#ir laser module

[goatsludge]

CTF Photonics - CTF-3 Laser Aiming Module

So far it seems very well-constructed. The CNC billet 6065 aluminum body feels solid, the rail clamp is well thought-out, the and the battery caps don't impede button activation as much as I thought they would.

However, getting the bad out of the way first, the adjustment turrets, contrary to my original assumption, do not feature 'clicky' MOA increments - they seem like they've got an internal o-ring somewhere to tension the screws for zeroing adjustment and the marks on the vertical turret are just there as witness marks more than actual adjustments.

Additionally the screws are small and seem easy to strip for how much pressure's needed to turn them. But for they do seem like they'll hold zero no issue once adjusted, for what it's worth.

The unit is incredibly low-profile as you would expect - an IR-only laser diode sits center over bore with what amounts to two independent 300-style scout flashlight bodies sitting saddleback on either side of the top rail. One holds a white light and the other would hold some form of IR illuminator head (B.E. Meyers KIJI, Z-Bolt Blazer, 3EIR Vulcan).

It seems like a good solution for secondary or tertiary builds that you wanna tack NV capabilities onto. Incidentally, due to being so low-profile, it's the perfect MFAL for an AK or other rifles that you can't put excessively tall optic risers on due to the stock being lower than the top of the receiver.

I've ordered a Z-Bolt Blazer Head and will be donating this laser to @bureau-of-mines' AK in trade for a Holosun IRIS-3 or AMMJ Penumbra (depending on whether the former restocks before I make up the additional cash to afford the latter).

For the sake of comparison, here's the CTF-3 without any heads in between a Steiner DBAL D2 and an EG NGAL.

The CTF-3 seems like a large unit, but it's very flat and carries most of its weight in the integral flashlight bodies, which it spreads out nicely. Plus the fact it eliminates a separate white light setup also cuts down greatly on weight.

While I don't recommend this unit for AR15's (given the abundance of better options now), I'd say it still has a niche to fill. Basically, it's a DIR-V that traded the lighter weight and the crane port for superior build quality and sheer modularity. And also not costing $2000 fucking dollars.

[ralfmaximus]

In an alternate universe, they never discovered radio.

Maybe there's something in the atmosphere that disrupts it, makes it impossible to modulate a useful signal. Maybe their sun's way more active than ours in certain frequencies. Whatever.

There is no radio.

Long range communications exists, has existed, for more than a century. Wires, wires, wires. Written messages shot over the horizon via cannon, until we developed air flight.

Which, by the way, is insanely dangerous.

Nobody flies unless they have to, since you cannot communicate with anyone while in the air. No mayday emergency calls, no transponders to find your wrecked plane, no help with navigation. No automated landing assistance, no IFR.

Same with communications with ships at sea. No instant communications, though they do use a very slow low-frequency acoustic technology to send morse to ships. But it's slow; measured in words-per-hour. So the messages tend to be insanely brief and even then, with error correction, subject to distortion.

They experimented with lasers for a time; shooting modulated IR lasers around point-to-point in giant towers, but that proved expensive & unreliable, since a decent rainstorm fucked up the beam.

Same with ultrasonic sound. They tried blasting it from huge speaker/horns, but ultrasonics don't travel far and drove wildlife (and dogs, and some humans) insane from overstimulation.

There are still broadcasts, music & shows, over wires. But it's not ubiquitous, and never really caught on. Mostly they use it to send movies & news shows to theaters, which are larger & more resplendent than ours. The cycle of new shows & movies is very slow compared to what we are used to.

RFID never caught on because it can't.

Capitalism soldiers bravely on, only via wires, wires, and more wires. Because of course it does.

[fngyn317565]

Can Quartz Rods Replace Traditional Optical Materials

Can Quartz Rods Replace Traditional Optical Materials? Next-Gen Sensor Applications Spark Debate‌

Let’s settle this once and for all: the optical materials industry is at a crossroads, and quartz rods are the lightning rod of controversy. While traditionalists cling to glass, polymers, and sapphire, innovators are betting on three quartz rod variants—‌quartz glass rods‌, ‌capillary silica quartz rods‌, and ‌half round quartz rods‌—to redefine precision sensing. Here’s why these unassuming cylinders are either the future or a fad, depending on who you ask.

‌Quartz Glass Rods: The Thermally Unshakable Contender‌

Picture a LiDAR sensor in a self-driving car melting under the Arizona sun. Traditional borosilicate glass rods warp at 500°C, but quartz glass rods? They scoff at 1,200°C while maintaining sub-micron dimensional stability. Velodyne’s latest LiDAR arrays now embed these rods to channel laser pulses in desert trials, where temperature swings from -20°C to 80°C caused traditional optics to misalign by 0.3mm—enough to misidenticate a pedestrian. Quartz eliminated that error entirely.

But here’s the kicker: their UV transparency (down to 160nm) allows next-gen biosensors to detect pathogens via fluorescence without signal loss—something polymer rods degrade after 50 cycles.

‌Capillary Silica Quartz Rods: The Microfluidics Game-Changer‌

Forget clunky pipettes. Capillary silica rods, with inner diameters as narrow as 5µm, are enabling single-cell analysis in cancer diagnostics. Illumina’s NovaSeq X sequencers now use these rods to isolate circulating tumor cells from blood samples. The result? A 40% boost in detection accuracy compared to polymer capillaries, which adsorb biomolecules and skew readings.

Critics argue they’re “too brittle.” Tell that to Roche Diagnostics, who’ve deployed these rods in handheld glucose monitors. Their chemical inertness prevents glucose oxidase degradation—a flaw that plagues stainless steel microfluidics in humid environments.

‌Half Round Quartz Rods: The Dark Horse of Integrated Photonics‌

Why force light through square pegs? Half-round quartz rods, with their curvature matching fiber optic cores, are slashing signal loss in quantum sensors. IBM’s quantum team replaced traditional cylindrical lenses with these rods in their photon-counting modules, achieving ‌98% coupling efficiency‌—up from 82% with sapphire. The secret? The half-round geometry eliminates air gaps at the fiber interface, a notorious source of scattering.

But purists rage: “Quartz lacks the refractive index tunability of specialty glasses!” True—yet in lidar and hyperspectral imaging, where broadband transparency (UV to IR) matters more than refractive tricks, quartz is unbeatable.

‌The Elephant in the Lab: Cost vs. Performance‌

Let’s not sugarcoat it: quartz rods cost 3–5× more than glass. But in mission-critical applications, that premium pays dividends. Consider SpaceX’s Starship methane sensors: after polymer rods failed under cryogenic stress, quartz variants survived 100+ launch cycles without microfractures. The math is simple: a 500quartzrodbeatsa500quartzrodbeatsa50 glass rod that fails mid-mission and costs $2M to replace.

‌Verdict: Replacement Isn’t the Point—Reinvention Is‌

Quartz rods won’t dethrone all traditional materials, but they’re carving niches where failure isn’t an option. For high-stakes sensing—whether in autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, or point-of-care diagnostics—they’re not just alternatives; they’re inevitabilities. The debate isn’t about if quartz will dominate, but where. And for engineers pushing boundaries, that’s a revolution worth betting on.

[spookysaladchaos]

Global Top 13 Companies Accounted for 82% of total Infrared Glass market (QYResearch, 2021)

Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around 1 milli-meter (300 GHz) to the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum, around 700 nano-meters (430 THz).

Infrared Glass refers to allow infrared light to pass through the glass and reduce the loss of infrared light as much as possible. Because not all infrared light can easily pass through the glass. Near-infrared light can pass through glass like visible light, down to around 1.5µm. Glass absorbs around 3µm and above. Infrared glass materials include germanium, zinc selenide, zinc sulfur, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, sapphire, chalcogenide glass, etc.

