This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7126, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and the Conference Committee listing.

It is shown that with the construction of unique experimental facilities together with the use of short-duration and timeresolved digital imaging, a number of aspects regarding shock wave reflection, which are regularly quoted in the literature, are found to be either inexact or even incorrect. Two main issues are addressed here: the first being the experimental resolution of the two von Neumann Paradoxes, and the other the reflection of shock waves off curved surfaces. Neither of these could have been addressed without high-speed imaging. The paradoxes arises from the finding that von Neumann's theory for flow across an oblique shock wave is excellent for describing regular reflection and threeshock patterns for non-weak shocks, but fails for weak shocks and for predicting transition between regular and Mach reflection. Specially constructed rigs, one which magnifies the process ten times and the other which removes the effect of the wall illustrate the reasons for the paradoxes. Recent studies on shock reflection in cavities using a novel flow visualization technique and high-speed time resolved imaging has shown that the shock wave reflection off a curved wall is somewhat different from that described in the literature and which has been extracted from single shot imaging.

Ultra fast X-ray imaging has been undertaken upon AWE's and Sandia National Laboratories' radiation effects x-ray simulators. These simulators typically yield a single very short (<20ns) pulse of high-energy (MeV endpoint energy bremsstrahlung) x-ray radiation with doses in the kilorad (krad (Si)) region. X-ray source targets vary in size from 2 to 25cm diameter, dependent upon the particular simulator. Electronic imaging of the source x-ray emission under dynamic conditions yields valuable information upon how the simulator is performing. The resultant images are of interest to the simulator designer who may configure new x-ray source converter targets and diode designs. The images can provide quantitative information about machine performance during radiation effects testing of components under active conditions. The paper highlights the new ULTRA fast framing camera, developed by Photek Ltd. in-conjunction with AWE, which is capable of imaging up to 500 Million frames per second. Unique sequences of time resolved high spatial resolution images, have been captured in the nanosecond timeframe with zero interframe time, of the source x-rays, utilising our novel configurations. Further, a dedicated diagnostic experiment capturing time resolved x-ray phenomenon, utilising a customised streak tomographic technique, with a multi-billion frames per second recording and 2048 frames capture sequence capability, is described. The fundamental principles of our imaging systems can be applied to other visible and x-ray imaging scenarios.

A combination of high-speed stroboscopic imaging with the Image Pattern Correlation Technique (IPCT) enables for non-intrusive measurement of surface deformation of fast vibrating or rotating objects. In this paper the dedicated instrumentation for the measurement of the deformation of aircraft propellers as well as first results of its application will be described.

We are developing an ultra-high-sensitivity and ultra-high-speed imaging system for bioscience, mainly for imaging of microbes with visible light and cells with fluorescence emission. Scarcity of photons is the most serious problem in applications of high-speed imaging to the scientific field. To overcome the problem, the system integrates new technologies consisting of (1) an ultra-high-speed video camera with sub-ten-photon sensitivity with the frame rate of more than 1 mega frames per second, (2) a microscope with highly efficient use of light applicable to various unstained and fluorescence cell observations, and (3) very powerful long-pulse-strobe Xenon lights and lasers for microscopes. Various auxiliary technologies to support utilization of the system are also being developed. One example of them is an efficient video trigger system, which detects a weak signal of a sudden change in a frame under ultra-high-speed imaging by canceling high-frequency fluctuation of illumination light. This paper outlines the system with its preliminary evaluation results.

A feasibility study is presented for an image sensor capable of image capturing at 100 Mega-frames per second (Mfps). The basic structure of the sensor is the backside-illuminated ISIS, the in-situ storage image sensor, with slanted linear CCD memories, which has already achieved 1 Mfps with very high sensitivity. There are many potential technical barriers to further increase the frame rate up to 100 Mfps, such as traveling time of electrons within a pixel, Resistive-Capacitive (RC) delay in driving voltage transfer, heat generation, heavy electro-magnetic noises, etc. For each of the barriers, a countermeasure is newly proposed and the technical and practical possibility is examined mainly by simulations. The new technical proposals include a special wafer with n and p double epitaxial layers with smoothly changing doping profiles, a design method with curves, the thunderbolt bus lines, and digitalnoiseless image capturing by the ISIS with solely sinusoidal driving voltages. It is confirmed that the integration of these technologies is very promising to realize a practical image sensor with the ultra-high frame rate.

This paper presents preliminary evaluation results of a test sensor of the backside-illuminated ISIS, an ultra-high sensitivity and ultra-high speed CCD image sensor. To achieve ultra-high sensitivity, the CCD image sensor employs the following three technologies: backside illumination, cooling and Charge Carrier Multiplication (CCM). The test sensor has been designed, fabricated and evaluated. At room temperature without cooling, the video camera has about ten-time higher sensitivity than the previous one, which was supported by a conventional front side illumination technology. Furthermore, the video camera can detect images at very low signal level, less than 5 e-, by using CCM at -40 degree C.

We developed an ultrahigh-speed color video camera that operates at 1,000,000 fps (frames per second) and had capacity to store 288 frame memories. In 2005, we developed an ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity portable color camera with a 300,000-pixel single CCD (ISIS-V4: In-situ Storage Image Sensor, Version 4). Its ultrahigh-speed shooting capability of 1,000,000 fps was made possible by directly connecting CCD storages, which record video images, to the photodiodes of individual pixels. The number of consecutive frames was 144. However, longer capture times were demanded when the camera was used during imaging experiments and for some television programs. To increase ultrahigh-speed capture times, we used a beam splitter and two ultrahigh-speed 300,000-pixel CCDs. The beam splitter was placed behind the pick up lens. One CCD was located at each of the two outputs of the beam splitter. The CCD driving unit was developed to separately drive two CCDs, and the recording period of the two CCDs was sequentially switched. This increased the recording capacity to 288 images, an increase of a factor of two over that of conventional ultrahigh-speed camera. A problem with the camera was that the incident light on each CCD was reduced by a factor of two by using the beam splitter. To improve the light sensitivity, we developed a microlens array for use with the ultrahigh-speed CCDs. We simulated the operation of the microlens array in order to optimize its shape and then fabricated it using stamping technology. Using this microlens increased the light sensitivity of the CCDs by an approximate factor of two. By using a beam splitter in conjunction with the microlens array, it was possible to make an ultrahigh-speed color video camera that has 288 frame memories but without decreasing the camera's light sensitivity.

