. HI ranged from 1.2–1.4, CI ranged from 1.0–2.8 and GI from 3.1–8.4. Maximum dose to brainstem, chiasm, lenses, optic nerves and eyes ranged from 120–1946 cGy, 47–463 cGy, 9–121 cGy, 14–512 cGy, and 17–294 cGy, respectively. Brain minus PTV (Brain-PTV) V7Gy was in the range 1.1–6.5%, and Brain-PTV Dmean was in the range 94–324 cGy. Conclusion: This work shows that a GI < 5 can be achieved for lesions > 0.4cc. For smaller lesions, GI increases rapidly. GI is lower when HI is increased. Based on this study, recommend HI is 1.4, and recommended GI is for volumes <0.1cc GI<9, 0.1–0.4cc GI<6, 0.4–0.1.0cc GI<5, and for volumes >1.0cc GI<4. CI is < 1.3 for all lesions except for targets < 0.1cc. Cranial SRS VMAT plans must be optimized to lower the GI to reduce the dose to normal brain tissue.« less

Mapping soil salinity and a fresh-water intrusion in three-dimensions using a quasi-3d joint-inversion of DUALEM-421S and EM34 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zare, Ehsan; Huang, Jingyi; Koganti, Triven; Triantafilis, John

2017-04-01

In order to understand the drivers of topsoil salinization, the distribution and movement of salt in accordance with groundwater need mapping. In this study, we described a method to map the distribution of soil salinity, as measured by the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil-paste extract (ECe), and in 3-dimensions around a water storage reservoir in an irrigated field near Bourke, New South Wales, Australia. A quasi-3d electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI) or model of the true electrical conductivity (sigma) was developed using 133 apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measurements collected on a 50 m grid and using various coil arrays of DUALEM-421S and EM34 instruments. For the DUALEM-421S we considered ECa in horizontal coplanar (i.e., 1 mPcon, 2 mPcon and 4 mPcon) and vertical coplanar (i.e., 1 mHcon, 2 mHcon and 4 mHcon) arrays. For the EM34, three measurements in the horizontal mode (i.e., EM34-10H, EM34-20H and EM34-40H) were considered. We estimated σ using a quasi-3d joint-inversion algorithm (EM4Soil). The best correlation (R2 = 0.92) between σ and measured soil ECe was identified when a forward modelling (FS), inversion algorithm (S2) and damping factor (lambda = 0.2) were used and using both DUALEM-421 and EM34 data; but not including the 4 m coil arrays of the DUALEM-421S. A linear regression calibration model was used to predict ECe in 3-dimensions beneath the study field. The predicted ECe was consistent with previous studies and revealed the distribution of ECe and helped to infer a freshwater intrusion from a water storage reservoir at depth and as a function of its proximity to near-surface prior stream channels and buried paleochannels. It was concluded that this method can be applied elsewhere to map the soil salinity and water movement and provide guidance for improved land management.|

SU-E-T-331: Dosimetric Impact of Multileaf Collimator Leaf Width On Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) RapidArc Treatment Plans for Single and Multiple Brain Metastases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, S; Keeling, V; Ahmad, S

Purpose: To determine the effects of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf width on normal-brain-tissue doses and dose conformity of SRS RapidArc treatment plans for brain tumors. Methods: Ten patients with 24 intracranial tumors (seven with 1–2 and three with 4–6 lesions) were planned using RapidArc for both Varian Millennium 120 MLC (5 mm leaf width) and high definition (HD) MLC (2.5 mm leaf width). Between 2 and 8 arcs were used with two full coplanar arcs and the rest non-coplanar half arcs. 6 MV beams were used and plans were optimized with a high priority to the Normal Tissue Objective (tomore » achieve dose conformity and sharp dose fall-off) and normal brain tissue. Calculation was done using AAA on a 1 mm grid size. The prescription dose ranged from 14–22 Gy. Plans were normalized such that 99% of the target received the prescription dose. Identical beam geometries, optimizations, calculations, and normalizations were used for both plans. Paddick Conformity Index (PCI), V4, V8 and V12 Gy for normal brain tissue and Integral Dose were used for analysis. Results: In all cases, HD MLC plans performed better in sparing normal brain tissue, achieving a higher PCI with a lower Integral Dose. The average PCI for all 24 targets was 0.75±0.23 and 0.70±0.23 (p ≤0.0015) for HD MLC and Millennium MLC plans, respectively. The average ratio of normal brain doses for Millennium MLC to HD MLC plans was 1.30±0.16, 1.27±0.15, and 1.31±0.18 for the V4, V8, and V12, respectively. The differences in normal brain dose for all criteria were statistically significant with p-value < 0.02. On average Millennium MLC plans had a 16% higher integral dose than HD MLC plans. Conclusion: Significantly better dose conformity with reduced volume of normal brain tissue and integral dose was achieved with HD MLC plans compared to Millennium MLC plans.« less

Mapping soil salinity and a fresh-water intrusion in three-dimensions using a quasi-3d joint-inversion of DUALEM-421S and EM34 data.

PubMed

Huang, J; Koganti, T; Santos, F A Monteiro; Triantafilis, J

2017-01-15

In order to understand the drivers of topsoil salinization, the distribution and movement of salt in accordance with groundwater need mapping. In this study, we described a method to map the distribution of soil salinity, as measured by the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil-paste extract (EC e ), and in 3-dimensions around a water storage reservoir in an irrigated field near Bourke, New South Wales, Australia. A quasi-3d electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI) or model of the true electrical conductivity (σ) was developed using 133 apparent electrical conductivity (EC a ) measurements collected on a 50m grid and using various coil arrays of DUALEM-421S and EM34 instruments. For the DUALEM-421S we considered EC a in horizontal coplanar (i.e., 1mPcon, 2mPcon and 4mPcon) and vertical coplanar (i.e., 1mHcon, 2mHcon and 4mHcon) arrays. For the EM34, three measurements in the horizontal mode (i.e., EM34-10H, EM34-20H and EM34-40H) were considered. We estimated σ using a quasi-3d joint-inversion algorithm (EM4Soil). The best correlation (R 2 =0.92) between σ and measured soil EC e was identified when a forward modelling (FS), inversion algorithm (S2) and damping factor (λ=0.2) were used and using both DUALEM-421 and EM34 data; but not including the 4m coil arrays of the DUALEM-421S. A linear regression calibration model was used to predict EC e in 3-dimensions beneath the study field. The predicted EC e was consistent with previous studies and revealed the distribution of EC e and helped to infer a freshwater intrusion from a water storage reservoir at depth and as a function of its proximity to near-surface prior stream channels and buried paleochannels. It was concluded that this method can be applied elsewhere to map the soil salinity and water movement and provide guidance for improved land management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of high-granularity CdZnTe pixelated detectors to correct response non-uniformities caused by defects in crystals

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.; ...

2015-09-06

Following our successful demonstration of the position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, we investigated the feasibility of using high-granularity position sensing to correct response non-uniformities caused by the crystal defects in CdZnTe (CZT) pixelated detectors. The development of high-granularity detectors able to correct response non-uniformities on a scale comparable to the size of electron clouds opens the opportunity of using unselected off-the-shelf CZT material, whilst still assuring high spectral resolution for the majority of the detectors fabricated from an ingot. Here, we present the results from testing 3D position-sensitive 15×15×10 mm 3 pixelated detectors, fabricated with conventional pixel patterns with progressively smallermore » pixel sizes: 1.4, 0.8, and 0.5 mm. We employed the readout system based on the H3D front-end multi-channel ASIC developed by BNL's Instrumentation Division in collaboration with the University of Michigan. We use the sharing of electron clouds among several adjacent pixels to measure locations of interaction points with sub-pixel resolution. By using the detectors with small-pixel sizes and a high probability of the charge-sharing events, we were able to improve their spectral resolutions in comparison to the baseline levels, measured for the 1.4-mm pixel size detectors with small fractions of charge-sharing events. These results demonstrate that further enhancement of the performance of CZT pixelated detectors and reduction of costs are possible by using high spatial-resolution position information of interaction points to correct the small-scale response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects present in most devices.« less

First Flight of the Gamma-Ray Imager Polarimeter for Solar Flares (GRIPS) Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, Nicole; Saint-Hilaire, P.; Shih, A. Y.; Hurford, G. J.; Bain, H. M.; Amman, M.; Mochizuki, A. B.; Hoberman, J.; Olson, J.; Maruca, B. A.;

MC21 analysis of the MIT PWR benchmark: Hot zero power results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelly Iii, D. J.; Aviles, B. N.; Herman, B. R.

2013-07-01

MC21 Monte Carlo results have been compared with hot zero power measurements from an operating pressurized water reactor (PWR), as specified in a new full core PWR performance benchmark from the MIT Computational Reactor Physics Group. Included in the comparisons are axially integrated full core detector measurements, axial detector profiles, control rod bank worths, and temperature coefficients. Power depressions from grid spacers are seen clearly in the MC21 results. Application of Coarse Mesh Finite Difference (CMFD) acceleration within MC21 has been accomplished, resulting in a significant reduction of inactive batches necessary to converge the fission source. CMFD acceleration has alsomore » been shown to work seamlessly with the Uniform Fission Site (UFS) variance reduction method. (authors)« less

Highlights from the Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, H.

2014-10-01

The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest experiment in the Northern Hemisphere currently studying the origin and nature of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays above ˜1018 eV by measuring their energy spectrum, mass composition, and arrival directions. It is located in the western desert of central Utah, USA. The TA detector consists of a surface array of 507 scintillation counters, deployed on a square grid of 1.2-km spacing that covers approximately 700 km2, and 38 fluorescence telescopes located at three sites looking over the surface array. The TA commenced hybrid observation with both sets of detectors in 2008. Here, we present recent results from these 5 years of data and outline our ongoing and near future plans.

A Concept for the One Degree Imager (ODI) Data Reduction Pipeline and Archiving System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knezek, Patricia; Stobie, B.; Michael, S.; Valdes, F.; Marru, S.; Henschel, R.; Pierce, M.

2010-05-01

The One Degree Imager (ODI), currently being built by the WIYN Observatory, will provide tremendous possibilities for conducting diverse scientific programs. ODI will be a complex instrument, using non-conventional Orthogonal Transfer Array (OTA) detectors. Due to its large field of view, small pixel size, use of OTA technology, and expected frequent use, ODI will produce vast amounts of astronomical data. If ODI is to achieve its full potential, a data reduction pipeline must be developed. Long-term archiving must also be incorporated into the pipeline system to ensure the continued value of ODI data. This paper presents a concept for an ODI data reduction pipeline and archiving system. To limit costs and development time, our plan leverages existing software and hardware, including existing pipeline software, Science Gateways, Computational Grid & Cloud Technology, Indiana University's Data Capacitor and Massive Data Storage System, and TeraGrid compute resources. Existing pipeline software will be augmented to add functionality required to meet challenges specific to ODI, enhance end-user control, and enable the execution of the pipeline on grid resources including national grid resources such as the TeraGrid and Open Science Grid. The planned system offers consistent standard reductions and end-user flexibility when working with images beyond the initial instrument signature removal. It also gives end-users access to computational and storage resources far beyond what are typically available at most institutions. Overall, the proposed system provides a wide array of software tools and the necessary hardware resources to use them effectively.

Introduction to CERN

ScienceCinema

Heuer, R.-D.

2018-02-19

Summer Student Lecture Programme Introduction. The mission of CERN; push back the frontiers of knowledge, e.g. the secrets of the Big Bang...what was the matter like within the first moments of the Universe's existence? You have to develop new technologies for accelerators and detectors (also information technology--the Web and the GRID and medicine--diagnosis and therapy). There are three key technology areas at CERN; accelerating, particle detection, large-scale computing.

SSC San Diego Biennial Review 2003. Vol 3: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

following: • Improving a Commander’s situational analysis, awareness, and planning by leveraging the concepts of Smart Push (time-sensitive situational...The node FPGA implements a universal asynchronous receive and transmit ( UART )-style detector to decode the data stream. The data are then briefly...hypothetical sound sources at various points within a five-dimensional search grid over a short processing epoch. Historically, this has been

Enabling Grid Computing resources within the KM3NeT computing model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippidis, Christos

2016-04-01

KM3NeT is a future European deep-sea research infrastructure hosting a new generation neutrino detectors that - located at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea - will open a new window on the universe and answer fundamental questions both in particle physics and astrophysics. International collaborative scientific experiments, like KM3NeT, are generating datasets which are increasing exponentially in both complexity and volume, making their analysis, archival, and sharing one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. These experiments, in their majority, adopt computing models consisting of different Tiers with several computing centres and providing a specific set of services for the different steps of data processing such as detector calibration, simulation and data filtering, reconstruction and analysis. The computing requirements are extremely demanding and, usually, span from serial to multi-parallel or GPU-optimized jobs. The collaborative nature of these experiments demands very frequent WAN data transfers and data sharing among individuals and groups. In order to support the aforementioned demanding computing requirements we enabled Grid Computing resources, operated by EGI, within the KM3NeT computing model. In this study we describe our first advances in this field and the method for the KM3NeT users to utilize the EGI computing resources in a simulation-driven use-case.

Near Surface Investigation of Agricultural Soils using a Multi-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadatcharam, K.; Unc, A.; Krishnapillai, M.; Cheema, M.; Galagedara, L.

2017-12-01

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors have been used as precision agricultural tools over decades. They are being used to measure spatiotemporal variability of soil properties and soil stratification in the sense of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa). We mapped the ECa variability by horizontal coplanar (HCP) and by vertical coplanar (VCP) orientation of a multi-frequency EMI sensor and identified its interrelation with physical properties of soil. A broadband, multi-frequency handheld EMI sensor (GEM-2) was used on a loamy sand soil cultivated with silage-corn in western Newfoundland, Canada. Log and line spaced, three frequency ranges (weak, low, and high), based on the factory calibration were tested using HCP and VCP orientation to produce spatiotemporal data of ECa. In parallel, we acquired data on soil moisture content, texture and bulk density. We then assessed the statistical significance of the relationship between ECa and soil physical properties. The test site had three areas of distinct soil properties corresponding to the elevation, in particular. The same spatial variability was also identified by ECa mapping at different frequencies and the two modes of coil orientations. Data analysis suggested that the high range frequency (38 kHz (log-spaced) and 49 kHz (line-spaced)) for both HCP and VCP orientations produced accurate ECa maps, better than the weak and low range frequencies tested. Furthermore, results revealed that the combined effects of soil texture, moisture content and bulk density affect ECameasurements as obtained by both frequencies and two coil orientations. Keywords: Apparent electrical conductivity, Electromagnetic induction, Horizontal coplanar, Soil properties, Vertical coplanar

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation.

PubMed

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey; Wong, John

2015-07-07

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal ('tubular' geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal ('pancake' geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry, respectively.

Evaluation of a Cone Beam Computed Tomography Geometry for Image Guided Small Animal Irradiation

PubMed Central

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey; Wong, John

2015-01-01

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal (“tubular” geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal (“pancake” geometry). The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Notwithstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e., pancake and tubular geometry, respectively. PMID:26083659

Universite de Nancy (France) measurement report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadni, A.; Gerbaux, X.

1991-10-01

Measurements made by conventional Fourier transform spectroscopy using a polarizing wire grid interferometer with roof top reflectors and a rotating polarizing radiation chopper giving 10 Hz radiation modulation are presented. The radiation source used is a mercury vapor arc discharge lamp, and the detector a pumped liquid helium temperature silicon bolometer with a teflon input window and a low temperature quartz wedge acting as a low pass filter. The power transmission spectrum of each specimen measured is determined at nearly normal incidence with the specimen placed in a nominally collimated beam between the final analyzer grid and the output lens. The interferograms are recorded over a range of moving mirror positions about the position of zero path difference. No interferogram weighting function is used in the measurements. The spectral resolution of the measurements is 0.006 cm.

AGIS: Evolution of Distributed Computing information system for ATLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisenkov, A.; Di Girolamo, A.; Alandes, M.; Karavakis, E.

2015-12-01

ATLAS, a particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, produces petabytes of data annually through simulation production and tens of petabytes of data per year from the detector itself. The ATLAS computing model embraces the Grid paradigm and a high degree of decentralization of computing resources in order to meet the ATLAS requirements of petabytes scale data operations. It has been evolved after the first period of LHC data taking (Run-1) in order to cope with new challenges of the upcoming Run- 2. In this paper we describe the evolution and recent developments of the ATLAS Grid Information System (AGIS), developed in order to integrate configuration and status information about resources, services and topology of the computing infrastructure used by the ATLAS Distributed Computing applications and services.

Tissue distribution of co-planar and non-planar tetra- and hexa-chlorobiphenyl isomers in guinea pigs after oral ingestion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jan, J.; Logar, B.; Jan, J.

1996-03-01

Food ingestion is the most important route for the uptake of lipophilic organochlorine contaminants. Uptake and transfer of the contaminants from the digestive tract to target organs can be used for risk evaluation. The bioconcentration and migration of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) is highly structure - dependent. Bioconcentration is correlated with lipophilicity on the basis of the n-octanol/water partition coefficient in its logarithmic form - logKow. However, some factors e.g. diffusion through cell membranes, accumulation in specific organs and tissues, uptake and deputation kinetics and metabolism can also influence the bioconcentration. Individual PCB compounds of commercial PCB preparation are taken up bymore » organisms to markedly different extents. Until now little is known about the distribution of non-planar and co-planar PCBs in different tissues. Co-planar PCBs have dioxin - like toxicity. This study examines differences in the bioconcentration of two pairs of tetra and hexa chlorobiphenyls from the digestive tract and their distribution in different tissues of guinea pigs.« less

Current-Tunable NbTiN Coplanar Photonic Bandgap Resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asfaw, A.; Sigillito, A. J.; Tyryshkin, A. M.; Lyon, S. A.

Coplanar waveguide resonators have been used in several experimental settings, from superconducting qubits to electron spin resonance. In our particular application of electron spin resonance, these resonators provide increased sensitivity to electron spins due to the small mode volume. Experiments have shown that these resonators can be used to readout as few as 300 spins per shot. Recently, photonic bandgap resonators have been shown to extend the advantages of traditional CPW resonators by allowing spin manipulation both at microwave and radio frequencies, thereby enabling both electron and nuclear spin resonance within the same resonator. We present measurements made using photonic bandgap resonators fabricated with thin NbTiN films which demonstrate microwave tunability of the resonator by modulating the kinetic inductance of the superconductor. Driving a small direct current through the center pin of the resonator allows us to tune the resonant frequency by over 30 MHz around 6.4 GHz while maintaining a quality factor over 8000 at 4.8K. This provides fast and simple tunability of coplanar waveguide resonators and opens new possibilities for multiple frequency electron spin resonance experiments.

Targetting and guidance program documentation. [a user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrold, E. F.; Neyhard, J. F.

1974-01-01

A FORTRAN computer program was developed which automatically targets two and three burn rendezvous missions and performs feedback guidance using the GUIDE algorithm. The program was designed to accept a large class of orbit specifications and to automatically choose a two or three burn mission depending upon the time alignment of the vehicle and target. The orbits may be specified as any combination of circular and elliptical orbits and may be coplanar or inclined, but must be aligned coaxially with their perigees in the same direction. The program accomplishes the required targeting by repeatedly converging successively more complex missions. It solves the coplanar impulsive version of the mission, then the finite burn coplanar mission, and finally, the full plane change mission. The GUIDE algorithm is exercised in a feedback guidance mode by taking the targeted solution and moving the vehicle state step by step ahead in time, adding acceleration and navigational errors, and reconverging from the perturbed states at fixed guidance update intervals. A program overview is presented, along with a user's guide which details input, output, and the various subroutines.

VMM - An ASIC for Micropattern Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iakovidis, George

2018-02-01

The VMM is a custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that can be used in a variety of charge interpolating tracking detectors. It is designed to be used with the resistive strip micromegas and sTGC detectors in the New Small Wheel upgrade of the ATLAS Muon spectrometer. The ASIC is designed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and fabricated in the 130 nm Global Foundries 8RF-DM process. It is packaged in a Ball Grid Array with outline dimensions of 21×21 mm2. It integrates 64 channels, each providing charge amplification, discrimination, neighbour logic, amplitude and timing measurements, analog-to-digital conversions, and either direct output for trigger or multiplexed readout. The front-end amplifier can operate with a wide range of input capacitances, has adjustable polarity, gain and peaking time. The VMM1 and VMM2 are the first two versions of the VMM ASIC family fabricated in 2012 and 2014 respectively. The design, tests and qualification of the VMM1, VMM2 and roadmap to VMM3 are described.

A new method of radio frequency links by coplanar coils for implantable medical devices.

PubMed

Xue, L; Hao, H W; Li, L; Ma, B Z

2005-01-01

A new method based on coplanar coils for the design of radio frequency links has been developed, to realize the communication between the programming wand and the implantable medical devices with shielding container simply and reliably. With the analysis of electronic and magnetic field theory, the communication model has been established and simulated, and the circuit has been designed and tested. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation fairly well. The voltage transfer ratio of the typical circuit with present parameters can reach as high as 0.02, which can fulfill the requirements of communication.

Measured Propagation Characteristics of Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide on Silicon with a Thick Polyimide Interface Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Papapolymerou, John; Tentzeris, Emmanouil M.; Williams, W. O. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Measured propagation characteristics of Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguide on silicon substrates with resistivities spanning 3 orders of magnitude (0.1 to 15.5 Ohm cm) and a 20 micron thick polyimide interface layer is presented as a function of the FGC geometry. Results show that there is an optimum FGC geometry for minimum loss, and silicon with a resistivity of 0.1 Ohm cm has greater loss than substrates with higher and lower resistivity. Lastly, substrates with a resistivity of 10 Ohm cm or greater have acceptable loss.

N-[4-Cyano-3-(trifluoro­meth­yl)phen­yl]-2-eth­oxy­benzamide

PubMed Central

Naveen, S.; Basappa; Manjunath, H. R.; Sridhar, M. A.; Shashidhara Prasad, J.; Rangappa, K. S.

