Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 400-MS/s 12-bit current-steering D/A converter

This paper presents a 400-MS/s 12-bit CMOS current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The proposed DAC adapts 6+2+4 segmented architecture and a modified switching scheme to improve dynamic and static performance. The measured spurious-free dynamic range is up to 77.18 dB at 400 MS/s with a 10 MHz input signal. The full-scale output current is 20 mA with a 1.8 V single power supply. The core area occupies 0.6 mm2 in a standard 1P-6M 0.18-μm CMOS process.
Assessment of space proton radiation-induced charge transfer inefficiency in the CCD204 for the Euclid space observatory

Euclid is a medium class European Space Agency mission candidate for launch in 2019 with a primary goal to study the dark universe using the weak lensing and baryonic acoustic oscillations techniques. Weak lensing depends on accurate shape measurements of distant galaxies. Therefore it is beneficial that the effects of radiation-induced charge transfer inefficiency (CTI) in the Euclid CCDs over the course of the 5 year mission at L2 are understood. This will allow, through experimental analysis and modelling techniques, the effects of radiation induced CTI on shape to be decoupled from those of mass inhomogeneities along the line-of-sight. This paper discusses a selection of work from the study that has been undertaken using the e2v CCD204 as part of the initial proton radiation damage assessment for Euclid. The experimental arrangement and procedure are described followed by the results obtained, thereby allowing recommendations to be made on the CCD operating temperature, to provide an insight into CTI effects using an optical background, to assess the benefits of using charge injection on CTI recovery and the effect of the use of two different methods of serial clocking on serial CTI. This work will form the basis of a comparison with a p-channel CCD204 fabricated using the same mask set as the n-channel equivalent. A custom CCD has been designed, based on this work and discussions between e2v technologies plc. and the Euclid consortium, and designated the CCD273.
Implementation of Lean Six Sigma framework in a large scale industry: a case study

In the present competitive scenario most of the companies are using improvement strategies like lean and Six Sigma for obtaining good quality products, reduction in overall cost and for enhancing availability of equipment. Lean and Six Sigma are two different tools which are used in combination for operational excellence. It provides a framework for waste reduction and elimination of non-value added activities along with variability reduction tools. Lean tools reduce the waste and non-value adding activity and enhance the effectiveness of equipment, tools and machines. Six Sigma tools helps in decision making based on data which finally reduce the variability in the process. In this case study, Lean Six Sigma framework is implemented to reduce the defects which occurred during the manufacturing process in a bulb manufacturing company in India. The framework used combines the lean as well as Six Sigma tools to mitigate the defects and increase the customer satisfaction.
Design and construction of a Cherenkov imager for charge measurement of nuclear cosmic rays

A proximity focusing Cherenkov imager called CHERCAM, has been built for the charge measurement of nuclear cosmic rays with the CREAM instrument. It consists of a silica aerogel radiator plane across from a detector plane equipped with 1,600 1`` diameter photomultipliers. The two planes are separated by a ring expansion gap. The Cherenkov light yield is proportional to the charge squared of the incident particle. The expected relative light collection accuracy is in the few percents range. It leads to an expected single element separation over the range of nuclear charge Z of main interest 1 ⩽ Z≲26. CHERCAM is designed to fly with the CREAM balloon experiment. The design of the instrument and the implemented technical solutions allowing its safe operation in high altitude conditions (radiations, low pressure, cold) are presented.
Sub-micron accurate track navigation method ``Navi'' for the analysis of Nuclear Emulsion

Sub-micron accurate track navigation in Nuclear Emulsion is realized by using low energy signals detected by automated Nuclear Emulsion read-out systems. Using those much dense ``noise'', about 104 times larger than the real tracks, the accuracy of the track position navigation reaches to be sub micron only by using the information of a microscope field of view, 200 micron times 200 micron. This method is applied to OPERA analysis in Japan, i.e. support of human eye checks of the candidate tracks, confirmation of neutrino interaction vertexes and to embed missing track segments to the track data read-out by automated systems.
Flow structures around rectangular cylinder in the vicinity of a wall

