Auswahl der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zum Thema „Light motion“

This paper focuses on the mathematisation of mechanics in the seventeenth century, specifically on how the representation of compounded rectilinear motions presented in the ancient Greek Mechanica found its way into Newton’s Principia almost two thousand years later. I aim to show that the path from the former to the latter was optical: the conceptualisation of geometrical lines as paths of reflection created a physical interpretation of dia­grammatic principles of geometrical point-motion, involving the kinematics and dynamics of light reflection. Upon the atomistic conception of light, the optical interpretation of such geometrical principles entailed their mechanical generalisation to local motion; rectilinear motion via the physico-mathemat­ics of reflection and the Mechanica’s parallelogram rule; circular motion via the physico-mathematics of reflection, the Archimedean squaring of the circle and the Mechanica’s extension of the parallelogram rule to centripetal motion. This appeal to the physico-mathematics of reflection forged a realist founda­tion for the mathematisation of motion. Whereas Aristotle’s physics rested on motions which had their source in the nature of the elements, early modern thinkers such as Harriot, Descartes, and Newton based their new principles of mechanical motion upon selected elements of the mechanics of light motion, projected upon the geometry of the parallelogram rule for rectilinear and, ultimately, circular motion.

The three-dimensional (3-D) apparent motion of lines, outline triangles, and light points was studied in four experiments. The stimulus sequences were beginning and end patterns of 3-D motions of a line and a triangle. Light-point patterns corresponded to the ends of the lines and the vertices of the triangles. Perceived motion of lines and light-point pairs resembled the distal motions that were used to construct the proximal patterns. The correspondence was striking for configurations that appeared to move in depth. Outline triangles and light-point triplets produced a strong correspondence between distal and perceived motions when the three sides appeared to be translating in depth. The correspondence was reasonably good for the other motion patterns when scoring included an appropriate second category. The results support the conception of structural or internalized constraints: light points were processed as if they were connected (unity constraint) and proximal change in linear size (or distance between light points) was perceived as rigid 3-D motion (rigidity constraint).

The advancement of the ultrafast pulse shaping and waveform synthesis allowed to coherently control the atomic and electronic motions in matter. The temporal resolution of the waveform synthesis is inversely proportional to the broadening of its spectrum. Here, we demonstrate the light field synthesis of high-power waveforms spanning two optical octaves, from near-infrared to deep-ultraviolet with attosecond resolution. Moreover, we utilized the all-optical field sampling metrology for on-demand tailoring of light field waveforms to control the electron motion in matter. The demonstrated synthesis of the light field and the electron motion control pave the way for switching the photo-induced current signal in dielectric nanocircuit and establishing ultrafast photonics operating beyond the petahertz speed.

