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Angular Resolution (angular + resolution)
Selected AbstractsMicroradian X-ray diffraction in colloidal photonic crystalsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2006J. H. J. Thijssen Ultra-high-resolution small-angle X-ray scattering in various colloidal photonic crystals is reported. It is demonstrated that an angular resolution of about two microradians is readily achievable at a third-generation synchrotron source using compound refractive optics. The scheme allows fast acquisition of two-dimensional X-ray diffraction data and can be realised at sample,detector separations of only a few metres. As a result, diffraction measurements in colloidal crystals with interplanar spacings larger than a micrometre, as well as determination of the range of various order parameters from the width of the Bragg peaks, are made possible. [source] A high-resolution X-ray diffractometer for the study of imperfect materialsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2002A. Boulle A high-resolution X-ray diffractometer devoted to the study of imperfect materials (mainly oxides and ceramics) is presented. It is based on a rotating anode generator, a four-bounce monochromator, a five-movement sample holder and a curved position-sensitive detector (PSD). This setup allows rapid acquisition of a reciprocal-space map (in less than 10,h) even for very poorly diffracting materials. The two-dimensional instrumental profile is calculated taking into account each optical element in the beam path. The one-dimensional instrumental profiles corresponding to widely used scans (, scan, ,,2, scan, rocking curve and powder scan) are also calculated. In the three former cases, the setup exhibits an excellent angular resolution (0.003°), whereas in the latter case the resolution is lowered by one order of magnitude at the benefit of a strong increase in the collected intensity. The possibilities of this diffractometer are illustrated with three examples: an epitaxic layer, a microstructured single crystal and a powder. [source] A novel multi-detection technique for three-dimensional reciprocal-space mapping in grazing-incidence X-ray diffractionJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 6 2008M. Schmidbauer A new scattering technique in grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction geometry is described which enables three-dimensional mapping of reciprocal space by a single rocking scan of the sample. This is achieved by using a two-dimensional detector. The new set-up is discussed in terms of angular resolution and dynamic range of scattered intensity. As an example the diffuse scattering from a strained multilayer of self-assembled (In,Ga)As quantum dots grown on GaAs substrate is presented. [source] Regularized, fast, and robust analytical Q-ball imagingMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007Maxime Descoteaux Abstract We propose a regularized, fast, and robust analytical solution for the Q-ball imaging (QBI) reconstruction of the orientation distribution function (ODF) together with its detailed validation and a discussion on its benefits over the state-of-the-art. Our analytical solution is achieved by modeling the raw high angular resolution diffusion imaging signal with a spherical harmonic basis that incorporates a regularization term based on the Laplace,Beltrami operator defined on the unit sphere. This leads to an elegant mathematical simplification of the Funk,Radon transform which approximates the ODF. We prove a new corollary of the Funk,Hecke theorem to obtain this simplification. Then, we show that the Laplace,Beltrami regularization is theoretically and practically better than Tikhonov regularization. At the cost of slightly reducing angular resolution, the Laplace,Beltrami regularization reduces ODF estimation errors and improves fiber detection while reducing angular error in the ODF maxima detected. Finally, a careful quantitative validation is performed against ground truth from synthetic data and against real data from a biological phantom and a human brain dataset. We show that our technique is also able to recover known fiber crossings in the human brain and provides the practical advantage of being up to 15 times faster than original numerical QBI method. Magn Reson Med 58:497,510, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Anisotropy in high angular resolution diffusion-weighted MRI ,MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 6 2001Lawrence R. Frank Abstract The diffusion in voxels with multidirectional fibers can be quite complicated and not necessarily well characterized by the standard diffusion tensor model. High angular resolution diffusion-weighted acquisitions have recently been proposed as a method to investigate such voxels, but the reconstruction methods proposed require sophisticated estimation schemes. We present here a simple algorithm for the identification of diffusion anisotropy based upon the variance of the estimated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) as a function of measurement direction. The rationale for this method is discussed, and results in normal human subjects acquired with a novel diffusion-weighted stimulated-echo spiral acquisition are presented which distinguish areas of anisotropy that are not apparent in the relative anisotropy maps derived from the standard diffusion tensor model. Magn Reson Med 45:935,939, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Estimating the spectral indices of correlated astrophysical foregrounds by a second-order statistical approachMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006A. Bonaldi ABSTRACT We present the first tests of a new method, the correlated component analysis (CCA) based on second-order statistics, to estimate the mixing matrix, a key ingredient to separate astrophysical foregrounds superimposed to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). In the present application, the mixing matrix is parametrized in terms of the spectral indices of Galactic synchrotron and