A numerical study is conducted on the flow characteristics of a rectangular cylinder (chord-to-width ratio C/W = 2 10) mounted close to a rigid wall at gap-to-width ratio G/W = 0.25 6.25. The effects of G/W and C/W on the Strouhal number, vortex structure, and time-mean drag and lift forces are examined. The results reveal that both G/W and C/W have strong influences on vortex structure and shear layer instabilities, which significantly affect the forces on the cylinder. An increase in G/W leads to four different flow regimes, namely no vortex street flow (G/W < 0.75), single-row vortex street flow (0.75 ≤ G/W ≤ 1.25), inverted two-row vortex street flow (1.25 < G/W ≤ 2.5), and two-row vortex street flow (G/W > 2.5). Both Strouhal number and time-mean drag are more sensitive to C/W than to G/W. For a given G/W, Strouhal number grows with C/W while time-mean drag decays with C/W, the growth and decay being large between C/W = 2 and 4. The time-mean drag is largest in the single-row vortex street regime, contributed by a large pressure on the front surface, regardless of C/W. A higher C/W, in general, leads to a higher time-mean lift. Maximum time-mean lift occurs for C/W = 10 at G/W = 0.75, while minimum time-mean lift appears for C/W = 2 at the same G/W. The impact of C/W on time-mean lift is more substantial in single-row vortex regime. The effect of G/W on time-mean lift is larger at a larger C/W.
On-line sizing and velocity measurement of particles in pneumatic pipelines through digital imaging

This paper presents a new solution to the on-line continuous measurement of particle size and particle velocity within a dilute gas/solid pneumatic pipeline, using low-cost optoelectronic components and imaging hardware. A low-cost, single CCD colour digital camera is used with high power light emitting diodes (LEDs) of different wavelengths, which are driven with very narrow pulses during each camera frame. These resulting frames consist of multiple images of the same particle at different instances in time, by correlating these images it is possible to calculate the size and velocity for each individual particle to high accuracy as the blur due to the finite exposure time can be calculated and removed. As multiple images are taken of the same particle it is possible to extrapolate other information, including acceleration, rotation and direction of movement. The results from this research are very promising and the technique may provide a satisfactory solution to the long standing industrial measurement problem. This system is specifically developed for the measurement of particle sizes in the range of 10μm to 1,000μm, but the technique can be applied equally well to particles outside these limits.
Design and characterization of a YBa2Cu3O7-δ dc-superconducting quantum interference device for magnetic microscopy

A dc-SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) based magnetometer for magnetic microscopy applications has been designed and tested. A square loop has been chosen as pick-up coil and a direct coupling configuration with the SQUID has been realized. On this scale dimension, the strips connecting SQUID and pick-up coil induce a non-negligible effect on the device performances. In particular, a reduction of the effective area is predicted. A SQUID device has been fabricated on symmetric 30° [001]-tilt YBa2Cu3O7-x bicrystal and its behavior has been tested. Characterization results in terms of current-voltage characteristics and magnetic field response are reported. They well agree with expected behaviors. Moreover, magnetometer response to a localized magnetic field has also been investigated.
Visualization of nasal airflow patterns in a patient affected with atrophic rhinitis using particle image velocimetry