La interacció de la llum confinada en una cavitat òptica amb els graus de llibertat mecànics de la matèria en els sistemes optomecànics permet la investigació fonamental en física mesoscòpica i el desenvolupament de microdispositius d’alt rendiment com sensors o processadors de senyals òptics. La dinàmica d’aquests sistemes queda determinada per un conjunt petit de paràmetres els valors dels quals poden ser controlats per disseny. Per una altra banda, les imperfeccions que resulten dels processos de nano-fabricació fan del seu control un repte en estructures nanomètriques com els cristalls optomecànics. Això imposa límits severs en els sistemes d’última generació, fent que el desordre sigui considerat perjudicial. Tot i això, la interacció entre ordre i desordre en la dispersió múltiple de la llum ofereix una ruta alternativa per confinar fortament la llum. Aquest procés es coneix com a localització d’Anderson, un fenomen originalment descrit per als electrons en la física de l’estat sòlid. En principi, el mateix passa amb les ones elàstiques (fonons), conduint a modes de vibració mecànics estretament localitzats. Tot i això, no s’ha observat directament la localització d’Anderson en fonons d’alta freqüència, ja que són difícils d’excitar i la seva radiació de camp llunyà és limitada. Es pot utilitzar cavitats òptiques d’Anderson com a sonda local per estudiar la localització per desordre de les ones acústiques? Quina és la probabilitat de trobar fotons i fonons espacialment colocalitzats? Són aquestes dues ones igualment sensibles a les imperfeccions de fabricació? Podem manipular, via la pressió de radiació, la dinàmica d’un mode mecànic en un sistema d’aquest tipus? Aquestes preguntes científiques articulen aquesta tesi. Per respondre a aquestes preguntes, hem identificat dos requisits principals. El primer és l’ús de cavitats òptiques d’alt factor de qualitat (Q), ja que la transducció del moviment escala amb Q. El segon és el grau de superposició entre els camps localitzats, ja que els modes acústics i òptics apareixen en posicions no correlacionades. El primer requisit es compleix en guies d’ona de cristall fotònic, on observem localització d’Anderson òptica amb Q de fins a 100000. Mitjançant aquests modes òptics, demostrem la transducció de desplaçaments mecànics en dos rangs de freqüència: modes mecànics de tota l’estructura suspesa, amb freqüències entre 100 i 500 MHz, i modes mecànics guiats d’alta freqüència (~7 GHz). En tots dos casos, la llum confinada en les cavitats permet amplificar el seu desplaçament fins que les oscil·lacions són coherents i autosostingudes. En la banda de 7 GHz, el sistema que hem explorat constitueix una plataforma perfecta per observar fenòmens de localització de fonons d’alta freqüència. No obstant això, aquestes guies optomecàniques en cristalls bidimensionals no tenen cap mecanisme que garanteixi a priori un alt grau de colocalització. Per evitar aquest problema, estudiem numèricament un altre sistema basat en reflectors distribuïts de Bragg unidimensionals compostos per GaAs i AlAs. Es demostra una millora estadística de l’acoblament optomecànic, g, pel qual el sistema esdevé un candidat prometedor per observar la localització d’Anderson de fonons a 20 GHz mitjançant espectroscòpia de fonons coherents en experiments de bombament-sondeig. Utilitzem aquesta tècnica experimental per excitar i detectar una nano-cavitat creada a la interfície de dues multicapes acústiques perfectament periòdiques. Aquest estat topològic 0-dimensional constitueix un banc de proves per a comprendre les implicacions més bàsiques de les propietats topològiques dels cristalls en les seves superfícies i interfícies. Finalment, analitzem numèricament el cas de les guies d’ona topològiques, quantificant el seu potencial per al transport de fotons sense dissipació, una premissa pel desenvolupament de cavitats i circuits optomecànics més compactes i eficients.
La interacción de la luz confinada en una cavidad óptica con los grados de libertad mecánicos de la materia en los sistemas optomecánicos permite la investigación fundamental en física mesoscópica y el desarrollo de micro-dispositivos de alto rendimiento para aplicaciones como sensores o el procesamiento de señales ópticas. La dinámica de tales sistemas queda determinada por un conjunto pequeño de parámetros cuyos valores pueden controlarse por diseño. Sin embargo, su control se vuelve un desafío en estructuras nanométricas como los cristales optomecánicos debido a imperfecciones inevitables durante la nano-fabricación. Esto impone límites severos en los sistemas de última generación y el desorden es considerado perjudicial. No obstante, la interacción entre orden y desorden en el esparcimiento múltiple de la luz ofrece una ruta alternativa para confinar fuertemente la luz. Este proceso se conoce como la localización de Anderson, un fenómeno originalmente descrito para los electrones en la física del estado sólido. En principio, lo mismo ocurre con las ondas elásticas (fonones), conduciendo a modos mecánicos estrechamente localizados. Sin embargo, no se ha observado directamente la localización de Anderson en fonones de alta frecuencia dada la dificultad de generarlos y a su limitada radiación de campo lejano. ¿Se puede utilizar cavidades ópticas de Anderson como sonda local para estudiar la localización por desorden de las ondas acústicas? ¿Cuál es la probabilidad de encontrar fotones y fonones espacialmente colocalizados? ¿Son estas dos ondas igualmente sensibles a las imperfecciones de fabricación? ¿Podemos manipular, vía la presión de radiación, la dinámica de un modo mecánico en un sistema de este tipo? Estas preguntas científicas articulan esta tesis. Para responder a estas preguntas, identificamos dos requisitos principales. El primero es el uso de cavidades ópticas de alto factor de calidad (Q), ya que la transducción del movimiento escala con Q. El segundo es el grado de superposición entre los campos localizados, ya