2010-01-01

In the title compound, C17H13F3N2O2, the two aromatic rings are essentially coplanar, forming a dihedral angle of 2.78 (12)°. The non-H atoms of the eth­oxy group are coplanar with the attached ring [maximum deviation = 0.271 (3) Å]. An intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal structure, mol­ecules are linked by inter­molecular C—H⋯N and C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds. PMID:21587782

100 GHz pulse waveform measurement based on electro-optic sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Zhigang; Zhao, Kejia; Yang, Zhijun; Miao, Jingyuan; Chen, He

2018-05-01

We present an ultrafast pulse waveform measurement system based on an electro-optic sampling technique at 1560 nm and prepare LiTaO3-based electro-optic modulators with a coplanar waveguide structure. The transmission and reflection characteristics of electrical pulses on a coplanar waveguide terminated with an open circuit and a resistor are investigated by analyzing the corresponding time-domain pulse waveforms. We measure the output electrical pulse waveform of a 100 GHz photodiode and the obtained rise times of the impulse and step responses are 2.5 and 3.4 ps, respectively.

Exploring proton transfer in 1,2,3-triazole-triazolium dimer with ab initio method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ailin; Yan, Tianying; Shen, Panwen

Ab initio calculations are utilized to search for transition state structures for proton transfer in the 1,2,3-triazole-triazolium complexes on the basis of optimized dimers. The result suggests six transition state structures for single proton transfer in the complexes, most of which are coplanar. The energy barriers, between different stable and transition states structures with zero point energy (ZPE) corrections, show that proton transfer occurs at room temperature with coplanar configuration that has the lowest energy. The results clearly support that reorientation gives triazole flexibility for proton transfer.

High-Tc superconductor coplanar waveguide filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chew, Wilbert; Bajuk, Louis J.; Cooley, Thomas W.; Foote, Marc C.; Hunt, Brian D.; Rascoe, Daniel L.; Riley, A. L.

1991-01-01

Coplanar waveguide (CPW) low-pass filters made of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) (YBCO) on LaAlO3 substrates, with dimensions suited for integrated circuits, were fabricated and packaged. A complete filter gives a true idea of the advantages and difficulties in replacing thin-film metal with a high-temperature superconductor in a practical circuit. Measured insertion losses in liquid nitrogen were superior to the loss of a similar thin-film copper filter throughout the 0- to 9.5-GHz passband. These results demonstrate the performance of fully patterned YBCO in a practical CPW structure after sealing in a hermetic package.

Characterization of Multianode Photomultiplier Tubes for a Cherenkov Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benninghoff, Morgen; Turisini, Matteo; Kim, Andrey; Benmokhtar, Fatiha; Kubarovsky, Valery; Duquesne University Collaboration; Jefferson Lab Collaboration

2017-09-01

In the Fall of 2017, Jefferson Lab's CLAS12 (CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer) detector is expecting the addition of a RICH (ring imaging Cherenkov) detector which will allow enhanced particle identification in the momentum range of 3 to 8 GeV/c. RICH detectors measure the velocity of charged particles through the detection of produced Cherenkov radiation and the reconstruction of the angle of emission. The emitted Cherenkov photons are detected by a triangular-shaped grid of 391 multianode photomultiplier tubes (MAPMTs) made by Hamamatsu. The custom readout electronics consist of MAROC (multianode read out chip) boards controlled by FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) boards, and adapters used to connect the MAROC boards and MAPMTs. The focus of this project is the characterization of the MAPMTs with the new front end electronics. To perform these tests, a black box setup with a picosecond diode laser was constructed with low and high voltage supplies. A highly automated procedure was developed to acquire data at different combinations of high voltage values, light intensities and readout electronics settings. Future work involves using the collected data in calibration procedures and analyzing that data to resolve the best location for each MAPMT. SULI, NSF.

Crystal Identification in Dual-Layer-Offset DOI-PET Detectors Using Stratified Peak Tracking Based on SVD and Mean-Shift Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Qingyang; Dai, Tiantian; Ma, Tianyu; Liu, Yaqiang; Gu, Yu

2016-10-01

An Anger-logic based pixelated PET detector block requires a crystal position map (CPM) to assign the position of each detected event to a most probable crystal index. Accurate assignments are crucial to PET imaging performance. In this paper, we present a novel automatic approach to generate the CPMs for dual-layer offset (DLO) PET detectors using a stratified peak tracking method. In which, the top and bottom layers are distinguished by their intensity difference and the peaks of the top and bottom layers are tracked based on a singular value decomposition (SVD) and mean-shift algorithm in succession. The CPM is created by classifying each pixel to its nearest peak and assigning the pixel with the crystal index of that peak. A Matlab-based graphical user interface program was developed including the automatic algorithm and a manual interaction procedure. The algorithm was tested for three DLO PET detector blocks. Results show that the proposed method exhibits good performance as well as robustness for all the three blocks. Compared to the existing methods, our approach can directly distinguish the layer and crystal indices using the information of intensity and offset grid pattern.

Distributed processing of a GPS receiver network for a regional ionosphere map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Kwang Ho; Hoo Lim, Joon; Yoo, Won Jae; Lee, Hyung Keun

2018-01-01

This paper proposes a distributed processing method applicable to GPS receivers in a network to generate a regional ionosphere map accurately and reliably. For accuracy, the proposed method is operated by multiple local Kalman filters and Kriging estimators. Each local Kalman filter is applied to a dual-frequency receiver to estimate the receiver’s differential code bias and vertical ionospheric delays (VIDs) at different ionospheric pierce points. The Kriging estimator selects and combines several VID estimates provided by the local Kalman filters to generate the VID estimate at each ionospheric grid point. For reliability, the proposed method uses receiver fault detectors and satellite fault detectors. Each receiver fault detector compares the VID estimates of the same local area provided by different local Kalman filters. Each satellite fault detector compares the VID estimate of each local area with that projected from the other local areas. Compared with the traditional centralized processing method, the proposed method is advantageous in that it considerably reduces the computational burden of each single Kalman filter and enables flexible fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration capability. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, several experiments with field collected measurements were performed.

A source-attractor approach to network detection of radiation sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Qishi; Barry, M. L..; Grieme, M.

Radiation source detection using a network of detectors is an active field of research for homeland security and defense applications. We propose Source-attractor Radiation Detection (SRD) method to aggregate measurements from a network of detectors for radiation source detection. SRD method models a potential radiation source as a magnet -like attractor that pulls in pre-computed virtual points from the detector locations. A detection decision is made if a sufficient level of attraction, quantified by the increase in the clustering of the shifted virtual points, is observed. Compared with traditional methods, SRD has the following advantages: i) it does not requiremore » an accurate estimate of the source location from limited and noise-corrupted sensor readings, unlike the localizationbased methods, and ii) its virtual point shifting and clustering calculation involve simple arithmetic operations based on the number of detectors, avoiding the high computational complexity of grid-based likelihood estimation methods. We evaluate its detection performance using canonical datasets from Domestic Nuclear Detection Office s (DNDO) Intelligence Radiation Sensors Systems (IRSS) tests. SRD achieves both lower false alarm rate and false negative rate compared to three existing algorithms for network source detection.« less

Characterization of highly multiplexed monolithic PET / gamma camera detector modules.

PubMed

Pierce, L A; Pedemonte, S; DeWitt, D; MacDonald, L; Hunter, W C J; Van Leemput, K; Miyaoka, R

2018-03-29

PET detectors use signal multiplexing to reduce the total number of electronics channels needed to cover a given area. Using measured thin-beam calibration data, we tested a principal component based multiplexing scheme for scintillation detectors. The highly-multiplexed detector signal is no longer amenable to standard calibration methodologies. In this study we report results of a prototype multiplexing circuit, and present a new method for calibrating the detector module with multiplexed data. A [Formula: see text] mm 3 LYSO scintillation crystal was affixed to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube with [Formula: see text] position-outputs and one channel that is the sum of the other 64. The 65-channel signal was multiplexed in a resistive circuit, with 65:5 or 65:7 multiplexing. A 0.9 mm beam of 511 keV photons was scanned across the face of the crystal in a 1.52 mm grid pattern in order to characterize the detector response. New methods are developed to reject scattered events and perform depth-estimation to characterize the detector response of the calibration data. Photon interaction position estimation of the testing data was performed using a Gaussian Maximum Likelihood estimator and the resolution and scatter-rejection capabilities of the detector were analyzed. We found that using a 7-channel multiplexing scheme (65:7 compression ratio) with 1.67 mm depth bins had the best performance with a beam-contour of 1.2 mm FWHM (from the 0.9 mm beam) near the center of the crystal and 1.9 mm FWHM near the edge of the crystal. The positioned events followed the expected Beer-Lambert depth distribution. The proposed calibration and positioning method exhibited a scattered photon rejection rate that was a 55% improvement over the summed signal energy-windowing method.

Two-dimensional antiscatter grid: A novel scatter rejection device for Cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Alexeev, Timur; Kavanagh, Brian; Miften, Moyed; Altunbas, Cem

2018-02-01

Scattered radiation remains to be a major cause of image quality degradation in Flat Panel Detector (FPD)-based Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). We have been investigating a novel two-dimensional antiscatter grid (2D-ASG) concept to reduce scatter intensity, and hence improve CBCT image quality. We present the first CBCT imaging experiments performed with the 2D-ASG prototype, and demonstrate its efficacy in improving CBCT image quality. A 2D-ASG prototype with septa focused to x-ray source was additively manufactured from tungsten and mounted on a Varian TrueBeam CBCT system. CBCT projections of phantoms were acquired with an offset detector geometry using TrueBeam's "developer" mode. To minimize the effect of gantry flex, projections were gain corrected on angle-specific bases. CBCT images were reconstructed using a filtered backprojection algorithm and image quality improvement was quantified by measuring contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and CT number accuracy in images acquired with no antiscatter grid (NO-ASG), conventional one dimensional antiscatter grid (1D-ASG), and the 2D-ASG prototype. A significant improvement in contrast resolution was achieved using our 2D-ASG prototype compared to results of 1D-ASG and NO-ASG acquisitions. Compared to NO-ASG and 1D-ASG experiments, the CNR of material inserts improved by as much as 86% and 54% respectively. Using 2D-ASG, CT number underestimation in water equivalent material section of the phantom was reduced by up to 325 HU when compared to NO-ASG and up to 179 HU when compared to 1D-ASG. We successfully performed the first CBCT imaging experiments with a 2D-ASG prototype. 2D-ASG provided significantly higher CT number accuracy, higher CNR, and diminished scatter-induced image artifacts in qualitative evaluations. We strongly believe that utilization of a 2D-ASG may potentially lead to better soft tissue visualization in CBCT and may enable novel clinical applications that require high CT number accuracy. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Development of an infrared polarimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffeen, D. L.

1972-01-01

AEROPOL infrared polarimeter was built for measurements microns between 1.1 and 3.5 microns, with a 1.5 degree field of view, using a wire grid polarization analyzer. A PbS detector is cooled by condensed Freon-13. The instrument operates under minicomputer control, giving a polarization least squares solution each 2.5 seconds. AEROPOL was flown on the NASA CV-990 aircraft, in a remote-sensing study of terrestrial cloud particle sizes and shapes.

Spatial resolution limits for the isotropic-3D PET detector X’tal cube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Eiji; Tashima, Hideaki; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Inadama, Naoko; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Murayama, Hideo; Yamaya, Taiga

2013-11-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become a popular imaging method in metabolism, neuroscience, and molecular imaging. For dedicated human brain and small animal PET scanners, high spatial resolution is needed to visualize small objects. To improve the spatial resolution, we are developing the X’tal cube, which is our new PET detector to achieve isotropic 3D positioning detectability. We have shown that the X’tal cube can achieve 1 mm3 uniform crystal identification performance with the Anger-type calculation even at the block edges. We plan to develop the X’tal cube with even smaller 3D grids for sub-millimeter crystal identification. In this work, we investigate spatial resolution of a PET scanner based on the X’tal cube using Monte Carlo simulations for predicting resolution performance in smaller 3D grids. For spatial resolution evaluation, a point source emitting 511 keV photons was simulated by GATE for all physical processes involved in emission and interaction of positrons. We simulated two types of animal PET scanners. The first PET scanner had a detector ring 14.6 cm in diameter composed of 18 detectors. The second PET scanner had a detector ring 7.8 cm in diameter composed of 12 detectors. After the GATE simulations, we converted the interacting 3D position information to digitalized positions for realistic segmented crystals. We simulated several X’tal cubes with cubic crystals from (0.5 mm)3 to (2 mm)3 in size. Also, for evaluating the effect of DOI resolution, we simulated several X’tal cubes with crystal thickness from (0.5 mm)3 to (9 mm)3. We showed that sub-millimeter spatial resolution was possible using cubic crystals smaller than (1.0 mm)3 even with the assumed physical processes. Also, the weighted average spatial resolutions of both PET scanners with (0.5 mm)3 cubic crystals were 0.53 mm (14.6 cm ring diameter) and 0.48 mm (7.8 cm ring diameter). For the 7.8 cm ring diameter, spatial resolution with 0.5×0.5×1.0 mm3 crystals was improved 39% relative to the (1 mm)3 cubic crystals. On the other hand, spatial resolution with (0.5 mm)3 cubic crystals was improved 47% relative to the (1 mm)3 cubic crystals. The X’tal cube promises better spatial resolution for the 3D crystal block with isotropic resolution.

Characterization of scatter in digital mammography from physical measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leon, Stephanie M., E-mail: Stephanie.Leon@uth.tmc.edu; Wagner, Louis K.; Brateman, Libby F.

2014-06-15

Purpose: That scattered radiation negatively impacts the quality of medical radiographic imaging is well known. In mammography, even slight amounts of scatter reduce the high contrast required for subtle soft-tissue imaging. In current clinical mammography, image contrast is partially improved by use of an antiscatter grid. This form of scatter rejection comes with a sizeable dose penalty related to the concomitant elimination of valuable primary radiation. Digital mammography allows the use of image processing as a method of scatter correction that might avoid effects that negatively impact primary radiation, while potentially providing more contrast improvement than is currently possible withmore » a grid. For this approach to be feasible, a detailed characterization of the scatter is needed. Previous research has modeled scatter as a constant background that serves as a DC bias across the imaging surface. The goal of this study was to provide a more substantive data set for characterizing the spatially-variant features of scatter radiation at the image detector of modern mammography units. Methods: This data set was acquired from a model of the radiation beam as a matrix of very narrow rays or pencil beams. As each pencil beam penetrates tissue, the pencil widens in a predictable manner due to the production of scatter. The resultant spreading of the pencil beam at the detector surface can be characterized by two parameters: mean radial extent (MRE) and scatter fraction (SF). The SF and MRE were calculated from measurements obtained using the beam stop method. Two digital mammography units were utilized, and the SF and MRE were found as functions of target, filter, tube potential, phantom thickness, and presence or absence of a grid. These values were then used to generate general equations allowing the SF and MRE to be calculated for any combination of the above parameters. Results: With a grid, the SF ranged from a minimum of about 0.05 to a maximum of about 0.16, and the MRE ranged from about 3 to 13 mm. Without a grid, the SF ranged from a minimum of 0.25 to a maximum of 0.52, and the MRE ranged from about 20 to 45 mm. The SF with a grid demonstrated a mild dependence on target/filter combination and kV, whereas the SF without a grid was independent of these factors. The MRE demonstrated a complex relationship as a function of kV, with notable difference among target/filter combinations. The primary source of change in both the SF and MRE was phantom thickness. Conclusions: Because breast tissue varies spatially in physical density and elemental content, the effective thickness of breast tissue varies spatially across the imaging field, resulting in a spatially-variant scatter distribution in the imaging field. The data generated in this study can be used to characterize the scatter contribution on a point-by-point basis, for a variety of different techniques.« less

A new PET detector concept for compact preclinical high-resolution hybrid MR-PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berneking, Arne; Gola, Alberto; Ferri, Alessandro; Finster, Felix; Rucatti, Daniele; Paternoster, Giovanni; Jon Shah, N.; Piemonte, Claudio; Lerche, Christoph

2018-04-01

This work presents a new PET detector concept for compact preclinical hybrid MR-PET. The detector concept is based on Linearly-Graded SiPM produced with current FBK RGB-HD technology. One 7.75 mm x 7.75 mm large sensor chip is coupled with optical grease to a black coated 8 mm x 8 mm large and 3 mm thick monolithic LYSO crystal. The readout is obtained from four readout channels with the linear encoding based on integrated resistors and the Center of Gravity approach. To characterize the new detector concept, the spatial and energy resolutions were measured. Therefore, the measurement setup was prepared to radiate a collimated beam to 25 different points perpendicular to the monolithic scintillator crystal. Starting in the center point of the crystal at 0 mm / 0 mm and sampling a grid with a pitch of 1.75 mm, all significant points of the detector were covered by the collimator beam. The measured intrinsic spatial resolution (FWHM) was 0.74 +/- 0.01 mm in x- and 0.69 +/- 0.01 mm in the y-direction at the center of the detector. At the same point, the measured energy resolution (FWHM) was 13.01 +/- 0.05 %. The mean intrinsic spatial resolution (FWHM) over the whole detector was 0.80 +/- 0.28 mm in x- and 0.72 +/- 0.19 mm in y-direction. The energy resolution (FWHM) of the detector was between 13 and 17.3 % with an average energy resolution of 15.7 +/- 1.0 %. Due to the reduced thickness, the sensitivity of this gamma detector is low but still higher than pixelated designs with the same thickness due to the monolithic crystals. Combining compact design, high spatial resolution, and high sensitivity, the detector concept is particularly suitable for applications where the scanner bore size is limited and high resolution is required - as is the case in small animal hybrid MR-PET.

Real-time optically sectioned wide-field microscopy employing structured light illumination and a CMOS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitic, Jelena; Anhut, Tiemo; Serov, Alexandre; Lasser, Theo; Bourquin, Stephane

2003-07-01

Real-time optically sectioned microscopy is demonstrated using an AC-sensitive detection concept realized with smart CMOS image sensor and structured light illumination by a continuously moving periodic pattern. We describe two different detection systems based on CMOS image sensors for the detection and on-chip processing of the sectioned images in real time. A region-of-interest is sampled at high frame rate. The demodulated signal delivered by the detector corresponds to the depth discriminated image of the sample. The measured FWHM of the axial response depends on the spatial frequency of the projected grid illumination and is in the μm-range. The effect of using broadband incoherent illumination is discussed. The performance of these systems is demonstrated by imaging technical as well as biological samples.

Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) Waveguide: Characteristics and Advantages Evaluated for Radiofrequency and Wireless Communication Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.

1999-01-01

Researchers in NASA Lewis Research Center s Electron Device Technology Branch are developing transmission lines for radiofrequency and wireless circuits that are more efficient, smaller, and make lower cost circuits possible. Traditionally, radiofrequency and wireless circuits have employed a microstrip or coplanar waveguide to interconnect the various electrical elements that comprise a circuit. Although a coplanar waveguide (CPW) is widely viewed as better than a microstrip for most applications, it too has problems. To solve these problems, NASA Lewis and the University of Michigan developed a new version of a coplanar waveguide with electrically narrow ground planes. Through extensive numerical modeling and experimental measurements, we have characterized the propagation constant of the FGC waveguide, the lumped and distributed circuit elements integrated in the FGC waveguide, and the coupling between parallel transmission lines. Although the attenuation per unit length is higher for the FGC waveguide because of higher conductor loss, the attenuation is comparable when the ground plane width is twice the center conductor width as shown in the following graph. An upper limit to the line width is derived from observations that when the total line width is greater than ld/2, spurious resonances due to the parallel plate waveguide mode are established. Thus, the ground plane width must be less than ld/4 where ld is the wavelength in the dielectric. Since the center conductor width S is typically less than l/10 to maintain good transverse electromagnetic mode characteristics, it follows that a ground plane width of B = 2S would also be electrically narrow. Thus, we can now treat the ground strips of the FGC waveguide the same way that the center conductor is treated.

Outer-planet scattering can gently tilt an inner planetary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gratia, Pierre; Fabrycky, Daniel

2017-01-01

Chaotic dynamics are expected during and after planet formation, and a leading mechanism to explain large eccentricities of gas giant exoplanets is planet-planet gravitational scattering. The same scattering has been invoked to explain misalignments of planetary orbital planes with respect to their host star's spin. However, an observational puzzle is presented by Kepler-56, which has two inner planets (b and c) that are nearly coplanar with each other, yet are more than 45° inclined to their star's equator. Thus, the spin-orbit misalignment might be primordial. Instead, we further develop the hypothesis in the discovery paper, that planets on wider orbits generated misalignment through scattering, and as a result gently torqued the inner planets away from the equator plane of the star. We integrated the equations of motion for Kepler-56 b and c along with an unstable outer system initialized with either two or three Jupiter-mass planets. We address here whether the violent scattering that generates large mutual inclinations can leave the inner system intact, tilting it gently. In almost all of the cases initially with two outer planets, either the inner planets remain nearly coplanar with each other in the star's equator plane, or they are scattered violently to high mutual inclination and high spin-orbit misalignment. On the contrary, of the systems with three unstable outer planets, a spin-orbit misalignment large enough to explain the observations is generated 28 per cent of the time for coplanar inner planets, which is consistent with the observed frequency of this phenomenon reported so far. We conclude that multiple-planet scattering in the outer parts of the system may account for this new population of coplanar planets hosted by oblique stars.

Rapid construction of pinhole SPECT system matrices by distance-weighted Gaussian interpolation method combined with geometric parameter estimations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ming-Wei; Chen, Yi-Chun

2014-02-01

In pinhole SPECT applied to small-animal studies, it is essential to have an accurate imaging system matrix, called H matrix, for high-spatial-resolution image reconstructions. Generally, an H matrix can be obtained by various methods, such as measurements, simulations or some combinations of both methods. In this study, a distance-weighted Gaussian interpolation method combined with geometric parameter estimations (DW-GIMGPE) is proposed. It utilizes a simplified grid-scan experiment on selected voxels and parameterizes the measured point response functions (PRFs) into 2D Gaussians. The PRFs of missing voxels are interpolated by the relations between the Gaussian coefficients and the geometric parameters of the imaging system with distance-weighting factors. The weighting factors are related to the projected centroids of voxels on the detector plane. A full H matrix is constructed by combining the measured and interpolated PRFs of all voxels. The PRFs estimated by DW-GIMGPE showed similar profiles as the measured PRFs. OSEM reconstructed images of a hot-rod phantom and normal rat myocardium demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method. The detectability of a SKE/BKE task on a synthetic spherical test object verified that the constructed H matrix provided comparable detectability to that of the H matrix acquired by a full 3D grid-scan experiment. The reduction in the acquisition time of a full 1.0-mm grid H matrix was about 15.2 and 62.2 times with the simplified grid pattern on 2.0-mm and 4.0-mm grid, respectively. A finer-grid H matrix down to 0.5-mm spacing interpolated by the proposed method would shorten the acquisition time by 8 times, additionally.

