Synthesis and characterization of ratiometric nanosensors for pH quantification: a mixed micelle approach

Optical nanoparticle pH sensors designed for ratiometric measurements have previously been synthesized using post-functionalization approaches to introduce sensor molecules and to modify nanoparticle surface chemistry. This strategy often results in low control of the nanoparticle surface chemistry and is prone to batch-to-batch variations, which is undesirable for succeeding sensor calibrations and cellular measurements. Here we provide a new synthetic approach for preparing nanoparticle pH sensors based on self-organization principles, which in comparison to earlier strategies offers a much higher design flexibility and high control of particle size, morphology and surface chemistry.     

Spin-dependent quasiparticle transport in aluminum single-electron transistors

We investigate the effect of Zeeman splitting on quasiparticle transport in normal-superconducting-normal (NSN) aluminum single-electron transistors (SETs). In the above-gap transport, the interplay of Coulomb blockade and Zeeman splitting leads to spin-dependence of the sequential tunneling. This creates regimes where either one or both spin species can tunnel onto or off the island. At lower biases, spin-dependence of the single quasiparticle state is studied, and operation of the device as a bipolar spin filter is suggested.     

Alternative method for reconstruction of antihydrogen annihilation vertices

The ALPHA experiment, located at CERN, aims to compare the properties of antihydrogen atoms with those of hydrogen atoms. The neutral antihydrogen atoms are trapped using an octupole magnetic trap. The trap region is surrounded by a three layered silicon detector used to reconstruct the antiproton annihilation vertices. This paper describes a method we have devised that can be used for reconstructing annihilation vertices with a good resolution and is more efficient than the standard method currently used for the same purpose.     

Antihydrogen formation by autoresonant excitation of antiproton plasmas

In efforts to trap antihydrogen, a key problem is the vast disparity between the neutral trap energy scale ( $\sim\!50\,\upmu\mathrm{eV}$ ), and the energy scales associated with plasma confinement and space charge (~1 eV). In order to merge charged particle species for direct recombination, the larger energy scale must be overcome in a manner that minimizes the initial antihydrogen kinetic energy. This issue motivated the development of a novel injection technique utilizing the inherent nonlinear nature of particle oscillations in our traps. We demonstrated controllable excitation of the center-of-mass longitudinal motion of a thermal antiproton plasma using a swept-frequency autoresonant drive. When the plasma is cold, dense and highly collective in nature, we observe that the entire system behaves as a single-particle nonlinear oscillator, as predicted by a recent theory. In contrast, only a fraction of the antiprotons in a warm or tenuous plasma can be similarly excited. Antihydrogen was produced and trapped by using this technique to drive antiprotons into a positron plasma, thereby initiating atomic recombination. The nature of this injection overcomes some of the difficulties associated with matching the energies of the charged species used to produce antihydrogen.     

A comparison of gas-phase,plasma, sputtering and beam-foil excitations

A comparison of relative populations of ZnI and ZnII levels excited in equilibrium plasma, sputtering, gas-phase single collision, and beam foil sources is presented, and includes data on the first reported excitation studies under single collision conditions for a (transition metal atom)-(transition metal ion) interaction. A search for continuum emission from atomic chromium, like that seen during sputtering of chromium metal, produced a negative result.     

On certain subgraphs of a complete transitively directed graph

Let G_n be a complete transitively directed graph with n + 1 vertices v₀, v₁, …, v_n. Let ψ(n) be the number of subgraphs H of G_n where each vertex in H lies along a directed path from v₀ to v_n in H. ψ(n) and some related quantities are calculated.     

Studies of miscibility,transesterification and crystallization in blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and Poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate)

Blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) were obtained by coprecipitation from solution followed by melt-pressing for different timest _mand quenching in iced water. When the melt-pressing time was 0.2 and 0.5 min, two glass transition temperaturesT _gwere observed by means of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), indicating that there are two phases present, a PEN-rich phase and a PET-rich phase. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves show two crystallization peaks and two melting peaks which, according to wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements, can be attributed to PET and PEN, respectively. In the case oft _m=2 min or longer, a single value ofT _gand thus a single phase is found to exist. Fort _m=10 min and 45 min no crystallization and melting at all is observed during heating with 10°C/min, indicating that a copolyester of PET and PEN has been formed by transesterfication during melt-pressing.Time-resolved WAXS measurements during isothermal crystallization show that, in the blend, the half-time of crystallization of PET is different from that of PEN, and not the same as that which is found in the pure polymer.Dedicated with best wishes to Prof. Dr. E.W. Fischer on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Quantitative one-dimensional single-pulse multi-species concentration and temperature measurement in the lift-off region of a turbulent H2/air diffusion flame

In this article, we report on one-dimensional single-pulse measurements of temperature and major-species concentration (O₂, N₂, H₂O and H₂) in a turbulent H₂/air jet diffusion flame using Raman and Rayleigh scattering of KrF* excimer-laser radiation. Spatial resolution of 0.5 mm along a 6mm long line has been obtained, with reasonable error limits for mole fraction ( = 5 % for N₂ detection) and temperature (T = 8 %) determination at flame temperatures. We present various profiles showing the composition and temperature along a line at different heights in the flame with particular emphasis on the lift-off region (i.e. lowx/D). In this zone, temperature and mixture fraction can be determined simultaneously — from a single laser pulse — in a spatial region extending from unburnt gas in the center of the jet across the flame front into the cool air of the surrounding atmosphere. This allows for the first time the systematic study of the shape and width of the high-temperature region and the corresponding concentration and temperature gradients. The comparison of averaged data and scatter plots with previous pointwise measurements shows good agreement.     

Magnetotransport spectroscopy of a quantum dot: effects of lead opening and phase coherence

We compare open quantum dot magnetoconductance spectra from experiment and theory in the presence of environmental coupling and attributed broadening. Estimates of the phase-breaking time in experiment, and effective broadening in simulation, are determined independently. In a larger, more open dot, with a significantly shorter phase-breaking time, the observed spectrum is broadened, most noticeably about B=0. The required broadening in simulation is characterized by effective temperatures higher than estimates from experiment; however, without accounting for disorder, which will further broaden the spectrum, the agreement is reasonable.