Two Monte Carlo-based simulators for imaging-system modeling and projection simulation of flat-panel X-ray source

The advantages of a flat-panel X-ray source(FPXS)make it a promising candidate for imaging applications.Accurate imaging-system modeling and projection simulation are critical for analyzing imaging performance and resolving overlapping projection issues in FPXS.The conventional analytical ray-tracing approach is limited by the number of patterns and is not applicable to FPXS-projection calculations.However,the computation time of Monte Carlo(MC)simulation is independent of the size of the patterned arrays in FPXS.This study proposes two high-efficiency MC projection simulators for FPXS:a graphics processing unit(GPU)-based phase-space sampling MC(gPSMC)simulator and GPU-based fluence sampling MC(gFSMC)simulator.The two simulators comprise three components:imaging-system modeling,photon initialization,and physical-interaction simulations in the phantom.Imaging-system modeling was performed by modeling the FPXS,imaging geometry,and detector.The gPSMC simulator samples the initial photons from the phase space,whereas the gFSMC simulator performs photon initialization from the calculated energy spectrum and fluence map.The entire process of photon interaction with the geometry and arrival at the detector was simulated in parallel using multiple GPU kernels,and projections based on the two simulators were calculated.The accuracies of the two simulators were evaluated by comparing them with the conventional analytical ray-tracing approach and acquired projections,and the efficiencies were evaluated by comparing the computation time.The results of simulated and realistic experiments illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed gPSMC and gFSMC simulators in the projection calculation of various phantoms.

Comparison of the time-domain electromagnetic field from an infinitesimal point charge and dipole source

An electromagnetic field is generated through the accelerating movement of two equal but opposite charges of a single dipole. An electromagnetic field can also be generated by a time-varying infinitesimal point charge. In this study, a comparison between the electromagnetic fields of an infinitesimal point charge and a dipole has been presented. First, the time-domain potential function of a point source in a 3D conductive medium is derived. Then the electric and magnetic fields in a 3D homogeneous lossless space are derived via the relation between the potential and field. The field differences between the infinitesimal point charge and the dipole in the step-off time, far-source, and near-source zones are analyzed, and the accuracy of the solutions from these sources is investigated. It is also shown that the field of the infinitesimal point charge in the near-source zone is different from that of the dipole, whereas the far-source zone fields of these two sources are identical. The comparison of real and simulated data shows that the infinitesimal point charge represents the real source better than the divole source.

Analysis on the Pollution Load of Non-point Source Pollution and Surface Runoff of A Typical Village in Baiyangdian Lake Basin

[Objective] The characteristic of non-point source pollution of a typical village in Baiyangdian Lake basin was studied.[Method] The discharge of domestic sewage and solid wastes of the typical village was investigated,and both pollutant and nutrient element content were monitored,as well as the water quality and quantity of rainfall runoff.[Result] The non-point source pollution of livestock manure was far more serious than the sum of domestic sewage and domestic waste in this village,and the annual emission of total organic carbon(TOC),total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP) was 37 794.0,4 102.9 and 1 923.7 kg,respectively.The event mean concentration(EMC)of chemical oxygen demand COD,TN and TP in rainfall runoff was 44.5,78.8,1.3 mg/L,respectively,and annual pollution load was 7.6,13.4 and 0.2 kg/hm2,respectively,while the annual pollution load of COD accounted for 5.1% of standard farmland,and that of TN and TP occupied 4.5% and 0.49% of slope farmland.[Conclusion] Livestock manure was the main source of non-point source pollution in the village and the annual pollution load of non-point source pollution was obtained.

Analysis on the Status of Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution in Xinan River Basin

Taking Xinan River basin as research object,the status of agricultural non-point source pollution was analyzed based on field survey,as well as the effect of fertilizer and pesticide leaching and runoff,livestock and poultry breeding and rural domestic pollution on non-point source TN and TP.At last,some technical countermeasures of controlling non-point source pollution were put forward according to the characteristics of agricultural non-point source pollution in Xinan River basin.

