Effect of absorbed pump power on the quality of output beam from monolithic microchip lasers

The dependence of the beam propagation factor (M ² parameter) with the absorbed pump power in the case of monolithic microchip laser under face-cooled configuration is extensively studied. Our investigations show that the M ₂ parameter is related to the absorbed pump power through two parameters (α and β) whose values depend on the laser material properties and laser configuration. We have shown that one parameter arises due to the oscillation of higher order modes in the microchip cavity and the other parameter accounts for the spherical aberration associated with the thermal lens induced by the pump beam. Such dependency of M ² parameter with the absorbed pump power is experimentally verified for a face-cooled monolithic microchip laser based on Nd³⁺ -doped GdVO₄ crystal and the values of α and β parameters were estimated from the experimentally measured data points.     

Modification of magnetic anisotropy in metallic glasses using high-energy ion beam irradiation

Heavy ion irradiation in the electronic stopping power region induces macroscopic dimensional change in metallic glasses and introduces magnetic anisotropy in some magnetic materials. The present work is on the irradiation study of ferromagnetic metallic glasses, where both dimensional change and modification of magnetic anisotropy are expected. Magnetic anisotropy was measured using Mössbauer spectroscopy of virgin and irradiated Fe₄₀Ni₄₀B₂₀ and Fe₄₀Ni₃₈Mo₄B₁₈ metallic glass ribbons. 90 MeV ¹²⁷I beam was used for the irradiations. Irradiation doses were 5×10¹³ and 7.5×10¹³ ions/cm². The relative intensity ratios D ₂₃ of the second and third lines of the Mössbauer spectra were measured to determine the magnetic anisotropy. The virgin samples of both the materials display in-plane magnetic anisotropy, i.e., the spins are oriented parallel to the ribbon plane. Irradiation is found to cause reduction in magnetic anisotropy. Near-complete randomization of magnetic moments is observed at high irradiation doses. Correlation is found between the residual stresses introduced by ion irradiation and the change in magnetic anisotropy.     

Vinyl polymerization of acrylonitrile by the Ce(IV)-glucose redox system

Aqueous polymerization of acrylonitrile (M) initiated by the Ce(IV)-glucose (R) redox system has been studied under nitrogen in the temperature range of 30–40 °C. The rate of polymerization (Rp) is proportional to [M]², [R] and inversely proportional to [Ce(IV)]. The rate of ceric ion disappearance is proportional to [R] and [Ce(IV)]. The end group in the polymer is characterised by IR spectra. A suitable kinetic scheme has been proposed and explained in the light of these experimental findings.     

An Anthracene-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Selective Photo-Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid Coupled with Water Oxidation

A Zr-based metal-organic framework has been synthesized and employed as a catalyst for photochemical carbon dioxide reduction coupled with water oxidation. The catalyst shows significant carbon dioxide reduction property with concomitant water oxidation. The catalyst has broad visible light as well as UV light absorption property, which is further confirmed from electronic absorption spectroscopy. Formic acid was the only reduced product from carbon dioxide with a turn-over frequency (TOF) of 0.69 h⁻¹ in addition to oxygen, which was produced with a TOF of 0.54 h⁻¹. No external photosensitizer is used and the ligand itself acts as the light harvester. The efficient and selective photochemical carbon dioxide reduction to formic acid with concomitant water oxidation using Zr-based MOF as catalyst is thus demonstrated here.     

Theoretical investigation of the molecular structure,vibrational spectra,and molecular docking of tramadol using density functional theory

The optimized molecular structures, harmonic vibrational wavenumbers, and the corresponding vibrational assignments of (1S,2S)-tramadol and (1R,2R)-tramadol are computationally examined using the B3LYP density functional theory method together with the standard 6–311++G(d,p) and def2-TVZP basis sets. The optimized structures show that phenolic rings of both 1R,2R and 1S,2S tramadol adopt planar geometry, which are slightly distorted due to the substitution at the meta-position; and the six-membered cyclohexane adopts a slightly distorted chair conformation. The 1S,2S enantiomer is energetically more favorable than 1R,2R with the energy differences of 1.32 and 1.03 kcal/mol obtained at B3LYP/6–311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/Def2-TVZP levels, respectively. The analysis of the binding pocket in the silico molecular docking with the m-opioid receptor shows that it originated two clusters with the 1S,2S enantiomer and one cluster with the 1R,2R enantiomer of tramadol. The results point to a more stable complex of the m-opioid receptor with the 1R,2R enantiomer of tramadol.     

Low temperature survival of slender naiad (Najas flexilis) seeds

The response to drying and storage at -20 degrees C or in liquid nitrogen was studied in seeds of the freshwater aquatic plant Najas flexilis. The seeds of this species show some desiccation sensitivity, although post-harvest storage in water at 16 degrees C resulted in improvements in desiccation tolerance. There was 63% germination of seeds dried to 9.5% moisture content (30% RH) following this maturation period. Optimum moisture contents for seeds stored at -20 degrees C for 3 months and in liquid nitrogen for 1 week were ~11% and ~15%, respectively.     

Investigation into the rotational bands of ~(185)Pt with the particle-rotor model

Theoretical calculations have been performed for the ν9/2+[624](i13/2) and ν7/2-[503](f7/2) bands of 185Pt in the framework of particle-rotor model. The band properties of signature splitting and configuration mixing have been analyzed. The level energy and signature splitting before the band crossing can be well interpreted by introducing triaxiality. The positive-parity yrast band is pro posed to be dominated by the ν9/2+[624](i13/2) component, while the negative-parity band shows strong mixing of ν7/2-[5...     

Correlation of fine structural characteristics and textile properties of silk fiber

The small-angle, x-ray scattering method was applied to evaluate macromolecular parameters of defated proteinous silk fibers like Eri, Muga, Tussah, and raw silk. For the experimental measurement of scattering intensities the small-angle Kratky camera, coupled with an automatic-step scanning device, pulse-height discriminator, and counter attachment was used. Macromolecular parameters like specific inner surface, percentage of void, length of coherence, range of inhomogeneity, and transversal length were evaluated by using the theories of Kratky, Porod and Debye, and Bueche. The physical properties of these defated fibers were also evaluated with Scott's IP₂-inclined plane tester. The correlation of the tertiary structural parameters with textile properties like average breaking strength of the proteinous fibers indicated a dependence of physical properties on certain macromolecular parameters.