Aragonese is a minority endangered language used in the Alto Aragon area. Ayerbe is a town found in the Plana de Uesca in Alto Aragon, and therefore it is considered to belong to a geographical area where the use of the Aragonese language finds itself in a significant state of decline compared to the use of Castilian Spanish. This study examines the extent to which this is true. The objective was to conduct a questionnaire amongst residents in Ayerbe in order to explore their language use, their perceptions of the language, their linguistic awareness and their affinity to the concept of Aragonese identity. The results suggest that the Aragonese language in Ayerbe is more widely read and understood than was previously thought. This investigation also considers the processes of normalisation and normativisation that will be necessary for the revitalisation of the language.

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This paper is a study of the relationship between piano and orchestra in Mozart¡¦s piano concerto, K.467. The paper includes an introduction followed by three sections and a conclusion. The introduction briefly reviews the origins of the solo concerto. The following section discusses the changing nature of the relationship between tutti and soloist as the solo concerto evolved up until the time of Mozart. The next section is an analysis, with diagrams, of the form of K.467, the first movement being in concerto-sonata form, the second movement in three-stanza song form, and the third movement in rondo form. This is followed by the most important section of the paper which categorizes and discusses four types of solo-tutti relationships used by Mozart in K.467, showing examples from the score. These four types, suggested by Girdlestone in his book Mozart and His Piano Concertos, include: first, the orchestra as accompaniment supporting the soloist; second, the soloist as accompaniment to the orchestra; third, orchestra and soloist cooperating or competing on an equal basis; and fourth, orchestra and soloist entering in turn, answering one another.

Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) were employed in tandem for diagnostic studies of Nd:YAG (532 nm) laser induced plasma plumes. OES measurements of laser-induced silicon plasmas were performed through a range of ambient pressure regimes from atmospheric pressure down to ~10-4 mbar. The temporal evolution of the plasmas was characterised in terms of electron excitation temperature Te, ionisation temperature Ti, and electron density Ne. Electron densities were determined in the range 2.86 × 1016 to 5.53 × 1019 cm-3, electron temperatures were calculated in the range 8794 to 21229 K, and ionic species temperatures calculated in the range 13658 to 22551K. The requirements for OES analysis based on the assumption of Local Thermal Equilibrium (LTE) conditions existing within the plasmas are discussed. The plasma morphology and expansion dynamics with respect to pressure are described. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimise Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analyses of silicon at atmospheric pressure and under vacuum conditions. Multivariate analysis software was used to design and analyse several multi-level, full factorial RSM experiments. A Quality Factor (QF) was conceived as the response parameter for the experiments, representing the quality of the LIBS spectrum captured for a given hardware configuration. A full parametric study of the LIBS hardware configuration was performed to determine the true response of the system; the outcome of which compares favourably with the results yielded from the RSM investigation. MS analyses of silicon and copper laser-induced plasma plumes were performed using a commercially available Residual Gas Analyser (RGA). The RGA sampling configuration was investigated in order to maximise neutral and ionic species detection from the laser-induced plasmas.

Based on a Ph.D. thesis in the Dept. of Meteorology, 1967. / Bibliography: p. 99-101.

This thesis presents a compact femtosecond laser amplifier design for optical preamplifiers and power amplifiers consist of theoretical perspective, simulations to analyze and optimize beam performance. The propagation through optical media is simulated for every optical component such as mirrors and nonlinear crystal separately and suggested realignment of these components required increasing amplifier performance. Finally Gaussian beam propagation and aberration compensation has been conducted.

