Measurement of the polarization of positive muons produced in high-energy antineutrino interactions

The question whether scalar-type interactions contribute to weak interactions at large momentum transfer has been investigated by a measurement of the longitudinal polarization of positive muons produced in charged-current interactions of high-energy antineutrinos with iron. At an average momentum transfer <Q ²>=4 GeV² the muon spin is found to be oriented forward with respect to the muon momentum vector, with an average polarization of 1.10±0.24, consistent with positive helicity. A limit on scalar contributions of σ_{s, p}/σ_tot <7% at the 95% confidence level can be deduced. A search for violation of time reversal invariance which could manifest itself by a polarization component perpendicular to the muon production plane gave a limit of σ_tv/σ_tot <16% (95% c.l.). It is concluded that the weak leptonic charged current retains its dominant vector and axial vector structure at large momentum transfers.     

On the changes in the microwave dielectric spectrum of aqueous phospholipid bilayer solutions at the ordered-fluid phase transition

The microwave part of the dielectric spectrum (ν ? 1 GHz) is considered of aqueous phospholipid solutions in the limit of high water content. A continuum model is presented which allows to calculate in the water relaxation region the frequency-dependent complex permittivity of solutions in which the bilayers form globular single-walled vesicles as well as multilamellar liposomes. The model is not only capable of explaining the strikingly small values of the extrapolated static permittivity and of the main dielectric relaxation time which became evident in many measurements on colloidal aqueous solutions of phospholipids. It also allows the positive and negative step-like changes in the dielectric properties of solutions, which have been found at the main (order-disorder) phase transition temperature of the bilayers, to be explained by dimensional changes as resulting from vesicle growth and fusion.     

Non-interferometric transient quantitative phase microscopy for ultrafast engineering

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics Bi_0.5(Na_1-x-yK_xAg_y)_0.5TiO₃ [BNKAT(x/y)] have been synthesized by the mixed oxide method. The effects of the amount of K⁺ and Ag⁺ on the electrical properties were examined. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that K⁺ and Ag⁺ ions partially substitute for the Na⁺ ions in Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ and form a solid solution during sintering. At room temperature, the ceramics exhibit good performances with piezoelectric constant d₃₃=189 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor k_p=35.0%, remanent polarization P_r=39.5 μC/cm², and coercive field E_c=3.3 kV/mm, respectively. The curves of the dielectric constant ε_r and loss tangent tan δ versus temperature show that the transition temperature from ferroelectric to anti-ferroelectric phase decreases with increasing the K⁺ content for the compositions researched. The dependencies of k_p and polarization versus electric (P–E) hysteresis loops on temperature reveal that the depolarization temperature T_d of BNKAT(0.15/0.015) ceramics, which have good piezoelectric properties (d₃₃=134 pC/N, k_p=32.5%) and strong ferroelectricity (P_r=39.5 μC/cm², E_c=4.1 kV/mm) at room temperature, is above 160 °C. PACS 77.22.-d; 77.65.Bn; 77.80.Bh; 77.80.Dj; 77.84.Dy     

Beyond nanosizing: an approach to shape analysis of fluorescent nanostructures by SMI-microscopy

Using spatially modulated illumination (SMI) light microscopy it is possible to measure the sizes of fluorescent structures that have an extension far below the conventional optical resolution limit (“subresolution size”). Presently, the sizes are determined as the object extension along the optical axis of the SMI microscope. For this, however, “a priori” assumptions on the fluorochrome distribution (“shape”) within the examined fluorescent structure have to be made. Usually it is assumed that the fluorochrome follows a Gauss-distribution or a spherical distribution. In this report we overcome the necessity to make an assumption on the shape of the fluorochrome distribution. We introduce two new experimentally obtained parameters which allow the determination of a shape measure to describe the spatial distribution of the fluorescent dye. This becomes possible by independent measurements with different excitation wavelengths. As an example, we present shape parameter measurements on individual fluorescent microspheres with a nominal geometrical diameter (“size”) of 190 nm. In the case investigated, the experimental shape correlated well with a homogeneous fluorochrome distribution (“spherical shape”) but not with a variety of other “shapes”.     

On a new condition distinguishing Weyl and Lorentz space-times

The paper is concerned with the derivability of a Lorentz instead of only a Weyl manifold as space-time structure from postulates about free fall and light propagation. For this purpose it identifies a property distinguishing both kinds of space-times. The property is one of a particular metric of the conformal class of the Weyl manifold. viz. that in suitably chosen locally geodesic coordinates theg _i4 components,i=1, 2, 3 vanish along the time axis. Although seemingly somewhat hidden, one is led to this property in looking for a metric which can play a distinguished role. We demonstrate that for a Lorentzian manifold such a condition is always given; thus it is a necessary one. It is sufficient since for a Weyl space it has the consequence that the metric connection of the selectedg is projectively equivalent to the Weyl connection. Thus, if a Weyl space-time complies with it, it is a reducible one. The results of this paper lay the ground for deriving in a second step this condition from a simple, empirically testable postulate about free-fall worldlines and “radar” measurements by light signals.     

Towards molecular-scale electronics and biomolecular self-assembly

This paper provides an overview of recent research developments in the field of nanoelectronics with organic materials such as carbon nanotubes and DNA-templated nanowires. Carbon nanotubes and gold electrodes are chemically functionalized in order to contact carbon nanotubes by self-assembly. The transport properties of these nanotubes are dominated by charging effects and display clear Coulomb blockade behaviour. A different approach towards nanoscale electronics is based on the molecular recognition properties of biomolecules such as DNA. As an example, DNA is stretched between electrodes using a molecular combing technique. A two-step metallization procedure leads to the formation of highly conductive gold nanowires.     

Recognition of Dimethylarginine Analogues by Tandem Tudor Domain Protein Spindlin1

Epigenetic readout of the combinatorial posttranslational modification comprised of trimethyllysine and asymmetric dimethylarginine (H3K4me3R8me2a) takes place via biomolecular recognition of tandem Tudor-domain-containing protein Spindlin1. Through comparative thermodynamic data and molecular dynamics simulations, we sought to explore the binding scope of asymmetric dimethylarginine mimics by Spindlin1. Herein, we provide evidence that the biomolecular recognition of H3K4me2R8me2a is not significantly affected when R8me2a is replaced by dimethylarginine analogues, implying that the binding of K4me3 provides the major binding contribution. High-energy water molecules inside both aromatic cages of the ligand binding sites contribute to the reader–histone association upon displacement by histone peptide, with the K4me3 hydration site being lower in free energy due to a flip of Trp151.