que los modos acústicos y ópticos aparecen en posiciones no correlacionadas. El primer requisito se logra en guías de onda de cristal fotónico, donde observamos localización de Anderson óptica con Q de hasta 100000. Mediante estos modos ópticos, demostramos la transducción de desplazamientos mecánicos en dos rangos de frecuencia: modos mecánicos de toda la estructura suspendida, con frecuencias entre 100 y 500 MHz, y modos mecánicos guiados de alta frecuencia (~7 GHz). En ambos casos, la luz confinada en las cavidades permite amplificar su desplazamiento hasta que las oscilaciones son coherentes y autosostenidas. En la banda de 7 GHz, el sistema que exploramos constituye una plataforma perfecta para observar fenómenos de localización de fonones de alta frecuencia. Sin embargo, estas guías optomecánicas en cristales bidimensionales carecen de cualquier mecanismo que garantice a priori un alto grado de colocalización. Para evitar este problema, estudiamos numéricamente otro sistema basado en reflectores distribuidos de Bragg unidimensionales compuestos por GaAs y AlAs. Se demuestra una mejora estadística del acoplamiento optomecánico, g, lo que convierte a este sistema en un candidato prometedor para observar la localización de Anderson de fonones a 20 GHz mediante espectroscopia de fonones coherentes en experimentos de bombeo-sondeo. Utilizamos esta técnica experimental para excitar y detectar una nano-cavidad creada en la interfaz de dos multicapas acústicas perfectamente periódicas. Este estado topológico 0-dimensional constituye un banco de pruebas para comprender las implicaciones más básicas de las propiedades topológicas de los cristales en sus superficies e interfaces. Por último, analizamos numéricamente el caso de las guías de onda topológicas, cuantificando su potencial para el transporte de fotones sin disipación, una premisa para el desarrollo de cavidades y circuitos optomecánicos más compactos y eficientes.
The interaction of light trapped in an optical cavity and motional degrees of freedom in cavity optomechanical systems has emerged as a mechanism enabling both fundamental research in mesoscopic quantum physics and high-performance microscale devices for applications such as sensing or optical signal processing. The dynamics of such systems are reduced to a small set of governing parameters that can be engineered by design. Nevertheless, control over these parameters becomes challenging in nanometer-scale structures like optomechanical crystal cavities due to unavoidable fabrication imperfections. This imposes severe limits in state-of-the-art systems and disorder is seen as a nuisance. In this thesis, we propose instead to harness its potential. In a disordered lattice, the interplay between order and disorder in multiple scattering offers an alternative route to confine light, i.e., Anderson localization, a phenomenon well known for electrons in solid-state physics. In principle, the same phenomenon happens for elastic waves (phonons), leading to tightly localized mechanical modes. However, direct observation of Anderson localization of phonons in the GHz range remains elusive, due to the lack of practical phonon transitions in the solid state and limited far-field radiation for read-out. Can we use disorder-induced optical cavities to locally probe Anderson localization of GHz mechanical vibrations via their optomechanical interaction? What is the likelihood to find spatially co-localized photons and phonons? Are these two waves equally sensitive to fabrication imperfection? Can we manipulate, via light, the mechanical degrees of freedom in such a system? These scientific questions articulate this thesis. In order to answer these, two main requirements are identified. The first is exploring high quality factor (Q) optical cavities, since the transduction of mechanical motion scales with it. The second is the level of overlap between the localized fields, i.e. the statistical level of co-localization, since acoustic and optical modes appear at uncorrelated positions due to their complex interference nature. The first requirement is achieved in both standard and slotted slow-light photonic crystal waveguides, where we observe high-Q ( up to 100000) optical Anderson localization. In particular, one of the designs simultaneously operates as a phononic waveguide. We demonstrate transduction of thermally-activated motion via Anderson-localized optical modes in slotted photonic crystal waveguides at two frequency ranges: low-frequency in-plane mechanical modes spanning 100-500 MHz and high-frequency ~7 GHz guided mechanical modes. At both frequency ends, the light field is used to amplify mechanical motion up to coherent self-sustained oscillations. At the 7 GHz band, the explored system constitutes a perfect platform to observe high-frequency phonon localization phenomena. However, these two-dimensional optomechanical crystal waveguides lack any a priori mechanism that guarantees a high degree of co-localization. To circumvent this issue we propose using periodic-on-average one-dimensional GaAs/AlAs Distributed Bragg Reflectors. A statistical enhancement of the vacuum optomechanical coupling rate, g, is found, making this system a promising candidate to explore Anderson localization of even higher frequency (~20 GHz) phonons using ultra-fast pump-probe coherent phonon spectroscopy. We use this experimental technique to all-optically probe a spacer-less phononic nanocavity created by concatenating two perfectly periodic multilayers, i.e., a 0D topological state, a testbed to understand the most basic implications of bulk topology on interfaces. Last, we explore their propagating counterpart, topological interface waveguides and quantify their potential for robust backscattering-free photon transport at the nanoscale, a premise for compact and efficient circuit and cavity optomechanics based on topological edge states.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Física