A 52-M pixel, 71mm x 54mm, full-frame CCD imager with 8.6 um x 8.6 um pixel size has been developed for use in high speed scanning applications. On-going interest for ultra-high resolution, high speed imagers for electronic imaging OEM customers in various scientific markets including spectroscopy and digital photography has led to the development of the STA2500A. Innovative design techniques were utilized in the production of this device. 32 outputs running at 40 Mhz yield a 20Hz frame rate with low RMS noise and high MTF. This paper will provide detailed information on design trades developed for high-speed imagers leading to the design and performance capabilities of the STA2500A, as well as a description of the electronics required for its use.

In contrast to the conventional image intensifier with large work area, a streak image tube should possess additional important feature - the comparatively small temporal distortion at the entire work area of the photocathode. With this additional engineering restriction taken into account, a novel small-size meshless streak image tube has been developed by means of numerical optimization. The tube with 25-mm wide work area contains a pair of deflection plates to sweep the electron image along the 25 mm output phosphor screen that is separated by 100 mm from the photocathode. The electron image can be shuttered with a 300 V blanking electric pulse. Electron-optical magnification of the tube is unit; spatial resolution reaches 30 lp/mm over the entire photocathode work area; temporal resolution lies in the 20 - 50 ps range, depending on the accelerating voltage (6 - 15 kV).

To analyze in detail the effect of Coulomb repulsion on ultrashort electron bunch formation, a special numerical procedure based on the combination of the improved Barnes-Hut method and the aberrational technique is proposed. The results of numerical experiments on the bunch formation in dynamic photoelectron tubes are presented and discussed.

The paper reports on the development of a new streak image tube with accelerating mesh and large (18 mm) photocathode work area. The tube's temporal resolution is close to one picosecond. To govern photoelectronic images the tube possesses shutter and deflector plates. Its geometric design allows uniform spatial resolution (more than 25 lp/mm) along the entire photocathode work area at 1.3 electron-optical magnification and negligibly small distortion. Being a continuation of the well-known PV and PIF - type streak image tubes developed in due time in GPI, the tube represents a promising tool for taking pictures of ultrafast processes in wide radiation spectrum range.

Presented are the recent, numerically-supported experimental results on temporal compressing of electron bunch in timedependent electric field, derived with the use of a unique photoelectron gun that has been simulated, designed, manufactured, and tested at the Photoelectronics Department of A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS. An original photoelectron bunch generated from the photocathode by a 7 ps laser pulse was compressed down to ~fs. The future prospects of temporal compressing of electron bunch in time-dependent fields are discussed.

Dynamic shock wave reflection generated by a rapidly pitching wedge in a steady supersonic free stream have been studied with numerical simulation previously. This paper publishes the development and design of an experimental facility to characterize these dynamic shock wave reflection phenomena. The paper documents details of the experimental rig, flow visualization technique and the high-speed imaging system. High-speed schlieren images from tests with gradual, but dynamic wedge pitch are included. Flow field images are captured with a Photron Ultima APX-RS high-speed camera at 250 fps. Tests were conducted at Mach 1.9 and Mach 3.0 free stream conditions in a supersonic wind tunnel. The high-speed imaging enabled the accurate determination of the point of transition between regular and Mach reflection. The wedge incidence for which the shock system is swallowed and disgorged was also measured during these tests.

The visual study of unsteady shock wave dynamics has in the past predominantly been done using single-shot images. The advent of ultra-fast, good-resolution high-speed digital cameras has changed this state of affairs and allows the true development of the flow to be studied. It enables the detection of weaker features which are easily overlooked in singleshot visualizations by virtue of the fact that human vision is very sensitive to detecting the motion of an object, even if it generates only a faint optical signal. Recent application of these devices to the study of the focusing of a shock wave in a cylindrical cavity has identified a number of previously unknown features, while other features that previously had been inadequately reported could be clearly identified and explained The observation of deliberately generated weak disturbances allows the quantification of which part of the flow is influenced by which part of the boundaries encompassing it. Whilst the imaging itself is very useful it is also highly desirable to use techniques from which quantitative data can be obtained. Color, such as in direction- and magnitude-indicating color schlieren, and polychrome shearing interferometry, adds an additional dimension to such investigations.

We have developed a five-picture Cranz-Schardin system for Schlieren flow visualization on a gun tunnel facility at the University of Southern Queensland to aid the study of unsteady shock systems in nominally steady hypersonic flows. The system produces useful images at framing rates up to about 1 MHz even though the system development was constrained by a very modest budget. The system uses multiple LED light sources driven by an in-house designed device that delivers a high current pulse to each LED with a programmable time delay between each pulse. The images are captured using four separate, black and white video devices and one digital still camera. The utility of the system is demonstrated by imaging gas injection from an annulus on a 10 degree half angle cone positioned at the exit of the contoured Mach 7 nozzle. Visualisation of the cone without gas injection demonstrates that the half angle of the conical shock is approximately 13.9 degrees (the Taylor-Maccoll conical shock angle at Mach 7 for an inviscid cone half angle of 10 degrees is 12.9 degrees). The gas injection condition used in these experiments disturbed the flow field upstream of the injection point to such an extent that the thickness of the shocked flow at the point of injection was larger than the no-injection case by a factor of approximately two. The conical shock angle in the case of injection increased to approximately 19 degrees, and a variation in this shock angle of approximately 1 degree was observed during the nominally steady, facility run time.

This paper describes the application of the free flight technique to determine the aerodynamic coefficients of a model for the flow conditions produced in a shock tunnel. Sting-based force measurement techniques either lack the required temporal response or are restricted to large complex models. Additionally the free flight technique removes the flow interference produced by the sting that is present for these other techniques. Shock tunnel test flows present two major challenges to the practical implementation of the free flight technique. These are the millisecond-order duration of the test flows and the spatial and temporal nonuniformity of these flows. These challenges are overcome by the combination of an ultra-high speed digital video camera to record the trajectory, with spatial and temporal mapping of the test flow conditions. Use of a lightweight model ensures sufficient motion during the test time. The technique is demonstrated using the simple case of drag measurement on a spherical model, free flown in a Mach 10 shock tunnel condition.

An investigation of flow establishment behind two blunt bodies, a circular cylinder and a 45° half-angle blunted-cone was conducted. Unlike previous studies which relied solely on surface measurements, the present study combines these with unique high-speed visualisation to image the establishment of the flow structure in the base region. Test flows were generated using a free-piston shock tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 10. The freestream unit Reynolds numbers considered were 3.02x10⁵/m and 1.17x10⁶/m at total enthalpies of 13.3⁵MJ/kg and 3.94MJ/kg, respectively. In general, the experiments showed that it takes longer to establish steady heat flux than pressure. The circular cylinder data showed that the near wake had a slight Reynolds number effect, where the size of the near wake was smaller for the high enthalpy flow condition. The blunted-cone data showed that the heat flux and pressures reached steady states in the near wake at similar times for both high and low enthalpy conditions.

