HiZ-GUNDAM is a candidate for a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency satellite mission expected to launch in the 2030s, aiming to detect high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and explore the early universe. The wide-field X-ray monitor EAGLE, onboard the HiZ-GUNDAM satellite and responsible for GRB detection and localization, employs lobster-eye-type micro-pore optics (MPOs) and a pnCCD as the focal-plane detector to focus soft X-rays in the 0.4 to 4.0 keV range. We established an alignment strategy for a modular lobster-eye MPO system, and the required alignment accuracy was derived through Monte Carlo simulations that reproduce the point spread function and localization performance. The optical characteristics of individual MPO segments were then evaluated to select and arrange four segments for a breadboard-level alignment demonstration. Subsequently, alignment tuning was performed by adjusting the angular positions of the MPO segments with actuators under X-ray irradiation in a vacuum environment, followed by an evaluation of the resulting direction-determination accuracy. The resulting angular response measurements show that the estimated incident angles derived from the focal positions achieve systematic uncertainties of less than 3 arcmin over more than 95% of the field of view. This level of performance satisfies the localization requirement for the EAGLE instrument when considering systematic errors intrinsic to the MPO-based detection system. These results demonstrate the feasibility of precise MPO alignment in a segmented lobster-eye optics system and provide practical feedback for the design, alignment strategy, and mechanical tolerance definition of future engineering and flight models of the EAGLE X-ray optics.
Although azobenzenes have the potential to possess both aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and photoresponsivity, examples are still limited due to their low emission efficiency. Herein, we report a new supramolecular strategy utilizing a large molecular dipole moment to enhance emission efficiency in the aggregate state and to induce controllable crystal polymorphism, thereby demonstrating the first observation of azobenzene-based whispering gallery mode (WGM) emission with multiple sharp peaks. While dipolar azobenzene monomers in toluene are non-emissive, the drop-cast film exhibits red emission under photoexcitation due to the AIE effect. Microscopic photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed that the film comprises a mixture of crystals, with major red and minor near-infrared (NIR) emissions. By tuning the recrystallization temperature in toluene, we successfully controlled the crystal polymorphism and revealed the PL properties of each form using time-resolved PL spectroscopy and theoretical approaches. A direct transition from the NIR-emissive crystal to the red-emissive one was observed upon thermal annealing. Remarkably, the micro-sized particles exhibited multiple sharp PL peaks due to the microresonator effect, attributed to WGM emission, and the WGM peak positions shifted upon photoirradiation. This work provides a fundamental principle for the creation of new photoresponsive WGM-based materials.
Lignans are bioactive polyphenols in sesame oil that contribute to its antioxidant and metabolic health benefits. Their composition changes drastically during roasting and refining, but conventional methods such as HPLC-UV are time-consuming and require organic solvents. Here, we established a rapid and non-destructive near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic method coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) to simultaneously quantify six lignan species-sesamin, sesamolin, episesamin, diasesamin, sesaminol, and sesamol-in sesame oil. A total of 100 samples, including both roasted and refined oils, were analyzed. Reference data were obtained by HPLC-UV, and PLSR models were constructed using second-derivative NIR spectra. The models achieved excellent predictive accuracy (R-2 = 0.970-0.996; RMSE = 0.0008%-0.020%), even for trace-level lignans such as sesamol (0.005%-0.03%) and diasesamin (< 0.04%). The approach successfully distinguished structurally similar lignans and revealed spectral regions (around 7400 cm(-1)) linked to processing-induced compositional changes. The proposed method provides a powerful, solvent-free platform for rapid lignan profiling, allowing analysis within minutes without sample pretreatment, and offers strong potential for industrial quality control and process monitoring.
Liquid crystal (LC) Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements (PBOEs) are promising components for XR displays owing to their unique advantages, including lightweight, ultrathin form factor and polarization-dependent diffraction behavior. A key challenge for PBOEs is achieving high diffraction efficiency over a broad wavelength range because the efficiency depends not only on the LC layer design but also on the local pattern period. This complexity makes accurate evaluation difficult, particularly for space-variant devices such as PB lenses, where conventional millimeter-scale probe beams inevitably introduce crosstalk between regions. Here, we present microscopic diffraction spectrometry, in which the propagating direction and polarization are filtered in a microscope to enable characterization of diffraction by the PB phase in localized areas of diameter 100 mu m and below. We demonstrate the capability of the proposed technique by quantifying the impact of alignment defects localized within similar to 10-mu m-diameter regions on diffraction efficiency, and by generating a spatial efficiency map of a PB lens that reveals performance variations within a single element. We anticipate that this method will be valuable not only for the research and development of high-performance PBOEs but also for quality control in mass production.
This study investigated the effectiveness of word-frequency and teacher judgments in determining students’ vocabulary knowledge and compared the predictive powers of both approaches when estimating vocabulary knowledge. Twenty-nine second language (L2) Spanish teachers were asked to predict how likely their students would know words from a 216-word Yes/No test that measures knowledge of the first 3,000 words in Spanish. The accuracy of their responses was compared with the results of 1,075 L2 Spanish students who completed the same test. To examine if the results could generalize to other L2 settings, 394 L2 English students completed a 70-word Yes/No test that measures knowledge of the first 14,000 words in English, and 15 L2 English language instructors attempted to predict which words would or would not be recognized. Results showed that for both language contexts, (1) the median teacher rater could assess students’ vocabulary knowledge with an accuracy roughly comparable to frequency, (2) the combination of teachers’ judgments displayed a stronger relationship with students’ performance on the vocabulary test than frequency, since the average of three or more teachers’ ratings improved upon frequency when examined with 1,000 bootstrapped samples, and (3) using teacher judgments and frequency together did not substantially improve the prediction of students’ vocabulary knowledge.