Phase Measuring Profilometry (PMP) is the most robust scanning technique for static 3D data acquisition. To make this technique robust to the target objects which are in motion during the scan interval a novel algorithm called ‘Pattern Interleaving’ is used to get a high density single scan image and making Phase Measuring Profilometry insensitive to ‘z’ motion and prevent motion banding which is predominant in 3D reconstruction when the object is in motion during the scan time

Recent advancements in laser technology are quickly moving the frontiers of research: quantum dynamics can now be investigated in more detail, on new timescales, with an unprecedented level of control. These new possibilities offer a new ground for the theoretical study of fundamental processes; at the same time, a proper understanding of phenomena involved is necessary to explain measurements, and to indicate directions for further experiments. This Thesis deals with the theoretical investigation of particular cases of light-matter interaction, in atoms and in dielectrics. Regimes considered here have just become a subject of intensive investigation: they are acquiring more and more relevance as technological advancements make them experimentally accessible. In the first part of the Thesis I consider a process as fundamental as the single-photon ionization of atoms: my modeling will include an ultrashort pulse (full width half maximum ~ 100 as = 10^-16 s) exciting an electron to the continuum, and a strong few-cycle near-infrared laser field. This configuration is suitable to reproduce recent streaking experiments on atoms. I developed a numerical tool to simulate these dynamics in three dimensions: the process is quite elaborate and requires an adequate description of multi-electron atoms. With proper approximations I was able to calculate photoelectron spectra using just a few dipole matrix elements, which were obtained with the aid of our external collaborators, from refined atomic structure calculations. The results of our relatively simple tool are in very good agreement with more sophisticated numerical calculations. In addition to that, I discuss my contribution to the theoretical support of a fundamental experiment [I]: both simulations and measurements indicate a delay between two different channel of photoemission in neon. A careful investigation of the limit of validity of approximations employed reveals that the Coulomb-Volkov approximation is not suitable to describe fine details of the interaction with the laser pulse. I also report on our analysis of experimental data from angle-resolved attosecond streaking. The second part of the Thesis is devoted to the investigation of inter-band excitations in dielectrics; driving this process with a high degree of control is on the edge of current technology. The ultrafast creation of charge carriers in an insulator is intriguing: dielectric properties of the medium change drastically, revealing features of the peculiar electron dynamics in such a situation. I have simulated this process solving the time dependent Schroedinger equation for a single electron in a one-dimensional lattice and analyzed how the charge Q displaced during the interaction with the pulse depends on laser parameters. These calculations reproduce to a good extent the behavior observed in the experiment. Both the theory and the experiment point out a strong dependence of Q on laser parameters: this promises a high degree of control, and at the same time suggests the possibility of a solid-state device to characterize an optical pulse. I also study in detail the modification occurring in the electric response of the sample to the electric field. The purpose of this analysis is to identify some features directly related to dynamics of newly created charge carriers. During my investigation of electron dynamics during an excitation process, I have often faced the difficulty to identify quantities which might resemble eigenstates of the time-dependent Hamiltonian. Similar field-dressed states would describe the distortion due to the field, of eigenstates of the field-free Hamiltonian. A proper definition of field-dressed states would allow a correct interpretation of the wavefunction in terms of instantaneous excited population, which is otherwise impossible to define.
Neueste Fortschritte im Bereich der Lasertechnologie erweitern schnell die Grenzen der Forschung. Quantendynamiken koennen genauer den je untersucht werden, aus kuerzeren Zeitskalen und mit einer hoeheren Kontrollebene. Diese Entwicklung bietet neue Moeglichkeiten, fundamentale Prozesse theoretisch zu untersuchen; darueber hinaus ist ein Verstaendnis der zu Grunde liegenden physikalischen Vorgaenge erforderlich, um Messresultate zu erklaeren und moegliche Richtungen fuer kuenftige Experimente aufzuzeigen. Diese Doktorarbeit befasst sich mit der theoretischen Analyse bestimmter Licht-Materie-Wechselwirkungen in Atomen und Dielektrika. Die im Rahmen dieser Thesis untersuchten Bereiche sind aktuell Thema intensiver Forschung. Dank weiterer technologischer Entwicklungen, die Experimente in diesen Bereichen ausfuehrbar machen, gewinnen sie immer weiter an Relevanz.Neueste Fortschritte im Bereich der Lasertechnologie erweitern schnell die Grenzen der Forschung. Quantendynamiken koennen genauer den je untersucht werden, aus kuerzeren Zeitskalen und mit einer hoeheren Kontrollebene. Diese Entwicklung bietet neue Moeglichkeiten, fundamentale Prozesse theoretisch zu untersuchen; darueber hinaus ist ein Verstaendnis der zu Grunde liegenden physikalischen Vorgaenge erforderlich, um Messresultate zu erklaeren und moegliche Richtungen fuer kuenftige Experimente aufzuzeigen. Diese Doktorarbeit befasst sich mit der theoretischen Analyse bestimmter Licht-Materie-Wechselwirkungen in Atomen und Dielektrika. Die im Rahmen dieser Thesis untersuchten Bereiche sind aktuell Thema intensiver Forschung. Dank weiterer technologischer Entwicklungen, die Experimente in diesen Bereichen ausfuehrbar machen, gewinnen sie immer weiter an Relevanz. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit beschreibe ich den fundamentalen Prozess der atomaren Ionisation durch ein einzelnes Photon. Mein Model enthaelt einen ultrakurzen Lichtpuls mit einer Halbwertsbreite von ~ 100 as = 10^-16 s, der ein Elektron in das Kontinuum anregt, sowie einen starkes Laserfeld im nahen infraroten Spektralbereich mit wenigen Zyklen. Diese Konfiguration erlaubt die Nachbildung von neuesten Streaking Experimenten an Atomen. Ich habe ein numerisches Werkzeug entwickelt, um diese Dynamiken in drei Dimensionen zu simulieren. Der Prozess ist sehr komplex und bedarf einer hinreichenden Beschreibung von Atomen mit mehreren Elektronen. Unter Beruecksichtigung geeigneter Naeherungen war es mir moeglich, Photoelektronenspektren mit Hilfe nur weniger Dipolmatrixelemente zu berechnen, welche in Zusammenarbeit mit unseren externen Kollaborationspartner durch verfeinerte Atomstruktur-Berechnungen bestimmt wurden. Die Ergebnisse unseres verhaeltnismaeßig einfachen Vorgehens stimmen in einem hohen Grad mit fortgeschritteneren numerischen Methoden ueberein. Darueber hinaus diskutiere ich meinen Beitrag zur theoretischen Unterstuetzung eines grundlegenden Experiments. Sowohl Simulationen als auch Messungen weisen auf eine Verzoegerung zwischen zwei Photoemissionskanaelen in Neon hin. Eine sorgfaeltige Pruefung der Gueltigkeit der verwendeten Naeherungen verraet, dass die Coulomb-Volkov Naeherung nicht geeignet ist, um feine Einzelheiten in der Wechselwirkung mit dem Laserpuls zu beschreiben. Außerdem berichte ich ueber unsere Analyse der Messdaten der winkelaufgeloesten Attosekunden Streaking Experimente. Der zweite Teil der Thesis widmet sich der Untersuchung von Interband-Anregungen in Dielektrika. Die kontrollierte Lenkung dieser Ue bergaenge wurde erst mit aktuellster Technologie ermeoglicht. Die ultraschnelle Erzeugung von Ladungstraegern in einem Isolator ist bemerkenswert. Die dielektrischen Eigenschaften aendern sich dramatisch, was Rueckschluesse auf die Elektronendynamik waehrend dieser Anregung zulaesst. Ich habe diesen Prozess durch Loesung der zeitabhaengigen Schroedingergleichung fuer ein einzelnes Elektron in einem eindimensionalen Gitter simuliert und untersucht, wie sich die waehrend des Lichtpulses verlagerte Ladung mit den Laserparametern aendert. Diese Berechnungen reproduzieren in hohem Maße das im Experiment beobachtete Verhalten. Sowohl Theorie als auch Experiment weisen auf eine starke Abhaengigkeit der Ladung von den Laserparametern hin. Dies verspricht ein hohes Maß an Kontrolle und deutet auf eine moegliche Anwendung eines Festkoerperbauelements fuer die Charakterisierung eines optischen Pulses hin. Außerdem untersuche ich detailliert die Modifikationen der elektrischen Antwort des Samples auf ein externes elektrisches Feld. Das Ziel dieser Analyse ist die Identifikation einiger Eigenschaften die direkt mit der Dynamik der erzeugten Ladungstraeger zusammenhaengen. Waehrend der Untersuchung der Elektronendynamiken in einem Anregungsprozeß, stieß ich oft auf die Problematik, Groeßen zu ermitteln, die Eigenzustaenden des zeitabhaengigen Hamilton- Operators aehneln koennten. Aehnliche “Field-dressed States” wuerden die Verzerrung der Eigenzusteande des feldfreien Hamiltonoperators aufgrund des Felds beschreiben. Eine geeignete Definition der Field-dressed States wuerde eine korrekte Interpretation der Wellenfunktion in Abhaengigkeit der instantanen angeregten Besetzung ermoeglichen, welche sich auf anderem Wege nicht bestimmen laesst.

