Context. Much data from the integral field spectroscope (IFS) of SPHERE, the high contrast imager of the VLT, of circumstellar disks is yet unpublished, since this data is always collected in...Show moreContext. Much data from the integral field spectroscope (IFS) of SPHERE, the high contrast imager of the VLT, of circumstellar disks is yet unpublished, since this data is always collected in parallel with IRDIS, which is much easier to reduce and analyze. Aims. We search for a good and reliable way to reduce raw IFS data and study the effects of different post-processing methods on the morphology of protoplanetary disks. Methods. We used the common pipeline of ESO to reduce spatially resolved spectral IFS data (YJ band) of RXJ1615.3-3255 and applied classical ADI, classical SDI and classical RDI on the data. Results. We detected a ring, an arc and an inner disk component in both the ADI and SDI image, the ring is detected in the RDI image as well. We conclude that we can trust the SDI data the best around the minor axis of the ring since ADI and RDI have to deal with self-subtraction and over subtraction in that region, the other parts of the ring can be trusted the best in the ADI and RDI data. The disk signal appears to be red, but further research is needed to conclude whether this effect is astrophysical or not.Show less
Increasing effort into parallel single molecule force experiments has led to the development of acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS). Acoustic standing waves of MHz frequencies are able to exert...Show moreIncreasing effort into parallel single molecule force experiments has led to the development of acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS). Acoustic standing waves of MHz frequencies are able to exert forces on microspheres, which can be used for the manipulation of single bio-molecules. The performance of acoustic tweezers is greatly dependent on setup design and the proper driving frequency. The need for AFS flow cell design modeling software is apparent. In this thesis we present a physical model for calculating the acoustic frequency response of a flow cell. We have found that an oil immersion objective lowers AFS performance drastically as opposed to an air objective and that the optimal driving frequency lies around 10.3 MHz for our prototype flow cell. Limited by the 10 MHz cap of our AC driver and problems with flow cell assembly yields, we were not able to demonstrate an acoustic pulling force. We need to switch to an air objective and, in order to make AFS work in our laboratory, either a new AC generator needs to be implemented or a piezoelectric transducer with a thickness mode within 8-10 MHz needs to be included.Show less
