RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF ERWINIA GUM IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION*

Erwinia (E) gum, an extracellular polysaccharide, is composed of fucose, galatose, glucose andglucuronic acid. Its viscosity behavior was investigated by a low-shear-rate multiball viscometer and arotational viscometer. Its weight-average molecular weight M_w and intrinsic viscosity [η] in 0.2 mol/L NaClaqueous solution were measured by light scattering method at 35℃and viscometry at 25℃and found to be1.06×10~6 g/mol and 1050 mL/g, respectively, and its aggregates in aqueous solution were proved by gelpermeation chromatography (GPC). These results indicated that E gum in water has exceedingly highviscosity and exhibits Binham fluid behavior, owing to its aggregation. The viscosity of E gum decreasedwith increasing temperature, and the turning point appeared at 38℃for dilute solution and 80℃forconcentrated solution suggesting that the aggregates of E gum in water started to disaggregate under thesetemperatures. In addition, the aggregates can be disrupted by adding either acid or base. The experimentalresults indicated that the E gum is a good thickening agent, and its fluid behavior is similar to xanthan.     

Investigation of evolution hydrocarbon species on a Si surface during methane plasma with and without substrate bias, using infrared spectroscopy in multiple internal reflection geometry

We investigated evolution of hydrocarbon species on a Si surface during methane plasma both with and without substrate bias, using infrared spectroscopy in multiple internal reflection geometry (MIR-IRAS). We found that the relative density of the sp³-CH or sp³-CH₂ species to the sp³-CH₃ species was low in the low exposure regions, but that the relative density of the sp³-CH or sp³-CH₂ species increased as the exposure was higher. Substrate temperatures rose as the plasma exposure was higher. The changes of ratios would be ascribed to the substrate heating effect by plasma exposure, which would enhance the etching and/or hydrogen abstraction effects. We also found the change of CH_1-2/CH₃ ratios was enhanced when the high substrate bias was applied. The enhancement of the ratio was due to ion effects.     

Stopping a vibrational wave packet with laser-induced dipole forces

Intense near-infrared laser pulses can generate laser-induced dipole forces that are strong enough to influence or control vibrational motion of a small molecule. Generally, the force acts to pull the molecule apart. Our numerical simulations show that, by applying the laser-induced dipole force at an appropriate time within one vibrational period, the wave packet motion of H+2 or D+2 can be accelerated or decelerated. Using the wave packet formed by the rapid ionization of H2 or D2, we also show that it is possible to move the vibrational population almost entirely to the v=0 state. Coherent cooling of the molecular vibrational motion can be achieved.     

Controlling vibrational wave packet motion with intense modulated laser fields

Intense, nonresonant laser fields produce Stark shifts that strongly modify the potential energy surfaces of a molecule. A vibrational wave packet can be guided by this Stark shift if the laser field is appropriately modulated during the wave packet motion. We modulated a 70 fs laser pulse with a period on the time scale of the vibrational motion (approximately 10 fs) by mixing the signal and idler of an optical parametric amplifier. We used ionization of H2 or D2 to launch a vibrational wave packet on the ground state of H2(+) or D2(+). If the laser intensity was high as the wave packet reached its outer turning point, the Stark shift allowed the molecule to dissociate through bond softening. On the other hand, if the field was small at this critical time, little dissociation was measured. By changing the modulation period, we achieved control of the dissociation yield with a contrast of 90%.     

Purification through Zeno-like measurements

A series of frequent measurements on a quantum system (Zeno-like measurements) is shown to result in the "purification" of another quantum system in interaction with the former. Even though the measurements are performed on the former system, their effect drives the latter into a pure state, irrespectively of its initial (mixed) state, provided certain conditions are satisfied.     

High-resolution optical storage by use of minute spheres

We have developed a new optical storage system that uses minute spheres arranged upon a surface-relief grating. By using dye-doped minute spheres as recording bits we can limit a sensitive region within a sphere's diameter. Using a reflection-type confocal optical system, we read out shape signals from minute spheres at high resolution. The shape signals from minute spheres are utilized as clock signals in recording and readout.     

