Physics Commons^™

To Evaluate The Effects Of The Introduction Of A Smoke-Free Environment On The Lung Function Of Bar Workers In Dublin, Michele Agnew

Masters

It has long been recognised that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) causes respiratory and cardio-vascular disease. A ban, prohibiting smoking in the workplace, was sanctioned by the Irish government and came into effect on 29 March, 2004. Bar staff were an ideal group to study the health effects of the introduction of this ban. Methods Workers were recruited through their Trade Union, Mandate, and 81 participated in the pre-ban phase of testing between September 2003 and March 2004. They attend the Respiratory Laboratory in St. James’s Hospital and underwent lung function tests and measurement of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO). …

Two Way Diffusion Model For The Recording Mechanism In A Self-Developing Dry Acrylamide Photopolymer, Suzanne Martin, Izabela Naydenova, Raghavendra Jallapuram, Robert Howard, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

In our most recent study [1] diffusion constants were measured in the simplified monoacrylamide version of a dry acrylamide based photopolymer holographic recording material developed in the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics. In this paper we report diffusion constants for the commonly used photopolymer formulation, which also contains the crosslinker bisacrylamide. A physical model for the recording mechanism is proposed which explains the two way diffusion observed in both systems, and is in agreement with much of the previously observed behaviour of the material, particularly in regard to dependence of diffraction efficiency growth on spatial frequency and persistence of …

Characterization Of An Acrylamide Based Photopolymer For Fabrication Of Liquid Crystal Devices, Pavani Kotakonda, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

Photopolymers are increasingly interesting as new materials for the fabrication of electro optical liquid crystal devices. Photoinduced surface relief gratings in dry, self developing acrylamide based photopolymers can be used to align liquid crystals (LCs) as an alternative to the rubbing technique. These optically recorded surface relief patterns can be used to fabricate electro-optical switchable LC Bragg gratings. An investigation of the dependence of photoinduced surface relief gratings on recording intensity and thickness of the photopolymer layer is reported. The surface relief gratings were filled with E7 LCs and a switchable LC diffraction grating was fabricated.

Potential Of Vibrational Spectroscopy In The Diagnosis Of Human Tumours., Eoghan O'Faolain

Doctoral

Just fewer than 20,000 people are annually diagnosed with some form of cancer in Ireland and one in three people are likely to contract some form of cancer by age 74. With the number of cases increasing at an annual rate of 2%, the early detection and treatment of cancer is becoming increasingly important. Both IR and Raman spectroscopy offer the potential for real time, quantitative detection of cancer and even precancer. This study investigates the potential of Raman and Fourier transform infrared, both benchtop and synchrotron spectroscopies for the detection of cervical cancer. The tissue was classified and its …

Characterization Of An Acrylaminde Based Photopolymer For Fabrication Of Liquid Crystal Devices, Pavani Kotakonda

Conference Papers

Photopolymers are increasingly interesting as new materials for the fabrication of electro optical liquid crystal devices. Photoinduced surface relief gratings in dry, self developing acrylamide based photopolymers can be used to align liquid crystals (LCs) as an alternative to the rubbing technique. These optically recorded surface relief patterns can be used to fabricate electro-optical switchable LC Bragg gratings. An investigation of the dependence of photoinduced surface relief gratings on recording intensity and thickness of the photopolymer layer is reported. The surface relief gratings were filled with E7 LCs and a switchable LC diffraction grating was fabricated.

Measured Stark Widths And Shifts Of The Neutral Argon Spectral Lines In 4s–4p And 4s–4p′ Transitions, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Albert R. Ellingboe, Stevan Djenize

Articles

We investigate the Stark widths (W) and the shift (d), of the seven neutral argon (Ar I) spectral lines from the 4s–4p and 4s–4p′ transitions. The line shapes are measured in a linear, low-pressure, optically thin pulsed arc discharge at about 16 000 K electron temperature (T) and about 7.0 × 10²² m^{− 3} electron density (N). The new data separates the electron width (W_e) and ion width W_i from the total Stark width (W_t), as well the separation of electron total Stark …

Impact Of Dietary Carotenoid Deprivation On Macular Pigment And Serum Concentrations Of Lutein And Zeaxanthin, James Loughman, John Nolan, Stephan Beatty

Articles

No abstract provided.