According to the new market research report “Global Infrared Glass Market Report 2023-2029”, published by QYResearch, the global Infrared Glass market size is projected to reach USD 0.35 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period.

Figure.   Global Infrared Glass Market Size (US$ Million), 2018-2029

Figure.   Global Infrared Glass Top 13 Players Ranking and Market Share (Ranking is based on the revenue of 2022, continually updated)

According to the new market research report “Global Infrared Glass Market Report 2023-2029”, published by QYResearch, the global Infrared Glass market size is projected to reach USD 0.35 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period.

About QYResearch

QYResearch founded in California, USA in 2007.It is a leading global market research and consulting company. With over 16 years’ experience and professional research team in various cities over the world QY Research focuses on management consulting, database and seminar services, IPO consulting, industry chain research and customized research to help our clients in providing non-linear revenue model and make them successful. We are globally recognized for our expansive portfolio of services, good corporate citizenship, and our strong commitment to sustainability. Up to now, we have cooperated with more than 60,000 clients across five continents. Let’s work closely with you and build a bold and better future.

QYResearch is a world-renowned large-scale consulting company. The industry covers various high-tech industry chain market segments, spanning the semiconductor industry chain (semiconductor equipment and parts, semiconductor materials, ICs, Foundry, packaging and testing, discrete devices, sensors, optoelectronic devices), photovoltaic industry chain (equipment, cells, modules, auxiliary material brackets, inverters, power station terminals), new energy automobile industry chain (batteries and materials, auto parts, batteries, motors, electronic control, automotive semiconductors, etc.), communication industry chain (communication system equipment, terminal equipment, electronic components, RF front-end, optical modules, 4G/5G/6G, broadband, IoT, digital economy, AI), advanced materials industry Chain (metal materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, nano materials, etc.), machinery manufacturing industry chain (CNC machine tools, construction machinery, electrical machinery, 3C automation, industrial robots, lasers, industrial control, drones), food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, agriculture, etc.

[labotronicsscientific]

FTIR Spectrometer LB-11FTIR

FTIR Spectrometer is a high professional unit with high frequency He-Ne laser and anti-fog coated beam splitters and detectors. Features built-in temperature and humidity module and fully secured design with high quality display. With push pull sample compartment and reusable 304 stainless steel boxed desiccant, has highly intensified air-cooled IR light sources. With Infrared workstation software compatible with Windows operating system, offers efficient and reliable operation.

[beamqlaser]

This Acousto optic AO Modulator is for IR 2000nm Laser.

It has two parts , AO Modulator and RF driver . You can see two coupled fiber connected to the AO modulator. 1 is for laser in, the other is for laser out .

The following is its datasheet, some of them can be customized according to customer requirements.

[goatsludge]

So I bought another DBAL A2/PEQ-15A lol

old one was too crusty to use, but I liked the aesthetic and the form factor so much I just bought a minty one off the 'gray market'.

Now god willing this thing doesn't give me any trouble cause if it breaks, there's no way to get it serviced unless FDA full power laser regulations magically disappear.

I'll take some lightbox photos of it on the URG-I later.

[berlinlasers]

Featured Use of 850nm Infrared Laser Diode Module

In practical night version precise dot measuring and alignment works, not able to rely on any visible laser device or manual dot projecting tool, it should be a quite nice solution to operate a long wavelength made device of a 850nm infrared laser diode module. It enables high intensity infrared laser light radiation from an import 850nm infrared laser diode, thus it projects stronger infrared light radiation under the same condition that a longer wavelength IR laser. It ensures good fill light effect at a long work distance, making it easier for the receiving end to capture infrared signals and clearer imaging. Comparing with any other visible laser devices, this 850nm infrared laser diode module makes good penetration IR laser light source generation. When it is propagating in the atmosphere, it is merely effected by scattering and absorption. Even though it is used under quite and severe whether and environmental conditions, it still maintains good IR laser light transmittance performance and range of action, thus ensuring stable infrared laser beam and infrared dot operation of the system. When 850nm infrared laser diode module applies a qualified glass coated lens and glass window in front of laser beam aperture, besides its operation of high penetration and high density infrared light source generation, it is also able to make ultra clear and precise infrared dot alignment onto a large variety of raw material surfaces. After its special use of adjustable focus optic lens, once it gets highly concentrated infrared laser light source, it also enables immediate conversion of increasing accuracy infrared reference dot projection at long extending distance. For the most important of all, when it makes constant infrared dot alignment within constant work time of 10 hours per day, not effected by increasing temperature and serious electric current impact, this infrared dot laser still maintains ultra stable and reliable IR laser light source generation for all night version fields.

Applications:

Security monitoring: cooperating with surveillance camera, this 850nm infrared laser light source is working well as filling light at night or in low light environments, helping to capture clear images in monitoring systems in roads, communities, shopping malls, factories and other places.

Machine vision: 850nm infrared laser diode module is playing an important role in object detection, identification, positioning and measurement in industrial production.

Medical treatment: it is used as an accessory part of medical equipment, such as vein imaging devices. By utilizing emitted 850nm infrared laser light absorption and scattering characteristics of human tissues for light of different wavelength, it can help medical staff to make improving accuracy treatment on the illness part.

Beauty and health care: Some home beauty devices use 850nm infrared laser light, which can penetrate deep into the skin, promote collagen regeneration, improve skin firmness, fade fine lines, and play an anti-aging and skin-brightening role. It can penetrate deep into the muscle layer, improve local blood circulation, and relieve problems such as lumbar strain.

[spacenutspod]

