A large displacement formulation for anisotropic beam analysis

Summary The displacement of a beam can be conveniently resolved into a roto-translational section displacement and a section warping. The correct second order approximation of the strain is deduced accounting for large displacements and thus for large rotations. On the basis of displacement method, both linear and nonlinear formulations are given: the first one leads to the elastic section properties and to the correct characterization of section warping; the second one leads to the so-called geometric section stiffness, accounting for prestress. Both formulations are general with respect to elastic material properties, thus allowing to deal with aniso-tropic and unhomogeneous cross-sections. Elastic and geometric section rigidities here proposed can then be easily used in second order problems on beam frames: either initial buckling eigenvalue analyses, either large displacement incremental analyses.

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Sommario E' conveniente scomporre lo spostamento di un punto di una trave in una rototraslazione della sezione cui appartiene e in uno spostamento che deforma la sezione (in-gobbamento). Si deduce la corretta approssimazione al second'ordine della deformazione per grandi spostamenti e quindi grandi rotazioni. Vengono presentate sia la formulazione lineare che quella non lineare, basate sul metodo degli spostamenti: dalla prima si ottengono le caratteristiche elastiche della sezione e la corretta caratterizzazione dell'ingob-bamento; dalla seconda la cosiddetta rigidezza geometrica della sezione che tiene conto dello stato di presforzo. Entrambe le formulazioni sono generali per quanto riguarda le proprietà del materiale elastico, potendosi così considerare anche sezioni anisotrope e non omogenee. Le caratteristiche di rigidezza elastica e geometrica della sezione possono quindi facilmente essere usate in problemi del second'ordine su strutture a travi: sia analisi agli autovalori della stabilità, sia analisi incrementali con grandi spostamenti.

     

Spin-flip limited exciton dephasing in CdSe/ZnS colloidal quantum dots

The dephasing time of the lowest bright exciton in CdSe/ZnS wurtzite quantum dots is measured from 5 to 170 K and compared with density dynamics within the exciton fine structure using a sensitive three-beam four-wave-mixing technique unaffected by spectral diffusion. Pure dephasing via acoustic phonons dominates the initial dynamics, followed by an exponential zero-phonon line dephasing of 109 ps at 5 K, much faster than the ~10 ns exciton radiative lifetime. The zero-phonon line dephasing is explained by phonon-assisted spin flip from the lowest bright state to dark-exciton states. This is confirmed by the temperature dependence of the exciton lifetime and by direct measurements of the bright-dark-exciton relaxation. Our results give an unambiguous evidence of the physical origin of the exciton dephasing in these nanocrystals.     

Aeroelastic Wind Forces on Flexible Bridge Girders

Non-stationary aeroelastic wind force processes on a streamlined bridge deck are modelled for use within computations in the range of statistically stationary girder oscillation and for the mathematical investigation of the limit of aeroelastic stability. Time Domain (TD) methods, as the direct integration on a finite-element (FE) model, are applied in structural analyses for taking into consideration both geometric and physical nonlinearities. The FE method requires a continuous form of the force model, which permits an arbitrary discretization in time. The present model is based on continuous step response functions of Wagner-type, taking advantage of modern advances of that theory. Special emphasis is put on the continuity and the existence of equivalent representations in time and frequency domains. A realistic wind load model must include measured force functions and effects from the wind turbulence. For that reason, the force functions are calibrated in wind tunnel tests on section models in grid turbulence and boundary layer flow. The aeroelastic in-phase and out-of-phase forces are identified from highly accurate calibrations experiments on section models up to high frequencies which permits to decrease the time step increment. Turbulence effects on the aeroelastic coefficients are included in mean terms.     

Quadruplex CARS micro‐spectroscopy

We demonstrate a technique for simultaneous detection of coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) at four vibrational frequencies, using simple passive optical elements and without spectrally resolved detection. The technique is based on pump and Stokes femtosecond pulses selectively exciting vibrational resonances through spectral focusing. By replicating the pump and Stokes pair into four pairs, each traveling through appropriate glass elements, we simultaneously excite four different vibrational frequencies. The resulting CARS is a periodic train of intensities detected by a single photomultiplier and frequency analyzed to retrieve its Fourier coefficients. We demonstrate detection of methanol and ethanol mixtures in water and quantitative determination of their concentration owing to the improved chemical selectivity of this quadruplex CARS scheme. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Excitation energy dependence of the optical properties of InGaAs/GaAs quantum well heterostructures

Il Nuovo Cimento D - We report an experimental study on a large set of InGaAs/GaAs quantum well structures by means of continuous-wave photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation. The...     

Polyfunctional recognition of pyridinedicarboxylate anions with macrocyclic polyamine receptors containing heteroaromatic groups

The interaction of the biologically relevant anions deriving from the six pyridinedicarboxylic acids (H2PDC) with two macrocyclic receptors containing a pentamine chain and a bipyridine (1) or a phenanthroline (2) moiety, as well as with the aliphatic analogue [21]aneN7 (3), was studied by means of spectroscopic methods (UV-vis, NMR) and potentiometric titrations affording the stability constants of the adducts formed. All three receptors form stable complexes with the substrates thanks to the formation of several salt bridges and hydrogen bond contacts, as observed in the crystal structure of the H8[3(2,6-PDC)4] x H2O x 0.5 EtOH solid compound. Additional pi-stacking interactions between the aromatic moieties of substrates and receptors enhance the stability of complexes with 1 and 2. Compounds 1 and 2 show a marked selectivity toward 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate anions. In particular, 1 is able to perform a very efficient recognition of these species in the presence of 2 and 3. Molecular modeling calculations suggested that such recognition ability of 1 can be ascribed to a superior structural and electrostatic complementarity with the substrate compared to 2 and 3.     

Mid-infrared fiber-coupled QCL-QEPAS sensor

An innovative spectroscopic system based on an external cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) coupled with a mid-infrared (mid-IR) fiber and quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) is described. SF₆ has been selected as a target gas in demonstration of the system for trace gas sensing. Single mode laser delivery through the prongs of the quartz tuning fork has been obtained employing a hollow waveguide fiber with inner silver–silver iodine (Ag–AgI) coatings and internal core diameter of 300 μm. A detailed design and realization of the QCL fiber coupling and output collimator system allowed almost practically all (99.4 %) of the laser beam to be transmitted through the spectrophone module. The achieved sensitivity of the system is 50 parts per trillion in 1 s, corresponding to a record for QEPAS normalized noise-equivalent absorption of 2.7 × 10^?10 W cm^?1 Hz^?1/2.     

Improved ground state rotational parameters of deuterium fluoride, DF

The rotational spectrum of DF in the 1.3-3.3 THz frequency region has been observed by means of a tunable far-infrared spectrometer. The J + 1 ← J, with J = 1-4, rotational transitions of DF have been recorded with an accuracy of the order of 50-200 kHz. These measurements, in conjunction with the hyperfine components of the J = 1 ← 0 transition recently observed [Cazzoli and Puzzarini, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 231 (2005) 124-130] and the rotational transitions up to J = 47 [R.S. Ram, Z. Morbi, B. Guo, K.-Q. Zhang, P.F. Bernath, J. Vander Auwera, J.W.C. Johns, S.P. Davies, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Series 103 (1996) 247-254] consented to improve the ground state rotational parameters of DF.