Angular dependence of the response of the nanoDot OSLD system for measurements at depth in clinical megavoltage beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, Joerg, E-mail: Joerg.Lehmann@sydney.edu.au; Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Physics Road A28, Sydney, NSW 2006; School of Applied Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to assess the angular dependence of a commercial optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) dosimetry system in MV x-ray beams at depths beyondd{sub max} and to find ways to mitigate this dependence for measurements in phantoms. Methods: Two special holders were designed which allow a dosimeter to be rotated around the center of its sensitive volume. The dosimeter's sensitive volume is a disk, 5 mm in diameter and 0.2 mm thick. The first holder rotates the disk in the traditional way. It positions the disk perpendicular to the beam (gantry pointing to the floor)more » in the initial position (0°). When the holder is rotated the angle of the disk towards the beam increases until the disk is parallel with the beam (“edge on,” 90°). This is referred to as Setup 1. The second holder offers a new, alternative measurement position. It positions the disk parallel to the beam for all angles while rotating around its center (Setup 2). Measurements with five to ten dosimeters per point were carried out for 6 MV at 3 and 10 cm depth. Monte Carlo simulations using GEANT4 were performed to simulate the response of the active detector material for several angles. Detector and housing were simulated in detail based on microCT data and communications with the manufacturer. Various material compositions and an all-water geometry were considered. Results: For the traditional Setup 1 the response of the OSLD dropped on average by 1.4% ± 0.7% (measurement) and 2.1% ± 0.3% (Monte Carlo simulation) for the 90° orientation compared to 0°. Monte Carlo simulations also showed a strong dependence of the effect on the composition of the sensitive layer. Assuming the layer to completely consist of the active material (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) results in a 7% drop in response for 90° compared to 0°. Assuming the layer to be completely water, results in a flat response within the simulation uncertainty of about 1%. For the new Setup 2, measurements and Monte Carlo simulations found the angular dependence of the dosimeter to be below 1% and within the measurement uncertainty. Conclusions: The dosimeter system exhibits a small angular dependence of approximately 2% which needs to be considered for measurements involving other than normal incident beams angles. This applies in particular to clinicalin vivo measurements where the orientation of the dosimeter is dictated by clinical circumstances and cannot be optimized as otherwise suggested here. When measuring in a phantom, the proposed new setup should be considered. It changes the orientation of the dosimeter so that a coplanar beam arrangement always hits the disk shaped detector material from the thin side and thereby reduces the angular dependence of the response to within the measurement uncertainty of about 1%. This improvement makes the dosimeter more attractive for clinical measurements with multiple coplanar beams in phantoms, as the overall measurement uncertainty is reduced. Similarly, phantom based postal audits can transition from the traditional TLD to the more accurate and convenient OSLD.« less

Coaxial charged particle energy analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Michael A. (Inventor); Bryson, III, Charles E. (Inventor); Wu, Warren (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A non-dispersive electrostatic energy analyzer for electrons and other charged particles having a generally coaxial structure of a sequentially arranged sections of an electrostatic lens to focus the beam through an iris and preferably including an ellipsoidally shaped input grid for collimating a wide acceptance beam from a charged-particle source, an electrostatic high-pass filter including a planar exit grid, and an electrostatic low-pass filter. The low-pass filter is configured to reflect low-energy particles back towards a charged particle detector located within the low-pass filter. Each section comprises multiple tubular or conical electrodes arranged about the central axis. The voltages on the lens are scanned to place a selected energy band of the accepted beam at a selected energy at the iris. Voltages on the high-pass and low-pass filters remain substantially fixed during the scan.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knight, Stephen P, E-mail: stephen.knight@health.qld.gov.au

The aim of this review was to develop a radiographic optimisation strategy to make use of digital radiography (DR) and needle phosphor computerised radiography (CR) detectors, in order to lower radiation dose and improve image quality for paediatrics. This review was based on evidence-based practice, of which a component was a review of the relevant literature. The resulting exposure chart was developed with two distinct groups of exposure optimisation strategies – body exposures (for head, trunk, humerus, femur) and distal extremity exposures (elbow to finger, knee to toe). Exposure variables manipulated included kilovoltage peak (kVp), target detector exposure and milli-ampere-secondsmore » (mAs), automatic exposure control (AEC), additional beam filtration, and use of antiscatter grid. Mean dose area product (DAP) reductions of up to 83% for anterior–posterior (AP)/posterior–anterior (PA) abdomen projections were recorded postoptimisation due to manipulation of multiple-exposure variables. For body exposures, the target EI and detector exposure, and thus the required mAs were typically 20% less postoptimisation. Image quality for some distal extremity exposures was improved by lowering kVp and increasing mAs around constant entrance skin dose. It is recommended that purchasing digital X-ray equipment with high detective quantum efficiency detectors, and then optimising the exposure chart for use with these detectors is of high importance for sites performing paediatric imaging. Multiple-exposure variables may need to be manipulated to achieve optimal outcomes.« less

Simultaneous measurements of ion and electron currents using a novel compact electrostatic end-loss-current detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirata, M.; Miyake, Y.; Cho, T.; Kohagura, J.; Numakura, T.; Shimizu, K.; Ito, M.; Kiminami, S.; Morimoto, N.; Hirai, K.; Yamagishi, T.; Miyata, Y.; Nakashima, Y.; Miyoshi, S.; Ogura, K.; Kondoh, T.; Kariya, T.

2006-10-01

For the purpose of end-loss-ion and -electron analyses in open-field plasmas, a compact-sized electrostatic end-loss-current detector is proposed on the basis of a self-collection principle for suppressing the effects of secondary-electron emission from a metal collector. For employing this specific method, it is worth noting that no further additional magnetic systems except the ambient open-ended magnetic fields are required in the detector operation. This characteristic property provides a compactness of the total detection system and availability for its use in plasma confinement devices without disturbing plasma-confining magnetic fields. The detector consists of a set of parallel metal plates with respect to lines of ambient magnetic forces of a plasma device for analyzing incident ion currents along with a grid for shielding the collector against strays due to the metal-plate biasing. The characterization experiments are carried out by the use of a test-ion-beam line along with an additional use of a Helmholtz coil system for the formation of open magnetic fields similar to those in the GAMMA 10 end region. The applications of the developed end-loss-current detector in the GAMMA 10 plasma experiments are demonstrated under the conditions with simultaneous incidence of energetic electrons produced by electron-cyclotron heatings for end-loss-plugging potential formation.

CCAM: A novel millimeter-wave instrument using a close-packed TES bolometer array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Judy M.

This thesis describes CCAM, an instrument designed to map the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and also presents some of the initial measurements made with CCAM on the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). CCAM uses a CCD-like camera of millimeter-wave TES bolometers. It employs new detector technology, read-out electronics, cold re-imaging optics, and cryogenics to obtain high sensitivity CMB anisotropy measurements. The free-standing 8×32 close-packed array of pop- up TES detectors is the first of its kind to observe the sky at 145 GHz. We present the design of the receiver including the antireflection coated silicon lens re-imaging system, construction and optimization of the pulse tube/ sorption refrigerator cryogenic system, as well as the technology developed to integrate eight 1×32 TES columns and accompanying read-out electronics in to an array of 256 millimeter-wave detectors into a focal plane area of 3.5 cm 2. The performance of the detectors and optics prior to deployment at the ACT site in Chile are reported as well as preliminary performance results of the instrument when optically paired with the ACT telescope in the summer of 2007. Here, we also report on the feasibility of the TES detector array to measure polarization when coupled to a rotating birefringent sapphire half wave plate and wire-grid polarizer.

Alternative Process for Manufacturing of Thin Layers of Boron for Neutron Measurement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Auge, Gregoire; Partyka, Stanislas; Guerard, Bruno

Due to the worldwide shortage of helium 3, Boron-lined proportional counters are developed intensively by several groups. Up to now, thin boron containing layers for neutron detectors are essentially produced by sputtering of boron carbide (B{sub 4}C). This technology provides high quality films but it is slow and expensive. Our paper describes a novel and inexpensive technology for producing boron layers. This technology is based on chemical synthesis of boron 10 nanoparticles, and on electrophoretic deposition of these particles on metallic plates, or on metallic pieces with more complex shapes. The chemical synthesis consists in: - Heating boron 10 withmore » lithium up to 700 deg. C under inert atmosphere: an intermetallic compound, LiB, is produced; - Hydrolysing this intermetallic compound: LiB + H{sub 2}O → B + Li{sup +} + OH{sup -} + 1/2H{sub 2}, where B is under the form of nanoparticles; - Purifying the suspension of boron nanoparticles in water, from lithium hydroxide, by successive membrane filtrations; - Evaporating the purified suspension, in order to get a powder of nanoparticles. The obtained nanoparticles have size around 300 nm, with a high porosity, of about 50%. This particle size is equivalent to about 150 nm massive particles. The nanoparticles are then put into suspension in a specific solvent, in order to perform deposition on metallic surfaces, by electrophoretic method. The solvent is chosen so that it is not electrolysed even under voltages of several tens of volts. An acid is dissolved into the solvent, so that the nanoparticles are positively charged. Deposition is performed on the cathode within about 10 min. The cathode could be an aluminium plate, or a nickel coated aluminium plate. Homogeneous deposition may also be performed on complex shapes, like grids in a Multigrid detector. A large volume of pieces, can be coated with a Boron-10 film in a few hours. The thickness of the layer can be adjusted according to the required neutron detection characteristics, between 0,5 to 5 μm (equivalent to 0,25 to 2.5 massive layer). The thickness is homogenous within a ±20% range. The layer is an almost pure {sup 10}B layer (90%). The ratio of the amount of deposed boron 10 to the amount of raw boron 10 used is more than 80%. Hence, another advantage of this technique is that Boron 10 will be deposited on the cathodes only, without loss of this expensive material. 2 grids of a Multi-Grid detector have been coated with pure Boron by using this technique. The film structure has been analysed with a microscope and the detector has been tested on a monochromatic neutron beam line. Preliminary results will be shown. (authors)« less

HEMT Amplifiers and Equipment for their On-Wafer Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fung, King man; Gaier, Todd; Samoska, Lorene; Deal, William; Radisic, Vesna; Mei, Xiaobing; Lai, Richard

2008-01-01

Power amplifiers comprising InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in coplanar-waveguide (CPW) circuits designed for operation at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz, and a test set for onwafer measurement of their power levels have been developed. These amplifiers utilize an advanced 35-nm HEMT monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) technology and have potential utility as local-oscillator drivers and power sources in future submillimeter-wavelength heterodyne receivers and imaging systems. The test set can reduce development time by enabling rapid output power characterization, not only of these and similar amplifiers, but also of other coplanar-waveguide power circuits, without the necessity of packaging the circuits.

Line spring model and its applications to part-through crack problems in plates and shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erdogan, Fazil; Aksel, Bulent

1988-01-01

The line spring model is described and extended to cover the problem of interaction of multiple internal and surface cracks in plates and shells. The shape functions for various related crack geometries obtained from the plane strain solution and the results of some multiple crack problems are presented. The problems considered include coplanar surface cracks on the same or opposite sides of a plate, nonsymmetrically located coplanar internal elliptic cracks, and in a very limited way the surface and corner cracks in a plate of finite width and a surface crack in a cylindrical shell with fixed end.

Line Spring Model and Its Applications to Part-Through Crack Problems in Plates and Shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erdogan, F.; Aksel, B.

1986-01-01

The line spring model is described and extended to cover the problem of interaction of multiple internal and surface cracks in plates and shells. The shape functions for various related crack geometries obtained from the plane strain solution and the results of some multiple crack problems are presented. The problems considered include coplanar surface cracks on the same or opposite sides of a plate, nonsymmetrically located coplanar internal elliptic cracks, and in a very limited way the surface and corner cracks in a plate of finite width and a surface crack in a cylindrical shell with fixed end.

Propagation Characteristics of Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide on Si Substrates With Porous Si and Polyimide Interface Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Itotia, Isaac K.; Drayton, Rhonda Franklin

2003-01-01

Measured and modeled propagation characteristics of Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguide fabricated on a 15 ohm-cm Si substrate with a 23 micron thick, 68% porous Si layer and a 20 micron thick polyimide interface layer are presented for the first time. Attenuation and effective permittivity as function of the FGC geometry and the bias between the center conductor and the ground planes are presented. It is shown that the porous Si reduces the attenuation by 1 dB/cm compared to FGC lines with only polyimide interface layers, and the polyimide on porous silicon demonstrates negligible bias dependence.

Analysis and characterizations of planar transmission structures and components for superconducting and monolithic integrated circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Itoh, Tatsuo

1991-01-01

The analysis and modeling of superconducting planar transmission lines were performed. Theoretically, the highest possible Q values of superconducting microstrip line was calculated and, as a result, it provided the Q value that the experiment can aim for. As an effort to search for a proper superconducting transmission line structure, the superconducting microstrip line and coplanar waveguide were compared in terms of loss characteristics and their design aspects. Also, the research was expanded to a superconducting coplanar waveguide family in the microwave packaging environment. Theoretically, it was pointed out that the substrate loss is critical in the superconducting transmission line structures.

The Resilience of Kepler Multi-systems to Stellar Obliquity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spalding, Christopher; Marx, Noah W.; Batygin, Konstantin

2018-04-01

The Kepler mission and its successor K2 have brought forth a cascade of transiting planets. Many of these planetary systems exhibit multiple transiting members. However, a large fraction possesses only a single transiting planet. This high abundance of singles, dubbed the "Kepler Dichotomy," has been hypothesized to arise from significant mutual inclinations between orbits in multi-planet systems. Alternatively, the single-transiting population truly possesses no other planets in the system, but the true origin of the overabundance of single systems remains unresolved. In this work, we propose that planetary systems typically form with a coplanar, multiple-planetary architecture, but that quadrupolar gravitational perturbations from their rapidly-rotating host star subsequently disrupt this primordial coplanarity. We demonstrate that, given sufficient stellar obliquity, even systems beginning with 2 planetary constituents are susceptible to dynamical instability soon after planet formation, as a result of the stellar quadrupole moment. This mechanism stands as a widespread, yet poorly explored pathway toward planetary system instability. Moreover, by requiring that observed multi-systems remain coplanar on Gyr timescales, we are able to place upper limits on the stellar obliquity in systems such as K2-38 (obliquity < 20 degrees), where other methods of measuring spin-orbit misalignment are not currently available.

Carbon-ionogel supercapacitors for integrated microelectronics.

PubMed

Leung, Greg; Smith, Leland; Lau, Jonathan; Dunn, Bruce; Chui, Chi On

2016-01-22

To exceed the performance limits of dielectric capacitors in microelectronic circuit applications, we design and demonstrate on-chip coplanar electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), or supercapacitors, employing carbon-coated gold electrodes with ionogel electrolyte. The formation of carbon-coated microelectrodes is accomplished by solution processing and results in a ten-fold increase in EDLC capacitance compared to bare gold electrodes without carbon. At frequencies up to 10 Hz, an areal capacitance of 2.1 pF μm(-2) is achieved for coplanar carbon-ionogel EDLCs with 10 μm electrode gaps and 0.14 mm(2) electrode area. Our smallest devices, comprised of 5 μm electrode gaps and 80 μm(2) of active electrode area, reach areal capacitance values of ∼0.3 pF μm(-2) at frequencies up to 1 kHz, even without carbon. To our knowledge, these are the highest reported values to date for on-chip EDLCs with sub-mm(2) areas. A physical EDLC model is developed through the use of computer-aided simulations for design exploration and optimization of coplanar EDLCs. Through modeling and comparison with experimental data, we highlight the importance of reducing the electrode gap and electrolyte resistance to achieve maximum performance from on-chip EDLCs.

Dual-foci detection in photoacoustic computed tomography with coplanar light illumination and acoustic detection: a phantom study.

PubMed

Lin, Xiangwei; Liu, Chengbo; Meng, Jing; Gong, Xiaojing; Lin, Riqiang; Sun, Mingjian; Song, Liang

2018-05-01

A dual-foci transducer with coplanar light illumination and acoustic detection was applied for the first time. It overcame the small directivity angle, low-sensitivity, and large datasets in conventional circular scanning or array-based photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT). The custom-designed transducer is focused on both the scanning plane with virtual-point detection and the elevation direction for large field of view (FOV) cross-sectional imaging. Moreover, a coplanar light illumination and acoustic detection configuration can provide ring-shaped light irradiation with highly efficient acoustic detection, which in principle has a better adaptability when imaging samples of irregular surfaces. Phantom experiments showed that our PACT system can achieve high resolution (∼0.5  mm), enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (16-dB improvement), and a more complete structure in a greater FOV with an equal number of sampling points compared with the results from a flat aperture transducer. This study provides the proof of concept for the fabrication of a sparse array with the dual-foci property and large aperture size for high-quality, low-cost, and high-speed photoacoustic imaging. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Carbon-ionogel supercapacitors for integrated microelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, Greg; Smith, Leland; Lau, Jonathan; Dunn, Bruce; Chui, Chi On

2016-01-01

To exceed the performance limits of dielectric capacitors in microelectronic circuit applications, we design and demonstrate on-chip coplanar electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), or supercapacitors, employing carbon-coated gold electrodes with ionogel electrolyte. The formation of carbon-coated microelectrodes is accomplished by solution processing and results in a ten-fold increase in EDLC capacitance compared to bare gold electrodes without carbon. At frequencies up to 10 Hz, an areal capacitance of 2.1 pF μm-2 is achieved for coplanar carbon-ionogel EDLCs with 10 μm electrode gaps and 0.14 mm2 electrode area. Our smallest devices, comprised of 5 μm electrode gaps and 80 μm2 of active electrode area, reach areal capacitance values of ˜0.3 pF μm-2 at frequencies up to 1 kHz, even without carbon. To our knowledge, these are the highest reported values to date for on-chip EDLCs with sub-mm2 areas. A physical EDLC model is developed through the use of computer-aided simulations for design exploration and optimization of coplanar EDLCs. Through modeling and comparison with experimental data, we highlight the importance of reducing the electrode gap and electrolyte resistance to achieve maximum performance from on-chip EDLCs.

On non-coplanar Hohmann transfer using angles as parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rincón, Ángel; Rojo, Patricio; Lacruz, Elvis; Abellán, Gabriel; Díaz, Sttiwuer

2015-09-01

We study a more complex case of Hohmann orbital transfer of a satellite by considering non-coplanar and elliptical orbits, instead of planar and circular orbits. We use as parameter the angle between the initial and transference planes that minimizes the energy, and therefore the fuel of a satellite, through the application of two non-tangential impulses for all possible cases. We found an analytical expression that minimizes the energy for each configuration. Some reasonable physical constraints are used: we apply impulses at perigee or apogee of the orbit, we consider the duration of the impulse to be short compared to the duration of the trip, we take the nodal line of three orbits to be coincident and the three semimajor axes to lie in the same plane. We study the only four possible cases but assuming non-coplanar elliptic orbits. In addition, we validate our method through a numerical solution obtained by using some of the actual orbital elements of Sputnik I and Vanguard I satellites. For these orbits, we found that the most fuel-efficient transfer is obtained by applying the initial impulse at apocenter and keeping the transfer orbit aligned with the initial orbit.

Cone beam CT imaging with limited angle of projections and prior knowledge for volumetric verification of non-coplanar beam radiation therapy: a proof of concept study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Bowen; Xing, Lei; Han, Bin; Koong, Albert; Chang, Daniel; Cheng, Jason; Li, Ruijiang

2013-11-01

Non-coplanar beams are important for treatment of both cranial and noncranial tumors. Treatment verification of such beams with couch rotation/kicks, however, is challenging, particularly for the application of cone beam CT (CBCT). In this situation, only limited and unconventional imaging angles are feasible to avoid collision between the gantry, couch, patient, and on-board imaging system. The purpose of this work is to develop a CBCT verification strategy for patients undergoing non-coplanar radiation therapy. We propose an image reconstruction scheme that integrates a prior image constrained compressed sensing (PICCS) technique with image registration. Planning CT or CBCT acquired at the neutral position is rotated and translated according to the nominal couch rotation/translation to serve as the initial prior image. Here, the nominal couch movement is chosen to have a rotational error of 5° and translational error of 8 mm from the ground truth in one or more axes or directions. The proposed reconstruction scheme alternates between two major steps. First, an image is reconstructed using the PICCS technique implemented with total-variation minimization and simultaneous algebraic reconstruction. Second, the rotational/translational setup errors are corrected and the prior image is updated by applying rigid image registration between the reconstructed image and the previous prior image. The PICCS algorithm and rigid image registration are alternated iteratively until the registration results fall below a predetermined threshold. The proposed reconstruction algorithm is evaluated with an anthropomorphic digital phantom and physical head phantom. The proposed algorithm provides useful volumetric images for patient setup using projections with an angular range as small as 60°. It reduced the translational setup errors from 8 mm to generally <1 mm and the rotational setup errors from 5° to <1°. Compared with the PICCS algorithm alone, the integration of rigid registration significantly improved the reconstructed image quality, with a reduction of mostly 2-3 folds (up to 100) in root mean square image error. The proposed algorithm provides a remedy for solving the problem of non-coplanar CBCT reconstruction from limited angle of projections by combining the PICCS technique and rigid image registration in an iterative framework. In this proof of concept study, non-coplanar beams with couch rotations of 45° can be effectively verified with the CBCT technique.

Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer: Status and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogut, Alan

2009-01-01

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer is a balloon-borne instrument to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background in order to detect the characteristic signature of gravity waves created during an inflationary epoch in the early universe. PIPER combines cold /I.G K\\ optics, 5120 bolometric detectors, and rapid polarization modulation using VPM grids to achieve both high sensitivity and excellent control of systematic errors. I will discuss the current status and plans for the PIPER instrument.

SU-E-T-300: Spatial Variations of Multiple Off-Axial Targets for a Single Isocenter SRS Treatment Plan in ExacTrac 6D Robotic Couch System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, S; Tseng, T

2014-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate the spatial variations of multiple off-axial targets for a single isocenter stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment plan in ExacTrac 6D robotic couch system (BrainLab AG). Methods: Five metallic ball bearing (BB) markers were placed sparsely in 3D off-axial locations (non-coplanar) inside a skull phantom as the representatives of multiple targets mimicking multiple brain metastases. The locations of the BB markers were carefully chosen to minimize overlapping of each other in a port imaging detector plane. The skull phantom was immobilized by a frameless mask and CT scanned with a BrainLab Head and Neck Localizer using a GE Optimamore » MDCT scanner. The CT images were exported to iPlan software (BrainLab AG) and a multiple target PTV was drawn by combining all the contours of the BBs. The margin of the MLC opening was selected as 3 mm expansion outward. Two coplanar arc beams were placed to generate a single isocenter SRS plan to treat the PTV. The arc beams were delivered using Novalis Tx system with portal imaging acquisition mode per 10% temporal resolution. The locations of the BBs were visualized and analyzed with respect to the MLC aperture in the treatment plan similar to the Winston-Lutz test. Results: All the BBs were clearly identified inside the MLC openings. The positional errors for the BBs were overall less than 1 mm along the rotational path of the two arcs. Conclusion: This study verified that the spatial deviations of multiple off-axial targets for a single isocenter SRS treatment plan is within sub-millimeter range in ExacTrac 6D robotic couch system. Accompanied with the Winston-Lutz test, this test will quality-assure the spatial accuracies of the isocenter as well as the positions of multiple off-axial targets for the SRS treatment using a single isocenter multiple target treatment plan.« less

Effect of passive acoustic sampling methodology on detecting bats after declines from white nose syndrome

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coleman, Laci S.; Ford, W. Mark; Dobony, Christopher A.; Britzke, Eric R.

2014-01-01

Concomitant with the emergence and spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and precipitous decline of many bat species in North America, natural resource managers need modified and/or new techniques for bat inventory and monitoring that provide robust occupancy estimates. We used Anabat acoustic detectors to determine the most efficient passive acoustic sampling design for optimizing detection probabilities of multiple bat species in a WNS-impacted environment in New York, USA. Our sampling protocol included: six acoustic stations deployed for the entire duration of monitoring as well as a 4 x 4 grid and five transects of 5-10 acoustic units that were deployed for 6-8 night sample durations surveyed during the summers of 2011-2012. We used Program PRESENCE to determine detection probability and site occupancy estimates. Overall, the grid produced the highest detection probabilities for most species because it contained the most detectors and intercepted the greatest spatial area. However, big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and species not impacted by WNS were detected easily regardless of sampling array. Endangered Indiana (Myotis sodalis) and little brown (Myotis lucifugus) and tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) showed declines in detection probabilities over our study, potentially indicative of continued WNS-associated declines. Identification of species presence through efficient methodologies is vital for future conservation efforts as bat populations decline further due to WNS and other factors.   

In-Flight and Post-Flight Impact Data Analysis from DEBIE2 (Debris In-Orbit Evaluator) on Board of ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menicucci, Alessandra; Drolshagen, Gerhard; Kuitunen, Juha; Butenko, Yuriy; Mooney, Cathal

2013-08-01

DEBIE2 (Debris-in-orbit-evaluator) was launched in February 2008 as part of the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) and installed on the exterior of Columbus on ISS. DEBIE2 is an active detector, composed by 3 sensor units able to monitor the sub-micron micro-meteoroid and debris population in space. Each DEBIE sensor consists of a thin aluminium foil coupled with 2 wire grids sensitive to the plasma generated by particles impacting on the foil where also 2 piezoelectric sensors are glued. If the particle penetrates the foil, this can be detected by a third electron plasma detector located just behind the foil. The combination of these information allows to estimate the micro-particles and debris fluxes. EuTEF and DEBIE2 were retrieved after 18 months in flight and returned to Earth with the Space Shuttle Mission STS-128. In this paper, the results of the analysis of in-flight impact data are presented as well as the comparison with the models. The DEBIE2 sensor pointing the Zenith direction, was found to have one wire of the upper grid cut in two pieces by an impact. The postflight analysis focused on this sensor and included optical and SEM/EDX scanning. The results from this inspection will be also presented in this paper.

Multi-anode wire two dimensional proportional counter for detecting Iron-55 X-Ray Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weston, Michael William James

Radiation detectors in many applications use small sensor areas or large tubes which only collect one-dimensional information. There are some applications that require analyzing a large area and locating specific elements such as contamination on the heat tiles of a space shuttle or features on historical artifacts. The process can be time consuming and scanning a large area in a single pass is beneficial. The use of a two dimensional multi-wire proportional counter provides a large detection window presenting positional information in a single pass. This thesis described the design and implementation of an experimental detector to evaluate a specific design intended for use as a handheld instrument. The main effort of this research was to custom build a detector for testing purposes. The aluminum chamber and all circuit boards were custom designed and built specifically for this application. Various software and programmable logic algorithms were designed to analyze the raw data in real time and attempted to determine what data was useful and what could be discarded. The research presented here provides results useful for designing an improved second generation detector in the future. With the anode wire spacing chosen and the minimal collimation of the radiation source, detected events occurred all over the detection grid at any time. The raw event data did not make determining the source position easy and further data correlation was required. An abundance of samples had multiple wire hits which were not useful because it falsely reported the source to be all over the place and at different energy levels. By narrowing down the results to only use the largest signal pairs on different axes in each event, a much more accurate analysis of where the source existed above the grid was determined. The basic principle and construction method was shown to work, however the gas selection, geometry and anode wire constructs proved to be poor. To provide a system optimized for a specific application would require detailed Monte Carlo simulations. These simulation results together with the details and techniques implemented in this thesis would provide a final instrument of much higher accuracy.

Grid removal and impact on population dose in full-field digital mammography.

PubMed

Gennaro, Gisella; Katz, Luc; Souchay, Henri; Klausz, Remy; Alberelli, Claudio; di Maggio, Cosimo

2007-02-01

The study purpose was to determine the impact of anti-scatter grid removal on patient dose, in full field digital mammography. Dose saving, phantom based, was evaluated with the constraint that images acquired with and without grid would provide the same contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The digital equipment employed a flat panel detector with cesium iodide for x-ray to light conversion, 100 microm pixel size; the x-ray source was a dual-track tube with selectable filtration. Poly(methyl-emathocrylate) (PMMA) layers in the range 20-70 mm were used to simulate the absorption of different breast thickness, while two Al foils, 0.1 and 0.2 mm thick were used to provide a certain CNR. Images with grid were acquired with the same beam quality as selected in full automatic exposure mode and the mAs levels as close as possible, and the CNR measured for each thickness between 20 and 70 mm. Phantom images without grid were acquired in manual exposure mode, by selecting the same anode/filter combination and kVp as the image with grid at the same thickness, but varying mAs from 10 to 200. For each thickness, an image without aluminum was acquired for each mAs value, in order to obtain a flat image to be used to subtract the scatter nonuniformity from the phantom images. After scatter subtraction, the CNR was measured on images without grid. The mAs value that should be set to acquire a phantom image without grid so that it has the same CNR as the corresponding grid image was calculated. Therefore, mAs reduction percentage was determined versus phantom thickness. Results showed that dose saving was lower than 30% for PMMA equivalent breast thinner than 40 mm, decreased below 10% for intermediate thickness (45-50 mm), but there was no dose gain for thickness beyond 60 mm. By applying the mAs reduction factors to a clinical population derived from a data base of 4622 breasts, dose benefit was quantified in terms of population dose. On the average, the overall dose reduction was about 8%. It was considered small, not sufficient to justify a clinical implementation, and the anti-scatter grid was maintained.

SU-F-T-180: Evaluation of a Scintillating Screen Detector for Proton Beam QA and Acceptance Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghebremedhin, A; Taber, M; Koss, P

2016-06-15

Purpose: To test the performance of a commercial scintillating screen detector for acceptance testing and Quality Assurance of a proton pencil beam scanning system. Method: The detector (Lexitek DRD 400) has 40cm × 40cm field, uses a thin scintillator imaged onto a 16-bit scientific CCD with ∼0.5mm resolution. A grid target and LED illuminators are provided for spatial calibration and relative gain correction. The detector mounts to the nozzle with micron precision. Tools are provided for image processing and analysis of single or multiple Gaussian spots. Results: The bias and gain of the detector were studied to measure repeatability andmore » accuracy. Gain measurements were taken with the LED illuminators to measure repeatability and variation of the lens-CCD pair as a function with f-stop. Overall system gain was measured with a passive scattering (broad) beam whose shape is calibrated with EDR film placed in front of the scintillator. To create a large uniform field, overlapping small fields were recorded with the detector translated laterally and stitched together to cover the full field. Due to the long exposures required to obtain multiple spills of the synchrotron and very high detector sensitivity, borated polyethylene shielding was added to reduce direct radiation events hitting the CCD. Measurements with a micro ion chamber were compared to the detector’s spot profile. Software was developed to process arrays of Gaussian spots and to correct for radiation events. Conclusion: The detector background has a fixed bias, a small component linear in time, and is easily corrected. The gain correction method was validated with 2% accuracy. The detector spot profile matches the micro ion chamber data over 4 orders of magnitude. The multiple spot analyses can be easily used with plan data for measuring pencil beam uniformity and for regular QA comparison.« less

Lunar Dust Monitor for the orbiter of the next Japanese lunar mission SELENE2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirai, Takayuki; Sasaki, Sho; Ohashi, Hideo; Kobayashi, Masanori; Fujii, Masayuki; Shibata, Hiromi; Iwai, Takeo; Nogami, Ken-Ichi; Kimura, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Maki

2010-05-01

The next Japanese lunar mission SELENE2, after a successful mission Kaguya (a project named SELENE), is planned to launch in mid 2010 and to consists of a lander, a rover, and an orbiter, as a transmitting satellite to the earth [1]. A dust particle detector is proposed to be onboard the orbiter that is planned to be in operation for one year or more. Dust particles around the Moon include interplanetary dust, beta-meteoroids, interstellar dust, and possibly lunar dust that originate from the subsurface materials of the Moon. It is considered that several tens of thousands of tons of dust particles per year fall onto the Moon and supply materials to its surface layer. "Inflow" and "outflow" dust particles are very important for understanding material compositions of lunar surface. In past missions, dust detectors onboard the Hiten and Nozomi (Hiten-MDC and Nozomi-MDC) measured the flues of dust particles in the lunar orbit [2, 3]. These observations by Hiten- and Nozomi-MDCs created a small dataset of statistics of dust particles excluding earth-orbiting dust once in a week, because the dust detectors had small sensitive areas, 0.01 m2 and 0.014 m^2, respectively. The Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX) is designed to map a spatial and temporal variability of the dust size and density distributions in the lunar environment and will be onboard LADEE, which will be launched in 2012 [4]. LDEX will observe the lunar environment for 90 days in a nominal case or for a maximum of 9 months. It has a sensor area of 0.01 m2 at 50 km altitude. For a quantitative study of circumlunar dust, we propose a dust monitoring device with a large aperture size and a large sensor area, called the lunar dust monitor (LDM). The LDM is an impact ionization detector with dimensions 25 cm × 25 cm × 30 cm, and it has a large target (gold-plated Al) of 400 cm^2, to which a high voltage of +500 V is applied. The LDM also has two meshed grids parallel to the target. The grids are 90% transparent: the inner grid is 2 cm apart from the target and the outer grid is 15 cm from the target. We can deduce the mass and velocity information of the impacted dust particle from the recorded signal waveforms generated by the impacts of dust particles. Dust particles around the Moon are classified based on their origins: interstellar dust, interplanetary dust, beta meteoroids, and possibly dust that originated on the Moon. They can be inferred from their kinematic properties: the velocities and the arrival directions. If the proportion of dust components around the Moon is determined by observation, we can increase our knowledge of the contribution of inflow and outflow dust particles to lunar surface materials. References: [1] Matsumoto, K. et al., Joint Annual Meeting of LEAG-ICEUM-SRR (2008) LPI Contribution No.1446, 86. [2] Iglseder H. et al., Adv. Space Res. 17 (1996) 177-182. [3] Sasaki S., et al., Adv. Space Res., 39 (2007), 485-488. [4] Horanyi, M. et al., (2009) LPSC 40th, Abstract #1741.

Low-noise kinetic inductance traveling-wave amplifier using three-wave mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vissers, M. R.; Erickson, R. P.; Ku, H.-S.; Vale, Leila; Wu, Xian; Hilton, G. C.; Pappas, D. P.

2016-01-01

We have fabricated a wide-bandwidth, high dynamic range, low-noise cryogenic amplifier based on a superconducting kinetic inductance traveling-wave device. The device was made from NbTiN and consisted of a long, coplanar waveguide on a silicon chip. By adding a DC current and an RF pump tone, we are able to generate parametric amplification using three-wave mixing (3WM). The devices exhibit gain of more than 15 dB across an instantaneous bandwidth from 4 to 8 GHz. The total usable gain bandwidth, including both sides of the signal-idler gain region, is more than 6 GHz. The noise referred to the input of the devices approaches the quantum limit, with less than 1 photon excess noise. We compare these results directly to the four-wave mixing amplification mode, i.e., without DC-biasing. We find that the 3WM mode allows operation with the pump at lower RF power and at frequencies far from the signal. We have used this knowledge to redesign the amplifiers to utilize primarily 3WM amplification, thereby allowing for direct integration into large scale qubit and detector applications.

Low-noise kinetic inductance traveling-wave amplifier using three-wave mixing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vissers, M. R.; Erickson, R. P.; Ku, H.-S.

We have fabricated a wide-bandwidth, high dynamic range, low-noise cryogenic amplifier based on a superconducting kinetic inductance traveling-wave device. The device was made from NbTiN and consisted of a long, coplanar waveguide on a silicon chip. By adding a DC current and an RF pump tone, we are able to generate parametric amplification using three-wave mixing (3WM). The devices exhibit gain of more than 15 dB across an instantaneous bandwidth from 4 to 8 GHz. The total usable gain bandwidth, including both sides of the signal-idler gain region, is more than 6 GHz. The noise referred to the input of the devices approachesmore » the quantum limit, with less than 1 photon excess noise. We compare these results directly to the four-wave mixing amplification mode, i.e., without DC-biasing. We find that the 3WM mode allows operation with the pump at lower RF power and at frequencies far from the signal. We have used this knowledge to redesign the amplifiers to utilize primarily 3WM amplification, thereby allowing for direct integration into large scale qubit and detector applications.« less

Photoacoustic tomography using a fiber based Fabry-Perot interferometer as an integrating line detector and image reconstruction by model-based time reversal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grün, H.; Paltauf, G.; Haltmeier, M.; Burgholzer, P.

2007-07-01

Photoacoustic imaging is based on the generation of acoustic waves in a semitransparent sample (e.g. soft tissue) after illumination with short pulses of light or radio waves. The goal is to recover the spatial distribution of absorbed energy density inside the sample from acoustic pressure signals measured outside the sample (photoacoustic inverse problem). If the acoustic pressure outside the illuminated sample is measured with a large-aperture detector, the signal at a certain time is given by an integral of the generated acoustic pressure distribution over an area that is determined by the shape of the detector. For example a planar detector measures the projections of the initial pressure distribution over planes parallel to the detector plane, which is the Radon transform of the initial pressure distribution. Stable and exact three-dimensional imaging with planar integrating detector requires measurements in all directions of space and so the receiver plane has to be rotated to cover the entire detection surface. We have recently presented a simpler set-up for exact imaging which requires only a single rotation axis and therefor the fragmentation of the area detector into line detectors perpendicular to the rotation axis. Using a two-dimensional reconstruction method and applying the inverse two-dimensional Radon transform afterwards gives an exact reconstruction of the three-dimensional sample with this set-up. In order to achieve high resolution, a fiber based Fabry-Perot interferometer is used. It is a single mode fiber with two fiber bragg gratings on both ends of the line detector. Thermal shifts and vibrations are compensated by frequency locking of the laser. The high resolution and the good performance of this integrating line detector has been demonstrated by photoacoustic measurements with line grid samples and phantoms using a model-based time reversal method for image reconstruction. The time reversed pressure field can be calculated directly by retransmitting the measured pressure on the detector positions in a reversed temporal order.

Status of the KLOE-2 Inner Tracker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lucia, Erika

2018-01-01

KLOE-2 at the DAΦNE Φ-factory is the main experiment of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (LNF) and is the first high-energy experiment using the GEM technology with a cylindrical geometry, a novel idea developed at LNF. Four concentric cylindrical triple-GEM detectors compose the Inner Tracker, inserted around the interaction region and before the inner wall of the pre-existing KLOE Drift Chamber to improve the resolution on decay vertices close to the interaction point. State-of-the-art solutions have been expressly developed or tuned for this project: single-mask GEM etching, multi-layer XV patterned readout, PEEK spacer grid, GASTONE front-end board, a custom 64-channel ASIC with digital output, and the Global Interface Board for data collection, with a configurable FPGA architecture and Gigabit Ethernet. Alignment and calibration of a cylindrical GEM detector was never done before and represents one of the challenging activities of the experiment. The Inner Tracker detector construction, operation, calibration and performance obtained with cosmic-ray muons and Bhabha scattering events will be reported.

A matrix-inversion method for gamma-source mapping from gamma-count data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adsley, Ian; Burgess, Claire; Bull, Richard K

In a previous paper it was proposed that a simple matrix inversion method could be used to extract source distributions from gamma-count maps, using simple models to calculate the response matrix. The method was tested using numerically generated count maps. In the present work a 100 kBq Co{sup 60} source has been placed on a gridded surface and the count rate measured using a NaI scintillation detector. The resulting map of gamma counts was used as input to the matrix inversion procedure and the source position recovered. A multi-source array was simulated by superposition of several single-source count maps andmore » the source distribution was again recovered using matrix inversion. The measurements were performed for several detector heights. The effects of uncertainties in source-detector distances on the matrix inversion method are also examined. The results from this work give confidence in the application of the method to practical applications, such as the segregation of highly active objects amongst fuel-element debris. (authors)« less

Recent results from the Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, Rasha; Telescope Array Collaboration

2016-03-01

The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest ultrahigh energy cosmic rays detector in the northern hemisphere. TA is a hybrid detector comprised of three air fluorescence stations and a large surface array consisting of 507 scintillator counters. Each of the three fluorescence stations, located at the periphery of the ground array, views 108 degrees in azimuth and up to 30 degrees in elevation. The surface detectors are arranged in a square grid of 1.2 km spacing, covering over 700 square kilometers. TA has collected more than seven years of data. In this talk, we will present some of the main results on the cosmic rays composition and energy spectrum obtained by TA and its low energy extension (TALE). Finally, we will present our results from the search for arrival direction anisotropy, including the observed large excess of events at the highest energies, seen in the region of the northern sky centered on Ursa Major. Based on the current results, the ``hot spot'' in particular, TA is pursuing the expansion of the surface array to four times its current size.

Biological tissue imaging with a position and time sensitive pixelated detector.

PubMed

Jungmann, Julia H; Smith, Donald F; MacAleese, Luke; Klinkert, Ivo; Visser, Jan; Heeren, Ron M A

2012-10-01

We demonstrate the capabilities of a highly parallel, active pixel detector for large-area, mass spectrometric imaging of biological tissue sections. A bare Timepix assembly (512 × 512 pixels) is combined with chevron microchannel plates on an ion microscope matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF-MS). The detector assembly registers position- and time-resolved images of multiple m/z species in every measurement frame. We prove the applicability of the detection system to biomolecular mass spectrometry imaging on biologically relevant samples by mass-resolved images from Timepix measurements of a peptide-grid benchmark sample and mouse testis tissue slices. Mass-spectral and localization information of analytes at physiologic concentrations are measured in MALDI-TOF-MS imaging experiments. We show a high spatial resolution (pixel size down to 740 × 740 nm(2) on the sample surface) and a spatial resolving power of 6 μm with a microscope mode laser field of view of 100-335 μm. Automated, large-area imaging is demonstrated and the Timepix' potential for fast, large-area image acquisition is highlighted.

Gas Scintillation Proportional Counters for High-Energy X-ray Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, Mikhail; Ramsey, Brian; Apple, Jeffery

2003-01-01

A focal plane array of high-pressure gas scintillation proportional counters (GSPC) for a balloon-borne hard-x-ray telescope is under development at the Marshall Space Flight Center. These detectors have an active area of approx. 20 sq cm, and are filled with a high pressure (10(exp 6) Pa) xenon-helium mixture. Imaging is via crossed-grid position-sensitive phototubes sensitive in the UV region. The performance of the GSPC is well matched to that of the telescopes x-ray optics which have response to 75 keV and a focal spot size of approx. 500 microns. The detector s energy resolution, 4% FWHM at 60 keV, is adequate for resolving the broad spectral lines of astrophysical importance and for accurate continuum measurements. Full details of the instrument and its performance will be provided.

The trajectories of secondary electrons in the scanning electron microscope.

PubMed

Konvalina, Ivo; Müllerová, Ilona

2006-01-01

Three-dimensional simulations of the trajectories of secondary electrons (SE) in the scanning electron microscope have been performed for plenty of real configurations of the specimen chamber, including all its basic components. The primary purpose was to evaluate the collection efficiency of the Everhart-Thornley detector of SE and to reveal fundamental rules for tailoring the set-ups in which efficient signal acquisition can be expected. Intuitive realizations about the easiness of attracting the SEs towards the biased front grid of the detector have shown themselves likely as false, and all grounded objects in the chamber have been proven to influence the spatial distribution of the signal-extracting field. The role of the magnetic field penetrating from inside the objective lens is shown to play an ambiguous role regarding possible support for the signal collection.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: SONYC census of substellar objects in Lupus 3 (Muzic+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzic, K.; Scholz, A.; Geers, V. C.; Jayawardhana, R.; Lopez Marti, B.