Electronic And Optical Processes In Fullerene Films, Naomi Brant

Masters

This work primarily focuses on the archetypal fullerene, which is C60. C60 is electron rich and yet can be six fold reduced, taking on up to six additional electrons. Interest in the electrical properties of the solid state C60 were intensified when it was observed that it could be chemically doped with alkali metals, producing a metallic state A1C60, and even a superconducting state A3C60, where A indicates an alkali metal such as potassium or rubidium. Previous work has demonstrated that such a conductive state can also be achieved by optical pumping or by electron injection. The electronic properties of …

Holographic Recording In Nanoparticle-Doped Photopolymer, Izabela Naydenova, Hosam Sherif, Svetlana Mintova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

A nanoparticle-doped acrylic photopolymer is characterised as a material for holographic recording. The influence of nanoparticles on the photopolymer dynamic range, dynamics of recording, temporal stability and mechanical stability in terms of shrinkage has been studied. The dynamics of recording and the temporal stability are investigated by real time monitoring of the build up of diffraction gratings of spatial frequencies of 200 to 2000 l/mm. The shrinkage has been characterised by recording slanted transmission gratings and observation of the change in the Bragg angle.

Replay At Optical Communications Wavelengths Of Holographic Gratings Recorded In The Visible, Vincent Toal, Maurice Whelan, Alberto Volcan, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin

Conference Papers

In this paper we report on holographic diffraction gratings recorded at visible light wavelength, which can be probed at telecommunication wavelengths. The recording material is an easily prepared, self-processing photopolymer, all of whose components are water soluble. Transmission gratings of various types, namely unslanted, slanted, totally internally reflecting and Bragg gratings were all fabricated. Diffraction efficiencies at telecommunications wavelengths compare favourably with those obtained in visible light.

Comparison Of Three Electronic Speckle Pattern Shearing Interferometers Using Photopolymer Holographic Optical Elements., Emilia Mihaylova, Izabela Naydenova, Vincent Toal, Suzanne Martin

Conference Papers

Three electronic speckle pattern shearing interferometers (ESPSI) using photopolymer holographic gratings to produce the sheared image are presented. In the first ESPSI system two holographic gratings are used. The gratings are placed between the object and an imaging lens in front of the CCD camera. In the second ESPSI system one grating is used in combination with a sheet of ground glass. The sheared images on the ground glass are further imaged onto a CCD camera. In the third ESPSI system only one grating is used - it is placed in front of the object. The image and the sheared …

The Asymptotics Of Neutral Curve Crossing In Taylor–Dean Flow, C. P. Hills, A. P. Bassom

Articles

The fluid flow between a pair of coaxial circular cylinders generated by the uniform rotation of the inner cylinder and an azimuthal pressure gradient is susceptible to both Taylor and Dean type instabilities. The flow can be characterised by two parameters: a measure of the relative magnitude of the rotation and pressure effects and a non-dimensional Taylor number. This work considers the small gap, large wavenumber limit for linear perturbations when the onset of the Taylor and Dean instabilities is concurrent. A consistent, matched asymptotic solution is found across the whole annular domain and identifies five regions of interest: two …

Interaction Of Carbon Nanotubes With Sugar Complexes, Alan Casey, Gordon Farrell, Mary Mcnamara, Hugh Byrne, Gordon Chambers

Articles

The interaction of carbon nanotubes with soft organic molecules such as cyclodextrins and other saccarides has recently been shown to produce water soluble composites. Such systems offer considerable advantages over polymer based composites due to their biocompatibility and noncovalent coupling which can potentially preserve the unique properties of the tubes. The mechanism of interaction for such systems has been proposed to be dominated by hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions along the surface of the tube. However efforts to characterise and rationalise such noncovalent interactions between the sugar-based materials and the carbon nanotubes have been slow to emerge. In this study a …