NASA astronaut Kayla Barron works inside the Life Science Glovebox conducting botany research.NASA As of spring 2023, NASA has invested greater than $60M in more than twenty In Space Production Applications (InSPA) awards to U.S. entities seeking to demonstrate the production of advanced materials and products on the International Space Station.  These InSPA awards help the selected companies raise the technological readiness level of their products and move them to market, propelling U.S. industry toward the development of a sustainable, scalable, and profitable non-NASA demand for services and products manufactured in the microgravity environment of low-Earth orbit for use on Earth. NASA Selects Proposals to Enable Manufacturing In Space for Earth (April 15, 2022) NASA Selects Proposals for In-Space Development of Projects Including Optical Fibers and Stem Cells and a Plan to Enable a Low-Earth Orbit Economy (April 7, 2020) Advanced Materials Flawless Photonics – Fabrication of Flawless Glass Contact: Dr. Michael VestelFlawless Photonics of Los Altos Hills, California, in partnership with the University of Adelaide, Axiom Space, and Visioneering Space has been selected for their proposal to develop specialized glass manufacturing hardware to process Heavy-Metal Fluoride Glasses (HMFG) in microgravity. HMFG glasses are used in the terrestrial manufacturing of exotic optical fibers and other optics applications. Without convective forces present in 1g, HMFG made in microgravity are expected to achieve the ideal amorphous microstructure during synthesis, eliminating light scattering defects that limit lasing power and transmission over long fiber lengths. Apsidal – Intelligent Glass Optics Contact: Dr. Amrit DeApsidal LLC. of Los Angeles, California, is developing the IGO module to process various types of complex glasses in space from which optical fibers, fiber lasers, magnetic fibers, super-continuum sources, capillary optics and adiabatic tapers can be drawn. One of the key innovations is a custom Laser Doppler Sensor for real-time in-situ analysis and feedback control of the manufacturing process. Additionally, this technology is Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted to be adaptive and to optimize production in a low Earth orbit (LEO) environment. The microgravity environment of space is needed as gravity-induced material convection and sedimentation in complex glasses on Earth subsequently leads to unwanted crystallization, thus creating defects which reduce performance. Market areas for products from this module include specialty fibers for low-loss and high bandwidth communications, high-power fiber-amplifiers, IR counter measures, supercontinuum sources, medical applications, remote sensing, X-ray optics, and laser processing. Fiber Optic Manufacturing in Space – Space Fibers Contact: Dr. Dmitry StarodubovFOMS Inc of San Diego, California, has developed a facility-class instrument for fiber fabrication in the microgravity environment to improve the quality of specialty optical fibers with the promise of up to 100x reduction in insertion loss due to the suppression of crystallization and phase separation. Two previous iterations of the facility have flown to the space station, with the third generation scheduled to launch on the 25th SpaceX cargo resupply services mission in May 2022. Mercury Systems Torrance – Fiber Optic Production Contact: Eric RuckerMercury Systems of Torrance, California, has developed a facility-class instrument for fiber fabrication in the microgravity environment to improve the quality of specialty optical fibers with the promise of up to two orders of magnitude reduction in insertion loss compared to traditional SiO2 fibers due to the suppression of crystallization and sedimentation. The first generation of the facility has flown to the space station producing over 90m of ZBLAN optical fiber from a fluorinated exotic glass preform composed of Zirconium, Barium, Lanthanum, Aluminum, and Sodium (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF). The second-generation FOP-2 launches on SpaceX CRS-25 in May 2022 using a nitrogen purge previously demonstrated in reduced gravity on a parabolic flight. Redwire/Made In Space – Turbine Ceramic Manufacturing Module Contact: Justin KuglerMade In Space of Jacksonville, Florida, a Redwire company, is developing the TCMM to provide proof-of-principal for single-piece ceramic turbine blisk (blade + disk) manufacturing in microgravity for terrestrial use. Launched in October 2020 on Northrop Grumman’s CRS-14 mission, TCMM successfully demonstrated ceramic additive manufacturing in space for the first time in history. TCMM was also the first demonstration of stereolithography ceramic fabrication in space. The project focuses on advanced materials engineering ultimately leading to reductions in part mass, residual stress, and fatigue. Strength improvements of even 1-2 percent, as a result of being manufactured in microgravity, can yield years to decades of superior service life. Market applications include high performance turbines, nuclear plants, or internal combustion engines. Redwire/Made In Space – Turbine Superalloy Casting Module Made In Space of Jacksonville, Florida, a Redwire company, is developing the TSCM to provide proof of principle for polycrystal superalloy part manufacturing in microgravity for terrestrial use. Superalloys thermally processed in microgravity could have improved microstructure and mechanical properties over superalloys processed on Earth. This work expands utilization of the ISS National Lab into new commercial product areas not previously investigated. Delivered to space station on SpaceX CRS-24 in December 2021, TSCM investigates potential improvements in superalloy microstructure by heat treating in microgravity. Market applications include turbine engines in industries such as aerospace and power generation. Redwire/Techshot – Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory  Contact: Rachel OrmsbyRedwire Corporation Inc. of Greenville, Indiana, has been selected for its proposal to produce small, uniform crystals as stable seed batches for pharmaceutical and institutional research customers seeking improvements/refinements in product purification, formulation and/or delivery using crystalline formulations. Their Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory Bio-crystal Optimization Xperiment (PIL-BOX) Dynamic Microscopy Cassette (DMC) will be capable of testing multiple crystallization conditions and providing samples to be returned to Earth for analysis. When grown in microgravity, crystals are produced more uniformly and have very low size coefficients of variation thereby allowing a more stable crystal growth, high concentration, and low viscosity parenteral formulation. The proposed innovation will provide manufacturing services to companies, institutions, and agencies pursuing uniform crystallization research. United Semiconductors – Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite Bulk Crystals Contact: Dr. DuttaUnited Semiconductors of Los Alamitos, California, has been selected for their proposal to produce semimetal-semiconductor composite bulk crystals commonly used in electromagnetic sensors for solving challenges in the energy, high performance computing and national security sectors. Together with teammates Axiom Space of Houston and Redwire of Greenville, Indiana, United Semiconductors intends to validate the scaling and efficacy of producing larger semimetal-semiconductor composite crystals under microgravity conditions with perfectly aligned and continuous semimetal wires embedded across the semiconductor matrix. If successful at eliminating defects found in those manufactured with terrestrial materials, United Semiconductors will have developed a processing technology for creating device-ready wafers from space-grown crystals. Optical Micrograph depicting the expected morphology of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite (SSC) wafers to be extracted from space grown bulk crystals. The continuous semimetal needles embedded in semiconductor matrix will provide high yield of high-performance electromagnetic sensors. Currently this desirable morphology is seen only in a small fraction of the terrestrial grown bulk crystals. Space grown bulk crystals is anticipated to provide a significant volume of the desirable morphology. United Semiconductors LLC Optical Micrograph depicting the morphology of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite (SSC) wafers extracted from terrestrial grown bulk crystals. Discontinuous semimetal needles embedded in semiconductor matrix leads to poor yield of high-performance electromagnetic sensors.United Semiconductors LLC Redwire/Made In Space – Industrial Crystallization Facility Contact: Justin KuglerMade In Space of Jacksonville, Florida, a Redwire company, is developing the ICF to provide proof-of-principle for diffusion-based crystallization methods to produce high-quality optical crystals in microgravity relevant for terrestrial use. ICF launched to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s CRS-15 on February 20, 2021. It was the first facility to grow inorganic potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals aboard space station, offering important insight into microgravity-enabled growth processes for industrial crystals, which could yield opportunities for commercial production on-orbit. Market applications include ultra-fast optical switches, optical waveguides, optical circuit lithography, high-efficiency ultraviolet light production, and terahertz wave sensors.  Tissue Engineering & Biomanufacturing LambdaVision/Space Tango –Retinal Implant Contact: Alain BerinstainSpace Tango of Lexington, Kentucky, and its partner, LambdaVision of Farmington, Connecticut, are developing a system to manufacture protein-based retinal implants, or artificial retinas, in microgravity. The market for this work is the millions of patients suffering from retinal degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness for adults over 55 years old. This effort builds on a validation flight completed in late 2018 that demonstrated the proof of concept for generating multilayered protein-based thin films in space using a miniaturized layer-by-layer manufacturing device. This project will further mature the manufacturing system, producing protein-based artificial retinas in space that would be returned to Earth for preclinical evaluation of the technology. This work will establish the necessary regulatory requirements for producing biomedical products in space station, including current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The microgravity environment of space hinders convection and sedimentation in the manufacturing process, enabling more uniform layers, improved stability and higher quality thin films than can be produced on Earth. The team successfully produced 200 layers of protein on their most recent flight on SpaceX Crew-4. Using greater uniformity and better film deposition in microgravity to produce 100 layers of precisely aligned, precisely structured layers of bacterial rhodopsin crystals (vision protein) sandwiched between 100 layers of precisely deposited composite material with sufficient quality to enable an implantable artificial retina to FDA approval.LambdaVision Redwire/Made In Space – Manufacturing of Semiconductors and Thin-film Integrated Coatings (MSTIC) Contact: Justin KuglerMade In Space of Jacksonville, Florida, a Redwire company, is developing the MSTIC facility as an autonomous, high throughput manufacturing capability for production of high quality, lower cost semiconductor chips at a rapid rate. Terrestrial semiconductor chip production suffers from the impacts of convection and sedimentation in the manufacturing process. Fabricating in microgravity is expected to reduce the number of gravity-induced defects, resulting