Estimation of Methane Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills in China Based on Point Emission Sources

The methane(CH4) emissions from municipal solid waste(MSW) landfills in China in 2007 were estimated based on database of the three-dimensional emission factors matrix and point sources, by an IPCC recommended FOD(firstorder decay) model. The location, capacity and age of landfills constitute the three dimensions of the emission factors matrix, which were obtained by laboratory analysis and in situ investigation. Key parameters such as waste composition,degradable organic carbon ratio, CH4 correction factor, oxidation factor and recovery rate, were carefully analyzed in terms of these three dimensions. The point sources database consists of 2,107 MSW landfills in cities and towns of China in 2007. The results show that the CH4 emissions from MSW landfills were 1.186 Mt in 2007. Compared with the CH4 emissions of 2.20 Mt in 2005, the significant discrepancy mainly comes from statistical data of landfills, e.g., number of landfills and amount of waste disposed in landfills. CH4 emissions were lower than 700 t for most of the landfills, whereas there were 279 landfills with emissions larger than 1,000 t, and only 10 landfills with emissions larger than 10,000 t.Jiangsu province ranks the largest emitter with 98,700 t while Tibet is the smallest emitter with 2,100 t. In general,the emissions from eastern provinces, such as Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang, were larger than those from western provinces, such as Ningxia, Tibet and Qinghai.

Beam and image experiment of beam deflection electron gun for distributed X-ray sources

Distributed X-ray sources comprise a single vacuum chamber containing multiple X-ray sources that are triggered and emit X-rays at a specific time and location. This process facilitates an application for innovative system concepts in X-ray and computer tomography. This paper proposes a novel electron beam focusing, shaping,and deflection electron gun for distributed X-ray sources.The electron gun uses a dispenser cathode as an electron emitter, a mesh grid to control emission current, and two electrostatic lenses for beam shaping, focusing, and deflection. Novel focusing and deflecting electrodes were designed to increase the number of focal spots in the distributed source. Two identical half-rectangle opening electrodes are controlled by adjusting the potential of the two electrodes to control the electron beam trajectory, and then, multifocal spots are obtained on the anode target. The electron gun can increase the spatial density of the distributed X-ray sources, thereby improving the image quality. The beam experimental results show that the focal spot sizes of the deflected(deflected amplitude 10.5 mm)and non-deflected electron beams at full width at half maximum are 0.80 mm 90.50 mm and 0.55 mm 90.40 mm, respectively(anode voltage 160 kV; beam current 30 mA). The imaging experimental results demonstrate the excellent spatial resolution and time resolution of an imaging system built with the sources, which has an excellent imaging effect on a field-programmable gate array chip and a rotating metal disk.

Determination of Gamma point source efficiency based on a backpropagation neural network

Efficiency is an important factor in quantitative and qualitative analysis of radionuclides, and the gamma point source efficiency is related to the radial angle,detection distance, and gamma-ray energy. In this work, on the basis of a back-propagation(BP) neural network model,a method to determine the gamma point source efficiency is developed and validated. The efficiency of the point sources ^(137)Cs and ^(60)Co at discrete radial angles, detection distances, and gamma-ray energies is measured, and the BP neural network prediction model is constructed using MATLAB. The gamma point source efficiencies at different radial angles, detection distances, and gamma-ray energies are predicted quickly and accurately using this nonlinear prediction model. The results show that the maximum error between the predicted and experimental values is 3.732% at 661.661 keV, 11π/24, and 35 cm, and those under other conditions are less than 3%. The gamma point source efficiencies obtained using the BP neural network model are in good agreement with experimental data.

Assessment of Point and Nonpoint Sources Pollution in Songhua River Basin,Northeast China by Using Revised Water Quality Model

Individual participation of pollutants in the pollution load should be estimated even if roughly for the appropriate environmental management of a river basin.It is difficult to identify the sources and to quantify the load, especially in modeling nonpoint source.In this study a revised model was established by integrating point and nonpoint sources into one-dimensional Streeter-Phelps(S-P) model on the basis of real-time hydrologic data and surface water quality monitoring data in the Jilin Reach of the Songhua River Basin.Chemical oxygen demand(COD) and ammonia nitrogen(NH 3-N) loads were estimated.Results showed that COD loads of point source and nonpoint source were 134 958 t/yr and 86 209 t/yr, accounting for 61.02% and 38.98% of total loads, respectively.NH 3-N loads of point source and nonpoint source were 16 739 t/yr and 14 272 t/yr, accounting for 53.98% and 46.02%, respectively.Point source pollution was stronger than nonpoint source pollution in the study area at present.The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream of the rivers and cities.It is indispensable to treat industrial wastewater and municipal sewage out of point sources, to adopt the best management practices to control diffuse pollutants from agricultural land and urban surface runoff in improving water quality of the Songhua River Basin.The revised S-P model can be successfully used to identify pollution source and quantify point source and nonpoint source loads by calibrating and validating.