The relationship between airflow patterns in the nasal cavity and nasal function is poorly understood. This paper reports an experimental study of the interplay between symptoms and airflow patterns in a patient affected with atrophic rhinitis. This pathology is characterized by mucosal dryness, fetor, progressive atrophy of anatomical structures, a spacious nasal cavity, and a paradoxical sensation of nasal congestion. A physical replica of the patient's nasal geometry was made and particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to visualize and measure the flow field. The nasal replica was based on computed tomography (CT) scans of the patient and was built in three steps: three-dimensional reconstruction of the CT scans; rapid prototyping of a cast; and sacrificial use of the cast to form a model of the nasal passage in clear silicone. Flow patterns were measured by running a water-glycerol mixture through the replica and evaluating the displacement of particles dispersed in the liquid using PIV. The water-glycerol flow rate used corresponded to an air flow rate representative of a human breathing at rest. The trajectory of the flow observed in the left passage of the nose (more affected by atrophic rhinitis) differed markedly from what is considered normal, and was consistent with patterns of epithelial damage observed in cases of the condition. The data are also useful for validation of computational fluid dynamics predictions.
Bicrystal Josephson junctions and arrays in a Fabry-Perot resonator

Full frequency locking of an array of 121 Josephson junctions was demonstrated upon millimeter wave irradiation employing a Fabry-Perot resonator at 73 GHz. This result indicates that such arrays exhibit promising properties to be utilized in quantum voltage metrology. On the other hand, the combination of such arrays with THz-Fabry Perot resonators is very challenging for developing Josephson array radiation sources for the THz frequency band.
Experimental Validation of a Spectral-Based Structural Analysis Model Implemented in the Design of the VolturnUS 6MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

The following work presents a spectral-based structural analysis method implemented in the design of the VolturnUS 6MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine hull developed to increase system optimization. To begin, a description of the methodology is provided which details how transfer functions relate the hull’s structural response to first order wave kinematics and wind turbine aerodynamics. Following the model definition, focus is placed on model validation using results from an experimental 1:52 scale model test of the VolturnUS system (shown in Fig. 1) conducted at the University of Maine’s Alfond W2 Ocean Engineering Laboratory. Using data acquired from load cells installed at various locations in the hull the accuracy of the model is assessed through the use of power spectra and statistics. The performance of the structural model is considered over a range of environmental conditions representing design load cases prescribed by the American Bureau of Shipping for class certification of floating offshore wind turbines.
Comparison of two methods for measuring γ-H2AX nuclear fluorescence as a marker of DNA damage in cultured human cells: applications for microbeam radiation therapy

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) delivers single fractions of very high doses of synchrotron x-rays using arrays of microbeams. In animal experiments, MRT has achieved higher tumour control and less normal tissue toxicity compared to single-fraction broad beam irradiations of much lower dose. The mechanism behind the normal tissue sparing of MRT has yet to be fully explained. An accurate method for evaluating DNA damage, such as the γ-H2AX immunofluorescence assay, will be important for understanding the role of cellular communication in the radiobiological response of normal and cancerous cell types to MRT. We compare two methods of quantifying γ-H2AX nuclear fluorescence for uniformly irradiated cell cultures: manual counting of γ-H2AX foci by eye, and an automated, MATLAB-based fluorescence intensity measurement. We also demonstrate the automated analysis of cell cultures irradiated with an array of microbeams. In addition to offering a relatively high dynamic range of γ-H2AX signal versus irradiation dose ( > 10 Gy), our automated method provides speed, robustness, and objectivity when examining a series of images. Our in-house analysis facilitates the automated extraction of the spatial distribution of the γ-H2AX intensity with respect to the microbeam array — for example, the intensities in the peak (high dose area) and valley (area between two microbeams) regions. The automated analysis is particularly beneficial when processing a large number of samples, as is needed to systematically study the relationship between the numerous dosimetric and geometric parameters involved with MRT (e.g., microbeam width, microbeam spacing, microbeam array dimensions, peak dose, valley dose, and geometric arrangement of multiple arrays) and the resulting DNA damage.
Gain Enhanced Miniaturized Microstrip Patch Antenna Using Metamaterial Superstrates

