Predicting thermal displacements in modular tool systems

In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in compensating thermally induced errors to improve the manufacturing accuracy of modular tool systems. These modular tool systems are interfaces between spindle and workpiece and consist of several complicatedly formed parts. Their thermal behavior is dominated by nonlinearities, delay and hysteresis effects even in tools with simpler geometry and it is difficult to describe it theoretically. Due to the dominant nonlinear nature of this behavior the so far used linear regression between the temperatures and the displacements is insufficient. Therefore, in this study we test the hypothesis whether we can reliably predict such thermal displacements via nonlinear temperature-displacement regression functions. These functions are estimated first from learning measurements using the alternating conditional expectation (ACE) algorithm and then tested on independent data sets. First, we analyze data that were generated by a finite element spindle model. We find that our approach is a powerful tool to describe the relation between temperatures and displacements for simulated data. Next, we analyze the temperature-displacement relationship in a silent real experimental setup, where the tool system is thermally forced. Again, the ACE algorithm is powerful to estimate the deformation with high precision. The corresponding errors obtained by using the nonlinear regression approach are 10-fold lower in comparison to multiple linear regression analysis. Finally, we investigate the thermal behavior of a modular tool system in a working milling machine and again get promising results. The thermally induced errors can be estimated with 1-2 microm accuracy using this nonlinear regression analysis. Therefore, this approach seems to be very useful for the development of new modular tool systems.     

Probing molecular free energy landscapes by periodic loading

Single molecule pulling experiments provide information about interactions in biomolecules that cannot be obtained by any other method. However, the reconstruction of the molecule's free energy profile from the experimental data is still a challenge, in particular, for the unstable barrier regions. We propose a new method for obtaining the full profile by introducing a periodic ramp and using Jarzynski's relation for obtaining equilibrium quantities from nonequilibrium data. Our simulated experiments show that this method delivers significant more accurate data than previous methods, under the constraint of equal experimental effort.     

Use of an ionic liquid in a two-phase system to improve an alcohol dehydrogenase catalysed reduction

Due to favourable partition coefficients the highly enantioselective reduction of 2-octanone, catalysed by an alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis, is faster in a biphasic system containing buffer and the ionic liquid [BMIM][(CF(3)SO(2))(2)N] compared to the reduction in a biphasic system containing buffer and methyl tert-butyl ether.     

Adjustable cavity for host-guest recognition in cofacial bis-porphyrinic tweezer

The synthesis of a cofacial bis-porphyrinic tweezer bearing a tris-anthracenic spacer is reported. Its behavior as host has been evidenced as well as the ability of its cavity to adjust to guests of various sizes.     

Fine structure in proton emission from 145Tm discovered with digital signal processing

Fine structure in proton emission from the 3.1(3) mus activity of 145Tm was discovered by using a novel technique of digital processing of overlapping recoil implantation and decay signals. Proton transitions to the ground state of 144Er and to its first excited 2(+) state at 0.33(1) MeV with a branching ratio I(p)(2(+))=9.6+/-1.5% were observed. The structure of the 145Tm wave function and the emission process were analyzed by using particle-core vibration coupling models.     

Enhanced fusion-evaporation cross sections in neutron-rich 132Sn on 64Ni

Evaporation residue cross sections have been measured with neutron-rich radioactive 132Sn beams on 64Ni in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The average beam intensity was 2 x 10(4) particles per second and the smallest cross section measured was less than 5 mb. Large sub-barrier fusion enhancement was observed. Coupled-channel calculations taking into account inelastic excitation significantly underpredict the measured cross sections below the barrier. The presence of several neutron transfer channels with large positive Q values suggests that multinucleon transfer may play an important role in enhancing the fusion of 132Sn and 64Ni.     

Probing the different stages in contacting a single molecular wire

A crucial problem in molecular electronics is the control of the electronic contact between a molecule and its electrodes. As a model system, we investigated the contact between the molecular wire group of a C90H98 (Lander) molecule and the edge of a Cu(111) monatomic step. The reproducible contact and decontact of the wire was obtained by manipulating the Lander with a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope. The electronic standing wave patterns on the Cu(111) surface serve to monitor the local electronic perturbation caused by the interaction of the wire end with the step edge, giving information on the quality of the contact.