in more usable chips per wafer. Market applications include semiconductor supply chains for telecommunications and energy industries. Auxilium Biotechnologies/Space Tango – Drug Delivery Medical Devices Contact: Dr. Jacob KofflerAuxilium Biotechnologies with Space Tango has been selected for its proposal to develop a second-generation drug-delivery medical device to more effectively treat people who have sustained traumatic peripheral nerve injury. Auxilium’s Gen 1.0 NeuroSpan Bridge is a biomimetic nerve regeneration device that guides and accelerates nerve regeneration, eliminating the need for a patient to sacrifice a nerve in the leg to repair a nerve in the arm or face. Auxilium will use its expertise in fast, high-resolution 3D-printing to adapt its proprietary platform to a Gen 2.0 3D-print device in microgravity by adding novel drug delivery nanoparticles with the potential to substantially accelerate regeneration and improve functional outcomes for people on Earth. Lawrence Livermore National Lab/Space Tango – VAM Organ Production Contact: Dr. Maxim ShusteffLawrence Livermore National Laboratory, located in Livermore, California, in partnership with Space Tango, has been selected for their proposal to adapt their terrestrial volumetric 3D bioprinting device for use in microgravity to demonstrate production of artificial cartilage tissue in space. The Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) technology is a revolutionary, ultra-rapid 3D printing method that solidifies a complete 3D structure from a photosensitive liquid resin in minutes. Because of the absence of settling and gravity-driven buoyancy and convective flows in the prepolymer, the cartilage tissues manufactured and matured in microgravity are expected to have superior structural, organizational, and mechanical properties suitable for use in long-term tissue repair and replacement. University of Connecticut, STORRS/Axiom – Biomimetic Fabrication of Multifunctional DNA-inspired Nanomaterials Contact: Dr. Yupeng ChenThe University of Connecticut, out of Storrs, Connecticut, in partnership with Eascra Biotech of Boston, Massachusetts and Axiom Space of Houston has been selected for their proposed biomimetic fabrication of multifunctional nanomaterials, a cutting-edge breakthrough in biomedicine that can benefit from microgravity in space to accomplish controlled self-assembly of DNA-inspired Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs). These JBNs will be used as effective, safe and stable delivery vehicles for RNA therapeutics and vaccines, as well as first-in-kind injectable scaffolds for regenerative medicine. By leveraging the benefits of microgravity, the UConn/Eascra team expects to mature in-space production of different types of JBNs with more orderly structures and higher homogeneity over what is possible using terrestrial materials, improving efficacy for mRNA therapeutics and structural integrity for cartilage tissue repair. In-space manufacturing of DNA-inspired Janus base nanomaterials for delivery of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines, and tissue repair and regeneration.Dr. Yupeng Chenu BioServe Space Technologies with University of Colorado – Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Contact: Dr. Louis StodieckBioServe Space Technologies and The University of Colorado of Boulder, Colorado, in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, ClinImmune Cell and Gene Therapy (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus), RheumaGen, and with support from Sierra Space has been selected for their proposal to develop a specialized bioreactor that will produce large populations of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) in microgravity to treat serious medical conditions including blood cancers (leukemias, lymphomas, multiple myeloma), blood disorders, severe immune diseases, and certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Expansion of HSCs in microgravity is expected to result in greater stem cell expansion with less cell differentiation than is seen in 1g. If successful, the technology may enable safe and effective cell therapy transplantation, especially in children and younger adults, where long-term bone marrow cell repopulation is critical to the patient’s lifetime health. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet working in the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL). This image shows two SABL units, one open and one closed. SABL will be used for growing and expanding BioServe’s stem cells on board the ISS.NASA Cedars Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute/Axiom – Stem Cell Therapy Contact: Dr. Clive SvendsenCedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, located in Los Angeles in partnership with Axiom Space of Houston has been selected for proposing to use cutting-edge methods related to the production and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) on the International Space Station. Cedars-Sinai will explore in-space production of stem cells into heart, brain, and blood tissues in support of regenerative medicine uses on Earth. While stem cells and stem cell-derived tissues hold great promise for use in research and as clinical-grade therapeutic agents, safe and efficient expansion of stem cells and their derivatives continues to be a major challenge on Earth. Generating, expanding, and differentiating cells at scale in the microgravity environment of space with sufficient yields of a constant therapeutic cell product that meets FDA biologics requirements may be the answer to overcome those challenges. Redwire/Techshot – BioFabrication Facility Contact: Rich BolingTechshot of Greenville, Indiana, a Redwire company, is developing the BFF as a space-based 3D biomanufacturing platform capable of printing with live human cells (autologous or allogenic). The facility contains an XYZ gantry with multiple print heads and a bioreactor cassette in the X-Y plane. Without the addition of scaffolding or chemical bio-ink thickening agents, attempts to 3D print with cells on Earth only results in creating a puddle. With scaffolding and thickening agents, organ-like shapes can be printed on Earth, but they cannot function as such. BFF prints in space with low viscosity bio-inks that only contain cells and nutrients, which enable cells to remain healthy and mobile – a necessity for creating solid thick tissue. Following a weeks-long in-space conditioning phase inside a special Redwire bioreactor, the tissue constructs are strong enough to resist gravity and remain viable following their return to Earth. In 2020, Redwire manufactured test prints of a partial human meniscus aboard the International Space Station for the company’s DoD customer, the 4-Dimensional Bioprinting, Biofabrication, and Biomanufacturing, or 4D Bio3 program, based at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The program is a collaboration between the university and The Geneva Foundation, a non-profit organization that advances military medical research. A second round of printing in space for 4D Bio3 is scheduled for late 2022 after delivery of a 2nd generation printer on SpaceX CRS-26.  Redwire is planning additional bioprinting operations with the BFF, such as the Fabrication in Austere Military Environments (FAME) bioprinting program. Market applications include human tissue and organ repair or replacement. Redwire/Techshot – Cell Reprogramming Facility Contact: Rich BolingTechshot of Greenville, Indiana, a Redwire company, is developing the CRF to manufacture induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in orbit using adult cells, then enabling the cells to develop into many other types of cells, that can be used inside the BFF bioprinter and on Earth for regenerative medicine, especially cell therapies. The first element of the Cell Factory system – the CRF – is in development now. Market applications include cell therapies for restorative health and autologous cell sourcing for bioprinting and vascular applications. Cedars Sinai/Space Tango – Stem Cell Production Contact: Alain BerinstainSpace Tango of Lexington, Kentucky, and its partner Cedars-Sinai of Los Angeles, California, are developing pilot-scale systems for the production in space of large batches of stem cells to be used in personalized medical treatment for a variety of diseases. The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) for commercial personalized medicine applications is done in space because the work to date on the space station demonstrates stem cells retain their “stemness” for longer durations in microgravity, allowing a delay of differentiation that has the potential to enable larger batches of cells to be produced. The pilot-scale systems, built for the space station to serve as a basis for future commercial manufacturing systems, will incorporate regulatory strategies to support FDA clinical trial production of personalized medicine stem cell therapies on the space station. Including current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) conditions, required for the production of stem cell therapies for human use in patients. Sanford/Space Tango – Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbiting Lab Contact: Alain BerinstainSpace Tango of Lexington, Kentucky, and its partners at UC San Diego/Sanford Consortium in La Jolla, California, are working to establish a new on-orbit biomedical sector for stem cell advancement, with a fully operational self-sustaining orbital laboratory anticipated by 2025. The team is working to refine current hardware capabilities and process flows, extending the capabilities of ground-based laboratories with regular access to the space station via secured flight opportunities. Stem cells differentiate into tissue specific progenitors that can be used in microgravity to better understand aging and immune dysfunction, providing an opportunity to accelerate advances in regenerative medicine and the development of potential new therapeutic approaches. The target market for this orbital laboratory is a new approach to stem cell translational medicine. Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine/Axiom – Engineered Liver Tissue Contact: Dr. Anthony Atala Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has partnered with Axiom Space and BioServe Space Technologies to pursue a groundbreaking initiative. Their proposal takes advantage of the microgravity environment to develop and validate a platform that supports a ‘building block’ strategy for in-space manufacturing of vascularized and perfused liver tissue as a bridge to transplantation. This is a continuation of the NASA Centennial Vascular Tissue Challenge, where WFIRM teams won first and second place for creating metabolically active thick liver tissue that retained function for thirty days. The overarching goal is to enhance the formation of a microcapillary system within a perfusable 3D bioprinted vascularized engineered liver tissue constructs for biomanufacturing clinical-scale liver tissue constructs that allow integration into the recipient’s peripheral circulation for the treatment of liver disease. Once validated, this platform technology can produce multiple tissue construct types, including kidney and pancreas, among others. In Phase 1a, the team plans to evaluate various 3D bioprinted designs for vascularized tissue constructs to be evaluated in microgravity to identify the optimal parameters to produce liver tissue that is suitable in size to serve as a bridge to regeneration or transplantation. Phases 2 and 3 will involve biomanufacturing liver tissue constructs of the optimal design for human clinical trials and process scale-up for future commercialization. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics In Space Production Applications Low Earth Orbit Economy Opportunities and Information for Researchers Latest News from Space Station Research