Three different applications of high-speed near-resonantly enhanced shearing interferometry to visualise and investigate hypersonic wake flows are described. In the present application, two axisymmetric objects, a sphere and a model of a planetary entry vehicle, are placed in a Mach 10 shock tunnel flow. The influence of different mounting structures on the wake flow of the entry vehicle is demonstrated. Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) thermometry is used as an additional tool to monitor base flow temperatures. The unsteadiness of the wake flow of the sphere is compared to the flow unsteadiness around the entry-probe. The velocity in selected parts of the wake flow field is also determined with the help of a time-resolved time-of-flight method.

In order to investigate the unsteady flow field around a spiked body in supersonic flow, time-resolved color schlieren visualization was applied using a high-speed video camera which could take up to 1 000 000 frames per second at full frame resolution. Conically and spherically tipped spikes of six different lengths could be attached at the center of the model and their effect on the flow unsteadiness was visually observed. The obtained images revealed in great detail the interaction between the incoming free stream flow and the high-pressure region near the model base, which could make its presence known upstream at the tip of the spike by means of displacing the boundary layer on the spike and subsequently inducing a large-scale instability of the flow.

The flow field formed by the impact of a water drop in the vortex ring region was studied using high framing rate particle image velocimetry (HFRPIV). A survey of the current hardware available for HFRPIV is given followed by the results for a HFRPIV study at 1 kHz (double frames). The HFRPIV results are matched against observations from a dyed drop experiments with similar impact conditions. The results show that the vortex ring is formed by the downward flow of the fluid during the collapse of the cavity. The vortex ring that propagates downwards has a rotation opposite in sign to the vortex ring that propagates with the capillary waves that radiates outwards along the free surface from the impact site. The vortex ring that propagates downwards originates in the bulk fluid and entrains the dye in the drop fluid during the cavity collapse stage. The results show that the vortex ring is not shed from the cavity interface with the drop fluid as is often interpreted from observation with dyed drop results.

A thin metal electrode tip instantly changes its shape into a sphere or a needlelike shape in a single electrical discharge of high current. These changes occur within several hundred microseconds. To observe these high-speed phenomena in a single discharge, an imaging system using a high-speed video camera and a high repetition rate pulse laser was constructed. A nanosecond laser, the wavelength of which was 532 nm, was used as the illuminating source of a newly developed high-speed video camera, HPV-1. The time resolution of our system was determined by the laser pulse width and was about 80 nanoseconds. The system can take one hundred pictures at 16- or 64-microsecond intervals in a single discharge event. A band-pass filter at 532 nm was placed in front of the camera to block the emission of the discharge arc at other wavelengths. Therefore, clear images of the electrode were recorded even during the discharge. If the laser was not used, only images of plasma during discharge and thermal radiation from the electrode after discharge were observed. These results demonstrate that the combination of a high repetition rate and a short pulse laser with a high speed video camera provides a unique and powerful method for high speed imaging.

The early evolution of laser-induced plasma explosions has been investigated by means of a high-speed time-resolved schlieren visualisation. Images were obtained with a high-speed video camera yielding frame rates of up to 1 million frames per second at a frame resolution of 312 by 260 pixels. With this setup it was possible to resolve the temporal development of the ionised plasma kernel and its associated shock wave. The plasma is formed by focusing a pulsed ruby laser beam, with pulse energies of up to 4.5 J. The time-resolved visual data have been used to yield shock speeds, from which, together with direct energy measurements, one can determine the portion of energy released by the plasma explosion to drive the shock. Shock sphericity as well as plasma growth and emission lifetimes have also been evaluated. The location of longest emission lifetime was found to change as a function of laser pulse energy: for high energy pulses, the longest-living plasma luminosity was located ahead of the focal spot, i.e. closer to the laser source, while with lower energy pulses the longest-living plasma luminosity was located behind the focal spot. This behaviour was also observed for double-pulsed plasma explosions, when a second laser pulse was generated with a delay time of 50 μs. The experiments show that for single pulses, more than 50 percent of the laser energy is expended in generating the shock wave.

In the study of boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE), the critical point to interpret the mechanism of the disaster is to analyze the phase transition of the superheated liquid in the container and the motions of the medium during the first several or several tens of milliseconds after the explosion from the microscopic angle of view. In the study recorded in this paper, a BLEVE simulative device was made. Using high-speed camera, the instant explosive boiling in the liquor phase space and the formation and development of the high speed two-phase flow were observed at the moment of the container broken in explosion, the growing and moving speed of the bubble in the liquor phase space were measured, and the influence of the energy released by blasted bubble nucleate in the early stages on the boiling characteristics of the superheated liquid and the overpressure disciplines in the container were analyzed. The study shows that in a BLEVE process, the boiling of superheated liquid does not present in the form of volume boiling, but presents as a progressive process with several steps that starts from the surface and develops over time.

Experiments of flame propagation in a small, closed rectangular duct with a 90° bend were performed for a propane-air mixture. The high speed camera and Schlieren techniques were used to record images of flame propagation process in the combustion pipe. Meanwhile, the fine thermocouples and ion current probes were applied to measure the temperature distribution and reaction intensity of combustion. The characteristics of propane-air flame and its microstructure were analyzed in detail by the experimental results. In the test, the special tulip flame formation was observed. Around the bend, the flame tip proceeded more quickly at the lower side with the flame front elongated toward the axial direction. And transition to turbulent flame occurred. It was suggested that fluctuations of velocity, ion current and temperature were mainly due to the comprehensive effects of multi-wave and the intense of turbulent combustion.

The discharge in linear plasma X-ray flash tubes ( Sato tubes ) is simulated. For the geometry of a cylinder cathode outside and an anode in the centre, the electrical fields and potentials are calculated and the propagation of electrons are studied. Space charge limits the current in the initial phase strongly. Replacing the vacuum by plasma from the anode evaporation, it is possible to get increasing current and strong X-ray pulses. Space charge is important for the high intensity X-ray production up to the end of the emission.

