Reduction of RF-induced sample heating with a scroll coil resonator structure for solid-state NMR probes

Heating due to high power 1H decoupling limits the experimental lifetime of protein samples for solid-state NMR (SSNMR). Sample deterioration can be minimized by lowering the experimental salt concentration, temperature or decoupling fields; however, these approaches may compromise biological relevance and/or spectroscopic resolution and sensitivity. The desire to apply sophisticated multiple pulse experiments to proteins therefore motivates the development of probes that utilize the RF power more efficiently to generate a high ratio of magnetic to electric field in the sample. Here a novel scroll coil resonator structure is presented and compared to a traditional solenoid. The scroll coil is demonstrated to be more tolerant of high sample salt concentrations and cause less RF-induced sample heating. With it, the viable experimental lifetime of a microcrystalline ubiquitin sample has been extended by more than an order of magnitude. The higher B1 homogeneity and permissible decoupling fields enhance polarization transfer efficiency in 15N-13C correlation experiments employed for protein chemical shift assignments and structure determination.     

Field-cycled PEDRI imaging of free radicals with detection at 450 mT

This paper describes the design, construction and use of a field-cycled proton-electron double-resonance imaging (FC-PEDRI) system for the detection and imaging of free radicals. The unique feature of this imager is its use of a 450-mT detection magnetic field in order to achieve good image quality and sensitivity. The detection magnetic field is provided by a superconducting magnet, giving high stability and homogeneity. Field cycling is implemented by switching on and off the current in an internal, coaxial, resistive secondary magnet that partially cancels the superconducting magnet's field at the sample; the secondary magnet is actively shielded to avoid eddy currents. EPR irradiation takes place at approximately 5 mT, following which the field is switched to 450 mT in 40 ms for NMR signal detection. Full details of the imager's subsystems are given, and experiments to image the distribution of stable free radical contrast agents in phantoms and in anesthetized rats are described.     

Synthesis of VO2 (B) nanorods for Li battery application

Vanadium dioxide nanorods were synthesized through a hydrothermal reaction from V₂O₅ xerogel, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄). The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical discharge–charge cycling in lithium battery. SEM images reveal the nanorods to have dimensions on the order of 1–3 μm in length and 10–50 nm in diameter. The measured initial discharge capacity of the lithium battery with a cathode made of VO₂ (B) nanorods was 152 mA h/g.     

Low-power,phase-preserving 2R amplitude regenerator

We propose a modification of a NALM-based 2R regenerator of phase-encoded signals which operates at considerably lower input powers than was studied earlier. Our modification consists of replacing the core-matched and lossless fiber coupler in the NALM by a coupler with a propagation constant mismatch and loss asymmetrically distributed between the two cores. The performance of the modified regenerator and the one studied earlier is approximately the same.     

Bayesian wavelet-based analysis of functional magnetic resonance time series

Wavelet methods for image regularization offer a data-driven alternative to Gaussian smoothing in functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) analysis. Their impact has been limited by the difficulties in integrating regularization in the wavelet domain and inference in the image domain, precluding the probabilistic decision on which areas are activated by a task. Here we present an integrated framework for Bayesian estimation and regularization in wavelet space that allows the usual voxelwise hypothesis testing. This framework is flexible, being an adaptation to fMRI time series of a more general wavelet-based functional mixed-effect model. Through testing on a combination of simulated and real fMRI data, we show evidence of improved signal recovery, without compromising test accuracy in image space.     

Collisional frequency shifts in 133Cs fountain clocks

We present a theoretical analysis of the density dependent frequency shift in Cs fountain clocks using the highly constrained binary collision model described by Leo et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2721 (2000)]. We predict a reversal in the clock shift at temperatures near 0.08 microK. Our results show that s waves dominate the collision process. However, as a consequence of the large scattering lengths in Cs the clock shift is strongly temperature dependent and does not reach a constant Wigner-law value until temperatures are less than 0.1 nK.     

Experimental investigation of the two-photon widths of the chi(c0) and the chi(c2) mesons

Using 12.7 fb(-1) of data collected with the CLEO detector at CESR, we observed two-photon production of the cc states chi(c0) and chi(c2) in their decay to pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi(-). We measured gamma(gammagamma)(chi(c))xB(chi(c)-->pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi(-)) to be 75+/-13(stat)+/-8(syst) eV for the chi(c0) and 6.4+/-1.8(stat)+/-0.8(syst) eV for the chi(c2), implying gamma(gammagamma)(chi(c0)) = 3.76+/-0.65(stat)+/-0.41(syst)+/-1.69(br) keV and gamma(gammagamma)(chi(c2)) = 0.53+/-0.15(stat)+/-0.06(syst)+/-0.22(br) keV. Also, cancellation of dominant experimental and theoretical uncertainties permits a precise comparison of gamma(gammagamma)(chi(c0))/gamma(gammagamma)(chi(c2)), evaluated to be 7.4+/-2.4(stat)+/-0.5(syst)+/-0.9(br), with QCD-based predictions.     

Experimental study of the inclusiveη-spectrum fromp \bar p annihilations at rest in liquid hydrogen

The inclusive η-momentum spectrum from \(\bar p\) annihilations at rest in liquid hydrogen was measured at LEAR. Branching ratios were obtained for $$\begin{gathered} p\bar p \to \eta \omega \left( {1.04_{ - 0.10}^{ + 0.09} } \right)\% ,\eta \rho ^0 \left( {0.53_{ - 0.08}^{ + 0.20} } \right)\% , \hfill \\ \pi a_2 \left( {8.49_{ - 1.10}^{ + 1.05} } \right)\% ,\eta \pi ^0 \left( {1.33 \pm 0.27} \right) \times 10^{ - 4} , \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ , and ηη(8.1±3.1)×10^?5. An upper limit for \(p\bar p \to \eta \eta '\) of 1.8×10^?4 at 95% CL was found. The ratio of the branching ratios is BR(η?)/BR(ηω)=0.51 _?0.06 ^+0.20 . For the ratio of branching ratios into two pseudoscalar mesons, we have BR(ηπ⁰)/BR(π⁰π⁰)=0.65±0.14, BR(ηη)/BR(π⁰π⁰), BR(η η ^′ )/BR(π⁰π⁰) at 95% CL, and BR(ηη)/BR(ηπ⁰).