[babyawacs]

#f35 #engine #upgrades #cooling #necessities .@potus .@vp .@usnavy .@usmc .@usairforce @us_str atcom .@darpa .@us_stratcom  https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/06/01/auditors-future-f-35-co oling-needs-unknown-as-dod-eyes-engine-upgrade/ with the increasing evolution of adversary  sen sors and #f35 core advantage of stealth with the principal decades long path of more electronics and capabilitie not fewer (!)with the f l a w of effective range meaning (!)vulnerable superca rriers close to coastlines duetolack of range (range as blunting weapons carrier risk) with upcom ing laser systems and lidar array systems (of which principally half is thermal energy) with lik ely b21 b2 stealthbomber proven tech doublebypass airstream #keypoint w h y d i d y o u e v e n h e s i t a t e on xa100 engine retrofit. itis a key weakness holding the whole system back. i f a nd ifonly the naval version can use it donot hesitate. take any advantage in ir iir profile reduc tion as radar sensors reduction #keypoint implement systematically thermal to power recovery ins ide each electronic module: afew tweaks that dont cost much in the system making can help reduce t hermal profiles further and electromagnetic problems additionally I am Christian KISS BabyAWACS - Raw Independent Sophistication #THINKT ANK + #INTEL #HELLHOLE #BLOG https://www.BabyAWACS.com/ Inquiry@BabyAWACS.com FluffyBunnySheeple SecuritySolutions@BabyAWACS.com Helpful? support. donnate. pay. https://wise.com/share/christian k426 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/christiankiss

#f35 #engine #upgrades #cooling #necessities .@potus .@vp .@usnavy .@usmc .@usairforce @us_stratcom .@darpa .@us_stratcom https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/06/01/auditors-future-f-35-cooling-needs-unknown-as-dod-eyes-engine-upgrade/ with the increasing evolution of adversary sensors and #f35 core advantage of stealth with the principal decades long path of more electronics and capabilitie not…

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Modulating the covalency and ionicity distributions in the electron localization function map

It is well known that most structure features and properties of NLO materials are governed by the distributions of ionic and covalent units in their structures, which can be described in details by electron localization function (ELF) map.

Specifically, large NLO efficiency and high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) are two most important performance indicators for the practical application of IR NLO materials. However, they are mainly determined by ionicity and covalency, respectively, leading to the incompatibility between these two performances. Therefore, the investigation of ELF map, particularly the topological feature of ELF map, could give some clues for the circumvention of NLO-LIDT incompatibility which is crucial for the rational design of high-performance infrared (IR) NLO materials.  

In a study published in Materials Horizons, a research group led by Prof. Guo Guocong from Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter (FJIRSM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a new concept of topological characteristic fractal dimension (FD) of ELF.

Read more.

[immortalonus]

Where You Belong: Chapter One.

So in case you guys were wondering where I vanished off to, the answer is mostly work. This chapter also took way, way more brain power than I really intended, so I didn't really have the energy to post much else.

I could probably edit this more, but I swear if I spend one more hour editing this I will go insane, so here it is, chapter one of my first multi-chapter fic in, *checks calendar,* four years!?

Jeez, time really does fly, doesn't it?

Read on AO3

If I were Where I Would be, Then I Would be Where I Am not. But where I am, There I must be. And where I would be, I cannot.

-American Folk Poem.

________________________________________________________

As soon as Valerie had flown out of sight of Plasmius’ portal, she made a point to dump everything he had given her for the trip.

First, the communication devices. She had no desire to talk to anyone, much less the creepy, lying, traitorous ghost-thing masquerading as Vlad Masters. She gave the DALVco edition headset her best fast ball, taking no small satisfaction in watching it break piece by piece as it clattered against the frames of one floating door after another before finally vanishing into the mists below.

If Plasmius wanted to talk to her, he could crawl out of his portal and find her himself. Which he wasn’t going to do, because he had a cover to maintain. After all, what kind of delicate, elderly gentleman would throw himself into a dimension of rarified death? Not Mister Masters, oh no.

Especially not when he had a willing pawn to do it for him.

The more surreptitious listening devices went next. Fat, disgusting, bloated insects they were, bugs in function as much as form.And they were everywhere.

She found them wedged between her armor joints, the soles of her boots, in the crevices of her guns, and, after putting her systems through an intensive self-diagnostic, her hair.

When had he touched her hair?

She made a point to crush them all. Either plucking off the parasites directly, or, in the case of those lodged beneath her suit, pulling them into her storage unit and spitting them back out again into the open atmosphere where they could be destroyed.

She removed everything else Plasmius had given her immediately after: Several days worth of food, a large pop up tent, a sleeping bag, a map, several spare weapons, a well thumbed biography on Vince Lombardi and more spewed out of her storage units like a sickness, purged in gouts down to the waiting abyss.

Any thing he'd handled, all his supplies, every “present” he'd ever bestowed, she made a point to dump them all.

But God, when had he touched her hair?

Once she was finished, it felt almost like a victory. With no material proof of her obligations, it was easy to imagine she was already free.

She would finish this mission on her own. No outside aid, no puppet-masters, no regrets.

------------------------------------------

/Sorrysorry-soverysorry!/

“Shut up!”Valerie had regrets.

/sorrysorrysorry/

So many regrets.

“I said shut up, you stupid bug!”

She emphasized her point by kicking the target of her ire right in the soft parts of its creepy, eye studded thorax.

This was stupid, she was stupid, but more than anything, she was pissed.

Valerie took a few steps closer to her target, gait slightly uneven for the lack of both her usual boots. While she wasn't going to die anytime soon, as the black leather that fit snug as skin across her body, the true barrier against the toxic atmosphere of the Zone, remained fully intact, it didn't stop her from being mad about it.

The bug, which had finally stopped gibbering in that vile, hissing tongue that had become more and more common the deeper she ventured into the pea-soup hellscape otherwise known as the ghost zone, took the opportunity to cower against the calciferous outgrowth that had halted its pitiful attempt at flight from Valerie's relentless pursuit.

She had hunted ghosts stronger and faster than this every day back in Amity, and could not help the faint sensation of disgust that came over her at the sight of a figure so unexpectedly pathetic. Did she appear so weak that this creature, along with the half a dozen or so of its less successful, but no less kleptomaniacally inclined ilk see fit to prey upon her? Did she seem so low indeed, that even the meanest, most beggarly of the Zone's inhabitants should see her as some object to pilfer and mock?

It was the work of a moment to summon her laser cubes, pulling them from the pocket dimension from which they resided to slide noiselessly over to the insect lying prone before her. With a thought, they flew forward, two each to press down on the thing's chitinous skull, heightening the artificial glow of her suit as she did for that extra sense of intimidation.

It was an ability she'd never had the need for back on earth, only to find herself putting it to use with unhappy frequency not a day after she'd set off on her journey.