thermal dust emissions, while the free,free spectral index is prescribed by basic physics, and is thus assumed to be known. We consider simulated observations of the microwave sky with angular resolution and white stationary noise at the nominal levels for the Planck satellite, and realistic foreground emissions, with a position-dependent synchrotron spectral index. We work with two sets of Planck frequency channels: the low-frequency set, from 30 to 143 GHz, complemented with the Haslam 408 MHz map, and the high-frequency set, from 217 to 545 GHz. The concentration of intense free,free emission on the Galactic plane introduces a steep dependence of the spectral index of the global Galactic emission with Galactic latitude, close to the Galactic equator. This feature makes difficult for the CCA to recover the synchrotron spectral index in this region, given the limited angular resolution of Planck, especially at low frequencies. A cut of a narrow strip around the Galactic equator (|b| < 3°), however, allows us to overcome this problem. We show that, once this strip is removed, the CCA allows an effective foreground subtraction, with residual uncertainties inducing a minor contribution to errors on the recovered CMB power spectrum. [source] Discovery of large-scale methanol and hydroxyl maser filaments in W3(OH)MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006L. Harvey-Smith ABSTRACT Images of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission from W3(OH) made at 50- and 100-mas angular resolution with the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) are presented. The masers lie across the western face of the ultracompact H ii region in extended filaments which may trace large-scale shocks. There is a complex interrelation between the 6.7-GHz methanol masers and hydroxyl (OH) masers at 1.7 and 4.7 GHz. Together the two species trace an extended filamentary structure that stretches at least 3100 au across the face of the ultracompact H ii region. The dominant 6.7-GHz methanol emission coincides with the radio continuum peak and is populated by masers with broad spectral lines. The 6.7-GHz methanol emission is elongated at position angle 50° with a strong velocity gradient, and bears many similarities to the methanol maser disc structure reported in NGC 7538. It is surrounded by arcs of ground state OH masers at 1.7 GHz and highly excited OH masers at 13.44 GHz, some of which have the brightest methanol masers at their focus. We suggest that this region hosts the excitation centre for the ultracompact H ii region. [source] Detecting Sunyaev,Zel'dovich clusters with Planck, II.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006Foreground components, optimized filtering schemes ABSTRACT The Planck mission is the most sensitive all-sky cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment currently planned. The High-Frequency Instrument (HFI) will be especially suited for observing clusters of galaxies by their thermal Sunyaev,Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. In order to assess Planck's SZ capabilities in the presence of spurious signals, a simulation is presented that combines maps of the thermal and kinetic SZ effects with a realization of the CMB, in addition to Galactic foregrounds (synchrotron emission, free,free emission, thermal emission from dust, CO-line radiation) as well as the submillimetric emission from celestial bodies of our Solar system. Additionally, observational issues such as the finite angular resolution and spatially non-uniform instrumental noise of Planck's sky maps are taken into account, yielding a set of all-sky flux maps, the autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties of which are examined in detail. In the second part of the paper, filtering schemes based on scale-adaptive and matched filtering are extended to spherical data sets, that enable the amplification of the weak SZ signal in the presence of all contaminations stated above. The theory of scale-adaptive and matched filtering in the framework of spherical maps is developed, the resulting filter kernel shapes are discussed and their functionality is verified. [source] Cluster temperature profiles and Sunyaev,Zeldovich observationsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2004Steen H. Hansen ABSTRACT Galaxy clusters are not isothermal, and the radial temperature dependence will affect the cluster parameters derived through the observation of the Sunyaev,Zeldovich (SZ) effect. We show that the derived peculiar velocity will be systematically shifted by 10,20 per cent. For future all-sky surveys one cannot rely on the observationally expensive X-ray observations to remove this systematic error, but should instead reach for sufficient angular resolution to perform a deprojection in the SZ spectra. The Compton-weighted electron temperature is accurately derived through SZ observations. [source] European Solar Telescope: Progress statusASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 6 2010M. Collados Abstract In this paper, the present status of the development of the design of the European Solar Telescope is described. The telescope is devised to have the best possible angular resolution and polarimetric performance, maximizing the throughput of the whole system. To that aim, adaptive optics and multi-conjugate adaptive optics are integrated in the optical path. The system will have the possibility to correct for the diurnal variation of the distance to the turbulence layers, by using several deformable mirrors, conjugated at different heights. The present optical design of the telescope distributes the optical elements along the optical path in such a way that the instrumental polarization induced by the telescope is minimized and independent of the solar elevation and azimuth. This property represents a large advantage for polarimetric measurements. The ensemble of instruments that are planned is also presented (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Future investigations of GPS and CSS radio sources with LOFARASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 2-3 2009I.A.G. Snellen Abstract In the next few years, the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) will open up one of the last astronomically unexplored wavelength regimes. While the LOFAR core is currently being erected in the Netherlands, its outer stations will cover a large part of Europe, resulting in an unprecedented angular resolution at > meter wavelengths. Next to many other exciting scientific endeavours, LOFAR will be the first instrument to probe the low frequency spectra of Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) and Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) radio sources. It will give new insights into their absorption processes, and probe associated extended emission (possibly linked to earlier epochs of activity) in these enigmatic class of young active galactic nuclei. Furthermore, LOFAR will be sensitive to possibly the most distant GPS and CSS sources, of which their spectral turnovers have redshifted down to the lowest observable radio frequencies (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] The Granada workshop on High Redshift Radio Galaxies: An overviewASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 2-3 2006H. J. A. Röttgering Abstract The Granada workshop on High Redshift Radio Galaxies (HzRGs) gave an excellent overview of the progress that has been made in this field during the last 3 years. Here we briefly review some of the results, with an emphasis on what studies of HzRGs can teach us about the formation and evolution of massive galaxies, clusters and active galactic nuclei (AGN). Of great relevance for this workshop are scenarios that describe certain aspects of the evolution of radio galaxies, including (i) the sequence of events after merging of galaxies that ultimately lead to extended powerful radio sources and (ii) the mass assembly and virialization of the hosting massive galaxies and their associated (proto-)clusters. Furthermore, I briefly discuss two projects that are important for a further understanding of AGN and high redshift radio galaxies. First, using the MIDI instrument mounted on the VLT Interferometer, the dusty tori of nearby AGN can be studied in the range of 8,13 micron at high angular resolution. The first result on the nearby AGN NGC 1068 as presented by Jaffe et al. (2004) indicated the presence of a hot (T > 800 K), compact (,1 pc) component, possible identified with the base of the jet and a warm (270 K), well-resolved (3 × 4 pc) component associated with the alleged torus. Second, LOFAR is a new low frequency radio telescope that is currently being build in the Netherlands and is expected to be operational in 2008. With 50 stations spread over an area of 100 km in diameter, its resolution and sensitivity will be unprecedented in the frequency range 10,240 MHz. LOFAR will be a unique instrument that will impact a broad range of astrophysical topics varying from the epoch of reionisation, to gamma ray bursts and cosmic rays. Surveys with LOFAR will be of paramount importance for studies of HzRGs: It will enable (i) defining samples of radio galaxies with redshifts higher than 6, (ii) observations of starbursting galaxies in proto-clusters, and (iii) mapping out the low-frequency radio emission of virtually all northern radio-loud AGN in revolutionary detail. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Accurate rocking-curve measurements on protein crystals grown in a homogeneous magnetic field of 2.4,TACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 6 2004Daniel Lübbert Differences in mosaicity between lysozyme crystals grown inside and outside a homogeneous magnetic field of 2.4,T and with and without agarose gel were investigated by X-ray diffraction rocking-curve measurements. High angular resolution was achieved using an Si(113) four-reflection Bartels monochromator. The results show that (i) all crystals were highly perfect, (ii) the mosaicities were clearly anisotropic and (iii) the mosaicities varied more strongly within each group of crystals (grown under identical conditions) than the average values across groups. In particular, the effect of the magnetic field on crystal mosaicity was found to be very small. Finally, the spatial distribution of mosaic blocks inside a protein crystal was visualized with a novel diffraction technique using a high spatial resolution two-dimensional CCD detector. [source] Spatially resolved X-ray diffraction as a tool for strain analysis in laterally modulated epitaxial structuresCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2009A. Wierzbicka Abstract Spatially resolved X-ray diffraction (SRXRD) is applied for micro-imaging of strain in laterally modulated epitaxial structures. In GaAs layers grown by liquid phase epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) on SiO2 -masked GaAs substrates a downward tilt of ELO wings caused by their interaction with the mask is observed. The distribution of the tilt magnitude across the wings width is determined with ,m-scale spatial resolution. This allows measuring of the shape of the lattice planes in individual ELO stripes. If a large area of the sample is studied the X-ray imaging provides precise information on the tilt of an individual wing and its distribution. In heteroepitaxial GaSb/GaAs ELO layers local mosaicity in the wing area is found. By the SRXRD the size of microblocks and their relative misorientation were analyzed. Finally, the SRXRD technique was applied to study distribution of localized strain in AlGaN epilayers grown by MOVPE on bulk GaN substrates with AlN mask. X-ray mapping proves that by mask patterning strain in AlGaN layer can be easily engineered, which opens a way to produce thicker, crack-free AlGaN layers with a higher Al content needed in GaN-based laser diodes. All these examples show that high spatial and angular resolutions offered by SRXRD makes the technique a powerful tool to study local lattice distortions in semiconductor microstructures. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] | |||||||||||||