2017-06-01

The near-infrared observations were designed to provide J- and KS photometry in the area slightly larger than the one covered with MOSAIC-II. We used NEWFIRM at the CTIO 4 m telescope, providing an FOV of 28'x28' and a pixel scale of 0.4". The NEWFIRM detector is a mosaic of four 2048x2048 Orion InSb arrays, organized in a 2x2 grid. Data reduction was performed using the NEWFIRM pipeline. The data were dark- and sky-subtracted and were corrected for bad pixels and flat-field effects. The astrometry was calibrated with respect to the 2MASS (Skrutskie et al. 2006AJ....131.1163S, Cat. VII/233) coordinate system, and each detector quadrant was re-projected onto an undistorted celestial tangent plane. (3 data files).

IceProd 2: A Next Generation Data Analysis Framework for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, D.

2015-12-01

We describe the overall structure and new features of the second generation of IceProd, a data processing and management framework. IceProd was developed by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory for processing of Monte Carlo simulations, detector data, and analysis levels. It runs as a separate layer on top of grid and batch systems. This is accomplished by a set of daemons which process job workflow, maintaining configuration and status information on the job before, during, and after processing. IceProd can also manage complex workflow DAGs across distributed computing grids in order to optimize usage of resources. IceProd is designed to be very light-weight; it runs as a python application fully in user space and can be set up easily. For the initial completion of this second version of IceProd, improvements have been made to increase security, reliability, scalability, and ease of use.

IceProd 2 Usage Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delventhal, D.; Schultz, D.; Diaz Velez, J. C.

2017-10-01

IceProd is a data processing and management framework developed by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory for processing of Monte Carlo simulations, detector data, and data driven analysis. It runs as a separate layer on top of grid and batch systems. This is accomplished by a set of daemons which process job workflow, maintaining configuration and status information on the job before, during, and after processing. IceProd can also manage complex workflow DAGs across distributed computing grids in order to optimize usage of resources. IceProd has recently been rewritten to increase its scaling capabilities, handle user analysis workflows together with simulation production, and facilitate the integration with 3rd party scheduling tools. IceProd 2, the second generation of IceProd, has been running in production for several months now. We share our experience setting up the system and things we’ve learned along the way.

Imaging radiation detector with gain

DOEpatents

Morris, C.L.; Idzorek, G.C.; Atencio, L.G.

1982-07-21

A radiation imaging device which has application in x-ray imaging. The device can be utilized in CAT scanners and other devices which require high sensitivity and low x-ray fluxes. The device utilizes cumulative multiplication of charge carriers on the anode plane and the collection of positive ion charges to image the radiation intensity on the cathode plane. Parallel and orthogonal cathode wire arrays are disclosed as well as a two-dimensional grid pattern for collecting the positive ions on the cathode.

Imaging radiation detector with gain

DOEpatents

Morris, Christopher L.; Idzorek, George C.; Atencio, Leroy G.

1984-01-01

A radiation imaging device which has application in x-ray imaging. The device can be utilized in CAT scanners and other devices which require high sensitivity and low x-ray fluxes. The device utilizes cumulative multiplication of charge carriers on the anode plane and the collection of positive ion charges to image the radiation intensity on the cathode plane. Parallel and orthogonal cathode wire arrays are disclosed as well as a two-dimensional grid pattern for collecting the positive ions on the cathode.

Enhanced gamma-ray emission from the microquasar Cygnus X-3 detected by AGILE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piano, G.; Pittori, C.; Verrecchia, F.; Tavani, M.; Bulgarelli, A.; Fioretti, V.; Zoli, A.; Munar-Adrover, P.; Lucarelli, F.; Donnarumma, I.; Vercellone, S.; Striani, E.; Cardillo, M.; Gianotti, F.; Trifoglio, M.; Giuliani, A.; Mereghetti, S.; Caraveo, P.; Perotti, F.; Chen, A.; Argan, A.; Costa, E.; Del Monte, E.; Evangelista, Y.; Feroci, M.; Lazzarotto, F.; Lapshov, I.; Pacciani, L.; Soffitta, P.; Sabatini, S.; Vittorini, V.; Pucella, G.; Rapisarda, M.; Di Cocco, G.; Fuschino, F.; Galli, M.; Labanti, C.; Marisaldi, M.; Pellizzoni, A.; Pilia, M.; Trois, A.; Barbiellini, G.; Vallazza, E.; Longo, F.; Morselli, A.; Picozza, P.; Prest, M.; Lipari, P.; Zanello, D.; Cattaneo, P. W.; Rappoldi, A.; Colafrancesco, S.; Parmiggiani, N.; Ferrari, A.; Antonelli, A.; Giommi, P.; Salotti, L.; Valentini, G.; D'Amico, F.

2016-04-01

Integrating from 2016-04-16 00:00 UT to 2016-04-19 00:00 UT, the AGILE-GRID detector is revealing gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV from a source positionally consistent with Cygnus X-3 at Galactic coordinates (l, b) = (79.4, 0.2) +/- 0.6 (stat.) +/- 0.1 (syst.) deg, with flux F( > 100 MeV) = (2.0 +/- 0.8) x 10^-6 photons/cm^2/s, as determined by a multi-source likelihood analysis.

THz detectors based on heating of two-dimensional electron gas in disordered nitride heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitin, V.; Ramaswamy, R.; Wang, K.; Choi, J. K.; Pakmehr, M.; Muraviev, A.; Shur, M.; Gaska, R.; Pogrebnyak, V.; Sergeev, A.

2012-05-01

We present the results of design, fabrication, and characterization of the room-temperature, low electron heat capacity hot-electron THz microbolometers based on two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. The 2DEG sensor is integrated with a broadband THz antenna and a coplanar waveguide. Devices with various patterning of 2DEG have been fabricated and tested. Optimizing the material properties, geometrical parameters of the 2DEG, and antenna design, we match the impedances of the sensor and antenna to reach strong coupling of THz radiation to 2DEG via the Drude absorption. Testing the detectors, we found that the THz-induced photocurrent, ΔI, is proportional to the bias current, I, and the temperature derivative of the resistance and inversely proportional to the area of 2DEG sensor, S. The analysis allowed us to identify the mechanism of the 2DEG response to THz radiation as electron heating. The responsivity of our sensors, normalized to the bias current and to unit area of 2DEG, R*= ΔI•S/ (I•P), is ~ 103 W-1 μm2. So, for our typical sensor with an area of 1000 μm2 and bias currents of ~ 10 mA, the responsivity is ~ 0.01 A/W. The measurements of mixing at sub-terahertz frequencies showed that the mixing bandwidth is above 2 GHz, which corresponds to a characteristic electron relaxation time to be shorter than 0.7 ps. Further decrease of the size of 2DEG sensors will increase the responsivity as well as allows for decreasing the local oscillator power in heterodyne applications.

Influence of scatter reduction method and monochromatic beams on image quality and dose in mammography.

PubMed

Moeckli, Raphaël; Verdun, Francis R; Fiedler, Stefan; Pachoud, Marc; Bulling, Shelley; Schnyder, Pierre; Valley, Jean-François

2003-12-01

In mammography, the image contrast and dose delivered to the patient are determined by the x-ray spectrum and the scatter to primary ratio S/P. Thus the quality of the mammographic procedure is highly dependent on the choice of anode and filter material and on the method used to reduce the amount of scattered radiation reaching the detector. Synchrotron radiation is a useful tool to study the effect of beam energy on the optimization of the mammographic process because it delivers a high flux of monochromatic photons. Moreover, because the beam is naturally flat collimated in one direction, a slot can be used instead of a grid for scatter reduction. We have measured the ratio S/P and the transmission factors for grids and slots for monoenergetic synchrotron radiation. In this way the effect of beam energy and scatter rejection method were separated, and their respective importance for image quality and dose analyzed. Our results show that conventional mammographic spectra are not far from optimum and that the use of a slot instead of a grid has an important effect on the optimization of the mammographic process. We propose a simple numerical model to quantify this effect.

Delivery of femtolitre droplets using surface acoustic wave based atomisation for cryo-EM grid preparation.

PubMed

Ashtiani, Dariush; Venugopal, Hari; Belousoff, Matthew; Spicer, Bradley; Mak, Johnson; Neild, Adrian; de Marco, Alex

2018-04-06

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) has become an invaluable tool for structural biology. Over the past decade, the advent of direct electron detectors and automated data acquisition has established cryo-EM as a central method in structural biology. However, challenges remain in the reliable and efficient preparation of samples in a manner which is compatible with high time resolution. The delivery of sample onto the grid is recognized as a critical step in the workflow as it is a source of variability and loss of material due to the blotting which is usually required. Here, we present a method for sample delivery and plunge freezing based on the use of Surface Acoustic Waves to deploy 6-8 µm droplets to the EM grid. This method minimises the sample dead volume and ensures vitrification within 52.6 ms from the moment the sample leaves the microfluidics chip. We demonstrate a working protocol to minimize the atomised volume and apply it to plunge freeze three different samples and provide proof that no damage occurs due to the interaction between the sample and the acoustic waves. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Coupling Between Adjacent Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) Waveguides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponchak, George E.; Katehi, Linda P. B.; Tentzeris, Emmanouil M.

1997-01-01

Coupling between adjacent Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguides as a function of the line geometry is presented for the first time. A two Dimension-Finite Difference Time Domain (2D-FDTD) analysis and measurements are used to show that the coupling decreases as the line to line separation and the grOUnd plane width increases. Furthermore, it is shown that for a given spacing between the center lines of two FGC lines, the coupling is lower if the ground plane width is smaller Lastly, electric field plots generated from the 2D-FDTD technique are presented which demonstrate a strong slotline mode is established in the coupled FGC line.

670 GHz Schottky Diode Based Subharmonic Mixer with CPW Circuits and 70 GHz IF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhyay, Goutam (Inventor); Schlecht, Erich T. (Inventor); Lee, Choonsup (Inventor); Lin, Robert H. (Inventor); Gill, John J. (Inventor); Sin, Seth (Inventor); Mehdi, Imran (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A coplanar waveguide (CPW) based subharmonic mixer working at 670 GHz using GaAs Schottky diodes. One example of the mixer has a LO input, an RF input and an IF output. Another possible mixer has a LO input, and IF input and an RF output. Each input or output is connected to a coplanar waveguide with a matching network. A pair of antiparallel diodes provides a signal at twice the LO frequency, which is then mixed with a second signal to provide signals having sum and difference frequencies. The output signal of interest is received after passing through a bandpass filter tuned to the frequency range of interest.

On the coplanar eccentric non-restricted co-orbital dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leleu, A.; Robutel, P.; Correia, A. C. M.

2018-03-01

We study the phase space of eccentric coplanar co-orbitals in the non-restricted case. Departing from the quasi-circular case, we describe the evolution of the phase space as the eccentricities increase. We find that over a given value of the eccentricity, around 0.5 for equal mass co-orbitals, important topological changes occur in the phase space. These changes lead to the emergence of new co-orbital configurations and open a continuous path between the previously distinct trojan domains near the L_4 and L_5 eccentric Lagrangian equilibria. These topological changes are shown to be linked with the reconnection of families of quasi-periodic orbits of non-maximal dimension.

Naphtyl- and pyrenyl-flavylium dyads: Synthesis, DFT and optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar-Castillo, Bethsy Adriana; Sánchez-Bojorge, Nora Aydee; Chávez-Flores, David; Camacho-Dávila, Alejandro A.; Pasillas-Ornelas, Eddie; Rodríguez-Valdez, Luz-María; Zaragoza-Galán, Gerardo

2018-03-01

A one-step preparation of flavylium salts containing naphtyl and pyrenyl moieties is described hereafter. Flavylium salts were successfully characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS spectrometry. Theoretical calculations were carried out by means of Density Functional Theory in order to simulate flavylium cation electronic transitions. Molecular simulation of -naphtyl derivatives displayed a coplanar conformation between naphthalene and benzopyrylium moieties. In contrast, DFT analysis exhibited a non-coplanar arrangement of pyrene and benzopyrylium units. These former statements in coherence with the absorption experiments where the naphtyl-flavylium dyads shows a red-shifted maximum absorption band with respect to pyrene dyads, led us to conclude that these bathochromic effects are associated with a more planar conformation.

'Invisible' antenna takes up less space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelley, M.; Bond, K.

1986-06-01

A compensated microstrip patch design is described that also uses grounded coplanar waveguide to permit a second, independent antenna to be mounted on any type of existing primary radar antenna aboard an aircraft without affecting its radiation. Successful integration of the IFF (identification friend or foe) antenna, which works at D-band, and the primary radar antenna is possible because of the diversity in frequency between the two antennas. Construction of a microstrip radiating element, electromagnetically invisible to the primary antenna, requires orthogonal grating elements and use of the primary antenna as the ground plane. Coplanar mounting of a stripline array with the primary antenna reduces the manufacturing costs and increases the functional performance of the IFF antenna.

A comparative study between shielded and open coplanar waveguide discontinuities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dib, Nihad I.; Harokopus, W. P., Jr.; Ponchak, G. E.; Katehi, L. P. B.

1993-01-01

A comparative study between open and shielded coplanar waveguide (CPW) discontinuities is presented. The space domain integral equation method is used to characterize several discontinuities such as the open-end CPW and CPW series stubs. Two different geometries of CPW series stubs (straight and bent stubs) are compared with respect to resonant frequency and radiation loss. In addition, the encountered radiation loss due to different CPW shunt stubs is evaluated experimentally. The notion of forced radiation simulation is presented, and the results of such a simulation are compared to the actual radiation loss obtained rigorously. It is shown that such a simulation cannot give reliable results concerning radiation loss from printed circuits.

Experiment Pamir-3. Coplanar emission of high energy gamma-quanta at interaction of hadrons with nuclei of air atoms at energies above 10 to the 7th power GeV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asatiani, T. L.; Genina, L. E.; Zatsepin, G. T.

1985-01-01

A systematic analysis of large gamma families, detected in X-ray emulsion chambers, cases of multicore halos have been observed, and among them five events in which the halo is divided into three of four separate cores with their alignment observed in the target diagram (coplanarity of axes of corresponding electron photon cascades). The halo alignment (tendency to the straight line) leads to the aximuthal asymmetry (thrust). The analysis of lateral and momentum distributions of particles in these families shows that they also have thrust that correlates with the direction of the halo core alignment.

Retrospective evaluation of exposure index (EI) values from plain radiographs reveals important considerations for quality improvement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mothiram, Ursula; Brennan, Patrick C; Robinson, John

2013-12-15

Following X-ray exposure, radiographers receive immediate feedback on detector exposure in the form of the exposure index (EI). To identify whether radiographers are meeting manufacturer-recommended EI (MREI) ranges for routine chest, abdomen and pelvis X-ray examinations under a variety of conditions and to examine factors affecting the EI. Data on 5000 adult X-ray examinations including the following variables were collected: examination parameters, EI values, patient gender, date of birth, date and time of examination, grid usage and the presence of implant or prosthesis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize each data set and the Mann–Whitney U test was used tomore » determine significant differences, with P < 0.05 indicating significance for all tests. Most examinations demonstrated EI values that were outside the MREI ranges, with significantly higher median EI values recorded for female patient radiographs than those for male patients for all manufacturers, indicating higher detector exposures for all units except for Philips digital radiography (DR), where increased EI values indicate lower exposure (P = 0.01). Median EI values for out of hours radiography were also significantly higher compared with normal working hours for all technologies (P ≤ 0.02). Significantly higher median EI values were demonstrated for Philips DR chest X-rays without as compared to those with the employment of a grid (P = 0.03), while significantly lower median EI values were recorded for Carestream Health computed radiography (CR) chest X-rays when an implant or prosthesis was present (P = 0.02). Non-adherence to MREIs has been demonstrated with EI value discrepancies being dependent on patient gender, time/day of exposure, grid usage and the presence of an implant or prosthesis. Retrospective evaluation of EI databases is a valuable tool to assess the need of quality improvement in routine DR.« less

SU-F-T-365: Clinical Commissioning of the Monaco Treatment Planning System for the Novalis Tx to Deliver VMAT, SRS and SBRT Treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adnani, N

Purpose: To commission the Monaco Treatment Planning System for the Novalis Tx machine. Methods: The commissioning of Monte-Carlo (MC), Collapsed Cone (CC) and electron Monte-Carlo (eMC) beam models was performed through a series of measurements and calculations in medium and in water. In medium measurements relied Octavius 4D QA system with the 1000 SRS detector array for field sizes less than 4 cm × 4 cm and the 1500 detector array for larger field sizes. Heterogeneity corrections were validated using a custom built phantom. Prior to clinical implementation, an end to end testing of a Prostate and H&N VMAT plansmore » was performed. Results: Using a 0.5% uncertainty and 2 mm grid sizes, Tables I and II summarize the MC validation at 6 MV and 18 MV in both medium and water. Tables III and IV show similar comparisons for CC. Using the custom heterogeneity phantom setup of Figure 1 and IGRT guidance summarized in Figure 2, Table V lists the percent pass rate for a 2%, 2 mm gamma criteria at 6 and 18 MV for both MC and CC. The relationship between MC calculations settings of uncertainty and grid size and the gamma passing rate for a prostate and H&N case is shown in Table VI. Table VII lists the results of the eMC calculations compared to measured data for clinically available applicators and Table VIII for small field cutouts. Conclusion: MU calculations using MC are highly sensitive to uncertainty and grid size settings. The difference can be of the order of several per cents. MC is superior to CC for small fields and when using heterogeneity corrections, regardless of field size, making it more suitable for SRS, SBRT and VMAT deliveries. eMC showed good agreement with measurements down to 2 cm − 2 cm field size.« less

Investigation of three-dimensional localisation of radioactive sources using a fast organic liquid scintillator detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamage, K. A. A.; Joyce, M. J.; Taylor, G. C.

2013-04-01

In this paper we discuss the possibility of locating radioactive sources in space using a scanning-based method, relative to the three-dimensional location of the detector. The scanning system comprises an organic liquid scintillator detector, a tungsten collimator and an adjustable equatorial mount. The detector output is connected to a bespoke fast digitiser (Hybrid Instruments Ltd., UK) which streams digital samples to a personal computer. A radioactive source has been attached to a vertical wall and the data have been collected in two stages. In the first case, the scanning system was placed a couple of metres away from the wall and in the second case it moved few centimetres from the previous location, parallel to the wall. In each case data were collected from a grid of measurement points (set of azimuth angles for set of elevation angles) which covered the source on the wall. The discrimination of fast neutrons and gamma rays, detected by the organic liquid scintillator detector, is carried out on the basis of pulse gradient analysis. Images are then produced in terms of the angular distribution of events for total counts, gamma rays and neutrons for both cases. The three-dimensional location of the neutron source can be obtained by considering the relative separation of the centres of the corresponding images of angular distribution of events. The measurements have been made at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, UK.

Coplanar amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistor with He plasma treated heavily doped layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeong, Ho-young; LG Display R and D Center, 245 Lg-ro, Wollong-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do 413-811; Lee, Bok-young

We report thermally stable coplanar amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with heavily doped n{sup +} a-IGZO source/drain regions. Doping is through He plasma treatment in which the resistivity of the a-IGZO decreases from 2.98 Ω cm to 2.79 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm after treatment, and then it increases to 7.92 × 10{sup −2} Ω cm after annealing at 300 °C. From the analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the concentration of oxygen vacancies in He plasma treated n{sup +}a-IGZO does not change much after thermal annealing at 300 °C, indicating thermally stable n{sup +} a-IGZO, even for TFTs with channel length L = 4 μm. Field-effect mobility of the coplanar a-IGZO TFTsmore » with He plasma treatment changes from 10.7 to 9.2 cm{sup 2}/V s after annealing at 300 °C, but the performance of the a-IGZO TFT with Ar or H{sub 2} plasma treatment degrades significantly after 300 °C annealing.« less

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy with Noncoplanar Beams for Treatment of Prostate Cancer in Patients with Bilateral Hip Prosthesis-A Case Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brooks, Chris; Cheung, Rex Min; Kudchadker, Rajat J.