Semiconductor nanocrystals are expected to play an important role in the development of new generation of microelectronic and photonic devices such as light emitting diodes and memory elements. Optimization of these devices requires detailed investigations. Various spectroscopic techniques have been developed for material and devices characterization. This study covers the applications of the following techniques for the analysis of nanocrystalline materials: Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron (XPS). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are also used as complementary methods. Crystallinity ratio, size, physical and chemical environment of the nanostructures were probed with these methods. Si and Ge nanocrystals were formed into the oxides Al2O3 and SiO2 by ion implantation, magnetron sputtering and laser ablation methods. FTIR and XPS are two methods used to extract information on the surface of the nanocrystals. Raman and XRD are non destructive and easy-to-operate methods used widely to estimate the crystallinity to amorphous ratio and the sizes of the nanocrystals. In this study, the structural variations of SiO2 matrix during the formation of Si nanocrystals were characterized by FTIR. The shift in position and changes in intensity of the Si-O-Si asymmetric stretching band of SiOx was monitored. An indirect metrology method based on FTIR was developed to show the nanocrystal formation. Ge nanocrystals formed in SiO2 matrix were investigated using FTIR, Raman and XRD methods. FTIR spectroscopy showed that Ge atoms segregate completely from the matrix at relatively low temperatures 900 oC. The stress between the Ge nanocrystals and the matrix can vary in samples produced by magnetron sputtering if the production conditions are slightly different. Si and Ge nanocrystals were formed into Al2O3 matrix by ion implantation of Si and Ge ions into sapphire matrix. Raman, XRD, XPS and TEM methods were employed to characterize the formed nanocrystals. XRD is used to estimate the nanocrystal sizes which are in agreement with TEM observations. The stress on nanocrystals was observed by Raman and XRD methods, and a quantitative calculation was employed to the Si nanocrystals using the Raman results. XPS and SIMS depth profiles of the sample implanted with Si, and annealed at 1000 oC were measured. Precipitation of Si atoms with the heat treatment to form the nanocrystals was observed using XPS. The volume fraction of the SiOx shell to the Si core in Si nanocrystals was found to be 7.9 % at projection range of implantation.

The confocal laser-scanning microscope (CLSM), known simply as a confocal microscope, is an important instrument which allows us to observe an object or a surface in three-dimensions with confocal microcopy technique. The basic difference of confocal microscopy is detecting the in- focused light, while the out of focus light is blocked out by the help of a pinhole. By this optical dissection ability of confocal microcopy, CLSM provides the images of investigated object or the surface with higher resolution and contrast as against conventional microscopic systems. Various types of Laser Scanning confocal microscopes have been developed and due to its high resolution and contrast they have become an invaluable tool for investigations in many areas like biology and medicine. In addition to its wide range of use, confocal microscope can be used for detecting of possible defects on metal surfaces. In this thesis our goal was to develop the analytical and theoretical back ground necessary for the successful completion of a laser/optic system coupled to a fiber bundle waveguide based on confocal scanning principles to effectively image a non-uniform, metal surface with speed and precision in order to assess any surface damage. In addition to this analysis we demonstrate a working confocal microscopy set-up and investigate the factors which affect the image quality by the experiments conducted in METU (Middle East Technical University) Laser Laboratory

Today, riflescope systems are used widely, mostly by military forces. In this study, a riflescope working in the visible range (400-700 nm) will be designed. The riflescope will have 3 degrees field of view and maximum 15 cm total track. Total design length is limited to 15 cm because a short riflescope is more stabilized than a long one with respect to thermal instability and vibrational effects. Taken into account the cost factor, only two types of glasses will be used in the design. One of them is NBK7 a crown glass and the other is N-F2 a flint glass. Moreover, Schmidt-Pechan prism will be used to construct an erected image. The optical performance analysis of the design is also carried out for a production ready riflescope system.

Focal plane corrected Cassegrain type optical systems have been widely used in various fields. The axial alignment of complex optical systems is not easy and a practical alignment method is needed for such systems. Tilts, decenters and axial motion of elements or group of elements in the system are the typical alignment parameters. Interferometric measurement is an effective way to see the errors caused by the misalignment of each element in an optical system. In this thesis, alignment of a Cassegrain type telescope will be examined by using interferometric measurements and modulation transfer function simulations.