Upgrade of beamline BL08B at Taiwan Light Source from a photon‐BPM to a double‐grating SGM beamline

During the last 20 years, beamline BL08B has been upgraded step by step from a photon beam‐position monitor (BPM) to a testing beamline and a single‐grating beamline that enables experiments to record X‐ray photo‐emission spectra (XPS) and X‐ray absorption spectra (XAS) for research in solar physics, organic semiconductor materials and spinel oxides, with soft X‐ray photon energies in the range 300–1000 eV. Demands for photon energy to extend to the extreme ultraviolet region for applications in nano‐fabrication and topological thin films are increasing. The basic spherical‐grating monochromator beamline was again upgraded by adding a second grating that delivers photons of energy from 80 to 420 eV. Four end‐stations were designed for experiments with XPS, XAS, interstellar photoprocess systems (IPS) and extreme‐ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) in the scheduled beam time. The data from these experiments show a large count rate in core levels probed and excellent statistics on background normalization in the L‐edge adsorption spectrum.     

The use of Raman microscopy and laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry in the examination of synthetic organic pigments in modern works of art

Synthetic organic pigments are widely used in modern and contemporary works of art. They have been examined by a variety of techniques including spectroscopic methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, and X‐ray powder diffraction as well as chromatographic or mass spectrometric techniques such as pyrolysis‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI–MS). Often, a combination of techniques has been used to examine these pigments. This paper describes use of Raman spectroscopy to create a database of colorants including two pigments not previously reported, PO1 and PO2. Then, using Raman spectroscopy in combination with LDI–MS, samples from modern works of art by artists including Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and José de Rivera were examined in order to identify the pigments present. One finding was that Rothko used a variety of red pigments over the course of his career including PR11 which has not been previously reported in artwork, and PO2 found with its positional isomer PR1. Knowledge of the colorants serves to inform conservators about display and treatment decisions. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

The synthesis and photolysis mechanisms of 8‐nitroquinoline‐based photolabile caging groups for carboxylic acid

Photolabile protecting groups have been extensively studied and applied for protection of small biological molecules, which make it convenient to detect the biological processes of the caged compounds. In this study, a series of 8‐nitroquinoline‐based photolabile caging groups for carboxylic acid were synthesized with improved photolysis efficiency. Among them, 6‐bromo‐8‐nitro‐1, 2‐dihydroquinolinyl chromophore was proven the best derivative on account of its longest absorption wavelength (345 nm), highest caging ability, and quantum yield (Φ = 0.003). Moreover, density functional theory calculations were performed in order to study the photolysis mechanisms. Theoretical calculations revealed that the reaction was kinetically inert under general mild condition with the high barrier height of 34.3 kcal/mol at carbonyl migration step, while under the photolysis condition, because of the large energy gap (64.5 kcal/mol) between S₀ and S₁ states, the reaction should be accessible in the triplet ground state (T₁) through successive excitation of S₀ → S₁ states, subsequent intersystem crossing of S₁ → T₁ states, and finally returned to the stable S₀ state for product via potential energy surface crossing between T₁ and S₀ states. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy probe for in situ mechanism study of graphene‐oxide‐based resistive random access memory

Here, an in situ probe for scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy (STXM) has been developed and applied to the study of the bipolar resistive switching (BRS) mechanism in an Al/graphene oxide (GO)/Al resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. To perform in situ STXM studies at the C K‐ and O K‐edges, both the RRAM junctions and the I₀ junction were fabricated on a single Si₃N₄ membrane to obtain local XANES spectra at these absorption edges with more delicate I₀ normalization. Using this probe combined with the synchrotron‐based STXM technique, it was possible to observe unique chemical changes involved in the BRS process of the Al/GO/Al RRAM device. Reversible oxidation and reduction of GO induced by the externally applied bias voltages were observed at the O K‐edge XANES feature located at 538.2 eV, which strongly supported the oxygen ion drift model that was recently proposed from ex situ transmission electron microscope studies.     

Isometries of Quaternionic Lie Groups

We study connected Lie groups whose Lie algebra is obtained as the tensor product of a real associative algebra and the algebra of quaternions. It is proved that they carry a natural integrable -structure. We endow such quaternionic Lie groups with a left-invariant Hermitian metric and study the identity connected component of their isometry groups. The determination of such identity connected component is illustrated with a family of examples.     

