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Modulations in the light of the firefly

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Abstract

Continuous light could be produced from the firefly by making it inhale vapours of ethyl acetate. Here we perform such a control experiment on the Indian species of the firefly Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter 1874 (Coleoptera : Lampyridae : Luciolinae), and analyse the light in the microsecond time scale. The amplitude of the continuous train of triangular pulses is apparently altered in accordance with the instantaneous values of a hypothetical signal, which exhibits pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). In addition to sampling in amplitude, this scheme apparently provides sampling in time, representing pulse width modulation (PWM). A Fourier transform spectrum of this waveform shows the ‘carrier’ frequency and the accompanying ‘side bands’.

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Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Dr Subhash Ralbongshi and Dr Simanta Hazarika for their help in the experiment, and Mr Chabin Thakuria for his help in the analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, 781 014, India

    Anurup Gohain Barua

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  1. Anurup Gohain Barua
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Correspondence to Anurup Gohain Barua.

Additional information

Corresponding editor: B Jagadeeshwar Rao

MS received 08 August 2012; accepted 12 December 2012

Corresponding editor: B Jagadeeshwar Rao

[Barua AG 2013 Modulations in the light of the firefly. J. Biosci. 38 1–4] DOI 10.1007/s12038-012-9294-3

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Barua, A.G. Modulations in the light of the firefly. J Biosci 38, 9–12 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-012-9294-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-012-9294-3

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