Although we have aspired to observe dynamic changes in fluorescent images at the cellular level for a long time, the commercially available video cameras are not at all suitable for this purpose because of their low frame rates and photosensitivity. The present work tackles this issue and describes our attempt to find a solution by using our high-speed video camera and an ultrabright illumination system. We used light sources with considerably higher energy because conventional mercury lamps cannot produce sufficient brightness for our video cameras working a rate of more than 4,500 fps to obtain fluorescent images of cells. We observed that the flagellar movement of mice sperms ceased and multiple kinks developed in their tails when exposed to 2.7W of laser illumination for 1 s. In contrast, no significant alterations could be detected when the sperms were subjected to the same amount of energy by intermittent illumination. Since we found that cells can survive short-duration exposure to high-energy light, we attempted to construct an ultrabright Xenon-strobe illumination system. Our fluorescence studies are currently being extended to other types of animal cells, e.g., observation of the conduction of action potentials in the peripheral nerves of frog.

The visual study of unsteady shock wave dynamics has in the past predominantly been done using single-shot images. The advent of ultra-fast, good-resolution high-speed digital cameras has changed this state of affairs and allows the true development of the flow to be studied. It enables the detection of weaker features which are easily overlooked in singleshot visualizations by virtue of the fact that human vision is very sensitive to detecting the motion of an object, even if it generates only a faint optical signal. Recent application of these devices to the study of the focusing of a shock wave in a cylindrical cavity has identified a number of previously unknown features, while other features that previously had been inadequately reported could be clearly identified and explained The observation of deliberately generated weak disturbances allows the quantification of which part of the flow is influenced by which part of the boundaries encompassing it. Whilst the imaging itself is very useful it is also highly desirable to use techniques from which quantitative data can be obtained. Color, such as in direction- and magnitude-indicating color schlieren, and polychrome shearing interferometry, adds an additional dimension to such investigations.

The authors applied an ultra-high-speed video camera to visualize crack propagation in brittle bodies, such as mortar specimens, under the impact splitting test. Strain of the brittle bodies in impact splitting tests was analyzed by means of PIV (Particle Image Velocimtery), which is usually used for measurements of flow fields with tracer particles. The results show that, when the applied impulse on the mortar specimens is increased, the crack propagation velocity reaches an upper bound. The upper bound of the crack propagation velocity was 2.6 km/sec. The horizontal tensile strain around the crack tip was estimated to be 370 μ by PIV measurement with the ultra-high-speed camera, and 270 - 375 μ by strain gages, respectively. Those results showed a good agreement with each other.

In many large and small scale devices metal and glass are used side-by-side. In general, metal components are coupled directly to glass components to provide extra strength. However, in certain configurations the metal-glass interface is a structural weak point. This is particularly the case when the composite metal-glass systems are subjected to impact loading. In this work the impact, and subsequent failure, process of a simply layered glass-metal-glass composite structure was investigated. The structure consisted of a core array of cylindrically shaped metal separators sandwiched between two flat sheets of soda-lime glass. High speed photography was used to capture the impact process, and the subsequent failure, of the composite. Even though significant damage was sustained at the impact point, the high speed photography showed that the initial failure point was not at the impact point.

In order to study the possibility of utilizing the in-plane dynamic property of aluminum honeycombs to soft shock absorbers in a man-to-car impact or a man-to-machine impact environment, dynamic responses of aluminum honeycombs of various cell size and cell number to the in-plane and uni-directional impact loading were investigated experimentally. A high-speed video camera and an acceleration pickup were used to investigate the deformation process and the shock absorption characteristics.

The objective of this study is to clarify the fracture mechanism of unidirectional CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) under static tensile loading. The advantages of CFRP are higher specific stiffness and strength than the metal material. The use of CFRP is increasing in not only the aerospace and rapid transit railway industries but also the sports, leisure and automotive industries. The tensile fracture mechanism of unidirectional CFRP has not been experimentally made clear because the fracture speed of unidirectional CFRP is quite high. We selected the intermediate modulus and high strength unidirectional CFRP laminate which is a typical material used in the aerospace field. The fracture process under static tensile loading was captured by a conventional high-speed camera and a new type High-Speed Video Camera HPV-1. It was found that the duration of fracture is 200 microseconds or less, then images taken by a conventional camera doesn't have enough temporal-resolution. On the other hand, results obtained by HPV-1 have higher quality where the fracture process can be clearly observed.

The noise of today's CCD-cameras can be so small that the photon's shot noise is dominant. The size of possible grey steps is calculated. It depends on the intensity of light. If the picture has 100 grey steps, then the high of the detectable grey step is about 100times as large in the bright part of the picture compared with the smallest steps in the dark part of the image. The results are applied to experiments. The picture quality is discussed in relation to resolution in space and time. A parallelepiped block for images is presented. If you want to have a delicately stepped grey scale, then you have to drop other information which is carried by the photons.

We show bubbles investigated with videography and multiple colour LED flash illumination. The short flashes show the propagation and development of the shape of the bubbles. The long flashes make the velocity vector of the bubbles directly visible and allow easy investigation of the unstable movement. If bubbles are used to reduce friction of ships, then it is effective to spread the gas volume over lots of micro bubbles. Another experiment is the investigation of the noise of a bass reflex loud-speaker. The visualisation of air flow shows linear behaviour at low power and a previously unknown effect at high power - continuous streaming of air in the bass reflex tube.

Two-color radiometry by a high-speed camera is effective to obtain the temperature distribution map of high temperature phenomenon, which changes its figure rapidly. We have developed the two-color method by a color high-speed camera and put it into practical use. However, in the case of phenomenon that has chemical luminescence besides the thermal emission, it is difficult to get accurate data from the method that measures visible wavelength images. In case that chemiluminescence is in visible wavelengths but not in near-infrared region, we can obtain high-speed NIR images and high-speed temperature distribution map by two frame-synchronized high-speed cameras which are equipped with NIR band-pass filters. We would report on the result of an experiment using an optical bench and software which we have developed.

In this paper, we report on the latest experimental results on UV-visible multichannel streak cameras for pulse shape measurement on CEA Laser Megajoule facility. Two main characteristics of these instruments were studied: linear dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. With a standard PHOTONIS P820PSU bilamellar streak tube working at -10kV, a linear dynamic range of 240 was measured simultaneously in 7 channels at a 25 ns sweep duration. This value is adequate for the measurement of a high contrast laser pulse. Nevertheless, the signal-to-noise ratio at the bottom of the channel dynamic range is not sufficient to reach the requirements on the power measurement accuracy (better than few percents rms). This would require that the maximum output peak current of the P820 streak tube (0.25 mA @ - 10 kV) be improved by a factor of 5. Finally, the streak cameras that we deploy will have to be fully calibrated.