2010-07-01

Megavoltage photon intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is typically used in the treatment of prostate cancer at our institution. Approximately 1% to 2% of patients with prostate cancer have hip prostheses. The presence of the prosthesis usually complicates the planning process because of dose perturbation around the prosthesis, radiation attenuation through the prosthesis, and the introduction of computed tomography artifacts in the planning volume. In addition, hip prostheses are typically made of materials of high atomic number, which add uncertainty to the dosimetry of the prostate and critical organs in the planning volume. When the prosthesis is bilateral, treatment planning ismore » further complicated because only a limited number of beam angles can be used to avoid the prostheses. In this case study, we will report the observed advantages of using noncoplanar beams in the delivery of IMRT to a prostate cancer patient with bilateral hip prostheses. The treatment was planned for 75.6 Gy using a 7-field coplanar approach and a noncoplanar arrangement, with all fields avoiding entrance though the prostheses. Our results indicate that, compared with the coplanar plan, the noncoplanar plan delivers the prescribed dose to the target with a slightly better conformality and sparing of rectal tissue versus the coplanar plan.« less

A cross-sectional analysis of dioxins and health effects in municipal and private waste incinerator workers in Japan

PubMed Central

YAMAMOTO, Kenya; KUDO, Mitsuhiro; ARITO, Heihachiro; OGAWA, Yasutaka; TAKATA, Tsutomu

2015-01-01

This cross-sectional study was intended to examine health effects of 678 male workers employed during an 8-yr period from 2000 to 2007 at 36 municipal and private waste incineration plants in Japan. Blood samples were obtained for analysis of concentrations of dioxins including coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs) and evaluation of health effects. Health effects including diabetes were surveyed via a physician’s interview or clinical data from blood samples. There was a certain difference in serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) between the incinerator workers and Japanese general population, although no differences in the concentrations of total dioxins or polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) were found between the two groups. A few positive correlations between serum levels of PCDDs and PCDFs and the results of laboratory and physiological tests were found, but coplanar PCBs showed significant relations with 14 parameters of the tests. The background serum levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and total dioxins were significantly associated with the prevalence of diabetes. No essential differences in serum concentrations of total dioxins and in prevalence of diabetes between our subjects and the general population suggested that the incinerator workers were marginally exposed to dioxins in the workplace without any recognizable adverse health effects. PMID:26212412

Redundancy Analysis of Capacitance Data of a Coplanar Electrode Array for Fast and Stable Imaging Processing

PubMed Central

Wen, Yintang; Zhang, Zhenda; Zhang, Yuyan; Sun, Dongtao

2017-01-01

A coplanar electrode array sensor is established for the imaging of composite-material adhesive-layer defect detection. The sensor is based on the capacitive edge effect, which leads to capacitance data being considerably weak and susceptible to environmental noise. The inverse problem of coplanar array electrical capacitance tomography (C-ECT) is ill-conditioning, in which a small error of capacitance data can seriously affect the quality of reconstructed images. In order to achieve a stable image reconstruction process, a redundancy analysis method for capacitance data is proposed. The proposed method is based on contribution rate and anti-interference capability. According to the redundancy analysis, the capacitance data are divided into valid and invalid data. When the image is reconstructed by valid data, the sensitivity matrix needs to be changed accordingly. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the sensitivity map, singular value decomposition (SVD) is used. Finally, the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images are reconstructed by the Tikhonov regularization method. Through comparison of the reconstructed images of raw capacitance data, the stability of the image reconstruction process can be improved, and the quality of reconstructed images is not degraded. As a result, much invalid data are not collected, and the data acquisition time can also be reduced. PMID:29295537

Characterization of highly multiplexed monolithic PET / gamma camera detector modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, L. A.; Pedemonte, S.; DeWitt, D.; MacDonald, L.; Hunter, W. C. J.; Van Leemput, K.; Miyaoka, R.

2018-04-01

PET detectors use signal multiplexing to reduce the total number of electronics channels needed to cover a given area. Using measured thin-beam calibration data, we tested a principal component based multiplexing scheme for scintillation detectors. The highly-multiplexed detector signal is no longer amenable to standard calibration methodologies. In this study we report results of a prototype multiplexing circuit, and present a new method for calibrating the detector module with multiplexed data. A 50 × 50 × 10 mm3 LYSO scintillation crystal was affixed to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube with 8 × 8 position-outputs and one channel that is the sum of the other 64. The 65-channel signal was multiplexed in a resistive circuit, with 65:5 or 65:7 multiplexing. A 0.9 mm beam of 511 keV photons was scanned across the face of the crystal in a 1.52 mm grid pattern in order to characterize the detector response. New methods are developed to reject scattered events and perform depth-estimation to characterize the detector response of the calibration data. Photon interaction position estimation of the testing data was performed using a Gaussian Maximum Likelihood estimator and the resolution and scatter-rejection capabilities of the detector were analyzed. We found that using a 7-channel multiplexing scheme (65:7 compression ratio) with 1.67 mm depth bins had the best performance with a beam-contour of 1.2 mm FWHM (from the 0.9 mm beam) near the center of the crystal and 1.9 mm FWHM near the edge of the crystal. The positioned events followed the expected Beer–Lambert depth distribution. The proposed calibration and positioning method exhibited a scattered photon rejection rate that was a 55% improvement over the summed signal energy-windowing method.

First flight of the Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS) instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, Nicole; Saint-Hilaire, P.; Shih, A. Y.; Hurford, G. J.; Bain, H. M.; Amman, M.; Mochizuki, B. A.; Hoberman, J.; Olson, J.; Maruca, B. A.; Godbole, N. M.; Smith, D. M.; Sample, J.; Kelley, N. A.; Zoglauer, A.; Caspi, A.; Kaufmann, P.; Boggs, S.; Lin, R. P.

2016-07-01

The Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS) instrument is a balloon-borne telescope designed to study solar- are particle acceleration and transport. We describe GRIPS's first Antarctic long-duration flight in January 2016 and report preliminary calibration and science results. Electron and ion dynamics, particle abundances and the ambient plasma conditions in solar flares can be understood by examining hard X-ray (HXR) and gamma-ray emission (20 keV to 10 MeV). Enhanced imaging, spectroscopy and polarimetry of are emissions in this energy range are needed to study particle acceleration and transport questions. The GRIPS instrument is specifically designed to answer questions including: What causes the spatial separation between energetic electrons producing hard X-rays and energetic ions producing gamma-ray lines? How anisotropic are the relativistic electrons, and why can they dominate in the corona? How do the compositions of accelerated and ambient material vary with space and time, and why? GRIPS's key technological improvements over the current solar state of the art at HXR/gamma-ray energies, the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), include 3D position-sensitive germanium detectors (3D-GeDs) and a single-grid modulation collimator, the multi-pitch rotating modulator (MPRM). The 3D-GeDs have spectral FWHM resolution of a few hundred keV and spatial resolution <1 mm3. For photons that Compton scatter, usually > 150 keV, the energy deposition sites can be tracked, providing polarization measurements as well as enhanced background reduction through Compton imaging. Each of GRIPS's detectors has 298 electrode strips read out with ASIC/FPGA electronics. In GRIPS's energy range, indirect imaging methods provide higher resolution than focusing optics or Compton imaging techniques. The MPRM gridimaging system has a single-grid design which provides twice the throughput of a bi-grid imaging system like RHESSI. The grid is composed of 2.5 cm deep tungsten-copper slats, and quasi-continuous FWHM angular coverage from 12.5-162 arcsecs are achieved by varying the slit pitch between 1-13 mm. This angular resolution is capable of imaging the separate magnetic loop footpoint emissions in a variety of are sizes. In comparison, RHESSI's 35-arcsec resolution at similar energies makes the footpoints resolvable in only the largest ares.

Vertebral coplanar alignment: a standardized technique for three dimensional correction in scoliosis surgery: technical description and preliminary results in Lenke type 1 curves.

PubMed

Vallespir, Gabriel Pizà; Flores, Jesús Burgos; Trigueros, Ignacio Sanpera; Sierra, Eduardo Hevia; Fernández, Pedro Doménech; Olaverri, Juan Carlos Rodríguez; Alonso, Manuel García; Galea, Rafael Ramos; Francisco, Antonio Pérez; Rodríguez de Paz, Beatriz; Carbonell, Pedro Gutiérrez; Thomas, Javier Vicente; López, José Luís González; Paulino, José Ignacio Maruenda; Pitarque, Carlos Barrios; García, Oscar Riquelme

2008-06-15

Prospective multicentric study. To present the preliminary results of an innovative method for standardized correction of scoliosis, vertebral coplanar alignment (VCA), based on a novel concept: the relocation of vertebral axis in a single plane. Normal standing spine has no rotation in coronal or transverse planes, therefore X and Z axis of vertebrae are in the same plane: they are coplanar. VCA intends to relocate these axis in one plane, correcting rotation and translation, while X axis are returned to its normal posterior divergence in sagittal plane in thoracic spine. Twenty-five consecutive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients (Lenke type 1) underwent posterior surgery with segmental pedicle screw fixation. Slotted tubes were attached to convex side screws. Two longitudinal rods were inserted through the end of tubes. Then, they were separated along the slots, driving the tubes into one plane, making the axis of the vertebrae coplanar and thus correcting transverse rotation and coronal translation. To obtain kyphosis, distal ends of the tubes were spread in thoracic spine. Correction was maintained by locking a definitive rod in the concave side, then tubes were retrieved and the convex side rod, inserted and tightened. Correction was assessed on preoperative and postoperative full-spine standing radiograph. Vertebral rotation was measured on computed tomography-scan and magnetic resonance imaging. Preoperative average thoracic curves of 61 degrees were corrected to 16 degrees (73%). Preoperative average thoracolumbar curves of 39 degrees were corrected to 12 degrees (70%). Preoperative average thoracic apical rotation of 24 degrees was corrected to 11 degrees (56%). Preoperative average thoracic kyphosis of 18 degrees remained unchanged after surgery; however, no patients had kyphosis <10 degrees after surgery. Rib hump improved from 30 to 11 mm (65%). There were no perioperative complications. VCA provided excellent correction of coronal and transverse planes with normalization of thoracic kyphosis in Lenke type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

SU-E-T-436: Fluence-Based Trajectory Optimization for Non-Coplanar VMAT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smyth, G; Bamber, JC; Bedford, JL

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate a fluence-based trajectory optimization technique for non-coplanar VMAT for brain cancer. Methods: Single-arc non-coplanar VMAT trajectories were determined using a heuristic technique for five patients. Organ at risk (OAR) volume intersected during raytracing was minimized for two cases: absolute volume and the sum of relative volumes weighted by OAR importance. These trajectories and coplanar VMAT formed starting points for the fluence-based optimization method. Iterative least squares optimization was performed on control points 24° apart in gantry rotation. Optimization minimized the root-mean-square (RMS) deviation of PTV dose from the prescription (relative importance 100), maximum dose to the brainstemmore » (10), optic chiasm (5), globes (5) and optic nerves (5), plus mean dose to the lenses (5), hippocampi (3), temporal lobes (2), cochleae (1) and brain excluding other regions of interest (1). Control point couch rotations were varied in steps of up to 10° and accepted if the cost function improved. Final treatment plans were optimized with the same objectives in an in-house planning system and evaluated using a composite metric - the sum of optimization metrics weighted by importance. Results: The composite metric decreased with fluence-based optimization in 14 of the 15 plans. In the remaining case its overall value, and the PTV and OAR components, were unchanged but the balance of OAR sparing differed. PTV RMS deviation was improved in 13 cases and unchanged in two. The OAR component was reduced in 13 plans. In one case the OAR component increased but the composite metric decreased - a 4 Gy increase in OAR metrics was balanced by a reduction in PTV RMS deviation from 2.8% to 2.6%. Conclusion: Fluence-based trajectory optimization improved plan quality as defined by the composite metric. While dose differences were case specific, fluence-based optimization improved both PTV and OAR dosimetry in 80% of cases.« less

Monte Carlo tree search -based non-coplanar trajectory design for station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT).

PubMed

Dong, Peng; Liu, Hongcheng; Xing, Lei

2018-06-04

An important yet challenging problem in LINAC-based rotational arc radiation therapy is the design of beam trajectory, which requires simultaneous consideration of delivery efficiency and final dose distribution. In this work, we propose a novel trajectory selection strategy by developing a Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) algorithm during the beam trajectory selection process. Methods: To search through the vast number of possible trajectories, MCTS algorithm was implemented. In this approach, a candidate trajectory is explored by starting from a leaf node and sequentially examining the next level of linked nodes with consideration of geometric and physical constraints. The maximum Upper Confidence Bounds for Trees, which is a function of average objective function value and the number of times the node under testing has been visited, was employed to intelligently select the trajectory. For each candidate trajectory, we run an inverse fluence map optimization with an infinity norm regularization. The ranking of the plan as measured by the corresponding objective function value was then fed back to update the statistics of the nodes on the trajectory. The method was evaluated with a chest wall and a brain case, and the results were compared with the coplanar and noncoplanar 4pi beam configurations. Results: For both clinical cases, the MCTS method found effective and easy-to-deliver trajectories within an hour. As compared with the coplanar plans, it offers much better sparing of the OARs while maintaining the PTV coverage. The quality of the MCTS-generated plan is found to be comparable to the 4pi plans. Conclusion: AI based on MCTS is valuable to facilitate the design of beam trajectory and paves the way for future clinical use of non-coplanar treatment delivery. . © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

SU-F-T-352: Development of a Knowledge Based Automatic Lung IMRT Planning Algorithm with Non-Coplanar Beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, W; Wu, Q; Yuan, L

Purpose: To improve the robustness of a knowledge based automatic lung IMRT planning method and to further validate the reliability of this algorithm by utilizing for the planning of clinical cases with non-coplanar beams. Methods: A lung IMRT planning method which automatically determines both plan optimization objectives and beam configurations with non-coplanar beams has been reported previously. A beam efficiency index map is constructed to guide beam angle selection in this algorithm. This index takes into account both the dose contributions from individual beams and the combined effect of multiple beams which is represented by a beam separation score. Wemore » studied the effect of this beam separation score on plan quality and determined the optimal weight for this score.14 clinical plans were re-planned with the knowledge-based algorithm. Significant dosimetric metrics for the PTV and OARs in the automatic plans are compared with those in the clinical plans by the two-sample t-test. In addition, a composite dosimetric quality index was defined to obtain the relationship between the plan quality and the beam separation score. Results: On average, we observed more than 15% reduction on conformity index and homogeneity index for PTV and V{sub 40}, V{sub 60} for heart while an 8% and 3% increase on V{sub 5}, V{sub 20} for lungs, respectively. The variation curve of the composite index as a function of angle spread score shows that 0.6 is the best value for the weight of the beam separation score. Conclusion: Optimal value for beam angle spread score in automatic lung IMRT planning is obtained. With this value, model can result in statistically the “best” achievable plans. This method can potentially improve the quality and planning efficiency for IMRT plans with no-coplanar angles.« less

A comprehensive model for x-ray projection imaging system efficiency and image quality characterization in the presence of scattered radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnin, P.; Verdun, F. R.; Bosmans, H.; Rodríguez Pérez, S.; Marshall, N. W.

2017-07-01

This work proposes a method for assessing the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of radiographic imaging systems that include both the x-ray detector and the antiscatter device. Cascaded linear analysis of the antiscatter device efficiency (DQEASD) with the x-ray detector DQE is used to develop a metric of system efficiency (DQEsys); the new metric is then related to the existing system efficiency parameters of effective DQE (eDQE) and generalized DQE (gDQE). The effect of scatter on signal transfer was modelled through its point spread function (PSF), leading to an x-ray beam transfer function (BTF) that multiplies with the classical presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) to give the system MTF. Expressions are then derived for the influence of scattered radiation on signal-difference to noise ratio (SDNR) and contrast-detail (c-d) detectability. The DQEsys metric was tested using two digital mammography systems, for eight x-ray beams (four with and four without scatter), matched in terms of effective energy. The model was validated through measurements of contrast, SDNR and MTF for poly(methyl)methacrylate thicknesses covering the range of scatter fractions expected in mammography. The metric also successfully predicted changes in c-d detectability for different scatter conditions. Scatter fractions for the four beams with scatter were established with the beam stop method using an extrapolation function derived from the scatter PSF, and validated through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Low-frequency drop of the MTF from scatter was compared to both theory and MC calculations. DQEsys successfully quantified the influence of the grid on SDNR and accurately gave the break-even object thickness at which system efficiency was improved by the grid. The DQEsys metric is proposed as an extension of current detector characterization methods to include a performance evaluation in the presence of scattered radiation, with an antiscatter device in place.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindsay, P. E., E-mail: Patricia.Lindsay@rmp.uhn.on.ca; Granton, P. V.; Hoof, S. van

Purpose: To compare the dosimetric and geometric properties of a commercial x-ray based image-guided small animal irradiation system, installed at three institutions and to establish a complete and broadly accessible commissioning procedure. Methods: The system consists of a 225 kVp x-ray tube with fixed field size collimators ranging from 1 to 44 mm equivalent diameter. The x-ray tube is mounted opposite a flat-panel imaging detector, on a C-arm gantry with 360° coplanar rotation. Each institution performed a full commissioning of their system, including half-value layer, absolute dosimetry, relative dosimetry (profiles, percent depth dose, and relative output factors), and characterization ofmore » the system geometry and mechanical flex of the x-ray tube and detector. Dosimetric measurements were made using Farmer-type ionization chambers, small volume air and liquid ionization chambers, and radiochromic film. The results between the three institutions were compared. Results: At 225 kVp, with 0.3 mm Cu added filtration, the first half value layer ranged from 0.9 to 1.0 mm Cu. The dose-rate in-air for a 40 × 40 mm{sup 2} field size, at a source-to-axis distance of 30 cm, ranged from 3.5 to 3.9 Gy/min between the three institutions. For field sizes between 2.5 mm diameter and 40 × 40 mm{sup 2}, the differences between percent depth dose curves up to depths of 3.5 cm were between 1% and 4% on average, with the maximum difference being 7%. The profiles agreed very well for fields >5 mm diameter. The relative output factors differed by up to 6% for fields larger than 10 mm diameter, but differed by up to 49% for fields ≤5 mm diameter. The mechanical characteristics of the system (source-to-axis and source-to-detector distances) were consistent between all three institutions. There were substantial differences in the flex of each system. Conclusions: With the exception of the half-value layer, and mechanical properties, there were significant differences between the dosimetric and geometric properties of the three systems. This underscores the need for careful commissioning of each individual system for use in radiobiological experiments.« less

The Explorer XVI Micrometeoroid Satellite Description and Preliminary Results for the Period December 16, 1962 Through January 13, 1963

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, E. C., Jr.

1963-01-01

Explorer XVI (1962 Beta Chi l) data that have been analyzed for the period between December 16, 1962 (launch date), and January 13, 1963, indicate that the orbit achieved was close to the predicted orbit. Ten punctures of annealed 0.001-inch-thick beryllium-copper have been used to determine a puncture rate of 0.035 per square foot per day in this material. One puncture of a 0.002-inch-thick sample has also occurred in this period. A tentative evaluation of the puncture rate for the 0.001-inch beryllium-copper in terms of the rate for an equivalent thickness of aluminum has been attempted, and the result has been compared with two different puncture rate estimates. The three micrometeoroid impact detecting systems are operating. Counting rates for the high- and low-sensitivity systems were close to anticipated values near the end of one week. Two of the 0.001-inch-steel-covered grid detectors have been punctured, but none of the 0.003- or 0.006-inch-steel-covered grid detectors have indicated punctures. One of the cadmium sulfide cells indicates three punctures of the 0.00025-inch Mylar cover. None of the 0.002- or 0.003-inch-copper-wire cards have indicated a break in the period covered. Telemetry temperatures were initially higher than expected although they remained well within operating limits. Sensor temperatures have remained within the expected bounds.

Design and Fabrication Highlights Enabling a 2 mm, 128 Element Bolometer Array for GISMO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Christine; Benford, Dominic; Miller, Timothy; Staguhn, Johannes; Wollack, Edward; Moseley, Harvey

2007-01-01

The Backshort-Under-Grid (BUG) superconducting bolometer array architecture is intended to be highly versatile, operating in a large range of wavelengths and background conditions. We have undertaken a three-year program to develop key technologies and processes required to build kilopixel arrays. To validate the basic array design and to demonstrate its applicability for future kilopixel arrays, we have chosen to demonstrate a 128 element bolometer array optimized for 2 mm wavelength using a newly built Goddard instrument, GISMO (Goddard /RAM Superconducting 2-millimeter Observer). The arrays are fabricated using batch wafer processing developed and optimized for high pixel yield, low noise, and high uniformity. The molybdenum-gold superconducting transition edge sensors are fabricated using batch sputter deposition and are patterned using dry etch techniques developed at Goddard. With a detector pitch of 2 mm 8x16 array for GISMO occupies nearly one half of the processing area of a 100 mm silicon-on-insulator starting wafer. Two such arrays are produced from a single wafer along with witness samples for process characterization. To provide thermal isolation for the detector elements, at the end of the process over 90% of the silicon must be removed using deep reactive ion etching techniques. The electrical connections for each bolometer element are patterned on the top edge of the square grid supporting the array. The design considerations unique to GISMO, key fabrication challenges, and laboratory experimental results will be presented.

Research relative to high resolution camera on the advanced X-ray astrophysics facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The HRC (High Resolution Camera) is a photon counting instrument to be flown on the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). It is a large field of view, high angular resolution, detector for the x-ray telescope. The HRC consists of a CsI coated microchannel plate (MCP) acting as a soft x-ray photocathode, followed by a second MCP for high electronic gain. The MCPs are readout by a crossed grid of resistively coupled wires to provide high spatial resolution along with timing and pulse height data. The instrument will be used in two modes, as a direct imaging detector with a limiting sensitivity of 10 to the -15 ergs sq cm sec in a 10 to the 5th second exposure, and as a readout for an objective transmission grating providing spectral resolution of several hundreds to thousands.

Fast Monte Carlo simulation of a dispersive sample on the SEQUOIA spectrometer at the SNS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Granroth, Garrett E; Chen, Meili; Kohl, James Arthur

2007-01-01

Simulation of an inelastic scattering experiment, with a sample and a large pixilated detector, usually requires days of time because of finite processor speeds. We report simulations on an SNS (Spallation Neutron Source) instrument, SEQUOIA, that reduce the time to less than 2 hours by using parallelization and the resources of the TeraGrid. SEQUOIA is a fine resolution (∆E/Ei ~ 1%) chopper spectrometer under construction at the SNS. It utilizes incident energies from Ei = 20 meV to 2 eV and will have ~ 144,000 detector pixels covering 1.6 Sr of solid angle. The full spectrometer, including a 1-D dispersivemore » sample, has been simulated using the Monte Carlo package McStas. This paper summarizes the method of parallelization for and results from these simulations. In addition, limitations of and proposed improvements to current analysis software will be discussed.« less

Detailed real-time infrared radiation simulation applied to the sea surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuemin; Wu, Limin; Long, Liang; Zhang, Lisha

2018-01-01

In this paper, the infrared radiation characteristics of sea background have been studied. First, MODTRAN4.0 was used to calculate the transmittance of mid-infrared and far-infrared, and the solar spectral irradiance, the atmospheric and sea surface radiation. Secondly, according to the JONSWAP sea spectrum model, the different sea conditions grid model based on gravity wave theory was generated. The spectral scattering of the sun and the atmospheric background radiation was studied. The total infrared radiation of the sea surface was calculated. Finally, the infrared radiation of a piece of sea surface was mapped to each pixel of the detector, and the infrared radiation is simulated. The conclusion is that solar radiance has a great influence on the infrared radiance. When the detector angle is close to the sun's height angle, there will be bright spots on the sea surface.

