Inspector panels/Mouse-Accessible Objects

• Reflectors (r)--- Double-clicking a reflector brings up a ``Reflector Attributes'' panel which presents the following options:
  • reflect the left-going component, right-going component, or both components

  • set the x-position of the reflector

  • specify the reflector as mouse- drag able or non-dragable
  • get the reflector help screen
  • delete the reflector
• Detectors (d)--- Double-clicking the mouse on the desired detector brings up a ``Detector Attributes'' panel which displays the amplitude of the left-traveling component, the right-traveling component, and the total wave and presents the following options:
  • set the x-position of the detector
  • specify the detector as mouse- drag able or non-dragable
  • get the detector help screen
  • delete the detector

• Segments (n)--- Double-clicking the mouse on a segment brings up a panel which allows you to modify the following parameters:
  • x-position -- the left side of the segment is aligned with this position
  • width of the segment
  • refractive index in the case of an electromagnetic simulation
    diffusivity in a diffusion simulation
    potential in a Schrödinger equation simulation

  • gain -- allows for amplification of waves according to the formula:

     

    where g is the gain coefficient, is the incident electric field, and is the distance traveled through the medium with gain coefficient g. Activating the saturation option under the [Medium] menu item replaces the user-specified gain coefficient with an ``effective gain" given by:

     

  • color of segment
  • specify the segment as mouse- drag able or non-dragable
  • get the segment help screen
  • delete the segment
• Sources (s)--- Double-clicking the mouse on a source brings up a panel which allows the user to:
  • set the function type as sine, Gaussian, pulse, step, modulated Gaussian (a sine wave multiplied by a Gaussian), white noise, or user-defined. To create a user-defined function, set the function type as [User Defined] and then select [Advanced Options]|[Define Function] .

  • specify the source as mouse- drag able or non-dragable

  • [Delete] the source

  • [Exit] the source editor and implement the changes

  • [Adv anced Options] (only the second option is available for user-defined options)
    • add Noise to the source. The Amplitude parameter specifies the maximum value for a random number that is added to the source term at each time step. The Coherence Time parameter, applicable only to sinusoidal sources, specifies the average time lag between phase shifts of random magnitude.

    • set direction of the wave generated by the source as bidirectional, right, or left

    • specify the source as Periodic or non-periodic (default is non-periodic), and set a time parameter (in seconds) which specifies the length of the source period. In addition to setting the frequency of periodic sources, the source period specifies the amount of time for which a non-periodic source will generate. Note that this option does not apply to sinusoidal or user-defined sources.

• Scaling--- Clicking on the upper left (red) corner of any graph pulls up an inspector panel which enables the user to set the scale of the respective graph object. The user may set the scale by choosing the minimum and maximum values for each axis. Automatic scaling with respect to either or both axes is also available (options [X] , [XY] , and [Y] ). Because data are stored in arrays which are independent of scale, changing the scale does not affect the data being plotted or result in a ``loss'' of data which lies off the visible portion of the graph.

• Expand/Contract graph--- The upper right (purple) corner of each graph acts as a toggle between a full-screen and smaller (default mode) graph.

• Attributes of Wave Graph--- Clicking the lower right (blue) corner of the wave graph brings up a screen which allows the user to customize the display style of the wave graph. For example, in the case of an electromagnetic simulation, the user may:
  • Select to show/hide the right-traveling wave, the left-traveling wave, and the sum of the two waves. In the default mode, all three of these waves are displayed.

  • Specify the colors of the waves.

  • Offset Components --- displays different components of the wave on different axes. Deactivating this option places all waves on the x-axis.

  • Connect the grid points which comprise the wave; the points will be connected only when the simulation is paused.

• Attributes of graphs 1 and 2 (the analysis graphs)--- can be set by clicking on the lower right (blue) corner of the appropriate graph. All types of plots may be ``frozen,'' so that they remain unchanged during continued simulation. Additional options are available for the following plots:
  • [Space Integrated I(t)=Y*Y] --- calculate a ``spatial average" over a user-specified region in space. The value calculated represents one of the following, depending on the phenomenon being simulated:
    • total energy, electric energy, or magnetic energy of an electromagnetic wave (user specifies which energy from the attributes panel)
    • total energy or number of particles for a diffusion simulation
    • probability (of finding a particle within the region over which integration is carried out) for a Schrödinger simulation
  • [Y(x,t)-Contour] --- display color-coded legend, choose the palette, or change display to [Y(x,t)-3D] .

  • [Y(x,t)-3D] --- specify the Euler angles describing the orientation of the plot (this option allows you to rotate the plot), hide/show the ``box'' defined by the three axes of the plot, or change display to [Y(x,t)-Contour] .

  • [Fourier Analysis of y(x)] --- hide/show maximum values of the Fourier power spectrum; choose a basis set composed of sine terms or a basis set containing both sine and cosine terms (a basis set of sine terms is generally used to analyze simulations which fix the endpoints at y=0.)

  • [Fourier Analysis of y(t)] --- specify the number of points from which to construct the Fourier transform; choose a basis set composed of sine terms or a basis set containing both sine and cosine terms; hide/show maximum values of the Fourier power spectrum

  • [Detector Readings] --- display the left, right, or total wave in an electromagnetic simulation; display Re(), Im(), or in a Schrödinger simulation; calculate a Time Average . If the [Time Average]

    button is pressed, the temporal average of the selected wave component (right, left, or total; real, imaginary, or ) will be calculated over the specified time interval at the positions of the detectors