Methods to correct for atmospheric degradation of imagery and improve the "seeing" of a telescope are well known in astronomy but, to date, have rarely been applied to more earthly matters such as surveillance. The intrinsically more complicated visual fields, the dominance of low-altitude distortion effects, the requirement to process large volumes of data in near real-time, the inability to pre-select ideal sites and the desirability of ruggedness and portability all combine to pose a significant challenge. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology has advanced to the point where modern devices contain hundreds of thousands of logic gates, multiple "hard" processors and multi-gigabit serial communication links. Such devices present an ideal platform to tackle the demands of surveillance image processing. We report a rugged, lightweight system which allows multiple FPGA "modules" to be added together in order to quickly and easily reallocate computing resources. The devices communicate via 2.5Gbps serial links and process image data in a streaming fashion, reducing as much data as possible on-the-fly in order to present a minimised load to storage and/or communication devices. To maximise the benefit of such a system we have devised an open protocol for FPGA-based image processing called "OpenStream". This allows image processing cores to be quickly and easily added into or removed from the data stream and harnesses the benefits of code-reuse and standardisation. It further allows image processing tasks to be easily partitioned across multiple, heterogeneous FPGA domains and permits a designer the flexibility to allocate cores to the most appropriate FPGA. OpenStream is the infrastructure to facilitate rapid, graphical, development of FPGA based image processing algorithms especially when they must be partitioned across multiple FPGAs. Ultimately it will provide a means to automatically allocate and connect resources across FPGA domains in a manner analogous to the way logic synthesis tools allocate and connect resources within an FPGA.

Surveillance imaging from long-range requires use of telescopic optics, and fast electro-optic sensors. The intervening air introduces distortion of the imagery and its spatial frequency content, and does so such that regions of the image suffer dissimilar distortion, visible in the first instance as a time varying geometrical warp, and then as region specific blurring or "speckle". The severity of this, and hence the reduction in size of regions exhibiting similar distortion, is a function of the field of view of the telescope, the height above ground of the imaging path, the range to the target, and climatic conditions. Image processing algorithms must be run on the sequence of imagery to correct these distortions, on the assumption that exposure time has effectively "frozen" the turbulence. These are absent of knowledge of the actual scene under investigation. Successful algorithms do manage to correct the apparent warping, and in doing so they yield both information on the bulk turbulent medium, and allow for reconstruction of spatial frequency content of the scene that would have been lost by the capability of the optics had their been no turbulence. This is known as turbulence-induced super-resolution. To confirm the success of algorithms in both correction and reconstruction of such super-resolution we have devised a field experiment where the truth image is known and which uses other methods to evaluate the turbulence for collaboration of the results. We report here a new algorithm, which has proved successful in satellite remote sensing, for restoring this imagery to quality beyond the diffraction limits set by the optics.

Tea categories classification is an importance task for quality inspection. And traditional way for doing this by human is time-consuming, requirement of too much manual labor. This study proposed a method for discriminating green tea categories based on multi-spectral images technique. Four tea categories were selected for this study, and total of 243 multi-spectral images were collected using a common-aperture multi-spectral charged coupled device camera with three channels (550, 660 and 800 nm). A compound image which has the clearest outline of samples was process by combination of the three monochrome images (550, 660 and 800 nm). After image preprocessing, 18 morphometry parameters were obtained for each samples. The 18 parameters used including area, perimeter, centroid and eccentricity et al. To better understanding these parameters, principal component analysis was conducted on them, and score plot of the first three independent components was obtained. The first three components accounted for 99.02% of the variation of original 18 parameters. It can be found that the four tea categories were distributed in dense clusters respectively in score plot. But the boundaries among them were not clear, so a further discrimination must be developed. Three algorithms including support vector machines, artificial neural network and linear discriminant analysis were adopted for developed classification models based on the optimized 9 features. Wonderful result was obtained by support vector machines model with accuracy of 93.75% for prediction unknown samples in testing set. It can be concluded that it is an effective method to classification tea categories based on computer vision, and support vector machines is very specialized for development of classification model.

The determination of citric acid of lemon vinegar was processed using visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy combined with least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM). Five concentration levels (100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20%) of lemon vinegar were studied. The calibration set was consisted of 225 samples (45 samples for each level) and the remaining 75 samples for the validation set. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis was employed for the calibration models as well as extraction of certain latent variables (LVs) and effective wavelengths (EWs). Different preprocessing methods were compared in PLS models including smoothing, standard normal variate (SNV), the first and second derivative. The selected LVs and EWs were employed as the inputs to develop least square-support vector machine (LSSVM) models. The optimal prediction results were achieved by LV-LS-SVM model, and the correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and bias for validation set were 0.9990, 0.1972 and -0.0334, respectively. Moreover, the EW-LS-SVM model was also acceptable and slightly better than all PLS models. The results indicated that Vis/NIR spectroscopy could be utilized as a parsimonious and efficient way for the determination of citric acid of lemon vinegar based on LS-SVM method.

Multi-spectral imaging technique based on texture analysis and machine learning was proposed to discriminate alien invasive weeds with similar outline but different categories. The objectives of this study were to investigate the feasibility of using Multi-spectral imaging, especially the near-infrared (NIR) channel (800 nm±10 nm) to find the weeds' fingerprints, and validate the performance with specific eigenvalues by co-occurrence matrix. Veronica polita Pries, Veronica persica Poir, longtube ground ivy, Laminum amplexicaule Linn. were selected in this study, which perform different effect in field, and are alien invasive species in China. 307 weed leaves' images were randomly selected for the calibration set, while the remaining 207 samples for the prediction set. All images were pretreated by Wallis filter to adjust the noise by uneven lighting. Gray level co-occurrence matrix was applied to extract the texture character, which shows density, randomness correlation, contrast and homogeneity of texture with different algorithms. Three channels (green channel by 550 nm±10 nm, red channel by 650 nm±10 nm and NIR channel by 800 nm±10 nm) were respectively calculated to get the eigenvalues.Least-squares support vector machines (LS-SVM) was applied to discriminate the categories of weeds by the eigenvalues from co-occurrence matrix. Finally, recognition ratio of 83.35% by NIR channel was obtained, better than the results by green channel (76.67%) and red channel (69.46%). The prediction results of 81.35% indicated that the selected eigenvalues reflected the main characteristics of weeds' fingerprint based on multi-spectral (especially by NIR channel) and LS-SVM model.