A Simple Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry System Using Holographic Optical Elements, Guntaka Tulasi Sridhar Reddy

Doctoral

The aim of the work reported in this thesis is to develop a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) system by combining holographic optical element technology with speckly interferometry. A holographic optical element is used in an ESPI system instead of the lenses, mirrors, beam splitters and beam combiners which are usually required in a conventional system. The final ESPI system consists only of a single holographic element, laser and CCD camera. Many currently available systems are complicated and consist of expensive optics that can be difficult to align. Even the simplest require several conventional optical elements to manipulate the …

Cardiac Relaxation Dynamics Investigated By Doppler Tissue Imaging (Dti), Gerard J. King

Doctoral

Following an initial pilot study to explore the usefulness of Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) for the assessment of regional systolic dysfunction in the ischaemic heart, new techniques for the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction have been developed

In the refinement of the techniques further evidence to support the existence of the early diastolic mechanism was obtained prior to assessing its clinical utility. For this the relationship between peak early diastolic mitral ring tissue velocity (EA) as a surrogate for recoil, and the acceleration of early transmitral flow (ventricular filling) was investigated in patients with diastolic dysfunction and in normal subjects. This …

Linear Electronic And Optical Processes In Fullerene Thin Films, Jonathan Moghal, Naomi Brant, Siobhan Phelan, Hugh Byrne, Gordon Chambers

Conference papers

The electrical properties of C60 have been extensively studied in both the solid and solution phases. The vibrational spectroscopy of C60 is predominantly molecular in character. However electronic spectroscopy reveals features, which are specific to the solid. These features have been attributed to intermolecular charge transfer states. The relative importance of these inter – and intramolecular processes in terms of their contribution to the electronic transport is discussed. Cyclic voltammetry is employed to generate charged molecular species, which also contribute to the conduction process and comparisons to optical excited states species are drawn. The cyclic voltammetry was monitored in situ …

Simple Electronic Speckle Pattern Shearing Interferometer With A Holographic Grating As A Shearing Element, Emilia Mihaylova, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Conference Papers

An optical set-up for electronic speckle pattern shearing interferometry (ESPSI) using a photopolymer diffractive optical element as a shearing element, is presented. A laser beam illuminates the object at an angle to the normal to the object surface. The holographic diffraction grating is placed in front of the object. The zero and the first order of diffraction form the image and the sheared image of the object. The images are imaged onto the CCD camera, whose optical axis coincides with the normal to the object surface. The field of view is limited only by the dimensions of the photopolymer plate. …

Characterisation Of An Acrylamide-Based Photopolymer For Data Storage Utilizing Holographic Angular Multiplexing, Hosam Sherif, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Colm Mcginn, Vincent Toal

Articles

An acrylamide-based photopolymer formulated in the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics has been investigated with a view to further optimisation for holographic optical storage. Series of 18 to 30 gratings were angularly multiplexed in a volume of photopolymer layer at a spatial frequency of 1500 lines/mm. Since the photopolymer is a saturable material, an exposure scheduling method was used to exploit the entire dynamic range of the material and allow equal strength holographic gratings to be recorded. This investigation yielded the photopolymer M/# for moderately thin layers. Photopolymer temporal stability was also studied by measuring variations of material shrinkage, …

A Compact Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry System Using A Photopolymer Reflection Holographic Optical Element, Guntaka Tulasi Sridhar Reddy, Raghavendra Jallapuram, Vincent Toal, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Svetlana Mintova

Conference Papers

A simple and compact electronic speckle pattern interferometry system using a reflection holographic optical element is presented. The reflection holographic optical element is recorded on an acrylamide based photopolymer formulated and prepared at the Centre for Industrial & Engineering Optics. Light intensity of 40mW/cm2 with an exposure time of 60 seconds was used in fabricating the holographic optical element. The vibration mode patterns of a 4 cm diameter thin circular sheet of brass metal attached to a 4 cm diameter paper cone loud speaker are presented.