Numerical Calculation of Seafloor Synthetic Seismograms Caused by Low Frequency Point Sound Source

Elastic wave on seafloor caused by low frequency noise radiated from ship is called ship seismic wave which can be used to identify ship target. In order to analyze the wave components and the propagating properties of ship seismic wave, the numerical calculation of synthetic seismograms on seafloor aroused by a low frequency point sound source is carried out using a wave number integration technique combined with inverse Fourier transform. According to the numerical example of hard seafloor, the time series of seismic wave on seafloor are mostly composed of interface waves and normal mode waves. Each normal mode wave has a well defined low cut-off frequency, while the interface wave doesn't have. The frequency dispersion of normal mode wave is obvious when frequency is lower than 100Hz, while the interface wave is dispersive only in the infra-sound frequency range. The time series of seismic wave is dominated by the interface wave when the source frequency is less than the minimal cut-off frequency of normal mode wave.

Validation of an agricultural non-point source(AGNPS)pollution model for a catchment in the Jiulong River watershed,China

This study tested and evaluated the agricultural non-point source （AGNPS） model for the Wuchuan catchment, a typical agricultural area in the Jiulong River watershed, Fujian Province, China. The AGNPS model was calibrated and validated for the study area with observed data on ten storms. The data on eight storms in 2002 were used for calibration while data on two storms were used for validation of the model. Considering the lack of water quality data over a long-term series, a novel method, comparing an internal nested catchment with its surrounding catchment, was used to supplement the less long-term series data. Dual calibration and validation of the AGNPS model was obtained by this comparison. The results indicate that the correlation coefficients were 0.99 and 0.98 for runoff, 0.94 and 0.95 for the peak runoff rate of the large catchment and the small catchment, respectively, and 0.76 for the sediment of the small catchment only. Each pair of correlation coefficients is homogeneous for the same event for the two catchments. With the exception of the sediment yield and particulate phosphorus, the peak runoff rate and other nutrients were well predicted. Sensitivity analysis showed that the Soil Conservation Service curve number and rainfall quantity were the most sensitive parameters, which resulted in high output variations. Erosivity and other parameters had little influence on the hydrological and quality outputs.

Laser-produced plasma helium-like titanium Kα x-ray source and its application to Rayleigh-Taylor instability study

Several experiments are performed on the ShenGuang-Ⅱ laser facility to investigate an x-ray source and test radiography concepts. X-ray lines emitted from laser-produced plasmas are the most practical means of generating these high intensity sources. By using a time-integrated space-resolved keV spectroscope and pinhole camera, potential helium-like titanium Kα x-ray backlighting （radiography） line source is studied as a function of laser wavelength, ratio of pre-pulse intensity to main pulse intensity, and laser intensity （from 7.25 to ～ 11.3 × 10^15 W/cm2）. One-dimensional radiography using a grid consisting of 5 #m Au wires on 16 μm period and the pinhole-assisted point projection is tested. The measurements show that the size of the helium-like titanium Ka source from a simple foil target is larger than 100 ~m, and relative x-ray line emission conversion efficiency ~x from the incident laser light energy to helium- like titanium K-shell spectrum increases significantly with pre-pulse intensity increasing, increases rapidly with laser wavelength decreasing, and increases moderately with main laser intensity increasing. It is also found that a gold gird foils can reach an imaging resolution better than 5-μm featured with high contrast. It is further demonstrated that the pinhole-assisted point projection at such a level will be a novel two-dimensional imaging diagnostic technique for inertial confinement fusion experiments.