Talmy (1975, 1985, 1991 and 2000b) studies Motion events encoded by verbs from the perspective of lexicalisation(T). Talmy (2000b) proposes six basic semantic elements to describe Motion events; they are Figure, Motion, Path, Ground, Manner, and Cause. For example, in the sentence He entered the room, enter is the main verb and encodes Motion “move” and Path “into”. So the main verb encodes the Path information. Such phenomena are very common in Spanish; however, in English and in Chinese Path is usually expressed by satellites, a category of surface element. Enter is exceptional in English. Although it is a word in English it was borrowed from French. The surface elements which encode the Path information determine a language’s type. For example, if Path is encoded by main verbs in language A, then this language A is a verb-framed language; if Path is typically expressed by satellites in language B, then language B is a satellite-framed language. These are the two most widespread types of languages in this typology. According to Talmy, English is a satellite-framed language (S-framed language); Spanish a verb-framed language (V-framed language); and Chinese a satellite-framed language. Slobin (1996, 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2006) argues that Chinese is an equipollent-framed language (E-framed language), a third language type he added to Talmy’s typology. The evidence for this is the serial verb construction (SVC) in Chinese. SVCs can be briefly defined as a syntactic pattern where two or more verbs are used together to express a single conceptual event and there are no markers of subordination and coordination. Slobin uses feī chū (fly exit) as an example of the SVC and he insists that feī (fly) and chū (exit) share the same grammatical status and are equal to each other in that neither of them can be omitted for a complete expression of the event of flying out. The first verb encodes the Manner information and the latter one expresses the Path information. Omitting either part, the expression is ungrammatical. Having briefly reviewed these two models of language typology, many questions have arisen. Is it necessary to have a third language type to account for Chinese? Or is Chinese an Eframed language or a S-framed language? What is the language typology of Chinese? This is the main research question I aim to answer in this thesis. The main question concerns the nature of Chinese SVCs. In my thesis, I discuss the features of Chinese SVCs as preparation for a working definition of SVC for my empirical work to collect the SVC data from the Lancaster Corpus of Mandarin Chinese (LCMC). I show that the components in Chinese SVCs are not equal in semantics. There are constraints on the positions for different semantic parameters. In addition, the surface forms of components for SVCs do not share equal status for the asymmetrical SVCs. This further shows that components within Chinese SVCs are not in equal grammatical status. My data shows that Path can be encoded by main verbs as well as by satellites in Chinese. Having illustrated that Chinese SVC is not evidence for Chinese to be an E-framed language, then, is Chinese a S-framed language similar to English or a V-framed language like Spanish? Özçalışkan (2004) claims that Path verbs, verbs encoding [Motion + Path], is a closed class. How many Path verbs are there in Chinese and are these Path verbs comparable with those in English and in Spanish? I give a comprehensive list of Chinese Path verbs and then focus on some of them to track the process of the lexicalisation(T). I found that there are no significant differences in number for the 13 types of Path verbs in Chinese, English and Spanish and that the lexicalised(T) Path is comparable. These findings indicate that Chinese uses both main verbs and satellites to express the Path information in motion events. Additionally, the grammaticalization trend of Chinese Path verbs and the shift from independent Path verbs into Path satellites and grammatical relation markers also show that Chinese is not part of any of the parallel system, the split system, or the intermixed system for expressing motion events. Chinese is in the transferring period from a S-framed language to a V-framed language.

It is well known that light, the fastest entity in the universe, moves at a staggering speed of 300 million meters per second. The ability to stop its flight on a centimetre scale or lower requires a detector with temporal resolution of around a hundred picoseconds. Freezing light in motion at this scale is a feat worth achieving, as it leads to a variety of exciting applications, from observing dynamical light phenomena to measuring distances and depths with high precision, as in LIDAR technology. In the past decades, different technologies have been developed to image light in motion; in this thesis, we propose a new method that exploit a recently-developed single-photon detector technology to capture movies of light in motion at very low intensity levels. We use this method to develop novel imaging applications and detection techniques. In particular, this thesis reports on the observation and study of dynamical light phenomena such as laser propagation in air, laser-induced plasma, propagation in optical fibres and slow light. We also show how the ability to record light in motion can be used to capture light signals scattered from around an obstacle, leading to the ability to locate and track moving objects hidden from view.