Structural Property Relationships In Conjugated Polymers, Patrick Lynch, Luke O'Neill, J. Whelan, Mary Mcnamara, Hugh Byrne

Articles

The synthesis of a series of PPV derivative polymers by the Wittig-Horner reaction is described. The structure of each polymer is varied and the effects of these variations on the optical properties is explored. The effects of alkyloxy side chains is observed between the PPV derivatives Poly(-p-phenylvinylene-co-2,5-bis-octyloxy phenylvinylene.) PPV-OPV and Poly (para-2,5-bis-(n-octyloxy)-phenylvinylene) POPV. The phenyl units of the soluble PPV derivative POPV are replaced by alternate naphthyl units in the polymer Poly(2,5-bis(n-octyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene-1,5-bis(n-octyloxy)-2,6-naphthylene vinylene) POPN-ONV and then fully by naphthyl units in Poly(2,6-bis-(n-octyloxy)-1,5-NaphthyleneVinylene) PONV. The addition of alkyloxy sidechains served to red shift the fluorescence emission as expected. The systematic …

Correlation Of Spectroscopic And Biochemical Assays Postionising Radiation Exposure In Human Skin Cell Analogues, Aidan Meade, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Conference papers

Raman spectroscopy, as an evaluation of the products of ionising radiation exposure in biological systems, has been utilised mainly in the evaluation of the impact of exposure in tissue, cellular constituents and live animals. It has also been recently demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy can demonstrate key spectroscopic changes in the live cell associated with significant apoptotic and necrotic chemical damage. The present preliminary work utilises Raman spectroscopy at 514.5 nm to evaluate the results of exposure to -rays in HaCaT cells from a Co-60 therapy source, in tandem with other biological assays. The results demonstrate that a number of spectral …

Electroabsorption Studies Of Structurally Modified Fullerene Thin Films, Gerald Farrell, Gordon Chambers, Hugh Byrne

Conference papers

Ultraviolet (UV/Vis) and Electroabsorption (EA) spectroscopy is used to examine and differentiate between intermolecular and intra molecular excited state species in fullerene films. Charge Transfer (CT) states are identified at 2.4 eV and 2.7 eV and dipole moments are calculated. Thermal annealing of C60 films is monitored in situ using absorption spectroscopy and electroabsorption spectroscopy. Recorded spectra display both some temperature dependent and partially irreversible effects, indicating the occurrence of an annealing process. EA shows that the CT states associated with the transferring an electron from the HOMO of one molecule located at the (0,0,0) position to the LUMO of …

The Potential Of Vibrational Spectroscopy In The Early Detection Of Cervical Cancer: An Exciting Emerging Field, Eoghan O'Faolain, Mary Hunter, Joe Byrne, Peter Kelehan, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Conference papers

The application of vibrational spectroscopy to disease diagnosis is a relatively new, rapidly evolving scientific field. Techniques such as Raman and infrared spectroscopy have shown great promise in this regard over the past number of years. This study directly compared Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron infrared (SR-IR) spectroscopy on parallel cervical cancer samples. Both frozen and dewaxed formalin fixed paraffin preserved tissue sections were examined. Both tissue types produced good quality Raman and SR-IR spectra, although the lesser processed, frozen tissue sections displayed the most detailed spectra. Spectroscopy was shown capable of discriminating between different cell types in normal cervical tissue. …

Investigation Of The Effect Of Subcutaneous Fat On Image Quality Performance Of 2d Conventional Imaging And Tissue Harmonic Imaging, Jacinta Browne, Amanda Watson, Peter Hoskins, Alex Elliott

Articles

Tissue harmonic imaging (THI) has been reported to improve contrast resolution, tissue differentiation and overall image quality in clinical examinations. However, a study carried out previously by the authors (Browne et al. 2004) found improvements only in spatial resolution and not in contrast resolution or anechoic target detection. This result may have been due to the homogeneity of the phantom. Biologic tissues are generally inhomogeneous and THI has been reported to improve image quality in the presence of large amounts of subcutaneous fat. The aims of the study were to simulate the distortion caused by subcutaneous fat to image quality …

Interaction Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes With Starch-Based Systems, Alan Casey, Gerald Farrell, Mary Mcnamara, Hugh Byrne, Gordon Chambers

Conference papers

The interaction of carbon nanotubes with soft organic molecules such as cyclodextrins and other saccharides has recently been shown to produce water-soluble composites. Such systems offer considerable advantages over polymer based composites due to their biocompatibility and noncovalent coupling which can potentially preserve the unique properties of the tubes. The mechanism of interaction of such systems has been proposed to be dominated by hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions along the surface of the tube. In this study a number of composite systems have been formed with HiPco carbon nanotubes using starch and starch based polymers. The first composite formed with starch …

Use Of Raman Spectroscopy In The Investigation Of Debundling Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Elizabeth Gregan, Sinead Keogh, Theresa Hedderman, Gordon Chambers, Hugh Byrne

Conference papers

Samples of raw nanotubes are compared to those deposited from solutions to examine separation of nanotube bundles. Single wall nanotubes bundles produced by the arc-discharge and HiPco methods were solubilised in toluene, DMF and 1,2 dichloroethane. Resonant Raman spectroscopy was used to determine if debundling of the tubes sample occurred. The results showed some degree of debundling, best for the 1,2 dichloroethane solvent, which also shows long term solubility.

Characterisation Of An Acrylamide-Based Photopolymer For Holographic Data Storage, Hosam Sherif

Masters

An acrylamide-based photopolymer, formulated in the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics, was investigated as a recording material for holographic data storage applications. Holographic data storage (HDS) is an optical storage technique, which theoretically allows densities as high as tens of TB/cm2 with data transfer rates of many GB/s/. HDS has unique advantages, such as the ability to perform parallel data searches (associative recall) and implement novel encryption techniques. At present, many materials have been investigated to determine their suitability for use as HDS media. As yet, no one material possesses all the properties that are required to realise the …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Variation In Surface Electrode Type And Placement On Action Potentials Elicited By Peripheral Nerve Simulation, Jacinta Augustine

Masters

Several experiments were designed and carried out in order to compare the performances of five commercially available EMG surface electrodes. The aim was to identify the optimal surface recording electrode from the samples examined. The particular interest was to assess the comparative performance of the electrodes routinely used in our hospital Neurophysiology laboratory. It is envisaged that the conclusions from the study might be applied to improve the quality and reproducibility of nerve conduction techniques use din our department. A literature survey was carried out to identify some of the factors that influence the recording of evoked potentials from peripheral …

Structure-Property Relationships For Electron-Vibrational Coupling In Conjugated Organic Oligomeric Systems, Luke O'Neill, Hugh Byrne

Articles

A series of ð-conjugated oligomers containing one to six monomer units were studied by absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. As is common for these systems, a linear relationship between the positioning of the lowest-energy absorption and the highest-energy photoluminescence maxima plotted versus inverse conjugation length is observed, in good agreement with a simple nearly free electron model, one of the earliest descriptions of the properties of one-dimensional organic molecules. It was observed that the Stokes shift and therefore Huang-Rhys factor also exhibit a well-defined relationship with increasing conjugation length, implying a correlation between the electron-vibrational coupling and chain length. This correlation …

Electronic Speckle Pattern Shearing Interferometry For Nondestructive Testing Of Thermal Sprayed Alloy Coatings, Yueqiang Xue, David Kennedy, Emilia Mihaylova

Conference Papers

Thermal sprayed coatings have wide engineering applications. There now exists a wide range of destructive and nondestructive testing (NDT) methods for surface coating inspections. This paper describes an application of Electronic Speckle Pattern Shearing Interferometry (ESPSI) for NDT of thermal sprayed surface coatings. In contrast to other conventional methods such as eddy current, ultrasonic or X-ray, ESPSI allows fast and large survey area inspection. Experimental results of shearographic measurements are presented. Thermal sprayed coatings were tested using ESPSI. Delaminations of the coatings were detected and the fringe patterns were captured using this method. It is shown that the shearography technique …