Optimization of 4.7-keV X-ray titanium sources driven by 100-ps laser pulses

An experiment with thin titanium foils irradiated by two pulses delayed in time is conducted on the bnenguang-Il laser facility. A prepulse induces an underdense plasma, 2-ns later a main pulse （λL ≈ 0.35 μm, EL ≈120 J, τL ≈100 ps） is injected into the underdense plasma and produces strong line emission from the titanium K shell （i.e., Hea at 4.7 keV）. Data show that the intensity of 4.7-keV X-ray emission with the prepulse is approximately twice more than without the prepulse, and can be used as a backlighting source satisfying the diagnostic requirements for dense plasma probing. High- quality plasma images are obtained with the backlighfing 4.7-keV X-rays in a Rayleigh-Taylor hydrodynamic instability experiment.

Three-dimensional steady-state closed form solution for multilayered fluid-saturated anisotropic finite media due to surface/internal point source

A three-dimensional(3 D)steady-state solution of fluid saturated anisotropic finite media is presented.The eigenequation method and the pseudo-Stroh formalism are used to obtain the exact solution for homogeneous saturated finite media.The propagator matrix method is introduced to deal with the corresponding multilayered poroelastic media.The poroelastic solutions due to surface or internal point fluid source are obtained.The comparison of the results of the saturated isotropic media in a half space and those obtained by the finite element method is given to illustrate the accuracy of the solution in a finite domain.Numerical solutions of a sandwich poroelastic medium are presented to analyze its hydromechanical behaviors.Two ratios of the horizontal permeability to vertical permeability and different source positions are investigated.The results show that the fluid parameters and source positions have great influence on the hydromechanical behaviors of the layered media.

A distributed non-point source pollution model: calibration and validation in the Yellow River Basin

The applicability of a non-point source pollution model—SWAT(soil and water assessment tools) in a large river basin with high sediment runoff modulus(770 t/km2 in the Yellow River) was examined. The basic database, which includes DEM, soil and landuse map, weather data, and land management data, was established for the study area using GIS. A two-stage “Brute Force' optimization method was used to calibrate the parameters with the observed monthly flow and sediment data from 1992 to 1997. In the process of calibration automated digital filter technique was used to separate direct runoff and base flow. The direct runoff was firstly calibrated, and the base flow, then the total runoff was matched. The sediment yield was calibrated to match well. Keeping input parameters set during the calibration process unchanged, the model was validated with 1998—1999's observed monthly flow and sediment. The evaluation coefficients for simulated and observed flow and sediment showed that SWAT was successfully applied in the study area: relative error was within 20%, coefficient of determination and Nash-Suttcliffe simulation efficiency were all equal to or above 0.70 during calibration and validation period.

Development of a seven-cell S-band standing-wave RF-deflecting cavity for Tsinghua Thomson scattering X-ray source

A 2856-MHz,π-mode,seven-cell standingwave deflecting cavity was designed and fabricated for bunch length measurement in Tsinghua Thomson scattering X-ray source(TTX)facility.This cavity was installed in the TTX and provided a deflecting voltage of 4.2 MV with an input power of 2.5 MW.Bunch length diagnoses of electron beams with energies up to 39 MeV have been performed.In this article,the RF design of the cavity using HFSS,fabrication,and RF test processes are reviewed.High-power operation with accelerated beams and calibration of the deflecting voltage are also presented.

Experimental Study of the X-Ray Radiation Source at Approximately Constant Radiation Temperature

An X-ray radiation source with approximately constant radiation temperature is realized by irradiating golden hohlraum with a shaped laser pulse. A simple theoretical model based on power balance is used to design the shape of the drive laser pulse. Experiments are carried out on the Shenguang III prototype laser facility, and the experimentM results are presented for radiation sources with the flat-top lasting about 2.5 ns at two different peak temperatures of about 150 eV and 170 eV, respectively, including the the drive laser pulses and the time integrated possible improvements are discussed. time histories of the temperatures, the shapes of radiation spectra. The validity of the model and

Characteristics of Non-Point Source Pollution in the Watershed of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China

Nitrogen and phosphorus are the major nutrients to cause eutrophication to degrade water quality of the Miyun Reservoir, a very important drinking water source of Beijing, China, and they are mainly from non-point sources. The watershed in Miyun County was selected as the study region with a total area of 1400 km\+2. Four typical monitoring catchments and two experimental units were used to monitor the precipitation, runoff, sediment yield and pollutant loading related to various land uses in the meantime. The results show that the total nutrient loss amounts of TN and TP are \{898.07\} t/a, and \{40.70\} t/a, respectively, in which nutrients N and P carried by runoff are \{91.3%\} and \{77.3%\}, respectively. There is relatively heavier soil erosion in the northern mountain area whereas the main nutrient loss occurs near the northeast edge of the reservoir. Different land uses would influence the loss amounts of non-point source pollutants. The amount of nutrient loss from the agricultural land per unit is highest, that from forestry comes next and that from grassland is lowest. However, due to the variability of land use areas, agricultural land contributes a lot to TP and forestry lands to TN.