ABSTRACT In this paper, a high-gain miniaturized microstrip patch antenna was designed using engineered magnetic materials as both substrate and superstrate. The proposed antenna was numerically analyzed, fabricated, and measured. To obtain high permeability and permittivity, an engineered magnetic material with Electric-LC Resonators in the superstrate layer and 2nd kind Hilbert fractals in the substrate were used. Equivalent material parameters technique was also used for efficient simulation of metamaterials in the substrate and the superstrate. The simulation and measurement results show a gain improvement of 8.1 dB, and a miniaturization factor of 4.8 for the miniaturized antenna at 534 MHz. Additionally, using superstrate causes to reduce antenna size to 170 × 170 × 37 mm3 and patch size less than λ/100 resonance frequency.
Bucked Coils lattice: a novel ionisation cooling lattice for the Neutrino Factory

A successful muon ionisation cooling channel for the Neutrino Factory and Muon Collider, requires simultaneously a strong focusing and a large mean RF gradient. To date, all candidate design lattices achieved these requirements with a large magnetic field in the RF cavities, which can potentially limit the achievable gradient leading to RF breakdown. This paper presents the Bucked Coils lattice, designed to reduce the magnetic field at the RF cavities while achieving a satisfactory cooling effect and muon transmission. The Bucked Coils managed to achieve significantly reduced magnetic field components at the RF position, while also achieving a comparable transmission to the FSIIA lattice, the current reference ionisation cooling lattice of the Neutrino Factory. A detailed comparison with respect to the magnetic field reduction, cooling dynamics and transmission is given. A preliminary feasibility study taking into account the hoop stress of the coils and their superconducting operation is also presented.
Millimeter-wave and Sub-THz Signal Generation and Detection in Silicon Technologies

Author(s): Nazari, Peyman | Advisor(s): Heydari, Payam | Abstract: MM-wave/sub-Terahertz(THz) signal generation, radiation and detection has become increasingly attractive due to its fast-growing applications in spectroscopy, radar, biomedical and security imaging as well as high-speed wireless communication. Silicon technology, in one hand, offering high-density signal processing capabilities due to aggressive scaling of its feature size, and on the other hand, allowing integration of mm-wave/THz antenna elements owing to their shrunk footprint at these bands, is well-suited for implementation of fully-integrated multi-antenna mm-wave/THz wireless System-on-Chips (SoC's). Performance of such system is dominantly governed by the quality and efficiency of signal generation, transmission/reception and detection. Passive and active components as means of realizing these functionalities must be optimized for operation at these frequency range. However, excessive loss of on-chip passive components and limited gain and output power of transistors at such high frequencies demand novel passive and active structures. Furthermore, high level of integration implies that the co-design of front-end components leads to a better end-to-end performance, thus a holistic design methodology must be employed. Radiation characteristics of the wireless signal must also be engineered to improve its transmission quality. For example, circularly polarized radiation is found to be a viable choice for many imaging and communication applications by exhibiting excellent robustness against de-polarization effects.In this dissertation, silicon realization of on-chip waveguides, as low loss mediums for high-frequency wave propagation, is explored and implementations of low-loss cavity-backed passives are discussed. Furthermore, a silicon-integrated IMPATT diode, together with its fabrication and modeling is introduced as a solution for obtaining active behavior beyond $f_{max}$ of transistors. Next, a high-power/efficiency mm-wave circularly-polarized cavity-backed radiator, employing a multi-port multi-function passive network as resonator, power combiner, and antenna, is introduced. Necessary conditions for robust operation of such multi-port oscillators/radiators are also derived. Fabricated in a 0.13$\mu$m SiGe BiCMOS process, the prototype chip achieves 14.2dBm EIRP, -99.3dBc/Hz phase noise at 1MHz offset, and 5.2\% DC-to-EIRP conversion efficiency which is the highest reported value among silicon-based radiators not using silicon lens or substrate processing.Finally, a 210GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) is presented to address the detection challenges. This LNA, achieves 18dB of gain, with less than 12dB noise-figure and 3dB bandwidth of more than 15GHz, thereby showing best performance metrics among prior work. This is achieved by incorporating circuit and EM techniques enabling simultaneous optimization of stable gain-, noise- and bandwidth-performance parameters at this frequency range.
ASSESSING CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE OF MALAYSIAN EXPATRIATES IN NETHERLANDS