Everything in the realm of the dead glowed, and the capacity to put off and manipulate one's own aura was a hallmark of the creatures that 'lived' within it. Those that didn't stood out strangely, casting shadows upon themselves and the world in a way that made them an obvious anomaly in the otherwise antumbral reaches of the Zone.

While Valerie didn't enjoy wasting her resources on glowing like she was her very own spook, she also hated wasting time, which advertising her humanity to every ghost that glanced her way very much did; a lesson that she'd learned after fending off an entire assault squad of ghost police, who had chased her for ages while screaming about her criminal possession of so many 'real world objects' within their territory.

That it also made sure any enemies never anticipated her ability to phase through objects came in handy from time to time as well, such as when a would-be thief, for example, tried to duck into a thicket in an effort to snarl its pursuer.

As expected, the bug shuddered in response to the cold touch of the barrel against its skin, curling into itself as it looked up into the dark panel of her faceplate.

Valerie leaned down, pinning it between herself, her guns, and the stony trunk of what, on this particular island, seemed to serve as some kind of tree.

/Alright, Manbug, one more time./ Her voice crackled and popped through her translators, adding even more intimidation to a tone already modulated down to something lower and crueler than her natural snarl. /Where. Did you. Put. My Stuff. /

The insect whimpered a little harder, oozing something suspiciously close to snot from the hole above its writhing mouthparts. It remained otherwise silent, however, as it shook.

Valerie pulled back her leg and kicked it again.

The imitation flesh buckled beneath her toes, causing the creature to squeal, a nonverbal expression of pain peaking just beyond her range of hearing as it flickered invisible, writhing in a hopeless gambit to escape the weapons still clamped against its head.

Funny how ghosts kept so many features they really shouldn't need anymore. Like joints, for example. Was it a subconscious matter, or some kind of deliberate choice, Just one more means to mock the living, their very forms a cruel parody of everything they once had been?

She silenced the voice which whispered how she should know by now, that it wasn't that easy. There were more important things to focus on.

/P-please./

The bug focused its myriad gaze on the huntress' visor, all six limbs twisted over themselves, wrapped tight over its oozing midsection.

/In error, Milor- Milord. Your place, held, not neutral. Shall honor, please. /

It was leaking from the eyes too, now, viscous fluid pouring from its dozens of eyes, wetting it bodily, puddling down onto the dark purple earth, adding to the halo of scattered goods and tchotchkes that had spilled out from the overstuffed bags that it had clung to for dear life even as they toppled, overbalanced from a too-fast turn, dragging the creature headfirst into ruin.

/Mer- mercy./

This wasn't fair. This miserable thing, begging in the dirt like it hadn't gotten anything more than what it deserved.

Valerie grimaced, rubbing the heel of her palm against her faceplate. Phantom's visage, not long past, looked up to her from the depths of her memory, face just as desperate, just as indisputably, distressingly genuine as when she'd first seen it.

“Valerie, You don't want to do this.”

“Like I have a choice, spook.” She muttered.

She took a deep breath, sucking in the same recycled exhalation she'd been breathing for nearly a week now, and took a moment to actually think her situation through.

She wasn't lost. She had no idea where she was, but she wasn't lost: That would imply a level of helplessness she could not bring herself to admit. What little food and water she had brought with her had been eaten a while back, reducing her to scavenge among the portal droppage scattered through those areas not patrolled by mad policemen, hoping she could find something sufficiently sealed against ectoplasmic encroachment to remain edible.

She reconsidered her captive, still trembling on the ground. A ghost zone native, utterly at her mercy, and, by the looks of things, a serial hoarder of goods.

/You want mercy? Fine. But you do what I say, exactly as I say it, M'kay?/

While the guns pinning its head in place were something of an obstacle, the bug did manage a spasmodic sort of jerking motion, forebody pushed back and forth with desperate, eager haste.

/(Enthusiasm,) (enthusiasm,) assent! Lord, generous, gratitude, respect./

“Good, now-”She held out one hand, palm expectant.

/Give 'em back./

It responded slowly, still slobbering at the maw, all eyes fixed on the huntress as it unwound its uppermost limbs, which reached up towards those tattered bundles still clustered fungiform over its heaving thorax, rifling between twine-like bindings for what seemed an age.

Patience had never been a skill of Valerie's, and she found herself torn between wanting the moment to last forever and wishing go faster instead, tightening her mental grip over her laser cubes, fingering the internal triggers in anticipation of some sudden, traitorous motion on the part of her captive.

Ghosts were deceptive, dangerous creatures, except, of course, when they weren't.

Without any ability to tell the difference, she could do nothing but pace at the bars of her patience, waiting for the moment to act.

Finally, a claw submerged itself into one of the parcels, pulling out one boot, and, just beside it, a single leather fold.

This was it. Valerie snatched the wallet from its pincers. The boot was replaceable, her construct engines could make another now, if she wanted to waste the resources for it, but her wallet-She flipped open the small leather parcel, noted immediately that the contents were not any state remotely akin to how she had left them.

/Milord?/

The bug was still subtly trying to wriggle its way out from under her guns. Her systems noted, then deleted, increased energy expenditure from her laser cubes as they were forced to adjust to its motions.

Useless data. A ghost of so low a caliber could never hope to escape so easily.

Debit card-broken, bent until the plastic whitened from an excess of pressure; Dollar bills balled together and crammed into a single pocket, still damp with a kind of ectoplasm that looked disquietingly similar to the slobber still dripping from the mouthparts of the bug before her; Plastic wrappers, spare coins, a concert flyer for a band she'd always wanted to see.

/Ah, Milord? Pardon, Excuse?/

All of it. This vile, twisted excuse for an insect had messed with all of it. It had played with her most important cards and documents like they were toys, then shoved them back in with utter disregard for any sense of their value once it was done.

/Goods, returned, trust?/

Dread crept into her heart as she reached into the backmost pocket of her billfold, the place where she kept the picture of her.

/more goods? Information? Information on goods? Release, please?/

It was shoved in the very bottom of the wallet, balled into the crease where the two halves of leather were joined into one. She pulled it out, fingers shaking only slightly as they smoothed it back into a more flattened form.

The Red Huntress had no face, and never had Valerie been more grateful for that absence than in that moment, when she beheld the true extent of the damage done to Polaroid before her.

Soft white creases were everywhere, shattering the image into isolated fragments of its former self. It had been torn, too, at the edges, a grip too hard, twisting too far, integrity compromised as a result.

The worst of the damage by far, however, were a series of punctures, scattered at random through the center of the photograph, small to medium perforations forming little absences where there had once been trees and grass, where there had been a woman's face. A hole sat primly above her dark neck, arched back into nothing, a yawning gap where once there had been laughter.

The Huntress turned her blank visage back to her captive, who froze in the act of trying to pry her weapons out of position. Cowardly, but expected. Trusting a ghost was a fools game she had no intent on playing.

/Ah, haha, (nervous) (nervous,) (respect.)/ The target pulled its claws back up against itself, fiddling with the tips as it looked up to her absent regard.

/...Milord?/

The Red Huntress had no face, could betray no emotion, could reveal none of the cold black welter that rushed up through the depths of her breast and pressed against her throat. An impassive machine, possessed of a will stripped free of feeling.

No sliver of her intent showed through, no shudder passed from her shaking fingers to her gauntleted hands, not even the psychic senses of a ghost could hope to detect the lava that boiled up from her guts, pressing against her skin in an sheet of living fire even as the pits of her stomach chilled to ice.

The bug was still looking up at her, eyes all expectant, when she commanded her one of her guns to fire.

A bright streak of energy shot through the top of its head, hard pink flash cutting through a wave of green.

