Langmuir Wave Phase Velocity in Unneutralized Beams

We investigate the dispersion relation for long wavelength slow Langmuir waves in a relativistic particle beam propagating along a strong magnetic guide field in an evacuated metallic waveguide. For a large class of beam radial profiles, wave phase velocity drops to zero with infinite slope as beam current approaches the space-charge limit. This result is of importance to certain collective ion acceleration proposals.     

Collective properties of excitons in the presence of a two-dimensional electron gas

We have studied the collective properties of two-dimensional (2D) excitons immersed within a quantum well which contains 2D excitons and a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). We have also analyzed the excitations for a system of 2D dipole excitons with spatially separated electrons and holes in a pair of quantum wells (CQWs) when one of the wells contains a 2DEG. Calculations of the superfluid density and the Kosterlitz–Thouless (K–T) phase transition temperature for the 2DEG-exciton system in a quantum well have shown that the K–T transition temperature increase with increasing exciton density and that it might be possible to have fast long-range transport of excitons. The superfluid density and the K–T transition temperature for dipole excitons in CQWs in the presence of a 2DEG in one of the wells increases with increasing inter-well separation.     

Formula for the absorption coefficient for multi-wall nanotubes

We present a formalism for calculating the absorption coefficient of a pair of coaxial tubules. A spatially nonlocal, dynamical self-consistent field theory is obtained by calculating the electrostatic potential produced by the charge density fluctuations as well as the external electric field. There are peaks in the absorption spectrum arising from plasma excitations corresponding either to plasmon or particle-hole modes. In this Letter, we numerically calculate the plasmon contribution to the absorption spectrum when an external electric field is applied. The number of peaks depends on the radius of the inner as well as outer tubule. The height of each peak is determined by the plasmon wavelength and energy. For a chosen wave number, the most energetic plasmon has the highest peak corresponding to the largest oscillator strength of the excited modes. Some of the low-frequency plasmon modes have such weak coupling to an external electric field that they are not seen on the same scale as the modes with larger energy of excitation. We plot the peak positions of the plasmon excitations for a pair of coaxial tubules. The coupled modes on the two tubules are split by the Coulomb interaction. The energies of the two highest plasmon branches increase with the radius of the outer tubule. On the contrary, the lowest modes decrease in energy as this radius is increased. No effects due to inter-tubule hopping are included in these calculations.     

Millimetre wave spectroscopy of PANHs: phenanthridine

The pure rotational spectrum of phenanthridine (C(13)H(9)N), a small polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle (PANH), has been measured from 48 to 85 GHz employing Stark modulated millimetre wave absorption spectroscopy of a supersonic rotationally cold molecular beam. Initial survey search scans were guided by rotational constants obtained through quantum chemical calculations performed at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Close agreement--to well within 1%--is found between the calculated equilibrium and experimentally derived ground state rotational constants. From the moments of inertia a substantial negative inertial defect of Delta = -0.4688(44) amu Angstroms(2) is obtained which can be explained by the presence of several energetically low-lying out-of-plane vibrational modes. Corresponding density functional theory calculations of harmonic fundamental frequencies indeed yield four such low frequency modes with values as low as 96 cm(-1). The data presented here will also be useful for deep radio astronomical searches for PANHs employing large radio telescopes.     

Microfluidic systems to examine intercellular coupling of pairs of cardiac myocytes

In this paper we describe a microfluidic environment that enables us to explore cell-to-cell signalling between longitudinally linked primary heart cells. We have chosen to use pairs (or doublets) of cardiac myocyte as a model system, not only because of the importance of cell-cell signalling in the study of heart disease but also because the single cardiomyocytes are both mechanically and electrically active and their synchronous activation due to the intercellular coupling within the doublet can be readily monitored on optical and electrical recordings. Such doublets have specialised intercellular contact structures in the form of the intercalated discs, comprising the adhesive junction (fascia adherens and macula adherens or desmosome) and the connecting junction (known as gap junction). The latter structure enables adjacent heart cells to share ions, second messengers and small metabolites (<1 kDa) between them and thus provides the structural basis for the synchronous (syncytical) behaviour of connected cardiomyocytes. Using the unique environment provided by the microfluidic system, described in this paper, we explore the local ionic conditions that enable the propagation of Ca(2+) waves between two heart cells. We observe that the ability of intracellular Ca(2+) waves to traverse the intercalated discs is dependent on the relative concentrations of diastolic Ca(2+) in the two adjacent cells. These experiments rely upon our ability to independently control both the electrical stimulation of each of the cells (using integrated microelectrodes) and to rapidly change (or switch) the local concentrations of ions and drugs in the extracellular buffer within the microfluidic channel (using a nanopipetting system). Using this platform, it is also possible to make simultaneous optical recordings (including fluorescence and cell contraction) to explore the effect of drugs on one or both cells, within the doublet.     

