This text provides a comprehensive introduction to infrared-transparent materials for windows and domes that must withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as high-speed flight or high temperature process monitoring. Introductory material in each section makes the book suitable for anyone with a background in science or engineering.

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to infrared-transparent materials for windows and domes that must withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as high-speed flight or high temperature process monitoring. Introductory material in each section makes the book readable by anyone with a background in science or engineering. The current volume builds on its predecessor, Infrared Window and Dome Materials, published in 1992 as part of the SPIE Tutorial Texts series. The new monograph incorporates seven years of practical and theoretical developments in the field of infrared windows, along with additional reference information.

This book is a comprehensive introduction on infrared anti-transparent materials and their applications in anti-reflective and protective coatings. Optical, mechanical and thermal properties and preparations of various kinds of films, such as amorphous diamond films, germanium carbide films, boron phosphide films, alumina films and yttrium oxide film are discussed in detail making it suitable for material scientists and industrial engineers.

The first International Conference on Ageing Studies and Lifetime Extension of Materials was held on th July 12-14 , 1999 at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, United Kingdom. Over 230 delegates attended during the three days and heard nearly ninety papers, together with over thirty poster presentations. Sixteen of these papers were keynotes from invited speakers eminent in their field of research. The proceedings were organised into six separate sessions: observation and understanding of real-time and accelerated ageing; experimental techniques; modelling and theoretical studies; lifetime prediction and validation; lifetime extension; and material design for ageing. In doing this, it was hoped to cover most issues of scientific concern inthefield ofmaterials ageing. One important aspect was that the conference did not concentrateon any particular group or type ofmaterial; rather the aim was to attract contributions from workers engaged in ageing studies with as wide a range of materials as possible. In this way, it was hoped that delegates could interactwith and learnfrom those whom they perhapswould not normally come across and that metallurgists could learn from polymer scientists, ceramicists could talk to modellers, and so on, in this important field. A read through the diverse papers contained within these proceedings will confirm that this aim was happily satisfied. Why hold such a meeting? In the modem world, engineered systems are expected to last longer.

An intensifying interest from the scientific, technical, and industrial community in the new diamond technology can be attested to by the wide range of contributions in this proceedings volume. The papers discuss topics such as the applications of diamond films and related wide bandgap semiconductors and superhard materials. These materials are rapidly becoming economically significant due to their combination of superior properties: great hardness, high thermal conductivity, chemical inertness, high stiffness, high carrier mobilities, etc. Initial commercial products employing the new diamond technology are already on the market. These include diamond loudspeakers, diamond X-ray windows, diamond bonders, diamond cutting tools, and heads for magnetic disks coated with diamond-like carbon. The developments reported in this volume are important not only in terms of their own markets, but, also because they are expected to enable a wide range of other new products and production methods.

Opto-Mechanical Systems Design, Fourth Edition is different in many ways from its three earlier editions: coauthor Daniel Vukobratovich has brought his broad expertise in materials, opto-mechanical design, analysis of optical instruments, large mirrors, and structures to bear throughout the book; Jan Nijenhuis has contributed a comprehensive new chapter on kinematics and applications of flexures; and several other experts in special aspects of opto-mechanics have contributed portions of other chapters. An expanded feature—a total of 110 worked-out design examples—has been added to several chapters to show how the theory, equations, and analytical methods can be applied by the reader. Finally, the extended text, new illustrations, new tables of data, and new references have warranted publication of this work in the form of two separate but closely entwined volumes. This first volume, Design and Analysis of Opto-Mechanical Assemblies, addresses topics pertaining primarily to optics smaller than 50 cm aperture. It summarizes the opto-mechanical design process, considers pertinent environmental influences, lists and updates key parameters for materials, illustrates numerous ways for mounting individual and multiple lenses, shows typical ways to design and mount windows and similar components, details designs for many types of prisms and techniques for mounting them, suggests designs and mounting techniques for small mirrors, explains the benefits of kinematic design and uses of flexures, describes how to analyze various types of opto-mechanical interfaces, demonstrates how the strength of glass can be determined and how to estimate stress generated in optics, and explains how changing temperature affects opto-mechanical assemblies.