It squealed, jerked all six limbs towards the missing portion of its skull in a hopeless effort to stop the thick chunks of ectoplasm from slopping down the side of its face. Valerie brought her foot down at the same moment, crushing its forelimbs down into the dust. Forelimbs tipped with little claws, just large enough to fit the holes in a certain photograph.

/Why!? Ancients, why, why!?/

Why?

“Why the hell not?” she snarled, “Ain't that how it works here?”

If a different ghost wanted to rob her blind every time she tried to sleep, they could. If Valerie wanted to chase down the one that finally succeeded, she could. There were no laws here, there were no rules, there weren't even morals. There was nothing to stop anyone from doing anything, so why should she be the one to hold herself back?

She lifted her foot off its claws, then swung it once again into its thorax, only just crusted over from where she had kicked it before.

It squealed, just like she imagined another ghost would, red eyes wide and frightened, vampiric teeth shattered against her fist, choking as she wrapped her fingers around his blue, blue, skin.

He deserved this, it deserved this, she was in the right. She had been tricked, mislead, mistaken maybe, but she wasn't wrong, she was in the right.

And if there was some dark curl of satisfaction there, a self righteous flame alighted just where she'd been coldest in that moment of hate, then that was proof, wasn't it? Of just how right she was.

She bent down to her target, which had started drooling all over again, ground speckled green and wet as it heaved against itself. It was disgusting enough that she would have shot it in the mouth instead of the head, but she still needed information, which meant it still needed to talk.

It's upper set of antenna had survived the cranial blast, making for an easy handhold as she yanked its drooping head up to face her once again. At the same time, she sent her guns down to its chest, where its energy levels peaked their highest.

Ghosts, much like the cockroaches they resembled, could survive well enough without a head, but none, not one could ever hope to make it without their precious ghostly core.

“Listen up spook.” She hissed. /Here's how this is gonna work. You lie, I shoot. You run, I shoot. Got it?/Its head twitched up and down, the smallest possible motion of assent.

/Good./

This was what it took, when it came to ghosts. Cooperation proceeded pain, loyalty from the threat of it, and mercy not at all.

/We'll start with the questions./

She allowed her guns to charge power, deadly, scintillating hum filling the air with the sound of her malintent.

/I like what I hear, maybe I let you keep talking./

Author's note: If Sam is more pride than wrath, then Val is more wrath than pride, IMO. I've done my best to write her accordingly

[inphenix]

How Is The Broadband Light Source Moving Spectroscopy to UV From Near-IR?

Discharge lamps, dye lasers, and optical parametric oscillators were the only valuable sources for spectroscopy in the early 1990s or mid-1980s. However, as optical technologies evolve and their applications broaden, we have been introduced to new light sources and lasers. The broadband light source is one such type of light source that has gained popularity in optical spectroscopy.

In this blog post, we will look at what a broadband light source is, how it works, and how it opens up new opportunities for spectroscopists. So, without further ado, let's begin with a definition of a broadband light source.

What Exactly Is A Broadband Light Source?

A broadband light source, also known as a superluminescent source, is a superluminescent diode with a wavelength of emission of 700 nm and a bandwidth of 1700 nm that is perfect for OEM integration. Moreover, it is often used for multi-wavelength tests for measuring wavelength-division-multiplexing components. This implies it has a wide range of applications in the medical, telecommunications, sensing, and measurement industries.

Broadband light sources are utilized for ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography, passive component testing, and multi-channel fiber Bragg grating interrogation, in addition to these applications. Now, let's take a closer look at how a broadband light source works.

Working Principle of Broadband Light Source

The working principle of a BLS is very simple. A prism or grating disperses a beam of radiation from a broadband source. The scattered radiation strikes a slit, through which a small range of wavelengths passes to reach a detector. By rotating the prism or grating, consecutive wavelengths are brought onto the slit, allowing the spectrum to be scanned.

Moreover, broadband light sources are a great pick for Near-Infrared (NI) spectroscopy due to several factors. The following are three of BLS's most notable characteristics.

A. The broadband light source's directional output enables substantially better levels of light transmission efficiency into the fiber optic cable.

B. Broadband light sources have an extremely limited spectral bandwidth because they generate coherent light, allowing them to transport data at significantly greater speeds.

C. Broadband light sources are frequently modulated directly. This is a simple and effective method of converting data to an optical signal.

Eventually, these exceptional properties play a critical role in making BLS a viable option for spectroscopy and optical fiber communication applications. Let us now proceed to the next section of this blog to learn how broadband light sources provide new opportunities for spectroscopists.

How Broadband Light Source Brings New Opportunities For Spectroscopists?

Broadband light was previously only available from discharge lamps, plasma sources, hot glow bars, or the sun for much of the last decades. Also, before the laser, one of the only ways to obtain narrowband line radiation was to utilize a low-pressure gas discharge lamp, such as a mercury or sodium lamp.

However, a new generation of comparatively robust sources, such as Supercontinuum lasers, laser-driven plasma sources, and high brightness LEDs, are finding a place in the spectroscopist's toolset.

The outstanding qualities of these broadband light sources help in the advancement and efficiency of spectroscopy. This technology is not only more advanced than traditional light sources, but it is also less expensive. All of these novel light sources are enhancing spectroscopy from the near-IR to the UV.

Moreover, based on the research and improvements being conducted on broadband light sources, we can confidently predict that we are yet to witness substantial growth in industrial applications of broadband light sources in the near future.

Inphenix is a USA-based manufacturer and supplier of innovative light source and laser devices, including swept-source, Distributed feedback lasers (DFB lasers), semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), superluminescent diodes (SLDs), Gain chips, and a lot more. In addition, the company also manufactures customized devices based on your requirements. To learn more, visit the website.

[muesliforbreakfast]

Fabian Tactics

Part 1?

This one got a bit of traction on the sub, but is actually more of a salvage job of stuff I’ve had written down for YEARS but couldn’t get to work.

What are they running? Picture the Frontier Buccaneers by Johnsonting except with like a thick mesh cape type thing, and the rifle looks kinda like an RM277.

This doesn’t really matter, but I did a bunch of worldbuilding I’ll probably never get to use :’(

On an unrelated note - Look at this one by the same artist. If this dude had an EF88 I would actually lose my shit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cadet Ralek was the only one in his company behaving himself before the lecture. He came from a military family. Growing up he was steeped in discipline and tradition. But that wasn't his only reason for attentiveness. This weeks modules were focused on counterinsurgency, and todays lecture on the greatest insurgency of all, on that Ralek's uncle had been on the losing side of nearly two hundred years before. The Terran insurgency.

“HOLD FAST!” An NCO called, at the front of the lecture theater. The hall, full of chattering cadets fell silent as they all braced their upper limbs on their desks, whilst some officers went through their rituals, transferring command of the cadets over to the officer, who introduced himself.

“I am Second Lieutenant Orion, of the Federation Marine Corps. As part of today's module we have a very special presenter – Corporal Felix, of the Terran Heer.”

The class perked up at that – Terrans no longer had an army of their own; they hadn't had one for one hundred and seventy four years. The exact date that every race had been accepted into the Galactic Federation had been drilled into each and every one of them. They watched as an old, frail man was wheeled into the lecture theatre, ashy, paper thin skin hanging from his face. Civilian clothes in the Terran style, with several medals pinned on the left of his chest.

O1 Orion bowed politely and they whispered to each other. Then he pinned a microphone to Felix' lapel. He began to speak, with the thin, frail voice of a man nearing the end of his twilight years.

“Good evening cadets. I'm getting straight to the point because there's just one thing the Armed Forces of the Federation want you to learn from me. And because I want to deliver it to you. Before I drop dead.” The old man struggled to get enough air between his words.

The class laughed nervously. The old man gathered his strength, eyes closed, breathing slowly.