Forces between surfaces across nanoparticle solutions: role of size, shape, and concentration

Using a surface force apparatus, we have measured the normal forces between mica surfaces across various types of nanoparticles consisting of ZnS cores coated with a monolayer of physisorbed surfactant, dispersed in organic solvents. We focused on the effects of nanoparticle size, shape, and concentration on the force-distance profiles. Forces were exponentially repulsive when the surfactant layers were strongly bound to the nanoparticles and were roughly linear when there was adhesion between the nanoparticle cores, i.e., when the surfactant layers detached from the nanoparticles. In both cases, the range and magnitude of the forces were dependent upon the particle size, shape, and solution concentration. Fine details in the otherwise smooth force-distance profiles indicate specific effects due to particle chemistry and geometry and the existence of first-order disorder-order phase transitions upon confinement. Small amounts of water in the (hydrophobic) organic solvents had dramatic effects on the measured forces. Understanding and controlling the effects of particle shape, size, and concentration and the presence of water (or other surface-active solutes) on particle-particle and particle-surface interactions are important for the processing of nanoparticles into ordered superstructured materials.     

Magnetoquantum transport in a modulated 2D electron gas with spin-orbit interaction

We investigate the effects of spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and plane-perpendicular magnetic field on the conductivity of a two-dimensional electron system in the presence of one-dimensional electrostatic modulation. The calculations are performed when a low-intensity, low-frequency external electric field is applied. The Kubo formula for the conductivity is employed in the calculation. The single-particle eigenstates which depend on the strengths of the magnetic field, the SOI and modulation potential, are calculated and then used to determine the conductivity. We present numerical results for the conductivity along the channels as well as the tunneling conductivity perpendicular to the constrictions as functions of the modulation potential, the SOI and the magnetic field. We demonstrate that the effect of finite frequency is to related to the reduction of both the longitudinal and transverse conductivities.     

Hydrogen bis[tris(4‐fluorophenyl)phosphane oxide] triiodide

In the title compound, C₃₆H₂₅F₆O₂P₂⁺·I₃⁻, hydrogen‐bonded [{(p‐FC₆H₄)₃PO}₂H]⁺ dimers assemble along the crystallographic c axis to form channels that house extended chains of triiodide anions. Although the I—I bond lengths of 2.9452 (14) and 2.9023 (15) Å are typical, the inter‐ion I...I distance of 3.5774 (10) Å is unusually short. A posteriori modelling of nonmerohedral twinning about (100) has been only partially successful, achieving a reduction in the maximum residual electron density from 5.28 to 3.24 e Å⁻³. The inclusion of two low‐occupancy I‐atom sites (total 1.7%), which can be interpreted as translational disorder of the triiodide anions along the channels, reduced the maximum residual electron density to 2.03 e Å⁻³. The minor fractional contribution volume of the nonmerohedral twin domains refined to 0.24 and simultaneous refinement of the inversion twin domains showed the crystal to be a 0.5:0.5 inversion twin.     

Operator algebras and a theorem of Dieudonne

LetA be aC*-algebra with second dualA″. Let (φ _n)(n=1,...) be a sequence in the dual ofA such that limφ _n(a) exists for eacha εA. In general, this does not imply that limφ _n(x) exists for eachx εA″. But if limφ _n(p) exists whenever p is the range projection of a positive self-adjoint element of the unit ball ofA, then it is shown that limφ _n(x) does exist for eachx inA″. This is a non-commutative generalisation of a celebrated theorem of Dieudonné. A new proof of Dieudonné’s theorem, for positive measures, is given here. The proof of the main result makes use of Dieudonné’s original theorem.     

Yrast band spectroscopy of132Sm and130Nd

The states in the yrast band of¹³² Sm have been identified for the first time up to J^π=16⁺. The yrast band of¹³⁰Nd has also been extended from J^π=16⁺ to 24⁺. The energy of the first 2⁺ state in¹³²Sm indicates that the quadrupole deformation ε₂ ～ 0.3 and is still increasing as the neutron number N decreases across the samarium isotopes. The results for¹³⁰Nd allow the (h_2/11)² proton crossing frequency to be determined as ω=0.325 ± 0.005 MeV/?. This result is compared with cranked shell model predictions.