Excimer-laser-induced spatially variant luminescence in pure-silica core fibers with fluorine-doped silica cladding.

Optical fibers with pure silica cores of both low and high water content and fluorine-doped silica claddings were irradiated with 248 nm (KrF) excimer-laser radiation. In addition to the differences in the spectra of luminescent emissions of the respective cores, spatial variance was observed in the luminescence behavior across cross sections of the cores. Photographic evidence of this phenomenon is presented along with the corresponding luminescence spectra. Spectral correlations of the spatial variances are made, and the defects that are responsible for the luminescence are discussed.

Residential natural gas consumption: evidence that conservation efforts to date have failed.

A new short-term natural gas consumption model is developed, tested against American Gas Association sales data, and applied to the question of the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The results indicate that unit residential gas-heating sales per heating degree-day have remained constant in four major gas-consuming regions during the period 1974 to 1976 and that heating sales have not been affected by the recent sharp changes in price.

X-ray Measurements near High-Power Klystrons.

The intensity and quality of the x-radiation outside the lead shielding around ultrahigh-frequency and S-band klystrons were measured as a function of high voltage, pulse frequency, and microwave power output by use of ionization chambers. Independent 20 percent increases in each variable gave, respectively, 8-, 1.2-, and 1.5-fold increases in the intensity, and 36, 1, and 4 percent increases in the mean energy of the x-rays.