“We Terrans had inferior numbers and technology, and we were fighting a war of extermination, but we still beat the Empire. How did we do it? You.” Felix pointed at a cadet in the fourth row, with a bony, wavering finger. A Kelress, who looked like a four foot red panda.

“Sir, because humans are physically tough and aggressive apex predators, sir.”

Only the Ji Te who were in the theatre laughed at that. Only some of them. And only a little.

“Don't fucking swear at me, cadet. I'm a corporal, and I'm retired,” The whole class giggled that time, “You. You think that's funny. What do you think?” He said, as his frail finger pointed at one of the closer Ji Te, a hulking reptiloid in the second row.

“Because humans are sly, intelligent and patient, mister Felix. Your kind came up with tactics we simply couldn't counter. Over time frames we didn't anticipate.

“You could and you duh...did, cadet....... The empire was fighting a war of extermination; they blocked out our sun. And it only took us three years.”

The class had no answers to that. Felix pointed at another of the Isae in the room.

“You. Have you got answers for me?”

“I agree with the other cadets, Mister. But I would like to add, humans are willing to do anything to survive. Uh. Mister Felix,” The Isae replied.

“Mmmmm... A better answer. Maybe I should ask someone who knows,” The old man pointed at one of the Terran cadets scattered throughout the lecture theater, “You, young lady. What do you think?”

“Mister Felix,” she began, “In guerilla warfare and insurgency operations, all you need to win is to not lose. Classic Fabian tactics that go as far back as the Punic wars. Classic Maoist tactics of the 20th century. Deny the enemy resources and deny them battle unless it's at a time and place of your choosing. As long as someone survives, you haven't lost. Mister Felix.” The old retired corporal seemed to relax somewhat. He paused for a long while. His threat of dropping dead seemed like less of a joke by the minute.

“Straight from the pam. Good drills cadet.” He finally said, before pausing again.

“I was barely nineteen when the empire invaded. I was fresh out of basic training when the sun shield went up... I was lucky... I was evacuated by arkship less than a year later. By then we had been on less than starvation rations for months.”

The class exchanged looks. They were all thinking of the human reputation.

“What do we taste like?” Cadet Ralek couldn't help but ask.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Private Felix' section was running Personal Radios and Line of Sight communicators but for now they were doing it old school. Hand signals. They were patrolling their sunless planet, towards the location where the latest enemy incursion had been reported. As point man he was the first to see the glow of the enemy in the distance.

>Take cover

>Enemy contact front

>Enemy Squad 8-2-0m North North East

>Come here

His squad slowly lowered themselves to cover, and his squad leader made his way over to him.

“What do you see?”

“One of those wide slow walkers, being protected by a team of hunter-killers, I count 9. They're using spotlights and floodlights, they may not have optics.”

“They might have a team on overwatch that does”

“What do you think they're doing?”

“Science or harvesting, or drawing attention...” His section commander paused for a moment, “This kind of walker goes back to their smaller bases with a load, drops it off then leaves again... Stay here on overwatch, radio silence. Wait out for further instructions.”

His squad leader flashed hand signals, and left two of his squadmates with him, while they watched and waited.

Around half an hour later they had their orders.

Recon. Then kill them all, destroy the walker. Booby trap the bodies, hide and observe. Develop the situation.

His section commander flashed the hand signals for their orders. The squad took their positions across the walker and they awaited the signal.

A purple beam silently lanced from the squad commander's Modular Infantry Laser Rifle; the beam both squealed and thudded as it burst through one of the hunter-killer robot's bodies. The robot had barely begun to fall when each of the squad members rifle also lanced a robot body with their own beams. The robot corpses clattered and rattled lifelessly to the ground. The squad's aim then played across the legs of the walker where they attached to its thorax. It dropped to the ground with a prolonged thud, and then silence aside from the hydraulics within the walker trying in vain to move its legs. The squad took an all round defensive position around the area while the squad commander finished off the walker, his rifle punching a hole through the side for him to throw a plasma-grenade into. That done, they placed trip bombs under the HK bodies, accounted for everyone then moved off to their predetermined form up point less than half a kilometer away.

The whine of a dropship's engines steadily increased in volume over their whispers – the HK team's backup had arrived, in the form of another sixteen HK's, one of the nine foot tall crocs and a twelve foot tall mechsuit. The croc and the mechsuit was a lot of firepower. The squad quietly deployed from their form up point, crawling low and slow through the withered scrub towards the site of their previous victory. It had become easy to move quietly in the sunless dirt with the plants long dead. Their Matte Adaptive Camouflage absorbed a variable amount of light from the EM spectrum, from low energy IR to high energy UV. On their sunless planet, they were basically invisible.

A sharp crack filled the dark, and the croc dropped to the ground, briefly flailing in the dirt.

<honorless/shameless><brutes/thugs> have trapped bodies leave bodies be, take positions, bring <leaders>

The HK team had positioned itself in a perimiter around the fallen walker, the mech-suit stood lifelessly by it, and a pair of the three foot slugs were sliding towards the wreckage. One began to cut into the side of the walker with a plasma torch, while the other examined the legs that had been sheared off by laser beams. Not even the robots attended to the croc, which seemed to have bled out.

Felix looked to his squadmates and commander for orders.

>Squad rifles target HK's on my signal fire at will

>Squad heavy weapons target Mech on my signal three high impact rounds

>Extended File 10m spacing

Felix took his position in the formation and they began to close in on the invaders.

The squad commander's beam lanced out across the battlefield, scorching a hole through a robot body, and the squad unleashed a controlled burst of hellfire. In less than four seconds the hunter-killer team had been annihilated. Four seconds after that the mech-suit had been shorn it half at the waist by repeated high impact lasers.

The squad closed in on their hapless victims.

“Felix! Ballistic rounds on the slugs, fire at will! Heavy Weapons! Peel that Mech, kill the pilot! Alpha! Suppress! Bravo! Security!” The Squad commander was yelling now.

“Ten four!” He acknowledged his order, then drew his vintage Browning GP-35 as he closed in on the invaders.

mercy <owner/master/ruler> mercy let me live mercy

His universal translator filled his helmet with the slug's pleas for mercy. He sauntered to their cowering forms, their desperate clicking and screeching audible over the translation of their words.

He pumped three rounds into each.

“We eat tonight.”

At the mech, his squad had used their lasrifles to shear off the mechs arms and an ablative armour panel. A feeble, raccoon like creature about four feet tall had sprayed out the viewport with its small kinetic machine gun, but Zahn had responded with a short squirt of pepper spray. When the spray of kinetic fire stopped he simply reached in and dragged it out by the throat, its soft velvet fur ripped out through its ruined uniform as it raked past the broken viewport. Its screeching and whining unintelligible even to the universal translators. He drew his clearing knife and sliced across its throat, before driving its head against a corner of the broken mech once. Then twice. It fell limp, as if deflated, with the last sound it heard being Zahn's voice echoing into the dark “We eat tonight!!”

The Squad regrouped at the edge of a re-entrant, in the shallow valley the walker had been traversing.

The Commander quietly addressed the squad.

“I've called it in – we won't be rationed in for another week. Their reinforcements will be here within two hours, probably less, so we need to hustle. Zahn, Vorhut, store the badger and slugs. Forget the croc it's ruined.” The members of the squad fell out as they received their orders. “Kaiser, Ulan, Water and ammo. Felix, Erik. One AA mine and AP mines on that ridge there. The rest of you all round security. Ten minutes, Then we move.”

Felix and Erik both clambered up the hill with a sense of urgency, uncomfortably warm in their heat and light absorbing camouflage armour, despite the temperature being close to zero. They both hadn't eaten in days. Despite the bitter, earthy taste and the slimy, gelatinous yet tough texture, Felix was looking forward to his share of slug.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“You Isae taste absolutely vuh... vile...” He stammered out, then pointed at the Ji Te, “But you... You taste like salmon.”