In the context of fertilizer supply reduction, the understanding of the whole centrifugal spreading process became essential. Since few years we focused our research on the determination by image processing of the ejection conditions of flight of the granules, that is the trajectories and ejection angles, used as input data for ballistic flight to predict the fertilizer repartition on the ground. Due to relative high speed of the fertilizer granules (around 40 m.s^-1), the previous parameters were evaluated using a specific high speed imaging system and image processing based on motion estimation method using Markov Random Fields method (MRFs). Even if the results were good (90% of correct trajectories), this method needs an invariance of luminance between two successive images and a good initialization of the motion, quite difficult to reach with the previous imaging device. In this paper we describe some improvements of the image acquisition system (illumination management) and we tested image processings using Gabor filters and Block Matching technique. The results obtained on synthesis images are satisfying but the specific fertilizer motion and behaviour needs other improvements of these two previous methods to give accurate results in terms of speed and direction of the granules. A comparison with the MRFs method is also currently investigating to propose a final reliable image processing technique to be adapted for 3D estimation.

This paper describes the preliminary design and performances of a new developed photon counting imaging detector for Chinese ChangE-2 EUV explorer mission. The detector consists of microchannel plate (MCP) stacks and wedge and strip anode and corresponding data read out electronics. The experimental results shows that the new developed detector has a spatial resolution of about 75μm, image distortions are small and dark noise count rate less than 0.4 counts cm^-2s^-1. The pulse height distribution vs MCP operating voltages and the flat field performances are also discussed.

A fiber tunable high-power picosecond laser system has been demonstrated. A gain switch semiconductor laser diode was introduced as seed source, and a multi-stage single mode Yb-doped fiber amplifier was combined with a single mode double-clad Yb-doped fiber amplifier and a PCF amplifier to construct the amplification system. High stability and good beam quality pulses with 1MHz tunable repetition rate, 6.8W average power, 90ps pulse duration, and central wavelength tunable from 1053 nm to 1073 nm were generated. The completely fiber-integrated approach has the potential to be scaled to significantly higher average powers.

A high speed Analog VLSI Image acquisition and pre-processing system is described in this paper. A 64×64 pixel retina is used to extract the magnitude and direction of spatial gradients from images. So, the sensor implements some lowlevel image processing in a massively parallel strategy in each pixel of the sensor. Spatial gradients, various convolutions as Sobel filter or Laplacian are described and implemented on the circuit. The retina implements in a massively parallel way, at pixel level, some various treatments based on a four-quadrants multipliers architecture. Each pixel includes a photodiode, an amplifier, two storage capacitors and an analog arithmetic unit. A maximal output frame rate of about 10 000 frames per second with only image acquisition and 2000 to 5000 frames per second with image processing is achieved in a 0.35 μm standard CMOS process. The retina provides address-event coded output on three asynchronous buses, one output is dedicated to the gradient and both other to the pixel values. A prototype based on this principle, has been designed. Simulation results from Mentor Graphics^TMsoftware and AustriaMicrosystem Design kit are presented.

Gate units designed using a push-pull MOSFET output for single nanosecond ultra-fast electronic shuttering (or "gating") of image intensifiers or photomultipliers normally have to be tuned to fit the capacitance load of the detector being gated. Photek has developed a self-tuning gate unit that automatically achieves the fastest possible gating speed for any capacitance load up to 250 pF. We demonstrate an exposure time of 2 ns for a 9 mm × 9 mm segment on a 40 mm diameter detector divided into 8 segments for high speed framing. The same gate unit is capable of an exposure time of 10 ns for a full 75 mm diameter working area detector. We also demonstrate transition times in single nanoseconds from "OFF" to fully "ON" on large area ultrafast photomultipliers tubes. Sub-nanosecond gate units based on avalanche technology are often limited to short gate exposures or are unable to achieve d.c. operation. This new development has a fully flexible output that follows the TTL trigger input right up to d.c. exposure and is capable of repetition rates up to 200 KHz.

In the present communication we describe the design of the sub-100 fs streak-tube that may be used for commercial streak cameras manufacturing. Careful attention is paid to preparing of a very smooth input photocathode substrate on which a low surface resistance (1-5 Ohm/) photocathode of S-1 type is deposited. Our estimations have shown that the photocathode surface roughness of about tens of nanometers may restrict the ultimate time resolution at the level of 100 fs. This is the reason why the photocathode substrate surface has to be smooth within the units of nanometers. The curvature of the photocathode surface is also very important to compensate the difference in the time-of-flight of electrons emitted from the central and peripheral photocathode areas. Further modernization was conducted with a photocathode-accelerating mesh assembly. The assembly may operate with 2 - 3 ns (FWHM) electrical pulses of 12 - 15 kV amplitude. In order to improve the S/N ratio in the streaked images, a shuttering system was incorporated inside the tube. As the result, a completely new femtosecond streak tube of PV-FS-M type was designed, manufactured, and tested.

10ps, X-ray streak camera developed at GPI, Photoelectronics Department is intended for photographic recording of high-speed events in visible and soft X-ray spectral regions. The camera contains a picosecond streak tube of PV-003-X type with a photocathode being simultaneously sensitive in visible (250-700 nm) and soft X-ray regions (1-10KeV). Due to this unique feature the camera may be adjusted in the visible light range and afterward, without any further readjustment, be used for high-speed recording in X-ray spectral range. Both single-streak and single-frame modes are available. The streak duration range over the output phosphor screen of 25mm length is 2.5-250ns. Single frame exposure time is between 100 and 500 ns. Dynamic spatial resolution in X-ray spectral range is 7 line pairs/mm. Maximum dynamic recording range is close to 100. The camera triggering delay at maximum streak-speed is less than 50ns with the triggering jitter within ±50ps.

Numerous steps in designing an experimental prototype of a versatile pico-femtosecond streak camera are overviewed. After creation a sub-100fs streak tube with electrostatic focusing lens our main efforts were concentrated on appropriate pulse circuitries design capable to provide low delay/jitter (10 ns, 10ps) at tens of mW input triggering power level, as well as a wide range of streak speeds varying from 10⁸ cm/s to 10¹¹ cm/s. A special input relay optics with "build-up" time shorter than 100fs was also developed. Sub-10 fs laser palses from Femtosource Synergy oscillator ("Femto- Lasers", Austria) was employed for dynamic tests of the created sub-100fs image tubes and cameras.

Up to date, there has still been no electronic camera that can match a rotating mirror camera with film for the main features; therefore, it is necessary to further make R&D work in field of rotating mirror cameras. In this paper, some key problems for this kind of camera have been discussed in detail, which cover the new information theory, the advanced techniques of the optical accelerating, the shape and size calculation of rotating mirror surface in any case, the nonberyllium rotating mirror with the same deformation as beryllium rotating mirror, and the perfect designing theory of camera obscura.

