Shake-up satellites in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Shake-up satellite peaks have been reported in the core electron spectra of various types of molecules. The specific valence excitation(s) giving rise to this extra structure has been assigned largely as a result of the application of the sudden approximation coupled with other considerations, e.g. transition energies. Satellite peaks appearing in the core electron spectra of first row transition metal complexes appear to be particularly interesting since existing data indicate that their positions and intensities convey information regarding some important properties of the complex.In this work reported shake-up satellite peaks are described and analyzed. In addition, some areas requiring more experimental work are pointed out, and a few potential applications of satellite peak data are mentioned.     

Conductive nanodots on the surface of irradiated CaF2

CaF₂(111) single crystal surfaces have been irradiated with fast heavy ions under oblique angles resulting in chains of nanosized hillocks. In order to characterize these nanodots with respect to their conductivity we have applied non‐contact atomic force microscopy using a magnetic tip. Measurements in ultra high vacuum as well as under ambient conditions reveal a clearly enhanced electromagnetic interaction between the magnetic tip and the nanodots. The dissipated energy per cycle is comparable to the value found for metals, indicating that the interaction of the ion with the target material leads to the creation of metallic Ca nanodots on the surface. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Random and Deterministic Triangle Generation of Three-Dimensional Classical Groups III

Let p₁, p₂, p₃ be primes. This is the final paper in a series of three on the (p₁, p₂, p₃)-generation of the finite projective special unitary and linear groups PSU ₃(pⁿ), PSL ₃(pⁿ), where we say a noncyclic group is (p₁, p₂, p₃)-generated if it is a homomorphic image of the triangle group T_{p1, p2, p3} . This article is concerned with the case where p₁ = 2 and p₂ ≠ p₃. We determine for any primes p₂ ≠ p₃ the prime powers pⁿ such that PSU ₃(pⁿ) (respectively, PSL ₃(pⁿ)) is a quotient of T = T_{2, p2, p3} . We also derive the limit of the probability that a randomly chosen homomorphism in Hom(T, PSU ₃(pⁿ)) (respectively, Hom(T, PSL ₃(pⁿ))) is surjective as pⁿ tends to infinity.     

Lead and strontium isotopes as indicators for mixing processes of waters in the former mine 'Himmelfahrt Fundgrube', Freiberg (Germany)

To pinpoint the origin and mixing processes of mine waters, different mine water types from the polymetallic sulphide ore deposit 'Himmelfahrt Fundgrube' (Freiberg, Germany) were analysed by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry using lead and strontium isotope ratios. Results show that the lead isotope composition of different mine waters results from a mixture of at least two sources: released lead from oxidised sulphide ores (mainly galena) and anthropogenic lead from groundwater. Furthermore, there are indications for an additional lead source. Strontium isotopes in mine waters identify at least three different sources: released strontium from weathered host rock (Grey Gneisses), released strontium from weathered gangue carbonates, and probably strontium from anthropogenic inputs. Contrary to former oxygen and sulphur isotope studies, strontium isotope compositions as well as hydrochemical parameters show the important role of gangue carbonates as an element source in mine waters.     

High MS-compatibility of silver nitrate-stained protein spots from 2-DE gels using ZipPlates and AnchorChips for successful protein identification

The availability of easy-to-handle, sensitive, and cost-effective protein staining protocols for 2-DE, in conjunction with a high compatibility for subsequent MS analysis, is still a prerequisite for successful proteome research. In this article we describe a quick and easy-to-use methodological protocol based on sensitive, homogeneous, and MS-compatible silver nitrate protein staining, in combination with an in-gel digestion, employing the Millipore 96-well ZipPlate system for peptide preparation. The improved quality and MS compatibility of the generated protein digests, as compared to the otherwise weakly MS-compatible silver nitrate staining, were evaluated on real tissue samples by analyzing 192 Coomassie-stained protein spots against their counterparts from a silver-stained 2-DE gel. Furthermore, the applicability of the experimental setup was evaluated and demonstrated by the analysis of a large-scale MALDI-TOF MS experiment, in which we analyzed an additional ~1000 protein spots from 2-DE gels from mouse liver and mouse brain tissue.