Compact multireference wavefront sensor design

We present a compact optical design for a multireference Shack-Hartmann-based wavefront sensor (WFS) for multiconjugate adaptive optical systems. The key component of this WFS design is a field lenslet array that separates the exit pupil images in the sensing plane for all reference sources. An analytical method for WFS optical design is presented, and the optimal strategy for selecting optical components from a discrete set is outlined. The feasibility of the WFS design has been demonstrated for a prototype WFS system in a laboratory setup with five reference sources and two deformable mirrors representing a wavefront-distorting medium.     

Analytical determination of the regularization parameter in the retrieval of atmospheric vertical profiles

In the retrieval of vertical profiles of atmospheric constituents, regularization methods are frequently used to improve the conditioning of the solution. The regularization reduces the retrieval errors and causes the vertical resolution to deteriorate. One obtains a trade-off by tuning the strength of the regularization by way of a regularization parameter. A new analytical method for determining the regularization parameter is presented. This method is suitable for operational retrievals, for which an unattended procedure is required. The performance of the new method is compared with that of the L-curve method, and the results show that a better trade-off between retrieval errors and vertical resolution is obtained.     

Unusual thermal diffusion in polymer solutions

Thermal diffusion forced Rayleigh scattering results on thermal diffusion of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in ethanol/water mixtures are presented. In water-rich solvent mixtures, PEO is found to migrate towards regions of lower temperature. This is typical for polymer solutions and corresponds to a positive Soret coefficient of PEO. In solvent mixtures with low water content, however, the polymer is found to migrate towards higher temperatures, corresponding to a negative Soret coefficient of PEO in ethanol-rich solutions. To our knowledge, this is the first observed sign change of the Soret coefficient of a polymer in solution. We also present a simple lattice model for the polymer solvent system and calculate Soret coefficients with statistical mechanics methods. The calculated values agree qualitatively with the experimental results.     

Atomic transport and chemical stability during annealing of ultrathin Al2O3 films on Si

Ultrathin films of Al2O3 deposited on Si were submitted to rapid thermal annealing in vacuum or in oxygen atmosphere, in the temperature range from 600 to 800 degrees C. Nuclear reaction profiling with subnanometric depth resolution evidenced mobility of O, Al, and Si species, and angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the formation of Si-Al-O compounds in near-surface regions, under oxidizing atmosphere at and above 700 degrees C. Under vacuum annealing all species remained essentially immobile. A model is presented based on diffusion-reaction equations capable of explaining the mobilities and reproducing the obtained profiles.     

Mössbauer investigation of maghemite-based glycolic acid nanocomposite

Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used in the characterization of a nanocomposite containing magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in a glycolic acid-based template. Maghemite nanoparticles were identified as the iron oxide phase dispersed in the polymeric template. From the low-temperature Mössbauer data the amount of the iron-based, non-magnetic material at the nanoparticle surface was estimated as roughly one monolayer in thickness.     

Dynamical pattern formation for diblock copolymer films under stretch by moving walls

We propose a computational method that takes into account the dynamical influence of moving rigid walls over the pattern formation for thin films of diblock copolymers. The competition between the surface field energy and elastic stretching energy, and the effects of the molecular relaxation on pattern formation are studied. Finally, it is also observed that stretching the film enhances the ordering of patterns in it.     

Optical investigation of the red band emission of CdS nanoparticles

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles, with different Cd/S molar ratios, were chemically produced and characterized in this study. High quality CdS nanoparticles were grown in the hexagonal phase, as indicated by X-ray diffraction data and Raman spectroscopy. Photoluminescence was used to investigate the surface effects caused by submitting the nanoparticle-based samples at different laser treatments and vacuum pressure.     

Study of molecular surface coating on the stability of maghemite nanoparticles

In this study γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticle, surface-coated with increasing amount of oleic acid, have been prepared while the stability against particle degradation under laser excitation intensity was investigated. Maghemite nanoparticle was obtained via oxidation of magnetite nanoparticle, the latter synthesized by co-precipitation of Fe (II) and Fe (III) ions in alkaline medium. By varying the experimental conditions of surface-coating maghemite nanoparticles with oleic acid, samples with different grafting coefficient were obtained and investigated using X-ray diffraction and different spectroscopic techniques, namely Raman, Mössbauer, and infrared. The amount of oleic acid adsorbed on the maghemite surface was estimated via the carbon content obtained from elemental analysis.     

Complete assignment of NMR data of 22 phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles' derivatives

Complete assignment of ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts and J(¹H/¹H and ¹H/¹⁹F) coupling constants for 22 1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles' derivates were performed using the concerted application of ¹H 1D and ¹H, ¹³C 2D gs‐HSQC and gs‐HMBC experiments. All 1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles' derivatives were synthesized as described by Finar and co‐workers. The formylated 1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazoles' derivatives were performed under Duff's conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.