Depth visualization of a local blood region in skin tissue by use of diffuse reflectance images

A simple method is proposed for visualizing the depth distribution of a local blood region in skin tissue by using diffuse reflectance images at two isosbestic wavelengths of hemoglobin, 420 and 585 nm. Monte Carlo simulation of light transport specifies a relation between optical densities and the depth of the region under given concentrations of melanin in the epidermis and blood in the dermis. Phantom and in vivo experiments were performed to show the usefulness of the method.     

Crystal orientation in a semicrystalline polymer in relation to deformation of polymer spherulites. II. Orientation distribution function of crystallites within crystal lamella as a function of lamellar orientation

A model relating crystal orientation in a semicrystalline polymer to the deformation of polymer spherulites is proposed. The distribution function for orientation of crystallites within crystal lamellae is assumed to be a function of lamellar orientation. In addition to the orientation of crystal lamellae in affine fashion, several parameters are introduced to characterize the untwisting of the crystal lamellae and the four different types of orientations of the crystallites within the crystal lamellae in the undeformed and deformed states of the spherulite. The model was tested by experiments in uniaxial stretching of a low-density polyethylene. The theoretical distributions of orientation of given reciprocal lattice vectors of the crystallites, such as the reciprocal lattice vectors of the (110) and (200) crystal planes, are compared with the results of x-ray diffraction experiments. It was found that the most important factors in fitting the model to experimental results are: (a) the fraction of crystallites having random orientation within lamella and, in turn, representing the degree of imperfection of the lamella in the undeformed state; (b) the ease of transition of crystal orientation within lamella from b-axis orientation parallel to the lamellar axis to two types of c-axis orientations (type C_a and type C_r) parallel to the stretching direction; and (c) the fraction of crystallites having orientation in type C_r (unfolding mechanism) rather than type C_a (rotation mechanism).     

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy—VII:para-substituted fluorobenzenes

C-13 and F-19 NMR spectra of seventeen para-substituted fluorobenzenes were measured and the chemical shifts as well as coupling constants with respect to substituents were analysed. The chemical shifts of the fluorine, the C₁ and the C₂ atoms were found to depend on the total electron densities. In the case of the C₃ atom, the chemical shifts seem to depend on π-electron densities rather than the total electron densities. The present calculations also indicate that the chemical shift of the C₄ atom depends mainly on σ-electron densities due to the inductive effects of substituents. The strongest factor influencing the coupling constant, ⁿJ(C? F), is also considered to be the π-electron densities on the carbon atoms. In the case of the direct couplings, ¹J(C? F), the π-bond orders are important.     

Quantum entanglement formation by repeated spin blockade measurements in a spin field-effect transistor structure embedded with quantum dots

We propose a method of operating a quantum state machine made of stacked quantum dots buried in adjacent to the channel of a spin field-effect transistor (FET) [S. Datta, B. Das, Appl. Phys. Lett. 56 (1990) 665; K. Yoh, et al., Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS) 2004; H. Ohno, K. Yoh et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42 (2003) L87; K. Yoh, J. Konda, S. Shiina, N. Nishiguchi, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 36 (1997) 4134]. In this method, a spin blockade measurement extracts the quantum state of a nearest quantum dot through Coulomb blockade [K. Yoh, J. Konda, S. Shiina, N. Nishiguchi, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 36 (1997) 4134; K. Yoh, H. Kazama, Physica E 7 (2000) 440] of the adjacent channel conductance. Repeated quantum Zeno-like (QZ) measurements [H. Nakazato, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 (2003) 060401] of the spin blockade is shown to purify the quantum dot states within several repetitions. The growth constraints of the stacked InAs quantum dots are shown to provide an exchange interaction energy in the range of 0.01–1 meV [S. Itoh, et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 38 (1999) L917; A. Tackeuchi, et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42 (2003) 4278]. We have verified that one can reach the fidelity of 90% by repeating the measurement twice, and that of 99.9% by repeating only eleven QZ measurements. Entangled states with two and three vertically stacked dots are achieved with the sampling frequency of the order of 100 MHz.