Whether we live in a concrete jungle or somewhere a little morerural, we probably still spend a good deal of our time behind wallsand under roofs, forever building barriers between what we thinkis ours and the rest of the world, out there. Never in time have ourown motion in our world been as swift as it is today, never have wefenced ourself off from what is naturally occurring and had the abilityto manicure our environment more. The thesis sought out to bringthe feeling of stillness and silence that exist in a natural landscapefilled with both ambient motion and sound, inside. To add qualitiesto a room where both contemplation and activation can take place.The thesis covers a study on perception and different motions (bothphysical and visual) in nature with focus on the slow movement ofwater. 6 people were asked to evaluate the calming qualities of 22video sequences; each showing abstract water motion, and fromthe evaluation derive patterns of motion preferences. The studymotivated the development of a set of principles meant to be usedby lighting designers to create and shape an overall activating andcaptivating space, and generated design ideas for a sculpturalroom element with internal physical movement and light shifts, withthe purpose of bringing motion in to a static environment. A mock-upwas built to test the idea of a connection between wellbeing andnatural, expected but unforeseen motion.This is my ontological interpretation and take on dynamic lighting

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Mathematics)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2009.
Thesis Advisor(s): Borges, Carlos F. ; Olsen, Richard C. "September 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on 6 November 2009. Author(s) subject terms: LIDAR, Monte Carlo simulation, full-waveform, model. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-108). Also available in print.

In this thesis we propose a solution to how a system can find and track people, as well as recognizing their gestures, in a $360^\circ$ field of view using consumer grade products. We describe a system connecting multiple depth cameras in an array and have them operate as a single camera controlled by a single computer. Using a single camera providing features such as detection, tracking and recognizing gestures of people, we specifically focus on the difficulties of preserving these features in moving forward to an array of cameras. We propose a solution based on Microsoft Kinect and Kinect SDK, using linear transformation to account for a fixed camera model to combine skeleton data from an array of Kinect sensors. Furthermore, we use positional based identification to determine whether people are being tracked by another camera in the system. The contributions of this work include insight into the challenges of building this kind of system based on Kinect hardware and software intended for use on a single computer, such as performance bottlenecks, along with possible alternative solutions. In particular, we present performance measurements for a single computer running up to four sensors and show a system that can run satisfactorily with up to at least 5 sensors on today's computers. We show what requirements on hardware can be expected for such a system, as well as where there are potential limits as the number of sensors increase.
Music in Motion

This document is the final project report of the Next Generation Attenuation for Central and Eastern North America (CENA) project (NGA-East). The NGA-East objective was to develop a new ground-motion characterization (GMC) model for the CENA region. The GMC model consists of a set of new ground-motion models (GMMs) for median and standard deviation of ground motions and their associated weights to be used with logic-trees in probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHA). NGA-East is a large multidisciplinary project coordinated by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), at the University of California. The project has two components: (1) a set of scientific research tasks, and (2) a model-building component following the framework of the “Seismic Senior Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) Level 3” (Budnitz et al. 1997; NRC 2012). Component (2) is built on the scientific results of component (1) of the NGA-East project. This report documents the tasks under component (2) of the project. Under component (1) of NGA-East, several scientific issues were addressed, including: (a) development of a new database of ground motion data recorded in CENA; (b) development of a regionalized ground-motion map for CENA, (c) definition of the reference site condition; (d) simulations of ground motions based on different methodologies; and (e) development of numerous GMMs for CENA. The scientific tasks of NGA-East were all documented as a series of PEER reports. The scope of component (2) of NGA-East was to develop the complete GMC. This component was designed as a SSHAC Level 3 study with the goal of capturing the ground motions’ center, body, and range of the technically defensible interpretations in light of the available data and models. The SSHAC process involves four key tasks: evaluation, integration, formal review by the Participatory Peer Review Panel (PPRP), and documentation (this report). Key tasks documented in this report include review and evaluation of the empirical ground- motion database, the regionalization of ground motions, and screening sets of candidate GMMs. These are followed by the development of new median and standard deviation GMMs, the development of new analyses tools for quantifying the epistemic uncertainty in ground motions, and the documentation of implementation guidelines of the complete GMC for PSHA computations. Appendices include further documentation of the relevant SSHAC process and additional supporting technical documentation of numerous sensitivity analyses results. The PEER reports documenting component (1) of NGA-East are also considered “attachments” to the current report and are all available online on the PEER website (https://peer.berkeley.edu/). The final NGA-East GMC model includes a set of 17 GMMs defined for 24 ground-motion intensity measures, applicable to CENA in the moment magnitude range of 4.0 to 8.2 and covering distances up to 1500 km. Standard deviation models are also provided for site-specific analysis (single-station standard deviation) and for general PSHA applications (ergodic standard deviation). Adjustment factors are provided for consideration of source-depth effects and hanging-wall effects, as well as for hazard computations at sites in the Gulf Coast region.

Last Fall, the Federal Court declared invalid and unlawful the federal government Order that classified plastic articles as toxic under the Environmental Protection Act. The government quickly appealed the decision and the Federal Court of Appeal granted a stay motion which prevents the Federal court ruling from taking effect while the appeal is ongoing. Therefore, the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations remain in force. Despite an acknowledgement that Canada must fight against plastic pollution, Canadian exports of plastic waste amounted to almost 175 thousand tonnes in 2022, hardly a stellar performance. In light of developments in recent years and the Canadian government’s commitment to the management and use of plastics, the authors draw on available data to give an accounting of Canada’s trade in plastic waste over the last 20 years and point some data gaps.

