Abstract: A balloon and kit assembly includes an inflatable balloon having a port for inflating the balloon and a holder assembly including a tube and a base. The tube has an upper end designed to be selectively mated with the inflatable port and a lower end which may be used to inflate the balloon and to then be mated with the base in order to hold and display the balloon. The kit also includes a colorful tinsel assembly mountable on the tube.

Abstract: In an optical heterodyne surface plasma wave detecting method and apparatus, light that contains correlated P1 and P2 wave components (TM waves) is directed to a total reflective component such that two surface plasma waves are generated at an interface of a metal film and a test object. Light reflected from the total reflective component is detected to obtain an optical heterodyne test signal that is compared with an optical heterodyne reference signal to determine changes in at least one of amplitude and phase of the optical heterodyne signal relative to the optical heterodyne reference signal.

Abstract: In an optical heterodyne surface plasma wave detecting method and apparatus, light that contains correlated P1 and P2 wave components (TM waves) is directed to a total reflective component such that two surface plasma waves are generated at an interface of a metal film and a test object. Light reflected from the total reflective component is detected to obtain an optical heterodyne test signal that is compared with an optical heterodyne reference signal to determine changes in at least one of amplitude and phase of the optical heterodyne signal relative to the optical heterodyne reference signal.