LANDSAT-4 image data quality analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuta, P. E. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Work done on evaluating the geometric and radiometric quality of early LANDSAT-4 sensor data is described. Band to band and channel to channel registration evaluations were carried out using a line correlator. Visual blink comparisons were run on an image display to observe band to band registration over 512 x 512 pixel blocks. The results indicate a .5 pixel line misregistration between the 1.55 to 1.75, 2.08 to 2.35 micrometer bands and the first four bands. Also a four 30M line and column misregistration of the thermal IR band was observed. Radiometric evaluation included mean and variance analysis of individual detectors and principal components analysis. Results indicate that detector bias for all bands is very close or within tolerance. Bright spots were observed in the thermal IR band on an 18 line by 128 pixel grid. No explanation for this was pursued. The general overall quality of the TM was judged to be very high.

A three-dimensional study of 30- to 300-MeV atmospheric gamma rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, D. J.

1974-01-01

A three-dimensional study of atmospheric gamma rays with energy greater than 30 MeV has been carried out. A knowledge of these atmospheric secondaries has significant applications to the study of cosmic gamma rays. For detectors carried on balloons, atmospherically produced gamma rays are the major source of background. For satellite detectors, atmospheric secondaries provide a calibration source. Experimental results were obtained from four balloon flights from Palestine, Texas, with a 15 cm by 15 cm digitized wire grid spark chamber. The energy spectrum for downward-moving gamma rays steepens with increasing atmospheric depth. Near the top of the atmosphere, the spectrum steepens with increasing zenith angle. A new model of atmospheric secondary production has calculated the depth, the energy, and the zenith angle dependence of gamma rays above 30 MeV, using a comprehensive three-dimensional Monte Carlo model of the nucleon-meson-electromagnetic cascade.

Particulate and plasma variations in NLC and PMSE during DROPPS 1 and 2 flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, H. D.; Webb, P. A.; Pesnell, W. D.; Gumbel, J.; Assiss, M. P.; Goldberg, R. A.

High-time resolution rocket measurements have been made of charged particulates under polar summer mesospheric conditions on 5 and 14 July 1999 during the DROPPS campaign at And o ya Rocket Range Norway Each rocket carried a Particle Impact Detector PID composed of two telescopes with three biased grids and which were pointed into the rocket ram during both up- and downleg On the first night the rocket DROPPS 1 was flown into a strong PMSE polar mesospheric summer echo condition with a weak NLC noctilucent cloud located at the base of the PMSE The second flight DROPPS 2 was launched into a bright NLC with no PMSE present For DROPPS 1 large amounts of negatively charged particulates were observed in the PMSE region with relatively small size distributions 1 nm radius Net positive charge particulates were measured in the NLC regions for both flights Ions and charged particulates have been simulated using a finite difference code SIMION 3D to trace particle paths and resulting grid currents For the simulations the thermal effects through the shock and within the sensor cause the ice rocky particulates to sublimate and lose mass In addition the particulates are observed to decelerate due to the ram pressure and electric fields for subsequent charge collection on the grids The background current on grid 2 -4 volt is consistent with the altitude variation and flux expected for UV photoionization Consistent effects were observed on another instrument PAT particle trap during the same flights

Development of an intraoperative gamma camera based on a 256-pixel mercuric iodide detector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patt, B. E.; Tornai, M. P.; Iwanczyk, J. S.; Levin, C. S.; Hoffman, E. J.

1997-06-01

A 256-element mercuric iodide (HgI/sub 2/) detector array has been developed which is intended for use as an intraoperative gamma camera (IOGC). The camera is specifically designed for use in imaging gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals (such as 99m-Tc labeled Sestamibi) incorporated into brain tumors in the intraoperative surgical environment. The system is intended to improve the success of tumor removal surgeries by allowing more complete removal of subclinical tumor cells without removal of excessive normal tissue. The use of HgI/sub 2/ detector arrays in this application facilitates construction of an imaging head that is very compact and has a high SNR. The detector is configured as a cross-grid array. Pixel dimensions are 1.25 mm squares separated by 0.25 mm. The overall dimension of the detector is 23.75 mm on a side. The detector thickness is 1 mm which corresponds to over 60% stopping at 140 keV. The array has good uniformity with average energy resolution of 5.2/spl plusmn/2.9% FWHM at 140 keV (best resolution was 1.9% FWHM). Response uniformity (/spl plusmn//spl sigma/) was 7.9%. A study utilizing realistic tumor phantoms (uptake ratio varied from 2:1 to 100:1) in background (1 mCi/l) was conducted. SNRs for the reasonably achievable uptake ratio of 50:1 were 5.61 /spl sigma/ with 1 cm of background depth ("normal tissue") and 2.74 /spl sigma/ with 4 cm of background for a 6.3 /spl mu/l tumor phantom (/spl sim/270 nCi at the time of the measurement).

Design of interdigital spiral and concentric capacitive sensors for materials evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tianming; Bowler, Nicola

2013-01-01

This paper describes the design of two circular coplanar interdigital sensors with i) a spiral interdigital configuration and ii) a concentric interdigital configuration for the nondestructive evaluation of multilayered dielectric structures. A numerical model accounting for sensor geometry, test-piece geometry and real permittivity, and metal electrode thickness has been developed to calculate the capacitance of the sensors when in contact with a planar test-piece comprising up to four layers. Compared with a disk-and-ring coplanar capacitive sensor developed previously, the interdigital configurations are predicted to have higher signal-to-noise ratio and better accuracy in materials characterization. The disk-and-ring configuration, on the other hand, possesses advantages such as deeper penetration depth and better immunity to lift-off variations.

The geometry of three-dimensional measurement from paired coplanar x-ray images.

PubMed

Baumrind, S; Moffitt, F H; Curry, S

1983-10-01

This article outlines the geometric principles which underlie the process of making craniofacial measurements in three dimensions by combining information from pairs of coplanar x-ray images. The main focus is upon the rationale of the method rather than upon the computational details. We stress particularly the importance of having available accurate measurements as to the relative positions of the x-ray tubes and the film plane. The use of control arrays of radiopaque "points" whose projected images upon the film plane allow the retrospective calculation of the spatial relationship between the x-ray tubes and the film plane is explained. Finally, the question of correcting for movement of the subject between two films of an image pair is considered briefly.

Polymorphism in the nitrate salt of the [Mn(acetylacetonate)2(H2O)2]+ ion.

PubMed

Biju, A R; Rajasekharan, M V

2010-06-01

The crystallization of [Mn(acac)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](+) from solutions containing excess nitrate leads to the formation of four polymorphs. All polymorphs contain two different types of complex ions, one containing essentially coplanar acac ligands and the other in which the two acac ligands together assume a chair conformation. Molecular modelling using DFT (density-functional theory) calculations shows that the coplanar conformation is the electronically stable one. The hydrogen bonding between the trans-water molecules and the nitrate ion produces a one-dimensional chain of 12-membered rings, which are further organized into a two-dimensional network via a lattice water molecule. Lattice-energy calculations have been carried out to compare the stabilities of the four polymorphs.

(E)-1,3-Bis(2,3,4,5,6-penta­fluoro­phen­yl)prop-2-en-1-one

PubMed Central

Schwarzer, Anke; Weber, Edwin

2010-01-01

In the title compound, C15H2F10O, the two perfluorinated arene rings are tilted at an angle of 66.08 (5)° with respect to each other. The olefinic double bond adopts an E configuration and the single bond between the olefinic and carbonyl double bonds has an s-trans conformation. The carbonyl group is not in a coplanar alignment with respect to the neighbouring arene ring (0.963 Å from aryl plane) while being coplanar with regard to the olefinic double bond (0.0805 Å from olefinic bond). The crystal packing does not feature significant hydrogen-bond-type or stacking inter­actions. PMID:21588260

Separating hyperfine from spin-orbit interactions in organic semiconductors by multi-octave magnetic resonance using coplanar waveguide microresonators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joshi, G.; Miller, R.; Ogden, L.

2016-09-05

Separating the influence of hyperfine from spin-orbit interactions in spin-dependent carrier recombination and dissociation processes necessitates magnetic resonance spectroscopy over a wide range of frequencies. We have designed compact and versatile coplanar waveguide resonators for continuous-wave electrically detected magnetic resonance and tested these on organic light-emitting diodes. By exploiting both the fundamental and higher-harmonic modes of the resonators, we cover almost five octaves in resonance frequency within a single setup. The measurements with a common π-conjugated polymer as the active material reveal small but non-negligible effects of spin-orbit interactions, which give rise to a broadening of the magnetic resonance spectrummore » with increasing frequency.« less

Design and analysis of coplanar waveguide triple-band antenna based on defected ground structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Hong; Chen, Wanli; Xia, Xinsheng; Qi, Peng; Sun, Quanling

2017-11-01

A kind of coplanar waveguide triple-band antenna based on defected ground structure is proposed, which has novel structure. Three batches with different frequency band are constructed by utilizing line combination, overlapping, and symmetry method. Stop band signals among three frequency bands are effectively suppressed by slots with different structures. More satisfactory impedance matching is realized by means of changing slot structure and improving return-loss. The presented antenna can operates simultaneously in various systems such as 3G / 4G wireless communication, Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, Wireless LAN. Test results show that the antenna has good radiation and gain in its working frequency band, and that it has great application potentials.

Electron impact ionization of metastable 2P-state hydrogen atoms in the coplanar geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhar, S.; Nahar, N.

Triple differential cross sections (TDCS) for the ionization of metastable 2P-state hydrogen atoms by electrons are calculated for various kinematic conditions in the asymmetric coplanar geometry. In this calculation, the final state is described by a multiple-scattering theory for ionization of hydrogen atoms by electrons. Results show qualitative agreement with the available experimental data and those of other theoretical computational results for ionization of hydrogen atoms from ground state, and our first Born results. There is no available other theoretical results and experimental data for ionization of hydrogen atoms from the 2P state. The present study offers a wide scope for the experimental study for ionization of hydrogen atoms from the metastable 2P state.

On the Nonlinear Stability of Plane Parallel Shear Flow in a Coplanar Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lanxi; Lan, Wanli

2017-12-01

Lyapunov direct method has been used to study the nonlinear stability of laminar flow between two parallel planes in the presence of a coplanar magnetic field for streamwise perturbations with stress-free boundary planes. Two Lyapunov functions are defined. By means of the first, it is proved that the transverse components of the perturbations decay unconditionally and asymptotically to zero for all Reynolds numbers and magnetic Reynolds numbers. By means of the second, it is showed that the other components of the perturbations decay conditionally and exponentially to zero for all Reynolds numbers and the magnetic Reynolds numbers below π ^2/2M, where M is the maximum of the absolute value of the velocity field of the laminar flow.

Diviner lunar radiometer gridded brightness temperatures from geodesic binning of modeled fields of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sefton-Nash, E.; Williams, J.-P.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Aye, K.-M.; Paige, D. A.

2017-12-01

An approach is presented to efficiently produce high quality gridded data records from the large, global point-based dataset returned by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The need to minimize data volume and processing time in production of science-ready map products is increasingly important with the growth in data volume of planetary datasets. Diviner makes on average >1400 observations per second of radiance that is reflected and emitted from the lunar surface, using 189 detectors divided into 9 spectral channels. Data management and processing bottlenecks are amplified by modeling every observation as a probability distribution function over the field of view, which can increase the required processing time by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Geometric corrections, such as projection of data points onto a digital elevation model, are numerically intensive and therefore it is desirable to perform them only once. Our approach reduces bottlenecks through parallel binning and efficient storage of a pre-processed database of observations. Database construction is via subdivision of a geodesic icosahedral grid, with a spatial resolution that can be tailored to suit the field of view of the observing instrument. Global geodesic grids with high spatial resolution are normally impractically memory intensive. We therefore demonstrate a minimum storage and highly parallel method to bin very large numbers of data points onto such a grid. A database of the pre-processed and binned points is then used for production of mapped data products that is significantly faster than if unprocessed points were used. We explore quality controls in the production of gridded data records by conditional interpolation, allowed only where data density is sufficient. The resultant effects on the spatial continuity and uncertainty in maps of lunar brightness temperatures is illustrated. We identify four binning regimes based on trades between the spatial resolution of the grid, the size of the FOV and the on-target spacing of observations. Our approach may be applicable and beneficial for many existing and future point-based planetary datasets.

Search of GRB with AGILE Minicalorimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuschino, F.; Labanti, C.; Galli, M.; Marisaldi, M.; Bulgarelli, A.; Gianotti, F.; Trifoglio, M.; Argan, A.; Del Monte, E.; Donnarumma, I.; Feroci, M.; Lazzarotto, F.; Pacciani, L.; Tavani, M.; Trois, A.

2008-04-01

AGILE, the small scientific mission of the Italian Space Agency devoted to Hard-X and Gamma-ray astrophysics, was successfully launched on April 23, 2007. The AGILE payload is composed of a tungsten-silicon tracker (ST), operating in the gamma-ray energy range 30 MeV 50 GeV; Super-AGILE, an X-ray imager operating in the energy range 15 45 keV; the Minicalorimeter (MCAL) and an Anticoincidence shield. MCAL is a detector of about 1400 cm2 sensitive in the range 0.3 200 MeV, that can be used both as a slave of the ST to contribute to the AGILE Gamma Ray imaging Detector (GRID operative mode) and autonomously for detection of transient events (BURST operative mode). MCAL is made of 30 CsI(Tl) bar-shaped scintillation detectors with photodiode readout at both ends, arranged in two orthogonal layers. Energy and position of interaction can be derived from a proper composition of the signals readout at the bar's ends, absolute time tagging can be achieved with a μs resolution. The Burst logic deals with various rate-meters on different time scales, energy bands, and MCAL spatial zones. Different algorithms can be chosen for Burst triggering considering also the contribution of other detectors like Super AGILE. In this paper the various trigger logic will be reviewed as well as their on-ground test performed with a dedicated experimental setup.

Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Spatial-Spectral Image Synthesis Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Leisawitz, David T.; Rinehart, Stephen A.; Memarsadeghi, Nargess; Sinukoff, Evan J.

2012-01-01

Developed is an algorithmic approach for wide field of view interferometric spatial-spectral image synthesis. The data collected from the interferometer consists of a set of double-Fourier image data cubes, one cube per baseline. These cubes are each three-dimensional consisting of arrays of two-dimensional detector counts versus delay line position. For each baseline a moving delay line allows collection of a large set of interferograms over the 2D wide field detector grid; one sampled interferogram per detector pixel per baseline. This aggregate set of interferograms, is algorithmically processed to construct a single spatial-spectral cube with angular resolution approaching the ratio of the wavelength to longest baseline. The wide field imaging is accomplished by insuring that the range of motion of the delay line encompasses the zero optical path difference fringe for each detector pixel in the desired field-of-view. Each baseline cube is incoherent relative to all other baseline cubes and thus has only phase information relative to itself. This lost phase information is recovered by having point, or otherwise known, sources within the field-of-view. The reference source phase is known and utilized as a constraint to recover the coherent phase relation between the baseline cubes and is key to the image synthesis. Described will be the mathematical formalism, with phase referencing and results will be shown using data collected from NASA/GSFC Wide-Field Imaging Interferometry Testbed (WIIT).

Development of Aluminum LEKIDs for Balloon-Borne Far-IR Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hailey-Dunsheath, S.; Barlis, A. C. M.; Aguirre, J. E.; Bradford, C. M.; Redford, J. G.; Billings, T. S.; LeDuc, H. G.; McKenney, C. M.; Hollister, M. I.

2018-04-01

We are developing lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) designed to achieve background-limited sensitivity for far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy on a stratospheric balloon. The spectroscopic terahertz airborne receiver for far-infrared exploration will study the evolution of dusty galaxies with observations of the [CII] 158 μm and other atomic fine-structure transitions at z=0.5 -1.5, both through direct observations of individual luminous infrared galaxies, and in blind surveys using the technique of line intensity mapping. The spectrometer will require large format (˜ 1800 detectors) arrays of dual-polarization sensitive detectors with NEPs of 1 × 10^{-17} W Hz^{-1/2} . The low-volume LEKIDs are fabricated with a single layer of aluminum (20-nm-thick) deposited on a crystalline silicon wafer, with resonance frequencies of 100-250 MHz. The inductor is a single meander with a linewidth of 0.4 μm , patterned in a grid to absorb optical power in both polarizations. The meander is coupled to a circular waveguide, fed by a conical feedhorn. Initial testing of a small array prototype has demonstrated good yield and a median NEP of 4 × 10^{-18} W Hz^{-1/2}.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: List of Telescope Array events with E > 57EeV (Abbasi+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Chae, M. J.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, W. R.; Fujii, T.; Fukushima, M.; Goto, T.; Hanlon, W.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Honda, K.; Ikeda, D.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kawata, K.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, K.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Mukai, K.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nonaka, T.; Nozato, A.; Ogio, S.; Ogura, J.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Smith, J. D.!; Sokolsk, Y. P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T. A.; Suzawa, T.; Takamura, M.; Takeda, M.; Takeishi, R.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Wong, T.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yashiro, K.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2017-03-01

The TA is the largest cosmic-ray detector in the northern hemisphere. It consists of a scintillator SD array (Abu-Zayyad et al. 2012NIMPA.689...87A) and three fluorescence detector (FD) stations (Tokuno et al. 2012NIMPA.676...54T). The observatory has been in full operation in Millard Country, Utah, USA (39fdg30N, 112fdg91W; about 1400 m above sea level) since 2008. The TA SD array consists of 507 plastic scintillation detectors each 3 m2 in area and located on a 1.2 km square grid. The array has an area of ~700 km2. The TA SD array observes cosmic-ray-induced extensive air showers with E > ~1 EeV, regardless of weather conditions with a duty cycle near 100% and a wide field of view (FoV). These capabilities ensure a very stable and large geometrical exposure over the northern sky survey in comparison with FD observations that have a duty cycle of ~10%. In this analysis, we used SD data recorded between 2008 May 11 and 2013 May 4. (1 data file).

Plasmon-enhanced electron scattering in nanostructured thin metal films revealed by low-voltage scanning electron microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mikhailovskii, V., E-mail: v.mikhailovskii@spbu.ru; IRC for Nanotechnology, Research Park, St.-Petersburg State University; Petrov, Yu.

2016-06-17

The drastic enhancement of backscattered electrons (BSE) yield from nanostructured thin metal film which exceeded well the one from massive metal was observed at accelerating voltages below 400 V. The dependences of BSE signal from nanostructured gold film on accelerating voltage and on retarding grid potential applied to BSE detector were investigated. It was shown that enhanced BSE signal was formed by inelastic scattered electrons coming from the gaps between nanoparticles. A tentative explanation of the mechanism of BSE signal enhancement was suggested.

A GPU Simulation Tool for Training and Optimisation in 2D Digital X-Ray Imaging.

PubMed

Gallio, Elena; Rampado, Osvaldo; Gianaria, Elena; Bianchi, Silvio Diego; Ropolo, Roberto

2015-01-01

Conventional radiology is performed by means of digital detectors, with various types of technology and different performance in terms of efficiency and image quality. Following the arrival of a new digital detector in a radiology department, all the staff involved should adapt the procedure parameters to the properties of the detector, in order to achieve an optimal result in terms of correct diagnostic information and minimum radiation risks for the patient. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a software capable of simulating a digital X-ray imaging system, using graphics processing unit computing. All radiological image components were implemented in this application: an X-ray tube with primary beam, a virtual patient, noise, scatter radiation, a grid and a digital detector. Three different digital detectors (two digital radiography and a computed radiography systems) were implemented. In order to validate the software, we carried out a quantitative comparison of geometrical and anthropomorphic phantom simulated images with those acquired. In terms of average pixel values, the maximum differences were below 15%, while the noise values were in agreement with a maximum difference of 20%. The relative trends of contrast to noise ratio versus beam energy and intensity were well simulated. Total calculation times were below 3 seconds for clinical images with pixel size of actual dimensions less than 0.2 mm. The application proved to be efficient and realistic. Short calculation times and the accuracy of the results obtained make this software a useful tool for training operators and dose optimisation studies.

Gain and offset calibration reduces variation in exposure-dependent SNR among systems with identical digital flat-panel detectors.

PubMed

Willis, Charles E; Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy Y; Lofton, Brad K; White, R Allen

2011-07-01

The conditions under which vendor performance criteria for digital radiography systems are obtained do not adequately simulate the conditions of actual clinical imaging with respect to radiographic technique factors, scatter production, and scatter control. Therefore, the relationship between performance under ideal conditions and performance in clinical practice remains unclear. Using data from a large complement of systems in clinical use, the authors sought to develop a method to establish expected performance criteria for digital flat-panel radiography systems with respect to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) versus detector exposure under clinical conditions for thoracic imaging. The authors made radiographic exposures of a patient-equivalent chest phantom at 125 kVp and 180 cm source-to-image distance. The mAs value was modified to produce exposures above and below the mAs delivered by automatic exposure control. Exposures measured free-in-air were corrected to the imaging plane by the inverse square law, by the attenuation factor of the phantom, and by the Bucky factor of the grid for the phantom, geometry, and kilovolt peak. SNR was evaluated as the ratio of the mean to the standard deviation (SD) of a region of interest automatically selected in the center of each unprocessed image. Data were acquired from 18 systems, 14 of which were tested both before and after gain and offset calibration. SNR as a function of detector exposure was interpolated using a double logarithmic function to stratify the data into groups of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mR exposure (1.8, 4.5, 9.0, 18, and 45 microGy air KERMA) to the detector. The mean SNR at each exposure interval after calibration exhibited linear dependence on the mean SNR before calibration (r2=0.9999). The dependence was greater than unity (m = 1.101 +/- 0.006), and the difference from unity was statistically significant (p <0.005). The SD of mean SNR after calibration also exhibited linear dependence on the SD of the mean SNR before calibration (r2 = 0.9997). This dependence was less than unity (m = 0.822 +/- 0.008), and the difference from unity was also statistically significant (p < 0.005). Systems were separated into two groups: systems with a precalibration SNR higher than the median SNR (N = 7), and those with a precalibration SNR lower than the median SNR (N= 7). Posthoc analysis was performed to correct for expanded false positive results. After calibration, the authors noted differences in mean SNR within both high and low groups, but these differences were not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. SNR data from four additional systems and one system from those previously tested after replacement of its detector were compared to the 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated from the postcalibration SNR data. The comparison indicated that four of these five systems were consistent with the CI derived from the previously tested 14 systems after calibration. Two systems from the paired group that remained outside the CI were studied further. One system was remedied with a grid replacement. The nonconformant behavior of the other system was corrected by replacing the image receptor. Exposure-dependent SNR measurements under conditions simulating thoracic imaging allowed us to develop criteria for digital flat-panel imaging systems from a single manufacturer. These measurements were useful in identifying systems with discrepant performance, including one with a defective grid, one with a defective detector, and one that had not been calibrated for gain and offset. The authors also found that the gain and offset calibration reduces variation in exposure-dependent SNR performance among the systems.

