A The Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Pbtkovi, M. Schiller, J. MOller, J. MOller, M. Arnold, K J, A. The signal-to-noise ratio as the measure for the quantification of lysophospholipids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Analyst 2001, 126, 1042-1050. 

The detectability of critical defects with CT depends on the final image quality and the skill of the operator, see figure 2. The basic concepts of image quality are resolution, contrast, and noise. Image quality are generally described by the signal-to-noise ratio SNR), the modulation transfer function (MTF) and the noise power spectrum (NFS). SNR is the quotient of a signal and its variance, MTF describes the contrast as a function of spatial frequency and NFS in turn describes the noise power at various spatial frequencies [1, 3]. 

In fig. 2 an ideal profile across a pipe is simulated. The unsharpness of the exposure rounds the edges. To detect these edges normally a differentiation is used. Edges are extrema in the second derivative. But a twofold numerical differentiation reduces the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of experimental data considerably. To avoid this a special filter procedure is used as known from Computerised Tomography (CT) /4/. This filter based on Fast Fourier transforms (1 dimensional FFT s) calculates a function like a second derivative based on the first derivative of the profile P (r) ... 

The base of this estimation is the signal to noise ratio. The lowest signal to noise ratio S/N which is necessary as a minimum to discern a signal from noise is S/N = 2 1 (4). Referring to the limiting values for the granularity Oj, of the film system classes the smallest density difference AD of an defect which would just be visible should be at least two times greater than On. 

The second example shows results obtained with an angle beam probe for transverse waves in coarse grained grey cast iron. Two commercially available probes are compared the composite design SWK 60-2 and the standard design SWB 60-2. The reflector in this example is a side-drilled hole of 5 mm diameter. The A-scans displayed below in Fig. 5 and 6 show that the composite probe has a higher sensitivity by 12 dB and that the signal to noise ratio is improved by more than 6 dB. 

As any conventional probe, acoustic beam pattern of ultrasound array probes can be characterized either in water tank with reflector tip, hydrophone receiver, or using steel blocks with side-drilled holes or spherical holes, etc. Nevertheless, in case of longitudinal waves probes, we prefer acoustic beam evaluation in water tank because of the great versatility of equipment. Also, the use of an hydrophone receiver, when it is possible, yields a great sensitivity and a large signal to noise ratio. 

In order to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio sufficient acoustical power is necessary. For special applications a programmable pulser (transmitter) is required in order to optimize the frequency spectrum. 

For special applications such as air coupled testing a special programmable transmitter board was developed. This transmitter generates rectangular and burst signals, which increase the acoustical power in an optimized frequency range, and provides a superior signal-to-noise ratio. 

A signal processing scheme to enhance the signal to noise ratio,... 

A connnon teclmique used to enliance the signal-to-noise ratio for weak modes is to inject a local oscillator field polarized parallel to the RIKE field at the detector. This local oscillator field is derived from the probe laser and will add coherently to the RIKE field [96]. The relative phase of the local oscillator and the RIKE field is an important parameter in describing the optical heterodyne detected (OHD)-RIKES spectrum. If the local oscillator at the detector is in phase with the probe wave, the heterodyne mtensity is proportional to... 

The locations of the maxima of the -field and the E-field are different depending on the mode chosen for the EPR experuuent. It is desirable to design the cavity in such a way that the B field is perpendicular to the external field B, as required by the nature of the resonance condition. Ideally, the sample is located at a position of maxuuum B, because below saturation the signal-to-noise ratio is proportional to Simultaneously, the sample should be placed at a position where the E-field is a minimum in order to minimize dielectric power losses which have a detrimental effect on the signal-to-noise ratio. 

The pyrolysis of CR NH (<1 mbar) was perfomied at 1.3 atm in Ar, spectroscopically monitoring the concentration of NH2 radicals behind the reflected shock wave as a fiinction of time. The interesting aspect of this experiment was the combination of a shock-tube experiment with the particularly sensitive detection of the NH2 radicals by frequency-modulated, laser-absorption spectroscopy [ ]. Compared with conventional narrow-bandwidth laser-absorption detection the signal-to-noise ratio could be increased by a factor of 20, with correspondingly more accurate values for the rate constant k T). 

However unlike H which is the most abundant of the hydrogen isotopes (99 985%) only 1 1% of the carbon atoms m a sample are Moreover the intensity of the signal produced by nuclei is far weaker than the signal produced by the same number of H nuclei In order for NMR to be a useful technique in structure deter mination a vast increase in the signal to noise ratio is required Pulsed FT NMR pro vides for this and its development was the critical breakthrough that led to NMR becoming the routine tool that it is today... 

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