Femtosecond pulse shaping refers to the manipulation and control of ultrashort laser pulses, typically in the femtosecond range (10^-15 seconds). These pulses are extremely brief, allowing researchers and technologists to study and interact with fast processes in physical, chemical, and biological systems at a time resolution that was previously unattainable.
Catastrophic Optical Damage (COD) refers to a critical failure mode in optical components, particularly in high-power laser systems and semiconductor lasers, where the optical material or structure experiences sudden and severe damage due to excessive optical power or energy density. This often results in physical changes to the material, such as thermal degradation, melting, or cracking, leading to a permanent loss of functionality.
A continuous wave (CW) is a type of electromagnetic wave that maintains a constant amplitude and frequency over time. In a more general sense, it refers to any waveform that does not change shape or is not pulsed, meaning it is steady and continuous in nature. ### Key Characteristics of Continuous Waves: 1. **Constant Amplitude**: The wave maintains the same power level throughout its duration, meaning there are no peaks and troughs in its intensity.
A random laser is a type of laser that operates based on the principles of random scattering rather than a well-defined optical cavity. In a traditional laser, light is amplified in a highly organized manner within a coherent optical cavity formed by mirrors. The laser action occurs when a specific population of energy states is established, allowing light to be emitted in a coherent and directed beam. In contrast, a random laser does not rely on mirrors or a perfectly structured cavity.
Intrinsic localization refers to the ability of a system or organism to determine its own position or location relative to a known reference frame or coordinate system, using internal cues or information without needing external references. This concept is often applied in various fields including robotics, neuroscience, and computer vision. In the context of robotics, for example, intrinsic localization can involve the robot using its onboard sensors (like IMUs, cameras, or odometry) to calculate its position and orientation within an environment.
An output coupler is an essential component used in laser systems and certain types of optical cavities. It serves the purpose of allowing a portion of the light generated within the laser cavity to exit while reflecting the remainder back into the cavity to sustain the lasing process. Output couplers are typically partially reflective mirrors, with specific reflectivity characteristics tailored to the requirements of the laser.
Anne Tréhu is a prominent geophysicist known for her research in the field of marine geology and geophysics, particularly focusing on tectonics and the study of earthquakes. She has contributed significantly to understanding the geological processes occurring in subduction zones and other tectonically active regions. Tréhu has worked on various research projects and has been involved in educational initiatives to advance the study of Earth sciences.
A wordmark is a type of logo that consists primarily of the name of a company, organization, or brand presented in a stylized typographic form. Unlike a pictorial logo that uses icons or images, a wordmark focuses on text and is characterized by the design of the typeface, color scheme, and overall presentation. Famous examples of wordmarks include brands like Coca-Cola, Google, and IBM.
The term "A value" can refer to different concepts depending on the context. Here are a few interpretations: 1. **Mathematics/Statistics**: In statistics, "A value" might refer to a specific numeric value in a dataset or an analysis. For example, it could refer to a certain measurement, a variable in an equation, or the result of a statistical test.
Titania is the largest moon of the planet Uranus and the eighth-largest moon in the Solar System. Discovered in 1787 by the astronomer William Herschel, Titania has a diameter of about 1,578 kilometers (980 miles). It is composed primarily of water ice and rock, with a surface that features a mix of canyons, large impact craters, and bright, icy regions.
The 77th meridian east is an imaginary line of longitude that is 77 degrees east of the Prime Meridian. It runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through several countries.
S/2007 S 3 is a natural satellite, or moon, of the planet Saturn. It was discovered in 2007 and is part of a group of small, irregularly shaped moons that orbit Saturn. Specifically, S/2007 S 3 is one of the smaller moons that are part of Saturn's outer moon system. Its discovery was made using data from the Subaru Telescope, and it is designated with the "S" prefix indicating that it is one of Saturn's moons.
"Forge" can refer to several things depending on the context. Here are a few common meanings: 1. **Blacksmithing Forge**: A furnace or workshop where metal is heated and shaped by a blacksmith. This traditional forge is used to create tools, weapons, and other metal objects. 2. **Software Development**: In the context of software, "Forge" may refer to collaborative platforms for managing software development projects, such as GitForge or CodeForge.
Joel Moses is a computer scientist known for his work in the fields of artificial intelligence and computer science education. He has made significant contributions to various areas, including automated reasoning, knowledge representation, and AI programming languages. Additionally, Moses served as a professor and administrator at several academic institutions and has been involved in initiatives to advance computer science education.
Carbon-14 (C-14) is a radioactive isotope of carbon. It is formed in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen-14 (N-14) in a process known as cosmic ray spallation. Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,730 years, which means that it takes this amount of time for half of a given sample of C-14 to decay into nitrogen-14 through beta decay.
The number 720 is an integer that falls between 719 and 721. In mathematical terms, it can be expressed as: 1. **Factorial**: \( 720 = 6! \) (6 factorial), which means \( 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 720 \). 2. **Divisors**: It has a total of 30 divisors.
The term "Russian relativity theorists" generally refers to a group of physicists and mathematicians from Russia who have contributed to the field of relativity, particularly the theories put forth by Albert Einsteinspecial relativity and general relativityas well as their applications and implications.
A **null graph** (also known as the **empty graph**) is a type of graph in graph theory that contains no vertices and therefore no edges. In other words, it is a graph that has no points or connections between them. Alternatively, when talking about a more general context in graphs that do involve vertices, a null graph can also refer to a graph that has vertices but no edges connecting any of them.
Christopher Bishop is a prominent computer scientist known for his work in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to probabilistic graphical models and the development of algorithms for pattern recognition and data analysis. Bishop is also the author of the widely-used textbook "Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning," which has become a key reference in the field.
"Discoveries" is a novel by Elizabeth Roemer, an author known for her works in science fiction and fantasy. The book weaves themes of exploration and discovery, often set against the backdrop of different worlds or alien civilizations. Roemer's writing typically focuses on the interplay between human emotions and the challenges of new environments, touching on philosophical and ethical dilemmas as characters navigate these landscapes.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact