Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a sample for analysis. The method comprises: providing a sample comprising a surface region of interest on a first face of the sample and a second face oriented at an angle to the first face about a common edge between the first and second faces, the second face extending between the common edge and a second edge on the opposing side of the second face of the sample; and milling the second face of the sample to provide a trench in the surface of the second face, the trench extending from a first position on the second face between the common edge and the second edge to a second position adjacent to the common edge; wherein the trench is arranged so as to provide an electron transparent sample layer comprising the surface region of interest. By milling the second face of the sample only, a surface region of interest on the first face of the sample is fully preserved and remains free of milling beam induced damage.

Abstract: A method is provided for analysing electron backscatter diffraction data generated from a sample material. An image data set representative of an image of electron backscatter diffraction bands is obtained from the sample material. A set of estimated first diffraction parameters is then generated, these defining individual electron backscatter diffraction bands in the image data set. A candidate phase is then selected together with a respective orientation for the material, based upon the generated set of estimated parameters thereby identifying diffraction bands in the image data set. Second diffraction parameters of the identified diffraction bands are simulated for the candidate phase according to the respective orientation. These second diffraction parameters are then adjusted for the identified simulated bands so as to fit the simulated bands to the bands in the image data.

Abstract: A method is provided for analysing electron backscatter diffraction data generated from a sample material. An image data set representative of an image of electron backscatter diffraction bands is obtained from the sample material. A set of estimated first diffraction parameters is then generated, these defining individual electron backscatter diffraction bands in the image data set. A candidate phase is then selected together with a respective orientation for the material, based upon the generated set of estimated parameters thereby identifying diffraction bands in the image data set. Second diffraction parameters of the identified diffraction bands are simulated for the candidate phase according to the respective orientation. These second diffraction parameters are then adjusted for the identified simulated bands so as to fit the simulated bands to the bands in the image data.

Abstract: A pressure of a fluid is determined in a vacuum-tight welded housing containing a first membrane enclosing a part of a first inner volume and having a first contact area associated with a first temperature sensor and a heater. A second membrane opposite the first contact area also encloses part of the first inner volume and has a second contact area associated with a second temperature sensor. The first or second membrane is elastic around the contact area. The membranes hermetically seal a second inner volume at a reference pressure. The contact areas determine the mechanical and thermal contact due to the elasticity of one of the membranes when the first inner volume is connected to the fluid. When the volume is connected to the fluid F, the intensity and/or the time gradient of the heat transfer from the first to the second contact area is measured.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a pressure (PProbe) of a fluid (Fprobe), comprising the steps of: a) providing a vacuum tight welded housing (10, 12); b) providing within the housing (10, 12) a first membrane (16) enclosing a part of a first inner volume; said first membrane (16) having a first contact area (18) associated with a first temperature sensor (20) and a heater (22); c) further providing within the housing (10, 12) a second membrane (14) enclosing also a part of the first inner volume; said second membrane (14) having a second contact area (24) associated with a second temperature sensor (26) and being disposed opposite to said first contact area (18), wherein one of said first membrane (16) and said second membrane (14) being elastic at least in part of the area around its respective contact area (18, 24), d) providing an access (6) of said first inner volume to the fluid (FProbe); e) designing the first and second membrane (14, 16) in a way that they hermetically seal a second inner vol

Abstract: Protection of a water solid interface from cavitation, pitting, or the like, is achieved by the introduction and maintaining of bubbles on and/or along the surface of the solid exposed to the liquid. To facilitate the maintaining, selectively placed protrusions and other deformations to the surface are introduced along with a bubble source.

Abstract: In a method of detecting and segmenting characteristic regions in an image, such as a colour image having characteristic regions, where the image is represented by a plurality of pixel values expressed in grey tones, a circle of radius r is defined for a plurality of pixel positions, which radius approximated is regarded as the radius of a characteristic region. The optimum value of radius r is determined by calculating, for a large number of possible values of r, the difference between the characteristic grey tone value of an outer zone having the radius range r1 to qr1 (=r2), where q is a constant, and the characteristic grey tone value of an inner zone having the radius range 0 to r1. Then the radius r1 providing the greatest difference is selected as the radius of the object.

Abstract: In a method of analyzing a plurality of objects, which each are expressed by a set of parameters consisting of a plurality of parameter values, a plurality of samples (predetermined objects) is divided into a plurality of classes. These objects may inter alia be represented by colour pixels in an image processing system, wherein each object is identified by a set of parameters formed by a plurality of parameters, e.g. the intensities of the 3 primary colours. Sets of parameters additionally include e.g. those which are related to marketing, economic, financial, legal, organizing, sociological, anthropological, historic, linguistic, psychological or political scenarios. The sets of parameters of the samples, which are expressed as a set of numbers, determine in which of the classes the individual samples are arranged. The classes of the objects are established by given criteria, such as distance relations in vector form between the sets of parameters of the objects and the sets of parameters of the samples.

Abstract: In the teaching of an image analysis system, a video image of a reference object is captured. Several areas, each of which represents a class (22, 23), are marked on the video image, which is divided into pixels having their separate identification, such as color. Once all classes have been formed, each class is given a color which is assigned to all pixels in the class irrespective of identification. Pixels which may belong to more than one class, a so-called conflict class (24), and pixels which do not belong to any class, a so-called 0 class (25), are transferred to a residual class. Then the entire video image is processed in that the pixels which are not represented in the zero class (25) or the conflict class (24), are given a color value from the class having a pixel identification which is closest to the pixel concerned. The principles of the invention may be applied in general in connection with analysis techniques where objects may be characterized by means of an N-dimensional set of parameters.