In light of widespread evidence of parameter instability in macroeconomic models, many time-varying parameter (TVP) models have been proposed. This paper proposes a nonparametric TVP-VAR model using Bayesian additive regression trees (BART). The novelty of this model stems from the fact that the law of motion driving the parameters is treated nonparametrically. This leads to great flexibility in the nature and extent of parameter change, both in the conditional mean and in the conditional variance. In contrast to other nonparametric and machine learning methods that are black box, inference using our model is straightforward because, in treating the parameters rather than the variables nonparametrically, the model remains conditionally linear in the mean. Parsimony is achieved through adopting nonparametric factor structures and use of shrinkage priors. In an application to US macroeconomic data, we illustrate the use of our model in tracking both the evolving nature of the Phillips curve and how the effects of business cycle shocks on inflationary measures vary nonlinearly with movements in uncertainty.

Causality and Predictability of Complex Systems pose fundamental challenges even under well-defined structural stochastic-dynamic conditions where the laws of motion and system symmetries are known. However, the edifice of complexity can be profoundly transformed by structural-functional coevolution and non-recurrent elusive mechanisms changing the very same invariants of motion that had been taken for granted. This leads to recurrence collapse and memory loss, precluding the ability of traditional stochastic-dynamic and information-theoretic metrics to provide reliable information about the non-recurrent emergence of fundamental new properties absent from the a priori kinematic geometric and statistical features. Unveiling causal mechanisms and eliciting system dynamic predictability under such challenging conditions is not only a fundamental problem in mathematical and statistical physics, but also one of critical importance to dynamic modelling, risk assessment and decision support e.g. regarding non-recurrent critical transitions and extreme events. In order to address these challenges, generalized metrics in non-ergodic information physics are hereby introduced for unveiling elusive dynamics, causality and predictability of complex dynamical systems undergoing far-from-equilibrium structural-functional coevolution. With these methodological developments at hand, hidden dynamic information is hereby brought out and explicitly quantified even beyond post-critical regime collapse, long after statistical information is lost. The added causal insights and operational predictive value are further highlighted by evaluating the new information metrics among statistically independent variables, where traditional techniques therefore find no information links. Notwithstanding the factorability of the distributions associated to the aforementioned independent variables, synergistic and redundant information are found to emerge from microphysical, event-scale codependencies in far-from-equilibrium nonlinear statistical mechanics. The findings are illustrated to shed light onto fundamental causal mechanisms and unveil elusive dynamic predictability of non-recurrent critical transitions and extreme events across multiscale hydro-climatic problems.

Extending the previous two years of research results (Mizarch, et al, 2012, Tao, 2011, 2012), the third year’s efforts in both Maryland and Israel were directed towards the engineering of the system. The activities included the robust chick handling and its conveyor system development, optical system improvement, online dynamic motion imaging of chicks, multi-image sequence optimal feather extraction and detection, and pattern recognition. Mechanical System Engineering The third model of the mechanical chick handling system with high-speed imaging system was built as shown in Fig. 1. This system has the improved chick holding cups and motion mechanisms that enable chicks to open wings through the view section. The mechanical system has achieved the speed of 4 chicks per second which exceeds the design specs of 3 chicks per second. In the center of the conveyor, a high-speed camera with UV sensitive optical system, shown in Fig.2, was installed that captures chick images at multiple frames (45 images and system selectable) when the chick passing through the view area. Through intensive discussions and efforts, the PIs of Maryland and ARO have created the protocol of joint hardware and software that uses sequential images of chick in its fall motion to capture opening wings and extract the optimal opening positions. This approached enables the reliable feather feature extraction in dynamic motion and pattern recognition. Improving of Chick Wing Deployment The mechanical system for chick conveying and especially the section that cause chicks to deploy their wings wide open under the fast video camera and the UV light was investigated along the third study year. As a natural behavior, chicks tend to deploy their wings as a mean of balancing their body when a sudden change in the vertical movement was applied. In the latest two years, this was achieved by causing the chicks to move in a free fall, in the earth gravity (g) along short vertical distance. The chicks have always tended to deploy their wing but not always in wide horizontal open situation. Such position is requested in order to get successful image under the video camera. Besides, the cells with checks bumped suddenly at the end of the free falling path. That caused the chicks legs to collapse inside the cells and the image of wing become bluer. For improving the movement and preventing the chick legs from collapsing, a slowing down mechanism was design and tested. This was done by installing of plastic block, that was printed in a predesign variable slope (Fig. 3) at the end of the path of falling cells (Fig.4). The cells are moving down in variable velocity according the block slope and achieve zero velocity at the end of the path. The slop was design in a way that the deacceleration become 0.8g instead the free fall gravity (g) without presence of the block. The tests showed better deployment and wider chick's wing opening as well as better balance along the movement. Design of additional sizes of block slops is under investigation. Slops that create accelerations of 0.7g, 0.9g, and variable accelerations are designed for improving movement path and images.

As automated road vehicles begin their deployment into public traffic, and they will need to interact with human driven vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. This requires some form of communication between those automated vehicles (AVs) and other road users. Some of these communication modes (e.g., auditory, motion) were discussed in “Unsettled Issues Regarding Communication of Automated Vehicles with Other Road Users.” Unsettled Issues Regarding Visual Communication Between Automated Vehicles and Other Road Users focuses on sisual communication and its balance of reach, clarity, and intuitiveness. This report discusses the different modes of visual communication (such a simple lights and rich text) and how they can be used for communication between AVs and other road users. A particular emphasis is put on standardization to highlight how uniformity and mass adoption increases efficacy of communications means.