Organizations could suffer losses due to the ineffectiveness of the expatriates to comprehend their host culture. Previous studies suggest that the important measures to identify expatriate effectiveness primarily focus on the individual-level factors which are personality traits, gender, and prior international experience. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether the Big Five personality model namely openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism have any influence on cultural intelligence. Using purposive sampling method, a total of 320 questionnaires were distributed via email to Malaysian expatriates in Hague, Netherlands. Results from multiple regression analysis indicate that personality traits of agreeableness, openness and extraversion are significant to Malaysian expatriate’s cultural intelligence. Keywords: big five personality; cultural intelligence; expatriate
Imaging and visualization of multiphase fluid flow by different reconstruction method for electrical computer tomography

A new reconstruction method called Functional Weighted Inverse Matrix (FWIM) has been applied to an ill-posed inverse problem involving an electrical computer tomography for multiphase flow. Four image reconstruction algorithms —— FWIM, Landweber (LW), Iterative Tikhonov regularization (ITR) and Generalized Vector Sampled Pattern Matching (GVSPM) methods——are tested using four types of pseudo particle distribution images with different dispersion concentration rates (DCR). The reconstructed images, as shown in figure, are compared in terms of capacitance residual, image error and image correlation. Overall, the accuracy is strongly dependent upon the image type and the dispersion concentration rates (DCR). However, the FWIM method proved superior to the LW, the ITR and the GVSPM methods in terms of the annular and bottom pseudo images.
ALICE tomography section: measurements and analysis

The ALICE tomography section at Daresbury is a diagnostic setup in the injection line of EMMA, the world's first non-scaling FFAG accelerator. We present our measurements and analysis of the transverse emittance, Twiss parameters and phase space distribution of the electron beam that is injected into EMMA. The measurements are carried out at 12 MeV, for bunch charges from 20 to 80 pC. Quadrupole scans and tomography are used. The results show that space charge effect does not change the beam emittance significantly over the length of the tomography section. Starting from projections of the beam images, the quadrupole scan technique can be applied to give the emittance and Twiss parameters. The same projections can be processed using tomography to give the phase space distribution. A careful treatment of the background noise is required to produce consistent emittances between quadrupole scans at different locations. Extending this in a natural way to tomography, we are also able to remove most of the the streaking artefacts from reconstructions obtained using the Filtered Back Projection technique.
Strontium optical lattice clocks : clock comparisons for timescales and fundamental physics applications

This thesis describes the latest progresses regarding the Sr optical lattice clocks at LNE-SYRTE, Observatoire de Paris. Nowadays, the systematic uncertainty and stability of optical clocks are 2 orders of magnitude better than cesium microwave fountains currently realizing the SI second, with applications in fundamental physics, astronomy and geoscience. In the near future, a re-definition of the SI second is expected, once optical clocks are proven to be as reliable and reproducible as their microwave counterparts. The thesis presents three decisive steps in this direction. First, we demonstrate nearly continuous Sr clocks over several weeks. Second, local and remote frequency comparisons against various microwave and optical frequency standards show that OLCs are reproducible over time, and by independent laboratories. We notably demonstrated the first all-optical agreement between optical clocks at continental scale. Third, the Sr clocks were used to calibrate the Temps Atomique International (TAI). The five calibration reports, which we produced, were validated by the BIPM, as the first contribution to TAI with optical clocks. In addition, some of these results were used to improve bounds on a putative violation of the Lorentz invariance by testing the stability of the frequency ratio between remote clocks. Finally, we conducted a full characterization of the frequency shifts associated with semi-conductor laser sources for the trapping light, including optical measurements and frequency shifts measurements, with applications for transportable and space clocks.