A series of ultra-high-speed Schlieren and shadowgraphy images are captured at 1,000,000 frames per second to characterise eight instability modes that exist for an underexpanded supersonic jet as it impinges on perpendicular and inclined surfaces. The use of these high-speed imaging techniques allows the visualisation of these instabilities in real time, without the need to employ phase-locked methods as has been done previously. It is found that the axial instability modes show a greater degree of oscillation than the helical modes, and that the degree of oscillation increases as the impingement distance is reduced. Evidence is also presented that suggests an acoustic feedback loop exists within inclined impinging jets.

In this paper, precision high speed imaging of the pulse laser ablation of liquid surface has been described. This study is based on our previous findings that appreciable reduction of pulse laser ablation threshold of transparent material in case the pulse laser beam is incident from the water side on the interface of the transparent material and air or water. We have performed a series of experiments to observe the ablation process for laser incidence on the interface of water and air. Whole processes were observed by shadowgraphy optics by using a ns pulse laser and a high-resolution film. Within the tested experimental conditions, minimum laser fluence for laser ablation at water-air interface is shown to be around 12-16 J/cm². We have confirmed that laser ablation phenomena will take place only when laser beam is incident on the water-air interface from inside the water medium. Many slender liquid ligaments extend like milk crown and seem to be atomized at the tip of them. Jet tip is moving at supersonic velocity but is decelerated very rapidly. By changing the laser energy with keeping laser fluence at the interface, temporal evolution changes appreciably at least in the early stage of the process. These detailed structures can be resolved only by pulse laser photography by using high-resolution film.

A high-speed x-ray tomography system is useful for observing high-speed phenomena. The experimental setup for tomography consists of a tungsten-target x-ray generator, a tungsten collimator, and a computed radiography system. An object was exposed by a 2-mm-thick fun beam from the x-ray generator, and scattering x-rays from the slice plane were detected using an imaging plate through a tungsten collimator with hole diameters of 0.8 mm. Because the exposed dose for tomography was almost equal to those obtained using two intense flash x-ray generators, ultra-high-speed tomography could be performed.

Embossed radiography is an important technique for imaging target region by decreasing absorption contrast of objects. The ultra-high-speed embossed radiography system consists of a computed radiography system, an intense flash x-ray generator, and a computer program for shifting the image pixel. In the flash x-ray generator, a high-voltage condenser of 200 nF was charged to 50 kV, and the electric charges in the condenser were discharged to the flash x-ray tube after triggering the cathode electrode. The molybdenum-target evaporation lead to the formation of weakly ionized linear plasma, and intense molybdenum K-series x-rays were produced. High-speed radiography was performed using molybdenum K-rays, and the embossed radiography was carried out utilizing single-energy subtraction after the image shifting. The minimum spatial resolution was equal to the sampling pitch of the CR system of 87.5 μm, and concavoconvex radiography such as phase-differential imaging was performed with an x-ray duration of approximately 0.5 Μs.

In the plasma flash x-ray generator, a 200 nF condenser is charged up to 50 kV by a power supply, and flash x-rays are produced by the discharging. The x-ray tube is a demountable triode with a trigger electrode, and the turbomolecular pump evacuates air from the tube with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. Target evaporation leads to the formation of weakly ionized linear plasma, consisting of ferrum ions and electrons, around the fine target, and intense K-series characteristic x-rays are produced from the plasma axial direction. At a charging voltage of 50 kV, the maximum tube voltage was almost equal to the charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current was about 15 kA. In the spectral measurement, Kβ rays were intense, and higher harmonic x-rays were observed. The pulse widths were 0.5 μs, and the maximum x-ray intensity was approximately 300 μGy.

In fast ignition experiment, it is important for effective heating of imploded core to control the injection time of heating laser synchronized with imploded core formation. However, it is difficult to measure the imploded core and heating laser injection at the same time. In this paper, we propose the simultaneous measurement using X-ray framing camera (XFC). In implosion experiment without heating laser, we observed only 2D thermal X-ray images of imploded core. On the other hand, in implosion experiments with heating laser, not only 2D X-ray images but also bright zones were observed on striplines. This zone is considered to show high energy X-ray from hot electron heated by heating laser. It is considered that the heating laser injection time is estimated from the peak position of this bright X-ray intensity profile. To explain the broad X-ray intensity profile, MCP gain calculation is attempted. The calculated results agree with experimental data qualitatively. Although the detailed X-ray energy measurement is needed, it is considered that we can estimate heating laser injection time with about 10 ps resolution from the peak position of high energy X-ray intensity profile.

Implosion and heating experiments of Fast Ignition (FI) targets for FIREX-1 laser fusion project have been performed with Gekko-XII and PW/LFEX lasers at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University. Typical FI target has a hollow cone for guiding the short-pulse heating laser beam at the time of the maximum compression. The cone is mounted so as to in one-side penetrate the shell target. Detailed implosion hydrodynamics, FI heating and core plasma formation of plastic (CD) shell target with gold cone have been clarified by observing those with ultra high-speed imaging x-ray spectroscopy as well as neutron diagnostics. Multi-channel Multi-Imaging X-Ray Streak Camera (McMIXS) was improved for observation of time-resolved x-ray images and time-resolved two dimensional temperature distributions with spatial and temporal resolutions of 20 microns and 24 ps (42 Gfps), respectively. With this instrument, one can observe heating properties of the imploded core such as spatial distribution of the heated region and its temporal evolution. Also 2D-SIXS (Two-Dimensional Sampling Image X-ray Streak camera) coupled with an x-ray imager was improved for time resolved x-ray imaging of the imploded core. Synchronization of the heating beam injection to the implosion dynamics has been monitored with an x-ray framing camera. It was found that the shape of the core is neither spherical nor uniform mainly because of the existence of the cone and moving toward the tip of the cone and interacting with it. Experimental results are compared with two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Target design taking into account of these phenomena is quite important because such core movement and jet formation can affect the condition of the cone.

The purpose of this experiment is to study the behavior of expanding copper cylinder under explosive loading. The apparatus is designed to submit the target to high strain, high stain rate in quasi-plane deformation constraints. Using high-speed cinematography we evaluate the expansion characteristics and observe plastic instability and striction phenomena. Stereoscopic observation is used to give us the possibility to reconstruct the 3D shape and to access to free moving and strain fields. In order to measure the residual thickness and characterize striction patterns, we employ a flash X-Ray imaging diagnostic. Experimental results are presented and compared with hydrocode calculations.