Fabrication and Testing of a Modular Micro-Pocket Fission Detector Instrumentation System for Test Nuclear Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichenberger, Michael A.; Nichols, Daniel M.; Stevenson, Sarah R.; Swope, Tanner M.; Hilger, Caden W.; Roberts, Jeremy A.; Unruh, Troy C.; McGregor, Douglas S.

2018-01-01

Advancements in nuclear reactor core modeling and computational capability have encouraged further development of in-core neutron sensors. Measurement of the neutron-flux distribution within the reactor core provides a more complete understanding of the operating conditions in the reactor than typical ex-core sensors. Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors have been developed and tested previously but have been limited to single-node operation and have utilized highly specialized designs. The development of a widely deployable, multi-node Micro-Pocket Fission Detector assembly will enhance nuclear research capabilities. A modular, four-node Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array was designed, fabricated, and tested at Kansas State University. The array was constructed from materials that do not significantly perturb the neutron flux in the reactor core. All four sensor nodes were equally spaced axially in the array to span the fuel-region of the reactor core. The array was filled with neon gas, serving as an ionization medium in the small cavities of the Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors. The modular design of the instrument facilitates the testing and deployment of numerous sensor arrays. The unified design drastically improved device ruggedness and simplified construction from previous designs. Five 8-mm penetrations in the upper grid plate of the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor were utilized to deploy the array between fuel elements in the core. The Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array was coupled to an electronic support system which has been specially developed to support pulse-mode operation. The Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array composed of four sensors was used to monitor local neutron flux at a constant reactor power of 100 kWth at different axial locations simultaneously. The array was positioned at five different radial locations within the core to emulate the deployment of multiple arrays and develop a 2-dimensional measurement of neutron flux in the reactor core.

Be discs in coplanar circular binaries: Phase-locked variations of emission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panoglou, Despina; Faes, Daniel M.; Carciofi, Alex C.; Okazaki, Atsuo T.; Baade, Dietrich; Rivinius, Thomas; Borges Fernandes, Marcelo

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present the first results of radiative transfer calculations on decretion discs of binary Be stars. A smoothed particle hydrodynamics code computes the structure of Be discs in coplanar circular binary systems for a range of orbital and disc parameters. The resulting disc configuration consists of two spiral arms, and this can be given as input into a Monte Carlo code, which calculates the radiative transfer along the line of sight for various observational coordinates. Making use of the property of steady disc structure in coplanar circular binaries, observables are computed as functions of the orbital phase. Some orbital-phase series of line profiles are given for selected parameter sets under various viewing angles, to allow comparison with observations. Flat-topped profiles with and without superimposed multiple structures are reproduced, showing, for example, that triple-peaked profiles do not have to be necessarily associated with warped discs and misaligned binaries. It is demonstrated that binary tidal effects give rise to phase-locked variability of the violet-to-red (V/R) ratio of hydrogen emission lines. The V/R ratio exhibits two maxima per cycle; in certain cases those maxima are equal, leading to a clear new V/R cycle every half orbital period. This study opens a way to identifying binaries and to constraining the parameters of binary systems that exhibit phase-locked variations induced by tidal interaction with a companion star.

Treatment planning for SBRT using automated field delivery: A case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ritter, Timothy A., E-mail: timritte@med.umich.edu; Department of Radiation Oncology, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Health Care System, Ann Arbor, MI; Owen, Dawn

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment planning and delivery can be accomplished using a variety of techniques that achieve highly conformal dose distributions. Herein, we describe a template-based automated treatment field approach that enables rapid delivery of more than 20 coplanar fields. A case study is presented to demonstrate how modest adaptations to traditional SBRT planning can be implemented to take clinical advantage of this technology. Treatment was planned for a left-sided lung lesion adjacent to the chest wall using 25 coplanar treatment fields spaced at 11° intervals. The plan spares the contralateral lung and is in compliance with themore » conformality standards set forth in Radiation Therapy and Oncology Group protocol 0915, and the dose tolerances found in the report of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 101. Using a standard template, treatment planning was accomplished in less than 20 minutes, and each 10 Gy fraction was delivered in approximately 5.4 minutes. For those centers equipped with linear accelerators capable of automated treatment field delivery, the use of more than 20 coplanar fields is a viable SBRT planning approach and yields excellent conformality and quality combined with rapid planning and treatment delivery. Although the case study discusses a laterally located lung lesion, this technique can be applied to centrally located tumors with similar results.« less

Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly

DOEpatents

Kaminar, Neil R.; Ross, III, James G.; Carrie, Peter J.

2000-02-01

A modular solar energy collector having elongated V-shaped side walls formed by a pair of coplanar panels for each side wall. The upper panels, occupying most of the wall area are diffusely reflective, but the lower panels are specularly reflective. A Fresnel lens, having a snap fit relation to the side walls focuses some light on the lower specularly reflective panels which direct light to the solar cells at the base of the V-shaped walls. A heat sink provides support for the two panels with two opposed, upwardly extending wings terminating in opposed linear clips located near the lengthwise seam of the coplanar panels, each clip holding two coplanar panels in parallel alignment. The clips not only provide support for the panels, but also transfer heat to the remainder of the heat sink. The clips are shaped so that edges of the panels engage each clip by a snap fit, outside of the clip in one embodiment and inside of the clip in another embodiment. End caps are also formed with structures which snap to the wall panels. Since all junctions of components snap together, the collector of the present invention is easily assembled without specialized tools. Using side walls which are only partly specularly reflective permits a large angle of acceptance, yet provides an economical wall design because the entire wall need not be specularly reflective.

Functional Implications of Ubiquitous Semicircular Canal Non-Orthogonality in Mammals

PubMed Central

Berlin, Jeri C.; Kirk, E. Christopher; Rowe, Timothy B.

2013-01-01

The ‘canonical model’ of semicircular canal orientation in mammals assumes that 1) the three ipsilateral canals of an inner ear exist in orthogonal planes (i.e., orthogonality), 2) corresponding left and right canal pairs have equivalent angles (i.e., angle symmetry), and 3) contralateral synergistic canals occupy parallel planes (i.e., coplanarity). However, descriptions of vestibular anatomy that quantify semicircular canal orientation in single species often diverge substantially from this model. Data for primates further suggest that semicircular canal orthogonality varies predictably with the angular head velocities encountered in locomotion. These observations raise the possibility that orthogonality, symmetry, and coplanarity are misleading descriptors of semicircular canal orientation in mammals, and that deviations from these norms could have significant functional consequences. Here we critically assess the canonical model of semicircular canal orientation using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scans of 39 mammal species. We find that substantial deviations from orthogonality, angle symmetry, and coplanarity are the rule for the mammals in our comparative sample. Furthermore, the degree to which the semicircular canals of a given species deviate from orthogonality is negatively correlated with estimated vestibular sensitivity. We conclude that the available comparative morphometric data do not support the canonical model and that its overemphasis as a heuristic generalization obscures a large amount of functionally relevant variation in semicircular canal orientation between species. PMID:24260256

Guidance and control strategies for aerospace vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naidu, Desineni S.; Hibey, Joseph L.

1989-01-01

The optimal control problem arising in coplanar orbital transfer employing aeroassist technology and the fuel-optimal control problem arising in orbital transfer vehicles employing aeroassist technology are addressed.

Effective DQE (eDQE) and dose to optimize radiographic technical parameters: a survey of pediatric chest X-ray examinations in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Hye-Suk; Kim, Ye-Seul; Park, Ok-Seob; Kim, Sang-Tae; Jeon, Chang-Woo; Kim, Hee-Joung

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various technical parameters for dose optimization in pediatric chest radiological examinations by evaluating effective dose and effective detective quantum efficiency (eDQE). For tube voltages ranging from 40 to 90 kV in 10 kV increments at the focus-to-detector distance (FDD) of 100, 110, 120, 150, 180 cm, the eDQE was evaluated at same effective dose. The eDQE was considerably higher without the use of the grid on equivalent effective dose. This indicates that the reduction of scatter radiation did not compensate for the loss of absorbed effective photons in the grid. The eDQE increased with increasing FDD because of the greater effective modulation transfer function (eMTF) with lower focal spot blurring. However, most of the major hospitals in Korea employed a short FDD of 100 cm with the grid. The entrance surface air kerma values for the hospitals of this survey exceeded the Korean reference level of 100 μGy. The different reference levels might be appropriate for the same examination conducted on children of different ages. Also, it is necessary to refine the technical parameters to perform pediatric chest examinations.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: L204 - Cloud 3 polarimetry and photometry (Cashman+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cashman, L. R.; Clemens, D. P.

2017-04-01

Linear polarimetry measurements were obtained in the NIR H band (1.6 um) using the Mimir instrument (Clemens et al. 2007PASP..119.1385C) on the 1.8 m Perkins telescope outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Mimir used a 10242 Aladdin III InSb detector array, operated at 33.5 K. The instrument had a field of view (FOV) of 10'x10' and pixel scale of 0.58''. Polarimetric analysis was performed with a cold, stepping, H-band, compound half-wave plate (HWP) plus a fixed, cold wire-grid analyzer. Sky observations were planned for a grid of 54 abutting fields (a 6x9 field grid) covering a 1°x1.5° region of L204 centered on Cloud 3. They were conducted over several nights between 2010 May and 2012 May. To obtain polarimetry measurements, exposures of five second durations were obtained for 16 unique HWP position angles at six sky-dither positions, yielding a total of 96 images per field. The total on-sky integration time of the entire map (eight minutes per FOV) was 7.2 hr. Polarization flat-fields for each HWP position were taken using a lights-on/lights-off method against a uniformly illuminated flat-field screen inside the closed telescope dome. (1 data file).

Frequency scanning interferometry in ATLAS: remote, multiple, simultaneous and precise distance measurements in a hostile environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coe, P. A.; Howell, D. F.; Nickerson, R. B.

2004-11-01

ATLAS is the largest particle detector under construction at CERN Geneva. Frequency scanning interferometry (FSI), also known as absolute distance interferometry, will be used to monitor shape changes of the SCT (semiconductor tracker), a particle tracker in the inaccessible, high radiation environment at the centre of ATLAS. Geodetic grids with several hundred fibre-coupled interferometers (30 mm to 1.5 m long) will be measured simultaneously. These lengths will be measured by tuning two lasers and comparing the resulting phase shifts in grid line interferometers (GLIs) with phase shifts in a reference interferometer. The novel inexpensive GLI design uses diverging beams to reduce sensitivity to misalignment, albeit with weaker signals. One micrometre precision length measurements of grid lines will allow 10 µm precision tracker shape corrections to be fed into ATLAS particle tracking analysis. The technique was demonstrated by measuring a 400 mm interferometer to better than 400 nm and a 1195 mm interferometer to better than 250 nm. Precise measurements were possible, even with poor quality signals, using numerical analysis of thousands of intensity samples. Errors due to drifts in interferometer length were substantially reduced using two lasers tuned in opposite directions and the precision was further improved by linking measurements made at widely separated laser frequencies.

Structure-property relationships: asymmetric alkylphenyl-substituted anthracene molecules for use in small-molecule solar cells.

PubMed

Kim, Yu Jin; Ahn, Eun Soo; Jang, Sang Hun; An, Tae Kyu; Kwon, Soon-Ki; Chung, Dae Sung; Kim, Yun-Hi; Park, Chan Eon

2015-05-11

Two asymmetric anthracene-based organic molecules, NDHPEA and TNDHPEA, were prepared without or with a thiophene spacer between the anthracene and naphthalene units. These asymmetric oligomers displayed different degrees of coplanarity, as evidenced by differences in the dihedral angles calculated by using DFT. Differential scanning calorimetry and XRD studies were used to probe the crystallization characteristics and molecular packing structures in the active layers. The coplanarity of the molecules in the asymmetric structure significantly affected the crystallization behavior and the formation of crystalline domains in the solid state. The small-molecule crystalline properties were correlated with the device physics by determining the J-V characteristics and hole mobilities of the devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simulation and performance analysis of a novel high-accuracy sheathless microfluidic impedance cytometer with coplanar electrode layout.

PubMed

Caselli, Federica; Bisegna, Paolo

2017-10-01

The performance of a novel microfluidic impedance cytometer (MIC) with coplanar configuration is investigated in silico. The main feature of the device is the ability to provide accurate particle-sizing despite the well-known measurement sensitivity to particle trajectory. The working principle of the device is presented and validated by means of an original virtual laboratory providing close-to-experimental synthetic data streams. It is shown that a metric correlating with particle trajectory can be extracted from the signal traces and used to compensate the trajectory-induced error in the estimated particle size, thus reaching high-accuracy. An analysis of relevant parameters of the experimental setup is also presented. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dual wire welding torch and method

DOEpatents

Diez, Fernando Martinez; Stump, Kevin S.; Ludewig, Howard W.; Kilty, Alan L.; Robinson, Matthew M.; Egland, Keith M.

2009-04-28

A welding torch includes a nozzle with a first welding wire guide configured to orient a first welding wire in a first welding wire orientation, and a second welding wire guide configured to orient a second welding wire in a second welding wire orientation that is non-coplanar and divergent with respect to the first welding wire orientation. A method of welding includes moving a welding torch with respect to a workpiece joint to be welded. During moving the welding torch, a first welding wire is fed through a first welding wire guide defining a first welding wire orientation and a second welding wire is fed through a second welding wire guide defining a second welding wire orientation that is divergent and non-coplanar with respect to the first welding wire orientation.

Evaluation of microsurgical tasks with OCT-guided and/or robot-assisted ophthalmic forceps

PubMed Central

Yu, Haoran; Shen, Jin-Hui; Shah, Rohan J.; Simaan, Nabil; Joos, Karen M.

2015-01-01

Real-time intraocular optical coherence tomography (OCT) visualization of tissues with surgical feedback can enhance retinal surgery. An intraocular 23-gauge B-mode forward-imaging co-planar OCT-forceps, coupling connectors and algorithms were developed to form a unique ophthalmic surgical robotic system. Approach to the surface of a phantom or goat retina by a manual or robotic-controlled forceps, with and without real-time OCT guidance, was performed. Efficiency of lifting phantom membranes was examined. Placing the co-planar OCT imaging probe internal to the surgical tool reduced instrument shadowing and permitted constant tracking. Robotic assistance together with real-time OCT feedback improved depth perception accuracy. The first-generation integrated OCT-forceps was capable of peeling membrane phantoms despite smooth tips. PMID:25780736

Effect of bird maneuver on frequency-domain helicopter EM response

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitterman, D.V.; Yin, C.

2004-01-01

Bird maneuver, the rotation of the coil-carrying instrument pod used for frequency-domain helicopter electromagnetic surveys, changes the nominal geometric relationship between the bird-coil system and the ground. These changes affect electromagnetic coupling and can introduce errors in helicopter electromagnetic, (HEM) data. We analyze these effects for a layered half-space for three coil configurations: vertical coaxial, vertical coplanar, and horizontal coplanar. Maneuver effect is shown to have two components: one that is purely geometric and another that is inductive in nature. The geometric component is significantly larger. A correction procedure is developed using an iterative approach that uses standard HEM inversion routines. The maneuver effect correction reduces inversion misfit error and produces laterally smoother cross sections than obtained from uncorrected data. ?? 2004 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved.

Influence of multiple brain metastases’ size and number on the quality of SRS - VMAT dose delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prentou, G.; Koutsouveli, E.; Pantelis, E.; Papagiannis, P.; Georgiou, E.; Karaiskos, P.

2017-11-01

Stereotactic radiosurgery with volumetric modulated arc therapy (SRS-VMAT) has recently been introduced for treatment of multiple brain metastases with a single isocenter. The technique’s high efficiency is nevertheless dependent of metastatic tumors’ characteristics such as size and number. In this work the impact of the metastases’ size and number on the plan quality indices clinically used for plan evaluation and acceptance is investigated. Fifteen targets with a diameter of 1 cm and average volume of 0.7 cm3 and ten targets with a diameter of 2 cm and average volume of 6.5 cm3 were contoured on an anonymized patient CT dataset, in Monaco (Elekta) treatment planning system. VMAT plans for different target volumes (1 and 2 cm in diameter) and various target numbers (1-15) were generated using four non-coplanar arcs and the Agility (Elekta) linear accelerator (5 mm MLC width) using a Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm and 1mm dose calculation grid resolution. Conformity index (CI), gradient index (GI) and heterogeneity index (HI) were determined for each target. High quality plans were created for both 1 cm and 2 cm in diameter targets for limited (<6) number of targets per plan. For increased number of irradiated targets (>6) both CI and GI, clinically used for plan evaluation and acceptance, were found to deteriorate.

A logarithmic detection system suitable for a 4π array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westfall, G. D.; Yurkon, J. E.; van der Plicht, J.; Koenig, Z. M.; Jacak, B. V.; Fox, R.; Crawley, G. M.; Maier, M. R.; Hasselquist, B. E.; Tickle, R. S.; Horn, D.

1985-08-01

A low pressure multiwire proportional counter, a Bragg curve counter, and an array of CaF2/plastic scintillator telescopes have been developed in a geometry suitable for close packing into a 4π detector designed to study nucleus-nucleus reactions at 100-200 MeV/nucleon. The multiwire counter is hexagonal in shape and gives X-Y position information using resistive charge division from nichrome-coated stretched polypropylene foils. The Bragg curve counter is a hexagonal pyramid with the charge taken from a Frisch gridded anode. A field shaping grid gives the Bragg curve counter a radial field. The scintillator telescopes are shaped as truncated triangular pyramids such that when stacked together they form a truncated hexagonal pyramid. The light signal of the CaF2-plastic combination is read with one phototube using a phoswich technique to separate the ΔE signal from the E signal. The entire system has been tested so far for particles with 1 <= Z <= 18 and gives good position, charge, and time resolution.

Study of signal-to-noise ratio in digital mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Yuri; Fujita, Naotoshi; Kodera, Yoshie

2009-02-01

Mammography techniques have recently advanced from those using analog systems (the screen-film system) to those using digital systems; for example, computed radiography (CR) and flat-panel detectors (FPDs) are nowadays used in mammography. Further, phase contrast mammography (PCM)-a digital technique by which images with a magnification of 1.75× can be obtained-is now available in the market. We studied the effect of the air gap in PCM and evaluated the effectiveness of an antiscatter x-ray grid in conventional mammography (CM) by measuring the scatter fraction ratio (SFR) and relative signal-to-noise ratio (rSNR) and comparing them between PCM and the digital CM. The results indicated that the SFRs for the CM images obtained with a grid were the lowest and that these ratios were almost the same as those for the PCM images. In contrast, the rSNRs for the PCM images were the highest, which means that the scattering of x-rays was sufficiently reduced by the air gap without the loss of primary x-rays.

Inter-satellites x-ray communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mou, Huan; Li, Bao-quan

2017-02-01

An inter-satellite X-ray communication system is presented in this paper. X-ray has a strong penetrating power without almost attenuation for transmission in outer space when the energy of X-ray photons is more than 10KeV and the atmospheric pressure is lower than 10-1 Pa, so it is convincing of x-ray communication in inter-satellite communication and deep space exploration. Additionally, using X-ray photons as information carriers can be used in some communication applications that laser communication and radio frequency (RF) communication are not available, such as ionization blackout area communication. The inter-satellites X-ray communication system, including the grid modulated X-ray source, the high-sensitivity X-ray detector and the transmitting and receiving antenna, is described explicitly. As the X-ray transmitter, a vacuum-sealed miniature modulated X-ray source has been fabricated via the single-step brazing process in a vacuum furnace. Pulse modulation of X-rays, by means of controlling the voltage value of the grid electrode, is realized. Three focusing electrodes, meanwhile, are used to make the electron beam converge and finally 150μm focusing spot diameter is obtained. The X-ray detector based on silicon avalanche photodiodes (APDs) is chosen as the communication receiver on account of its high temporal resolution and non-vacuum operating environment. Furthermore, considering x-ray emission characteristic and communication distance of X-rays, the multilayer nested rotary parabolic optics is picked out as transmitting and receiving antenna. And as a new concept of the space communication, there will be more important scientific significance and application prospects, called "Next-Generation Communications".

A model of primary and scattered photon fluence for mammographic x-ray image quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tromans, Christopher E.; Cocker, Mary R.; Brady, Michael, Sir

2012-10-01

We present an efficient method to calculate the primary and scattered x-ray photon fluence component of a mammographic image. This can be used for a range of clinically important purposes, including estimation of breast density, personalized image display, and quantitative mammogram analysis. The method is based on models of: the x-ray tube; the digital detector; and a novel ray tracer which models the diverging beam emanating from the focal spot. The tube model includes consideration of the anode heel effect, and empirical corrections for wear and manufacturing tolerances. The detector model is empirical, being based on a family of transfer functions that cover the range of beam qualities and compressed breast thicknesses which are encountered clinically. The scatter estimation utilizes optimal information sampling and interpolation (to yield a clinical usable computation time) of scatter calculated using fundamental physics relations. A scatter kernel arising around each primary ray is calculated, and these are summed by superposition to form the scatter image. Beam quality, spatial position in the field (in particular that arising at the air-boundary due to the depletion of scatter contribution from the surroundings), and the possible presence of a grid, are considered, as is tissue composition using an iterative refinement procedure. We present numerous validation results that use a purpose designed tissue equivalent step wedge phantom. The average differences between actual acquisitions and modelled pixel intensities observed across the adipose to fibroglandular attenuation range vary between 5% and 7%, depending on beam quality and, for a single beam quality are 2.09% and 3.36% respectively with and without a grid.