Velocity measurement using the time-space cross-correlation of speckle patterns

The vector velocity measurement of the in-plane object motion based on the dynamic properties of speckle patterns is conducted. The time-space cross-correlation function of speckle intensity variations is used to determine the magnitude and direction of the in-plane object velocity. Theoretical and experimental studies of the speckle correlation technique for the determination of the in-plane object velocity are discussed and the vector velocities of the diffuse object are displayed as a two-dimensional image.     

A complete calculation for direct detection of Wino dark matter

In the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking scenario, neutral gaugino of SUL₍₂₎$\mathit{SU}{(2)}_L$ multiplet, Wino, can be the lightest SUSY particle and become a candidate for dark matter. We calculated scattering cross section of Wino dark matter with nucleon, which is responsible for direct detection of the dark matter, on the assumption that the SUSY particles and the heavier Higgs bosons have masses of the order of the gravitino mass in the SUSY standard model. In such a case, the Wino–nucleon coupling is generated by loop processes. We have included two-loop contribution to Wino–gluon interaction in the calculation, since it is one of the leading contributions to the Wino–nucleon coupling. It was found that the spin-independent scattering cross section with proton is ^{10−(46–48)} cm²${10}^{-(46\text{–}48)}{\text{cm}}^2$. While it is almost independent of the Wino mass, the result is quite sensitive to the Higgs boson mass due to the accidental cancellation.     

DNAzyme- and light-induced dissipative and gated DNA networks

Nucleic acid-based dissipative, out-of-equilibrium systems are introduced as functional assemblies emulating transient dissipative biological transformations. One system involves a Pb²⁺-ion-dependent DNAzyme fuel strand-driven network leading to the transient cleavage of the fuel strand to “waste” products. Applying the Pb²⁺-ion-dependent DNAzyme to two competitive fuel strand-driven systems yields two parallel operating networks. Blocking the competitively operating networks with selective inhibitors leads, however, to gated transient operation of dictated networks, yielding gated catalytic operations. A second system introduces a “non-waste” generating out-of-equilibrium, dissipative network driven by light. The system consists of a trans-azobenzene-functionalized photoactive module that is reconfigured by light to an intermediary state consisting of cis-azobenzene units that are thermally recovered to the original trans-azobenzene-modified module. The cyclic transient photoinduced operation of the device is demonstrated. The kinetic simulation of the systems allows the prediction of the transient behavior of the networks under different auxiliary conditions.

Functional DNA modules are triggered in the presence of appropriate inhibitors to yield transient gated catalytic functions, and a photoresponsive DNA module leads to “waste-free” operation of transient, dissipative dynamic transitions.     

Why is formate synthesis insensitive to copper surface structures?

Experiments have revealed that formate synthesis from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is structure insensitive to copper catalyst surfaces, while the reverse formate decomposition reaction is structure sensitive. The present ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the reaction of CO2 with surface atomic hydrogen initially leads to the formation of unstable monodentate formate, which has similar adsorption energies on Cu(111), Cu(100), and Cu(110). The structure of the transition state is similar to that of monodentate formate. It is also shown that gaseous CO2 is directly reacted with surface hydrogen, as suggested by previous experiments. The position of the similar transition state and the direct reaction mechanism well explain the similar energetic pathways, that is, the structure insensitivity.     

Several types of bilayer smectic liquid crystals with ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties in binary mixture of dimeric compounds

The mesomorphic behavior and phase structure were examined in the mixture of two kinds of dimeric compounds, alpha,omega-bis(4-alkoxyanilinebenzylidene-4'-carbonyloxy)pentane (mOAM5AMOm), by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, polarization switching, and second-harmonic generation measurements. One compound is 4OAM5AMO4 with a short terminal alkyl chain that forms a single-layer smectic phase (SmCAs) with a random mixing of spacer and tail groups. Another compound is 16OAM5AMO16 with a long terminal alkyl chain that forms a chiral, anticlinic, and antiferroelectric bilayer phase (SmCAb) with the bent molecules tilted to the bilayer. By mixing these two compounds, the SmCAs phase of 4OAM5AMO4 is easily destabilized, leading to the wide content region of the bilayer phases. In the bilayer regime, three other smectic phases are newly induced. Two of them are antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases in which the molecules lie perpendicularly with respect to the layer. The other shows no polar response to an external electric field and behaves like a smectic A. The new appearance of these bilayer phases is discussed as a mixing effect of long and short tail groups.     

Spatial-mode analysis in broad-area semiconductor lasers subjected to optical feedback

Broad-area semiconductor lasers are unstable light sources even in solitary oscillation owing to the spatial dependence of laser emission along the stripe width. One of the instabilities that occur in the dynamics of broad-area semiconductor lasers is filamentation. Laser oscillations are further affected by optical feedback. In the presence of optical feedback, higher spatial modes related to the filamentations are either excited or suppressed depending on the feedback conditions. As a result, the beam shape of the time-averaged pattern is greatly affected by optical feedback. In this study, we perform the decomposition of spatial-mode components for time-averaged near-field patterns in the presence of optical feedback. A method of simulated annealing (SA) is employed for the decomposition. The beam profiles are well reconstructed by the SA method. A quantitative discussion of the excitation or suppression of higher spatial modes in relation to the optical feedback conditions is given.     

物理化学全线上教学的策略与实践

Remote teaching and learning have been adopted during the COVID-19 outbreak. In this particular period of time, a totally-online-teaching strategy was implemented by the teaching team of physical chemistry in Tianjin University. With the enrichment of learning resources, the optimization of the inspectors' teaching skills, as well as the elaborated managements of the whole learning process, the course has been given online successfully, though it is thought unsuitable for online teaching due to the abstruse theory and complex mathematical treatments involved in teaching. Both the central position of student and the leading role of teacher are greatly promoted in the newly developed totally-online-teaching process. The experiences obtained in this teaching process will lay great impact on teaching mode innovation in the future.     

Fluorescent ternary complexes of some biogenic amines and their metabolites with europium and oxytetracycline for applications in the chemical analysis

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