Probing microelectromechanical systems in an environmentally controlled chamber using long working distance interferometry.

It is well known that the environment in which micromechanical systems operate significantly affects their performance. It is, therefore, important to characterize micromachine behavior in environments where the humidity, pressure, and chemical composition of the ambient can be precisely controlled. Achieving such a level of environmental control presents significant challenges in view of the required instrumentation.

Thermal motion and energetics of self-assembled domain structures: Pb on Cu(111).

Low energy electron microscope measurements of the thermal motion of 50-200 nm diameter Pb islands on Cu(111) are used to establish the nature and determine the strength of interactions that give rise to self-assembly in this two-dimensional, two-phase system. The results show that self-assembled patterns arise from a temperature-independent surface stress difference of approximately 1.2 N/m between the two phases.

High and low luminance letters, acuity reserve, and font effects on reading speed.

We compared reading speed with two fonts, Dutch (serif) and Swiss (sans serif). Text was displayed on a computer monitor, white letters on black, with the RSVP method. Luminance of the letters was either 146.