Assessing effects of “source-sink” landscape on non-point source pollution based on cell units of a small agricultural catchment

Ascertaining the relationship between "source-sink" landscape and non-point source(NPS) pollution is crucial for reducing NPS pollution, however, it is not easy to realize this target on cell unit scale. To reveal the relationships between "sourcesink" landscape and NPS pollution based on cell units of a small catchment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(TGRR), the runoff and nutrient yields were simulated first by rainfall events on a cell unit scale based on the Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model(AnnAGNPS). Landscape structure and pattern were quantified with "sourcesink" landscape indicators based on cell units including landscape area indices and locationweighted landscape indices. The results showed that:the study case of small Wangjiagou catchment highlighted a good prediction capability of runoff and nutrient export by the AnnAGNPS model. Throughout the catchment, the spatial distribution trends of four location-weighted landscape indices were similar to the trends of simulated total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP), which highlighted the importance of spatial arrangement of "source" and "sink" landscape types in a catchment when estimating pollutant loads. Results by Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the location-weighted landscape index provided a more comprehensive account of multiple factors, and can better reflect NPS-related nutrient loss than other landscape indices applied in single-factor analysis. This study provides new findings for applying the "source-sink" landscape indices based on cell units in small catchments to explain the effect of "source-sink" landscape on nutrient export based on cell unit, and helps improve the understanding of the correlation between "source-sink" landscape and NPS pollution.

Discussion on Role of Forest to Control Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Taihu Lake Basin-Based on Source-Sink Analysis

Taihu Lake is located at the center of Changjiang delta region, the Lake and its effluent rivers are important water sources for 40 million around inhabitants and rapidly increasing industrial factories in Shanghai, Ji-angsu and Zhejiang. The pollutants originate mainly from acidy rain, home sewage of the vast number of inhabitants, livestock manure, agricultural fertilizers & pesticides applied over fields in the drainage basin, and the industrial sewage. Due to the kinds of pollutants, the Lake water is getting highly eutrophic, with frequent blooms of blue-green algae. Compared with point-source pollutants, diffuse pollution is much com-plicated and difficult to control. Thus combating non-point pollution (NPP) is paid much great attention. Based on analysis on source-sink of NPP in Taihu Lake basin, it is concluded that the function of forests on NPP control is multiple and important by both source reduction and sink expansion. The primary objective of planting trees through constructing forested wetlands and establishing riparian forest buffers is to control soil & water erosion, decrease agrochemicals application, and improve farming conditions in the region of Taihu Lake basin. Moreover forests help to intercept acidy rain, protect streambanks, uptake nutrients, hold up pollutants and provide habitat for wildlife.

Evaluation of Red Blood Cell Contribution to Platelet Activation in the Bulk Applying Red Blood Cell—Platelet Thrombus as a Point Source Model

In this study, a point source mathematical model is proposed to describe the diffusion of adenosine di-phosphate (ADP) from either damaged red blood cell (RBC) or activated platelet. The convective diffusion equation is reduced to describe the suggested problem. The final differential equation is solved using Laplace transforms and ADP concentration profiles around the source are obtained. Thrombi of 5 to 20 μm3 containing platelets and a range of red blood cells (RBCs) (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) concentrations are used to apply the model. Reported ADP concentrations in the literature are used and its dynamic release from the point source is calculated. Results suggest that RBC chemical contribution to platelet aggregation in the bulk is much less than that of platelet (almost) negligible. However, the physical effect of RBCs is dominant in the bulk through augmentation of released ADP and platelets diffusivities. Moreover, the chemical contribution reported in previous studies is suggested to be as a result of interaction of RBC with the surface under the influence of shear stresses in the boundary region.