The swelling of plant motor cells is regulated by various signals with almost unknown mediators. One of the obligatory steps in the signaling cascade is the activation of K+-influx channels -K+ channels activated by hyperpolarization (KH channels). We thus explored the regulation of these channels in our model system, motor cell protoplasts from Samanea saman, using patch-clamp in the "whole cell" configuration. (a) The most novel finding was that the activity of KH channels in situ varied with the time of the day, in positive correlation with cell swelling: in Extensor cells KH channels were active in the earlier part of the day, while in Flexor cells only during the later part of the day; (b) High internal pH promoted the activity of these channels in Extensor cells, opposite to the behavior of the equivalent channels in guard cells, but in conformity with the predicted behavior of the putative KH channel, cloned from S. saman recently; (c) HIgh external K+ concentration increased (KH channel currents in Flexor cells. BL depolarized the Flexor cells, as detected in cell-attached patch-clamp recording, using KD channels (the K+-efflux channels) as "voltage-sensing devices". Subsequent Red-Light (RL) pulse followed by Darkness, hyperpolarized the cell. We attribute these changes to the inhibition of the H+-pump by BL and its reactivation by RL, as they were abolished by an H+-pump inhibitor. BL increased also the activity KD channels, in a voltage-independent manner - in all probability by an independent signaling pathway. Blue-Light (BL), which stimulates shrinking of Flexor cells, evoked the IP3 signaling cascade (detected directly by IP3 binding assay), known to mobilize cytosolic Ca2+. Nevertheless, cytosolic Ca2+ . did not activate the KD channel in excised, inside-out patches. In this study we established a close functional similarity of the KD channels between Flexor and Extensior cells. Thus the differences in their responses must stem from different links to signaling in both cell types.

Original Objectives: 1. Purify and biochemically characterize RB60 orthologs in higher plant chloroplasts; 2. Clone the gene(s) encoding plant RB60 orthologs and determine their structure and expression; 3. Manipulate the expression of RB60; 4. Assay the effects of altered RB60 expression on thylakoid biogenesis and photosynthetic function in plants exposed to different light conditions. In addition, we also examined the gene structure and expression of RB60 orthologs in the non-vascular plant, Physcomitrella patens and cloned the poly(A)-binding protein orthologue (43 kDa RB47-like protein). This protein is believed to a partner that interacts with RB60 to bind to the psbA5' UTR. Thus, to obtain a comprehensive view of RB60 function requires analysis of its biochemical partners such as RB43. Background & Achievements: High levels of sunlight reduce photosynthesis in plants by damaging the photo system II reaction center (PSII) subunits, such as D1 (encoded by the chloroplast tpsbAgene). When the rate of D1 synthesis is less than the rate of photo damage, photo inhibition occurs and plant growth is decreased. Plants use light-activated translation and enhanced psbAmRNA stability to maintain D1 synthesis and replace the photo damaged 01. Despite the importance to photosynthetic capacity, these mechanisms are poorly understood in plants. One intriguing model derived from the algal chloroplast system, Chlamydomonas, implicates the role of three proteins (RB60, RB47, RB38) that bind to the psbAmRNA 5' untranslated leader (5' UTR) in the light to activate translation or enhance mRNA stability. RB60 is the key enzyme, protein D1sulfide isomerase (Pill), that regulates the psbA-RN :Binding proteins (RB's) by way of light-mediated redox potentials generated by the photosystems. However, proteins with these functions have not been described from higher plants. We provided compelling evidence for the existence of RB60, RB47 and RB38 orthologs in the vascular plant, Arabidopsis. Using gel mobility shift, Rnase protection and UV-crosslinking assays, we have shown that a dithiol redox mechanism which resembles a Pill (RB60) activity regulates the interaction of 43- and 30-kDa proteins with a thermolabile stem-loop in the 5' UTR of the psbAmRNA from Arabidopsis. We discovered, in Arabidopsis, the PD1 gene family consists of II members that differ in polypeptide length from 361 to 566 amino acids, presence of signal peptides, KDEL motifs, and the number and positions of thioredoxin domains. PD1's catalyze the reversible formation an disomerization of disulfide bonds necessary for the proper folding, assembly, activity, and secretion of numerous enzymes and structural proteins. PD1's have also evolved novel cellular redox functions, as single enzymes and as subunits of protein complexes in organelles. We provide evidence that at least one Pill is localized to the chloroplast. We have used PDI-specific polyclonal and monoclonal antisera to characterize the PD1 (55 kDa) in the chloroplast that is unevenly distributed between the stroma and pellet (containing membranes, DNA, polysomes, starch), being three-fold more abundant in the pellet phase. PD1-55 levels increase with light intensity and it assembles into a high molecular weight complex of ~230 kDa as determined on native blue gels. In vitro translation of all 11 different Pill's followed by microsomal membrane processing reactions were used to differentiate among PD1's localized in the endoplasmic reticulum or other organelles. These results will provide.1e insights into redox regulatory mechanisms involved in adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus to light stress. Elucidating the genetic mechanisms and factors regulating chloroplast photosynthetic genes is important for developing strategies to improve photosynthetic efficiency, crop productivity and adaptation to high light environments.