Secondary ion yields produced by keV atomic and polyatomic ion impacts on a self-assembled monolayer surface

A suite of keV polyatomic or 'cluster' projectiles was used to bombard unoxidized and oxidized self-assembled monolayer surfaces. Negative secondary ion yields, collected at the limit of single ion impacts, were measured and compared for both molecular and fragment ions. In contrast to targets that are orders of magnitude thicker than the penetration range of the primary ions, secondary ion yields from polyatomic projectile impacts on self-assembled monolayers show little to no enhancement when compared with monatomic projectiles at the same velocity. This unusual trend is most likely due to the structural arrangement and bonding characteristics of the monolayer molecules with the Au(111). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Origin of Radiation Reaction

The emission of radiation from an accelerated charge is analyzed. It is foundthat at zero velocity, the radiation emitted from the charge imparts no countermomentum to the emitting charge, and no radiation reaction force is created bythe radiation. A reaction force is created by the stress force that exists in thecurved electric field of the charge, and the work done in overcoming this forceis the source of the energy carried by the radiation.     

Polymer structure of cured alkaline phenol–formaldehyde resol resins with respect to resin synthesis mole ratio and oxidative side reactions

A wood adhesive-type phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resol resin synthesized with a typical formaldehyde to phenol mol ratio of 2.10 was thoroughly cured and studied by the solid-state crosspolarization/magic angle spinning ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. The methylene group/phenol mol ratio values found were between 1.35 and 1.46, close to the value of a completely cured PF polymer structure. The amount of formaldehyde emitted during resin curing was very small. Other formaldehyde-derived groups determined from CP/MAS NMR spectra and relatively high levels of oxidation products of formaldehyde determined from water extracts of cured resin raised the total formaldehyde-derived groups/phenol mol ratio value to close to that of the synthesis mol ratio. Technological implications of these findings are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 3275–3285, 1997     

Analysis of optical characteristics of holey photonic crystal devices with the extended coupled-mode formalism

Presented here is a new approach for analysis of the so-called holey photonic crystals—a class of electro-optical components, in which periodicity of air holes in dielectric media is used for confinement of light. This class includes several kinds of microstructured fibers, semiconductor lasers etc. Accurate evaluation of optical characteristics of those devices is usually a complicated problem due to the large dimensions and the fine structure of their refractive index distribution. Furthermore, usually, only numerical solutions for this class of optical components are available. The overwhelming majority of the physical models, suitable for analysis of holey photonic devices, proceed from the “natural” assumption: the devices are considered as arrays of air holes, surrounded by dielectric material. In this work we propose another model. Namely, we treat them as arrays of dielectric spots (waveguides), embedded in the air (cladding material). This model allows utilization of the extended coupled-mode theory (a relatively new approach designed for analysis of infinite arrays of coupled waveguides and previously considered inapplicable to holey optical components) for calculations of the latter. In this sense, we present a new method for analysis of holey photonic crystals. On the one hand, our method allows analytical evaluation of some optical characteristics of holey optical components (such as the number of photonic bands and bandwidth). On the other hand, accurate numerical computation of the photonic band structure of the holey photonic devices, incorporating a large number of holes, can be done with this technique on a timescale of several minutes.     

Anion relay chemistry: an effective tactic for diversity oriented synthesis

An effective one-flask multicomponent linchpin coupling protocol employing the concept of anion relay chemistry (ARC) was developed. This concept calls for addition of an anion (5) to an epoxide (6), bearing on a distal carbon a trialkyl silyl group and an anion stabilizing group (ASG), to furnish upon epoxide ring opening oxyanion 7. Addition of HMPA or other polar solvents to trigger a solvent controlled 1,4-Brook rearrangement then leads to a new distal anion (8), which in turn is available to react with a variety of second electrophiles.     

Bright‐Dark Rogue Waves

During the last two decades, revealing mechanisms of origin waves with anomalous amplitude (rogue waves) have been in the focus of researchers from different fields ranging from oceanography to laser physics. Mode‐locked lasers, as a test bed system, provide a unique opportunity to collect more data on rogue waves in the form of random pulses (soliton rain) and to clarify the mechanisms of rogue‐wave emergence caused by soliton–soliton and soliton–dispersive wave interactions. Here, for the first time, for an Er‐doped mode‐locked laser, a new type of vector rogue waves is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically, which is driven by desynchronization of the orthogonal linear states of polarization, so leading to output power oscillations in the form of anomalous spikes‐dips (bright‐dark rogue waves). The results can pave the way to unlocking the universal nature of the origin of rogue waves and thus can be of interest to the broad scientific community.     

Multiphase thermoplastic hybrid for controlled release of antimicrobial essential oils in active packaging film

Active packaging, a new technology concept in the field of food packaging, has been introduced in recent years in order to provide quality and safety, as well as extend the shelf life of food products. Antimicrobial (AM) agents can be incorporated directly into the active packaging and migrate in a controlled manner to the headspace between the food and the package, inhibiting bacteria growth on the food surface. Naturally derived AM agent, such as essential oils (EOs), has received considerable attention for food preservation purposes, because of their effective AM activity against various bacteria and fungi. In the present study, AM active film systems based on polypropylene/polyamide blends, montmorillonite nanoclays, and thymol EO were produced to investigate the feasibility of controlling the release rate of thymol from food packaging systems. Selective localization of thymol in a specific phase in the system that derives from thermodynamic affinity was assumed to be useful in controlling its migration rate from the film to the headspace. EO retention in the film under two different time conditions was measured by spectroscopic analysis. The release rate of EO was determined using Gas chromatography technique and analyzed by diffusion model approach. Inhibition of bacterial growth was periodically tested for Listeria and Escherichia coli bacteria. This study confirms the thermodynamic affinity of polyamide phase with thymol that has a positive effect in retaining the EO. Results show controlled AM behavior of the active packaging films, based on various blend compositions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On network form and function

Moving from the observation that drainage network configurations minimizing total energy dissipation are stationary solutions of the general equation describing landscape evolution, we review theoretical and observational evidence on river patterns and their scale-invariant structure. Exact results complemented by numerical annealing of the basic equation in the presence of additive noise suggest that configurations at (or very close to) the global minimum of energy dissipation differ from dynamically accessible states, which have rather different scaling properties and conform much better to natural forms. Thus we argue that, at least in the fluvial landscape, Nature works through imperfect searches for dynamically accessible optimal configurations. We also show that optimal networks are spanning loopless configurations only under precise physical requirements. This is stated in a form applicable to generic networks, suggesting that other branching structures occurring in Nature (e.g. scale-free and looping) may possibly arise through optimality to selective pressures. Indeed, we show that this is the case.