Cauchy problems for linear thermoelastic systems of type III in one space variable

The goal of the paper is to analyse properties of solutions for linear thermoelastic systems of type III in one space variable. Our approach does not use energy methods, it bases on a special diagonalization procedure which is different in different parts of the phase space. This procedure allows to derive explicit representations of solutions. These representations help to prove results for well‐posedness of the Cauchy problem, L^P–L^q decay estimates on the conjugate line and results for propagation of singularities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A non‐linear and non‐local boundary condition for a diffusion equation in petroleum engineering

This article deals with a boundary value problem for Laplace equation with a non‐linear and non‐local boundary condition. This problem comes from petroleum engineering and is used to obtain an estimation of well productivity. The non‐linear and non‐local boundary condition is written on the well boundary. On the outer reservoir boundaries, we have both Dirichlet and Neumann conditions. In this paper, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution to this problem. The existence is proved by Schauder theorem and the uniqueness is obtained under more restricted conditions, when the involved operator is a contraction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Utilization of standardless analysis algorithms using WDXRF and XRD for Egyptian iron ore identification

On the basis of fundamental parameter approaches, the validity of standardless wavelength dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and X‐ray powder diffraction algorithms was confirmed for analyzing Egyptian iron ore samples collected from two different locations, Aswan and Baharyia. The studied Egyptian iron ores represent different depositional environments and consequently exhibit variable mineralogical and chemical compositions. In the case of WDXRF analysis, the ground powders of iron ore samples were mixed and pressed with low contamination binder in a mass ratio of wax: sample = 4: 0.9 g at 120 kN cm^?2. A standardless method for quantitative WDXRF was employed, which requires accurate determination of the amount of organic material in the sample. On the basis of differential thermal analysis, a new method is introduced for the determination of loss of ignition. With the application of the proposed method and standardless quantitative analysis, results for 12 elements in iron ores were obtained: Fe, Mn, Mg, Si, Al, Ca, Na, K, S, Ba, Zn, and Cl. The reliability and precision of the adopted procedure were tested against a standard reference material ‘Iron ore concentrate (SRM 690, NIST, USA)’. The quantitative analysis results of the certified reference material were found acceptable. Depending on the WDXRF results, the powder samples were directly introduced to X‐ray powder diffraction goniometry, and the phase compositions were quantitatively determined by using a standardless analysis program based on Rietveld method. The main phases of all iron ore samples are the hematite and goethite, whereas other phases are found with varying ratios, namely quartz, nordstrandite, rhodochrosite, kaolinite, todorokit, bassanit, andydrite, and hydroxyapatite. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectroelectrochemical cell for in situ studies of solid oxide fuel cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are able to produce electricity and heat from hydrogen‐ or carbon‐containing fuels with high efficiencies and are considered important cornerstones for future sustainable energy systems. Performance, activation and degradation processes are crucial parameters to control before the technology can achieve breakthrough. They have been widely studied, predominately by electrochemical testing with subsequent micro‐structural analysis. In order to be able to develop better SOFCs, it is important to understand how the measured electrochemical performance depends on materials and structural properties, preferably at the atomic level. A characterization of these properties under operation is desired. As SOFCs operate at temperatures around 1073 K, this is a challenge. A spectroelectrochemical cell was designed that is able to study SOFCs at operating temperatures and in the presence of relevant gases. Simultaneous spectroscopic and electrochemical evaluation by using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is possible.     

Low‐temperature Extensions of the Virial Equation of State for Solar Modeling

Low‐order density expansions cannot adequately describe recombination reactions. Therefore, the usefulness of an exact quantum virial expansion truncated at the order of ?^5/2 is limited to the deeper interior of the Sun, where the plasma is nearly fully ionized. Here, intermediate steps towards full‐fledged solar modeling are presented. They are (i) a smooth numerical representation of the quantum virial expansion and (ii) the construction of a smooth transition to the low‐temperature regime (below 50,000 K), where the virial expansions breaks down due to H recombination. These technical steps are realized for a simplified H‐only plasma; the extension to He and heavier elements will be dealt with later. Ultimately, the outcome will be that solar observations can be used to test the accuracy of the virial equation of state and to compare it with current more phenomenological formalisms (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)