The purpose of the experiment discussed in the present paper is to study the deformation of a structure (here a copper cylinder) induced by explosives. During its expansion, the (initially 3-mm thick) cylinder keeps on thinning until fracture appears. Some tens of microseconds before failure, strain localization occurs, which induces mechanical necking. In order to characterize the time for the onset of localization and the necking development, two diagnostic techniques are designed to provide images: one based on X ray observations (for total thickness variations) and a second consisting in 25 stereoscopic acquisitions at about 400,000 frames per second. The latter enables us to estimate the three dimensional shape changes of the cylinder with time. The 3D reconstructions from the single X radiograph and stereoscopic films are described. Both techniques require calibration as a first stage. For the X view, a self calibration is performed in order to convert X measurements (a radiographic stack with 12 detection levels) to total dose in rad using a flashlight on a steel mock-up with calibrated defects. For stereovision, a controlled calibration object is used. The second stage is the reconstruction. For X radiographs, the results of a 2D hydrodynamic computation of the expansion at radiographic time coupled with an X photon transport code provide us an estimate of the scatter field and allow us to perform attenuation evaluations of copper alone, and to estimate its thickness. In stereovision, the reconstruction is achieved by an image correlation software which exploits the random patterns marking on the object outer surface.

Heterodyne Velocimetry (or Photonic Doppler Velocimetry) has been used in detonics experiments for a few years now, mainly thanks to the recent evolution of telecom components. In its principle it is nothing else but a displacement interferometer, delivering beats versus time. A sliding Fourier transform processing on the raw signal thus allows to derive velocity versus time. The device is made up of a 1.55 μm Erbium laser delivering 2 W (split into 4 channels), single-mode optical fibers, fast photodetectors and digitizers (8 GHz bandwidth, 20 GS/s sampling). To begin with, we present a new heterodyne velocimeter setup embedding a second low-power frequency-tunable laser (50 mW) acting as a local oscillator. Its frequency can be shifted, to make it higher than the main laser, up to the bandwidth of the digitizer (13 GHz soon). The Doppler wave coming from the first laser and reflected by the moving target interferes with this shifted reference, therefore doubling the overall bandwidth of the system. On top of enhancing the measurable velocity range, the existence of beats at static gives a convenient means to tune the power levels of the laser and match the electric signal to the dynamics of the detector. Finally, three applications are presented: the first one deals with the classical measurement of free surface velocity on metallic shock loaded plates, in the second part we present the velocity distribution of tin particles ejected under shock. The third application relates to direct measurement of the velocity of detonation wave into nitromethane, by using immersed optical fibers.

Visualization of explosion phenomena is very important and essential to evaluate the performance of explosive effects. The phenomena, however, generate blast waves and fragments from cases. We must protect our visualizing equipment from any form of impact. In the tests described here, the front lens was separated from the camera head by means of a fiber-optic cable in order to be able to use the camera, a Shimadzu Hypervision HPV-1, for tests in severe blast environment, including the filming of explosions. It was possible to obtain clear images of the explosion that were not inferior to the images taken by the camera with the lens directly coupled to the camera head. It could be confirmed that this system is very useful for the visualization of dangerous events, e.g., at an explosion site, and for visualizations at angles that would be unachievable under normal circumstances.

This contribution focuses on the tubeless imaging, the extreme-high speed imaging. A detail discussion is presented on how and why to make them, which would be the most important in the high speed imaging field in the future. Tubeless extreme-high speed imaging can not only be used to observe the transient processes like collision, detonating, and high voltage discharge, but also to research the processes like disintegration and transfer of phonon and exacton in solid, photosynthesis primitive reaction, and electron dynamics inside atom shell. Its imaging frequency is about 10⁷~10¹⁵fps. For this kind of imaging, the mechanism of how forming both high speed and framing would better make fine use of the light speed, the light parallelism, the parameters of light wave such as its amplitude, phase, polarization and wave length, and even quantum characteristics of photons. In the cascade connection system of electromagnetic wave and particle wave, it is able to simultaneously realize high level both the temporal resolution and the spatial resolution, and it would be possible to break through the limit of the Heisenberg uncertainty correlation of the optical frequency band.

The principle of a shooting positions measurement system with laser illumination is introduced. A narrow band-pass filter is used to suppress background radiation except the laser band for detecting small, high-speed, dark objects. The maximal angle of the entrance ray is limited in the case of using the narrow band-pass filter, so different designs of optical systems with a wide field of view are discussed. The result of telecentric objective with 54° field of view and a relative aperture 1/2 is given.

We propose a 2D microorganism tracking system using a parallel level set method and a column parallel vision system (CPV). This system keeps a single microorganism in the middle of the visual field under a microscope by visual servoing an automated stage. We propose a new energy function for the level set method. This function constrains an amount of light intensity inside the detected object contour to control the number of the detected objects. This algorithm is implemented in CPV system and computational time for each frame is 2 [ms], approximately. A tracking experiment for about 25 s is demonstrated. Also we demonstrate a single paramecium can be kept tracking even if other paramecia appear in the visual field and contact with the tracked paramecium.

Visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy combined with least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM) was investigated for the determination of polysaccharides of Auricularia auricula. A total of 240 samples were prepared from four different geographical origins. The calibration set was consisted of 180 samples (45 samples for each origin) and the remaining 60 samples for the validation set. Different preprocessing methods were compared in partial least squares (PLS) models including smoothing, multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variate (SNV), the first and second derivative. PLS analysis was employed for the calibration models as well as extraction of certain latent variables (LVs). Simultaneously, some effective wavelengths (EWs) extracted by regression coefficients of LS-SVM were used as the inputs of LS-SVM compared with LVs. The optimal prediction results were achieved by LV-LS-SVM, and the correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and bias for validation set were 0.9413, 0.6893 and -0.0729, respectively. The results were slightly better than PLS. The prediction results of EW-LS-SVM using 3 EWs were acceptable with r=0.9290, RMSEP=0.7714 and Bias=-0.1737. The results indicated that Vis/NIR spectroscopy could be utilized as an efficient way for the determination of polysaccharides of auricularia auricula based on LS-SVM method.

Real-time terahertz imaging is demonstrated using a 1.63 THz (184.31μm) optically-pumped terahertz laser (Coherent Sifir-50 FPL) and a 124×124 element room-temperature pyroelectric camera (Pyrocam III). Transmission-mode THz images are presented with samples hidden in various wrapping materials. Experimental results show that this THz imaging system has the potential for the application in real-time mail inspection and non-destructive inspection.