Engineering Optics is a book for students who want to apply their knowledge of optics to engineering problems, as well as for engineering students who want to acquire the basic principles of optics. It covers such important topics as optical signal processing, holography, tomography, holographic radars, fiber optical communication, electro- and acousto-optic devices, and integrated optics (including optical bistability). Practical examples, such as the video disk, the Fresnel zone plate, and many more, appear throughout the text, together with numerous solved exercises. There is an entirely new section in this updated edition on 3-D imaging.

Unsichtbar und zugleich omnipräsent, erobern sich Computermodelle ständig neue Anwendungsfelder. Ihre Macht verdanken sie den immensen Kapazitäten moderner Rechnersysteme, und sie wird zusätzlich befeuert durch das maschinelle Lernen aus riesigen Datenbergen.

Für Lebensmittel, Kleidung, Medizin, Papier, Chemieprodukte sind und bleiben wir auf kohlenstoffhaltige Rohstoffe angewiesen. Um fossile Rohstoffe abzulösen, muss die Industrie auf nachhaltige Kohlenstoffquellen umsteigen. Infrage kommt Biomasse aus der Land- und Forstwirtschaft, die aber selbst begrenzt ist. Das Konzept der zirkulären Bioökonomie sieht deshalb die verstärkte Nutzung von Reststoffen, Bio-Abfällen und CO2 vor. Um die Umstellung der Wirtschaft bis zum Jahr 2045 zu erreichen, müssen Infrastruktur und Rahmenbedingungen zügig angepasst werden.

In diesem Buch werden zwei Berechnungsverfahren zur Berechnung von Trocknungsvorgängen an halbunendlichen längsüberströmten symmetrischen Platten beschrieben. Die Methoden unterscheiden sich in Bezug auf den Wassergehalt an der Oberfläche der Platte. Das erste Modell „vollständig benetzte Oberfläche“ nimmt eine mit Wasserdampf gesättigte Luftschicht oberhalb der Flüssigkeitsschicht auf der Platte an. Daraus resultiert eine Oberfläche mit Kühlgrenztemperatur und einer konstanten Trocknungsgeschwindigkeit. Es wird von Verdunstungstrocknung gesprochen, da die Siedetemperatur nicht erreicht wird und sich der Partialdruck des Dampfes in der Luft erhöht, die Luft wird feuchter. Das zweite Modell „sinkender Trocknungsspiegel“ beschreibt die Aufheizung der Gipskartonplatte in verschiedenen Schichten. Erreicht die wasserhaltige Schicht die Siedetemperatur, so verdampft das flüssige Wasser. Der Wasserverlust lässt einen fiktiven Trocknungsspiegel im Gips absinken und ändert somit die Verhältnisse der Wärmeübergänge der Karton-, trockenen und feuchten Gipsschicht, somit sinkt die Trocknungsrate über die Zeit ab. Es wird von Verdampfungstrocknung gesprochen, da der eingehende Wärmestrom die Wassermasse bei Siedetemperatur verdampft.

The evolution of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is leading to ubiquitous connections between humans and their environment, such as autopilot transportation, mobile e-commerce, unmanned vehicles, and healthcare applications, bringing revolutionary changes to our daily lives. Moreover, the computing environment results in the requirement for support of an increasing range of functionality: multi-sensory data processing and analysis, complex systems control strategies, and, ultimately, artificial intelligence. After several years of development, edge computing for deep learning has shown incomparable practical value in the IoT environment. Pushing computing resources to the edge in closer proximity to devices enables low-latency service delivery for both safety and applications. This Special Issue, “Deep Learning and Edge Computing for Internet of Things”, addresses existing awareness of the surrounding environment and support for services in the advanced development of smart scheduling, privacy protection, and environment-aware ability globally. It includes eleven peer-reviewed papers that focus on deep learning and edge computing for the Internet of Things.

Mathematics is publishing a Special Issue to honor Prof. Sally McClean on the occasion of her semi-retirement and in recognition of her important research contributions. Sally Ida McClean was born in Belfast and received her first degree, an M.A. in Mathematics, from the University of Oxford in 1970. She earned an M.Sc. in Mathematical Statistics and Operations Research from Cardiff University in 1972, and completed her Ph.D. in 1976 at Ulster University at Coleraine. Her contribution to mathematical modeling in healthcare planning is enormous, and, in particular, her studies on improving the wellbeing of the elderly are greatly respected amongst her peers. She is currently a Professor of Mathematics at Ulster University. Her main research interests are in Stochastic Modeling and Optimization for Healthcare Planning and Computer Science. Stochastic processes are some of the most important tools in many areas of science, such as biology, operational research, the social sciences, stochastic finance, etc. Important characteristics in these areas evolve with time in a relatively random way, and since stochastic processes are mainly sequences or families of random variables, in which their index represents time, they are the natural tool to use. The theory and applications of stochastic processes emerged in the genesis of one of the richest ones, that is, Brownian motion. This was rather unexpected since Brownian motion is a beautiful object which is at the same time a martingale, a Gaussian process, a diffusion, a Levy process, a Markov process, etc.—concepts that were discovered quite latter in the evolution of time.

This reprint offers a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge research in the dynamics, control, and actuation of aerospace systems, addressing critical challenges and innovative solutions within aerospace engineering. By integrating novel methodologies and practical applications, this reprint showcases advancements in distributed control for space manipulators, state-dependent control for drag-free satellites, hybrid propulsion systems for interplanetary CubeSats, and advanced strategies for aero-engine and spacecraft control. A diverse range of techniques, including sliding mode control, model predictive control, decentralized LQR, and adaptive fuzzy control, are explored to achieve robust solutions for trajectory tracking, vibration suppression, and integrated guidance and control. Furthermore, this reprint highlights the transformative potential of advanced materials and sensing technologies, such as piezoelectric sensors, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) systems, and smart materials, in enhancing vibration suppression, structural health monitoring, and system reliability. Through a combination of theoretical modeling, computational analysis, and experimental validation, the studies provide a holistic perspective on the design and optimization of aerospace systems. Aimed at researchers, engineers, and professionals, this reprint serves as an invaluable resource for understanding the latest advancements and future directions in aerospace dynamics, control, and actuation technologies.

The hydrogen Lyman-alpha line is of utmost importance to many fields of astrophysics. This UV line being conveniently redshifted with distance to the visible and even near infrared wavelength ranges, it is observable from the ground, and provides the main observational window on the formation and evolution of high redshift galaxies. Absorbing systems that would otherwise go unnoticed are revealed through the Lyman-alpha forest, Lyman-limit, and damped Lyman-alpha systems, tracing the distribution of baryonic matter on large scales, and its chemical enrichment.